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“I feel overwhelmed!” said Leanne, a store manager for the past five years. “I’m spending more on advertising but sales keep slipping. I don’t feel like I’m on top of my business anymore.”

“You’re not alone,” I replied. “I hear that same refrain from many business owners in spite of our booming economy and low interest rates. All that good cheer does little to pacify a business that’s struggling to make ends meet. Do you know why sales are slipping?”

“If I knew I could adjust my strategy but I can’t identify the root cause. That’s what’s frustrating me.”

• • •

“I’ve been marketing this way for years and it’s always produced results. So why has the response rate dropped?” asked Gordon, during a break from his print shop. “I have a great staff but if sales continue to falter, I may have to let someone go. That’s doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Have you sat down with your staff and asked for their input?” I suggested. “They’re often an excellent resource. After all, they have a stake in the outcome.”

“Hmmm … not really,” he replied. “I don’t want them to know the business is in trouble. That would just add to my problems. I’d rather talk with you; you’re not involved.”

• • •

“I was hoping to start a new business with the money from my severance package but I just can’t find the right product or service to sell,” complained Doug, a 20-year veteran of the corporate world. “What profitable trend can I get on board with?”

“Are you looking for a trend that will make you money or a business that will make you happy?” I asked. “There are lots of ways to make money but you better do something you really like otherwise you’ll be toast in no time.”

“Good point. So what do I like and the money will follow,” he replied not fully grasping the implications of his words.

• • •

Leanne, Gordon and Doug represent many business owners and entrepreneurs that are trying to come to grips with the dynamics of a changing marketplace. While each situation is unique they all feel the stress and frustration of trying to grow a business in a market that’s under constant change.

The arithmetic of life used to be simpler: one marriage, one income, one house, one neighborhood and one crop of kids. Today, these things are multiplied over and over. We scramble to keep up. We scramble to keep track. We’re stressed out. We’re exhausted. What we really want is to buy back time.

Innovative and fast-paced technology and the impact of the Baby Boomer demographics are exerting enormous pressures on the marketplace. As these forces converge, the traditional time frames to which we are accustomed collapse. The luxury of time is forfeited in a mad rush to just keep up. Is it any wonder that the business community is under duress?

For business owners, this chaotic marketplace is of concern. Never mind that the big guys have been victims; what about small business, the economic backbone of our society? How will they survive?

Luckily, many of the trends that will dominate the economy as the boomers charge to retirement are well served by small business. Without the politics of a corporate structure, small business is more agile and responsive to a changing environment.

Understanding trends give managers a clear profile of the marketplace, both what is beginning to happen now and what will happen in the future. They serve as predictors of how people are feeling and what products and services they will be seeking. Trends and fads are often confused, but think of a trend as being big and broad and having staying power. The Beatles were–and still are–a trend. The Monkees were a fad. Gardening is a trend. Bell bottoms are not.

If future trends can be identified based on changing habits and lifestyle, developing a business strategy based on those trends makes sense. Take the aging boomers for example. They’re beginning to change the health industry with their concern over food quality, lifestyle issues and eating choices. And with a huge amount of disposable income and leisure time, travel, hobbies and social activities are of great interest. Since there are many more boomers on the way, it would be safe to assume that the market demand for health-related products and leisure-time activities would also substantially increase.

The future is serious business and if your customers reach the future before you, they will leave you behind. The time to start planning for what is to come is NOW.

(Part 2: Changing Hindsight Into Foresight)

Luke Vorstermans is a business consultant specializing in Baby Boomer trends and products. His website has hundreds of articles and resources all available for free.
luke@business-dynamics.com
http://www.business-dynamics.com

Though it is the fourth largest public school system in the United States, Florida Schools have consistently ranked close to the bottom on academic indicators, including high school graduation rates and national assessment of education progress test scores. For the past few years, Florida schools have been implementing programs to improve student scholastic achievement. Most have been well received and implemented with little-to-no resistance. The End Social Promotion policy, however, has received a lot of resistance from teachers and parents alike and is the most entrenched school custom in Florida schools.

