Countrywide Home Loans

I have had several home loans with several different mortgage companies throughout the years and I have developed some pointers for the person who is looking to refinance their mortgage.

The first tip is to do your homework before you contact a broker or lender, you need to know the ins and outs of the mortgage industry before you get on the phone somebody. Today with the power of the Internet and the power of Google you can get solid home mortgage refinance information in minutes.

Personally, I have had very good experiences with Countrywide Home Loans. Their customer service is great, it has really improved over the years and their loan officers are very low pressure. They get paid off a flat fee and so they are interested in getting you the best rate and giving you the best experienced so you will come back again and refer your friends. Even the front-line customer service representatives are very helpful and very well trained.

I recently contacted a loan officer at Countrywide Home Loans and he was very helpful throughout the process. He didn't seem like he was pulling any punches, he actually seemed like he was more interested in treating me good because he told me that he builds his business from referrals. I have dealt with brokers before, and the thing is you can never tell how much money they are tacking on with origination fees and rates spreads.

The benefit of dealing direct with a lender as big as Countrywide Home Loans is that you don't have to deal with a "car sales like close" when you're trying to refinance your home. A disadvantage with dealing with a lender the size of Countrywide Home Loans is that they don't have as many creative options as a broker might have. But if you have good credit and solid income your best bet is to go direct to the lender and get the cheapest loan possible.

Like I mentioned above, do your homework before you talk to anybody, know what your FICO score is, look at sites like www.bankrate.com so you're up-to-date on current home mortgage loan rates and industry trends. Determine ahead of time which loan is for you whether it's an interest only loan, a fixed-rate loan, or a cash out refinance.

Also, don't let people run your credit unless you're sure you want to go with them. However, credit inquiries from mortgage companies don't affect your score as much as inquiries from revolving debt companies -- but in any event you don't want a lot of people running your credit. Sometimes it is good to call a larger lender like Countrywide Home Loans because they can start you off in the right direction, even if you don't use them -- if you get valuable information like knowing about the hidden fees mortgage brokers try to charge, you will have a little more experience under your belt when you talk to a broker.

Don't get me wrong though, I don't want to paint mortgage brokers as bad people, but the bottom line is they make their money differently then loan officers from large banks.

Finding The Best College Student Loan Consolidation

After getting the college loan the biggest problem is, HOW to repay it? If the monthly repayment installment seems very huge then the only solution is college student loan consolidation. The main aim of student loan consolidation is to improve your financial situation.

Temporary benefits of consolidating student loans are:

1) With this facility you can lower down your monthly repayment.

2) Improve your credit score.

3) You can also get a reduced debt income ratio.

College student loan consolidating packages offer you many money saving incentives. The knowledge of different incentives will surely help you to making the right choice. The best source of knowing about student loan consolidating is Internet. You are recommended to visit the lender's website and study all the offers and benefits.

The following tips will help you to find the best college student loan consolidating package:

Find a package, which offers you lowest Student loan consolidation rate, as this tiny little number affects your loan burden.

Interest Rate Reductions:

Student loan companies often offer you money saving incentives like interest rate reductions with their student loan consolidation package. With a little research, you can even find a total interest rate reduction of up to 1.75%.

On Time Payment's Interest Rate Reduction:

Some student loan companies reward you if you wish to make your payments on time. Yes, you can get interest rate reduction up to 1%.

Auto Pay Interest Rate Reduction

The mode of repayment can also fetch an interest rate reduction up to .5%, i.e. if you are allowing a self-deduction from your account to repay college loan. Auto pay will give you freedom from paperwork and late payments. Of course, you can save significant amount of money in the long run.

Cash Back Programs

Certain student loan consolidation companies offer you cash back option after specific number of consecutive on time repayments. Sometimes you can get cash back of 1%.

By comparing all the savings, incentives and options of the various college student loan consolidating companies, you can find the perfect one.

