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Chainsaws have earnt a reputation as the planet’s most dangerous power tool; and with good reason. Almost 40,000 people are injured each year using these effective but volatile machines . If you are in the market to purchase your first chainsaw then there are some important points to consider.Frequent Or Infrequent Use?One of the biggest mistakes chainsaw newbies make is mis-judging the type of machine they’re actually after. Time and time again a first time chainsaw buyer will make the mistake of either buying too powerful or too ineffective a machine. Here’s a good point to remember… ask an expert exactly what saw work you require and how frequently you are likely to use a chainsaw. This will give you a good starting point and in most cases, you’ll get your answer very quickly.Safety issues arise when inexperienced cutters attempt to use bigger, more powerful machines without an understanding of the hazards involved. Other than the fact that a big, powerful gas chainsaw can cut through just about any wood presented to it, many users overlook the fact that it takes a strong and usually fit operator to use one of these machines because tiredness creeps in quickly and this usually leads to fatigue and “sloppiness.” This is when serious injury can occur.Gas Vs. Electric ChainsawsIf you intend using your chainsaw on a regular basis then gas is definitely the way to go.The fact that they are mobile is a huge plus and for heavy cutting jobs, then they win hands down over electric saws all the time. Gas models come in a variety of sizes. Stihl and Husqvarna are the leading manufacturers of chainsaws in the world with both having their supporters and detractors. In the final analysis though, both produce some amazing gas chainsaws and choosing on your part will come down to the level of work you intend to perform.Electric chainsaws certainly have their place, particularly within surburban areas. Why? Well for starters, they are much quieter than their gas cousins and given that cutting jobs within surburban areas are less frequent and lighter duty, then electric saws, in most cases would certainly suffice. Lighter and cheaper to buy and run, an electric chainsaw could be the right fit for your circumstances especially if you have more heavier trimming jobs to perform as opposed to cutting down trees.What Brands?It’s been my experience that asking for an opinion on what brand you should favor when purchasing a chainsaw is a bit like asking someone who their favorite football team is or their what’s their political persuasion. As mentioned earlier, Stihl and Husqvarna are the best known manufacturers and both have their own band of loyal followers. Don’t discard other makes though including McCullough, Poulan, Echo and Homelite. It will all come down to what you prefer in the end and your decision may very well be based on which make of machine felt right during the testing period.Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. Check this guide before you purchase your first chainsaw. Plus get the latest chainsaw news and reviews at: http://www.chainsawlife.com
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Do people actually buy cameras because they think it enhances their image? With a name like Coolpix, apparently the good folks at Nikon seem to think so. The million dollar question here though, is whether buying a Nikon Coolpix S51 Digital Camera will allow you to take cool pictures like the name suggests. I suspect not, but lets take a look anyway.One of the nice things about ultra compact cameras like the S51, is their portability. Being able to reach into a pocket quickly, grab your camera and snag a picture at a moments is a nice feature. If it works. Don’t count on catching many of those candid moments with a Coolpix. It tends to take a few seconds to start up once you’ve powered it up, followed by another few seconds after you’ve squeezed the shutter button. Hopefully your subjects are slow (translation… not kids), and don’t go scurrying off the second they see a camera in your hand.Nikon, must know that the S51 is going to be carried around in all kinds of strange places. Pants pockets full of dust and beach sand, backpacks along with your paper clip collection, and car consoles right beside all your loose dimes and nickels. You’d think, they’d make the Coolpix LCD a little more durable for these hostile environments. Especially since there’s no viewfinder, and your stuck staring at a scratched up LCD to frame all your photos.Megapixels and LCD’s screens seem to be the big selling point these days with manufacturers. If only more consumers realized that too many megapixels result in noisy pictures, especially with an ultra-compact camera that have such a small image sensor to start with. While bigger LCDs may seem cool, they’re just a killer on batteries. I swear that little Energizer Bunny is subsidizing the camera manufacturers big LCD hype, just to ensure he stays employed forever. I’d gladly exchange a 3 inch LCD for a 2 inch one, if it meant I got 30% more pictures, and a viewfinder thrown in as a backup.Just for good measure, here’s a couple other shots to the body of the Nikon Coolpix S51:- hard to hold onto, power switch too easy to press accidentally- LCD display is very grainy- door to battery and memory card is fragile and hard to open- no auto presets dial- photos under florescent lighting have greenish tingeIf honesty in advertising was applied to cameras the way it was to cigarettes, we’d have some pretty interesting warning labels on camera packaging. “Warning… this camera may make you a bad photographer”. “Warning… pictures in LCD are grainier then they appear”. “Warning… buying a Coolpix camera will not make you seem cool to your friends”. Unfortunately you won’t find those out in the real world, but at least you’ve been warned here first. There are of course plenty of better cameras out there, and not too far from here.
