Buying the engagement ring

The most widespread of engagement traditions is the groom presenting his bride to be with a ring. Most frequently, the engagement ring is a diamond ring. Even though diamonds are the most desired by brides to be, diamonds are not the only precious stones used in engagement rings. If your choice of engagement ring is a diamond ring, be prepared to spend. The diamond jewelry retail market is a $30 billion market. Over $5 billion is spent on engagement ring in the U. S. market. To the untrained eye, most diamonds look very similar. Most people differentiate between diamonds based on size, shape, and price. A lower price usually means lower diamond quality, not necessarily a bargain. Judging diamond quality requires skill and experience, and it involves grading a ring based on a combination of characteristics such as cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The above characteristics are called the "4 Cs". A diamond's weight is measured in carats, equivalent to one fifth of a gram. Usually diamonds range from 0.25 up to several carats. Weight is only one way of valuing a diamond, color is another. Colorless diamonds are the most rare and they are the most valuable. Colored diamonds with a hint of yellow are more common and less expensive. Diamond colors are coded from D to Z. A D grade is the most valuable and Z is least valuable. Diamonds graded D-F are considered colorless and they are the most valuable. Many reputable jewelry stores do not sell K thru Z grade diamonds. The most valuable color grades: D: Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade, which is extremely rare. E: Colorless. Only minute traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond. F: Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a "colorless" grade. A high-quality diamond. Another essential factor determining the price of a diamond is its cut. Just like color, cut, is equally difficult to judge for the untrained eye. The grading certificate that typically comes with the diamond will give you a good idea. Independent testing laboratories, such the GIA, provide certificates with a diamond's grading from excellent to poor. A certified diamond also means a bigger price tag. The clarity of a diamond simply refers to its purity. Most diamonds have minuscule markings called "inclusions". A flawless (no inclusions) diamond is very rare and valuable, while a diamond riddled with inclusions is less expensive. Clarity is ranked from "flawless" (FL) to "imperfect" (I1 to I2). Most diamonds fall between those with very, very small inclusions (VVS1) to rocks with slightly larger inclusions (S1). If you are willing to compromise on clarity, you can expect to save. To verify a diamond's clarity, examine the laboratory certificate. If you're on a tight budget, try to stay away from the big name jewelry stores. Brand name usually comes with a larger price tag. Buying wholesale may be an option. Normally the wholesaler's core business is selling diamonds to retailers, but they also sell to the public. Because they do not advertise in the traditional methods, nor are they located in shopping malls, you have to seek them out. You will find some wholesalers listed as diamond merchants in the Yellow Pages.

