The Flammario Organization Blog

When someone saunters on up to the green felt of the poker table, what do you think they order from the server who inevitably rushed to your side?

If they’re the traditional, grizzled poker player, they probably order a bourbon, on the rocks. And they’re probably a man. That’s not meant to sound sexist, because the truth is poker is mostly a man’s game, with a rough and tough image that only a stiff bourbon can handle.

But perhaps not. A few gentlemen are known to play poker from time to time, and last I heard the “gentleman’s drink” was a Gin and Tonic. It’s my personal favorite, but don’t have too manynot only is the gin and tonic a potent drink (40% alcohol by volume), the juniper berries from which it came are notorious downers. Alcohol is a downer already, but this makes it worse.

Lastly, the old standby at the poker tablefor men and women alikehas to be the beer. It’s easy to order, doesn’t dull your wits as much or as fast as a cocktail might, and it’s image is pretty much down the middle when it comes to men and the fairer sex.

So drink up! Cheers!

As a webmaster you already know how important it is that your web pages download fast. In a nutshell, if your pages are slow, then you’re losing visitors. And if you’re losing visitors, you’re losing money.

To speed up your download times, most web design experts will suggest that you optimize your GIFs and JPGs so that they download faster. They’ll suggest that you make your images smaller or remove them altogether. Or they’ll simply suggest that you put less stuff on your pages.

All of these methods work. The problem, however, is that they all involve doing things that you don’t want to do. You don’t want to squeeze any more quality and color out of your images. The same goes for your content – you put it there because you want it there. Basically, there’s only so far you can go with these approaches before you really start to ruin your page.

Fortunately, there’s one way to get your pages opening faster without having to compromise your images or your content. This is a simple and effective method, but one that is rarely discussed by the web design experts.

To understand this approach, it’s important to recognize the difference between “perceived” download time and “actual” download time. The perceived download time is the time it takes to have enough stuff displayed on your page for the visitor to be able to start studying your content. The actual download time is the time it takes for the entire page and all its contents to be fully downloaded.

The perceived download time is the one that really counts. Why? Because once your visitor has something before his/her eyes to read or look at, then there is much less risk that he/she will click away because your page is taking too long to load.

So how do you improve your perceived download time?

Simple, you break the content of your page down into two or more tables.

You see, web browsers will not start displaying the contents of a table until it has compiled the entire table to the end. Once a table is compiled it will display, and the browser will start compiling the next table.

That means that if you place the entire contents of your page inside one big table, the browser will have to compile the entire contents of your page before anything will be displayed. The result: your visitor spends all that time staring at a blank screen.

However, by putting some of the content towards the top of the page into a table of its own, the rest of the page can be downloading farther down, while your visitor is busy studying the stuff that’s already displayed.

I’ve used this method to great effect on my own website. I went from an actual download time of up to 20 seconds (staring at a white screen) down to a perceived download time of rarely more than 3 seconds (often as low as 1 second)!

The ironic thing is, my page is now bigger (in terms of Kilobytes) than it was before I made the change. That’s because 2 tables take more HTML than one.

But boy has that extra bit of HTML paid off!

Make a test page now and try it out. Your hit counter will thank you for it!

About The Author

Michael Hopkins is owner of BizzyDays eBook Publications.

Download Brand New Original eBooks for FREE at:

http://www.bizzydays.com

Download The eBook Publishing Success Package at:

http://selfpublishing-ebooks.htm

contact@bizzydays.com

Yes that is right it is a big day for Olympus Inc. They have released a whole slew of new products for this up and comming season. These are so new that no one has them yet. Not even the online giant Amazon.com.

The first product they released today was a new digital camera called the the Olympus Stylus 600

This sounds like a great new camera. The Olympus Stylus line of cameras are a very popular line of point and shoot cameras. With the new Stylus 600 they have added many new enhancements and features to make this camera even more attractive to the consumer. However this is a consumer camera and not a professional level camera. This is well suited for taking pictures of your family and firends well on vacation or out on the town.

Some of the features that this camera sports are:

All-Weather Durability – This camera has extrea rubber caskets to ensure quality pictures even in rain, snow and sleet.

New Bright Capture Technology – This will allow users to take pictures under low light conditions with out using the flash. Something like a romantic candle diner.

Huge 2.5 inch screen – This will allow you to show off the pictures that you are taking right out in the field. Witht helarge size screen you can show off your skills to family and friends right away. Also if you did not get the picture you wanted you can check it right away with this premium screen you will know exactly what you got.

6.0 Mega pixel which will allow the user to print clear photo quality pictures even in large format prints above the 81/2 by 11 inch.