Home Equity Loan Refinancing

If you have lived in your home for more than two years, it has probably appreciated which means that you have built up equity. What is home equity? Home equity is the difference between the value of your home and the amount of all that you owe on your home. If your home has an appraised value of $200,000 and all of the outstanding liens against it total $150,000 then your home equity equals $50,000. Often times when a home has accumulated value, the homeowner decides to take some of that value out in cash. Sometimes the cash is used to pay off bills, for home improvements or for a child’s education. One of the best ways to tap the money available from your property is to refinance it with a home equity loan.

When considering a home equity loan, there are several steps you should take to ensure you choose the refinancing package that is right for you.

· The current market for home equity loan refinancing is crowded and very competitive. As a homeowner you probably receive solicitations for loans almost daily via the telephone or the mail or the Internet. Be wary of accepting any of these solicitations without thoroughly investigating them. The best course of action might be to initiate your own independent search for a financial institution or mortgage broker. Also be aware of the fact that a mortgage broker in any loan situation is not automatically working to get you the best deal. You are the person who should take responsibility for making sure that the final loan product is the one you need. The Better Business Bureau, the yellow pages, the Internet and references from friends are all good places to start your search for refinancing your loan.

· You will need a certified appraisal for the actual loan. However, it is wise to have an idea of the value of your home before you begin the process of refinancing. There are many online services that will give you an estimate of your home’s value. Many times home sales are listed in the newspaper. Watch these listings for homes in your neighborhood that are similar to yours in size and condition. Note their prices.

· Know your credit score. By law you are allowed one free credit report a year. The credit reporting agencies that supply the report generally will also offer your FICO score for a small additional fee. There are other factors that influence your ability to obtain a home equity loan but your credit report and FICO score are good places to start.

· Once you have identified several possible sources for refinancing your loan, have the lenders explain the different loan products they offer. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions and don’t be hypnotized by a low interest rate. A low interest rate alone is not sufficient reason to accept a loan proposal. Ask about the term of the loan and the closing costs. Make sure the lender explains any terms you may not fully understand such as points.

· Let the lenders know they are competing for your refinancing business. Sometimes a lender will sweeten your deal if there is the possibility the it might be lost otherwise.

· Have all proposals submitted in writing. Take the time to compare them and always make sure you are comparing the same types of things. For instance, don’t just look at the bottom line number on the closing costs see what each lender is including in the closing costs.

· Be alert to potential scams. Don’t be intimidated by your refinancing lender into signing anything that isn’t absolutely true. Don’t sign anything that has blanks or that you haven’t read.

· Know your rights. There is generally a three day penalty free right to cancel when you refinance your loan. If something doesn’t seem correct to you, don’t shy from invoking that right.

Refinancing your loan in order to access your home equity can be a wise financial move. Your home, however, is probably the largest portion of your net worth so proceed with caution and knowledge.

View our recommended Home Equity Loan Lenders here: Recommended Home Equity Loan Lenders and for refinance lenders: Recommended Refinance Lenders.

Free Games

Arcade games are an age-old tradition. They have existed as a term since the heyday of the pinball machine, and even earlier in many cases. There are several websites that offer free arcade games including solo player, multi-player, action, adventure, card/casino, racing or skill games. Some of the popular free gaming sites on the Internet are game.co.in, free-games-online.com, freearcade.com, ultimatearcade.com, Cnet’s download.com, and freeclassicgames.com. Arcadenut.com, Funny-games.biz and GameAlbum.com are other great entertainment sites which offer free arcade games.

Free Games (www.free-games.au) is an online directory of free games on the Internet, which also reviews and ranks the most popular games. Per their lists, the five most popular games available on their site are The Mafia Boss, Real Mud – the 4th Coming, Runescape, Aegis and Terraworld. All these games are massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPG).

Some popular arcade games from the 1980s are available at Triplets and Us (http://www.tripletsandus.com/80s/80s_games/arcade.htm). These include PacMan, Frogger, Space Invaders, Mario Brothers, Asteroids and Tetris. The site also contains links to several Java arcade emulator game sites.

Flash Games (http://www.t45ol.com/flash-game/arcade-games.php) offers all free arcade games in Flash. The site contains the traditional arcade games in flash format like Space Invaders, Pong, Super Mario Brothers, Tetris, Donkey Kong and Street Fighter.

