What Distinguishes a Fine Poker Chip Case from a Wooden Box?

So you have decided to invest in a poker chip case to store all of your poker chips. There are a multitude of chip cases and trays on the market, from inexpensive plastic trays to outrageously expensive sets.

If you have your heart set on a wooden poker chest, here are some things to consider that differentiate a fine poker chip case from just a plain wooden box.

JOINTS

Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility, toughness, etc. - derive from the properties of the joining materials and from how they are used in the joints. Therefore, different joinery techniques are used to meet differing requirements. When designing a poker chip case, you have to take into account the weight of the chips, which can approach 50 lbs for a 1000 chip case. The joints have to be strong, or the case will fall apart under the weight of the chips.

Most pre-made cases bought on the market utilize a butt joint. A butt joint is a joinery technique in which two members are joined by simply butting them together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make since it merely involves cutting the members to the appropriate length and butting them together. It is also the weakest because unless some form of reinforcement is used, it relies upon glue alone to hold it together. Because the orientation of the members usually present only end grain to long grain gluing surface, the resulting joint is inherently weak.

When ordering a custom chip case, you can specify a dovetail joint. A dovetail joint is a joint technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.

Another simple and strong joint is the mortise and tenon joint, which has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood. This is commonly used when the pieces are at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it is usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place.

HARDWARE

Hardware for a poker chip case must also be durable. A variety of hinges and hardware are used in commercial cases, but usually a stamped hinge is used which is the weakest type of hinge. When ordering a custom case, there are a variety of hinges you may request.

A full length piano hinge is a long narrow hinge that runs the full length of the two surfaces to which its leaves are joined. This imparts additional strength to the hinge when a solid wood lid is used.

Concealed Hinges are used for furniture doors (with or without self-closing feature, and with or without dampening systems). They are made of 2 parts: One part is the hinge cup and the arm; the other part is the mounting plate. Also Euro/cup hinge. This gives a cleaner look to the case.

FINISH

One thing to consider when choosing a wooden chip case is to specify that the finish be 'chip friendly.' Polyurethane or a non-soluble varnish is an ideal choice, as it does not stain or seep into your chips. Specifically, avoid any type of Oil finish such as Tung or Danish oil, as these oils can penetrate into the clay chips over time.

CHIP SIZE

Commercial chip trays are usually 'one-size-fits-all', so be certain that your chips are appropriately sized for the chip case. If ordering a custom chip case, be sure to specify the size of your chips. The majority of chips are of the 39mm size. However, large denomination chips, as well as chips based on the Paulson Inverted Hat and Cane (IHC) fractionals mold, are a larger 43mm size. Casino Chip thickness can also impact how difficult it is too add or remove chips from a tray. As a chip begins to show signs of wear, edges may become less crisp and the chip becomes a bit thinner. Over time, chips may begin to wiggle a bit in the case.

So when investing in a wooden poker chip case to store your chips, remember to consider the type of joints, hinges, and finish used in the design of you case.
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The Latest In Crime Fighting

Nigel Osprey sits in front of his television set with a can of beer in his hand and slowly raising it and taking a luxurious sip and a sound escapes his wet lips ‘ah…..this is life!’

He is enjoying the sport program on television, holding his favourite brew in his hand as symbol of freedom, whilst stabilising a family size pizza that had just been delivered and now balances precariously on his knees. He notices its steam rising gently and wafting through the air, filling the room with his favourite aroma: ‘food!’

He listens with rapture to his favourite football manager’s ranting.

Yes, he reminds himself with glowing eyes: that manager’s a real man, strong, with a thick-set body and a mouth that continually seems to burst forth outrageous statements! And expletives – admittedly beeped out by a sissy programme editor – seem to stream effortlessly from thick and egotistic lips.

Nigel giggles to himself. He is enjoying these outbursts; they are amusingly insulting and words are being aired that cannot be received over the airwaves because of their earth content – they are too earthy! But one can always lip-read and not missng out, thereby increasing the fun!

Wonderful thoughts are coming to his mind as he takes another strong suck from his beer can: The wife’s gone away, this time for good! The divorce was very disturbing and a real upheaval. She seems to live now with her aunt Gerti in Muckalot in another state - wherever the hell that is.

Her dim-witted cousin Winston had come and picked-up all her belongings. He’s taken a lot, piling it high on a truck, but it was great to see the last of her junk!

From now on, he keeps reminding himself, there is no more screaming at him, no more berating, the home is now quiet and peaceful as there is only he and his cat Benny, who is in complete agreement with him.

He glances around and notices that the room now looks sparsely furnished. His wife, ex-wife to be exact, has left him with the bare necessities! But there is a tranquil light filtering through the sheer curtains, making all the dust visible and yet giving the room a tranquil ambience.

‘This is a man’s paradise’, he thinks, nodding to himself. There are his scattered newspapers, with the sports pages open and soon there will be a few magazines lying around the room he would normally not have dared to buy.

‘It‘s great to be free’, he thinks – it is a wonderful feeling, and he becomes aware of an intoxicating rush rippling through his body, making him sigh in bliss.

Suddenly, there are knocks on the door, rather firm and banging with determination.

‘What on earth…..’ He doesn’t like unforeseen visitors, especially when they are interrupting his favourite television program!