Style – The Olympus Stylus 600 featrues clean lines, a clean look along with durabilityand portability. “At a compact size of 3.8″ (W) x 2.2″ (H) x 1.0″ (D) the camera fits snugly into a pocket and won’t crowd a backpack. The stainless steel lens barrier tucks away inside the camera body with a snap when powered on, and protects the lens with an impenetrable seal when closed.”

TurePic Turbo – A new feature that is only on Olympus cameras which allows for quicker processing speeds so you can start the camera up faster and take shots more quickly so you don;t miss ou on the action.

24 Selectable Shooting Modes – Everything from portraits to landscape to Cuisine mode there is a pre set shooting mode for you.

PictBridge Enabled -This will allow you to print your pictures straight from the camera or digital media card to a pictbridge enabled printer. There is no need for a computer even.

The camera will be avliable sometime in early September and will have a street value of around 299.99

We will provide you with a full review of tis camera as soon as we find out more.

I write on the internet about all kinds of topics and am the webmaster of 5
sites currently. Go ahead and check out some of my great sites:
Digital Camera review website
or if you are interested in PDA’s and handheld computer try our
PDA, iPaq, and Pocket PC review website.
You can also view this article here
Olympus Stylus 600

Public Function & Image

Associates of the British Royal Household take on hundreds of community duties yearly, across England as formally documented in the Court Circular, to pay tribute, encourage and discover the achievements or deeds of individuals, institutions and companies in a selection of sectors of life. As representatives of the sovereign, they often join the British Nation in observing past times, festivals, celebratory and sad incidences, & by and large she also funds or partakes in selected generous, educational & communal activities.

Their visits overseas on behalf of the United Kingdom (called State Trips when the Queen officially sees other government bodies) draws public interest to friendly relations within & between the Commonwealth and other nations, to British supplies & trade, and to Britain as a historical, vacation, & visitor destination. Their current functions & customary tasks represents the height of an up-to-the-minute “royal court,” and supply a completely British and historical pageantry to official ceremonies (For example, Trooping the Colour) & flavour to public proceedings (e.g. Summer Parties, Royal Ascot).

Right through their lives they receive an immense amount of journalist exposure in the shape of photo, written & telecast commentary about their activities, family interactions, rites of passage, characters, outfits, behaviour, and public roles.

Royal Funds

Capital that support the British Queen in the operation of her obligations as the chief of state of the UK comes from the Civil List. This is a return of a small part of the takings from the Crown Lands that are surrendered by the head of state to parliament at the beginning of each and every reign; all Crown Land being overseen by The Crown Estates, a foundation that is completely accountable to parliament. In the two thousand and three-four financial year, the sum total given was one hundred and seventy-six million pounds, where the Head of State’s payments was just ?36 million. The Head of State’s expenditure doesn’t however encompass the price of guards. Enjoy England has useful information about the English Royal family

Most businesses, especially small companies or villages in rural locations, don’t have the know-how, or can’t afford to manage a complex supply chain of the scale and scope of the larger local and international industry players on their own.

They need support on how to get in touch with suppliers, buy raw materials in a more efficient way, as well as manufacture and sell their goods to regional and international clients. Further needs include control mechanisms for quality consistency, price stability, package design, packaging, storage, distribution centers, logistics, after sales support, feedback on quality improvements, financial support and access to materials and export markets. Another vital factor is how to encourage continuous improvement and foster creativity and innovation.

Supply chaining is a way of collaborating horizontally among suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and customers to create additional value through economies of scale and efficiencies. The more these supply chains are actively integrated and utilized, the more they encourage and foster the adoption of common standards and practices between companies, so that every step of the supply chain can interface with the next encouraging cooperation, development and finally economic growth. Even developed nations have problems properly implementing these procedures, but they provide substantial value and should be implemented in every economy.

Peter Kopitz is currently living in Bangkok, Thailand after graduating with Honors from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is actively involved in researching economic and political development in Thailand, focusing primarily on property development, security analysis and investment banking. Hawaii Home Loans | Honolulu Realtor | Hawaii Rentals

It was actually my grandma who first got me hooked on romance novels one summer just before the start of high school. I kept watching her night after night go through this entire routine which began with her getting out her favorite afghan, making a cup of tea, and then turning on the Tiffany lamp (reproduction of course!) that sat on the table next to the couch.

Each night I kept wondering to myself how she could read those books day in and day out when they were all pretty much the same story-you know, the pair of star-crossed lovers find each other after a lifetime of suffering and somehow manage to live happily ever after. Now this was the summer that Frank B. (for legal reasons, let’s just let the last name be a mystery!) dumped me for the blonde sitting behind him in English class so I was pretty much fed up with the whole romance idea so I decided to ask her why she insisted on reading those boring and sappy romance novels all the time.