Arcade RockStar (http://www.arcaderockstar.com/) is a free gaming network where members participate in daily tournaments, and win cool prizes like cell phones, iPods, gift cards and Sony PSPs, among others. Since it is an ad-supported network, the members must be prepared for different forms of ads such as sponsorships, sweepstakes, banners, text links or pop-ups.

Advanced Uses For Myspace

MySpace members can generate a website quickly through templates. These templates enable users to create a generic website in very little time. For those who are just interested in making new friends or keeping in touch with old friends, this may be all the member needs. However, those who want to offer more on their website or those who simply want to create a more detailed website may require some more advanced knowledge to achieve the desired effects.

Adding Background Music in MySpace

The majority of websites on the Internet do not have background music. This may lead many novice MySpace members to believe adding music to the background is a difficult process but it really isn’t. In fact MySpace makes it incredibly simple for members to add music to their profiles. The steps to add music to a MySpace profile are as follows:

* Log into your MySpace account
* While logged in visit this web address: http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music
* Listen to the music available and select a suitable song for your profile
* Click on the link that says “Add” below the song title
* The music is then automatically added to your profile

It is important to note that users can only add one song at a time to their profile. Clicking the “Add” link on a second song will result in the original song being replaced on the profile by the new song. Songs can be removed from a profile at any time by going to the “Edit profile” section of your account and entering the “Profile songs” subcategory. Here you have the option to remove your chosen song.

Adding Videos to MySpace

Adding videos to MySpace is also not as difficult as it seems. Even those with no HTML skills can add videos produced by other members or even their own videos to their MySpace profile. The steps to add a video to your MySpace profile are as follows:

* Log into your MySpace Account
* From your MySpace homepage, click on the “Add/Change Videos” link
* You are then taken to another webpage where you can either search through a database of previously uploaded videos or upload your own video
* To search the database, click on the search videos button and browse through the available videos
* After watching a video you can add the video to your profile in a couple of ways. First you can click on the “Add to my profile” button or you can copy the source code provided and paste this code into the desired location on your profile.

Alternately you can add your own videos to your MySpace profile by first uploading them to MySpace and then adding them to your profile. When uploading a video care should be taken to ensure the video does not violate the terms of service.

Creating Interactive Features on MySpace

Creating interactive features on MySpace is a bit more involved. Members can create features which allow visitor interaction but these features require more extensive HTML knowledge. The best way to acquire the information necessary to design these types of features is to research the subject of HTML code in books or on the Internet. However, if you find a feature on another MySpace website you would like to include in your own profile you can contact the member and ask them how to add this feature.

How to Profitably Sell Books on Amazon

Knowing which books to offer on Amazon can mean the difference between a good income stream and total failure. Here is what you need to know.

First, how do I sell books on Amazon

Amazon.com has a feature called Amazon Marketplace. This service lets you sell your used books, CDs, DVDs, etc. just by listing their code number (ISBN number for books, etc.) Listings can literally be completed in a minute or less for each item you sell. It does take a few minutes to set up a selling account but there is no charge for doing so. In fact the only time you incur a charge is when something actually sells.

There is one small negative to this approach. It only works with products that have a code number. So if you have antique books or other items without a code number, you will need to set up an amazon shop. There is a monthly fee for setting up a shop but the fees that amazon charges are much less in this method of selling than the direct selling method in the prior paragraph. So if you become a volume seller it is probably worth the investment in getting an amazon shop as the investment will quickly be paid for by the savings in fees.

Second, decide your interest level (i.e. just list books or get a store)

The next step is to decide your interest level. It is going to be a casual thing or will you be treating it as a serious business.

Lets say you were just cleaning house and wanted to make a bit of money on some books or CDs you have. In this instance, it doesn't make sense to set up an amazon shop as you won't earn enough to justify the monthly investment in keeping your shop running. But lets say your passion was yard sales and bargain hunting and you knew that every week you could find and list hundreds of books, CDs, DVDs, etc. In this case getting an amazon shop would be a wise investment.