Before he is able to shout ‘Go away!’ it bangs again, this time with an added touch of impatience and very annoying! He feels his fury rising.

Opening the door somewhat to avoid further noise, he becomes aware of two men who were obviously detectives, identifiable by their tight fitting suits and felt hats – ‘who wears hats, nowadays?’ he observes. Behind them jostled a fat policeman with a television news team, complete with camera man and sound technician.

The detectives worry him - right from his first glance at them he has this gut feeling that they spelt troubles. These two men had faces so leathery and weather beaten and with darting eyes that, when making eye contact, seem to yank out any secrets a person might want to withhold.

They are with a third man, a kind of professor type, with thick glasses, holding a clipboard in his hands.

The news team is getting visibly exited, starting to push their way closer to Nigel. They are of the delicate type, colourfully dressed, ‘very pansy-like’, Nigel observes.

They are holding their various apparatuses as if they were doing the public, and humanity in general, a great favour! ‘But what is this all about?’ his thoughts keep racing through his mind.

Before he could think straight and absorb all this gathering, one of the detectives, with a face like a constipated bulldog, with eyes that were big and bloodshot and darting everywhere, held out a shiny metal plaque.

‘Homicide!’ he rasps, ‘Are you Nigel Osprey?’

And he did not wait for a reply – so sure was he of his case.

‘You are under arrest for the murder of a Mrs.Emilia Prattlelot…, your ex wife!’

‘W..w..w.whaaaat?’ Nigel could only gasp incredulously.

‘That’s right!’ You heard!’ This bellow comes out of non-existent lips.

‘Come with me now. Come on, come on…..’ A huge fat hand reaches out to grab him.

‘What are you talking about?’

Nigel instinctively tries to close the door in an attempt to shut out this hostile crowd.

Unfortunately, this Robert-Mitchum-look-alike has big feet – very big, they reach the door gap, thereby preventing its closing.

The third man, the one looking like a boffin, but with the same non-descript clothes, had white hair and probably a large bald spot that, too, is covered by the old-fashioned hat. His pronounced features were thick spectacles – very thick. They were so pronounced that they seem to convex out in an attempt to reach him, with two tiny black spots showing that are trying to hypnotise him – they were either his pupils or the dots flies had left on his glasses.

‘We know’ escaped his stern lips. His Adam’s apple moved up and down his scrawny throat with a collar that was far too big, giving the impression of shrinking whilst on duty!

The policeman, was in a uniform that tries to control his excessive weight by compressing it severely. But it only shifted his blubber downwards, manifesting itself in legs like concrete crushers, with rather gigantic, broad feet.

Now, he too, tried to get into the act: Come out, quick!’ it escapes his thick lips.

Nigel feels that it is time to say something:

‘Look, I haven’t done anything to anybody – I just wish to be left alone’. He forcefully through his weight against the door, as hard as he could, jamming that giant’s foot as hard as he could – with no effect.

‘He must have a prosthesis’, he observes as the man’s features betray nothing.

The man with the thick goggles explained:

‘We are from PCU, Predictive Crime-fighting Unit, based at police headquarters……’

‘I don’t give a fig what you are – I haven’t done anything and my meal is getting cold’

(He didn’t shout exactly ‘fig’, but this writer is of good upbringing and would not know how to spell the exact expletive!)

Nigel keeps banging the door against the detective’s shoe - a useless exercise.

‘Hey’, shouts the man with the microphone, ‘can you come out a bit and give us a smile – you will be on the news tonight!’

Amazed, Nigel opened the door and steppes outside. ‘What news? What are you talking about?’

The reporter was quite friendly; ‘Our government has installed a new supercomputer that not only records all the crimes in this state, keeps statistics as to their frequency and type……..’

The scientist took over:’ With all the demographic details, and the time-span, motive and all other relevant personality traits of the perpetrators, we are now able to forecast where a crime will happen, by whom, the reason, et cetera, et cetera’, letting the Latin words dissolve on his tongue.

He looked really exited about this new era of crime fighting. His hand, holding the pen, seem to write something unseen in the air.

‘What rubbish! I ‘aven’t done anything and that’s it. Leave me alone – the lot of you!’

His eyes encompassed everybody and his chin pointed especially at the reporter and his team. Blood is draining from his face and suddenly he feels so alone and helpless.

‘This is a nightmare! How do I get out of this?’ his thoughts keep racing. And there are now signs of perspiration on his forehead.

‘Come with us – come on, come on!’ The hefty detective uttered these words like a busy landlord reminding his patrons of closing time.

‘Just to show you how accurate we are,’ the scientist tries to demonstrate eagerly, ‘You’ve ordered a pizza for dinner, with extra anchovies and mushrooms.’ Staring at his clipboard folder in his hand, he rattled off the words.

Stunned silence prevailed.

‘Well, yes, but…..’

‘Come on, come with us. Don’t give us any troubles.’ The mountain-man began tucking at his arm again - a symbol of his impatience.

‘Leggo of me - I ‘aven’t done anything!’

Nigel’s cry now sounds a bit more desperate.

Staring at his clip board folder, the scientist eagerly continues:

‘You’ve ordered this from an outlet called Pizza Paradise – did you not? Then you fed your cat – didn’t you? Also, you rang your friend Alfredo, inviting him for the evening?’

The last sentence was shouted with disgust.