Social promotion is the act of passing onto the next grade a student, who lacks the basic required skills. For many years in Florida schools, retaining or holding back a student has been viewed negatively by teachers, parents and students, placing a stigma upon the retained children and singling them out as abnormally different, inferior and destined to be a failures.

Study research has long held that retention does harm not good, with studies of retained students showing lower test scores in future years as compared to low-scoring students who were “socially” promoted onto the next grade. Such students were considered a high risk for dropping out of high school, as well.

Florida schools believe that part of this stigma is due to only a small percentage of low-scoring students being retained. If retained students are part of a large group, Florida schools believe the stigma will disappear and retention eventually will be viewed as a positive.

Many educators today believe that much of the previous study results were due to only students with the worse case combinations of skills and personal characteristics being held back, while other low-scoring students were promoted. If everyone in Florida schools sees retention as a beneficial step taken for the students, retained students could benefit from the increased positive attitudes, acceptance and learning atmosphere.

Slowly but steadily, school districts across the United States have begun to require students in particular grades to master basic skills for promotion to the next grade. Chicago was the first system in 1996 to implement a retention policy. Texas and Florida schools followed in 2002, with New York and Philadelphia joining in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Florida schools believe that schools do students no favor by promoting them to higher grades without the basic skills to succeed. The Florida schools End Social Promotion policy requires third grade students to score at a level two benchmark or above on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

After implementing its retention policy, Florida schools wanted a study to determine the scientific merits and costs (detrimental outcomes) of the retention program. Did attitudes and only specific students being retained influence the previous research? Is the Florida schools’ End Social Promotion policy working? A study was undertaken.

The Florida schools’ study compared 2001 low-scoring third graders (before the implementation of the retention policy) to the 2002 low-scoring third graders (the first students subject to retention). In 2001, only nine percent of the low-scoring third graders were retained, as compared to 60 percent in 2002. The study analyzed test score improvements between third and fourth grade for each group. The tests used for comparison were the FCAT and the national Stanford-9. Both are administered at the same time to students. Since only the FCAT is used for the retention program, using the Stanford-9 test scores in the study would indicate if students were prepped only to meet the policy requirements. Additionally, only the FCAT’s developmental scale scores were used to allow comparison across the two different grade levels.

The findings of the Florida schools’ study showed that the performance gain of the retained students in 2002 exceeded that of the socially promoted students in 2001. The improvement gains were moderate in reading, yet significant in mathematics. The results were consistent in both the FCAT and Stanford-9 tests, showing the gains were due to student skill mastery rather than prepping.

The study provides valuable information on the short-term effectiveness of the Florida schools retention policy. Due to the short duration of the study, it neither shows all the possible future benefits a student gains from retention, nor does it address any possible long-range negative effects. However, it did provide a surprising result in the substantially improved mathematics scores.

Overall, the study shows that increased efforts by teachers and students to avoid a second retention does improve student proficiency. Whether the effects continue into the future for Florida schools, only time will tell.

This information on Florida schools is brought to you by http://www.schoolsk-12.com

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more on Florida schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Florida/index.html

We feed and care for wild birds for several reasons. It could be as simple as giving something back to nature. You may enjoy the sights and sounds of birds or discovered
that backyard birding is good for your health by relaxing you and lowering blood pressure.
If you are like me, backyard birding is a passion. Yes, I love birds. I enjoy the sights and sounds. They bring my yard to life. Birds are entertaining, educational, and good for the environments surrounding us.

I’ve been feeding and caring for backyard birds for more then 40 years. I’ve learned a few things along the way and write about and share backyard birding tips. Here are some
easy and practical tips to assist you in enjoying your birds more.