Basically amazon is structured to satisfy anyone's selling needs and they have a variety of simple tools that will help you achieve your selling goals in a quick, cost effective and efficient manner.

Third, these are the types of books you should not be selling

Selling used books is not an obvious thing to do. Common sense would say that bestsellers are the best kind of book to offer because they have sold millions of copies. But it is their very popularity that makes them poor books to sell. If you do a search on amazon for a bestseller, you will find that many people are selling their used copies, many times for under $1.00. With millions of copies out there, the market is glutted. This is true for any type of bestseller - fiction or nonfiction. Other books types you want to avoid are biographies, cookbooks and political books. And of course books like encyclopedias, readers digest condensed books, dictionaries, etc. are also terrible for resale. Oh, and also avoid old library books. There is nothing wrong with them per se but they will be slow sellers because of the markings the library puts on the books.

The only exception to this rule would be signed first editions. If you find a signed first edition, it will retain value and possibly be worth more than the published price depending on who the author is.

Books you should be looking for are books about specific nonfiction. subjects. (In other words, avoid all fiction books.) For instance, books about cars, boats, playing tennis, collecting coins, herbal medicine, business (as long as they are not best sellers), real estate, gardening, etc. are all excellent books and have a very high prospect of selling for a very high price when compared to a bestseller. I will typically get 50-75% of the cover price selling these types of books on amazon.com.

One other thing to note when choosing books to sell. Try to find books that are in perfect or near perfect condition. These books will have their dust jacket if hard cover. The spine will not be broken. They will not be filled with writing. People know they are buying used books when buying from you but they want a book that is nice and presentable, not one that is falling apart.

Where can you find used books for sale?

Used books are everywhere but your goal is to get them as cheaply as possible - preferably for $1 or less. Places I regularly check include yard sales, flea markets, thrift shops and libraries. Libraries often have used books donated to them that they just put right on the sales table. I think the people who donate them think they will end up on the shelves of the library but they never do. Estate sales and auctions can also provide opportunities to buy books. And keep your eyes open. You never know when you might run into a buying opportunity.

Will all the books sell?

No matter how carefully you pick your books, you will end up with some that just don't sell or are just very slow in selling. This is normal. Chances are good that the book will eventually sell but it could take several months. And if you purchase your used books cheaply enough, the carrying cost of the books that sell will be small. I find that if I list a random selection of 100 books, about 25% of them will sell each month. That means that after 4-5 months, I can pretty much assume that all the books that will sell have actually sold and I may be left with 5-10 books that for whatever reason had no buyers.

At that point, I make one of two choices. I either lower the offering price on amazon to try to attract a buyer or "trade" the book for something more desirable.

The only time to buy bestsellers

There is one time and one specific reason I will buy bestsellers. If I have the opportunity to buy a large number of hardcover (and sometimes paperback) bestsellers in perfect condition for under $1 each (under $0.25 each if softcover), I will usually buy them. However, I will not sell them on amazon.

There are a large number of used bookstores that will buy or trade books with you. They typically give you 20-25% of the books list price if you want cash and up to 50% of the books list price if you want a credit. That means I have a ready outlet for liquidating these books. If it is worthwhile, I can just swap them for immediate cash. Or I can trade them for other books I can sell at amazon. In general, I make out better in a trading situation than in a cash situation but sometimes if I have way too many books, I will just go for the cash option to reduce my inventory. It is a really effective form of inventory management.

Before you jump out and buy 100's of bestsellers, do check with the used bookstores in your area to see what they are offering for these books. Different shops may offer different rates depending on their current inventory. A little shopping around by phone can result in a lot more cash ending up in your pocket.

How much can I realistically make?

The amount you can make in any given month depends entirely on how many books you acquire that month, how well you did at negotiating the cost and how well your books choices were. This is a business where you can easily make several hundred to several thousand dollars a month depending on the above items. Also it is a business that can give you higher returns the longer you do it. The more you sell, the more you get to know what will sell quickly and what will sell slowly. That will let you be a bit more particular about the books you choose in your book hunting. Instead of ending up with lots of unsold books at the end of the month, you will have an inventory that turns over very rapidly.