Robert leroy johnson..the king of the delta blues lives on

Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth Century is now one of the most revered and respected of all Musicians who make up the Genre of the “Blues “. I speak of course about the wonderful Robert Leroy Johnson. Born in 1911 in Hazelhurst Mississippi, in a Deep South plantation, he, in his pitifully short life has become one of the founding Fathers of the Blues. He recorded only 36 sides over a period of a couple of months between November 1936 and June 1937 in San Antonio Texas. These remarkable recordings still bring tears to the eyes of Blues aficionados the world over and shaped the face of the music of today. The post-war Blues of Chicago owe a great debt to Robert Johnson and it is sad to think what might have been had he lived! In just a few short years he matured from a young black guitarist into a superstar of his day. The often repeated legend was perpetuated by his contemporaries that he sold his soul to the Devil in return for his amazing guitar techniques. His story is one of hardship tinged with great success in his own locality of the Delta and women were said to be rendered helpless as he sang his compositions. His death at the hand of a jealous husband at the age of twenty seven robbed the world of one of Americas finest ever Musicians and Blues artists. Years after his death in 1938, a photograph was unearthed, one of only two in existence. It shows not only his inimitable style of dress but quite remarkable slender fingers which helped him to achieve his unique mastery of the bottleneck guitar technique. He is pictured in a chalk–stripe suit which would have been somewhat overstated for a man in his position at that time. When I first saw that photograph the one thing above all else, that stood out were his beautiful long fingers that enveloped the guitar fingerboard and obviously caressed it as though it was a Woman helpless in his arms! What about his subject matter… well nothing much has changed in the passing of time; the age old, painful process of unrequited love; of restless yearnings to move on down the line to pastures new; to unfaithful liaisons; and of course much sexual innuendo . Robert Johnson’s skill as a poet of the time and place is absolutely unsurpassed in my estimation! For sure he borrowed words, phrases, and guitar licks from his peers, but moulded them into something quite unique that not only stands the test of time but has a relevance to today’s Rock music. There cannot be any Blues Band on this Planet that has not been influenced by Johnson and his music and this is a testament to the greatness of the man! The list of recordings of Johnson’s songs by modern artists is endless and forms the backbone of the resurgence of the Blues in the early sixties in Britain and continues to this day! Most of the long lasting Bands of the R, n,B revolution of 62, 63, and on into the seventies have recorded several of Roberts songs. Notable amongst these would be The Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Elmore James, and many more. Johnson’s songs transcribed particularly well to the new Electric guitar line-ups of the fifties and on into the sixties. Probably one of the most popular of his songs, which I can’t imagine anyone not having heard in a modern format, is of course Crossroad Blues. This song was recorded live at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 1968 by the great Eric Clapton and his two buddies, Jack Bruce on bass and stickman, Ginger Baker. This song also featured in Cream’s farewell concert at the Albert Hall in London in 1969. I doubt whether Johnson envisaged this treatment of his song when he wrote it or that his poetry would one day be the cornerstone of the Blues Revival of the Sixties. It is a poignant end to his story that the great impresario John Hammond, who later went onto sign – up a young Bob Dylan in 1962, was just too late when he searched for Robert to appear in the momentous concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Robert Johnson was dead but his spirit and his music will live on for ever in the hearts and minds of the lovers of the music we call THE BLUES . © Robin Piggott 2004 Key to the Highway Publications.

