April 30th, 2008
Cellular phones are different from your land-line home phone in that you’ll need to determine in advance how many minutes you’ll use in any given month. Deciding how many minutes you’ll need and making sure you don’t go over your allotted minutes is one of the trickiest parts of using a cellular phone.
The most common arrangement for cellular phones is a block minute plan. With a block minute plan, you’ll pay a flat fee to purchase as set number of minutes each month. The disadvantage of this plan is that if you purchase 200 minutes per month, you’ll be billed the same amount whether you actually talked for 199 minutes or 60 minutes.
Something that many new cellular phone users don’t realize is that you’ll also be charged to receive calls. If you’re worried about going over your allotted minutes, it’s best not to give out your phone number to any more people than absolutely necessary.
Like a prepaid calling card, all calls made on a block minute plan are rounded up to the nearest minute. If you call a friend and listen to a 30-second answering machine message, you’ll be billed for one full minute. You’ll also be charged for one full minute if there’s a busy signal or no answer, although some block minute plans will only bill you if you let the phone ring more than three times.
With a block minute plan, going over your allotted minutes can quickly get expensive. You’ll be charge a penalty rate for every additional minute you use. If you’re not careful, this can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars a month in unnecessary charges. The best defense is to buy more minutes than you think you’ll actually need and reduce your plan at a later date if necessary.
Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com. He provides cellular phone plans, service and free cellular phones on his website that you can research in your pajamas.
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April 30th, 2008
Planning to remodel, repair or build a new home? Looking for
some terrific features to include that can save you tons of time
in shortcuts, efficiencies and saved steps? We can help! We
started collecting over 1,000 uncommon, affordable convenience
built-ins in 1998, when we first began writing books and
consulting to help people have truly extraordinary — but
affordable — homes. Here are some of our favorite ideas that’ll
change your life via the time they save you. Add any of these to
your next project, and you’ll be on your way toward creating a
home that’s truly beyond the ordinary!
* A shallow closet or weatherproof cabinet at every outdoor hose
faucet, for storing a hose at an easy-to-reach height where it
will stay relatively clean, out of sight and out of the way. No
more risk of tripping over a hose left in a heap on the ground!
(And even recoiling and flat hoses can be awkward and dirty to
move from faucet to faucet, especially if they’re stored
outdoors.) This makes gardening a snap, as well as hosing down
the deck, patio or outdoor furniture, or washing windows. You’ll
also want flooring inside that prevents the unavoidable drips
from encouraging mold.
* A non-porous, nonskid, self-leveling garage floor coating, so
that soil and oil can easily be hosed away. (If you have a drain
in the floor and flooring that slopes toward it, use a similar
coating that’s not self-leveling.)
* A sewing machine permanently plugged in and set up on a desk
or inside a well-lit closet or alcove. Be sure there’s space
behind the machine for the fabric from large projects to
accumulate.
* Remote-controlled window shades, especially on hard-to-reach
windows or skylights. Choose among remote controls that can be
operated manually; via a timer or photocell; or through any
on-site or off-site computer, personal digital assistant or cell
phone. Besides being safer than attempting to reach
out-of-the-way shades by hand, easy-to-maneuver shades help
control light and heat in a room, minimize fading of a room’s or
closet’s contents, and the automatic or off-site controls can
make an empty house appear occupied.
* Dedicated space for wrapping gifts that’s near where you store
your wrapping supplies and tools. No more hauling stuff around!
* A doorbell intercom outside the door that can be answered from
every telephone in the house (also via your cell phone while
you’re out). No more dropping everything to run to answer the
door!
* Shallow shelves with only one row deep of canned or dry goods,
medicines, supplies, tools or equipment, for instant
identification of and access to whatever’s stored. These can
often be tucked into a space that’s otherwise unused.
* At least one full bathroom on every level of the house.
* A laundry chute from closets, cabinets or bathrooms to a
laundry room on a lower level. No more hauling dirty laundry
down stairs when gravity will do the job! And no more dropping
items on the way to the laundry room that you might trip over!