In the background, the television anchorman started to talk into a microphone, explaining to his unseen viewers this great new technology, with the eager face of an expert and an uneasy stomach because he was not sure what exactly he was talking about.

Standing on a nature strip, he notices that this was not the only thing he was standing on. Don’t people believe in picking up after their dogs?

Now the policeman gets into the act: ‘You have a brother called Arthur who lives in England. And a cousin in Townsville, called Edward, - right? And your car number is ……’ Raising his voice in triumph he finishes:

‘Your ex-wife will arrive any moment now, attempt to take custody of the dog, leaving you with the cat. And then it will happen!’

He nodded at the increasing number of spectators. Justice is being done – everybody can see this!

A new person, female, approaches the crowd. She is somewhat dowdily dressed, with a headscarf and showing an expertly way of pushing and shoving her way into the crowd and through it.

Nearly reaching Nigel, she nods at him.

‘Stop! Where do you thing you are going? And who are you anyway?’ The policeman held up a meaty hand with sausage fingers.

‘Let me through, I must see Nigel!’

The detective tried to state a fact:

‘So, you are Emilia Prattlelot, the ex-wife?’

The gathered crowd outside the door stiffens; they look at each other, nodding ‘I told you so!’ Then they step back somewhat, aware that they are facing a cataclysmic moment.

‘No, I am Sally the cleaner! I am here to pick up my pay for the house cleaning. She looked at Nigel, holding out a hand: ‘You promised you’ll have the eighty-five dollars for me…..’

Nigel gasped: ’Of course, Sally, eighty five-dollars did you say? No problem! Reaching into his back pocket he produced his wallet and carefully counts out the money into her upheld palm.

Staring at the money piling-up in her hand, she readily gives information to the questions. Yes, she comes regularly and this afternoon is her pay-day.

Great consternation is spreading and the police suddenly look deeply wounded: It is supposed to be the time of murder!

There are frantic phone calls to the police head offices and phones are ringing in reply, back and forth.

‘Thanks, Nigel, see you soon!’ Sally disappears with the same amount of determination she came with, but this time with an added touch of triumph.

For some reason the group of police are looking pale and stunned. The scientist staring into his clipboard folder was suddenly red-faced, the police crowded around him, all attempting to look knowingly.

‘There is no mention of a Sally!’ The geek with the thick glasses seems to have his eyes protruding like on stalks.

‘The wife is not here, but a cleaning woman turns up…..’

First, a murmur goes through the crowd, then a kind of rebellion starts spreading. Mumbling first disappointment, then loud sounds of dissatisfaction about the police in general and the law begins to be aired.

The television team hurriedly pack-up their various equipment with downcast expressions whilst their bus driver starts the engine. Now, they have no story to report!

People are walking away, disgusted and in all directions, having been cheated out of a real drama.

The people of the law are still making frantic phone calls to their head offices, especially to their computer department.

‘Goggle-eyes’ stares at his mobile as if he cannot believe what he’s just heard, Fatso tries to crush his phone in his meaty hand and the bulldog’s blood-shot eyes keep staring in disbelief at the scientist’s computer readout.

But after a while they, too, withdraw, making their exit with a final glare at Nigel: ‘We will be back,’ their looks seem to say.

Everybody withdraws – the new, crime-predicting, computer has made a mistake!

Leaving Nigel standing outside his door, alone and scratching his head. Shrugging his shoulders he murmurs:

‘Who the hell is Sally?’
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3 Effective Ways To Get Your Ex Back - Even If It Seems Hopeless

No matter how bleak your situation is, there is hope for you. If you're serious about reversing your breakup, here are 3 effective ways to get your ex back - even if it all seems hopeless.

#1 Way

When you're looking for ways to get your ex back, the first thing you need to understand is that your ex has probably left you because the relationship was more effort than it was worth and because he/she did not see any value in you, at least not enough to make them want to stick it out. So what does that tell you?

Yes, you need to make yourself more valuable in the eyes of your ex. And by more valuable I don't mean start sending your ex expensive gifts or stuff like that. What I mean is you need to transform yourself into the kind of person that your ex would love to be with; someone that they find is extremely hard to stay away from.

Thus, you need to build your confidence, become more compassionate and considerate of other peoples' feelings, and become more committed to relationships and people.

#2 Way

Make sure your ex knows you want to get back together with him/her. You may think that this sounds like silly advice and may be wondering to yourself, "Of course I want my ex back. What's there to tell?"

But you'll be surprised to know that very often people don't realize that their ex may still have feelings and wants them to come back. And in not realizing this, they never even consider the option of reconciliation because for them the break up is a done deal. Thus, make sure you actually come right out and tell your ex that you want to get back together and don't simply assume they know it.

#3 Way

Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror. Some may say that only a shallow person would fall for someone because of their looks. But let's be real, physical attraction is a big part of any relationship. It's human nature for people who have been in a relationship for some time to start neglecting their looks, which may indirectly fuel a breakup. Thus, before you approach your ex, ensure that you're looking your best. The physical difference will make a very positive impact to how you're feeling as well.

If you've just been through a break up, you might be feeling lost, confused and frustrated about all your attempts to get your ex back.

I want to share with you a very effective strategy to winning back your ex girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife... even if it seems hopeless!

