Shop For Great Bargains Online This Christmas

Are you ready to join? The Internet shopping bandwagon, that is. Shopping online has become increasingly popular over the last few years, with new and improved safety measures, specialty shops and giant retailers like Overstock.com; all designed to entice shoppers.

In fact, VeriSign (the leading provider of security for web sites on the Internet) suggests e-commerce data from the holiday season in 2004 totaled 8.8 billion dollars in online purchases (based on an analysis of online sales volume processed through VeriSign payment services, which comprises more than 35% of North America's e-commerce and represents in excess of 120,000 online retailers).

Additionally, e-commerce transactions are estimated to be close to 168 billion dollars for the year 2005. In fact, in the year 2010 it is projected online sales could top the 315 billion dollar mark (Forrester Research 2005). One may ask, why such an increase?

Many factors can explain such increases. Improved security measures, ease of use and convenience are just a few of these factors. Let's explore these factors.

Security Measures- Despite all the fears of identity theft, online transactions account for less than 4% of identity theft. There are numerous software programs available (some for free) that the user can download to protect themselves from viruses and spyware. Worried about spyware? Download a free spyware program at www.safer-networking.com (called SpyBot Search & Destroy). Additionally, look for the locked padlock in the toolbar and make sure the http changes to https in your browser. The "s" indicates that the web site is a secure site and adheres to the industry standard for security values Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Therefore, your personal information is encrypted and stays private during transmission over the Internet. Always delete sensitive information when exiting any website and do not give your credit card number to anyone requesting it in an email (phishing scams). Follow these simple steps a safe online shopping experience.

Ease of use- We have all seen the banner advertisements, just click on them and they take you to the web site advertised. Email advertising is growing in popularity as well and includes a link to click on to take the user to the site after they read the text ad. There are some unique and catchy names of web sites that are easy to remember. Have a favorite web site or shopping site? Just bookmark it and add it to your collection of favorites!

Convenience- Ever wait in long lines during the holiday season? What a time saver online shopping has become! No lines to wait in, no parking hassles, no traffic, no gas expense, no crowds and your merchandise can be shipped right to your door! Or, if you prefer, you can have your purchases gift wrapped and delivered to another address. All you do is sit at your computer with your shopping list and get done in a few hours what may taken you several days and trips to the mall to accomplish!

There are many more advantages to shopping online (we have just covered a few) as well as some disadvantages, but carefully weighed out; the smart shopper will discover a happy medium between the two and e-commerce will continue to grow and be a force in the economy for years to come.

Plunge In To The Online Dating Waters

Looking to spice up your life a little or add some romance...or maybe find that perfect love connection?

Cool! Jump right in...the online dating waters are just fine and you will have lots of company. There are over THREE MILLION others already splashing around when you do decide to take the plunge!!

If you're new, or relatively new to the online dating scene, this article should get you headed down the right path. Follow the tips and recommendation presented here and your initial experiences will be more enjoyable, and yield better results.

Do a search of "online dating" and you will be presented with more than 2.9 MILLION web pages from which to make your selection! Hmm... a bit overwhelming to say the least. But don't let the huge numbers discourage you. Try the dating preparation and selection methods described, and you will easily find your perfect dating site match.

So your first order of business is to get yourself matched up with one or more online dating sites that fit you and your needs. The questions below should help you narrow things down.


What Type Dating Site?

Plain Vanilla - no ethnic, religious, or cultural themes. Asian, Black/Ebony/African American, Italian, Jewish, Senior Citizen, the list goes on...

Do some searching using the terms below as a guide.

"online dating" + senior
"online dating" + Christian
"online dating" + African American
"online dating" + Asian

"online dating" +

Get the idea? A search on each of the examples above will pretty much yield what you would expect.

If you're on a tight budget, just add the word "free".

"online dating" + free
"online dating" + senior + free ...etc.

You will need to look a little harder to find high quality free dating sites or personal services. REALLY FREE dating sites with lots of members, lots of activity, and lots of member services are pretty hard to come by. You'll understand better after you do a few searches for free dating websites.