How to choose the right website for you

Choosing what you want your website to be isn't always as obvious as it might seem. There are so many options available to you that it really pays to take time out to think about this question before jumping in. Ask yourself what you are actually aiming for in having an online presence? Do you want a personal website, an online shop, a blog or diary style presence? Or do you want to run a forum related to your product or interest, perhaps an ezine with a back-issue website or if you are an artist, photographer or craftworker, maybe an online gallery would best promote you? To help you decide, try asking yourself these questions. Do you want to sell physical goods? Items that have to be delivered by post, such as books, toys, clothes, electrical goods etc are ideal for an ecommerce website. There are many options open to you whereby you can catalogue your items by entering them into a database. This sounds more complicated than it actually is. Most shop building software has a simple interface whereby you can enter items in obvious categories, add prices, sizes etc and postage costs. The add to basket buttons are generated for you for each item. There's a huge number of companies offering you shop solutions for your website but they don't all have the same facilities. As ever, it pays to research and find one that does everything you want it to. Most companies will offer you a free trial and I recommend that you select a company that does. You can choose to buy shopbuilding software to install on your computer, the benefit being that this is a one-off purchase and no recurring monthly payments, apart from your web hosting. Alternatively you can go for the hosted shop option. There are an enormous number of companies offering this. Advantages are that your hosting and website are integral. Everything is done online so you can even update your shop from any computer wherever you may be. These options are usually very simple to use and have good help menus. Do You want to sell downloadable goods, eg. software, music, ebooks? Downloadable products are very hot selling items on the internet. The reason is obvious and it benefits everyone involved. The buyer receives his/ her purchase immediately payment has cleared and the seller has no stock to buy, keep or deliver. Some product examples are music, images, software, templates and ebooks. Ebooks are one of the most popular downloadable products. They are very easy to produce and most people have the ability to read them from their computer screen or even print them out. "How to" books are the most popular by far as they provide answers, solutions and ideas. The internet is used by many as a research tool and people are actively looking for information and solutions to problems. If you can provide these on a popular enough niche topic, your ebook is likely to be in demand. There are several websites which offer you the facility to sell downloadable products, such as Clickbank and Payloadz. A quick google search will give you more options to explore to find the most suitable for your particular needs. Are you an artist or photographer or craftworker? Firstly, ask yourself what your purpose of having an online presence will be. For example, are you looking to have a classy online portfolio or do you want to set up an ecommerce shop where you promote the sale of your original work and prints? Can you design websites or do you have the financial means to ask someone to build one for you? Do you have sufficient I. T. skills to join one of the many online galleries that allow you to upload your work to your own gallery area on their website? Do you like the idea of being part of a larger online gallery but need someone to do all the techy things for you? There are an enormous number of online galleries now but knowing what you want to achieve will help you narrow your search significantly. Do you have a bricks and mortar shop? If your business is in the real world, think about what it is you require your website to do in order to promote or give added value to your business. Do you wish it to be simply an online information post so that people can find more about what you offer or find their way to your premises? If so, you may if that your local government will offer you a free web page or mini website on their main council site. If you want something more individual, then a simple site built with Frontpage or a webuilder is probably your best option. If money is no object, then you can hire a webdesigner and achieve something more sophisticated. Or perhaps you wish to add something extra to your business such as an online, out of hours, ordering system with home delivery. Again, unless you can pay for your site to be custom built, one of the easy web-shop builders is probably your best option. Here are some excellent ones for you to review. Do you want to sell or promote a service? For example, are you a webdesigner, childminder, photographer, plumber, tutor, dogwalker, typist, financial adviser, mobile hairdresser, decorator, gardener, acupuncturist or beautician? The list is endless. If you offer a service whether online or off you will want to reflect your professionalism in a well designed and easy to navigate website. If you are able to afford to have your website designed for you to your own specifications, then this can be a good choice as it frees up your time to get on with actually providing the service you are involved in. This is in option which many cannot afford. An alternative would be to build the website yourself. The advantages to this can really repay the time you put in. To start with, you can update your site whenever you wish, so keeping the content fresh and relevant. Software to help you do this is easily obtained. Dreamweaver and Frontpage are amongst the most popular. I find that the latter is an excellent choice for someone new to web design as it is so intuitive and easy to learn. Having built your site yourself, the only ongoing costs are the time you decide to spend on it plus your webhosting and there are some excellent deals to be had these days. If you feel uncomfortable with building sites, don't despair. There are some fabulous online website builders on offer these days. with this option, your website and hosting are all inclusive. Typically, you will be given a login area where you can select the template, ie. look and feel of your website and add images and information in a very simple step by step way. There is considerable competition amongst web hosts offering this option and for you, the consumer, this means that more added value is being tagged onto these packages all the time. Do you want to build a community website? Websites reflecting the interests of a community or group membership don't need to be sophisticated but it is an excellent idea to have one that is interactive. Being able to post questions and opinions, vote on a member poll or even post photographs will encourage members to participate more fully and can lead to new ideas and renewed enthusiasm within the group. An ideal solution might be a one page website linked to a forum. Some web hosts will offer free websites and hosting for not-for-profit groups and this is well worth looking into. Another idea is to have a community Blog. Again, these are something that permit group participation in posting plus are easy to set up and manage and many are free. Good luck with your endeavours whatever your aims! The internet is a great place to have your own voice.