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Signs Of Physical Attraction: How To Know If Someone Is Attracted To You

When people are attracted to you, they give out signs of physical attraction. These signals are often done unconsciously so don’t expect them to be obvious or direct. However, there are ways to figure out these signals and interpret them for what they really are.

If you want to learn more about the signs of physical attraction, then you’ve come to the right place. Below are some of the most common ones you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Signs of Physical Attraction # 1: Body Facing You

When the person’s body is facing towards you, that means he’s attracted to you. It could be a person’s torso, legs or even the whole body. This is all done on a subconscious level so you’ll know right away whether a person is genuinely interested in you or not.

Signs of Physical Attraction # 2: Making Body Contact

When the person you’re talking to makes physical contact, they’re trying to get your attention and subtly communicating their interest.

They might lean their head on your shoulder should the opportunity present itself. Or the person could touch your arm lightly or in an affectionate way. No matter how brief the contact is, you can bet that the person is attracted to you.

Signs of Physical Attraction # 3: Longing Glances

If someone glances at you more than once or longer than necessary, you’ll be pleased to know that this person likes or fancies you. You can either smile back or try catching that person in the act. If that person turns red or suddenly stammers, you know you have successfully interpreted their actions.

These signs of physical attraction are easy to spot. The next time you meet or go out with someone, notice if they are exhibiting these non-verbal communication signals. If they are, then it’s your call if you want to reciprocate or simply get flattered for being an attractive person.


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4 Steps to Launching a $100K+ Executive Level Job Search Campaign That Gets You Hired in a Recession

Joy Andrews lost her position as a $100K+ executive about three months ago. Devastated, Joy took some time off to clear her head and get ready for her executive level job search campaign. But now,

months later, she hasn't had many interviews and prospects are bleak. Her question to me was, "What can I do to get myself to get more interviews and get hired faster?"

In this article, I am going to give you four critical steps you must take if you want to find that $100K+ job and get hired during a recession.

Step #1 – Get organized

I am constantly amazed how executives who were driven and forceful in their jobs become lost in how to start their $100K+ executive job search. Getting organized includes these elements:

1. Treat your job search as a full time job. Totally dedicate your time to finding a job. Inform your family that your full-time job is to find a full-time job and nothing else!

2. Act as if your job search was a product or service launch. Plan your executive level job search campaign. Don't wing it. Organize your activities in a project plan and measure yourself against your milestones and sub-goals.

3. Start your day just like you would if you were employed. Did you start your day at 7:00am and end it at 6:00pm? Then do the same for your job search.

4. Create goals for every day and every event. Get a daily goal and meet it. Develop your networking goals for each event and stay until you achieve them.

Step #2 – Get help

For many, getting help is equivalent to going to the dentist. But getting help is the smartest thing to kick-start your executive level job search campaign. Getting help includes:

1. Ask for a review of your resume. There are many services available to review your resume for free. Better yet, pay an expert to write your resume.

2. Learn from the experts. There are many experts out there that write articles like this one. Many experts also have website tools that are available for free downloads. For example, I have a free eBook at: http://www.marketyourpotential.com/ebook.asp. Take advantage of these resources.

3. Get a career coach. For executives who earn more than $100K+, getting advice for your particular situation is a wise investment Make sure, however, that your coach teaches you how to fish, not just fishes for you.

4. Get a support group. When you launch a job search campaign when the headlines are awful, being upbeat and positive is extremely difficult. Get a small group of business associates and friends who can help you during this time.

Step #3 – Get real

Just a short while ago, executives could expect to find a new position in about 90 to 120 days. Now, realistically, it can take upwards of 8 to 10 months. Getting real includes:

1. Do what it takes to survive a 10-month search. Expecting your search to go faster and not preparing for the long haul is just nuts. Reduce your expenses to just what is necessary and cut back.

2. Invest in your career. Now is the time to invest in your career and not try to "do-it-yourself." Investments include coaching, books, tools, events, memberships, and travel to targeted cities.

3. Develop quantitative benchmarks and metrics. Analyze your job search results and measure them against standards. When you do this, you'll be able to improve along the way which guarantees results faster.

4. Design qualitative feedback loops. Behaviors are qualitative and you can "measure" reactions to your oral and written pitch. Their reaction is a qualitative feedback loop that you can automatically gauge.

Step #4 – Get Clear

Getting a message that is clear and succinct takes work. And trying to figure out what you want next is also hard. Getting clear includes:

1. Do extensive research on target companies and industries. The Internet has a wealth of information. My recommendation is to conduct research at least 1 hour per day – above and beyond job posting searches.

2. Test your messages within networking groups. Take someone out for coffee. Try out your verbal pitch, and get their feedback. I tell my clients that they should attend at least 2 different networking groups a week during their job search campaign.

3. Know what's happening around you. Know what's happening around the globe. Integrate current affairs into your oral and written pitch and show how you can address the issues of the day.

4. Stay focused and determined. Persistence is the key to finding a $100K+ executive level position during an economic downturn. Direction is the result and movement in your job search is guaranteed.
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Fertigator Fertilizers Bringing the Green Back To Lawns

Fertigator fertilizer is a specially made blend that is designed to complement the Fertigator irrigation system. This automatic fertilizer injection system attaches to an in-ground sprinkler and then feeds your lawn every time you water. The Fertigator Company manufactures a Feeder home edition, for small to medium sized products, and a Pro edition for larger jobs.