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Christmas is right around the corner and the family cats would like to remind you not to leave them out this year. While many people think their pets don’t understand Christmas; that’s not true. While they may not understand the nuances of the holiday, cats and dogs do understand the excitement that fills the air around this time of year. While they may not understand the idea behind Santa, they know there is a lot of wrapping paper flying and that everyone around them is getting new things to play with.You may have noticed that the cat has been crawling in the middle of everything going on and pawing at presents a time or two. That’s because he wants to be a part of the family and take part in this family fun event, even if he doesn’t completely understand what it’s all about. So, make sure to remember this year to include the cat in these activities. It’s not hard. Most cats have a certain type of cat toys they enjoy. You can purchase a few new toys for them to unwrap (with a little help from you).If you want a really fun toy this year, here are some of the top cat toys on the Kitty Christmas 2007 List:Da Bird Interactive Toy for Cats – This is a simple, yet very popular, cat toy. Think of a fishing pole with a stretchy piece of string and a feathered lure on the end. This is essentially what this toy is, minus the hooks. While it seems simple enough, it’s amazingly popular with cats. You may even notice when you’re not swinging the toy around your cat is trying to play with it by himself.Mews Ments 5-in-1 Laser Pet Toy and Exerciser – This present is like having a number of cat toys in one. It’s one of the laser pointer key chains you may have seen in the past, but this one has fun designs that a cat will like to chase, including a mouse and butterfly. You can kick back and whirl the laser around the room and watch your cat get quite a workout trying to catch the flashing images. This is one of the cat toys that seem to entertain the whole family as they watch the cat chase the light pattern. Just make sure not to shine the pattern directly in the cat’s eyes.If you really want to have a good time, you may be able to take a couple good-smelling cat treats and lightly wrap them in paper, letting the cat rip it open. Just watch that your cat is not eating the paper. Some cats will rip the paper, other cats will eat it, If yours is prone to eating, don’t try this.Another tactic to take is to put a few cat treats in a small box that the cat will have to knock around to open. You can give him the same attention that you give the kids when it’s time to open presents and he well may be very excited to be taking part in the family event.Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops that offer both products and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space for yu and your pet. Whether it’s your living, bedroom, or even your deck or patio, there are many tips you can use to make your space both functional and beautiful for you and your furry friends. Today, she shares her insight on how to create a fabulous space for your cat by using easy to climb cat furniture, soft and cozy cat houses and fun and functional cat trees
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Hiring a babysitter or nanny comes with taking precautionary measures to make sure that you child or children are being properly taken care of. Every parent has that nightmare of a nanny that could abuse their children, even though they wish it not to happen. Taking the necessary steps to avoid the occurrence of such an unsightly event can mean the difference between life and death.For those eight hours that you may be gone to work or a few hours away from your children makes a whole lot of difference in the world. Your childrens safety is at stake and at the hands of a stranger who you do not yet know enough about. How do you protect your children without feeling as if you are violating someone else’s privacy? What is most important? I would think that childrens security is more important. Make sure you learn more about your local laws in terms of installing a video camera in your home.Even if you have thoroughly investigated your nanny, you should still have a nanny wireless camera installed in your home. You can go through the whole gamut of background checks, references and credit checks and still not know all you can about the nanny. The background check, references, and credit check will not reveal the child care providers personality or mood. You have to find that out the hard way or through the process of installing a hidden wireless camera especially if your children are very young and not able to explain themselves.When your nanny leaves after you get home, you can put in the tape and watch the video to see what transpired while you were away from home. You may be shocked to see how the nanny spends the day or what she is doing to your child or children. What if you have a crazy nanny who drinks on the job or who shakes your child so hard