Carmine

Infinity is a floorless room with no walls or ceiling. Anonymous

For those who have followed my series on infinity, this article gets to the crux of the matter concerning the existence of different types of infinity. Having read the two previous articles, you get the sense that the topic of infinity is a strange one indeed. Throughout the ages both philosophers and mathematicians have been debating this topic and puzzling over its implications. From the fifth century Eleatics (the Greek philosophers from Elea: Zeno, Parmenides, and Melissus) all the way through to the famous German mathematician Georg Cantor, who is known as the father of modern set theory, great thinkers as these have pondered and labored feverishly in trying to nail down a precise formulation for this seemingly surreal idea.

As the quote above illustrates, infinity defies our concept of dimension in that we cannot put a bound around it and yet, based on the work of Cantor, the idea of only one type of infinity can be shown to be untrue. This concept is so mystifying and at the same time enervating to contemplate that Cantor saw his health fail in the face of the constant denunciation that he, in espousing these ideas, received from his contemporaries. What a price to pay for such forward progress in mathematics, as Cantors work led to critical foundations in both functional analysis and topology, two higher branches of this discipline.

At any rate, the proof that the real numbers are more numerousthat they display a bigger infinitythan the counting numbers is quite simple. The implications of this proof are mind-quickening and the extensions of such proof yield a whole hierarchy of transfinite numbers. Before we get to the proof (which is quite simple and far unlike the proof I studied in college, which was quite elaborate and required lots of coffee and a minimum of three aspirins to understand), I want to make some preliminary comments and edify you on a couple of points regarding the real numbers and what we mean by them. The field of real numbers consists of all the counting numbers {1, 2, 3,...}, the negatives of the counting numbers {...-3, -2, -1}, all the fractions (what we mathematicians call rational numbersbecause they are sane), and the numbers like square root of 2, square root of 3, the number pi, and 0.

The claim we are making here is that there are more decimal numbers between the interval 0 and 1, that is numbers like 0.12, 0.0498, etc. than there are all the counting numbers {1, 2, 3,...}. At first blush, it would appear that since the set of counting numbers is infinite, and infinity means that there are no limits, that there is no end, that there are no boundsyou get the picturethen we should have the same number of elements between 0 and 1 as there are counting numbers. Ah, but theres the rub, as this is not true; and for those of you who have been thinking ahead, the reason may have already dawned upon you.

Georg Cantor finally proved this fact using his famous diagonal proof, but we will use an approach that is even simpler. The method is also based on Cantors idea of pairing elements, which is known as a one-to-one correspondence.(Both these concepts were discussed in Part II of this article.) Basically, we show how we can pair each element of the counting numbers with an element in the interval 0 to 1. For example, we could pair 1 with 0.25 and 2 with 0.354. If we do this in such a way as to show that every counting number is paired or tied to a different number between 0 and 1, then we will have shown that all the counting numbers have been matched with a distinct group of numbers from this interval. Once we have done that, we then show that there are still many numbers between 0 and 1 that have no dates, so to speak; that is, that there are unmatched numbers from the interval in question. This would mean that there are still more numbers in this set and therefore prove our argument. Isnt mathematics grand!

So how do we do this? Very simply. Now watch carefully as the simplicity of this will astound you. We set up the following one-to-one correspondence between the set {1, 2, 3,...} and the interval 0 to 1, as follows: we pair 1 with 0.1; 2 with 0.11; 3 with 0.111; and we do this forever. Now every counting number is tied to a unique number in the interval 0 to 1. Clearly, any number 0.1, 0.11, etc., is in the interval in question and each one differs from the next by the next place over. For example, 0.1 and 0.11 differ by one one-hundredth; 0.11 and 0.111 by one one-thousandth, and so on. Since this pattern goes on forever in a manner that keeps every number in the form 0.1111111...... within the interval, we have exhausted every possible counting number. Ah, but what about a number like 0.2 or 0.046? The possibilities are endless.

Since every counting number is already paired with a number in the interval 0 to 1, these two new numbers have no representation in this one-to-one pairing. Consequently, there must be many more numbers in the interval 0 to 1 then all the counting numbers, and hence we have established indubitably that there exists more than one type of infinity. Wow! When I first learned this fact and its necessary extension, which leads to the existence of infinitely many infinities, my mind expanded so much and I blew so many circuits that I had a headache for three days!

Chew on this tidbit for a bit and see whether you now think that the existence of God is so hard to fathom.

See more at Math Ebooks and Math Poems

Joe is a prolific writer of self-help and educational material and an award-winning former teacher of both college and high school mathematics. Under the penname, JC Page, Joe authored Arithmetic Magic, the little classic on the ABCs of arithmetic. Joe is also author of the charming self-help ebook, Making a Good Impression Every Time: The Secret to Instant Popularity; the original collection of poetry, Poems for the Mathematically Insecure, and the short but highly effective fraction troubleshooter Fractions for the Faint of Heart. The diverse genre of his writings (novel, short story, essay, script, and poetry)particularly in regard to its educational flavor continues to captivate readers and to earn him recognition.

