Melida

In a recent study, a number of Relocation Professionals were asked about their company's working relationship with staff members on foreign assignment. With over 200 responses, when asked "What aspects of working in China and India were most difficult for their foreign staff," 31% of the respondents cited "a disconnection from their head office communication and culture."

Bridging communication with overseas employees may seem like a difficult roadblock to overcome. But with a little creativity, a wealth of tools and information can be utilized by both Relocation Professionals and foreign staff members. Here are some tips to help keep the line of communication open and positive when dealing with overseas assignments:

Let's Talk!

Many Relocation Professionals appoint a "Home Office Mentor," ideally a senior level manager who is tasked with staying in touch with the expatriate, by phone, video conference, SkypeTM or email. They schedule monthly meetings or regular conference calls. By doing so, the mentor keeps the foreign staff in the loop on recent changes and announcements and provides an opportunity for them to provide feedback to the head office. It establishes an ongoing interaction that both the staff member and employer can look forward to. It also provides an opportunity to "catch up" with each others' lives, both professionally and socially.

Got Media?

In this day and age where multiple forms of communication technology are literally at our fingertips, staying in contact with the home office, family and friends is a lot easier than many expats and transferee's may believe. With Blackberries, instant messaging, emails, photo-sharing websites and intranets, as well as video conferencing and satellite hook-ups, living thousands of miles away from the rest of your team may seem like any other day at the office.

Swati Pathak, Corporate Services & India Specialist at Crown, relocated with her family from Bangalore to the U.S. She is currently on assignment in Seattle, Washington. When asked how she stays in touch with her friends and family in Bangalore, she replied, "This is easier than we had thought. Long distance from U.S. to India is not as expensive as it used to be five years ago. We call as often as we feel like. High-speed internet service allows us to chat on messengers and do video as well!"

Read all about it...

Newsletters are common tools that allow worldwide staff and organization members to know what is going on with the company or home country. Many Relocation professionals use Newsletters to provide Company News (staff changes, new services, etc.), Environmental Events (travel warnings, safety tips, etc.), Assignment Notices (reminders on benefits, tax filings, etc.) and even Social News (weddings, births, engagements, retirements, etc.) to their assignees.

A newsletter takes time and resources to put together and a busy staff may not have a chance to work on such an initiative. For the busy professional, one approach to this task is to "Keep is simple." Avoid the fancy format of a traditional Newsletter. Set up an Email group to the foreign staff and simply send monthly E-mail announcements. Names like "All About Acme" or "Corporate Chatter" could be used on each monthly email to give it a sense of formality. Another option to consider is outsourcing the newsletter duties to a communications or relocations provider.

These are just a few tips that can help keep the lines of communication open between a transferee and his home office. Relocation professionals know that every international assignment is unique and may require individual consideration. But following the tips outlined may go a long way in helping foreign staff to stay connected.

Chris Draeger, Group Vice President, Crown Relocations

Crown Relocations has been providing international moving and relocation services since 1965. With 200 offices in 50 countries, Crown has "people on the ground" in all the major Expat communities around the world. Crown provides a range of services to help Expats and their families move and settle into their new home ranging from Orientation Tours, Home finding, School Search and more.

Crown also organizes Expat Clubs with regular events to help people meet and socialize with other Expats.

We also serve corporate clients as they develop and manage the relocation policies and employee benefit programs for the staff moving overseas. Services include expense management, program development, policy counseling, customized online reporting and full departure and destination services for the employees.

Crown is a private organization headquartered in Hong Kong, with European HQ in London and Americas HQ in Los Angeles California.

Crown provides free moving quotations on its website at http://www.crownrelo.com

Motorboat insurance is a specific sort of boat insurance intended for owners of motorboats. It safeguards against destruction, burglary, fire, and additional hazards.

Coverage for motorboat insurance usually includes physical damage, property damage, fuel spill liability, towing, personal effects, medical payments, ski coverage, watercraft liability, and uninsured boaters.

Motorboats are the most popular among boat owners. But they also have the highest accident rates. Over time, motorboats have become more complicated, and therefore more costly. Reductions for motorboat insurance may be available if a person has a new boat or is an experienced operator.

Policies for motorboat insurance may have a number of necessities and limitations in regard to hull value, lay-ups, where and when a motorboat can be operated, and the age of a motorboat.

Boating protection should be taken seriously. The greater precaution one takes while operating a boat, the less prone an individual will be to a mishap.

Motorboats offer their owners fun and excitement. But before one begins to embark on water adventures, one should make certain to have proper motorboat insurance.