A search for dating reviews and forums can also be helpful.

"online dating" + review OR reviews
"online dating" + forum OR forums

With the dating related forums, you can read about good and bad experiences others have had with particular dating and personals web sites.

Dating services reviews will give you some good info as well. Look for genuine, unbiased reviews. Many of the dating review sites out there are willy-nilly listings someone threw together to earn commissions.

Another way to find good dating sites is by asking friends and co-workers who may have tried, or are using online dating or personals services. You may be surprised to find out how many of your single friends are members of a personals site.


How Much?

Monthly fees vary widely, but the average is around $24. Most dating and singles sites will give you a discount if you pay for two or months in advance.

I would suggest you only buy into a one month membership with any new dating service you join. If you decide you like it simply extend your membership. If you don't like the service, you cut your losses at one month, and avoid the hassles of requesting a refund, or canceling billing.

Tight Budget Dating Tip: Most free dating sites have low activity, and member activity is what makes personals and dating sites tick.

Solution: Join 3, 4 or more free dating sites. If you find that their combined activity serves your needs... you're good to go. If not, you'll have gained a good familiarity with online dating, and a better understanding of what you want, when and if you decide to plunk down some bucks for a paid membership.


Telling Your Pool-Side Story

Now write your story (aka: member profile). No great detail; just write like you're writing to the man or woman you seek. Write a little about you, stating one or more of your unique qualities. Write a little about the person you're seeking.

You'll save some time if you write and save all your profile data to a text editor or word processor file. Then, you can COPY and PASTE it to the proper areas of your online dating profile.

As things change, and as you grow, you will want to update and modify your profile statements.


A Picture IS Worth a Thousand Words

You will generally get 3 to 10 time better response with a posted photo than without. People don't generally spend much time on profiles with no photos... so take the hint.

If you don't own a digital camera, web cam, or scanner, take a few photos and a diskette to your local Office Depot, Staples, or general office supply store. They should be able to scan and copy your photos to your diskette. Then you can easily add one or more to your dating site profile. You could also ask friends and relatives who own a digital camera or scanner.

Digital cameras are very inexpensive these days. Check eBay for some of the best deals.


Stay Focused and On-Track

You may want to start a journal, (on paper, or in a text file), to log your "love search" progress. Make notes of URL links of sites you like (you should also bookmark these sites), restrictions, any new member specials, member benefits and services, monthly fees, etc.

When I first started, I also wrote out a statement describing what I wanted to accomplish by joining a dating site. You may want to do the same. These statements and a well-kept journal will help keep you focused and organized. Organized endeavors always yield greater results than haphazard approaches.


Safe-Date Policies

This is actually part of the title of an upcoming article, but I mention it here to stress the use of common-sense, safety, and caution when dealing with ANY dating situation - on or offline. Thanks for reading this article. Comment on what you would like to see next in this blog. All comments are welcome. Always keeping you in touch and informed, "The Internet Outlet -- News You Can Use!".

4 Helpful Photography Tips To Improve Your Photos...

Photography as an art has never been more exciting or enjoyable. Todays photography enthusiast has many styles, topics, and tools open to them. Plus, the blending of digital with print makes the craft of taking photos very versatile.

While it is true that taking photos is as simple as running out and grabbing a cheap five dollar camera, taking GOOD photos has never been easy. So lets explore some quick ideas that can help you take photos that you will be happy to send home.

Here are four tips to help.

1. Get a little closer, don't be shy. One of the biggest mistakes most beginning photographers make is shooting from so far away. They leave too much distance between themselves and their subjects. Instead, get up close and personal. Fill up as much of the camera frame, with your subject, as you can. You can always reshape, trim, and resize a good quality shot. But you can't continue to blow up a distant subject and hope that it will come into focus. It just won't happen.

2. This tip springs directly from #1(above)... focus your shot on only one subject. Determine what the main subject of the photo will be, and catch that image. Try and find the one key subject, person, or event that accurately portrays the feeling you are trying to capture.

