Raising the American Flag Sixty Years Ago

Author :

On the afternoon of February 23, 1945, Joe Rosenthal photographed the second raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. A smaller American flag had been raised earlier in the morning.The Fifth Marine Amphibious Corps invaded the island on February 19, 1945. Approximately 60,000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese participated in the Battle. In the end, 6,821 Americans were killed and 19,217 were wounded.While the Marines were fighting on the island, in the ocean, ships were being hit by the kamikaze. Carlyle Harmer was on LST 477 when a bomb hit its main deck, followed by a kamikaze hitting the side of the ship on February 21, 1945. This caused a terrible fire but fortunately, the Navy sailors and Marines on board were able to put the fire out and the ship was able to make it to shore.In the book, Dont Call Me Rosie, Carlyle recalled:On February 23rd, we steamed on the beaches at Hot Rocks, Iwo Jima at the foot of Mt. Suribachi. We unloaded our cargo and men and supplies all the while we were getting shelled from the island and it was landing all around us.After we unloaded our cargo tanks and men, we moved out to the middle of the bay and anchored. I was watching the big fight on the island through a long glass and I saw the flag being raised on Mt. Suribachi. It was the greatest thrill of my life.It took over 30 more days to secure the island. Over the next 30 days, let us remember those who fought at Iwo Jima for our freedom.Kathleen Thomas is author of the book, Dont Call Me Rosie, the Women who Welded the LSTs and the Men who Sailed on Them.

Category : General Gardening

Redefining Distance to Market your Company

Author : Lee Traupel
The recent terrorist attacks here in the US have caused many companies and individuals to rethink how they want to market to and work with others. As a result, web-enabled presentations and or collaborations are finally coming of age â€" the technology works with a minimum of hassle, it’s an efficient way to give marketing presentations, hold meetings, provide training and do product demonstrations. The cost savings can be significant, especially when contrasted with all of the burdened costs of holding conventional meetings; i.e. travel, hotel, transportation, facilities and “time out of the office issues.” Here is a quick primer on some baseline issues to consider when weighing the effectiveness of virtual marketing presentations and meetings.1. There are a broad number of vendors, although the “virtual presentation and meeting” market segment has undergone consolidation in the last few years. I’d recommend assessing these four market leaders: www.webex.com (well established with diversified terms of services), www.placeware.com (corporate focused), www.centra.com (provides a good client plug in that enables Voice over IP (“VOIP”) communications, www.raindance.com (emphasizes teleconferencing).2. PC configuration, Internet access and firewall issues all need to be considered when your assessing the effectiveness of this process and technology. Port settings need to be “tuned” or optimized, the PC must have multimedia capabilities if your using VOIP, just about any speed of internet connection will work, but the experience for the attendee can vary depending on the connection speeds and how “heavy” your presentation is with graphics.3. Web presentations offer a lower cost model versus traditional presentations or meetings, but there are burdened costs for web-enabled marketing â€" phone conferencing can be anywhere from $.15-35 per minute per user, presentation uploads for a standard power point presentation (which is the defacto app for virtual presentations), can cost $10-30. per presentation, costs per attendee can vary tremendously but average $50-500. per session, depending upon the number of users.4. One of the most expensive parts of virtual meetings is always the teleconferencing component. All of the market leaders have some VOIP component (voice over IP) but most are not publicizing this technology or service, as they don’t want to cannibalize a significant contribution to their revenue streams. One exception is Centra â€" they are offering VOIP integrated services with their standard web presentations or meetings. The audio quality is good, analogous to voice quality of a standard cell phone call â€" but there is a client download (small under 250K) to deal with and you must have a multi-media enabled PC.5. Some web-enabled presentation challenges include the need to keep people involved â€" you can do this easily by leveraging the chat capabilities, dynamic polling, and standard Q&A components built into the application. The higher their interest level (as in real world meetings) the better your meeting or presentation will be.6. Marketing presentations can be easily archived and made available to others on a 24/7 basis â€" this archiving can include the standard presentation, enhanced with video or audio components, depending on the sophistication of your presentation. Be prepared to pay an extra charge for this â€" but the marketing ROI can be significant, especially when you factor in how little most companies charge for an archiving service versus your front end costs.7. Virtual marketing enables a whole set of web-enabled processes â€" you will have the ability to easily capture your prospect/customer’s e-mail address and standard contact points via a registration process, involve them and capture preferences via polling in your presentations and “push” follow up communications during your presentation/meeting or later. But, it’s very important to include standard “privacy” statements in your materials and adhere to them as you move forward through your business processes.8. How does video conferencing impact your assessments of web-enabled presentations or collaborations? This depends on your budget, number of people attending the presentation, presenter and attendee locations and other intangible that are specific to your business. In general, video conferencing works better for very small (under five people) presentations or meetings, due to some of the inherent challenges of this medium.About The AuthorLee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com, a results-driven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. Lee@intelective.comLee@intelective.com
Category : Gourmet