If I could have but one feeder, I would choose a well built Hopper feeder. A feeder that is practical and functional. It must be easy to clean and fill with plenty of drainage holes. My feeder must be large enough to encourage and attract the birds I want. Hoppers allow a greater variety of birds to feed.

My one choice of food would be black oil sunflower seed. Oilers are preferred by the largest variety of birds (even some nuisance birds). Oilers have an oil content up to 49% making them a high source of protein and energy for my feathered friends. A HUGE BONUS about sunflower seeds…………… European starlings can’t crack and eat them. That’s correct, starlings don’t have the ability to crack a sunflower seed and leave my feeder alone.

To prevent seeds from growing everywhere and to minimize the ever present chipmunk
surprise from popping up here and there I will microwave my birdseed about a minute per pound. Steam cooked so the value remains. Another option is to place window screening under my feeders to minimize the mess. I can pick it up and shake it off at my leisure with no shell pile or germinating seeds.

Clean fresh water is a must and will attract birds faster then setting the table for them.
Water sources can be a pond, bird creek, drippers, misters and of course the birdbath.
Baths should be no deeper then 2′ and have a course surface to assist in sure footing.
Shiny glazes are slippery and all to often, an unsuspecting fledgling will slip and drown.

All of those fancy designs on the bottom of some birdbaths are magnets for dirt and algae.
Yes, all the crud finds its way to the cracks and in between stones etc. Now your job becomes a bit more difficult to keep it clean and all to often we will ignore the through scrub down.

Water and food sources need to be in the open without under growth yet within 10 to 15 feet of protection.

What is backyard birding without protection and habitat? I could have the best food and best water sources however, without protection and habitats few birds will show and my kind deeds will be ignored.

By planting for birds and wildlife I encourage avian life into my world. Birds now hang around and nest in my habitats. My little world is filled with color and music everyday of the year
I relax more. I am entertained and educated at the same time. Life is good!

Ronald Patterson has a passion for wildbirds. He’s been feeding and caring for birds for more then 40 years. Ron is a ‘Wildlife Habitat Naturalist’ and ‘Michigan Certified Nurseryman.’ He also lectures and writes about birds and other wildlife.
His expertise and knowledge on birds, habitats, and plants makes him the ideal person to help you learn to garden for birds.
Ron Patterson’s writes a weekly newslettere called ‘Backyard Birding Tips.’ You can sign up today and have Ron give you friendly and often humorous advise on Attractting, feeding and caring for wildlife.
Go to:
http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Sign up for Ron Patterson’s newsletter today and start learning from one of America’s backyard birding experts.

http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Brie appetizers are not only mouthwatering, but they are so versatile. It’s amazing
what you can do with a Brie cheese. How did “real” Brie cheese come about in the
first place? Well, according to cheese experts, producing Brie cheese started in the
French province called, not surprisingly, Brie – a town 60 miles from Paris!

The oldest recorded evidence of its existence was found in the chronicles of
Charlemagne. The Emperor at the time, tasted the cheese in the city of Brie around
the year 774 BC. And here’s another interesting tidbit about Brie cheese… Louis
XVI’s last and dying wish was supposedly to have a final taste of Brie.

It is sometimes called Brie de Meaux and is considered one of the most popular of
the 400+ cheeses from France. Brie de Meaux’s popularity can be attributed to a
competition that took place around 1814. During a Vienna Congress, an argument
broke out regarding which country made the best and finest cheese.

As a result, a Frenchman by the name of Talleyrand, suggested a competition
between the different countries and their national cheeses, as he was convinced that
France would win. And of course, they did! Brie de Meaux was the winner and
became known as the “King of Cheeses” and as you can imagine, instantly became
an overnight success that swept Europe and has retained that distinction ever since.

As a matter of fact, Brie Cheese from France won a gold medal from the Brie
National Contest in both 2000 and 2001.

What makes it so darn good? Brie is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk and has
an appealing combination of flavors including hazelnut, fruit and herbs. And it takes
approximately 6.6 gallons of milk to make one round of brie cheese!