3. In addition to getting one subject, in your photos, you will want to make the background of the photo as simple as possible. Busy, distracting backgrounds pull the attention away from the central theme of your photo. The subject of your photo is absolutely the most important element, and anything that detracts from the subject can ruin your shot.

4. Finally, you want to take your subject out of the exact center of the frame. You do this by using the rule of thirds. Imagine having a camera lens split into 9 equal sized boxes, 3 across and 3 down (like having a tic-tac-toe game printed right on your camera lens). Where those "tic-tac-toe" lines cross, should become the focusing point of your subject, when you are arranging to take your photo.

Based on this tip, every time you compose a shot, the main subject of your photo should be located primarily on one of these "third" lines.

These are just four very basic tips and strategies to help improve your photos. As you know, photography skills can always be improved. In fact, most professional photographers exhibit a life long passion for learning new techniques, photography angles, and photo inspirations.

Discover Vancouver, British Columbia's Best Kept Tourism Secrets

Vancouver is a culturally diverse city with many languages and ethnic attractions. Although well known for rain, Vancouver's mild climate is ideal for the many gardens and parks that make up the city. Full of complimentary opposites, Vancouver is a harmonious blend for enjoying the outdoors and city life in one place. Find a map of Vancouver, British Columbia at their city Chamber of Commerce. Or click here
for excellent tourist information.

Stanley Park

Vancouver is one of the few cities (including New York with the famous Central Park) that can boast a sizable park as one of its features. Stanley Park is 1000 acres and is one of the largest urban parks in North America. You may need a separate map of Stanley Park. The Vancouver Chamber of Commerce should have this map also.

Vancouver is a coastal city with plenty of walking and biking trails. There's something for everyone, whether you enjoy an easy pace viewing the waters of the Burrard Inlet along the paved sea wall or take on the wooded trails of Stanley Park where you'll find impressive untouched forest as well as beautifully manicured gardens on your hiking or biking adventure.

Shopping and More...

Looking to enjoy some shopping? Vancouver has plenty of interesting areas to shop. For the dedicated shopper a visit to Robson Street will provide designer boutiques as well as trendy coffee shops and restaurants, all with great people watching spots to take a break.

Granville Island is a busy market along the water. Find fresh fruit, flowers and a wide variety of ethnic foods to enjoy. Browse the art and small specialty shops where you're sure to find that special something to bring home for yourself or as a gift.

Vancouver Aquarium and Science World are big draws for Young or Old.

For a slower pace try the Vancouver Aquarium. Watch the Beluga show or visit the tropics for a memorable visit. Your Vancouver map will help you locate the Aquarium.

Bringing the kids? The mirrored dome with lights will surely catch their attention but what's inside this fascinating structure will impress them (and you) even more! Interactive and astounding you'll be entertained and educated in this attraction originally built for Expo 86.

World Class Resorts, Hotels and Golf Courses

Not far from Vancouver is the world renowned Whistler Village Resort. Ideal for a luxury skiing vacation, it is also a popular summer destination with biking trails, golfing, white water rafting, ziplining and more for the truly adventurous.

Camping and RV parks are never far away or you can choose to stay in one of the highly rated hotels for a real pampered treat! A road map of the Vancouver area can also be found online through search engine listings.

Are you torn between taking a luxurious, pampered holiday versus an outdoor, sporty vacation? If you and your holiday partner can't agree (or even if you're not sure yourself) there's no need to compromise when you visit the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.

Here Are Credit Card Debt Management Tips To Avoid Bankruptcy

Credit cards that are used in moderation could be helpful in managing your finances. This means that splurging through the use of credit cards is almost financial suicide.

Here are few tips to manage the way you use your credit card to prevent you from acquiring debts that could lead to your financial death (excuse the pun).

1) Planning. Before purchasing any product using your credit card, make sure to provide yourself with a plan on how you will be able to pay for your credit card bills. Prioritize your needs before your wants. Purchasing grand items that you don't really need might give you that temporary high that impulsive buyers are addicted to. But that temporary high would eventually turn to long-term down feeling due to your piled up debts.