How tires are manufactured?

Author : Paul

The first stage of tire making is collecting raw materials and formulating rubber compounds. The raw materials used are rubber, oils, pigments, antioxidants, carbon black or silica, accelerators and other additives. These are then mixed together in a huge blender, which is called Banburys. After the mixing process is completed a gum like material forms. This material is then cut into strips. These strips will make the sidewalls and other portions of the tire. The main body of the tire is manufactured using fabricated rubber. Polyester, nylon and rayon are the fabrics used. The fabrics are changed depending on the type of the tire. But mostly Polyester is used. Another ring like component is used to make a tire. This is called tire bead. Steel wires of high tensile are used to make this tire bead. Radial tires are made in a cylindrical tire-building machine. The machine almost gives the final shape of the tire. After the making of the tire, it passes through an assembling process. Tires are assembled from the inside out. The inner line of the tire is made of two layers of synthetic rubber. Then another double layer of poly fabric is pasted. Then follows two trips of apexes to harden the area. Then 2 chafer strips are then pasted. Then automatic rollers press all parts. It helps all parts to bind. After an inspection the tire goes for curing process. In the curing process the tire is heated to the temperature of 300?F for 12-25 minutes. It gives the tire a proper shape. Then it passes through another inspection, which includes an X-ray session. If there is any fault, the X-ray session reveals it. After the inspection the tire is ready to roll. Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit www.askaquery.com

Category : General Automotive: Motorcycle & Bike

Insulin Resistance: Change Your Diet

Author : Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Late onset diabetes usually means that a person has too much insulin because his cells cannot respond to insulin. Too much insulin constricts arteries to cause heart attacks, and stimulates your brain and liver to make you hungry and manufacture fat.Most people who develop diabetes in later life can be controlled so that they are not at increased risk for the many complications of diabetes such as heart attacks, strokes, blindness, deafness, amputations, kidney failure, burning foot syndrome or varicose veins with skin ulcers.The Insulin Resistance Syndrome puts you at very high risk for a heart attack and is associated with storing fat in the belly, rather than the hips; having high blood triglyceride levels and low level of the good HDL cholesterol; and high blood pressure.If you have any of these signs, check with your doctor who will order a blood test called HBA1C. If it is high, you have diabetes and can usually be controlled with diet and/or medication. You should learn how to avoid foods that give the highest rise in blood sugar. When you eat, blood sugar level rises. The higher it rises, the more sugar sticks on cells. Once stuck on a cell membrane, sugar can never detach itself. It is converted to a poison called sorbitol that damages the cell to cause all the side effects of diabetes mentioned above.The foods that cause your blood sugar to rise quickly include all types of flour products: bread, spaghetti, macaroni, bagels, rolls, crackers, cookies and pretzels; refined corn products and white rice; and all sugar-added foods.There are two type of drugs that are used to treat diabetes: those that lower blood sugar and raise insulin, and those that lower blood sugar and lower insulin also. The safest drugs are those that lower both insulin and sugar. Most diabetics should be on Glucophage (metformin) before meals, at least while you are learning to change your diet and bring your weight where it belongs. It prevents blood sugar levels from rising too high and sticking to cells and has an excellent safety record. However, eating a bagel will produce such a high rise in blood sugar that Glucophage will not be effective, so Glucophage must be used in addition to avoiding foods that cause a high rise in blood sugar. If HBA1C cannot be controlled with diet and Glucophage, your doctor will usually add Avandia 4mg or Actos 30mg. They are essentially the same and can cause liver damage, so liver tests must be done monthly, at least for the first few months.You should be seen monthly and get either a HBA1C (which measures blood sugar control over the past two months) or fructosamine (which measures control over two weeks). Each time that your HBA1C is above normal (6.1), you should yell at your doctor to change your drugs and he should yell at you to change your diet.If your HBA1C is still not under control, you need to take a drug that raises insulin levels. I usually start with Glipizide XL. If that doesn't control your HBA1C, I raise the dose, and if that still doesn't work, you will need to inject yourself with insulin. Check with your doctor.Who is pre-diabetic?What should a diabetic or pre-diabetic eat?Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties. For more information and hundreds of health and fitness reports, visit http://www.DrMirkin.comFree weekly newsletter on fitness, health and nutrition
Category : Attraction