The great thing about a Fertigator fertilizer system is that you can “spoon feed” your lawn gradually, which is a far better way to oversee plant nutrition than using traditional fertilizer. Traditional fertilizer is chemical-based; this process also pours too many nutrients at once, which results in overfeeding (since plants rapidly take in these nutrients) and then a period of starvation. Unlike human beings, (or at least some human beings) plants do not know how to proportion their meals. There is no Jenny Craig program for plants!

This smarter irrigation process is nothing new—in fact “fertigation” has been around for well over three decades and has permeated numerous industries besides agriculture. The Fertigator fertilizer offered for these irrigation systems include FertiGro TLC with GatorGuard, which is Total Lawn Care designed for year-round use; FertiGro TSC with GatorGuard, which is Total Summer Care Fertilizer with lower nitrogen and extra iron (which helps plants form a darker green color and slows down rapid growth) and FertiGro TGC with GatorGuard, which is for Total Garden Care Fertilizer, which has extra phosphorous and essential micro-nutrients. All of these formulas contain GatorGuard, a special concoction that deters insect and rodent pests. However, unlike most chemical pesticides, this pest-repellant is completely natural and not harmful to plants. The ingredient known as Enhance Bio-Stimulant enriches the soil and allows for maximum growth potential.

The Fertigator fertilizer company advises users not to use regular organic fertilizer for a Fertigator fertilizer system. This is because the special concoction provides a more gradual release than chemical fertilizers. The timeline is important here. Failure to use the right fertilizer and according to the system could result in damage to the plants, damage to the system and could also void any warranty.

You may be wondering how exactly a Fertigator fertilizer system is healthy for the environment and how, specifically, it can avoid contamination of the water-supply, which is always an issue with traditional irrigation. Because it reduces run-off, which eventually combines with the drinking water supply, a Fertigator system minimizes the risk of water contamination. In this operation fertilizer is being injected into the water stream. Additionally, a backflow preventer stops any liquid that contains fertilizer from migrating back into the water line. You see, the Fertigator does not actually increase the pressure in the system; so it should only need a pressure vacuum break backflow preventer.

If you want to see more greenery and a higher quality of plant life then invest in organic materials and in a Fertigator fertilizer system. You can reduce pollution, increase soil quality and enjoy a far more fruitful garden or landscape. The Fertigator is modern irrigation at its best.
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Beware of Scholarship Scams ! - Common Scholarship Scams

Many scholarship-finding services will tell you that "millions of dollars in private scholarship money goes unused every year" and they can guarantee that you will get this money by using their service and most of time there is up front fee incur. BEWARE! It might be scholarship scam’s trap. In general, if you have to pay money to get money, it's probably a scam.

Every year thousand of students and parents are defrauded by scholarship scams. And many of them even unaware that they had dropped into the trap of scholarship scams, the victims usually write off the money paid up front to the scams as thinking they just simply didn’t win the scholarship.

Let review some of common scholarship scams so that your will be alerted and precaution about the suspicious scholarship offers.

Common Scholarship Scams

According to the Federal Trade Commission's Scholarship Scams, if you receive an offer that uses one of these tactics, be suspicious:

The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back
Beware of scholarship-finding services that guarantee you will win a scholarship or your money will be refunded. If it is a scam, you will find it extremely difficult to qualify for refund, because this refund guaranteed often have terms & condition attached. Get and review refund policies before you pay.


Ask for your credit card or bank account to hold the winning scholarship for you
If you receive phone call saying that you have won a scholarship and they need your credit card or bank account in order to hold the winning scholarship for you. Never! Never give out any credit card or bank account without getting information or confirmation in writing first. It might be a set-up for an unauthorized withdrawal from your account.


A super low interest rate loan that need advance fee
This scam will offer you an unusual low interest rate loan but they will ask you to pay for a fee during the loan application submission. And when you pay for it, the promised loan never materializes. Be aware, real education loan usually deduce the fees from the disbursement check. It never required you to pay for a fee when you submit an application. If the loan is not issued by a bank or other recognized lender, it is probably a scam. Check the offer with your local bank’s manager before you pay..


You can’t get this scholarship information from anywhere else
There are many scholarship lists available for public. A real scholarship is normally announced to public and you can get this information easily from college and the recognized financial aid agencies. Start your own researching from those locations before you pay for somebody to do the work for you.


You won a scholarship prize!
The scam will inform you that you have won a college scholarship worth a few thousands of dollars but you will be asked to pay for a “redemption” fee or taxes before they can release your prize. If you receive this good news but you don’t remember entering any scholarship contest, be suspicious. Even If you have entered the contest, check and get the winning confirmation letter first before any payment being made. There are scams use the real scholarship contest to cheat for money, they know many people are enrolled for the contest and by chance you are in the list.



Summary
The above are just some commons in scholarship scams. There are still many other scholarship scams around. Always be precaution in any scholarship offer to you and always check for confirmation before any money pay out. The basic guideline is "if you have to pay money to get money, it's probably a scam".

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Change your thinking

What it comes down to, is action. I'm not talking about 'snapping out of it'. I'm saying if you're feeling stuck in a rut, bored, stale, lacking in self belief or you've just run out of ideas, why not try doing just one little thing differently?