Joe propagates his teaching philosophy through his articles and books and is dedicated to helping educate children living in impoverished countries. Toward this end, he donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every ebook. For more information go to http://www.mathbyjoe.com

Long, long, long ago - long before Leonardo da Vinci of Italy flew the first air craft from a mountain top and crushed in a valley and got hurt badly, the legendary African Lizard had fallen off the tallest tree in the world and crushed on the ground without being hurt at all! Then still on the crushed spot, he looked up, down, left and right, expecting people around to clap for him for a great feat. But when the Lizard realised that nobody was minding him, he declared: If nobody will praise me, I will praise myself!

So, too, if nobody in this terrorist-infested world and highly coup dtat prone-continent of Africa will praise Ghana for having successfully hosted a terrorism-free AU Summit in the capital city of Accra from June 25, to July 3, 2007, with over 50 Heads of State, numerous Ministers and high-power diplomats and other dignitaries in attendance, I will praise Ghana on behalf of Ghana.

Commendation There is no speck of doubt that Ghana as a nation deserves commendation for ensuring that not a single mosquito touched even the smallest toes of any of the African Heads of State who participated in the just-ended historical A U Summit in our country. Even Ghana Parliament has documented in its Hansards that there are mosquitoes in Accra and these mosquitoes do not need passports and visas to board a plane from any part of the city to the Accra International Conference Cent re? This is why we must be grateful to the Creator and sing Praise to Ghana..! So Praise Ghana..! It was not an easy feat at all. Our ancestors coined a proverb that: If you did not take part in the warfare, you would have the luxury to fume that people did not fight enough.

Whether we like it or not, the 9th A U Summit Accra, with focus on the Grand Debate by the African Heads of State on the Union Government of the Continent has come and gone. I will prefer to call it a Golden Jubilee African Union Summit because it took place in the year that Ghana celebrated her Golden Jubilee Independence Anniversary. More importantly, the seed of the United States of Africa germinated in the fertile womb of a son of Ghana in the African personality of the 20th century, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who never dies. Over 40 years ago when he was wide awake, and dreaming during day time, his peers were snoring in the night hrorrrr- hrorrr- hrorr!

Dr Nkrumahs soul
As a matter of fact, the invisible soul of Dr Nkrumah took his seat in a corner behind the 52 or so African Heads who locked themselves up in the dark room to engage in the invisible Grand Debate. Why wasnt the debate telecast live for the over 800 million other Africans to see feelee-feelee? If the Grand Opening Ceremony could be broadcast live, why not the Grand Debate? It would have made the drama more exiting indeed! And the Heads of State would have even earned the sympathy and an understanding of their citizenry in Africa and the Diaspora instantly.

Can you imagine an African Cup of Nations match in any country in Africa where only the players are allowed into the stadium? Are they playing for themselves or they are playing for the people of their respective nations? Now the African media, African civil societies and individuals citizens on the mother continent and the Diaspora, have also fiercely engaged themselves in another Grand Debate arguing the merits and demerits of the outcome of the secret debate - the Accra Declaration as the communiqu of the Grand Debate is known.

The purpose of this write-up is not to join the debate but just to look at how Ghana as a nation prepared for the event in terms of accommodation, vehicles and other logistics which made the summit worthy of attending. I will also touch briefly on how most delegates or visitors who came to Ghana for the first time saw our beloved country.

Philosophically, let us first and foremost be honest with ourselves that, as human beings, we are still treading in the forest of errors. Thus, nothing we do on this material plane can be perfect as such. We should therefore, not pretend that everything at the summit was like angels singing and dancing in the kingdom of heaven. And there has never been any perfect human endeavour any where in the world. There can only be a degree of excellence at best or outstanding.

Apology
We must be humble enough to admit our mistakes and say sorry for our shortfalls. This explains why Ghanas Deputy Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mrs. Oboshie Sai-Cofie, deserves commendation for coming out boldly to apologise to the media for the problems encountered with some security officers at the event. That apology was indicative of humility, maturity and wisdom on the part of Government and people of Ghana to the rest of Africa and the world. All those who felt offended in one way or the other must accept that apology in good faith.

The truth is that the original arrangements made for the media coverage under the direct command of the AU Commission Headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, supported by the Ghana Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD and the Ministry of Information and National Orientation in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), was fantastic. But for the last minute security re-arrangements requested by some participating Heads of State, which protocol demanded Ghana Government to comply with, there would have been no much problems at all as far as media coverage of the event was concerned.