By and large, motorboat insurance covers objects such as anchors, batteries, bilge pumps, boat covers, deck chairs, depth finders, PFD's, lights, emergency devices such as EPIRBs, fire extinguishers, fuel tanks, boat furniture, generators, horns, life preservers, masts, mooring equipment, motors, engines, oars, refrigerators, seats, solar panels, stoves, ovens, tarps and trailers.

However, some of the following items are generally not covered, which include cameras or video equipment, clothing, jewelry, watches, as well as other personal items like cellular phones.

Boat Insurance provides detailed information on Boat Insurance, Cheap Boat Insurance, Motor Boat Insurance, Boat Insurance Online and more. Boat Insurance is affiliated with Trip Cancellation Insurance.

Pet odor can be a difficult thing to live with. It gets into everything and it ruins your enjoyment of your home. Worse yet is that it keeps you from inviting guests to your home because of the embarrassment. Take back you home and get rid of that pet odor by reading this article.

If you have a little bit of odor you might be able to get by with just your basic carpet cleaning. This can be effective if the pet urine is in the surface fibers of the carpet. Call a professional to clean your carpet to see if it helps before going any further. If you still have pet odor you will need to go one step further. Stubborn odors are usually caused by urine that has gotten into the padding and sub floor. To take care of these odors you must pull up the carpet and remove the affected pad. Padding can not be cleaned well and is inexpensive enough that it should just be replaces. After you remove the pad you will need to clean the sub floor using a mixture of one part vinegar to two parts water. Next you will let the floor dry and then apply a sealant such as a shellac to seal in an odor. Lastly you will need to put the new pad in place and reinstall the carpeting after you have cleaned the backing of the carpet. That's it you are done and are hopefully odor free.

This might sound like a lot of work but it is the only way to truly get rid of pet odor. If you don't think you can get it done you should call a professional in to do the work. Most carpet cleaners can handle it. Good luck.

Learn about Chattanooga carpet cleaning at the authors website on cleaning carpeting.

Whenever the topic of Internet phone service comes up, I'm surprised to find that most people don't know that they already have everything they need to save money on their phone bill using an Internet phone.

Fact is, you really only need two things:

1. A regular telephone

2. Broadband Internet access.

If you have these two things (and most people do), then you can take advantage of Internet phone service to save money on local and long-distance calling.

And another thing: sooner or later all telephone service will use some form of Internet telephony, which is another name for Internet phone service or VoIP (voice over Internet protocol). The only question is when are you going to jump in and get started?

These days, Internet phone service is rapidly becoming more and more reliable. It is gaining a wider audience all the time. Many cable companies are already taking advantage of this technology to capture a wider audience for their services. But make no mistake: like any newer technology there are some wrinkles that need to be ironed out.

So, to help you make an informed decision, let's look at some of the pros and cons to Internet phone service.

PRO'S

Cost

Most Internet phone companies will charge you a monthly fee and in return you can get (and make) unlimited calls within the continental United States. You also have the ability to make international calls for a tiny amount of the cost that your making those calls for now.

Again, if you're already paying for broadband Internet than you already have most of the system in place to make telephone calls from PC-to-PC anywhere in the world -- pretty much for free. Of course there are other more convenient ways of making Internet phone calls. For example, you can make a phone call from your PC to any standard landline phone. It does cost a little more, but the savings are still substantial.

Mobility

Pretty much anywhere you go now you are within the easy access of a broadband Internet connection. So if you have a cell phone that is VoIP-compatible then you can logon to your account and make a phone call. If you're a frequent traveler you probably already have the proper headset and cables for your phone.

In other words, Internet phone service of this sort is just as convenient as checking your e-mail while you're on the road.

Portability

When you get an Internet phone service account, the phone that you use is going to be assigned a unique phone number. This number will remain good, whether you're making phone calls in New York or Los Angeles or Miami or Chicago or St. Louis or even in London, England.

Familiarity

Internet phones have all the familiar features like call waiting, voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, and three-way calling. All of this is available to you with pretty much any standard Internet phone package at no extra cost to you. And if you need to, you can even send pictures and documents while you're on the phone.

CONS

Power outages

With conventional phone service from the phone company, your telephone receives power even in the event of an outage to the electrical grid. This is not the case with standard Internet phone service. Your computer (and any associated equipment like a WiFi router) needs to have power. If any of these are not working, your Internet phone service will not work.