* A pot-filler faucet attached to a wall near your cooking
burners, that swivels into various positions as well as out of
the way. No more moving heavy pots of water from the sink to the
stove!
Like this article? Then you’ll love our books chock-full of
uncommon, affordable convenience built-ins that increase your
quality of life and your home’s resale value! We also offer a
free e-book at www.extraordinaryhomes.com: The 34 ExtraOrdinary
Home Principles: Over 70 Fabulous, Affordable, Innovative Ideas
That’ll Improve Your Life and WOW You!
Carol Abrahamson consults, writes and makes presentations about
more than 1,000 of these fabulous features that can improve your
life, add value to your home and make you the talk of the town.
She spent years researching them via thousands of sources just
so you can quickly and easily use them to create your
affordable, extraordinary Home of Your Dreams. Learn more about
her work via www.extraordinaryhomes.com or
carol@extraordinaryhomes.com.
© Copyright 2005 by Carol Abrahamson/ExtraOrdinary Homes. All
rights reserved.
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April 29th, 2008
Buying a house is in reach for those with poor credit histories. Even
with bad credit, you can secure a mortgage with reasonable rates and
terms. Before you assume you have a low credit score, check your credit
report. If you do have adverse credit, plan on getting the best rates
possible by following these three tips.
1. Up Your Down Payment
Besides your credit report, your down payment will greatly affect the
rates you qualify for. In some cases, it’s possible to qualify for
conventional rates with a large enough down payment.
If you have an especially low score due to a recent bankruptcy or
foreclosure in the last year, you may be required to put down 50% of the
home’s value. It is possible to get a mortgage with no cash down, but your
rates will be much higher.
2. Be Flexible With Your Terms
Your loan’s terms can also vary rates within a point or two. Adjustable
rate mortgages will start out about a point less than fixed rate
mortgages. This will also help you qualify for a larger mortgage. But you may
find your rates and payments increase in the future with an ARM.
The shorter your home loan, the lower your rates. You will also save
thousands in interest cost simply by having a shorter loan.
Some lenders have additional discounts for automatic payments. You also
have the option of buying down rates, which can be a real savings if
you keep your loan for several years.
3. Take Time To Compare Lending Offers
Taking the time to compare lending offers is the surest way to save
money on your mortgage. A difference as little as an eighth of a point
will save you thousands on interest. So just like you spend hours
searching for just the right house, so you should spend time researching
lenders.
With online financing companies, you can quickly gather information to
make your mortgage decision. Mortgage broker sites can get you multiple
loan estimates in minutes. You can also get loan quotes through
individual lender sites without hurting your credit score.
View our recommended lenders for
Bad Credit Mortgage loans.
Carrie Reeder owns ABC Loan Guide, an online resource with information about Mortgage Refinancing
Online and Home Equity Line
of Credit lenders.
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April 29th, 2008
There are four sources from which we can experience true divine contentment. Contentment, as defined in part one, is a plateau of the Christian life that every believer must reach in order to be fulfilled spiritually, mentally and emotionally. That being said, let’s look at these four sources of divine contentment in which are sure to provide ways to reach a state of fulfillment.
John 14:8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Source #1 - When we see God as our Father
We cannot reach a state of divine contentment until we know and understand inexplicably who our Father truly is. Not knowing who our Father is will leave us in darkness. We will not be able to discern His voice from all of the other voices that are trying to be influences in our lives. Our Father God wants us to call Him Daddy, Abba, Father. Some of us may have earthly, biological fathers, and a number of us have never met our biological fathers, nor even know where he can be found. But our Father in heaven wants us to know that He is there when we call. Our Father God wants us to commune with Him as if He were the only father that we’ve ever known. He wants to be there for us in all of our situations and circumstances. He longs for an eternal dialog with us.