Bookselling is a really fun and stress free way to earn anywhere from a supplemental part time income to a full time income. And with the tools offered at amazon.com, it is really easy to get started and keep the profits flowing. There aren't many businesses where you can make money by shopping but this is one of them!

Laptop & Notebook Computers - How to Choose a Laptop or Notebook Computer

Recently, I decided to buy my own laptop as the portability and mobility advantages of having my own became more attractive.

So, with great enthusiasm and anticipation, I went to the Internet to help me decide. I thought I would make up my mind quickly. Unfortunately, it took quite a while before I found the one laptop to satisfy my needs and preferences. The main reason was the quantity and variety of information (both commercial and technical) I was presented with on the Internet.

I hope the rest of this article helps you in your quest and saves you valuable time in finding the laptop most suitable to you.

Decide on what features you need:

Before you embark on your quest via the Internet, I suggest you make notes of your preferred features and the reason for them. This will allow you to focus and will greatly help you to save time on your searches.

An important factor to consider is upgradeability. While the laptop you choose may be ideal for your current requirements you may (or will) have a need to upgrade. You do not want to invest in a laptop which you may have to sell or discard within a relatively short time because you need more.

The two most important factors to consider in upgradeability are memory (RAM) and hard disk space. For some laptops you can also upgrade the CPU.

These are the important features you will need to consider:

The CPU (Processor):

This is the engine that will drive your laptop's performance. Ideally you should choose the fastest CPU available. CPU speed is measured in GHz (e.g. 1.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz, and 2.0 GHz or more). However, this will depend on your budget and what you will use the laptop for. Generally, normal tasks such as email, Word Processing and surfing the Internet do not require a fast CPU. Processing complex spreadsheets, playing games and using other CPU intensive applications will offer better performance with a fast CPU.

The latest CPUs fall into 3 categories. These are the single core CPUs, Core Duo (Intel), Core 2 Duo (Intel) and X2 (e.g. Turion 64 X2) for AMD processors.

The Core Duo, Core 2 Duo and AMD X2 CPUs are better suited for multi tasking/processing. This usually means you will get better performance if you are burning a DVD while processing your complex Spreadsheet or playing games. The processing load will be shared across 2 CPUs. In the case of a single core CPU, only 1 CPU will be handling the requirements of multi tasks.

Note that the Intel Core 2 Duo and the AMD X2 processors are 64 bit compatible. The other 32 bit processors can address memory (RAM) up to about 4 Gigabytes while the 64 bit CPUs will address memory up to about 16 Gigabytes. To make use of the 64 bit capabilities you must run 64 bit operating systems and software. However most laptops these days will only take a maximum of 4 Gigabytes of memory. Budget permitting (there usually is not a big price difference), go for the 64 bit processors so you will have the choice of running 32 bit or 64 bit. Microsoft Windows XP and Vista have 64 bit versions. I understand 64 bit processing may offer performance improvements. However, there is a lot of literature on the Web about this subject. See the following http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit for some technical info.

The Memory (RAM):

The on board memory is another important feature (the more the better). Not having enough memory will significantly affect your laptop's performance. A recommended minimum nowadays is 1 Gigabyte of memory. Consider that Windows Vista can require about 500 megabytes (1/2 a Gigabyte) of memory for the operating system. This means having a laptop with 512 Megabytes of memory will impact on performance as the system will be paging memory to your hard disk and slow down processing of tasks and applications. Some experts even recommend 2 Gigabytes of memory as a minimum.

It is important to establish the maximum amount of memory the laptop can accommodate. Some laptops will accommodate a maximum of 2 Gigabytes while others will allow a maximum of 4 Gigabytes. Budget permitting, get a laptop that can be upgraded to 4 Gigabytes of memory. The more memory you have will allow for better multitasking with good performance.

The Hard Disk (HDD):

The hard disk capacity and speed are important features. This is where you will have all you installed software and your precious data (e.g. documents, photos, database etc...). The bigger the better as you will have enough room to store the information for ready access. Nowadays, 40 Gigabytes of hard disk space is considered a minimum. Consider that Windows Vista requires 15 Gigabytes or more of disk space to install. You should consider getting a laptop with about 80 Gigabytes or more disk space. This will allow enough room for storage.