Again another factor that made things a bit difficult to accommodate the over 600 foreign journalists including local ones who descended from the media planet unto our land to cover the Grand Debate was the less than 2000 sitting capacity of the Accra International Conference Centre itself. Space in the Conference Centre became such a scarce commodity that GJA had to adopt a rationing strategy for the benefit of media personnel.

Whatever discussions and arguments we engage in now after the event is but a postmortem analysis or a review of the summit; which is very healthy for our democratic growth. This writer will therefore, humbly assert that we focus more on the positive aspects of the summit and pick up some lessons from the negative aspects so as to move forward not only as a nation but as a continent as well.

Let us also bear in mind that: Darkness pervaded all before light came. But light came not from darkness. For darkness is the absence of light. Therefore, as a nation we must endeavour to embrace light and shun darkness. Is there any Ghanaian of good will who will not wish only the best for Ghana?

Positive views about Ghana
Now listen to some positive comments made by most delegates about Ghana. Generally speaking, some foreign journalists whom this writer interacted with at the Media Centre confessed that they could not believe their eyes that they were in an African country. Two young Kenyan female journalists told me they were visiting Ghana for the first. Then when I asked them how they saw Ghana, they looked at each others faces and laughed. I wondered why. Then they exclaimed: Your country is WAWO! According to them, they found the city of Accra very sparkling, I felt flatted. And I was proud to be a Ghanaian. But inside me I knew most of the delegates did not have the opportunity to visit the Korle lagoon and the Sodom and Gomorrah areas of Accra.

One Cameroonian journalist put it this way: I never knew that apart from South Africa there is another country in Africa which is so neat, clean and beautiful like Ghana. Then he added, Little wonder the World Bank and the IMF have always cited Ghana as a shining star of Africa. Despite the problem with the media, some delegates at the Media Centre could not help it but to be dancing to the tune of high life music being provided by the Global Media Alliances stand.

The Ministry of Information and National Orientation mounted a magnificent semi-photo exhibition of tourism pictures which attracted so many delegates. They collected all kinds of brochures and pamphlets about Ghana and wanted more. Some of them were snapping photographs of themselves, their shoes, belts and hats from January to December non-stop. They were enjoying the happiness of being in Ghana keke, as the Ga will say.

Another positive aspect of the Summit for which Ghana must be praised to the blue heavens was the splendid accommodation facilities made available for delegates ranging from the poorest messenger to the richest Head of State who came to Ghana. The Government and people of Ghana must be commended for sacrificing a little to make the august visitors feel at home away from home. It is these little, little basic things that add up to give Ghana a global branding as hospital and Friendliest people in the world.

The AU village at La Wireless area in Accra was a tourist attraction in itself. Coupled with the magnificent numerous three to four star hotels and others in the sparkling city of Accra made lodging and boarding enjoyable for the august visitors. In fact, Accra is on the way of becoming the neatest and cleanest city in West Africa if it is not yet there. However, the street lighting at night in the city is not good enough. We must do something about this street lights business before we die hen!

Again another successful aspect of the Accra Summit which must not be taken for granted was the harmonious and smooth fashion the delegates were conveyed in luxurious cars from their hotels to the Conference Centre and other venues for various activities such as the African First Ladies meetings, the Fashion Shows, the State Lunches, Dinners and Ghanas Senior Citizens Party Gala with African Heads of State.

People who deserve commendation in this regard are the Ghana Police, the traffic wardens, the drivers who drove various delegates including the Heads of State, the young Ghanaian men and women who served as conductors, or guides and other security officers into whose hands the immediate safety of these delegates were entrusted while in Ghana. Sometimes, such officers had to spend long hours with these delegates to ensure that they safely returned to their lodges before they went home only to return the next moment to conduct them round again. The vital roles played by these ordinary officers must not be taken for granted. When the Big men and women are in the Paradise, they should not forget these small men and women on earth, oooo!

African First Ladies
Oh, less I forget! I have observed that most of the African First Ladies who came to Ghana including their host could participate in any beauty contest in any part of the world and they would win hands down. You see, the Creator Himself molded African women in a special way with their unique shapes from the toe to the head. Black beauty is always charming, soothing, graceful and consoling. On the Ghana Television, we saw that one of the African First Ladies was a gentle man. Something extraordinary happened at their meeting on Monday, July 2, 2007. When their Ghanaian Master of Ceremony was introducing them one by one, one of them was represented by a gentle man.

When that particular First Lady from a West African country was announced and a bearded-man in three-piece-costume moved to take the seat, the entire Parliament House where they were meeting burst into uncontrollable laughter. Was he a First Lady or First Gentleman? He himself could not help it. He laughed and laughed until tears started streaming from his eyes. It was fun. That is how life should be. Once in a while someone must create a situation where everybody will forget about their woes and laugh. Laughter is good for human beings. That is why of all creatures on earth only human beings have the gift to laugh haw-haw -haw- haw!