Finding the best debt consolidation loan rate and common consumer mistakes

As you go about looking for a debt consolidation loan, you need to be aware of some common mistakes that oftentimes occur when it comes to looking for a debt consolidation loan and the best possible debt consolidation loan rate. In this article, you will be presented with an explanation of common mistakes that are associated with seeking a debt consolidation loan and the best debt consolidation loan rate. At the outset, one common mistake that people make when looking for the best debt consolidation loan rate is that they fail to make certain that their credit reports are in good order. You need to bear in mind the importance of making certain that your credit report does not contain inaccurate or incorrect information. The majority of credit reports today do obtain inaccurate or incorrect information. By making certain that your credit report is in order, you will be ensuring a higher credit score. A higher credit score will give you the chance to get a better debt consolidation loan rate when you do apply for a debt consolidation loan. Another of the common mistakes that people make when looking for a debt consolidation loan is failing to look around for the best debt consolidation loan rate. By shopping around and looking at different debt consolidation loan lenders, you will have the ability to get the best possible debt consolidation loan rate available on the market today. You need to know that there can be significant variations in the debt consolidation loan interest rates charged from one lender to another. By making the common mistake of failing to shop around for the best deal on debt consolidation loan rate, many people fail to connect with a lender that will be able to provide the very best possible deal when it does come to a debt consolidation loan rate. Another of the common mistakes that people make when looking for a debt consolidation loan rate is failing to take into account all of the fees and charges beyond interest that are associated with a particular debt consolidation loan. You need to consider all of costs, fees and charges associated with a debt consolidation loan. You need to read the small or the fine print. You need to make certain that you do fully understand all of your rights and obligations of a particular debt consolidation loan and debt consolidation loan rate.

Luggage warranty woes

You've just purchased new luggage for your vacation. It came with a warranty. What exactly does that mean? Do warranties vary from state to state? Does the place of purchase have any effect on the warranty? Will they do the warranty repairs? It is, of course, important to read the warranty. They differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and have different meanings for different products. Save your receipt and product tags along with your proof of purchase. Many people find it helpful to save the carton also, in case the luggage has to be sent to a repair facility or back to the manufacturer for repair. Most of the warranties do not cover ordinary wear and tear or damage by a common carrier such as the airlines or cruise ships. Many also have disclaimers against abuse or mishandling. Additionally, all external parts are vulnerable to damage on any luggage. Leather, moving parts and wheels for example will show wear with ordinary use and may need to be refurbished or replaced. This will not always be covered by the warranty. Many airlines and cruise lines also have disclaimers against claims for external parts. They may not pay for wheels or handles that need to be repaired or replaced. There are very generous warranties attached to some premium brands of luggage. Mosaic Travel Gear has a "peace of mind warranty." They offer free repair or replacement for the first three years of purchase, no matter what the damage is or who has caused the problem. Thereafter, a limited lifetime warranty will cover all manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product. Briggs and Riley luggage is another brand with a generous no-holds-barred warranty. If their luggage is ever damaged they will fix it free of charge. You are not required to make an insurance claim or a claim against the common carrier such as the airline or cruise line. The luggage has to be returned to them for the repair. Tumi luggage has a different warranty on the zipper, fabric and bindings. This is warranted for five years. All other components are warranted for the life of the bag as long as it is with the original owner. They do, however, charge a processing fee which covers costs and return shipping. This fee is waived during the first year of purchase. Some warranty repairs are done at the place of purchase, while others must be sent back to the company. Always ask before making your purchase. Claims to a common carrier such as an airline generally have to be made within 24 hours. It's usually a good idea to look over your luggage when you receive it to be sure there is no damage. Most of the popular brands of luggage are made to withstand the rigors of travel. Just be sure to factor in the written warranty when making your purchase. Now you can start packing!