2) Limit. For you to be able to manage your debts and payments, never go overboard when it comes to your credit limit. If it's possible, it will help a lot if you just use about two-thirds of your limit.

3) Statement of account. Keep a record of all your credit card transactions for future reference. In order to prevent inaccuracies of bills and fraud, always remember to check the list of your purchase for the month. If your list and the statement of account do not match, report this to your bank.

4) Piled up debt remedies. There are a number of steps you have to do in order to escape these financial problems.

* Determine the amount you need to pay and provide yourself with a plan that would fix your finances without pressure.

* Consider paying the minimum amount to be paid. Then, ask for debt consolidation options that would make it a lot easier for you to pay your debts. If you don’t know how to solve your financial problems, there are financial advisers that could help you with your credit card management. They might offer you financial assistance through bank loans that would allow you more time to pay aside from the debt consolidation method. But of course, remember to research on the agency before getting involved with them. Don't just go saying amen to whatever they offer since there is a possibility that they could cause the situation to aggravate.

Self-control is the best way to prevent getting debts that you won't be able to pay immediately. But if you're already in the pits, considering the abovementioned suggestions won't hurt.

Use Vinegar As An All Purpose Cleaner

Vinegar is a 10,000 year old accident according to the Vinegar Institute (versitilevinegar.org).

The name vinegar comes from the French 'vinaigre' which means sour wine. Ever since the discovery was made of a past-its-prime wine, vinegar has been used throughout history for everything from a preservative, condiment, and beverage to medicinal treatment.

Vinegar's adaptability for use comes from its acidic makeup. It is produced by any sugar that is fermented. Depending on the original sugar source, a different vinegar is formed. Although over the centuries herbed vinegars have been used for flavoring, today upwards of 29 varieties of vinegar can be found on your grocer's shelf. The most common vinegar purchased by consumers is white vinegar - 46% according to ACNielsen reports.

Vinegar also appears to have an indefinite shelf life. Although some changes may occur to the coloration or clarity - vinegar remains safe for food or other use.

Although no vinegar based products have been registered with official claim to being an equal alternative to chemical disinfectants, there have been several studies published (including one by the EPA) to impart to the industry that vinegar has strong anti-microbial properties.

While the official debate continues with some less favorable studies in the mix, according to the Vinegar Institute vinegar has been used to "To reduce microorganisms in slaughterhouses and poultry plants...To clean vehicles and equipment used in the construction industry...To wash and rinse walls and ceilings in restaurants and food establishments" as well as other uses.

If you are considering using vinegar as a natural and biodegradable alternative to chemical cleansers most experts suggest using white vinegar at full strength. You can also use diluted vinegar in a spray bottle or boiled on the stove as an air freshener. The vinegar scent itself will dissipate while removing other strong odors such as from cooking.

Vinegar can be used to clean glass, mirror and chrome leaving a shiny finish. Wiping with crumpled newspaper will prevent streaking.

Half a cup (up to two cups) of vinegar in the laundry will give you bright colors, prevent color bleeds and act as a fabric softener.

In the kitchen use vinegar to disinfect cutting boards, shine cutlery and clean ovens, microwaves, pots and even remove tea and coffee stains on china. Boiling water with a mixture of vinegar and filling a teapot, or running vinegar through the coffee machine or dishwasher will remove deposits. Rubbing vinegar on your fingers before and after cutting onions will remove the odor from your hands.

Half a cup of vinegar in the bath water will give you soft skin (and a clean bathtub!). A cup of vinegar and warm water makes a good conditioning rinse for hair. And use apple cider vinegar as an astringent for acne prone skin.

Using vinegar instead of chemical cleansers is not only safer for the environment, but safer for you. Chemical cleansers can encourage hardy strains of resistant bacteria. However, use caution and do your own research when living with individuals with immunosuppressant disorders or other conditions since natural cleansers such as vinegar have not passed government tests that certify their antibacterial abilities.

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