Like a grilled bratwurst and a satisfying brew, beer historian Bob Skilnik's latest book, "Beer & Food: An American History" ($24.95, hardcover, 280 pages, Jefferson Press, ISBN: 0977808610) is the perfect complement to A&E's recent television airing of "The American Brew."
From the quirky brews of the colonial era, the food rationing of world wars and the devastation of National Prohibition, Skilnik's sixth book weaves a tale of beer's movement from a homebrewed colonial staple, the key to saloons with their "Free Lunch" practice, and today, as a growing part of contemporary American cuisine.
"The convergence of centuries of brewing technology and the introduction of refrigeration into American households in the 1920s, plus the return of legal beer in 1933, probably led to one brave man hollering out to his wife in her Repeal-era kitchen, 'Honey, while you're up; can you get me a beer from the fridge?'
While it's an amusing anecdote, it demonstrates that historically, beer's role as an everyday household commodity is a relatively recent occurrence." Post-Prohibition is also the time when beer's pairing with food became solidified, in large part due to the efforts of the now defunct United States Brewers Association. It's not an accident that when we think of certain foods, we also think of enjoying a beer with them. The U.S.B.A. was responsible for one of the most effective marketing campaigns in U.S. history, promoting the idea that at home or away, "Beer Belongs."
The success of its post-Prohibition efforts helps explain why there might be a beer in your refrigerator today.With a foreword by Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company and its growing portfolio of Samuel Adams beers, "Beer & Food: An American History" weaves a fascinating history of the evolution of American beer and its eventual pairing with food. The book also contains over 90 beer-related food recipes, including contributions from contemporary breweries, brewpubs and beer trade organizations.
Bob Skilnik is an alumnus of Chicago's Siebel Institute of Technology - the oldest brewing school in the U.S. - where he earned a degree in brewing technology.
He is the former associate editor for the American Breweriana Journal, and has contributed to the Chicago Tribune's Good Eating food section, trade journals, magazines and newspapers. He has appeared on ABC's "The View," the Fox News Channel, ESPN2, and Chicago Public Television. "Beer & Food: An American History" is his sixth book. For more information about Bob Skilnik and "Beer & Food: An American History," visit www.beerinfood.com.
Spare some change and change America!
Three young entrepreneurs searching for capital for their startup business are taking a unique approach to fundraising; and they are calling on all Americans to help them out. What does America get in exchange?
The opportunity to help write a book detailing what Americans want to see changed in America. Who will get that book? The current President of the United States, and the field of candidates for the 2008 presidential election will receive it.
Jason Timm, Nick Ewing, and Michael Brown of Vancouver, Washington have launched www.HelpWithChange.com. For a one dollar donation every American is invited to contribute what they want to see changed in America.
Everyone is then able to vote on the ideas for changes they most agree with. The top suggestions for change as voted on will then be included in the book.
HelpWithChange.com was launched on April 4th, 2007 and will be taking suggestions for change, and the spare pocket change that goes with them until July 4th, 2007. The top 500 ideas will then be selected, published, and distributed.
Many people have already logged on and contributed what they want to see changed.When asked what inspired them to do this the trio replied "We want help change America by pursuing the American dream and launching our business. Who better to include in that process than America itself?"Jason, Nick, and Michael have all experienced the difficulty of finding someone to listen to them and that has become the driving force behind this project.
"It takes so much effort to get someone to listen to what your business idea is, and to have them show interest in funding you," Michael states.
"The same seems to go for the average American as well, sometimes they feel like they have no individual voice in the political world."Anyone can get their message for change to their political leaders and help Jason, Nick, and Michael pursue the American dream by visiting: http://www.helpwithchange.com/. For further information write via email to info@helpwithchange.com .
Thieves, stopped!