Emergency 911 Calls

Another downside to Internet phone service is that emergency or 911 calls don't work the same way. When you call 911 with conventional phone service, if you can't talk the emergency personnel receiving your call can still pinpoint your location and send help. It doesn't work that way with Internet phone service. Newer technologies may be able solve that problem but that's not universally true just yet.

Voice Clarity

Another downside to Internet phone service is that the quality and reliability isn't quite as good as compared to a traditional landline. This is because the same technology that makes the Internet possible is not optimized for voice traffic.

When you send an e-mail on the Internet, the message is broken up into small pieces and sent to its destination over different pathways. Then it is reassembled at the end. This is OK with email, but not with a voice call. When you make a phone call you don't want there to be a delay, or an echo, or any bad quality on the call at all. While quality is better now, Internet phones aren't quite perfect yet.

Conclusion

The future for Internet phone service is very bright. There are some disadvantages presently, but with time those are being solved. I look forward to the future and all the benefits that Internet phone service can provide.

Ara Rubyan is not a part of the VoIP industry, nor does he sell VoIP services, nor does he pretend to be a guru of any kind. Instead, he is like you: a consumer, a business owner, and someone who has been researching the industry so that he could make an informed decision about the best VoIP service for his needs. Now, he's put all his research (so far) in one convenient location and he's sharing it with you, no strings attached.

For more info on Internet phones, visit Ara Rubyan's VoIP Solution.

Are you concerned that bad credit will prevent you from going to college? While it is true that finding student loans with excellent interest rates is easier if you have a sterling credit rating, bad credit student loan aid is possible. For example, the most popular US Department of Education loan, the Stafford loan, assumes that most applicants will be going to college straight from high school, and will not have a credit rating yet. Therefore, Stafford loans do not even consider the credit rating a factor when it comes to qualifications. The same holds true for Perkins loans, which are federal loans designated for the neediest students. The only reason bad credit would interfere with these kinds of student loans are if you have defaulted on a federally granted student loan in the past.

Bad credit student loans are also possible if your parents have better credit than you do. In this case, a PLUS loan, which is granted to parents and not to the student, might be the way to go. US Department of Education student loans (like Stafford and Perkins loans) assume that the parents will pay for a certain amount of their childrens schooling; PLUS loans are intended to cover the amount that the parent is obligated to contribute toward college costs.

Federal funding is a good choice for a bad credit student loan because they are specifically designed to help make college more accessible; therefore, their requirements are much looser than those of most banks and other lending companies. However, if you are unable to secure a US Department of Education student loan, you may need to turn to private loans. If you are planning to graduate in a field with a high earnings potential, like law or medicine, you might have a better chance of receiving a bad credit student loan from private lenders.

None of these choices are either/or possibilities, by the way. You may be able to put together enough money to finance college through a combination of any or all of the above types of loans. Moreover, even if your bad credit student loan is at a very high interest rate, all is not lost. Many student loans defer payment until you have finished college, giving you time to improve your credit rating. At that point, you might want to look into ways to consolidate your student loan at a better rate, lowering your payments to a more affordable level.

Mark Kessler's website offers a comprehensive free resource of college financial aid for Consolidating Student Loans, as well as... Alternative Student Loans, ACS, Bad Credit Student Loan, US Department Of Education Student Loans, including a variety student loan articles... ==>http://studentloans.seeking411.com

Coppin State University

Coppin State University is a 52-acre campus in West Baltimore, very much an urban campus, however, its lovely shaded walks and fountains give it the atmosphere of a serene residential college. Most of the buildings are new, modern and comfortable.

Coppin students get on-the-job training with national and local companies and agencies through cooperative education and internship programs. Coppin State University offers 23 undergraduate majors and ten graduate degree programs.

Coppin State University is part of the University System of Maryland and has the unique mission of primarily focusing on the problems, needs, and aspirations of the people of a large city and its immediate metropolitan area.

Out of state tuition is $11,235
In-State tuition is: $4.714
Room and Board: $5,800

Groucher College

Groucher College is an independent co-educational institution dedicated to the interdisciplinary traditions of the liberal arts and an international perspective on education.

Groucher College is the first college in the nation to pair required study abroad with a special travel stipend for every undergraduate. In addition to studying abroad, many students complete internships and service-learning projects that further enhance their learning.

The college sits on a beautiful 287-acre wooded campus just north of Baltimore, Maryland. The curriculum at Groucher College emphasizes international and intercultural awareness throughout. Students are also encouraged to explore their academic interests from a variety of perspectives beyond their major disciplines.