On a more serious note, I can vouch that African First Ladies are not only physically good-looking but their heads are impregnated with wisdom, intelligence and sense of purpose. They are bold, courageous and fearless in their outlook. At the time some of their husbands put their tails in-between their thighs and covering their faces so that television camera will not look into their eyes, their wives stoop up with chests high and decisively declared war on HIV/AIDS on the continent.

As mothers who go through the actual pain of labour, they reasoned that they could not sit down with their hands in their laps for HIV/AIDS to be robbing them of their babies at random. Consequently they have adopted a resolution to drastically deal with HIH/ AIDS here and now and not wait until January, 2008 or so.

The First Ladies resolution was so vital that it constitutes the foundation of the very survival of the future of Africa. How can there be United States of Africa in 50 years time if todays African babies cannot live beyond the ages of five? Did African Heads of State embody the First Ladies resolution into the Accra Declaration? If not, why? African Womens Rights Activists are you there? No further comment!

Frankly, there have been so many positive achievements of the Summit. I have not mentioned the economic gains such Dollars, Euros, and CFAC cash that poured into to the hospitality industry of our country during the period of the summit alone. But for purposes of this article the final one I should like to mention is the special website Ghana created for the event.

Ghanas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD in collaboration with Ghanas Ministry of Information and National Orientation developed a unique website which was devoted solely for online information dissemination on the Accra AU Summit 2007. The website address was: www.ausummit-accra.org.gh This site was located within the premises of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation and managed by the Information Services Department (ISD).

It must be admitted that, perhaps the publicity for the site was not adequate. But it was through this site that, in addition to publishing news stories on the summit on daily basis, speeches, communiqus and other papers presented at the Summit were dispatched online to the AU Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In fact, the AU Headquarters was very appreciative of the services received through this site. They admitted that but for the Accra Summit website, AU itself would have been totally out of coverage area of Ghana. As you know, Africa is still struggling in the forest of technology and power crisis. But we shall overcome someday.

Suggestion
Shall I make one small suggestion for the consideration of the nation? Alright! Ghana must embark, as a matter of urgency, upon the construction of a new International Conference Centre. The new Conference Centre must have at least 10.000 sitting capacity. In the main hall, provision must be made for a Press gallery of at least 3.000 sitting capacity. The Conference Centre must no longer be squeezed in the already congested city centre of Accra. It must be sited either at Dodowa or Kokrobite near Accra. Twah, twah, twah- Omanye abaa! Yaoo!!! Praise Ghana!

Mawutodzi K. Abissath is a Ghanaian journalist, writer, poet and blogger. He is EzineArticles.com Expert Author, author of Kofi Annan the Great - poetry, Friends of Tomorrow-Poems for Young Childre and Co-author of Traditional Wisdom in African Proverbs.

He writes from Accra, Ghana

When shopping for a mortgage, there are a number of different aspects to keep in mind. You can shop online, which is convenient for most people these days, as you dont have to run around during your lunch break. For others they may be an impersonal experience and they would prefer to speak to consultants face to face. Is this case, take the time out to do all your shopping at once. It is merely a personal preference. Look or ask around for types of mortgages and of course different rates.

Flexible mortgages are specially designed to accommodate your changing working environment or lifestyle. It is designed to give you more control over your finances with varying degrees of flexibility. With a fully flexible mortgage you can vary your payments to suit your circumstances. If you have extra cash, use it to pay off more of your mortgage. When necessary you can take a payment holiday of up to six months. Or keep up the over payments and you could pay off your mortgage years early. With a flexible mortgage you can even borrow back money if you have made over payments. The term flexible fixed mortgage might not make much sense, but you can combine your flexible mortgage with a fixed mortgage, which means you can vary your payments and have a fixed rate at the same time. The rate is fixed for an agreed time.

A fixed rate mortgage is exactly as it suggests the interest rate on your mortgage stays fixed, which makes planning ahead easier. This means you can budget with your mind at rest, because you can plan ahead knowing exactly how much your monthly repayments will be. With a variable rate mortgage your payments may go up and down according to the Bank of England Base Rate, but with a fixed rate mortgage you have the security of knowing the exact amount you will pay each month, despite any change in interest rates. Your fixed mortgage is fixed for a number of years and this is predetermined. Once the fixed rate period is over your payments will revert to standard variable rates.

Fixed mortgage rates are therefore a good idea for first time home buyers who need the stability of a set monthly repayment. Before applying for a fixed rate mortgage you should know how much you are able to pay each month. With an online mortgage calculator it is easy to get a rough guide of how much you can borrow and how much you can spend on repayments per month. Remember, if you cannot make your monthly payments, your house will be repossessed, so be sure to choose a mortgage which is affordable and suits your specific needs.