So often it's our thinking that gets us into a rut. Small business owners are particularly at risk of this because we tend to rely heavily on our inner resources. But when it's our thinking that gets us into that rut, how much sense does it make to try to think our way out of it?

I'm thinking, not much.

Meanwhile, the very act of deciding to do something rather than keep thinking about how to make a shift is itself doing something different. There's your first little step right there.

You may have heard the expression 'Act as...'. This is a technique for tackling unhelpful thinking or beliefs about ourselves. If one of your inner voices dishes out thoughts like, "I am not creative" for example, or put-downs that amount to the same thing, you need a strategy to restore your sanity.

You can counter that voice by imagining what things might be like if you were creative. What would such a person - yes you - be doing? What behaviours would provide evidence that you were indeed creative? What kind of beliefs would you have about yourself? What sort of inner dialogue would be going on in the mind of a totally creative you?

The invitation you can issue to yourself, is to act 'as if' you were creative; that is, to step into this picture of your very creative self, be it and do it and see what flows. Taking the action first can actually change the way we think, feel and experience ideas about many things. Creativity is just an example.

When we start taking different actions, despite feeling uncomfortable and anxious, it becomes a whole lot easier to rewrite the script for those inner voices. What's more, when we're actually walking that new talk, we're giving ourselves every reason to believe we are in fact creative, capable, courageous, compassionate, confident or whatever belief we'd like to have about ourselves. (Note: it also works for qualities that begin with letters other than "c").

Remember, you can begin with the tiniest change imaginable. To start with, shift your gaze 10 degrees, not 90. And watch yourself become more of the thing that crazy voice says you're not.
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The importance of customer loyalty

Loyalty leaders are successful because they have designed their entire business systems around customer loyalty. Building a highly loyal customer base must be integral to your basic business strategy.

Customer loyalty can be defined as the strength of the relationship between an individual's relative attitude and repeat patronage with a supplier.

It is a self-reinforcing system in which the company delivers superior value consistently to find and keep high-quality customers, (and, where applicable, employees).

The economic benefits of high customer loyalty are measurable. When you consistently deliver superior value and win customer loyalty, market share, revenues and profitability all go up, and the cost of acquiring new customers goes down.

A clear and structured new customer induction scheme will boost customer loyalty and retention, increase the frequency of purchase and raise the dollar value of each transaction and increase referrals.

Customer induction schemes are a vital step in business growth as they deliver higher yielding customers and drive up profits by reducing the need to spend money attracting new customers.

It is very much about long term retention marketing and is purely created through exemplary customer service. Creating an induction scheme does not replace the imperative of delivering excellent customer service at each and every transaction, it merely supports it.

I’ve said it before and it’s well worth repeating, “People do business with people they trust”. Furthermore, people do business with people who are knowledgeable, efficient and will deliver what they promise.

Nothing is harder to regain than lost trust.

We are at a time when gaining a customers' trust is critical. Building trust is a daily process, conducted on purpose. Now more than ever, we need to focus on behaving ethically and resolving problems with customers.

Only 2 percent of customers complain and credible research suggests a complaint, when resolved well and in a timely fashion, converts into a loyal customer. So welcome them if and when you get them.

Opportunity will not be greatest for those companies with the most technological bells and whistles; it will go to those companies that develop and nurture a service culture.

For more from Jack Fraenkel, head to www.flyingsolo.com.au, Australia's online community for solo business owners.
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Business commitments: Is your word your bond? Also in this section

‘Gumps’, the oldest member of my family, is a 91 year old country stockman. Back in the day, he did big deals on nothing more than a handshake.

But it seems business commitments and promises are getting increasingly casual. Is your word your bond?

Gumps was telling me that a couple of water bills that showed usage a little on the high side, prompted him to drop by his local water authority. It wasn’t the cost he was concerned about, but the wastage.

He was greeted by a ‘young fella’ who assured him the water used was within the normal range for a couple. Gumps, who has two huge rainwater tanks and is quick in the shower, insisted that they didn’t use that much.

Eventually he was told “Let me look into it for you and let you know if I find anything.” Gumps headed off unsatisfied, expecting to hear nothing more of it.

Millions of casual promises are made in business and life every day:

* “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
* “I’ll be there at 3pm.”
* “It’ll only take 5 minutes.”
* “I’ll send you a quote first thing.”
* “I’ll make a decision next week.”
* “Your call is important to us.”

Mostly the intentions of the business commitments are genuine, but often they are meaningless utterances said out of habit. The problem is that they erode people’s trust in your ‘real’ promises and reliability.

I like to finish business conversations with a commitment to action or ‘next step’. I know, however, that I need to keep the business commitment or not make it at all.

The good news is because people are used to being let down in a world of casual promises, it’s easy to set yourself apart just by doing what you say you’ll do.

That’s why when Gumps received a letter and cheque in the mail a few weeks later he was so astonished that he’s been raving about the great service ever since.

Why? All because the young lad had simply “looked into it and got back to him” as promised. And it was their error in the first place!

This level of service should come as standard, but it’s rare.

It’s the same old but true chestnut; under-promise, over-deliver. Or as Elvis would say “A little less conversation, a little more action.”

For more from Peter Crocker, head to www.flyingsolo.com.au, Australia's online community for solo business owners.
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Recovery of digital tech sector calls for new strategies

Now is the time to guide the future of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as it recovers from the effects of the economic crisis, the head of a United Nations technology unit said today.