The air was electric as central station operators at HSM Electronic Protection Services worked tirelessly to help police apprehend three would-be thieves that had broken into a customer's store.Their persistence and dedication to their customer was what earned HSM the 2007 First Line of Defense Award. The Award is presented annually by the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) in conjunction with SDM Magazine to the company that goes above and beyond the call of duty to save lives and property.The First Line of Defense event took place on Sept. 8, 2006 at a Sports Authority store in Houston, when three suspects entered the premises after hours through a roof opening and tried to make off with merchandise.The first burglar alarm, an interior motion alarm, was received at the HSM central station around 10:36 that evening.Within seconds, HSM dispatcher Toni Brask received the signal and immediately contacted the location. Upon receiving no answer she contacted the Houston police and then proceeded to make the appropriate customer notifications.When the Houston police arrived at the location they could see no visible sign of a break-in and cleared the call as a false alarm."We continued to receive alarm signals in clearly defined patterns that suggested someone was walking around inside the store so we contacted the police and requested that they return to the location and take another look," said Steve Walker, director of HSM's ProtectionNet Customer Service Centers in Plymouth, Minn. and Santa Ana, Calif.At this time the store manager called into the HSM central station and provided an update that he was in route to the store and would meet the police on location.After the store manager arrived at the site several police units with well over a dozen officers showed up with a helicopter circling overhead. Three suspects were quickly apprehended. Police canine units were used to search and secure the area. All of the stolen merchandise was recovered. For winning the award, HSM received a free trip to Las Vegas for select staff and their customer along with a full spread article in SDM Magazine.Visit www.alarm.org and in its quarterly magazine, Newsline.
Labels: alarm, thief
posted by Thatsnews at 8:02 PM 0 comments links to this post
Urban Music Celebrities to Cosmetic Brands
Urban music industry song writer for Brit Award winner Shola Ama and Mobo Award winner Rishi Rich has launched her own award winning cosmetics brand, Yana Cosmetics, suitable to include all skin tones from very light to very dark.Finding the perfect foundation has been a serious challenge for the majority of makeup wearing women for decades. Yana Cosmetics puts an end to that quest with its fantastic ‘Custom Blended Foundation’, makeup individually mixed to match your skin.“I was frustrated by the small range of foundations colours available for my skin”, remarks Yana, owner of the brand, “nothing matched and the formulations were often unsuitable.” The custom blended foundation is appreciated by all skin tones with the ability to conceal dark circles under the eyes, Pink blotches, birth marks and scars.The Yana team custom blend your foundation and can compliment your cosmetics needs with a Yana Beauty Treatment by booking eyebrow or body waxing, a facial, professional make over. Once in possession of your individual blend you will find it hard to try another.Not only does the foundation give the results it promises but it also represents great value for money. The brand has recently launched a franchising display option with ready to wear premium cosmetics, suitable for all skintones.
Labels: Asian, make-up, makeup, Rishi Rich, Yana
posted by Thatsnews at 7:55 PM 0 comments links to this post
Stopping the Major Cause of Accidents and Injuries in the Workplace - The 90% Solution
Human error is involved in over 90% of all accidents and injuries in the workplace. The remedy, relative to both process safety and occupational safety, requires a focus on worker behaviors and work methods (the culture) at all levels within the organization.Until now, few organizations have been able to devote the resources required to gain any real ground in this area. The Practicing Perfection Institute, Inc. is now directly offering safety professionals the tools and strategies by which to rapidly, sustainably, and cost effectively effect the necessary culture change within their organisations.The statistics involved in virtually all recent studies of process safety and worker safety confirm that over 90% of all accidents and injuries involve human error. As a remedy, study after study has recommended a focus on worker behaviors and the methods by which people do their work. This is a grand idea; however, outside of academic recommendation, there is little indication that this approach has gained much ground.Culture Profiles conducted by the Practicing Perfection Institute, Inc. (PPI) over the past two years have revealed that(1) most organisations recognize the benefit of taking safety performance to the 'next level' (and have a genuine desire to do so),(2) inconsistencies between organizational, process and front line priorities continue to set people up to make mistakes, and(3) the results of downsizing combined with competitive pressures have created organizational workloads that afford little time for understanding and tackling issues that will create substantive and sustainable improvements in process and worker safety.PPI further indicates