Mortgage Rates - fixed rate? capped rate? what does it all mean?

Nearly 100,000 students come to the United States to study English each year. Many of them come to prepare themselves to enter colleges and universities in the United States; others come to learn and improve their English. Here are some things to consider before you choose an ESL school.

University-based ESL Programs
Many colleges and universities in the US offer full-time intensive English programs. Most of these programs provide 2025 hours per week of classroom instruction. Students usually enter these programs at the beginning of the academic semester (term or quarter). Note that intensive English programs usually are not part of the college or universitys academic degree program and students enrolled in the ESL institutes are not necessarily admitted to that college or university.

University-based ESL programs have several advantages. One of them is that often English students live on campus and have full use of the college or university library and other facilities. They can practice English with other university students they meet on campus. Some schools allow students in advanced levels of the English program to take a few university courses while they are completing their language study. Another advantage of taking university-based ESL classes is that students on F-1 visas may be able to work on campus up to 20 hours per week.

Private English Language Programs
There are private English language schools that prepare students to enter US colleges and universities. Many of these private schools are located on or near a college or university campus. Some of them provide housing; others do not.

Many private ESL schools have flexible schedules. New sessions may begin every few weeks. This is helpful to those students who are interested in short-term study, for example, a two- or three-week program. At some private ESL institutes, advanced-level students may take one or two academic courses at nearby colleges or universities. Private schools also offer vacation ESL programs.

How do I Choose an English Language School?
Before you choose an ESL school, decide what kind of program you want to attend. Do you want a serious academic program or a casual vacation program? Are you serious about learning English? What is your budget? Think about how much money you can spend on tuition, room, meals, activities, books, etc. Other aspects that need to be taken into consideration are the location of the school and weather. The U.S.A. is a big country with very different temperatures.

Remember that an intensive English program must meet a minimum of 18 hours per week for students to qualify for a student visa. Therefore make sure you know how many hours per week you will study in class. Find out if the teachers are professionally trained and experienced. Ideally, they should have a masters degree in teaching English (MATESOL) or a related field. The average class size should be between 10-15 students.

Some ESL schools offer TOEFL preparation; others dont. Some of them help students apply to colleges and universities to study. They may also permit advanced level students to take classes at the university or a nearby college. Make sure that the school is accredited. Many college and university ESL programs are accredited through their university or college. Private ESL programs may seek accreditation through special accrediting bodies.

The author is an English language instructor based in Mumbai. Her website http://www.perfectyourenglish.com provides free reference materials on English grammar and practical English usage.

Every action you take in your daily and every day life has an effect on your back. If you notice that any action has a tendency to increase your back pain then you would naturally do it either less often or learn a better way of doing it. If you are fortunate enough not to suffer from back pain than you would want to keep it that way. In either case, you should learn how to sit, walk, lift, play or sleep properly to avoid back pain now or in future.

As for as lifting goes, there are some really easy rules to remember. Always bend your knees and from a squatting position lift the item. Make sure that your back is straight as possible and the item you are lifting is held as close to your body as possible. Lifting is one of the most frequently reported causes of back pain, and still the most ignored. If you are trying to move some thing that is heavy then always push it from behind the object so that both you and the movement of the object are in the same direction. Never pull if from the front.

Wear flat shoes if you can. If you must wear heels then try the heel not to exceed one inch. High heels cause imbalance of the body and cause strain in the back, which leads to back pain. Never sit in the position for extended periods. If your job requires you to sit in front of a computer screen than take regular breaks to stretch. The same rule goes when driving over long or extended periods. Remember, you do not have to do strenuous exercises to stay fit. Light but regular exercise is effective and can keep pain away a well.

Most people do not give much attention to how they sit, stand or even sleep. This can often be a cause of Back Pain. Always sleep on a firm mattress. If you are not in a position to replace the mattress than put a board under the mattress, which will make it firm. Never sleep on your stomach. If there is a reason for that then place a pillow under your hips. Experts recommend sleeping sideways with your knees bent slightly. A pillow under your head provides neck support.

If you have to sit for extended periods of time, get a chair with lower back support. You should at least get a chair that will keep your back straight. If you need to turn towards some one (for example when some one is trying to get your attention) then try to turn the whole body towards the person rather than just turning the head. When driving long distances, you have to sit upright all this time. In addition to taking regular breaks for stretching, put a pillow or a towel behind your back for extra support. This will avoid back strain. Follow these simple rules and you will avoid back pain in the long run.

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Resource Box: Excellent information like this can be found in Peter Conatis book "Understanding Back Pain". The entire book is temporarily available for FREE & for immediate download at his Back Pain Revealed website. Download your copy while it is still FREE.

Texas mortgage loans are very popular and useful for a variety of purposes. In the form of a debt consolidation loan, a new mortgage can help get homeowners out from under mounting bills. Texas mortgage loans are also a popular way to pay for improvements that increase the livability and market value of homes.