because the child is crying? You would want to know, would you not?A wireless hidden spy camera is the best way and most inexpensive method of having some extra eyes for you while you are gone. There are some day cares that have cameras installed and set up with the Internet so mothers especially can look at what their child is doing during the day. I think this is a brilliant idea. So why is it that homeowners who hire nannies to take care of their children are not doing the same thing?Of course, they can. The nanny hidden spy cameras are manufactured and disguised in the form of stuffed animals, soda cans, wall clocks, radios, mirrors, vases, and even picture frames. This will give parents the peace of mind to know that they have something to rely on that will provide some type of protection for their children.Hidden wireless cameras add safety and security to every home and business. It provides a security level that is necessary in this society that we live in. No more can people be totally trusted to perform their duties when you are absent. The nanny wireless hidden camera is a parents best friend.Steve Lane is a freelance writer of informational websites on personal self-defense and home security products including high tech surveillance. He is one of the leading writers on home security and personal self defense products in the country.He started “Self Defense Shop” in 2004 to help people prevent crime in their lives. “Self Defense Shop” is an Internet business specializing in hard to find and unique self-defense and home security products that help people protect themselves, their family, home and business. His website includes self defense products like pepper sprays, stun guns, personal alarms, and self defense training DVDs.His business is poised to meet the needs of security conscious consumers who want to protect their families, home and business in increasingly dangerous times with growing crime rates.http://www.laneselfdefense.com
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The Eureka Boss Smart Vac 4870GZ is a favorite of customers. An upgrade on the Eureka 4870DT model, it offers HEPA filter, a wide track cleaning path, a power paw stair brush, and on-board tool stowage. This model, with its 12-amp motor, features an air selector switch to direct all the suction from the floor to the hose, or from the hose back to the floor. The HEPA filtration system means cleaner carpets and a cleaner home at the same time. The carpet brush has an attractive window that lets you see the brush remove dirt from carpets and floors, and the bare floor brush glides smoothly across wood and tile floors. The hose stretches to five times its original length, and a 30-foot cord extends the vacuum’s cleaning reach.So with all these attractive features, why did Eureka customers rate this vacuum cleaner at five stars out of five?The first was customer service; Eureka offers toll-free technical support as well as a well designed website.The second was its solid build, and the impression customers had that this vacuum cleaner offered better cleaning for the money.The third was the design of the HEPA filter, which was easy to remove and replace. With all their enthusiasm, customers also found negative aspects to the Boss Smart Vac 4870GZ; in particular, that it is heavy to push, that its attachments are difficult to reach at the back of the unit, and that while Eureka will cover the cost of repairs to units under warranty, the company may take four to six weeks to turn around reimbursements.For more vacuum cleaner comparisons, please visit: Vacuum Cleaner Reviews a website that specializes reviewing all brands of vacuum cleaners including Eureka vacuum cleaner reviews
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The modern information age has us all dizzy with information flow. Everywhere you look there is more of it, so much you could never review it all, and so much of it is not worth the paper, blog or TV ticker strip it was written on. So, what should one read?Well, recently, I asked myself this question and so, I have been going thru a personal library of some 4,000 books and tossing out a few, donating a few and sending a few to friends along the way. Every so often, I pick one up and notice that it is interesting and thus re-read it. Re-reading goes fast, as you remember much of it already, once you refresh the subject matter in your brain.So, may I ask what books did you read this week? Well below are a few of the books that I re-read and would challenge others to read as well. It seems most Americans do not read much once they leave High School, as it is not required and so why bother? This is unfortunate because, one should never stop learning.Let me tell you of the books that I read this week and maybe one of them might strike your fancy and perhaps get you thinking about the books that you can put on your list to read next week. Here they are;”The Kennedy Wit” edited by Bill Aber – 1964.JFK had a real sense of humor. This book is full of excerpts of humorous