The process of making it consists of heating the milk to no more than 37 degrees C
– but only during the renneting stage. Therefore, the cheese is never cooked. After
being put into a mold with a special, perforated shovel called “pelle à Brie”, it is
salted with a dry salt. This salting process is used to balance the sweetness that
occurs because of the high quality of milk used.

Maturation takes place in a cool cellar. The cheese develops a white mold around it
and the creamy part turns to a light straw color. The whole process takes at least 4
weeks and sometimes more.

In France, there are only 5 or 6 real Brie de Meaux producers left. Apparently it’s an
economically-challenged industry to get into. Brie has a very fragile curd that is
easily broken and requires a special room built only for the use of making Brie and
Triple Crème. It has to maintain just the right temperature or the maturation
process will not work. This, in itself, makes Brie hard to make and evidently requires
quite an investment. Therefore, farmers are not as inclined to invest their time and
money on such a delicate, not always reliable process.

To serve Brie cheese properly, it’s best to allow it to come to room temperature.
Some good suggestions of wine to serve with any kind of Brie appetizer is a red
Côte-du-Rhône, a red Bordeaux or Burgundy and it always goes well with a good
quality Champagne.

In the United States, we don’t sell “real Brie” because of the pasteurization laws that
have been installed in this country. US FDA regulations say that you can only make
cheese with our pasteurized milk. Our “Brie” is not true Brie, but it’s as close as we
can get to make it taste like Brie de Meaux from France. If you were to put true
French Brie next to Brie made in the United States, the difference would be highly
noticeable. You would get hooked on the French Brie and have to make yearly trips
to France to feed your new craving!

In lieu of going to France, try this savory Brie appetizer. You’ll be glad you did!

Amaretto Brie Appetizer
There’s nothing like serving this yummy Amaretto Brie appetizer. Especially when
you watch everyone diving into it without leaving a trace behind. Your friends and
guests will beg you for this recipe. It’s simple to make and the creamy almond flavor
is fantastic with a baguette or gourmet-type crackers.

What you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 oz. of amaretto liqueur
- 1 round of Brie cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (chopped walnuts will work also)
- Toast points, sliced apples, baguette or crackers

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then melt the butter and add the brown
sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Stir until heated through and consistency is smooth and
thick.

Remove the pan from the heat and add cinnamon, nutmeg and the Amaretto. Mix
ingredients well.

Next, place the Brie round (remove Brie from packaging) in an oven-safe dish. Take
the sauce you just created and pour over the Brie. Then, top the sauce with the
sliced almonds.

All you need to do is bake it for 10 or 15 minutes until the cheese is soft. You could
also microwave it if you are in a big hurry. But only put it in the microwave for 30
second intervals until it is soft and warm. If you microwave it for too long you will
end up with Amaretto Brie appetizer soup, and that is not what we want here!

You can serve the melted Brie on a pretty plate surrounded by apple slices, sliced
baguette and crackers. It will fast disappear!

If you are interested in other Brie appetizers and other easy to make appetizer
recipes, please visit Easy Appetizer Recipes found at the URL below where
you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the variety of choices.

Important: Feel free to republish this article on your website. However,
you are not allowed to modify any part of its content and all links should be kept
active.

Sara Gray is an avid lover of appetizers and has created a great website called Easy Appetizer Recipes where
you can find delicious ideas for all kinds of appetizers, raclette grilling, tapas small
plates, snacks, chips and dip ideas and soup appetizers.

It’s probably no accident that menopause often coincides with children leaving home – maybe that’s why they leave. It isn’t really high school graduation or going off to college; it’s the crazy woman in the kitchen with the bulging neck veins!