According to the May 2006 Economic Outlook put out by Freddie Mac, cash-out (mortgage loans), a major source for home improvement funds, remained at a high level: 88 percent of families who refinanced in the first quarter also converted part of their accumulated home equity into cash or consolidated their mortgage debt.

Texas mortgage loans are easier to get than other forms of borrowing since the loan is secured by tangible property. They come at lower interest rates than other forms of borrowing such as credit cards or unsecured loans and have some great tax advantages not available on other forms of borrowing.

If you find yourself in need of a sum of money, whether it's to renovate your home, purchase a new car or consolidate debt, a home equity loan can be a very smart financial tool. - Everyones Money Book

Turning home equity into cash makes more sense than borrowing against the value of your life insurance policy. Such a withdrawal will be deducted from the face value of the policy, thus depriving your beneficiaries. A mortgage loan is smarter than drawing on your retirement funds. If you dont pay the money back in five years, the IRS will assess taxes and penalties. And a mortgage loan is way better than borrowing from family and friends.

Is a Texas mortgage loan right for you? Why not take a few minutes to complete the express application at USA Equity Loans and get a free loan quote? You are under no obligation to accept the loan, but it will let you know how much you could be pre qualified to borrow with a new mortgage.

Mike Hamel is the author of three business books and several articles about home financing. His material is featured on sites like http://www.usaequityloans.com

RegCure is a great registry cleaner. It finds and repairs a huge number of PC registry errors, and it is very user friendly. It offers one-click operation for those who do not want to deal with lots of technical and complicated stuffs. You can even schedule this software to perform scans at a particular time. Of course, if you would like to scan your PC manually, you can do that also. Totally flattens other products costing twice as much.

What does RegCure Registry Cleaner do?

RegCure scans your PC registry for a number of different problems such as corrupt files, paths and registry key problems. It then fix the problems it finds, improving your PC system's performance. Also, RegCure can backup your registry. This is very good feature because if your computer ever crashed you will need all those files to get it back up.

What I liked About RegCure Registry Cleaner?

RegCure is fast. It scans through all the categories in its routine very fast. Many other registry cleaners seem to drag, and you have to wait a long time. The second thing I like about RegCure is the one-click operation design, and it is pretty simple to learn what each button does and it even offers a description of each feature when you move the mouse pointer on it. The third thing I like about RegCure is its scheduler built in feature. Under the setting section there is a scheduler that will run RegCure automatically at a particular date and time you set.

When it scans, RegCure creates automatic backups. Therefore, you do not need to worry about deleting something you should not. It is able to restore everything prior to the scan and fix process in a few clicks. Also, the built in startup manager is quite useful. In conclusion, RegCure removes more errors than some of the more expensive competitors. There is nothing here that will confuse new users and it is a registry cleaner that you will use again and again.

What I Do Not Like About RegCure Cleaner?

RegCure does not offer many advanced settings such as memory optimizer and junk file cleaner. Some program such as Registry Easy offers one-click operation to optimize the system memory, leaving more resources available and making the programs run better. Also, RegCure does not have a built in junk file cleaner that scans the PC system for all the files that no longer need and delete them automatically.

Why Need RegCure If You Already Have Antivirus Software?

There is really no technical reason why antivirus software could not do the work of removal spyware tool like RegCure. And, in fact, some antivirus programs do identify some spyware. However, much of spyware and adware exist in a gray area, not out-and-out fraudulent or harmful, but still raising concerns about privacy. The demarcation lines are still unclear, and thats one big reason why antivirus software does not yet fully deal with spyware threats.

Antivirus software makers have been reluctant to tackle the spyware threat head-on, usually focusing on only the most egregious examples of spyware. Thats why you really need to use a removal spyware tool like RegCure, even if you have antivirus protection on your PC.

RegCure is a great registry cleaner. However, it is not perfect because it lacks of some advanced settings. If you only need to find a registry cleaner for some basic scanning and fixing, RegCure can do more than enough for you. On the other hand, if you need some advanced features such as memory optimizer and junk file cleaner and you can afford a few more dollars, I strongly recommend Registry Easy You can read a full Registry Easy Review here

The Los Angeles Lakers had another disappointing season. In the beginning of the season it appeared that the Lakers were all set to return to top after having a record of 26-13. But then the Lakers went and lost 27 of their last 43 regular season games and ended the season 42-40 but still made it to the playoffs.

However, Lakers could not live up to what the fans expected and in the first round of the playoffs, they were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns 4-1.

This is the third consecutive season that the Lakers have been disappointing after winning three championships and a spot in NBA finals in a span of five years. Now the question that keeps popping into ones mind is what direction are the Lakers going towards. At least that is what Kobe Bryant did after the Lakers lost the second consecutive game in the first round to the Suns.