How to boost your stock returns while lowering your risk

Author : Tony Reed
An options strategy called Covered Call Writing is a conservative strategy designed to reduce risk and increase income when investing in stocks. Briefly stated, stock options are contracts in which you buy or sell the right to buy or sell. Although there are eight types of options contracts, we're interested here in low-risk "Covered Call Writing."

Here's how it works: Say it's August and you buy 300 shares of XYZ stock at the price of $48 per share. XYZ pays a quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share. Therefore, if the price never moves, you'll earn 4.2% per year.

At the same time, you would participate in Covered Call Writing. To do so, you, you would "write three January 50 Calls." This means you are selling ("writing") the right for someone else to buy the stock from you (they "call" it away) between now and the third Friday of January at the specified price of $50. (All contracts expire the third Friday of the month.)

Each contract represents 100 shares, hence three contracts. The buyers pay you a fee (called a "premium") of $3.5 per share, or $1,050. (The premium is based on the amount of time until expiration and the spread between the current price and the "strike price," in this case $50. Therefore, the premium changes constantly.)

Assuming you don't cancel, only two things can happen next: The contract will get exercised or it will expire worthless in January. Either way, you keep the $1,050. Clearly, this strategy can yield big rewards. Among the advantages are:

1. You are establishing a profitable sell price the day you buy the stock. If exercised, you are guaranteed a profit;

2. You reduce risk because premium in effect reduces the price you paid for the stock;

3. Your annual yield is boosted far above that of the dividend alone.

However, there are other considerations. For one, you are limiting your potential profits. No matter how high the stock rises, you won't sell for more than $50. You can solve this problem by buying your option back, in effect canceling it out. You would do this if you later think the stock will dramatically rise and you don't want to miss the gains to be made.

Also, you have not reduced the risk that your stock may drop in price. The only certainty is, should XYZ drop $25, your option will not be exercised - a small consolation. To protect yourself, you may "buy a January 45 put" giving you the right to sell your stock for $45. This is the opposite of what we've reviewed here, and is designed to minimize losses, rather than protect gains.

Because of the potential for price drops, you should choose a high quality, blue-chip stock that fits your budget, an which offers a stable trading range, solid fundamental, high dividends, and good growth potential.

Covered Call Writing is not a reason to own stocks, but the strategy might be of help if you already own them. Prior to opening an account, you must receive and urged to read "Characteristics and Risk of Standardized Options," which is published by the Options Clearing Corporation in cooperation with NASD and all major U.S. stock exchanges. The booklet is available from any broker or financial advisor.