“I am optimistic that not only will the ICT sector recover quickly, but it will also act as a catalyst in stimulating investment and growth in other sectors,” Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), said as the World Telecommunications Policy Forum (WTPF) opened in Lisbon, Portugal.

“WTPF presents a timely opportunity to forge global strategies that underpin the development and growth of future ICT networks and services,” he added.

ITU’s concerns have grown rapidly in recent years to go beyond fixed and mobile telephones to issues concerning internet bandwidth and the increased convergence of devices, applications and services that “facilitate seamless communications in a multi-protocol, multi-vendor environment,” according to the Union, which is sponsoring the three-day Forum.

This phenomenal growth of the sector, highlighted by mobile subscriptions reaching the 4 billion mark at the beginning of this year, prompted ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in 2006 to convene the WTPF to review emerging directions.

WTPF-09 focuses on key policy issues that will guide future regulatory and standardization efforts worldwide in the areas of new technologies and networks, communications security and regulations to bolster interconnection between different networks and types of communications, the Union said.

A Strategic Dialogue on ‘Confronting the Crisis’ opening yesterday ahead of the WTPF, moderated by TV anchors Stephen Cole and Vasco Trigo, and focused on how investment and financing in ICT can make a critical difference in the current recession.

At the session, repeated calls were made for a digital Marshall Plan, which had been proposed earlier by ITU at the Connect Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda in October 2007.

Dr. Touré pointed out that Australia, the United States and several European countries are investing in stimulus packages based on the development of ICT infrastructure such as high-speed broadband.

Over 880 participants, representing 126 Member States and including 40 ministers, are expected to attend WTPF-09 along with representatives of the private sector, international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
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UN anti-crime tsar warns of global reach of organized crime

The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) cautioned today that organized crime “has gone global,” posing a security threat to cities, countries and even entire regions.

In his opening remarks to the 18th session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said that drug cartels are spreading violence in Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and West Africa. Collusion between insurgents and criminal groups is jeopardizing the stability of West Asia, the Andes and parts of Africa.

Kidnapping is widespread around the world, he added, with human trafficking also extending its global reach.

Blueprints for tackling organized crime, such as the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption, already exist, the Executive Director said.

But, he noted, “implementation has been patchy, there is almost no information on world crime and efforts to fight crime have been disjointed,” resulting in countries facing “a crime situation of their own making.”

Although the current financial crisis could exacerbate the situation, it could also provide an opportunity to end bank secrecy, close tax havens and boost regulation and compliance measures, he stressed.

States’ political will is “mightier than the greed and firepower of criminal groups,” Mr. Costa said, calling for stepped up global cooperation. “Working together does not mean surrendering sovereignty, it means defending it.”

The 40-member Commission – which will review methods of crime prevention and the bolstering of criminal justice, as well as ways to fight economic fraud and identity-related crime – will wrap up its session on 24 April.
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Kenya must stop organized harassment of human rights defenders

Kenyan law enforcement agencies have systematically harassed and intimidated human rights defenders, a United Nations independent expert said, expressing outrage at threats made against those who have cooperated with the world body.

“Dozens of prominent and respected human rights defenders have been targeted in a blatant campaign designed to silence individual monitors and instil fear in civil society organizations at large,” with many rights defenders having been forced into hiding or exile, said Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions.

The Kenyan police and military are violating the most basic rules governing the treatment of the world body’s fact-finding missions, he underscored.

“Non-cooperation with a UN mission is one thing, but making threats against those that have provided information to the UN, as well as harassing their families, is quite another,” the expert stressed.

Last month, Oscar Kamau Kingara, founder of the Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic, along with a co-worker, was gunned down in Nairobi, one week after meeting with Mr. Alston.

Mr. Kingara’s foundation had provided testimonies of family members of people who had been allegedly killed by police to the Special Rapporteur and, in 2007, had published a report entitled “License to Kill – Extrajudicial Executions and Police Brutality in Kenya.”

According to Mr. Alston, the Government has accused the Oscar Foundation of having close links to a criminal gang, the Mungiki.

“We try to take every possible precaution to ensure the security of those that we speak with. At the end of the day if you have a very determined and ruthless group that is going to punish and intimidate these people, there isn’t much that can be done,” he said.

The expert noted today that “all indications seem to point to the face that the campaign has been carefully coordinated within the Government,” with people from a range of civil society groups having been targeted, threatening telephone messages having been left for many prominent public figures and security forces having frequently visited and threatened family members of defenders who have fled.

President Mwai Kibaki, Internal Security Minister George Saitoti and others who control the security have not spoken out against the intimidation of the rights defenders, Mr. Alston noted, and there have been no substantive responses to complaints lodged by the UN.

The expert – who, like all UN Special Rapporteurs, reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in an unpaid, independent capacity – called on the Kenyan Government to immediately publicly order the police and military to end the intimidation and harassment of the defenders.

“The international community can not stand by as Kenya responds to findings highlighting human rights violations by unleashing an attack on those struggling to document and respond to such violations,” he said.
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Cholera infection continues to slow in southern Africa

The cholera epidemic in southern Africa continues to abate, but international and local health authorities stress the need to remain vigilant, the United Nations reported today.