But after her kids leave to begin their own lives, and after the hot flashes begin to cool to an occasional smolder, what is this woman up to? Is she knitting booties while wrapped in a shawl watching soaps? Making a recipe box of her son’s favorite recipes to give her future (no doubt extremely grateful) daughter-in-law? Making a quilt made from all her kid’s old pajamas? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) But things are different today for a lot of post-menopausal women. She’s not just a grandma anymore!

It would be an understatement to say that women in the post-menopausal stage today are not the same as when your grandmother, or even your mother, went through it. One such woman remarked recently, “My grandmother never even learned how to drive. All she ever wanted was to be a mother and grandmother and she was great at it! But I wanted, no I needed, something more.”

We have an entire generation of the most educated, highest achieving, vibrant, thinking women in history hitting menopause and beyond right now. The Boomers have reached grandparenthood! And, like everything else they have done, they will put their all into it, make it successful, help society, and we’ll look back and think, “Change is good!”

The New Grandmas are changing everything. They don’t dress or act like grandmas. As observed by writer Jean Kerr, “When the grandmothers of today hear the word ‘Chippendales,’ they don’t necessary think of chairs.” And it’s not just celebrities like Goldie Hawn and Tina Turner who exemplify these changes. It’s the irritatingly rock-solid gray-haired yoga instructor who can out-do women half her age in the class. It’s the sleek woman you see doing laps in the health club pool with the shoulders of Amanda Beards. It’s the laughing women on horseback at an all woman Trail Ride. It’s the dynamo who hands you a paint roller when you show up to volunteer for Habitat. They’re everywhere, they’re fit, and they’re in charge.

They are also very aware of their sexuality and have no desire to lose it. While a low libido during menopause was accepted as a sign that the woman’s sex life was drawing to a close, boomer women are challenging that notion. Linda Ryan, founder of www.womeninmenopause.com has built a thriving business by providing menopausal women with innovative sexual health products.

During this time of life, many women describe a newfound zest. Where does this zest come from? Most women respond that it’s a new sense of freedom. For some, that means being free from kids, periods, PMS and contraception (hallelujah!). For others, it’s being free from trying so darn hard to be the perfect wife, mother, or boss, and accepting yourself as you are (imagine that!). And many women simply feel that time’s a-wasting, so they better do all the things they’ve dreamed of doing in their lives! There’s a profound freedom these women feel. One such woman, a retired nurse, described this time as “an odd mix of feeling like on the one hand, I’ve got nothing to lose, but on the other hand, everything’s at stake! It makes me feel really alive!” Some even describe post-menopausal zest as giving birth, but instead of to a baby, they’re giving birth to themselves, their creativity, and their talents.

Researchers describe this stage in differing ways, but with similar sentiment. Lydia Bronte, a leader in humanistic gerontology, identified the ages of 50 – 75 as a second middle age, the first one occurring between 35 and 50. Gail Sheehy, in her book, New Passages, calls the ages from 30 – 45 your first adulthood, and the ages of 45 - 85+ your second adulthood. In our world today, you can certainly see women reinventing themselves during this second stage, and they do it by defining what really matters to them, and aligning their pursuits to those values. Sheehy refers to it as the “age of integrity.”

We used to refer to middle age as the peak time of productivity, but that’s not as true as it once was. With middle age lasting longer, and people over 50 starting a new middle age, a person’s productivity over a lifetime is greatly increased. Researchers see multiple careers as a natural phenomenon resulting from people living longer, and having diverse interests and education.

There are struggles along the way, however. Any time you court change, you will find your old patterns and habits brought to the foreground for questioning. Some will end up being put away for life, others may be allowed out on parole. It’s part of the alchemy of aging. Burning up the old, to transform into the new!

If you would like the FREE ebook from which this article is taken, send an email to:
paulaannestark@yahoo.com with “free ebook” in the subject line.

Paula Anne Stark is a free lance writer who specializes in women’s health issue.
http://www.myscentuelle.com

You can talk to any person in America and they will tell you that the United States Congress needs to be cleaned up. Not a single person I have talk to has disagreed with that statement and I have traveled to every single city in the United States all over 10,000 people in population in the last four years. I have not talked to one single person; rich or poor, black or white, atheist or Christian who denies that we need to clean up Congress.