remarks, speech and writing of JFK. The book is a quick read, a few hours at most, it is a great collection of the Kennedy Wit, he sure knew how to get his crowd to think and laugh.”Getting to Yes – Negotiating Agreement without Giving In” by Roger Fisher and William Ury – part of the Harvard Negotiation Project – 1985.There are many great tips in this negotiation book such as: separating the people from the problem, stop bargaining over position, focusing on interests not positions, invent options in order to gain mutual respect even if they are more painful, the other side will not play or the other side uses dirty tricks. There are many strategies in this book of value and to find common ground, reach agreement and understand perspectives, without making enemies or giving in.Power Through ResponsibilityPower Through TrustPower Through IntegrityPower Through Knowledge and InformationPower Through RespectPower Through TrainingPower Through Belief That alone makes you think a little bit doesn’t it?”Starting and Succeeding in Your Own Small Business” by Louis L. Allen – 1968.What are the characteristics of a small business? How do you raise the money for your small business? How are you going to get the customers to buy? How can you decide which products to make and market? How will manage your small business? Yes all covered in this book, some great common sense, real case studies and definitely worth reading. Also in the book is a chapter on the Philosophy of a Venture Capitalist. Have you ever thought of starting your own business? Do you know how? Do you own a business and want to make it more successful? Perhaps a business book is in your future then.”Competitive Intelligence – How to Gather, Analyze, and Use Information to Move Your Business to the Top” by Larry Kahaner – 1996.The book starts with some quotes from Sun Tzu and one interesting one from Frederick the Great; “It is pardonable to be defeated, but never to be surprised.” Thus competitive intelligence is paramount in business and this book has plenty of case studies and tactics. This book first answers the question; what is competitive intelligence? How has competitive intelligence evolved, what are the tactics, what are the ethics involved, what can it be used for, the difference between information and intelligence, what does it mean to be stuck in the information age?This book describes both in-house competitive intelligence to make decisions and gathering intelligence to beat the competition, and even more importantly knowing when another company is gathering intelligence on you. Knowing how to do counterintelligence is often of supreme value. For a business owner or someone considering a business of their own, it makes sense to know the reality behind the game, so you can play to win.”Funny Money” by Mark Singer – 1985. The books sub-heading is: “The wonderous tale of the Penn Square Bank, the high-rolling oil and gas loan broker in Oklahoma City shopping center whose collapse staggered America’s banking community.”Well there was this little bank that was working with big banks, which were flush with cash to loan, that became a go-between for banks and oil and gas companies. Things were great during the boom period, but when it all collapsed, the problems were much greater and deeper than anyone had suspected. This is an interesting book to read for those who remember the S & L scandals and the more recent real-estate market collapse. This book goes into the reality of what really happened there, you will not believe the truth. Considering what is going on in the world today, this might be a very interesting book to read right now?”The Power to Get in – a step-by-step system to get in anyone’s door, so you have a chance” by Michael A. Boylan – 1997.Salesmen often complain about the difficulty to get into meet the decision makers, as they are busy and go to great lengths to be hard to get at, and for good reason. This book explains how to break down those barriers and how to get in to meet them. The book explains several strategies, some unique, some obvious and all worthy of note if this problem persists in your endeavors. Boylan explains how to do your home work, why things are the way they are, how to know your competitors, what attitude to have, when to blitz and how to leave the perfect voice mail, more importantly how to leave one.The author continues to explain what to do once you do actually get in. There are lots of stories of success, and case studies along with encouragement, understanding of the numbers game and how to incorporate the author’s strategic access system into your sales career.”Fair-Weather Flying – for VFR pilots whowant to improve their skills and flying enjoyment” by Richard Taylor – 1974.Mr. Taylor also wrote the book “Instrument Flying” and probably sold a heck of a lot more of these books than that one. Richard writes with a sense of humor and does not hold back on the reality when it comes to safety issues. If you are a pilot then you will really enjoy this book, it is very interesting, well paced and fun to read. It makes you want to go flying and so even if you are not a pilot, it might make you think about getting your pilot’s license or learning to fly?”Innovation and Entrepreneurship – practice and principles” by Peter Drucker – 1985By the time Peter Drucker wrote this book, he had already written the following books:Management:The Changing World of the ExecutiveManaging in Turbulent TimesManagement: Tasks, Responsibilities, PracticesTechnology, Management and SocietyManaging for ResultsThe Effective ExecutiveConcept of the Corporation Economics, Society and Politics:Toward the Next EconomicsThe Invisible RevolutionMen, Ideas and PoliticsThe Age of DiscontinuityThe Landmarks of TomorrowAmerica’s Next Twenty YearsThe New SocietyThe Future of Industrial ManThe End of Economic Man This book brings all of Peter Drucker’s philosophy and focuses it on entrepreneurial endeavors and helps those interested in going all the way, re-balance their strategies so they can. It is relevant and having been an entrepreneur all my life, I would say that his wisdom is worthy and I wish more people would learn how to do it right the first time, because the hard knocks along the way, well many can be avoided you see?”Personality in Business and Life” by Louis Thorpe and Evan Croft – 1951.This is a very old business book that tells of days gone by and business etiquette, how to dress and how to adjust one’s personality to succeed in business. The book talks about character, ethics, social skills, leadership, personality, dealing with conflict, statesmanship, taming emotion, hygiene, appearance, conversation, phone techniques, selling, business letters, Career and diplomacy.Boy have things changed and yet in a way they have not changed at all, things have just been re-labeled, re-packaged and re-taught. What an interesting case study on it all. Looking at the pictures of someone in a suit with labels attached to how everything must look if one is dressing for success, is fascinating indeed.”The Art of Case Analysis – A guide to the diagnosis of business situations” by Robert Ronstadt – 1980.Often business students work with case study analysis, yet how do they know that they are interpreting what happened correctly, as much of the real data and information is laced with PR and opinion, worse the victors re-write the history. If the company lost the competitors tell us of their mistakes and the writers of the era have the last word. If the company won, then they sugar coat the truth and thus, nothing is as it seems.This book discusses how to read a case efficiently, effectively and correctly. Then how to analyze and various strategies and approaches that can be used and combinations thereof. The authors speaks to discussing cases in a classroom situation, playing devil’s advocate, debate and hypotheticals. Next, how to write a very good case study report. Still the author then describes how to look at financials in determining the case study analysis.Learning should be a life-time endeavor and you should never stop reading books, you can learn something in fiction and non-fiction books. Please make a list of books you might like to read and start reading more today. It will serve you well.”Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
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* Working up the shaft of a Fishing Fly Rod, there is the first guide, called the “stripping guide”. There are three purposes of fly-rod guides, and they are as follows:* To hold the fishing line to the rod during casting.* To funnel the line along the length of the rod when shooting (or casting) line (releasing extra line to obtain additional distance).* To distribute properly along the entire length of the fly rod, the stress of playing the fish. Since the stripping guide is the first part of the rod the line encounters after leaving the reel, it receives a lot of wear and tear. To reduce friction, the stripping guide is made from an abrasion-resistant material, usually hard chrome or ceramic. Some saltwater fly rods feature two stripping guides.* The rest of the guides on the fly rod are simple bent pieces of wire called “snake guides”. There should be at least as many of these as the fly rod is long in feet. Guides are distributed along a rod according to a specific formula that is unique to each length of rod and are attached to the rod with nylon thread, which is epoxied (or glued with epoxy) or varnished two or three times for durability and protection from the elements. The last guide, which sits at the very, very top of the fly rod tip section, is called the “tip-top”.* Some fly rods, instead of “snake guides,” feature ceramic stripping guides or single-foot ceramic guides along the entire length of the rod. However, these guides are so heavy and air-resistant that they change the action of the rod. The whole idea is to lessen the friction between guides, enabling the caster to shoot more fishing line.