that while responsible and forward-thinking organisations have a stated desire to take safety performance to the 'next level', they tend to balk when it comes to planning, execution, and making real progress.This is because most of the arrows are pointing to the "human element" within the organization (at all levels, not just the front line)."Between 84 and 94 percent of all human errors can be directly attributed to process, programmatic, or organisational issues," stated Tim Autrey, Founder/CEO of PPI."It is fundamental to understand this, and it is fundamental to understand that people created (and continue to create) this 84 to 94 percent. Mistakes don't just happen on the frontline."So, what's the answer?"The answer is to engage the workforce at all levels within the organization," continued Autrey, "and do so in a manner that actually changes the culture. Apply enough resources, and you can drive performance within any organization in one direction or another for a period of time, but if you want to achieve 'next level' performance (and sustain it), you must change the culture. Culture ultimately determines results."PPI has worked with many organizations over the past two years, helping them to enhance their cultures to 'next level' performance through a process known as Practicing Perfection®. "There are hundreds of maps that promise to get you there," offered Allan Reed, Safety Trainer at the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), "but very few deliver. Practicing Perfection helped us discover our most powerful weapon against accidents…our employees."Until now, the culture enriching process of Practicing Perfection® has only been available to organizations directly through PPI; however, the Institute is announcing a First Wave opportunity for dedicated safety professionals to become Certified in the use of these powerful strategies and tools."Achieving PPC Certification," said Autrey, "will be an amazing career opportunity for individuals fortunate enough to grab a participant slot (especially in this First Wave). Likewise, it will be an incredible tool for any organization wanting to elevate its Safety Culture and jump ahead of its competition. We're rapidly approaching the 'knee in the curve'. As the proven effectiveness of Practicing Perfection® takes hold, it's destined to become the next "excellence" in organizational performance."Details on this First Wave Certification opportunity are available via the following link: First Wave for Safety.
Labels: health, safety, workplace
posted by Thatsnews at 7:47 PM 0 comments links to this post
Over a Million Make Friends Online
MakeFriendsOnline.com, one of the web's most successful UK-based Dating & Friendship Communities, has today announced the acquisition of its Millionth Member.This reflects a runaway 40% growth in the past year and is a huge milestone for the website launched in 2000 by two school friends hoping to meet new people. It also proves an online community can still be successful whilst refusing to be drawn into the seedier side of online dating.True to their founding ethics, MakeFriendsOnline owners, Martin Bysh and Marcus Hamilton, have always insisted their community exists for people to make friends, not to wreck marriages. Uniquely in it’s online environment, MakeFriendsOnline removes and excludes users who attempt to use the site to cheat on a partner.This has resulted in an average 250 users being removed from the site each month and has resulted in voluntary refunds totalling over £300,000 since the site was founded. It is therefore with undeniable pride they are now able to announce a membership of over a million despite refusing to be drawn into profit-led but ultimately unsavoury membership recruitment methods.Today’s MakeFriendsOnline is a huge online community featuring bustling Chat Rooms, lively Message Boards, private messaging facilities and on-site support in the shape of the highly popular Dating Doctor and Agony Aunt sections. In common with most sites, MakeFriendsOnline can boast countless marriages and babies but, unlike most sites, those couples usually remain part of the community which bought them together, enjoying the ongoing social gatherings and friendships whilst encouraging and supporting new members.With MakeFriendsOnline thriving, Martin & Marcus have recently been eyeing the market with a view to seeing where else their skills and ethical approach might benefit. They noted there was a great demand for free-membership sites but such sites were almost always populated by users seeking ‘a bit on the side’ or banner ads for highly questionable services and products.From this observation, MakeFriendsOnline’s sister site, Smooch.com was born. Smooch is not a cheap alternative; it is a fully faceted online portal providing most of the features which have made MakeFriendsOnline so popular.And like it’s sister site, Smooch is also ethically led, disallowing dishonest members and undesirable contributions. Unlike MakeFriendsOnline, however, Smooch will be sustained solely by advertising, thus making such a site accessible to those who cannot afford monthly membership fees.In the 16 weeks since it’s launch, Smooch.com membership has exceeded all expectations in both member acquisitions and page views, while www.MakeFriendsOnline.com continues to grow from strength to strength, making it clear to those who doubted that there is plenty of room in this market for both free and premium services.