John 15:10-11
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Source # 2 - Live by the Word of God
Knowing the voice of God is critical in the days that we live in because there are many false prophets, pastors and teachers that are leading God’s sheep down wrong paths. This is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. We must possess logos (literal word) and the rhema (revealed word) Word of God in our inner man to be able to persevere. We must abide in God’s Word daily, consistently and with passion.
Having His commandments etched onto our hearts is what our Father God longs for. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of having God’s commandments etched onto the heart. It is through the keeping of the commandments of God that we experience the love of God and the presence of God. Abiding in God’s love is our purpose. To accomplish this, keeping the commandments of God is mandatory.
The most beautiful part about this passage is in verse 11. After keeping the commandments, and after abiding in the love of God, then, and only then, will the joy of the Holy Spirit dwell within us. Joy is the end result of our obedience and our abiding in the love of God. Joy is our reward for staying steadfast and unmovable in the things of God. Joy is our source of contentment and happiness.
Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Source #3 - Be who we are born to be
It was no accident that we fell into the arms of our Father God and came into the knowledge of His Son. Many people struggle with their attempted relationship with God because they were not called. For those who are called to the knowledge and understanding of who God is and what Jesus Christ has already done for us, there is a divine purpose behind the call. The purpose of the call is to raise up a group of dedicated individuals who would press into the things of the kingdom of God, magnify the kingdom of God, and do the will and work of the Father. God called us from birth to be His foot soldiers on earth to establish His kingdom. God knew us before our birth, and predestinated us to be His, and His alone.
But not only has He pre-chosen us before our birth, but he wants us to be mirror images of His Son. Jesus Christ is our big brother, according to verse 29 - “…that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We are the brethren. So if he is to be the firstborn of many brethren, that makes us His little brothers and sisters.
II Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
It is in the place of beholding the glory of the Lord that we are transformed into His image. Being in the persistent presence of God is what we should desire. We are a product of our environment. If our environment consists of violence and murder, our children will be influence by the spirit of violence and murder and there will be a good chance that they will fall into the snare of violence or murder. The same thing is the case with an environment of holiness and sanctification. If our children grow up in an environment that fears the Lord, and is clean, righteous and holy, then our children will be influenced by these things and therefore grow up to be fearful of the Lord, clean at heart and mind, righteous in the eyes of God and man - holy and separated unto God.
Being in the presence of God changes us overtime. It is the consistent purging by the water of the Word of God that cleanses, purifies our spirit, and transforms us into the likeness of God. But we must understand that this transformation is usually not something that happens overnight. Persistency and consistency is the key to being taken from glory to glory. The Spirit of the Lord purges us by stripping layers of ungodliness, one at a time. With each level of glory that we come into, a layer of ungodliness is shed. Continued pressing into the glory of God allows the stripping of our old man (flesh, sin) so that the new man (Christ) that has been supplied by the Spirit of the Lord will be able to show and do His work - being a reflection of the anointing of God, the oil of joy that he wants to pour into our lives.
Adam and Eve forgot who they were in God. They forgot that they were made in the image and likeness of God. Sin and disobedience led to the lack of knowledge of who they were in God. The same thing happens to us. Sin and disobedience places a barrier in front of our eyes. This barrier of sin blocks our vision of the image of God, and then we forget who we are in Christ and how we are to be like Christ. We must always keep God in remembrance so that His glory will continue to shine upon us and change us into His image.
Mark 8:14-21
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16 And they reasoned among themselves saying, it is because we have no bread.
17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened?
18 Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?
19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Source #4 - To remember what God has already done
Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is the testimony of what God has already done in our lives that will allow us to always remember that God is able in all circumstances and situations. It is in remembering how we were delivered and set free from past bondages and pitfalls that increases our faithfulness in God and our belief in His Word.
In Mark 8, Jesus fed the multitude with only two fish and five loaves of bread. This miracle was seen by the masses, including the disciples with a front row seat! And yet, only a few verses later in the same chapter, they had already forgotten what God had done for the people. A miracle, sign and wonder that was done in their presence had been forgotten in so short a period of time.