Tuition is $28,900 with room and board at $8,925.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University opened its doors as Americas first research university in 1876. It has a history of ideas having many brilliant thinkers drawn to its doors. From these brilliant minds have come ideas that have changed the methods of business, the sounds of music, the practice of medicine, the world of literature, the process of engineering, and the direction of science. Students come to Johns Hopkins to continue this rich tradition of engaging in active thinking.

At Johns Hopkins University they are not passive learners, but are involved participants in a process of investigation that challenges them to set their goals high and gives them the knowledge to reach those goals.

Tuition at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland is a whopping $31,620 per year with an average of $9,924 for room and board.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Written by: Connie Limon. Visit http://www.charmcitybaltimore.info for more information about living, working and vacationing in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit http://www.camelotarticles.com and submit your original articles for web site promotion.

2007 Connie Limon. All rights reserved

The following ad was a very successful pay-per-click ad on Google in 2004 for a $500 training seminar.

"(Company name) Reps. Come see how I got 79 sign ups in 90 days without 'calling' anyone."

Here is what that ad really says: "I am an expert. I got 79 sign ups in 90 days. I can help you. This is EASY and FAST. I did it without calling anyone. You do not know how to do this. I can show you how and make your life easier. Let me ease your pain and help you sponsor more reps."

But here is the real kicker: these guys are charging $500-$1,000 to get access to this information, and people are just throwing money at them left and right. The only problem with their system is that it is NOT automated. It is a sales job, and takes too much time away from building their primary program.

You are probably struggling to get your prospects to hand over $100-$300 to get started in your business, yet these guys are making a fortune promoting a "how to" course that will show people how to build the floundering business you sold them in the first place!

Why? Because you are only providing a part of the solution the prospect is looking for when you are promoting your business with your current sales tools. You are leaving out the blue prints/system, so they are going somewhere else to buy that, and as you can see, people are willing to pay big bucks for it, VERY MAGNETIC!

Now we will look at the typical ad you see put out there by people who do not understand the psychology behind marketing yet. This is a real ad I pulled from Google: Breaking News (Company), Fastest Growing Team In (Company), Questions? Feel free to call me. www.(xxxxxxxx).com

What the ad really says: "Another company is launching. We have the best team. Call me."

What the average network marketer who reads that ad will think: "Another company is launching. Big deal I have already joined three start-ups in the past, and I am still broke. "Fastest growing team?" That is what we had last time. My team did not grow fast.

Call you with questions? Why so you can pitch me on your "big deal company." No, thanks, I already have one." Did it appeal in any way to the triggers people respond to? Nope! You have to think very carefully about the ads you write because you will get EXACTLY what you ask for!

Do you want to attract the bottom feeders looking for "quick and easy," or do you want to attract leaders who know there will be an investment of time, money, and effort involved.

These next few ads promote weakness and attract LAZY people. You will get a high response rate, but you are deceiving yourself.

"5x9 Matrix With Massive Spillover! Join Today for Only $20! We Do All the Selling For You!"

"New Company Launch! We Build One Leg for You! Grab Your Position Now!"

This next ad is SOOOOO BAD that I truly hope this person stumbles across my book. Use the "so what" rule and see what it reveals.

"MLM Business Opportunity, New Business with Great Products Dare to venture on a New Frontier."

And then there was: "Want a Marketing Miracle? Plug into Turnkey Global Marketing For Instant & Long-Lasting Success!

Instant and long-lasting? Right. This is the kind of junk you DO NOT want to advertise IF you want to attract real long-term leaders.

The next ad is a GOOD AD and variations of it have been used for two-three years now. The headline sorts people and grabs the type you want to hear from. Line two states a massive benefit/solves a problem.

The offer of the ad is a generic report. Lots of value. Provides the SOLUTION to a painful problem: Not enough reps.

"Attn: Hardworking Network Marketers. Add 20-30 People Per Week. 5 MLM Secrets Free Report."

People know if they are hardworkers or not, so only the people that know you have to work hard to be succcesful will contact you. The numbers in the ad are also very realistic and achievable. On top of that, the person realizes they will probably learn something beneficial from the free secrets and therefore they will be willing to contact you or go to your website.

It is my hope that, if you are not satisfied with your advertising results, you learned something very valuable about how to magnetically attract people to you through your advertising. Good Luck!

From waiting tables to millionaire at 29, Mike Dillard, is a professional marketer who has taught over 100,000 entrepreneurs from around the world how to tap into the power of his attraction marketing techniques. Sign up for his free on-line boot camp at: BuildYourOwnMLM.com

One of the most common uses of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, by businesses and consumers alike, is to ensure security from theft, as well as human safety.