Labels: friends
posted by Thatsnews at 7:20 PM 0 comments links to this post
Whatprice Launches New Pricing Calculators
Whatprice are proud to announce the launch of a new suite of pricing calculators to help budding home improvers understand how much their projects should cost them. Whatprice have trawled their extensive pricing database and analysed pricing trends in certain home improvement areas.With a bit of online wizardry these pricing trends are transformed into simple forms to fill in and present you with detailed estimated costs of your home improvement activity. There are 3 pricing calculators available at present with many more in the pipeline:Conservatory Costs “Specify the size and design of your desired conservatory along with a few details such as type of glass, air conditioning and types of blinds. The results are a complete breakdown of rough estimates to get the entire conservatory build by a professional. www.whatprice.co.uk/tools/conservatory.phpCentral Heating Installation Enter your property dimensions, the number of radiators you think you need and the type of boiler you want. With these figures Whatprice can estimate your total central heating installation costs including labour costs, pipe work, water tanks and anything else required to complete the installation. www.whatprice.co.uk/tools/central-heating-costs.phpPainting a Room “This calculator works out how much of each type of paint you will need and estimates the total cost of decorating a room. Just enter the rough size of the room, number of doors, windows and the type of paint you want to use. You'll get a full breakdown of costs and well as the amount of time it should take to complete the job. www.whatprice.co.uk/tools/decorating-costs.phpAll of these calculators make a few assumptions about the type and quality of work that is required; however they are valuable estimates that will allow consumers to judge what sort of home improvements they can afford, and more importantly, whether they are paying over the odds. After all, no one likes to get ripped off!
Labels: building, calculator
posted by Thatsnews at 3:55 PM 0 comments links to this post
UK needs to move forward to accept higher broadband speeds
A recent report has highlighted how the UK needs to move its technology forward in order to cope with the very high speed broadband that is expected in the future.According to the report,the UK is running short of time to update its technology in order to cope with the faster broadband speeds of the future, and telecom companies will have to quickly start looking at ways in which to create faster networks.The report comes from the Broadband Stakeholder Group. According to the BSG unless these technological changes are made, the UK could face financial and social problems because of the effect that the dated technology will have upon broadband use.With the Internet and broadband become an ever increasing part of our business and personal lives, the BSG believes that next generation networks are essential to enable the UK to cope with increasing broadband speeds that will be available in the UK and other developed countries.The group states that it is now essential that telecom companies start thinking to the future with regards to their network speeds, so that very high speed broadband can be handled by the networks in the future. The chairman of the group, Kip Meek, stated: "Broadband matters. There's plenty of evidence that broadband itself has had a very beneficial impact on economic performance. The move from narrowband to broadband has been very important and our hunch is that the move from low-speed broadband will be just as important."He also added it was unlikely that the current telecom infrastructure in the UK would be able to handle very high speed broadband and enable consumers to benefit from these high speeds.He said, however, that there was little encouragement for providers to improve the network speeds, adding: "The point we have come to, whatever technology is adopted be it fibre, wireless or whatever, is that there will be a hefty bill. We have to create the circumstances in the UK where someone is prepared to write out the cheques to do that."His views were echoed by Yvan Bamping of broadband comparison site www.broadband-expert.co.uk who stated: "There have been massive advances in broadband speeds and availability over recent years, it's important the UK has the correct infrastructure to continue this trend."
Labels: broadband, Internet
posted by Thatsnews at 3:52 PM 0 comments links to this post
The Cornish Candle Company launches new handmade teacup candles
The Cornish Candle Company are proud to launch a new range of handmade teacup candles from their website www.thecornishcandlecompany.co.uk.The pretty teacup candles are available in 4 wonderfully yummy English fragrances; Parma violets, Cinnamon and Rose water, Cottage linen and Cucumber and Fig. Each candle is handmade in the Cornish countryside from 100% natural soy wax, and 10% quality fragrance oils.Each individual candle will arrive wrapped in white tissue paper and a pretty ribbon, making them the perfect indulgent treat, or gift for someone special. At only £7 (with 10% for the first month), these beautiful handmade candles are not to be missed!