Well, having run a pressure washing business and having learned a little bit about cleaning things up it seems to me that the answer is simple we must pressure wash all the congressman and all the congresswomen and all of their facilities and offices. We must do this with high-pressure hot water at no less than 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The sooner we pressure wash Congress the better off the American people will be and the sooner we can get back to a government, which is for the people and by the people and abides by the Constitution of United States of America. Now some people might find this funny and rather hilarious.

But I am completely serious and we must pressure wash Congress as soon as possible to protect the American people from the government that is getting so large it almost doesn’t need the people anymore. Indeed this is a scary thought.

A government, which is owned by the people and for the people and which no longer needs the people. If we do not pressure wash Congress who is to say they will not soon pressure watch us, as we are no longer needed? Consider all this in 2006.

‘Lance Winslow’ - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Is it possible for a mobile oil change business to do ten vehicles per day just starting out? Many people going into the Oil Change Business, as independent small businesses base their business plan and risk their capital on the assumption that they can do ten vehicles a day at a pure profit of $15.00 to $18.00 per service or vehicle.

Many people believe that they can indeed do 10 vehicles per day, yet they must also consider that, during this time they will need to be getting their efficient routine down, constantly searching for new business and worrying about making sure they have the proper inventory of air, oil and gas filters on board. Additionally they will be driving around a lot and at $3.00 per gallon there is more cost to consider. One new entrant to the market place stated:

“If I could change 10 vehicles a day at a$15.00 profit x 4 days I would double my current salary at wall mart.”

Indeed, you might be able to although I find that most people just starting out have a tough time at 10 per day and usually end up doing a lot less average when starting out. Remember the intervals are 3-5 months for most folks so your customers will not be using your service very often. Although if you could continually sign up small fleets, like the local sheriff department, Air-Conditioning Companies, Companies or even City Hall you could be well on your way to get to your goal.

By mixing 20-30% residential with 70% to 80% fleets it could be done, with proper sales and marketing, if you stayed efficient on your routes and were able to cut costs by good buying of supplies at lower costs. You could make it work, but realize that 10-per day is not easy to do consistently when you start, you should know that up front. Think on this in 2006.

‘Lance Winslow’ - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

The purpose of any school library is to promote reading and improve reading and research skills. Educators have long agreed that good libraries are essential to academic success, since students must be able to read by third grade in order to learn other subjects, such as history and science.

A study by Donna Baumbach, professor and director of the Instructional Technology Resource Center at the University of Central Florida, has found there is a direct link between professionally-staffed libraries and the number of Florida schools students reading at grade level or above.

The year long study analyzed more than 1,700 Florida schools libraries and found that well-stocked libraries had a direct correlation to better students FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) scores. The elementary schools had increased FCAT reading scores of nine percent. The middle schools improved by three percent, and the high schools by 22 percent. The study also showed that FCAT scores were even higher at Florida schools with certified media specialists running the libraries.

The study found two aspects to a good library — (1) A well-stocked library with current selections, and (2) a certified media specialist in charge.

Need for Newer Books

A few years ago, the Orlando Sentinel did a story on the shape of Florida schools libraries. Their findings were gloomy at best. They found that most Florida schools libraries were full of antiquated collections of books and run by untrained clerks. The publicity gave the libraries a tremendous boost in unexpected funding. Generally, half of a school library’s annual budget comes from book fairs, parent organizations, candy sales and profits from school supply sales.

Though state funding of Florida schools libraries remained at its previous $15 million, the Sentinel story encouraged Florida community groups, businesses, charities and churches to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars for library improvement across the state.

Yet, the Florida schools libraries still have fewer books per student than the national average. The state buys more books than the national average, but the Florida schools are not keeping up with the influx of new students each year.