Now maybe I was not quite as smart as I would have liked to believe at the ripe old age of 14 because grams sat me down on the couch and proceeded to tell me that there was bound to be a romance novel out there for all of us. I was actually very surprised to learn just how many different genres there were in romance novels. She then went upstairs into her closet and brought out “The Romance Novel” for me to read. Maybe she knew I liked those psychological thrillers or perhaps she just got lucky but she ended up bringing down a Romantic Suspense novel that she had read a few years back. Within the first five pages I was hooked, and now, I have my own reading ritual every night! Funny how things work out, isn’t it?

The romantic suspense genre is a favorite of a lot of readers (and yours truly!) but it is by no means the only game in town. History buffs will love the Historical genre as novels of this type are set back in time and the characters are usually confronting old stereotypes and prejudices kind of like those faced by Romeo and his fair Juliet-luckily, they don’t have “thy” or “thee” mussing up the flow of the book. Well, at least not usually.

If the past isn’t your scene then you might want to try a futuristic romance. The sky is the limit with these novels and you really have no idea where the writer might take you which is what makes them so fun to read. But, true to the romance novel format, there is that classic love story propelling the plot so the genre remains true to its roots.

One of the most interesting genres that I have come across so far in my twenty years of reading romance novels is the paranormal genre. Basically, these are like the X-Files set to a romantic novel format. The primary male and female characters are usually trying to figure out some strange event that they somehow get caught up in. You really just never know what to expect from a paranormal romance which is definitely what makes them so interesting to read.

On the other end of the spectrum is the western romance novel. Although they are not for everyone, they are a popular choice with a lot of baby boomers who grew up with westerns on television. The male and female main characters generally start the book out at odds with one another and through the course of the book (and several adventures!) they find out that they are madly in love with one another and decide to buy a ranch in Wyoming or something. They are not really my cup of tea but a lot of readers love this genre which explains its enduring quality.

Of course, there are many other genres to choose from like: contemporary, fantasy, inspirational, time travel, and of course, the romantic suspense. It really doesn’t matter what you happen to be interested in because there is bound to be a romance out there that you will find interesting. Like me, you may need grams to sit you down and explain to you how there is a lot more to the romance novel than meets the eye. Then, you too can curl up with your favorite blanket and lose yourself in a world where anything is possible and there is always a “Happily Ever After” awaiting you at the end of the journey-well, usually!

The E61i is not the finest example of a phone Nokia have ever built, but it remains worth thinking about. Considering it is an entry level handset the E61i is reasonably well featured contrasted with more popular mobile handsets. The functional design of this mobile handset is average but practical.

A Li-Po 1500 mAh (BP-4L) battery is supplied with the Nokia E61i. On to battery cell life the Nokia E61i has 9:00 talk time and 400 hours reserve time. The E61i is compatible with 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G UMTS 2100. A 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, video(CIF) camera is integrated into the E61i camera. If you use the Internet on the move, you will be pleased to know a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML compatible browser is included. The E61i has Polyphonic, Monophonic, MP3, True Tones ring tones enabled plus a vibration alert. Getting on to the display the mobile handset is supplied with a 2.8 inch screen, which is a good sized display taking into consideration the alternatives for the money. The screen is a TFT, 16M colors. The Nokia E61i is has bluetooth, making a range of accessories compatible. The E61i weighs 150 g which is pretty average for a handset in its price bracket. Compared to competing handsets currently on the market the Nokia E61i is one of the more compact handsets available. If colour is important to you you may like to know that the E61i is available in, Silver and Mocca. Additionally the Nokia E61i has the following additional features:

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Unfortunately for Nokia the E61i is already up against competition from similar or better products on the market making it relatively easy to get a great bargain on this mobile handset. Thanks to the Internet it has never been more convenient or as cost competitive to shop for a mobile. Purchasing online can allow you to take advantage of significant cost savings, incredibly it is possible to get 6 months free line rental on the Nokia E61i , which, in theory should not cost you anything.

About 50 years ago, movie serials kept theater crowds coming back week after week. Each episode ended with a “cliffhanger,” a suspenseful unresolved problem. Audience members had to return the next week to see what happened.

Surprisingly, this narrative form isn’t new. Even in the Middle Ages, storytellers journeyed from castle to castle spinning suspenseful yarns without end. (What a way to guarantee return appearances!)

How can you create a cliffhanger for your readers? (1) Define a problem; (2) tell how to solve it; (3) state that the solution might link to another problem, (4) solve that one, but point to another difficulty, and so on.

Here’s a way to use this in business writing. Let’s say you’d like to send potential customers a series of three letters about your new cleaning service.