From 2000 to 2004, the Lakers won 20 playoff series with Jackson, Bryant and Shaquille ONeal in the team. They have also won four postseason games but no series in the last three years.

After the Lakers lost to Detroit in the 2004 NBA finals, they traded ONeal, a move that was unavoidable because ONeal wanted out and if they had kept him Bryant would have moved to the Clippers.

Bryant stayed on with the Lakers and signed a 7 year contract. He led the NBA in scoring the last two season but the support he has been getting in the court has its own limitations.

There is no doubt that the injuries suffered by Lakers players explains why the season and postseason went so woefully for the Lakers and added to that the draft picks in the last three years have done little to help them.

The Western Conference is full of strong teams and at the moment it does not look like the Lakers have what it would take for them to make an impact in the Conference next season.

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Did I happen to mention I love Real Estate Developers? Not like I love my wife or my kids, or even my dog, but Real Estate Developers are definitely among my favorite people.

Think about it.

Real Estate Developers are like Gods. [Well, miniature gods, at least.] They create much of the physical world we inhabit. The homes and condominiums we live in. The grocery store and pharmacy down the street. The resorts and casinos and golf courses we enjoy for leisure. Restaurants. Shopping centers. Office buildings. Movie theaters. Truck terminals. Medical and surgical centers. Spas. Factories. Warehouses. Auditoriums. Parking garages. Hotels.

You name it; if its man-made, attached to dirt, and we can get inside it, a Real Estate Developer was probably involved.

Real Estate Developers are visionaries. They have the vision to recognize trends and the need for change. They recognize imbalances between what exists and what is needed. They see neighborhoods and towns and regions in flux as opportunities for renewal and improvement. Not only do Real Estate Developers see opportunity, they seize it. They envision change and commit to it. Then work with it; massage it; shape it; squeeze it; stir it; shake it; blend it; juggle it; and make it happen.

How could anyone not love that?

Real Estate Developers are visionaries with a purpose. Visionaries who know how to transform their vision into reality. They are optimists. They are dreamers and doers wrapped into one. And for me, they are fun. Not funny, necessarily, but fun to be around. Fun to work with. Fun to dream with.

I remember back in 1992 when John L. Marks of Mark IV Realty Group walked into my office and said he wanted to buy and redevelop the Marina City Commercial Complex in downtown Chicago. At the time, the Marina City Commercial Complex was a rat hole. Largely vacant. In foreclosure. Languishing in bankruptcy. Burdened with nearly $10,000,000 in unpaid and delinquent real estate taxes. Physically decaying and needing tens of millions of dollars in repairs. The residential condominium owners occupying the top 40 floors of the two landmark corn cob shaped towers were understandably hostile and uncooperative having been burned in the past by broken promises of prior owners.

Yet, in all of this mess, John saw opportunity. He had a vision that this dilapidated, decaying behemoth of an eyesore could be transformed into an economically viable and thriving jewel.

We spent most of the next four years working on that project. The transformation was remarkable. We had a blast making it happen.

Today, the Marina City Commercial Complex is home to the House of Blues, the House of Blues Hotel, Smith and Wollensky Steak House, Bin 36 Wine Caf, Crunch Fitness, 10 Pin Bowling Lounge, Marina Management, Skipper Bud's Marina, and numerous other thriving businesses. The pie-shaped condominiums starting above the 20 story parking garage in each of the residential towers have risen substantially in value and offer some of the most dramatic skyline views in Chicago. The entire Marina City complex has been reestablished as a thriving mixed-use and entertainment mecca in the heart of Chicago.

Why? Because Chicago Real Estate Developer John L. Marks had the vision and commitment to make it happen.

Did I mention I love Real Estate Developers?

More recently, in the Spring of 2005, I got the call to join the development team of Madkatstep Entertainment LLC.

Madkatstep Entertainment is a combined venture of Sears, Roebuck and Co., the retailing giant, and Ryan Companies US, Inc., a remarkably creative and entrepreneurial Real Estate Developer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. [Yes, I love Ryan Companies too.]

It started with an idea.

Ryan Companies had the notion to build and own a sports and entertainment venue in an affluent community in need of convenient and unique entertainment options.

Sears had moved its corporate headquarters to Hoffman Estates, Illinois in the early 1990s. As part of that move, Sears had acquired a large tract of adjacent land that was ready and available for development.

Hoffman Estates is a forward looking community in a growing and affluent region northwest of Chicago in search of quality of life amenities for its residents.

It was a match made in heaven.

By the time I was called in as lead development counsel, Sears and Ryan had already negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the Village of Hoffman Estates setting forth a basic framework for the new Sears Centre Arena, including general terms for municipal financing.