Using a GPS tracking system is an excellent way for an individual or small business to keep track of important equipment including vehicles, machinery, and portable electronic devices, such as laptops and cell phones.

A prime example of the usefulness of GPS technology for security purposes is its abilities in the fight against vehicle theft. If you car or truck were stolen, and it had a GPS vehicle tracking system installed, then you would be able to pinpoint the exact location of the vehicle, and see its exact coordinates on a map. You could then turn this information over to the police, allowing them to retrieve the stolen vehicle, and apprehend those responsible for the theft.

GPS technology can also be instrumental in ensuring basic human safety. This is especially true with children, as every parents worst fear is their child getting lost or kidnapped. Fortunately, with the help of a child GPS tracking device, you can always know the exact location of your child. In the event of a kidnapping, you would be able to determine the exact location of the kidnapper and notify police and other emergency authorities of this information.

All in all, there is little doubt that GPS can be an excellent way to fight crime, and ensure the safety of your belongings and of your family.

About the Author: Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of www.GPSDevices.info, an informational site about GPS Devices, and TeleClick.ca, a useful telecommunications news resource.

Single parent involvement in child education may seem difficult to achieve, but it isn't as difficult as you think, and the benefits make it all worth it.

Benefits of Parental Involvement in Child Education

A parent's involvement in their children's school and academic life has a positive impact on their child's success, not only in school, but later in life. The more a parent becomes involved in their child's education, the more likely the child is to score higher than average grades, and have a positive attitude towards school and homework. The children are also more likely to pursue higher education.

Given the benefits, for some parents, however, involvement in their child's education may seem unworkable, and is true especially for working and single parents. Single parent involvement in child education is a challenge. Single parents feel they may not be able to contribute to their child's learning or to their child's school because of endless commitments to work, time constraints, and financial struggles.

It is possible to get involved in your child's education!

Difficult as it seems, it is absolutely crucial for parents to find the time to participate in their child's education. Single parent involvement in child education may currently seem unattainable, but take heart, there are simple things single or working parents can do to further their child's education and ability to learn.

Single parent involvement in child education may be as simple as finding out what your child is being taught in school and asking them about their day. Single parents can try alternative ways to become involved in their child's education, such as quiz your child as you make dinner, have a mock "at home spelling bee" on the weekends or make the most of the morning drive by popping an educational CD into the car stereo when bringing your child to school.

Single parents can set aside time during the evenings to read to or just spend time talking with their children. Single parents should also put together a schedule and set specific times for homework and tutoring to take place. Clearing a space for your child to study will help reinforce the importance of focus while engaging in school work.

If possible, single parent involvement in child education should extend to the classroom. Periodically, single parents can attend parent-teacher conferences, and other school events, or join the PTA.

Enrolling a child in team sports, music lessons or art classes can help boost a child's capacity for learning. Though this may be a big commitment of time on the parent's part, it will pay dividends down the road, as children learn valuable interaction skills and benefit from a more rounded education through active learning.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is the parent's responsibility to make sure their child gets the quality education they deserve. Single parent involvement in child education may seem so unattainable at times, but is crucial to the ongoing development and continuing success of your child in life.

For more information, visit http://www.i2lifeeducation.com, a premier site that provides free tips on child education, and also helps you choose an online education course as well as find education grants and scholarships.

Let me begin by saying, if you plan on using a walking stick or cane for support or as a mobility aid, you should first consult with your GP or physiotherapist. They will be in the best position to advise on the best use of a walking stick for you. The following is intended as a general guide and should not replace the professional advice of a qualified medical practitioner.

To use your stick correctly, you should ensure that it supports the same side as your injury or weakness. For example, if your left leg requires support then your walking stick should be held in your left hand, regardless of whether this is your dominant hand or not. Using your stick in this way will help increase stability and balance while both walking and standing.

All of your weight should be placed on the strongest leg, allowing the weaker leg to be supported by the walking stick and the two should be moved together when walking, followed by the unaffected leg. If your stick is used more for balance then place it firmly on the ground in a comfortable position and distance before taking a step. Never place your stick too far in front of yourself as this increases the risk of slipping and injury.

When navigating stairs, there is a subtle difference between travelling up and down stairs. When going up stairs start off by stepping with your unsupported/stronger and then follow with the weaker leg and stick. When coming down the stairs the exact opposite procedure should be followed allowing your weaker leg and stick to take the first step, followed by the stronger unassisted leg.