We are guilty of this also! We become so consumed with our problems that we forget about the miraculous power of our Lord, Jesus Christ! He wants us to remember what He has done for us in times past. We must always carry a testimony of how good God has been to us in the past and how he has delivered us from the snares and traps of the enemy. It is Satan that wants to erase our minds of the goodness of God. Satan longs to trap us in sin so that we are incapable of recalling our testimonies of what God has done for us. A lot of us are probably still living because of the grace of God, and His grace alone. Let us not forget who we are in Christ, and how he has set us free from the captivity and bondage of sin.
In closing, these four sources of divine contentment - 1) seeing God as our Father, 2) Living by the Word of God, 3) Being who we are born to be, and 4) remembering what God has already done, will allow us to experience the fullness of God. This fullness encompasses all that God wants us to possess in His kingdom. Joy is a possession in the kingdom of God. Happiness is a benefactor of that joy.
Lets make it a priority in our lives to strive for happiness by seeking the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is the result of the kingdom of God becoming our environment. Our environment will be permanently changed by these four sources of divine contentment.
Be content in the Lord! Be happy! Be filled with joy, in Jesus name!
Maurice Perry is an up and coming author in the kingdom of God. He is currently writing his first two books on spiritual warfare in the urban community.
If you are interested in knowing more about this anointed young man of God, sign up for his Christian Newsletter today at http://www.todays-word.com/signup.html
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April 29th, 2008
Developing a writing website is fun and can be a potential moneymaker. But if it cannot easily be distinguished from its competition, it will not likely succeed. To ensure its success, you’ll want to avoid the following mistakes:
- Not focusing your material and audience. When you first thought about developing such a website, did you consider a specific audience or “anyone who is interested?” For example, if your website is focused on a specific audience, such as teenagers who want to write for publication,” you will be able to visualize that audience and tailor your material and tone to it much better than you could with a vague, undefined audience. So giving your potential audience plenty of thought will help you to build a good foundation and establish a good focus for your website.
- Forgetting your audience’s purpose for visiting your website. In other words, what kind of information would teenage writers be looking for? What kind of stuff do they want to write and why?
- Selecting the first domain name that you think of. It is easy to get carried away with the excitement of developing a website and choosing a good domain name for it. It is also tempting to choose the first name or two that occurs to you. Don’t give in to temptation! Take the time you need to brainstorm a list of possible names and forget about it until the next day. You will be able to review those names more objectively and eliminate those that are unsuitable. And don’t worry if this process takes a few days. You will eventually find and select a great domain.
- Overlooking the importance of your website’s content. Think about it for a minute. Will you include links for articles on your site? Will you have a Q&A page? Will you include a Resources page, an All About Me page? These pages and their development will also take time to create and write. Consider working on these pages as you are developing your domain name.
- Overlooking the competition. This is probably the biggest mistake. Your website will have plenty of competition and one of the first things you should consider doing is finding out what it is and how your website will stand out from it. Visit a few writing websites and decide what you like and dislike about each. For example, does a competing website focus on new writers? How does it meet their needs? Even more important, what’s unique about it? What could that website have also included? Answering these questions will clue you in as to what your own website should be like and define its unique qualities.
- Not updating the website/overlooking the importance of new features such as writing challenges and forums. When visitors come to your website, what do you want them to do? How will you make their visit productive and fun? How will you keep them coming back?
By paying attention to these mistakes, you will be so much ahead of potential, but clueless, webmasters who make haste in developing their sites, but wind up regretting their hasty decisions.
Thanks for reading!
A published writer, Dorothy Zjawin’s credits include a number of Instructor articles and a book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom (Parker Pub. Co./Prentice-Hall). Her website http://www.profitable-pen.com
includes ideas for new and experienced writers.