The counties of Orange, Lake, Volusia and Polk have one out-of-five books published before 1980. Osceola County had the best book collection with 11 percent published since the year 2000.

Baumbach’s study indicates a desperate need for fresh library resources for the Florida schools.

Need for More Certified Media Specialists

The second half of the equation is the need for more certified media specialists. The study showed that Florida schools libraries with these professionals had more books per student and more subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals. They had more students using the libraries, a greater circulation of books, and more computers per student.

Certified media specialists bring to their positions knowledge and experience that Florida schools libraries with part-time help, teachers and clerks cannot provide. These specialists can actually supplement library funding by applying for grants. They take the books to the students by rotating books among classrooms, rather then leaving them sit on the shelves. They create reading incentive programs and provide multimedia instruction. They can even work with teachers to assess student test scores and determine areas of reading where some students may need further assistance.

The counties of Seminole and Volusia, however, have decreased these professionals over the past few years. The counties of Osceola, Polk, Brevard, Lake and Orange have shown an increase.

Florida schools are making improvements to their libraries, but not all Florida schools are equal. If you are determining which school is right for your child, be sure to take a look at the school library before making your final decision.

This information on Florida schools is brought to you by www.schoolsk-12.com

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more on Florida schools visit Florida Schools

There are numerous reasons why people decide to take out a personal loan. Some of these reasons include paying off credit cards, funding home improvement projects and going on vacation. Since time may be of the essence in any of these situations, the quickest way to secure funds is online, where an easy personal loan is available.

Using the World Wide Web to secure an easy personal loan has many advantages; you don’t have to leave the house, you don’t have to make countless phone calls and all the information you need is just a click away. Obtaining an online personal loan will afford you the opportunity to check out and compare different loan companies, as well as their rates.

By utilizing any major search engine, you can search for an easy personal loan and be presented with a vast amount of different choices. There are companies that specialize in easy, personal loans, brick and mortar banking institutions that offer online personal loans and financial institutions that can tailor an easy personal loan to fit your exact needs.

Obtaining an online, easy personal loan is much like obtaining one from your local bank. You still must fill out the application, then the application goes through the review process and then, if you qualify, all of the loan agreement forms must be signed and dated. It is much more convenient to encounter this process online, rather than at a bank where you must wait in line, and much of your precious time is sure to be wasted.

If your credit is less than perfect, don’t despair. There are virtually thousands of companies willing to grant you an easy personal lean to help rebuild your credit, and raise your credit score.

If you are in need of an easy personal loan, there is no better, quicker or convenient way to get one than by utilizing the World Wide Web. The Internet has opened up a whole new market where easy personal loans are concerned. No more waiting time on the phone or waiting in those endless lines! Instead, you can shop for, and secure an easy personal loan right from the comfort of your own home or office.

Connie Barker is the owner of several financial websites including Easy Personal Loans.

In the future virtual reality may be so real that it will be indistinguishable from actual real-life. In fact as you are immersed in the virtual reality dream, your mind will be tricked into believing that you are actually in the real world scenario and that you really live in the time period and setting that the virtual reality dream has set up.

Imagine living in a past period in a virtual reality dream that you chose very similarly to pressing the buttons on a jukebox. Insert your credit card, put on a special hat on and a hood would come over you like a simulator in aviation. Your brain would be tricked into believing you are actually there and all of your senses would be engaged and immersed fully in the virtual reality dream.

Perhaps you would go to a Shakespeare play and sit in the peanut gallery and watch. You would believe that you were actually there and your memory would be blocked as to who you really are. I believe that this is the future of virtual reality and it may be so powerful with such strong visions that people will actually enjoy it to the point that it becomes a drug and or an addiction to life itself. As those people who wish to escape their present day life and stress will thoroughly enjoy it, even more than real-life. Consider all this in 2006.

‘Lance Winslow’ - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington