Archive for August, 2008

How printer ink cartridges came to be

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

With the introduction of the inkjet printer and printer ink cartridge in 1984, the task of printing your documents and changing printer ink cartridges became more convenient, reliable and cleaner than the previous methods of changing ribbons or inserting a toner cartridge.

Prior to 1984, the ink delivery systems were not as dependable as they are now. The inkjet system replaced the old dot matrix method, which required changing a ribbon. It wasn’t long before the printer industry began conceptualizing a new ink delivery technique, including the drop on demand method. Several companies were the driving forces behind developing the inkjet technology, and by 1990 the method was widely accepted. Today it is the method of choice for printing requirements, and will print both black and white documents as well as color graphics and photos.

The quality is excellent, thanks to the development of printer ink cartridges. It is possible to print on many different sizes and types of paper, fabric, film, etc. These printers are used in businesses, in schools and the homes of millions of people worldwide.

Each printer uses a specific printer ink cartridge, most often one each of black and color. Each cartridge is given an identifying number and lists the model number of each printer in which it can be used. While each printer manufacturer recommends its own brand of printer ink cartridge, it is possible to refill the cartridge yourself, or purchase a refilled, remanufactured or a compatible cartridge. There are two types of refilled cartridges: You can do it yourself with a kit that allows you to refill your own cartridge.

Refill kits are available at a very low price and are sometimes the choice of those who don’t mind doing the filling in order to save money.

The other alternative is to buy a refilled cartridge from a manufacturer. This method involves drilling, filling and sealing an empty cartridge.

A remanufactured cartridge is an original printer ink cartridge that has been taken apart and outfitted with ink and new parts if necessary. It is then inspected and tested before being placed in the marketplace to re-sell. The workmanship in these cartridges is usually guaranteed against defects during the life of the cartridge. The lifetime is generally the same as the original, they are safe to use in all printers, and the warranty on your printer will not be affected. The cost is lower than the original.

Another kind of cartridge that has evolved in recent years is the “compatible” cartridge. Simply put, it is a cartridge that is built to the same specifications as those of the original manufacturer and is generally cheaper than the original. It is also guaranteed against defects during its lifetime.

Inkjet printers using printer ink cartridges have a bright future ahead, thanks to their capability to produce high-quality printed material quickly and inexpensively. The manufacturer’s printer ink cartridge is one option, and the use of alternative printer ink cartridges is another option. When shopping for printer ink cartridges, always buy from a reputable dealer.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.colorprintingwholesale.com

How I Saved Thousands of Dollars on The Web

Friday, August 29th, 2008

I will tell you of a journey. For me, it started many years ago. Long before I ever had a website, I began this journey. The one thing people need to do before they ever have a website or web business, in my opinion, is to become familiar with the web. How does it operate? How can you find the things you need? How do I avoid those who prey on others? How do I avoid the sick sites of porn and nastiness?

In this quest, I got lost from the start. When I first observed the internet it was a maze of pictures, words, and sites. I did not understand how it all came together. This was at a time when my next door neighbors began a web domain startup company. It was located in a small basement apartment with one server. They even offered web service. This was a dialup with only 14,400 kb speed. Today, this company is big. They have bought out competitors, becoming a major player in the internet business. This provided my important first hand lesson. It shouted out loud that there was money to be made in this business and that anyone could do it.

The next lesson I had to learn was to negotiate the internet. This was not easy. The porn sites, sales sites, and other sites I did not want to visit were everywhere. Soon I learned that in the everyday business of the internet, do not put your email and contact info out. If you do, within a day, you will be swamped in your mail by companies wanting to sell you something. So today, this lesson is still seen. I have a number of email addresses. There is one I never put out in anything on the internet. It is for my close friends and those I want to contact me. The other emails are for my everyday correspondence in the web business. By being careful in putting out personal information, emails, and phone numbers, the risk of piracy is cut down. The bad guys can’t find you if they don’t know you exist.

That was until ’spy software’ came into my life. Overnight while surveying the web through the search engines, ads would pop up on my desk top. If they did not pop up there, it would be while I was surfing the net. Out of nowhere these ads would offer me everything and tell me how much I needed them. Then I got some ‘malicious’ spy removal tools, and other ’spy software’ from MSN. Then these bad guys started disappearing. Now, only those things I want are on my desktop. I also avoid sites that have too many popup or sales ads. These are annoying and don’t serve any purpose.

I managed to learn quickly that by going through my ‘options’ on the internet explorer in the tools area, that those sites I deemed bad would not be visited. I could limit the cookies these sites wanted to gather, and even visit only certain rated sites. The cookies tell others who you are and where to find you, which was one thing I did not want. Some sites, however, would only operate with cookies. I allowed cookies only for the reputable sites with security and validation. By doing this, and putting the options on my email to high, the porn sites and other garbage on the net stopped flowing in.

Now in the course of my journey I have not made a million dollars or even thousands. But by being careful and learning about the web, I have managed to save myself thousands. I have done this by watching where I put my information and how it is handled by others. Being careful to go to sites where their security certificate is validated by my software is a major boon. No one wants the secret information like social security numbers and the like to just float around cyber space like a satellite around the earth.

I have also saved thousands of dollars by learning web master duties. I literally became a crazed person going through seventeen hundred lines of script for a tiny error so it would work. This was done by first buying a WYSIWYG editor [What You See Is What You Get] editor. A good one comes from Microsoft, another one comes from Serif, and there are many others out there. The first site I did was simple and was just a template on a web host site. I experimented and made myself learn html. To me it was Greek, but with persistence I learned it. Then I started up my WYSIWYG editor and developed two web sites. These were not the best, but hey, I was learning.

Today I develop websites, write script, and generally know my way around a website. This is because of persistence, and learning from others. I do not use others to do my websites. Over time pushing myself to learn code, php, html, java, graphics, and other web related items, I have managed to save myself many dollars.

>From the start to where I am today, the web has been fascinating and also frightening. It has been my friend and my foe. But over time I learned how to navigate by search engines, develop links to my sites, promote my site, and do some business on the web. I learned to avoid porn and garbage sites. Along with this lessons on security came to the forefront and saved me from losing ‘privacy’ to others. Given time and persistence, you too, can save dollars and learn how to manage the web.

Buffalo National River - Arkansas

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Originating high in the Boston Mountains, the Buffalo River drops steadily past towering, multi-colored cliffs, some reaching as high as 400 feet. The river travels for 150 miles until it mergers with the White River. In 1972, Congress designated the Buffalo River as America’s First National River. As a result, it has remained free flowing and unpolluted, an unfortunate rarity these days.

The Buffalo River offers active outdoor activities including canoeing, fishing, swimming and hiking. It is a place where a visitor can get glimpses of an earlier way of life, whether that is seeing examples of prehistoric Ozark Bluff Dweller cultures or pioneer homesteads in beautifully scenic, rugged landscape. Three designated wilderness areas allow visitors opportunities for solitude and remoteness as they hike or float.

Buffalo River Trivia

The hills and valleys of the Buffalo River have been home to generations of mountain families. Historic permanent settlement began in the late 1820s. Settlers cleared land for fields and homes, built communities, witnessed first hand the conflict of the Civil War, were part of population shifts and migrations, and experimented with industry to provide for themselves and the region. Many historic homesteads bear testimony to this pioneer life.

The area encompasses a diversity of the natural resources that are highly representative of the Ozarks. Known as a biological crossroads of northern and southern influences, many plant and animal species of the Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast co-exist in the Ozarks. Armadillos, roadrunners, and tarantulas live with lichens characteristic of arctic tundra. More than 60 species of fish live in the Buffalo and more than 1,500 plant species are found here. Approximately 400 elk are thriving in the forest and clearings of this area after a 1981 re-introduction program brought these animals from the Rockies.

Caves within Buffalo National River provide a fragile habitat for an array of sensitive creatures. There are 340 known caves, including the longest in the state of Arkansas. Twelve species of bats are found in the park, with three of these species on the endangered list.

Buffalo River Attractions

1. One hundred thirty-five miles of inviting water provide stretches of rapids and lazy pools for floating. Bring your own canoe or rent one from any of the 14 canoe vendors. Fishing guides are also available.

2. Explore the Lost Valley. A short 2.1-mile round trip trail takes you to waterfalls, towering cliffs, a large bluff shelter, a natural bridge, and a cave that can be explored.

3. Wildflowers can be enjoyed in season.

4. Public cabins located at Buffalo Point and constructed in the 1930s can be rented for in-park accommodations in a rustic setting.

5. Thirteen campgrounds spanning the length of the park are available, but only one takes reservations.

6. Visit the Parker-Hickman farmstead, Collier Homestead, Rush Mining District, and the Indian Rockhouse shelter for glimpses of early pioneer settlement, industry, and prehistoric occupation.
About the Author

Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of outdoor writing journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more.

Piazza Del Popolo, via Del Corso and Surroundings

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Travel guide to Rome (Italy) presenting the best places to visit in this beautiful city, rich in masterpieces and architectural jewels.
Purpose of this article is to introduce hidden treasures and places in Rome unknown to the mass but enchanting for their beauty and historical value.
(We reccommend to stay in an hotel in the center of Rome in order to be walking distance from all these places)

Piazza della Repubblica
The exedra of the great Imperial baths is the perspective backdrop to the 19th century and modern Rome

Piazza Venezia
The geographic centre of Rome. At the centre the white imposing mass of the Altare della Patria, tells the story of Italy in the marbles of its relieves.

Palazzo Madama
A beautiful palazzo if the 16th century, today the sat of the Senate of the Republic, its history is that of the personalities who lived there. In the heart of Renaissance and Baroque Rome, it is a jewel of civil architecture.

Statua di Marcaurelio
Ath the center of Piazza del Campidoglio, the emperor on his horse guards the access to the Campidoglio over the centuries, the memory of a grandeur which has never been surpassed.

San Pietro in Vincoli
The statue of Moses, sculpted by Michelangelo with great verisimilitude and power to provoke its author to throw down his chisel crying “why don’t you speak?”. Among history and legend, the tale of a monument which was never finished but also very much re-touched by artists through the years.

Arco di Costantino
When Christianity become the official religion of the Roman Emperor by the will of Costantino, this triumphal arch was erected, the last example of an architecture destined to die togheter with the remains of the pagan age.

Teatro Marcello
The little Colosseum as it has been defined, is in the reality a theatre and thus has a semicircular plan with respect to the oval of the Flavian Amphitheatre. Its history narrates private and public events, from antiquity to mediaeval times.

Bocca della Verit
The oldest place of settlement in Rome, just two steps from the river at its best point of crossing. The Greek community and the cult of Hercules, the present church (Santa Maria in Cosmedin) and the legend of the mouth of truth: a surprising curiosity for children.

Via della Conciliazione
The monumental entrance to the Vatican, created as an expression of the historic concordate between the Fascist state and the Catholic Church.

Piazza del Popolo - Via del Corso
The city of the 19th century and its breathing in the organization of Giuseppe valadier for Napoleon Bonaparte. The monumental entry into the city from the North, its legends and the story of the churches which flank it.

The reservation is simple as 1-2-3: check the availability for hotels in Rome, find which hotel or Bed and Breakfast in Rome best fits your needs, Compare prices for a single, double or triple room in Rome and proceed to the reservation filling a form and proceeding to a secure payment through credit card.

So You Want to be a Multiplayer Web Games Developer?

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

In my first article “So You want to be a Games Developer?” (http://ezinearticles.com/?So-You-Want-to-be-a-Games-Developer&id=70920), I discussed various games genres, including Web/Email games. This is one of the easiest ways to start developing games- you aren’t restricted to one language or platform and the costs are pretty low. In this article, I’ll look at the various technologies that you can use, and give you an idea of what its possible to do and how you get started.

Web games fall into various sub categories- email games, browser games, and multi player games. Email games are by far the simplest- technically they aren’t web games and you don’t even need a computer to moderate them, just to send and receive. Browser games can be implemented in Flash, JavaScript (dhtml), Java and even ActiveX/COM. I’d guess that most single player games are implemented in Flash but I’ll save that for a future article. To start with, though I’ll take you through what is involved in developing Multiplayer Web Games.

Before you start, go and take a look again at the Multi Player Online Games Directory- www.mpogd.com. Its an excellent resource and gives you an idea of the type of games out there ranging from small free games to the massive games like Sony’s Everquest.

The big multiplayer games aren’t web based but they do work across the Internet. They tend to have their own custom written clients, with encrypted protocols, fast 3d graphics and large teams of customer support staff. I recommend http://terranova.blogs.com/ as an excellent blog on this- you’ll find articles and quotes from luminaries such as Richard Bartle who produced the first Mud (its short for Multi User Dungeon), and Professor Edward Castranova; an expert on virtual world economics. Muds also tend to use their own clients, usually based on Telnet. Although these are not web games, I recommend you widen your experience as much as possible. Muds in particular although not the most popular genre still do exist and provide a good model for interactive games.

Breaking into computer game design and programming is as easy as becoming a fulltime commercial game programmer- i.e. its not! But there is nothing to stop you developing your own web game, and MPOGD will be happy I’m sure to list it in their directory. If its Open Source you can set it up and find other developers on Soiurceforge.net.

There are two categories of web game: real-time and turn based, and this dictates the type of technology that drives it. Real-time is more complicated- the server has to support multiple connections at the same time and care has to be taken to synchronise actions between clients. If you attack someone and they’ve already moved but your client isn’t keeping up then your game is not going to be popular.

A crossover between multiplayer web games and custom client games is possible with Macromedia’s Flash. It is likely that multiplayer action games based on Flash will become more prolific- there are quite a few around now. Sadly sourceforge has many such ideas that have not got past the planning stage. Also what does exist may not be open source as creating such games takes a lot of work. Googling for flash, multiplayer game returns a couple of million results but add open source and it drops to a few hundred thousand.

Unless you are an excellent Flash developer and can write good server code as well, I suggest you stick to turn based games. The good news is that web based is an area where open source development is prolific. A search on sourceforge.net for ‘game servers’ returned several projects that are mature or beta. Fancy developing an RPG in Java? Use Arianne. Or if C# is more your style, have a look at Ovorp. The most popular languages are C++ and Java (for the server) but C# projects have now started appearing and you’ll find C, Perl, and Python as well. But don’t limit your searches to sourceforge- there are many projects elsewhere as well. An excellent resource for finding games is dmoz.org-= the Open directory Project. Have a look at http://dmoz.org/Computers/Open_Source/Software/Games/ and http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Roleplaying/Massive_Multiplayer_Online/Independent_Developers/

E.g. Black nova Traders, which is located on sourceforge at http://sourceforge.net/projects/blacknova and has its own url http://www.blacknova.net/ BlackNova Traders is a web-based, multi-player space exploration game inspired by the popular BBS game of TradeWars. It is classified as a turn based mud. It is coded using PHP, SQL, and Javascript. BNT is officially at Beta but is a pretty complete game that is just not finished. In fact it may never be as long as developers keep tweaking it!

If you are going to develop a web game you need a server. Yes you could do it online but thats slow. Best to setup your own server.

A good starting point with the most popular technology is the Open Source L.A.M.P. family. That is Linux, Apache, MySql and Php. If you are replacing your windows pc with a new pc, wipe the hard disk on the old pc and install a Linux distribution and hook the two up with a crossover network cable. What was a relatively sluggish Windows PC is now a good development server running Apache, Php and Mysql. Linux Guis are pretty friendly these days but if you are unsure of administering Linux, download webmin from webmin.com and install it. It makes all the Linux administration stuff like configuring Samba (if you want to share drives), adding virtual sites to Apache etc very easy. Or easier still is the W.A.M.P route with everything installed on your Windows box. For pros and cons of this have a look here. http://ezinearticles.com/?Windows-vs-Linux–Hosting&id=21972

One word of caution. You might consider exposing your web server to the internet down your dsl connection. Nothing wrong with that though it limits you to having two or three users at once. If you have a static IP its pretty easy to map a domain to it. It can also be done with a dynamic Ip connection as well. Search for dynamic dns to find out how to make that work. Be sure in either case that you have enough firewall protection. An unprotected Windows pc will likely be taken over in under 15 minutes. I strongly recommend that you buy a firewall router or invest in a professional software firewall at the least.

In future articles I’ll discuss the nuts and bolts of game software development and start developing an open source game.

Extreme Makeover Small Business Edition

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Have you ever watched one of those home makeover shows? You know the scenario. The homeowners have decorated or remodeled their house all by themselves. After awhile, they realize that what they did is unprofessional, it doesn’t work, it’s not what they want, it’s not what they need, it’s ugly, or they just flat out despise it. So, they hire an expert designer to help.

After meeting with the family to find out their wants, needs, desires and dreams, the expert takes that information and goes to work, completely making over the house.

The final results are amazing. The differences are like night and day. The homeowners are surprised and utterly astonished. Some laugh and some even cry, because right in front of their eyes, they see what they never imagined possible. It’s what they want, it’s what they need, it’s what they were trying to do themselves, but simply couldn’t.

What does all of this have to do with graphic design and marketing?

Unfortunately, most small business owners, like the homeowners, do all their own graphic design and marketing themselves. They design the logo for their small business…themselves. They design the stationery for their small business…themselves. They write and design the brochure for their small business…themselves. They design and build the web site for their small business…themselves. Typically, they do ALL of the graphic design and marketing for their small business…you guessed it…themselves.

It’s unfortunate. Because the results of doing all of this…themselves…is similar to those experienced by the homeowners in the makeover shows. The graphic design and marketing materials they have created look unprofessional, they don’t work, they don’t get results, they look homemade and they aren’t functional. Simply put, they’re amateurish.

Sound familiar?

What should you do? Let’s reconsider the home makeover shows, and determine what the homeowners did right. You can learn something from the homeowners and apply this to your small business.

First. They realize that what they have done themselves, simply isn’t working. They’re frustrated that what they have done does not work anymore. They know that they need a change.

Second. They realize that they are not the experts in this particular area. They know that they need expert designer help to fix what they have done to make it functional, appealing and successful.

Third. They meet with the expert designer to discuss their wants, needs and desires. They express exactly what they want to accomplish. They also admit that what they have tried to do…themselves…doesn’t work.

Fourth. They let the expert get to work. They trust that they will get the results they want and desire. They know the finished product will far exceed what they could have ever done themselves.

Fifth. They get to see and experience the finished result, which is a beautiful, functional, valuable, contemporary, awesome solution that works and gives them the results they wanted to accomplish in the first place.

When it comes to creating and executing the graphic design and marketing materials for your small business, the same results can and will happen for you. But, you have to hire an expert to give your business an extreme makeover.

When the expert is done, the graphic design and marketing materials for your small business will be attractive, professional, beautiful, successful, what you want, what you need and it will accomplish the goals you are trying to achieve.

There is only one catch: you have to stop doing everything yourself.

If you are doing or have done all of the graphic design and marketing materials for your small business…all by yourself…it’s time to call in an expert.

Like the homeowners, chances are you’ll be surprised and completely amazed. Right in front of your eyes, you will see results that you always wanted, but could not achieve yourself.

Jeanna Pool is President of CATALYST creative, inc., located in Denver, Colorado. She
helps small business owners who are really good at what they do, but struggle to
market their services effectively to attract more clients on a consistent basis. She
can be contacted at http://www.catalystcreativeinc.com or 303.380.9100.

For Valentine’s Day Give The Gift of Self Defense

Friday, August 15th, 2008

I received a mailer at the office, an attractive one that, in red and white, decorated with hearts and bows.

It is pitching a gym membership for women, offering a Valentine’s Day Special.

Of course, it’s a cute idea, and what can be a better way to work off those holiday chocolates than to work out?