What is a youth fundraiser

When having a youth fundraiser, you need to keep the word youth in mind. Try to make it fun for them, as they will be doing most of the work. A youth fundraiser can be very profitable if done properly. You can get the funds you are looking for and provide fun for the kids that are doing it. If you can find someone to donate the space, then a carnival would be a wonderful youth fundraiser to have. A fundraising auction would also be a big hit. Both fundraisers would cost very little to get together, although you will need a lot of hands on help from the kids and the parents. You will have to organize carefully for either one of these fundraisers to go off smoothly and successfully. Make sure each person knows what is expected of him/her and what needs to be done. Then you’re on your way to lots of fun and big profits with your fundraiser for youth. A youth fundraiser carnival can be put together without much cost. You could have a fortune teller which would only take a glass ball, a table, and someone sitting there in a long dress and a scarf tied around the head. Have a ring toss table, where people can try to toss a ring around empty bottles and have small prizes for the ones that are successful. The youth will really get involved with this type of fundraiser as they enjoy acting and playing the games. Get large cardboard boxes and tape them together for a house of fun for the little ones or have a dartboard with safety tipped darts. Try a fish tank with magnetic fish in the tank and have a fishing contest, borrow a outdoor play set or a few of them and have this as rides for the kids, sell hot dogs hamburgers and drinks at your youth fundraiser these will surely be a hit with everyone. Fundraising auctions are also a neat way to have a youth fundraiser. Have the kids go through the community and collect items that people don’t need anymore. Get the youth themselves to donate any games or items that they don’t need. When you accumulate enough items you can start your fundraising auction. Set your items up in a large area and have a set time for viewing. Once the prospective buyers have seen all you have to offer, you can start your bidding. At a youth fundraising auction it is best to have a set price to start with and anything that is bought above this price is like icing on the cake. It will make it more than profitable for the amount of donations you need. These are not the only choices you have for a youth fundraiser. Have a brainstorming session and you will be surprised at the ideas the youths will come up with. Youth fundraisers can be a lot of fun.

Something to talk about how to reach brand advocates

Opinions Wanted Word-of-mouth advertising is still one of the most effective tools a marketer can wield — consumers trust other consumers’ opinions when it comes to choosing products. For Internet marketers, the online equivalent of word-of-mouth advertising is social media and brand advocacy. Seventy-six percent of online shoppers rely on feedback from other buyers when making product purchases. For products across the spectrum — from laundry detergents to breakfast cereals — Internet users are leveraging social media to connect with other users, who ultimately affect their buying decisions. Who Brand Advocates Are and Why They Matter A recent study by Yahoo revealed that of these shoppers, a certain set — sometimes labeled “brand advocates” — tends to be very influential in shaping social trends and buying habits. “Brand advocates are a group that has always existed,” explains Edwin Wong, senior manager of market research for SearchMarketing. Yahoo. “But web 2.0 tools are giving them more of a voice and extending their circles of influence.” This small segment of the population feels that good brands are worth talking about, and goes out of their way to recommend them. Even though these brand advocates comprise a small portion of your buyers, they’re an important portion because they carry a disproportionate influence among other consumers, and have an impact on your overall brand. This kind of virtual word-of-mouth advocacy is extremely effective, with brand advocates showing a two-to-one conversion rate. Once this group is convinced of your product’s worth, they have the passion and personality to make them your most effective sales force. Connecting Point: Hot Topics To connect with your niche market’s most vocal and influential buyers, you need to find out what their flash points are, and positioning your brand accordingly. Your goal is to take your traditional product, and make it about something that means more. For instance, if you vend nutrition bars, you might market them around ideals like lifestyle, health, and weight loss, which mean a great deal more to end users than just another snack. By connecting with online groups that focus on health and dieting, you’re reaching out to your target audience. Look at your niche market’s hot topics, and adjust your marketing message to speak to those issues. Connecting Point: Portal Sites Of all Internet shoppers, brand advocates tend to do the most online research and examine the widest range of options before choosing a product or brand. During this research process, you have an excellent opportunity to engage them, by providing the most in-depth, persuasive and illustrative information possible and putting it out on as many portals as possible. Portal sites provide social media outlets for users to share their opinions and passions; they also provide marketers a very neutral ground to tell consumers why their products are superior: • There are tens of thousands of enthusiast groups looking for like-minded people who love their brands, and tens of thousands of reviews available on nearly any product. • Blogs, online groups, product review sites and forums allow advocates to find brands and products they feel passionate about. Advises Wong, “These are very knowledgeable consumers, and you really want to engage them while they’re in their research process. You need to use every available means to connect with them, because these are the people that can move product for you and move the bottom line for your brand.”