“Overall, the duration and magnitude of the epidemic underscores the need for strengthening surveillance, preparedness and underscores plans in all countries,” according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

There were a total of 4,579 new cases between 3 and 17 April in the nine countries – Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe – affected by the often fatal disease since August 2008.

During the two weeks preceding 3 April, 6,460 new cases were reported, OCHA said.

Authorities warn, however, that cholera could re-appear in the coming one to three weeks, when waters from flooding in the region, which has affected more than 1.2 million people, subside and become stagnant.

Those displaced by the deluge lack access to shelter, water and sanitation facilities and are at higher risk of contracting the disease, OCHA said. To prevent that from happening, UN Country Teams and humanitarian partners plan to expedite their aid to flood victims.

In a number of countries, national cholera policies and contingency planning is also taking place, in partnership with the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other organizations.

The cumulative total of cholera cases reported in southern Africa stands at 155,692, including 96,718 cases in Zimbabwe, the worst affected country.

The total number of reported deaths stands at 4,686, with 4,218 of those in Zimbabwe.
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Food emergencies continue in 32 countries despite supply rise

High food prices persist in developing countries despite an improved global cereal supply and a sharp decline in international food prices, the United Nations agricultural agency warns in a report released today.

“This is creating further hardship for millions of poor people already suffering from hunger and undernourishment,” says the latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation report produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The food crisis of last year has not ended in developing countries as cereal prices in most remain generally very high, in some cases at record levels, FAO said. Worst affected are the urban poor and food-deficit farmers who are dependent on the market to access food.

An analysis of domestic food prices for 58 developing countries shows that in around 80 per cent of the cases food prices are higher than 12 months ago, and in around 40 per cent higher than three months ago. In 17 per cent of the cases, the latest price quotations are the highest on record.

The situation is most dramatic in sub-Saharan Africa. Domestic prices of rice are much higher than 12 months earlier in all countries analyzed, while prices of maize, millet and sorghum are higher in 89 per cent of the countries compared to a year earlier.

Food prices remain at high levels in other regions as well, particularly in Asia for rice and in Central and South America for maize and wheat.

Moreover, the global economic recession is drying up remittances from family members working abroad that often sustain the food consumption levels of vulnerable households.

This year's world cereal production is forecast to decline by 3 per cent from the 2008 record, but it would still be the second largest crop ever, according to FAO's first 2009 forecast.

Most of the decrease is expected to be in wheat, mainly due to a significant reduction in plantings in developed countries in response to lower international prices.

In developing countries, cereal output could remain close to last year's good level, the agency said.
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UNESCO and its partners launch online library to celebrate world cultures

In a bid to celebrate the world’s myriad cultures, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and dozens of partner institutions today launched the World Digital Library, a Web site featuring cultural materials from libraries and archives worldwide, free of charge.

The new Library, known as WDL, will function in seven languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish – and includes content in over 40 languages.

James H. Billington, the United States Librarian of Congress, first proposed the creation of the online library to UNESCO in 2005, stressing that such a project could have the “salutary effect of bringing people together by celebrating the depth and uniqueness of different cultures in a single global undertaking.”

At today’s launch at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the agency’s Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura hailed the WDL, noting that it “offers and invaluable platform for the free flow of information, for international solidarity, for the celebration of cultural diversity and for the building of inclusive knowledge societies.”

Developed by a team from the Library of Congress, the project seeks to expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet; provide resources for educators, scholars and general audiences; and close the digital divide both within and between countries.

Among the information available on the WLD are manuscripts, books, maps and rubbings of oracle bones spanning the range of Chinese history, from ancient to modern times, contributed by the National Library of China.

Also on the site are Arabic scientific manuscripts from the National Library and Archives of Egypt and early photographs of Latin America courtesy of the National Library of Brazil.
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Even fewer will attend school due to falling basic education aid

Steep drops in aid to basic education in developing countries threatens to roll back progress made towards achieving the global goal of universal primary schooling, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) cautioned today.

Total aid commitments to basic education has dropped over 20 per cent from $5.5 billion in 2006 to $4.3 billion in 2007, according to the latest figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

At present, there are 75 million children out of school, with many millions more dropping out before completing primary education, the 2009 report of the UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report Team said.

It also predicted that the goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015 will be missed by at least 30 million children.

Commitments made by donor nations have not been sustained, with only 5 per cent of all education aid going towards basic education in 2007.

Only the United States’ aid to basic education rose significantly in 2007, but too few countries stepped in to fill the financing gap.

“The concentration of aid to basic education among just a few donors means that financial assistance for countries is highly unpredictable,” said Kevin Watkins, Director of the UNESCO report.

The current global economic crisis could drive aid for basic education even lower, possibly even driving assistance down more than $1 billion by 2010, the study warned.

“This is not the time to be cutting aid to basic education,” Mr. Watkins said. “With the economic downturn pushing millions of vulnerable households into poverty and putting budgets under strain, donors should be providing a fiscal stimulus aimed at keeping children in school.”

The new report put the price tag for meeting key education goals in the world’s poorest countries at $11 billion, of which only one-quarter was received in 2007.

“Millions of children stand to be hardest hit by the [current economic] crisis, and face irreversible long-term consequences if denied health, nutrition and education,” said Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO. “We must invest in their future and provide them with the education they need to end poverty and improve their lives.”
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