Better Photos with Your Digital Camera

Author : Kelly Paal
Everyone has a digital camera today and we all take a lot of photos. But if your photos still have trees coming out of your father's head, mom has red eye, and your beloved pet is never facing the camera then here are some tips to help you take better photos.1. Always be aware of the background. I know this is the hard one but it is critical. If you're setting up a shot take a quick look at what is behind the people in your shot. So many perfectly good photos are ruined by a tree seeming to grow out of a person's head. It can be as simple as the person taking one full step to the right or left to move the obstacle that would ruin your photo.2. Use available light. If your digital camera has an option to turn the flash off and it's light enough outside to read a book then use the available light and turn the flash off. In general camera flashes are too harsh for human skin and make all of us look pale. (Even better if your camera has a fill flash use that indoors where there isn't enough daylight, and place the person by a window as well.)3. Use ambient soft light. The reason that so many of use pose people under trees, and end up with the ruined photo with a tree coming out of dad's head, is that we all instinctively know that soft light is best. Sunlight filtered through a trees' leave is beautiful and warm. It warms up the skin and puts a soft light to the features. Indoors near a window with drapes has a similar effect.4. Aim your camera slightly down at the person's face. Now I don't mean climb a ladder but just don't ever, and I mean ever, point your camera looking up to a person. We all look fat and bloated at that angle. Also don't shoot just face on to the person, try a little to the side, a three quarter view, so that you see more of their face. Remember camera higher looking down and a three quarter view, it will slim your subject.5. Remember your focus, are you taking a photo of mom and the tree, then take mom with the whole tree. But if you're taking a photo of mom next to a tree do we really need to see the entire tree? Get closer to your subject. We can see some of the tree bark with mom leaning against it, but showing the whole tree is a waste. Remember this tip with children, many people take a shot of their dear child for an expression on the child's face, but in the printed shot the child is lost next to another kid, the swing set, and the dog. Remember get closer.6. Never put your subject dead center. All family photographers do this and it's as hard of a habit to break as remembering to look at the background. But if you've moved closer to your subject remember to put them just sightly off center. Not a lot just a bit. When you're shooting even groups of people this is especially easy but odd numbered groups is a little more difficult. Just find your imaginary center line of your group and put that line just a bit off center in your view through your lens or screen.With these tips you can be on your way to taking better photos today.About The AuthorCopyright 2004 Kelly PaalKelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.kellypaa@kellypaalphotography.com
Category : Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography

Steps Toward Divorce

Author : Brandi Simon
When you’re faced with the possibility of divorce it’s important that you make sure you and your children (if you have any) are taken care of. Before you even visit the attorney you’ll want to assess your financial situation. Income, expenses, child support, credit, they all play a part in your decision.The very first thing to consider is your income. How much is your income? What are your expected monthly expenses? In this figure you must include your basic necessities. If you have children you’ll need to include the figure for childcare. Now you have the two most important numbers in this equation. Hold onto these for a few minutes. You’ll need this in a moment.The issue of child support has to be included before we make the rest of our calculations. Many want to include a figure for expected child support into their income. This decision could produce an unwanted result. First, you do not know exactly how much a court is going to award you. Second, you may think you know your spouse but you really don’t. You think they’re going to pay child support faithfully but the chances still exists that they will not. So, to protect yourself and your children, I’m asking that you leave this figure out of the income total.Now I want you to take your income and subtract your expenses. Does your income cover your expenses? If so, great, you know that you can afford to leave your spouse. If your income does not cover your expenses then you are not in a position to leave right now, unless you are in an abusive relationship. If you are in an abusive relationship, it’s important to get out now!When you have more month than money you have other issues to consider. If you leave now, where will the extra money come from? Do you have a friend or relative that can help you out until you can generate extra income. Can you get a second job? Are you currently in a position to earn more than you’re making. Many times we stay at the same job for years and years not making what we’re worth. Now is the time to assess your earnings potential. Do some research into what is the going rate for your job. You might be pleasantly surprised. If you don’t have a higher earning potential, what can you do to increase your desirability to prospective employers? Get a degree or get an advanced degree. Change career fields to something that pays better.Nearly every aspect of our lives is affected by our credit. Now is the time to order that credit report. It is absolutely vital to see where you stand with your creditors. Order your credit report. Go over it with a fine tooth comb. Dispute any items that are in error. The first time I pulled my credit report there were numerous errors. I disputed the items and they were removed or corrected. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. If you plan on moving, you will most likely be faced with an apartment complex or other rental company that wants to check your credit.Now that you’ve completed all of the above steps it’s time to move into the next step, planning the move. If you have the funds to leave now then you are in a great position. However, many of us are not in that position. If you don’t have the money right now then it’s time to open a post office box and open a separate bank account with the statement going to the post office box. Start putting little sums of money into your new bank account until you are confidant that you have enough money to leave your spouse.While there are many additional things to consider, this guide will give you a good place to start. It is meant to cover the basics for someone who has just started to consider divorce as an option.Brandi Simon is the owner of InjuredHearts.com where she offers articles and information for those suffering the effects of an extramarital affair. Brandi is a successful relationship coach, offering guidance to those who wish to move forward in their relationships. She specializes in Infidelity Coaching. Brandi is an affair survivor and offers advice to those who are recovering. To learn more about Brandi, the coaching services, or infidelity in general, please visit http://www.injuredhearts.com
Category : Ezine Marketing