Labels: candle, Cornish
posted by Thatsnews at 3:49 PM 0 comments links to this post
Think you can't afford your own plane? Think again.
Introducing the newest, lightest jet on the market, The Eclipse 500 (www.eclipseaviation.com)This is a small 6-seat very light jet produced by Eclipse Aviation and it is making waves in the aviation industry. It is the second in its class of business jets, known as Very Light Jet, previously termed Microjet.The aircraft is powered by two lightweight turbofan engines in tail-mounted nacelles. When it was first launched, the purpose was to bring a new marketplace to small jet aircraft and the Eclipse is attempting to market the jet to a segment of the marketplace that has not had a jet participating in its product line.This makes it a strong competitor for turbo aircraft, The Eclipse is centralizing its marketing plan on low service costs as well as a comprehensive service and maintenance program for its consumer.With its ability to land at well over 10,000 airports in America, the Eclipse and other light jet producers are hoping this will create an air taxi role for their planes. With over 2,500 orders on the books, the expected success of the Eclipse is said to skyrocket. Eclipse has yet to clarify what an order actually means as there are different deposit amounts for the individual customer.They had hoped to have 10 aircraft delivered by the end of 2006, but were only able to provide even their second plane. The initial cost of the Eclipse is said to be around the 1.52 million USD mark which is even still much lower than any of its competition which sits around the 2.62 million USD point.Eclipse plans to produce about four aircraft each day by the end of 2008. "We look forward to receiving our jet sooner rather than later," said Peter Klamka, an Ann Arbor, Michigan investor with extensive travel needs.Currently DayJet is Eclipse's largest customer hoping to obtain about 250 light jets for air taxi roles. Low operating costs are the focus of the Eclipse and they hope to guarantee owners such as DayJet a cost of $209 per flight hour for a minimum of three years.The company is utilising advanced electrical systems, manufacturing practices, and business economics to produce very light jets that will cost a third of today's standard small jet plane. Eclipse has as its goal the notion of bringing 'personal' into the aviation marketplace, making it feasible for commercial passengers to move between cities in an efficient, affordable fashion.This will make the Eclipse a much safer and simpler aircraft to operate than those in today's market. This will then lower the cost of ownership every obtained in a jet plane. "We see an opportunity to service corporations with immediate travel needs with services like DayJet," added Kimberly Tavil, an independent corporate travel planner.www.eclipseaviation.comhttp://williamkilgore.livejournal.com/617.html
Labels: airport, aviation, Eclipse, fly, jet
posted by Thatsnews at 3:43 PM 0 comments links to this post
Brand new Maternity website makes mums sexy, again!
There's a brand new maternity website, www.onesexymother.com, which aims to hlep mothers feel and be sexy again.The site has been designed to make life easier for mums to be and mums just been. With a range of shopping partners, including ebay and Blooming Marvellous, www.onesexymother.com is looking to put fun and sexy back into motherhood."There is a plethora of maternity websites on the we," said a spokesperson for the founders, "but most of them take a somewhat 'mumsy' approach to the maternity lifestyle. Onesexymother.com is aiming to take a different approach with lifestyle tips, the right kind of advice and the best shopping partners on the web"."Onesexymother will soon be adding to the site with articles from lifecoaches and parenting experts, so keep checking back for updates."
Labels: Mother, sexy
posted by Thatsnews at 3:28 PM 0 comments links to this post
Beat Inflation By Increase Your Real Rate of Return on UK Savings Accounts
Shahla Walayat of Moneyforums.co.uk writes - Inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index (RPI) hit 4.8% this week. Which means that many savings accounts on the market are failing to keep pace with inflation and the value of your hard earned savings is falling.Some of the most popular accounts such as Halifax Websaver at 5% and Cahoot Saving Account at 5.25% are paying basic rate tax payers a net return of just 4% and 4.2%. Which is less than the rate of inflation. Even at the top of the market range accounts such as ICICI Savings account at 5.65% fails to deliver a return in real terms, coming in at a net 4.52%.The effect of this failure of UK savings accounts to keep pace with inflation means that your savings are losing value in real-terms. Where even a top rate account will lose you 0.25% in real-terms. let alone the bottom end of the market with poor rates of less than 3%.How to beat inflation ?The key here is to take advantage of tax free savings accounts and instruments such as -The Cash ISA, of which the best paying is Barclays. Despite persistent problems with poor customer service in opening the account with Barclays as reported by people experiencing attempts at opening an account or the that Barclays in a recent survey by fool.co.uk came top as the least trusted bank in Britain.Still it may be worth the extra effort in persisting in opening an account with Barclays given the 1.7% premium over the rate of inflation. This account does include a 1% bonus for 12 months so after a year, savers should contemplate moving their cash isa to a better interest rate. The maximum investment is £3000 per Tax year (rising to £4000 in April 2008).Index Linked National Savings Certificates - These are guaranteed to beat the rate of inflation as measured by RPI, by paying approx 1% plus RPI on the amount invested (depending on the bond term).And as with the Cash ISA, the return is free of UK income tax. Therefore a must have savings product to beat inflation especially for higher rate tax payers where the equivalent return before tax is 9.9% !The maximum investment is £15,000 per issue.Don't delay in making the switch from taxable savings accounts to tax free savings and investments, as every day you delay, your hard earned savings are losing their value in real terms !www.moneyforums.co.uk
Labels: inflation, invest, saving
posted by Thatsnews at 3:26 PM 0 comments links to this post
Luxury Wedding Planners Introduce Their Associates
Susan Smith & Mark Niemierko of Smith & Niemierko, the leading wedding planners in London, introduce their Associations with other high-end brands. Smith and Niemierko pride themselves on their associations with other like-minded organisations who also share their vision and high-level of service.Through associations and relationships with established and sought after brands Smith and Niemierko can provide an unrivalled level of dedication to their clients. Smith and Niemierko couples are given privileges ranging from hotel upgrades, access to private members bars, discounted products, preferential service and appointments at well known fashion, jewellery and beauty houses. Further information on each Associate is listed below.VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, renowned diamond and jewellery houseS&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: privileged VIP service and appointments at the New Bond Street boutique or at Harrods fine jewellery room.FIRMDALE HOTELS luxury boutique hotels including The Covent Garden, The Charlotte Street, The Soho and the forthcoming Haymarket HotelS&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: complimentary upgrade, upon arrival, when booking a room at any hotel in the Firmdale group along with a complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolates CARRIER luxury travel, as no two sets of eyes ever see the world the same, so Carrier never create the same holiday twice S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: 10% discount on honeymoonsMR & MRS SMITH boutique hotel guides S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: discount on Mr & Mrs Guides MILK & HONEY London and New York high-quality members bar S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: To make a reservation at Milk & Honey London, or the Clubhouse, Chamonix, please contact the S&N teamMILLER HARRIS PERFUMER LONDON With 17 fragrances including 'classics' such as: 'Coeur de Fleur', 'Fleur Oriental' and 'Terre de Bois' Miller Harris exudes luxurious style in both their products and their shops S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: 20% discount on Miller Harris products and complimentary private personal fragrance consultationsJEMMA KIDD fresh and glamorous beauty through make-up S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: privileged and complimentary make-up consultations with Jemma Kidd trained Make Up ArtistsAVEDA a trendsetter in hair styling and colouring, makeup, skincare, spa services and professional products S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: complimentary Manicure and Make-up consultation during a hair styling appointment LADUREE fine French tea rooms S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: priority reservations and 10% off Laduree cakes for your wedding dayNORTON & SONS one of Savile Rows oldest ans most distinguished tailoring houses S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: complimentary fully bespoke hand made shirtBROWNS BOUTIQUE including designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier & Peter Langner, Browns is second to none for service & style S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: preferential appointments at Browns BrideJIMMY CHOO shoes and accessories with elegance, beauty and sexiness S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: privileged service and appointments at the Bond Street BoutiqueMYLA LINGERIE elegant, feminine and deeply seductive S&N CLIENT PRIVILEGE: preferential treatment at Myla's Boutiques as well as a 15% discount on Myla lingerie & toysSmith & Niemierko Limited is a luxury wedding design and management company dedicated to bringing a high level of quality and service to discerning couples. Founded in 2005 by Susan Smith (whose previous event clients include P Diddy and Vivienne Westwood) and Mark Niemierko, who have more than 10 years combined experience in organising, designing and managing private and corporate events, specialising in weddings, civil partnerships and society parties.Their full range of wedding services include a Luxury Engagement Service, Wedding Guest Concierge facilities, Fashion styling and Beauty treatments. For further information and enquiries contact: www.smithniemierko.com
Labels: Niemierko, Smith
posted by Thatsnews at 3:12 PM 0 comments links to this post
Look after your HIPS!
Homeowners are being offered buy now, pay later options for Home Information Packs (HIPs), but that could lead to trouble warns one property expert.The introduction of Home Information Packs is now less than six weeks away. Many estate agents are already priming potential clients with 'special deals' such as Buy Now - Pay Later, Pay on Completion; and Sell your home and get a free pack.But are these offers really beneficial to the owner? "Many of these deals are designed so that the contents of the pack are actually owned by the agent and not the property seller," says David Roberts of tickeverybox.com."This could have important consequences if the owner decides to bring in a second agent, switch agents entirely or even pull the property from the market. If the agent owns the rights to the pack, the sellers options could be seriously restricted as they will be inadvertently tied in to a sole agency agreement".The government has started a national advertising campaign to introduce HIPs to the public, but little is being done to tell homeowners about their options when shopping for a HIP. In the majority of cases, sellers will be educated about HIPs by agents who have a vested interest in arranging the pack.Property sellers are urged to check ownership clauses with agents before instructing them to prepare a pack. David added: "There is a danger that a financial incentive that looks attractive at the commencement of marketing could be of no benefit to the seller in the long term."There is potential for homeowners to become unwittingly tied in to an agent. If the agent 'owns' the pack the seller could end up paying for another pack if they want to switch agents or bring in a second agent."There are several ways of obtaining a pack if sellers want to be geared up and ready for marketing."David urges homeowners to shop around for their HIP. "Independent pack providers and conveyancing firms will prepare packs for the public, whether selling with or without an agent. If sellers want to take control, then good research is more important than ever".To see what options are available, property owners can view an impartial guide to Home Information Packs at www.tickeverybox.com/hips
Labels: HIPS, house
posted by Thatsnews at 3:08 PM 0 comments links to this post
Blog Started Around Justin.TV
Justin.TV is a live Internet 'web cam' show starring young San Franciscan- Justin Kan. It's a simple idea - the site broadcasts live video of Justin, living in San Francisco with his friends and spending his time meeting with local startups and personalities.At any given time, hundreds of people might be watching and chatting in real time on the site. Justin.TV is a website created by the partners involved in the calendar Web site Kiko.com. Justin broadcasts utilising a mobile camera (not a webcam) attached to his cap. The camera then streams a continuous live video and audio of what he is experiencing.Justin wears a hat with the camera and microphone attached to it. This shoots the action which is then connected to a computer in a backpack he wears that is powered by a battery pack which lasts approximately eight hours.The feed is then sent to the main website by a battery of Sprint EVDO modems. This mobile system was developed by Kyle, one of the Justin.TV founders. Sometimes, the system overheats in the backpack and stops the show.Internet cam shows have been around since the Nineties but Justin.TV has done something entirely different by strapping the camera to his head. Now viewers can see the world through Justin's eyes.Justin.TV is the first show to go entirely mobile, transforming it from a static video to a 'live action' feed. Now there has been a blog started at: http://justintv247.com. According to the Blogger it's not going to be entirely devoted to Justin.TV but more around the idea of the power of the individual marketer; the process of developing content around domain names that revolve around a person's special interests, passions or even their personality.The Blogger says, "The phenomenon of Justin.TV is just the logical extension of the idea of a 'Global Village' becoming a reality. Now, individuals have the incredible power to harness imagination & ingenuity with technology & communications to reach millions. This blog will explore those possibilities."The http://justintv247.com blog utilises a process called: 'Moguling' pioneered by Phoenix Internet company- DotVentures. Interested in learning more about Moguling? Go here: http://moguling.com
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