It is important to ensure that you can upgrade your hard disk to a higher capacity if required. It is frustrating to run out of disk space and have to archive information on (for example) CDs or DVDs.

Some laptops will cater for 2 hard drives. Having 2 hard drives is advantageous as you can store your software on one and data on the other. This will improve performance as there will be fewer conflicts in I/O (disk reads and writes). Again your budget will influence what disk drive(s) you get.

Get the latest SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive(s) as opposed to the older ATA (IDE) hard drive(s). You will get better I/O performance. Try and get the 7200 RPM drives as opposed to the 5400 RPM drives (RPM = Revolution Per Minute). The faster spinning drives give better performance.

Note that Apple laptops are now using Intel processors. This means that if you have a hard disk with enough space you can install Apple Mac software and Windows software by partitioning your disk drive. This gives you the ability to swap between the two.

The Screen:

The screen is an important feature to consider. After all, this is what you will be staring at and you need to be happy with the size and resolution. You want a bright crisp screen with good viewing angles especially for things like photos etc...

Make sure the screen is an Active Matrix (TFT) one and not Passive Matrix. Most laptops today come with a TFT screen. The screen resolution (number of pixels) is also important. At a minimum choose a screen with 1034 X 768 pixels which is OK for text viewing. However for more desktop space go for 1400x1050 or 1600x1200. My laptop has 1400X1050 as a maximum. Go and look at different screens at a local computer or electronics store to figure out what size and resolution you prefer. Make sure that you can see the details displayed at a fairly wide diagonal angle.

The screen size will also influence the physical size (footprint) of your laptop. The screen does contribute significantly to the price of a laptop. Go for the best your budget allows.

Other Features:

Mobile computing: Ideally you want a laptop with built in wireless networking (WIFI) and Bluetooth. This will allow you to be truly mobile and connect to trusted networks at airports etc... Alternatively you can buy separate wireless/Bluetooth modules which can plug in to USB ports. However, these may be more difficult to setup.

You may also want to have a built in modem interface for dial up via telephone lines for networking and accessing the web.

You may want to connect to a LAN via cable interface (e.g. at work). For this your laptop should be equipped with an RJ45 connection port with a built in network card.

External Devices: You will want to connect a mouse, printer, memory stick, external portable disk drive (for backups?) or scanner to your laptop. This is usually via USB ports. Make sure the USB ports are USB 2.0 and not USB 1.0. USB 2.0 is dramatically faster than USB 1.0. You should consider at least 2 to 3 USB ports.

You may want a digital media slot for reading digital camera cards. This can also be achieved with an external digital media reader via USB connection.

You may also want Express Card Slots (PCMCIA) where you can use external storage cards (some latest cards will be able to store up to 16 Gigabytes of information). The same slots can also be used for cellular phone network modems which allow you to network via the cellular phone networks.

Microphone and audio jacks are also useful as you may want to use headphones for listening to music or headphones with built in microphone for voice communication over the internet.

A 1394 port can also be useful to connect to IEEE 1394 equipment such as camcorders.

An S-Video-out jack is also useful to connect to S-Video devices such as a television, VCR, camcorder, overhead projector, or video capture card.

Reading and writing CDs and DVDs: You will want a built in CD/DVD drive. There are 2 kinds, those that can read and write CDs and only read DVDs and those that can read and write both CDs and DVDs. For those that can write DVDs there are 2 kinds, those that write single layer DVDs (about 4 Gigabytes of information) and those that can write single and double layer DVDs (about 8 Gigabytes of information). CDs and DVDs are cheap and great to archive information, backup information or distribute information (music, software, photos, and videos).