Actually, there is one.

If you want to truly give the gift of love to your partner, to your spouse, or your children, give them the gift of self-defense training.

Nothing sends the message better that you love them than saying you want them to be safe, to be free from danger, and above all, to live a less fearful life.

Specifically, here’s what they’ll get out of your gift:

(1) Self-esteem. People who think highly of themselves are better lovers because they love themselves.

(2) Self-confidence. Self-confident people are sexier. Actor Jack Palance said so, it that commercial on TV a few years ago!

(3) Physical fitness. Whether its abs of steel, or toned arms, legs, and other body parts, you’ll get them by practicing martial arts, even that slow and graceful one elders often use, Tai Chi.

(4) Increased energy and vigor. Unquestionably, your stamina improves and you radiate dynamism when you’re a martial artist.

(5) Peace of mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to walk down that dark alley at night and know your love is the scariest one there?

Seriously, give it some thought.

This Valentine’s Day, you have a chance to give a gift of love, and life!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Living the American Ream

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

Every so often, there comes a pulse in the innovation cycle of American business when it seems logical and necessary for free enterprise to assess the condition of middle class workers, and conclude it is time to shuffle them back through the ranks of the poor or overworked. This type of manipulation has taken place repeatedly in the past, is happening in the present, and will happen again in the future as part of the normal devolution of prosperity in the United States.

Particularly hard hit in the current cycle are large numbers of workers in major technical fields. To enhance the bottom line, larger organizations are willing to brave the confusion, lack of accomplishment, poor communication, and substandard results they achieve with outsourcing, for a temporary boost to their balance sheets. For companies that cannot join in on outsourcing, competitive actions include reducing the labor force, combining functions, and trolling the sea of displaced workers to find new employees at significantly lower pay rates, with a higher acuity of specific skills.

For middle class workers that are caught in the lurch, and unable to reorient to the shift in corporate thinking, entry into sudden poverty level income brackets goes unnoticed for the most part, because these people are not as vocal or dependent on government assistance as other members of lower class groups. Ex-middle class people keep their mouths shut, persist in trying to break out of the box they have been dropped into, and some become the innovators of the next big thing. The new wave of middle class diminishment has also caught a number of powerful technology companies off guard, as well as many sectors of the retail establishment.

Consumer markets for electronics, high end software, equipment, and other types of businesses that are still suffering amidst the promise of the present economic recovery are feeling the direct impact of the current damage that has been done by the latest reduction in middle class incomes. When the middle class group is significantly reduced, the tax base and consumption habits that bolster so many sectors of the economy also evaporate. When the country cycles between ultra rich, and ultra poor classes, some companies prosper greatly, while others find themselves rifling through executives to find ways to stop the downward spiral, and keep businesses from closing their doors.

Business profits without benefit to people are not healthy for the long term growth of the country. A land filled only with beggars and executives does not maintain a balanced foundation for growing an economy. With textiles, manufacturing, technical, consumer goods, and other significant industries once produced in America, leaving our shores for foreign interests, what is left for middle class workers to rebound with in the next wave? What are the mysterious and elusive jobs for the 21st Century? According to some politicians, the people who find themselves displaced from 30 year careers can start their own innovative company, (with no money,) or head back to the Junior College on a government assistance program to get the training they need.

We already know the joys of being dependent on foreign interests for our energy needs, as seen by the current oil price gouging that government appears unable to control. Now we can start happily throwing in all aspects of our technology into the same bucket. Sounds like the American Ream to me.

Director of Software Concepts
BHO Technologists - LittleTek Center HTTP://home.earthlink.net/~jdir/
Please provide a rating for the article to help us determine future content choices.

Designer Shower Curtains: a Classy Way to Enhance Your Bathroom

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

With the increasing popularity of new decorating styles and exciting, fun new ways of enhancing the look and feel of a house, designer shower curtains are gaining more and more traction everyday. Recently, a wide variety of design professionals have made an incursion into the world of bathroom décor by offering you the possibility to have your very own designer shower curtains to transform your bathroom into a unique fashion statement that defines your tastes.