* Other parts of a fly rod are the following:* “Ferrules” – These are the joints that connect the sections of multiple-piece rods (for instance, two-piece, three-piece, four-piece, or more piece fly rods]. These are designed to hold the pieces of a multiple-piece fly rod together during a full day of fishing, yet they pull apart easily when a fisherman or woman wants to put his or her rod away. Ferrules on bamboo rods are made of nickel-silver metal, while those on graphite, fiberglass rods, and boron/graphite are “self-ferrules,” involving a tapered sleeve of the rod material itself, glued to the rod tip tip section, which fits snugly over the butt section.++ Information from “The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide,” by Tom Rosenbauer, The Lyons Press, Guilford, Connecticut, Copyright 1984, 1988, 2007 by the Orvis Company. To see Pictures of what a Fly Rod looks like, how a fly rod can reposition fishing line on the water, and how a fly rod acts as a flexible lever to play and land fish without breaking the leader, see Pages 10-11 in this book.Jon Lutz, an outdoor enthusiast, is currently recording a series of digitally downloadable audio interviews with fishing and hunting experts. In these interviews, his “below radar” experts will reveal underground techniques the big boys don’t want you to know. If you’d like to get a free sample of one of these expert interviews go here and check it out: http://www.biggerbassebook.comJon is also putting together a series of fishing related videos. If you consider yourself to be an “Underground Expert” and would like to be considered for an interview, please email Jon at: support@promoter-power.comAlso, if you are interested in an expert home remodeler contractor, with reasonable prices for all of your home remodeling needs, go to: http://www.yourhometoday.net
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The leader in flash memory, ScanDisk delivers more flash memory products than anyone else in more form factors. They carry 315 issued U.S. patents along with 160 foreign patents, so it is very clear to see that ScanDisk is THE inventor of flash data storage. ScanDisk was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari, who was an internationally recognized authority on non-volatile memory technology. They serve both consumers and original equipment manufacturer, while licensing its technology to a number of other industry-leading companies.Flash memory is a rapidly growing field, due to the direct result of “consumer demand” for always something smaller, more feature packed, more portable, and always wanting a digital device. Because of this reputation, available is a great, diverse line of MP3 players to suit every consumer with MP3 desires. SanDisk is a name to consider when shopping for your digital audio player as it provides a line of digital audio players with video capabilities, FM tuners, expandable memory, and voice recording. With five different lines of digital audio players to choose from it is probable to find something that fits a specific taste.The SanDisk “SansaTM” e200 series of MP3 players give the consumer the capability of music, photo, and video clip playback – all in one device. With a 1.8″ TFT color screen and advanced navigation, along with a very easy to use interface, this line comes with three choices of disk space – 2GB, 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB, with a strong battery life at about 20 hours when fully charged. It has a durable metal backing to avoid excessive scratching, which is an advantage over others. Supporting the Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music, a media converter can be purchased to support most image formats for photos and small personal videos.SanDisk’s SansaTM m200 series provides high-quality digital music playback as a replacement to the original Digital Audio Player line, as SanDisk is one of the leaders in the flash drive arena. This series doesn’t offer anything flashy (no photo or video), but does everything you need if you are looking for pure digital audio. The series comes in the 512MB (blue), 1GB (silver), or 2GB (black) sizes with optional data storage capabilities. It also can be used as an external storage device for data and a PC transfer case.The SanDisk SansaTM c100 series is made for the active type, by providing flash memory of 1 or 2GB in a lightweight and durable device that is available in brilliant color. You can listen to music downloaded from the PC, listen to FM radio, record FM radio, or make voice recordings while jogging or studying. The SanDisk Sansa c100 series can also display photo thumbnails, but has no video playback capability. If a person is new to the digital audio game, not quite knowing how much space they need, the SanDisk SansaTM e100 series of expandable memory MP3 players is a great option. Coming with a built-in 512MB or 1GB of memory, a person can expand the space by up to 2GB with a SD slot memory card. This player also comes with a built-in FM tuner.Check out http://www.mp3playertop.com/ for more articles on ipod shuffel and creative zen 20gb mp3 player.