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April 29th, 2008
If you are looking for the perfect gift for a high school or college graduate and have searched high and low without success, there is an excellent gift that you can make that will be both unique and personal for the graduate you have in mind. Put away the money envelopes and gift cards. A graduation emergency kit to help the high school and college graduate get through everyday life will be a gift that keeps on giving.
Before you start collecting items for your graduation emergency kit, you need to take yourself back to the world of the high school graduate entering college or the college graduate starting a new job. What kind of things did you find helpful then? What would have made your life easier? What did you miss the most when you went away to college? What could you have used when you were finally out on your own after college? A graduation emergency kit should be filled with things that will make their life easier and items that are necessary for the college student or someone entering the “real world”
One of the most important things that you need to put in the kit is food related items. A college student or someone who is just starting a job is typically low on money and is on a ramen noodle diet. Give them gift certificates to their favorite restaurants and for pizza. Pack the basket with their favorite snack foods. If they love coffee, a gift card to their local coffee shop can fill their caffeine needs as well as give them a pastry treat. Gum and mints can easily be tossed in the kit as well.
A pack of quarters for the Laundromat and a personalized laundry bag will make laundry days more bearable. A first aid kit filled with band aids, creams, gauze and other emergency items is good for a graduate to have on hand. They also need an emergency household kit that include such things as batteries, screwdrivers, a tape measure and masking tape that will help them be prepared for whatever comes their way.
Give them some pampering gifts as well such as shower gels, lotions, after shave or cologne. These items will help them get a good start to the day. A gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure or a massage will be great to reserve for finals week or a hectic work week when they need to relax after all the stress.
When packing the graduation emergency kit, keep your recipient in mind. What kind of things to they like to do? What kinds of things will they miss if they are moving away from home? What will make them happy? If you can keep the answers to these questions in mind then the graduation emergency kit will probably be the best graduation gift they receive and it will be a gift that they can continue to use for many months or even years to follow.
I enjoy writing for my websites please visit my celphones, food piramid, bamboo flyrods pages.
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April 28th, 2008
In January, 2004, the automotive industry arrived at another unique plateau. For the first time, the average price of a new car in the United States surpassed $30,000. Ironically, it was also only a few years ago, the same amount designated the minimum amount of a luxury car.
It’s also likely a safe assumption that many car buyers still can’t afford a $30,000 vehicle. Suppose, for example, a new car buyer has only $15,000 to spend. What’s available? And what’s a prudent purchase in the price range?
One good choice is the 2006 Suzuki Aerio SX. The 4-door economy wagon has a lot to offer. With every available option, the vehicle’s price is only slightly more than half the national average of a new vehicle.
My test drive for the week was the four-cylinder, 155-horsepower Aerio with a five-speed manual transmission. The vehicle’s standard features alone warrant a long look for economy shoppers: air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, tilt steering wheel, AM/FM/6-CD changer and split folding rear seats. For the first time in 2006, Antilock brakes (ABS) are standard throughout the line.
But the Aerio offers a lot more — surprisingly quick acceleration to superior cargo room, substantial head room to an estimated 30 mpg on the freeway.
The Aerio is available in three models and with more than a dozen configurations, the base sedan ($13,999) to the SX with All-Wheel-Drive and a premium option package ($16,999).
My vehicle featured the nice exterior color of Tech Blue Metallic, complemented by a black cloth interior with a silver-toned instrument console. The car zipped around town, shifted smoothly and had a little “attitude” despite its lowly status an entry level wagon.
The SX model has 15-inch alloy wheels as a standard feature, but the larger wheels are an option for the standard 14-inch wheels on other models. The Aerio has a spacious rear cargo area and a surprisingly roomy cabin. The car’s wheelbase is only 99.6 inches, among the shortest in the compact vehicle glass. Yet the rear cargo area measures 63.7 cubic feet. That’s third largest to the Ford Focus Wagon (73.0) and Chrysler PT Cruiser Wagon (64.2). All Aerois have split rear seatbacks. They lay flat when the headrests are removed and with seat bottoms flipped forward.
The Aerio also has above average steering and handling, a particularly tight turning circle, and its instrumentation console features clearly marked gauges and easy-to-use controls. The automatic climate controls are standard, an unexpected feature for the price range.
The Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix are chief rivals and all have good legacies and good value in resale markets.
But the Aerio should not be overlooked as an option. With Suzuki’s 7-year, 100,000-mile warranty, the little car with the unique name has more going for it than the half-car status its price indicates.
2006 Suzuki Aerio, The Weekly Driver
Safety features — Dual front and side impact airbags.
Fuel Mileage (mpg estimates) — 25 (city), 31 (highway).
Warranty — Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain, 7 years/100,000 miles; Corrosion, 3 years/unlimited mileage; Road side assistance, 3 years/36,000 miles.
Price range — $15,199.00
James Raia ia s freelance writer, author and publisher in Sacramento, Calif. To read more of his car reviews, visit: http://www.TheWeeklyDriver.com
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April 28th, 2008
In our firm ’s practice trademark registrations which reproduce well-known trademarks of foreign owners or similar to them meet routinely.
The grounds for getting such registrations by unfair players are quite clear, but it should be kept in mind that according to the Russian Trademark Law they might be opposed and canceled. We would like to illustrate the aforesaid with several examples. In 1997 the trademark WHITE &MACKAY was registered in the name of “FRINO ” Ltd.,(Russia)with respect to services in Classes 35,36,part of services in Class 39,namely “transportation, packing and storing of goods excluding alcoholic drinks ” and Class 42,namely “restaurants, hotels, realization of goods excluding alcoholic drinks “.
When it revealed, an opposition to said registration was filed for our client, the well-known producer of beverages, owner of the Russian trademark registration of WHITE & MACKAY, with respect to the goods in Class 33 “alcoholic beverages, whisky “.The opposition mentions that the registration in the name of “FRINO ” Ltd .is obtained in violation of Article 7 (1)of the Russian Trademark Law, which prohibits a registration of designations confusingly similar to trademarks earlier registered in Russia by other individual or legal entity with respect to similar goods and services. Moreover, said registration of “Frino ” Ltd. contradicts to Article 6 (2)of the Law that says “a registration should not be granted to a trademark which might mislead a consumer with respect to the person who renders services.”Among arguments in the opposition we put the following. WHITE and MACKAY are common English surnames.
MACKAY might be associated with English or Scottish origin of the registration owner, which is not true in respect of “FRINO ” Ltd. located in Ingushetiya, Russia.
From geographic sources it was showed that WHITE and MACKAY are also geographical names, i.e. WHITE is an island in South-East England, MACKAY is the name of the town in the State of Idaho (USA) and the name of the town in Australia. Also data about popularity of the mark WHITE &MACKAY were supplied, namely, that WHITE & MACKAY Scotch whiskey had been produced since 1844 and enjoyed by consumers all over the world. Additionally numerous registrations of said trademark throughout the world were presented to the Board of Appeals of the Russian PTO which accepted some of the arguments and stated that the opposed and the cited marks were similar in view of phonetic and semantic identity thereof, with high degree of visual similarity.
Some of the services in Classes 35,39,42 are related to the realization of goods, and in view of high degree of similarity of the compared marks, a consumer may misunderstand that all these services and goods belong to one and the same producer. Having considered all the grounds the Board of Appeals satisfied the opposition and canceled the registration of “Frino ” Ltd. partially by deleting the services in Class 35related to advertising, services in Class 39 related to transportation, delivery and storage of goods, services in Class 42 related to restaurants, hotels and realization of goods.
Another example of successful enforcement of trademark owner rights is cancellation of Cyrillic trademark registration РАМКА (in English -RAMKA) in the name of”Tandem ” (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) for “butter and food fats ” and other goods.