Today you can find designer shower curtains made of a great number of different fabrics, including nylon-coated cotton or polyester. They also come in a lot of styles to choose from, ranging from elegant and sophisticated to informal and fun. But no matter what your taste is, there is always a designer shower curtain that will suit your needs and, if you have some more money to spend, you can always ask a designer to make one exclusively for you.

Among the most famous designers that jumped into the bathroom shower curtain universe, you can find brands like Liz Claiborne, Regent, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Laurent. Designer shower curtains are offered by these designing giants in a variety of styles and, of course, prices. Most of these designers also have made available a great line of bathroom accessories to match your curtain and help you set up the bathroom of your dreams. For instance, Liz Claiborne’s Ivory Cable Knit shower curtain can be matched with the exclusive line of towels, lotion pump and wastebasket.

Designer shower curtains are available in a wide range of prices, from tens of dollars to hundreds of them, which ensures that there will be not only a shower curtain that caters to your taste, but also one that will fit your budget.

If you are planning to redecorate your entire home and not just the bathroom you should consider taking advantage of the great line of matching accessories for the rest of your house. You can match your designer shower curtains to your bedroom’s sheets, or your living room curtains! I especially like matching the couch pillows to the shower curtain. Or you can even get a matching robe so you yourself can be a “living part” of your home theme. The décor choices are virtually endless.

I highly recommend that, after you have decided which style to apply to your home, you take the time to carefully look through several designer shower curtains catalogs and, when you see that special curtain that you love, go ahead and buy it. It is also a great idea to purchase not only that one, but also a cheaper one in the same or similar color. That way, in the event that your shower curtain gets somehow damaged, you just switch curtains until you find another designer shower curtain that matches your expectations.

It is great to see that designers are not limiting themselves to bedroom and living room. Designer shower curtains may seem a little more expensive than non-designer ones, but they are really the best way to go. Besides, many of the finest stores (like Macy’s) often have designer shower curtains for discounted prices.

Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Visit Shower Curtains Showcase to receive a variety of free bathroom design ideas as well as view a wide assortment of the shower curtain possibilities ranging from animal print shower curtains to tropical shower curtains. http://www.shower-curtains-showcase.com.

Small Businesses You Can Start in Automotive

Monday, August 4th, 2008

There are many choices when thinking about a small business involving your favorite hobby, cars. What about a Mobile detailing franchise? Yes they too are available. As a matter of fact there are many such choices and each is a little different let me explain.

The Detail Guys had a portable turnkey franchise with portable detailing trailers and or truck mounted units. Their web site is www.detailguys.com. They are a franchise and there is on-going support but also ongoing fees and payments called royalties. The fees vary widely; The Detail Guys have fees of $280.00 per month for the first unit and $140.00 per month for each additional trailer. Unfortunately they are no longer franchising and instead are putting in their own units without franchisees; company owned units. I own this company. You are welcome to check out the website as it might give you some good ideas on techniques, reclaim devices, trailer configurations or detail shop layout designs if you decide to go it alone instead of buying someone else’s franchise.

WOW-Wash on Wheels which is at www.washonwheels.com has fees of $400-500.00 per month per territory. Other mobile detailing franchise concepts have royalty fees from 4% to 8% of your total gross revenues. Before you lock into a lengthy contract in any franchise fixed or mobile, check it out and read up on franchising. Books on franchising can be purchased online at www.worldfranchicing.com, which has nearly every book ever written on the subject. One great book is “Franchising 101″, which can also be bought at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Crown or Books a Million, I co-authored this book and it is pretty darn good. It is a must read for anyone wishing to buy a franchise in my opinion. A great a web site with franchising information is www.franchising.org , which I also happen to own. I have put up free listings of many automotive type franchises and you are welcome to come and browse. The right franchise is great, however the wrong one may be a disaster for you.

You might consider a franchise for a mobile auto detailing business, you will have to decide for yourself. What ever you decide shop around and decide if you wish to go it alone or go for a franchised unit. Think on it, best of luck and continued success whatever you decide.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/