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The dress reigns supreme this season with hardly a Ready-To-Wear collection that has not cast it in a leading role (TULEH). Across the designers’ lines its versions are even more varied and versatile. From the iconic wrap styles to the staple sheath this strong trend in the return to the ‘must have’ dress will again render it the wardrobe staple as in generations past.”Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”Yves Saint LaurentThe moods of Spring encompass breezy sophisticates (BILL BLASS), smooth sexiness (GIORGIO ARMANI), and sheer openness (CALVIN KLEIN and BCBG). We see light, easy feminine versions; simple, delicate creations from designers who translate their ‘love’ of dresses (CAROLINA HERRERA) to dresses you’ll ‘love’ to wear.SHAPES/SILHOUETTES:The shirtdress is back with its “June Cleaver” sweetness. It’s neat and crisp with clean lines and smart details (RALPH LAUREN). Not heavy or cumbersome, worn with or without a belt or with a short or 3/4 sleeve cardigan, it is functional and feminine and will satisfy a multitude of scenarios for the work week as well as the weekend.Volume is in. From the full skirted baby dolls and the bubble and gathered hems, to the tent, trapeze and muu muu styles you’ll find a lot of fabric to contend with this season. Be sure you wear your correct size so that the volume will be in proportion to your frame. Too small and you’ll look ’stuffed’ into the parts that are designed to fit the body, too big … you can easily look ’sloppy.’Designers are offering a great selection of body skimming sheaths and standout chemise styles (KARL LAGERFELD) truly a joy to wear especially if your silhouette has some figure challenges (slight tummy, thick waist, etc.). Also to enhance your proportions the ‘floating’ waistlines are presented in so many collections. The empire/high waist (VIVIENNE TAM), the natural waistline (CAROLINA HERRERA), the belted waist (BILL BLASS), the drop waist (OSCAR de la RENTA, ANNA SUI, 3.1 PHILIP LIM), these elements when executed in various fabrics (cottons, linens, silks) and patterns (florals geometrics, abstracts or plaids) as well as in wovens or knits offer limitless combinations for you to enjoy.High waist a-lines with knee skimming skirts worn with cropped jackets (CHLOE) afford a great opportunity to engineer your proportion and soft, flowing sleeves can give a youthful look to your outfit.BEHNAZ SARAFPOUR shows the easy going chemise shift with piping details, contrast black and white and worn over skinny crop pants for a very upscale casual look.Caution: With so many choices selecting the style for you can be daunting. First rule: know your shape then select a style that flatters rather that frustrates.FABRIC/FABRICATIONS:Soft jerseys, matte jerseys, lots of silks, chiffons, organzas, georgettes, crepes and crepe de chine, luxurious charmeuse and silk blended with rayon and cotton all show up in the fabrics of Spring. Cottons also show up in a strong way in voiles, piques, boucles, jacquards and blended with silks. Linen, the perennial spring fabrication, makes its appearance in stand-alone tissue versions as well as blended with cotton and silk leading to a perfect weight supporting the season’s cast of flattering body beautiful contributors.DEREK LAM’S collection includes cotton poplin presented in the soft, clean, comfortable ‘elegant but humble’ spirit of American design. 3.1 PHILIP LIM shows a T-shirt dress with a generous sprinkling of rosettes all in white.The miracle of stretch has been added across the board mixing its magic in everything from the sheerest silk georgette to the dense stretch wool crepe. This is by far the winner in the category of “best supporting comfort”.NECKLINES:Necklines are varied offering something for everyone. Choose your most flattering from among the candidates: boat neck, strapless, scoop neck (CYNTHIA STEFFE), rounded square, halter (DONNA KARAN) ruffled (BETSEY JOHNSON), off-the-shoulder, squared-off deep v’s (AKRIS) or the soft drape (DKNY). A good variety can be seen at TULEH.SLEEVE LENGTHS:Sleeve lengths also abound in variety from the sleeveless to the kimono with collections featuring all the in between versions: the cap sleeve (3.1 PHILIP LIM, ZAC POSEN), the short puff sleeve (RALPH LAUREN), the short bubble (STELLA MCCARTNEY), the lantern sleeve (BURBERRY PRORSUM), the 3/4 sleeve (cuffed and plain), the poet (CHLOE), and the bell (MATTHEW WILLIAMSON).SKIRTS AND HEMLINES:Skirts and hemlines are equally generous in choices ranging from short and shorter to shortest (BLUMARINE) . We’re seeing draped (DONNA KARAN), wrapped and bias cut (DKNY); trumpets, tents and trapeze (OSCAR de la RENTA); balloons, bubbles (MALANDRINO) and baby dolls; ruffled (VALENTINO), ruched and rolled; gathered and straight, pleats and pencils, flapper and flirty, asymmetrical (MICHAEL KORS) and tiered and the classic straight hems. Details go from dainty to daring; from the sweetness of eyelet and lady-like lace to the drama of beaded and belted, and double bubbled balloons.YVES SAINT LAURENT showcases plaids, big and bold and beautiful. NICOLE MILLER offers wonderful prints. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG has florals in full bloom. ISSEY MIYAKE shows bold abstracts and we see beautiful tribals at GIVENCHY. The combinations at MISSONI come alive as the colors harmonize with each other. At VALENTINO the stark white and vivid primaries speak to the clean crisp feel of Spring.All this awaits the eager buyer this season. So this season, why not celebrate the dress and all that it represents… after all what is important is “…the woman who is wearing it.”Karen Hodge, speaker, author, fashion editor, designer, and style coach, is the owner of KEH & ASSOCIATES – A Wardrobe Consultancy. She conducts workshops and seminars for corporate and private clients on perfecting personal style-developing wardrobes for individual lifestyles.You can contact Karen at: 800.609.5113 ext.305, write to her at 10605 SE 240th, Suite.#121, Kent, WA 98031 or visit her online: http://kehandassociates.comand join her group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kehandassociates
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How Many Megapixels?The first thing you should understand before you buy a camera is megapixels. Why do megapixels matter? Megapixels matter because the number of megapixels determines the resolution and size of the image. The more megapixels, the larger a print of the image can be. Nowadays, 5 megapixels is a good starting point for an entry level digital camera. You can expect excellent prints at 4 x 6 and even as large as 8 x 10.Should You Get a DSLR?The next important thing when buying a camera is which type to get. An SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera is expensive, but if you are looking for a high-resolution camera with excellent picture quality, SLR cameras are the way to go. This would be the digital equivalent of a 35 mm film camera.If you are familiar with 35 mm film cameras, you will find many of the same features and then some. One of the most popular features of a digital SLR is the ability to change lenses.Point and Shoot CamerasA point and shoot camera will cost less, still give you excellent image quality, and can be very good at macro photography. Also, point and shoot cameras don’t have the loud shutter clack that many SLR cameras have, although the newer SLR cameras are much quieter. Another advantage of point and shoot cameras is they have many automated features and preset programs to give you optimal photographs especially if you are a beginner.Memory CardsAfter you get a camera, you must choose a good memory card for your camera. The most popular types of memory cards for digital cameras are MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Smartmedia (SM), Secure Digital (SD), xD-Picture Card (xD), and CompactFlash (CF). Certain cameras require certain memory card types, so make sure you ask an expert which memory card is right for the camera you have.One of the most important things to consider with memory cards is how many pictures you plan on taking it at one time before downloading them to your computer. Also if you plan to use the higher resolution settings on your camera, you will able to take fewer pictures so you may want to invest in a memory card that has a larger storage capacity.It is important to know how to transfer pictures from your camera, since you only can send and edit pictures once they are on the computer. Now, your camera probably came with a USB cable. That is one option. Another option is to get a memory card reader. A USB cable is a wire that plugs into your camera at one end and your computer at the other end.Card ReadersA memory card reader is a piece of hardware that plugs into your computer and then you remove the memory card from your camera and insert it into the card reader. Memory card readers are also usually faster to download your pictures than a USB cable. Using a memory card reader also allows you to save the batteries on your camera because the camera does not have to be on during the transfer.Downloading Your PicturesDepending on the type of computer you have, a message will come up saying that you camera is connected. Or, in the case of a Mac computer, you just go into iPhoto, which comes standard on newer Mac computers. Use the help tab at the top of your screen to find out how to download your pictures. After you have downloaded your pictures, you can delete the pictures on your memory card, freeing up lots of space so that you can take more pictures. It is also a very good idea to periodically make a copy of the pictures on your computer and burn them to either a CD or DVD as a backup copy in case your computer’s hard drive fails. You probably have spent a lot of time and effort in creating some beautiful pictures and you wouldn’t want to lose them.About The Author: Barry Craft has been an avid photographer for the last 20 years and has a particular interest in nature photography He is passionate about his work and is happy to provide the latest tips and tricks to help you improve your photographic skills.To obtain a FREE copy of his latest report entitled, “Top 10 Tips for Great Photo Composition – How to Overcome the 10 Biggest Mistakes When Composing Your Photographs and Dramatically Improve Your Images” please visit http://naturephotographyclub.com/nature-photography-tips.php
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