That first letter might present a brief outline telling how your firm offers three new cleaning innovations, including (1) environmental-friendly detergents, (2) well-trained personnel, and (3) weekly, monthly, or quarterly payment plans.

During that first letter, you might discuss ways your detergents lead to a cleaner environment. Near the end of the letter, your “cliffhanger” paragraphs might say:

“We’re proud that our work might lead to a cleaner planet. And the folks we send to your office – who’ve been carefully trained in cleaning techniques – can also show you five other ways to improve your workplace.

“We’ll share those five ways with you in next week’s letter.”

Rix Quinn’s new book “Words That Stick” offers lots of writing ideas to captivate readers. Order it today from Amazon.com.

For more information on Rix’s free phone seminars, e-mail him directly at mailto:rixquinn@charter.net

Oxford and Cambridge, the two leading universities in Britain, recently received significant donations as a result of the schools’ respective campaigns to raise funds for education and outreach.

One of the philanthropists, Michael Moritz, is a partner at Sequoia Capital, a US-based venture capital firm. In addition, former New York Times journalist Harriet Heyman donated a total of $50-million to the University of Oxford in response to the university’s recent announcement of a campaign to raise $2.5-billion.

Cambridge University has also received generous amounts from generous philanthropists. Software businessmen Ros and Steve Edwards made a substantial amount of money through the sale of their company. To celebrate their success, they donated $60 million of the sale to Cambridge university. Similar to Oxford, the University of Cambridge also launched a campaign to help raise $2-billion to further its educational programs and compete as one of the top schools in the world.

Both Oxford and Cambridge universities are aiming to raise funds in order to be able to contend with the wealth of United States-based Ivy League universities to allow them to remain competitive. The universities are also aiming to expand their admittance policies to allow more qualified but underprivileged students to become members of the university. These reforms will come to fruition as a result of the donations made by the aforementioned British philanthropists.

Learn more about philanthropists such as Stephen Schwarzman on Faces of Philanthropy.

Stephen Schwarzman was recently honored by Phoenix House, the nation’s leading non-profit drug treatment and education organization.

Stephen Schwarzman is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center.

If you do any Internet marketing you’ve had it pounded into your head that the focus of your keyword research should be to find and use on your webpages, and in your articles and sales letters, the same keywords that your customers are using. That’s certainly true so far as it goes, but wouldn’t your copy be even more persuasive if your keyword-rich copy tapped directly into what your customer wanted to do?

If you were going to open a restaurant, and had an unlimited budget, what single thing would you try to acquire that would almost guarantee your success? A world-class chef? Top designer decor? Topless super models for waitresses? No. The single thing that would most guarantee your success is a starving crowd. Thank you Gary Halbert for the lesson, although Gary himself would probably go with the super-models.

Every time this story is told it begs the question, “Where do I find the starving crowd”? Many SEO writers suggest visiting forums and newsgroups related to your topic to find out the words and phrases that people who could become your customers actually use in conversation. That seems like a good idea but it takes time. Also, although it seems logical, there’s no assurance that the same folks who contribute to forums will someday use a search engine to find and buy what you have to sell. Maybe the forum crowd looks a little hungry but it doesn’t appear to be starving.

So, is there a way to do this, to find the starving crowd without hours or days of research? Yes there is. The way to do it is to start your keyword research with behavioral verbs instead of nouns. Let’s look at an example to see how this works.

Let’s make the topic resumes. People are constantly changing jobs and the net is a natural to catch the attention of these potential job seekers and offer them something useful and informative. Fire up Wordtracker, go to Comprehensive Search and enter the root word “resume.” Go directly to Competition and you will find some attractive keyword phrases. “where can I create my resume” has a KEI of 693, about 178 daily searches, and 123 competing web pages. You can probably do some business with this keyword phrase. In Wordtracker parlance a KEI greater than 100 is considered good, and a KEI greater than 400 is excellent. KEI is the acronym for Keyword Efficiency Index and it measures keyword popularity and competition. The higher the KEI number the better.

The results we got searching on the noun “resume” produced something pretty close to a starving crowd, but we can do better. Much better.

What is the behavior associated with resumes? It’s writing. Instead of the noun “resume” let’s use Comprehensive Search again with the behavioral verb “write” as the root word. Go immediately to Competition and what do we find? The starving crowd. The keyword phrase “how to write two weeks notice letter” hits the ball out of the park. KEI 54289, 142 daily searches, and 0 competition.

There is a good chance you can optimize a webpage around how to write two weeks notice letters and get to the first search page on Google fairly quickly. If the customer likes what you’ve done with that topic you have already pre-sold your resume writing service.

It’s not always this easy although this example was the very first one I tried while preparing this article. So what’s the key to finding the starving crowd? Focus your keyword research on what people do (behavioral verbs) instead of what they say.