The video card/processor: This is the card/processor that is supplied with your laptop and drives the display on your screen. I do not have much knowledge on this and I am not into playing computer games. However, if you are going to play video games or use graphic intensive applications, do your homework and research to find the video card/processor most suited to your needs. Some people have been disappointed with their laptops because the video features supplied were not giving them the performance they expected. There are 2 kinds of video cards/processors, the integrated one and the dedicated one. The integrated one is built into the motherboard and shares resources such as memory. The dedicated one is separate and has its own memory. From what I understand, the dedicated ones give much better performance but at an extra cost and more demands on the cooling system and the battery. The video card/processor is not usually upgradeable in laptops. This means that your choice is very important as you probably will not be able to change your video card/processor for a better one.

I hope this information has been useful to you.

Apple computers and Microsoft

Many detractors of Microsoft cling to Apple like it is some sort of religion. That is fine and as a Technology Buff who runs a think tank, well, I have no problem with Apple Computers at all. I enjoy the technology "next new thing" type exploits there. I think Apple and their Marketing Hype Roll-outs help all personal tech innovative start-up companies in the way they make it glamorous and exciting they do all technology a favor in this way.

Apple has done a good job marketing their products and I have watched their marketing strategies. In particular, I enjoyed their education strategies, giving away free computers to schools to hook a new generation on their products - smart thinking indeed.

Still many software programmers have a sever disdain for Microsoft and a lot of pent up hostility too. But I ask them - How can you have hostility against an inanimate object like a created person or corporation? A corporation's job is to grow, make money. They are doing that, and delivering to the world standardization. Just like VHS, Microsoft won, Beta might have been better, but it matters not.

Generally they claim that Microsoft hurts all the other little start-up software companies. But really this is not true either. Many start-ups claim in Business Plans that they show to Venture Capitalists that their exit strategy is to sell to a Microsoft or Google, so those comments are invalid too.

All the other software companies could have organized a co-op and kind of did with open source initiates, but, Microsoft had their own operating system running on 80% of the computers, then 90% and then so on. See, they are winning thru strategic moves and playing to win. We should applaud winners, not make up some BS and attack them.

If it is Microsoft's operating system, they should be allowed to only allow Microsoft products and nothing else. So in reality software programmers should sign up for the Microsoft Partners program and stop complaining. In fact I do not see Sony PS2 allowing Microsoft games? Does the new iPhone allow a Microsoft CE program to run on it? Hmm? Think about this.

Photography - Thinking with your camera

When you first start taking photos, things don’t just automatically fall into place. You have to learn what to look for – it’s like anything – there is a thought process behind it, which eventually becomes automatic with practice and know-how.

Pointing and shooting – aiming the lens directly at the subject, lining up the most important features and pressing the button – isn’t going to produce that brilliant photo you are hoping for!

Many photography experts state you will take better photos if you think for a minute or two, and give yourself time to look at the scene through the viewfinder before pressing the button. Holding off for even just a few seconds, will give you an opportunity to see objects, lights, people and colours that could potentially enhance or spoil the photo.

For example, would the subject look better if you took the photo horizontally instead of vertically? Moving to the left or right, or closer to the subject might eliminate those elements that you don’t want in the photo, for example, the branch of a tree in the very top corner of the photo, which you didn’t see at first. It’s all about structure and framing and with practice, you will begin to ‘see’ and take much better photos.

But there’s nothing like trial and error. What’s fantastic about a digital camera is you can take as many photos as you like – from different angles and using a variety of settings – and then later, you can sit down and review them all and see which one’s worked best. You can delete those average shots you don’t want to see again! And soon you will be taking photos that are beyond an ordinary snapshot and end up being a photo with real impact and feeling – something you can be proud of.

Some things to try:

1. Place the subject slightly off-centre or on an angle in the viewfinder – this can create more balance and visual impact than placing the subject smack, bang in the centre of the photo

2.Are there any interesting lines or structures, which you can use to frame the subject or bring attenuation to it? Lines can add a feeling or vibe and add something interesting to the photo.

Just like anything in life, some thought and awareness about the subject and what you are wanting to communicate can help turn your photo from a jumbled mess into something that has something interesting to say. The beauty of a good photo is often the photographers’ interpretation of the subject and that awareness the viewer gets from seeing something from a totally different angle.

Home equity loan rate

Sometimes in life, you simply do not have the money for the various expenses that have emerged and you will often find yourself running out of options. Well, if your a home owner, there is at least one option still available, and its a reliable one. That option is choosing a home equity loan, but the choice is not as simple as it sounds.

The two big things you have to consider when looking for a home equity loan are the rates and the "requirements". The "requirements" are basically your financial needs; and that means you have to figure out how much money you need, when you need it, how much you can pay off monthly, what time frame you wish to pay it off, your financial ability to pay the loan off, etc. As you may have guessed, there is no one almighty loan that can make every homeowner happy. That's why it is important to get in touch with a few different lenders, as they will explain the terms of the home equity loan as best they can. Once you have information from 3 or more lenders, you can then compare those options and see which one suits you best.

One of the main things that is going to play a factor in the home equity loan is your credit score; or more specifically, what lenders find in your credit report. Your credit report will contain everything the lender needs to know about your financial transactions and how responsible you are when it comes to handling those transactions. If they find that your are delinquent in your payments and rarely ever have payments in on time, you may be turned down for the home equity loan or just receive a much higher interest rate. Then again, if you have kept all your bills and payments in order, you will be approved almost instantly and are more than likely to receive a lower interest rate.

When you have finally been approved, that is when the lender will start the process. Although your credit report will play a role in the interest rate, it is not the only factor. Lenders will also use a percentage of the home’s expected market value against the amount of the requested loan to determine a "safe & reliable" interest rate. Its probably better to think of it this way: the more money you borrow, the lower the interest rate and vice versa.

When you are going over the agreement, be sure to ask plenty of questions and get answers. If the lender seems to go around the question rather than answering it directly, confront them and obtain a direct answer. Obviously, they are going to know more then you about home equity loans, but don't let that fact make you vulnerable to the "fine print". Just be sure to acquire as much information as you can; whether it be from your lender or via the World Wide Web.

Auto insurance quotes

Cheap Auto Insurance quotes are designed in many different ways to cover your specific insurance needs. One needs to analyze these quotes in detail before making a decision. It also helps if you have basic knowledge on all or at least some aspects of cheap Auto Insurance. You can find literally hundreds of online resources offering you thousands of attractive cheap Auto Insurance quotes. But should you opt for them, just because they are cheap? It depends. When it comes to insurance, sometimes the cheapest policy is not the best way to go.

Attention! Have a look at the type of car you drive. Certain types of cars attract higher Car Insurance rates.

You need to know the rules, which govern your state, with regard to Auto Insurance. Certain states, for example, may require you to have comprehensive liability coverage, which is also known as third party liability in some countries. This covers you in case you are at a fault during an accident, whereas in other states, you are simply required to carry a ‘no-fault' policy.

Attention! Policy Period – This is the specific time period that the policy is effective. Some Car Insurance policies have an annual renewal and others have a six-month renewal.

Once you have chosen the cheap insurance quote that works for you, go through the entire policy in detail. Find out more about the coverage levels. You have to carefully study the general policy options. Next comes choosing your policy period. This is an important criterion, because your insurance coverage is only in effect during the period specified by the insurer in your policy. Most Auto Insurance policies cover a span from six months to one year. It is, however, possible to get Auto Insurance for a longer or shorter span of time. Generally speaking, the longer the time specified, the lower the premium you need to pay and vice-versa. Ultimately, the choice is left to you.

Attention! Find a good online discount Car Insurance broker before renewing. The Internet is a fabulous resource.

Always try to find out whether you can cancel your policy before the expiry date, and if so, what are the procedures that one must follow. You can get this information directly from your insurer. Based on the cheap Auto Insurance quote, you can decide whether you want to pay an annual or semi-annual premium upfront, a down payment on the premium and the reminder in several equal monthly installments, or you want to pay an equal monthly amount spread out over a period of 10 to 12 months. Also ask whether or not you insurer charges any interest on the premium. Once you have this basic information, it is easy to see what the best Auto Insurance for you will be - and you should go ahead and take that policy.

Attention! Drive carefully. Although it sounds a little trite to say it, your Car Insurance cost is a factor of your risk profile.