Said registration was opposed by Unilever N.V., one of the largest producers of butter and food fats, the owner of several registrations for RAMA, who had been spending large budget to advertise their trademark for several years and are still spending money for advertising of the products under mark RAMA. The products marked by RAMA are well known to Russian consumers. The Russian company decided to get a benefit from such popularity, filed an application for a Cyrillic trademark of PAMKA and obtain edits registration. Non-Russian consumers do not see how much similar the Cyrillic words PAMA (in English RAMA) and PAMKA (in English RAMKA) are, and they need additional explanation. But first of all we should mention that Unilever N.V. who has been successfully marketing their products on the Russian market for many years, has not forgotten to register their mark in Cyrillic. Though many foreign companies neglect our advice and do not register Cyrillic versions of their trademarks. Anyway, Unilever N.V. got a registration for Cyrillic version of their trademark RAMA, namely, PAMA (in Cyrillic).
The word of RAMKA in Russian is a diminutive for RAMA and means a frame of smaller size. Thus the Cyrillic words in question of PAMKA and PAMA are similar against phonetic, semantic and visual criteria. While comparing the word of RAMA with Cyrillic PAMA, one could notice only phonetic similarity, but Cyrillic PAMA and Cyrillic PAMKA are similar also semantically and visually. The Board of Appeals accepted the arguments provided by GORODISSKY &PARTNERS and canceled the registration of the Russian company.
One more example is our opposition to the registration of SCANDY trademark.
The trademark of SCANDY was registered in the name of one Russian company with respect to such goods as “stainless kitchen sinks “in Class 6 and “sanitary technical equipment for bathrooms, sinks for kitchen “in Class 11.
Said registration was opposed by our client CANDY S.p.A., the Italian manufacturer of popular sanitary equipment and the owner of the well-known trademark CANDY in Russia.
Our opposition mentioned that the opposed trademark was confusingly similar to the trademark of CANDY earlier registered in the name of CANDY S.p.A. for similar goods, and therefore the opposed registration was granted in violation of Article 7(1)of the Russian Trademark Law. Trademark attorneys of GORODISSKY &PARTNERS provided comparative analysis against phonetic and visual criteria, and concluded that the marks were confusingly similar. The Board of Appeals accepted their arguments and canceled registration for SCANDY of the Russian company.
It should be mentioned that in this case the Russian company tried to appeal the Decision of the Board of Appeals at the Higher Patent Chamber of the Russian PTO but failed.
About the Author
Russian trademark attorney
Law firm: “Gorodissky & Partners” Russian Patent/Trademark Attorneys
From 1982 till 1994 worked as an examiner in the Russian Patent Office.
From 1994 till 1998 worked in major IP firmes.
In 1998 joined “Gorodissky & Partners”.
Deals with trademarks, namely, trademark proceedings and enforcement of trademark owners’ rights.
In 1999 participated at MARQUES International Conference, Drezden (Germany).
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April 28th, 2008
The best way to make tea has been a subject of great debate
for centuries. As a tea drinker of some 30 years experience
here is my contribution as to what makes the perfect cup of
tea.
1. Always use fresh water if possible. Spring water is best
due to its purity and lack of additives such as chlorine
and fluoride which can affect the taste. If you use tap
water then run the tap until the water is cold and fresh.
Good quality water is essential for the perfect cup of tea.
2. Preferably use a teapot made of china or earthenware.
Pots made of certain types of metal such as enamel silver
or copper can impart flavor to the water. Stainless steel
is okay.
3. Warm the pot beforehand with a little hot water.
4. Add at least one level teaspoon for each cup of water
that you are going to add. Adding loose tea to the pot is
the best way for the tea to infuse properly but many people
prefer to use a tea strainer or infusing basket for
convenience sake.
5. Pour boiling water directly onto the leaves and then
stir the water before placing lid back on the teapot.
6. Let the tea steep for between four and five minutes. If
using green tea three minutes is best.
7. Remove or strain the leaves to avoid overbrewing.
8. The cup that you drink out of can greatly affect the
taste of the tea so choose wisely. A good quality cup made
of china will definitely enhance the whole tea drinking
experience. Avoid wide shallow cups which cause the tea to
cool in next to no time.
9. Pour milk into the cup first. Ah, yes this is the step
that causes most controversy. Many an argument has been
had concerning whether or not it is best to add the milk to
the tea or vice versa. I have always preferred milk first
then tea but my husband argues that it is easier to
regulate the right amount of milk by adding milk
afterwards!
Now scientists have waded into the debate and the verdict
is clear. The UK Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)has warned
against the practice of adding milk to tea after it is
poured. It seems that dribbling a stream of milk into hot
water makes “denaturation of milk proteins” more likely.
And who would want that?! At high temperatures, milk
proteins - which are normally all curled up foetus-like,
begin to unfold and link together in clumps. This is what
happens in UHT [ultra heat-treated] milk, and is why it
doesn’t taste as good a fresh milk,” says Dr Andrew
Stapley, a chemical engineer at Loughborough University.
It is better to have the chilled milk massed at the bottom
of the cup, awaiting the stream of hot tea. This allows the
milk to cool the tea, rather than the tea ruinously raise
the temperature of the milk.
So it is now settled. The milk or tea first debate is now
over! Umm, somehow I don’t think so!!
10. Lastly, drink tea without any sugar. I must admit to
being a reformed sugary tea drinker and you know what that
means. Yes, I am now passionately against putting sugar in
tea. As one who has sat on both sides of the fence I can
say that tea is so much better without sweetening. Sugar
only serves to mask the taste of the tea. Not only that too
much sugar is not good for you and why spoil what is now
being recognized as one of the world’s great health drinks
by adding sugar. When I stopped taking my two spoonfuls of
sugar in my tea it took me about three or four weeks to get
used to the new taste. However once I got used to it there
was no going back.
So there you have it - the perfect cup of tea!
Lorraine Bevere is the webmaster and operator of FOG
Tea which is a
premier source of information about tea. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit:
http://fogtea.com
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April 28th, 2008
Being designed by Navision Software, prior to its acquisition by Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions, Axapta was first thought as MRP, being in direct competition with such corporate ERP vendors as SAP R/3, Oracle Financials, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, IBM Lotus. Microsoft, those days was probably not ready to compete on that ground and had to purchase some time, while stepping into mid-size ERP market with Great Plains, Solomon, later on with Navision Attain. Axapta, being really revolutionary product and able to automate higher mid-market and large corporate clients, had several years to mature with narrow client base, mostly in Europe, emerging markets, such as Russia and making first steps in the USA.
• Year 2005. This was the time, when major US VARs decided to invest into Axapta consultants training & certification. At the same time we could see certain signs from Microsoft, when it localized Axapta for challenging emerging regional markets, such as Brazil, where taxation is complicated and unique. In December 2005 Microsoft demoed Axapta in So Paulo office to local partners - mostly specializing in Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Navision implementation.
• Europe. Navision Software has traditionally strong positions in Europe, and this is not a surprise, that we see very good market redistribution signs, giving green light to Axapta sales & implementations. Microsoft partners, traditionally strong in Navision heading into Axapta promotion to their prospects and existing clientele.
• Latin America. Axapta has advantages when we consider corporate clients, especially manufacturing, drilling & mining facilities of multinational corporations and international mid-size companies, Very good interest is seen in Venezuela (oil drilling), Columbia (textile), Bolivia (timber), Chili and Argentina.
• Future directions. When Oracle is in the process of launching its Fusion project, to some extend resembling Microsoft Project Green or Currently Microsoft Dynamics project, SAP R/3 has Mendocino initiative with Microsoft, Microsoft itself has very good chances to open up corporate ERP market with Microsoft Dynamics AX - Axapta
Please do not hesitate to call or email us USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, Brazil: +55-11-3444 4949, help@albaspectrum.com
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com and http://www.greatplains.com.mx ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.
We are serving USA/Canada Nationwide: Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver.
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