Extra care should be taken when in wet or wintry conditions. While your stick can offer much needed support, it remains necessary to keep in mind wearing appropriate footwear and paying due care and attention to the environment around you. It also highly recommended to keep your walking stick in good condition. Regularly check on the ferrule at the end of your stick to ensure it is in good condition and not needing replacement. New ferrules can be bought at most stores selling walking sticks and canes or online.

By Phillip J. Morledge
P J Morledge has been a professional stickmaker for a number of years, producing original, handcrafted walking sticks. His site, http://www.deadwoodsticks.co.uk provides a wealth of information as well as many of his unique sticks for sale.

Have you ever been nervous before a big sales presentation? Do your hands get sweaty just thinking about it? Does your stomach get all tied up in knots? How good are your presentation skills?

Does your mind start racing and imagining all the things that can go wrong? Is it hard to fall asleep the night before? When you wake up in the morning are you surrounded by a wall of butterflies?

Hey - I've been there and done that. That's right, yours truly, author, professional speaker, and newsletter publisher has experienced all of the above.

So, are you wondering what happened to change all that? What changed and what allows me to feel very comfortable doing the things that once made me nervous and riddled with self-doubt?

Allow me to digress a little. I want you to know how bad my nervousness really was.

It all started in high school. I enjoyed the school politics. I got lucky and was elected sophomore and junior class president.

Lots of meetings and zero stand-up presentations.

Then, I somehow got elected president of the student body in my senior year.

Lots of meetings and I thought zero stand-up presentations.

I was in for the shock of my life. After the election, our high school principal, Mr. David Van Brunt, told me he had some additional duties for me during the next school year.

One of my new responsibilities included going on stage and leading the entire school, 900 students to be exact, in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

So you're thinking what could be easier?

Well it's one thing to recite the Pledge when you're standing up in front of your seat in the auditorium.

It's something else to have to do it on stage facing 900 fellow students and all the teachers chit-chatting against the walls.

I won't go into all the details about how nervous I was before the student assemblies - the only place you could find me an hour before show time was behind closed doors in the bathroom.

So that's the problem. How did I fix it? In college, during an ROTC class, in my junior year, I was asked by the instructor to teach a class from a chapter in our textbook.

It was to be a 30 minute stand-up presentation to a group of 25.

Please read the next statement twice.

I was so scared - I prepared!

I was so scared - I prepared!

I didn't sleep for two days.

Up to this point in my life I had never prepared so thoroughly as I did for this 30 minute stand-up presentation in front of my peers, and by the way all dressed in military uniforms.

Was I nervous - you bet!

Did I have the butterflies in the pit of my stomach - of course, but now they were flying in formation.

As soon as I began my presentation, the butterflies disappeared and all the anxiety was gone.

That's the story and here's the point.

Preparation eliminates anxiety! I never forgot that and neither should you.

Preparation turns self-doubt into self-confidence.

It just does!

Jim Meisenheimer shows salespeople how to increase sales and how to make more money using practical ideas that get immediate results.

Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E Knockout Selling Tips Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do." http://www.meisenheimer.com

Even Your Printer Has DNA

Yes, it's true. In an effort to snare counterfeiters, the US government has persuaded some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has recently proven what many have suspected for a long time - that at least some laser printers embed a secret machine identification code on every page they print, which reveals when the page was printed, and the serial number of the printer on which it was printed.

You might might not think it's a big deal that your printer's serial number is embedded on every page. But if you registered your printer with the manufacturer when you bought it, the manufacturer knows that you are associated with that printer's serial number. In a recent article, the Internet Patrol mulls the disturbing potential impact of this.

The EFF's Machine Identification Code Technology project, which has been investigating this for some time, has released the results of their success in identifying the hidden machine identification code which is printed by a Xerox DocuColor color laser printer. The results are startling, and troubling, and sure enough, the code is there. It looks like a bunch of yellow dots - a sort of printer braille, but if you know how to read them, they clearly translate to the date and printer serial number. You can see the EFF's machine identification codes at their Machine Identification Code Technology project site.

Explains the EFF, "Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer - and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like something from an episode of "Alias," right? Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional. In a purported effort to identify counterfeiters, the US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public. A communication tool you're using in everyday life could become a tool for government surveillance. And what's worse, there are no laws to prevent abuse."

Bad Kitty!

If you find this story interesting, and you have a Lexmark printer, you should read about the Lx-CATS spyware that comes free with certain Lexmark printers.

BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin's website for more helpful articles and free tech support.