A major tenant for the new Sears Centre Arena is a professional hockey team. A key development objective was to have the 11,000 capacity, 240,000 square foot arena built and ready for occupancy in time for the Fall 2006 hockey season. It was already April 2005, only 18 months from the target opening date. Even the most accelerated construction schedule required a minimum of 14 months from groundbreaking to opening. Time was running out.

In the 100 day rush that followed, the entire development team entered a zone and worked nearly around the clock with the Village of Hoffman Estates.

The Real Estate Developer, Ryan Companies US, Inc., working closely with the real estate department at Sears, Roebuck and Co., negotiated agreements, confronted issues and overcame obstacles to obtain formal development approval, finalized municipal financing, formalized the naming rights agreement and ownership agreements, and accommodated project dissenters who were threatening litigation to delay or stop the arena from being built.

In the end, it was creativity, perseverance and intense focus that led to the official groundbreaking for Sears Centre Arena on July 21, 2005. It is a unique sports and entertainment facility that will serve the Village of Hoffman Estates and neighboring towns for decades to come. It is already serving as an economic engine for complementary development that will provide new jobs, new opportunities and a broadened tax base.

These two examples of creative development by visionary Real Estate Developers are not unique. Between these two notable examples, and beyond, the scenario plays out over and over again in large and small development projects every day.

Renewal of functionally obsolete or declining shopping centers, warehouses and other structures into modern and thriving enterprises.

Resurrection of blighted and decaying areas in cities and towns into homes and condominiums with retail and service businesses to support new neighborhoods.

Recycling of contaminated brownfields into safe and productive environments for consumers and business.

Greenfield developments to provide new opportunities, new jobs and new services for emerging communities and families.

Real Estate Developers are seeing a need, stepping up to the challenge and improving the world in which we live.

I have been blessed to work with some amazingly creative and dedicated Real Estate Developers, both large and small, who are making a difference and a profit while having fun in the process.

Did I say fun? Maybe not during every moment while facing every challenge, but by and large Real Estate Developers are people who genuinely enjoy what they are doing. As a commercial real estate attorney, working with Real Estate Developers has always been, for me, exhilarating.

Why do I love Real Estate Developers? Ask yourself: How many times do you have the opportunity to work with people who make your job exhilarating? Whats not to love about that?

So, the next time you meet a Real Estate Developer, please, grab the developers hand, look him or her directly in the eye and say with deepest gratitude and sincerity:

Thank you! My friend Kymn Harp thinks you are the most wonderful person in the world. He loves you and thinks you are brilliant. [Then slip him my business card and ask him to call me.]

Thanks for listening.

R. Kymn Harp

P.S. For those of you with normal names or at least conventional name spellings, you may appreciate this assist:

My name Kymn is a family name and is pronounced Kim. Think of Kymn as being like a church hymn, with a K instead of an H. To remember this, associate my last name Harp with Angels. Then, if it helps, think of me as Kymn Harp, the Real Estate Developers dirt-angel (with a law degree).

Thanks again,

Kymn

R. Kymn Harp represents investors and developers of commercial and industrial real estate, primarily in Illinois and Indiana. He has been practicing law for nearly 30 years and is currently a partner in the Chicago, Illinois office of Arnstein & Lehr LLP, one of the oldest law firms in the Midwest. Mr. Harp is a frequent speaker at educational forums involving the development, financing, and sale of commercial real estate, and has written and published numerous articles on a wide range of real estate topics. He also frequently writes for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. R. Kymn Harp can be contacted at Arnstein & Lehr LLP, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60606 Dir. Ph. 312-876-6907; email: rkharp@arnstein.com For more information go to http://www.realestate-law.com

We have seen in the previous article It is a Dog Eat Dog Nonprofit World that the romantic and idealized notion that many of us carry around that the nonprofit world is a better place to be, may be flawed. Instead of cooperation, we encounter competition; instead of collaboration we encounter self-will; and instead of dedication to mission, we find adoption of cut-throat business practices.

There are, however, many ways that a nonprofit can thrive in this environment. It means acknowledging that the resources of philanthropy are a finite amount of money. It entails a commitment to recognize opportunities and develop strategies for turning them into successful projects.

Here is a checklist of stratagems to consider.

1.Fundraise twelve months a year, not just in November and December.

2.Sponsor fundraisers that can be repeated year after year, and which people look forward to.

3.Disarm your competition by joining with them in joint ventures where you all benefit by creating a better overall charitable climate.

4.Start using some proven techniques from the commercial sector to attract and retain talented personnel.

5.Become actively involved in your professional associations, whether they are fundraising associations, or trade associations.

6.Be the leader in initiating a collaborative meeting of the nonprofits in your market area. Host the first meeting at your offices, and get commitments from the attendees to attend regular conferences in the future. Better the devil you know.

7.Join fundraising programs that give your organization a unique offering, and provide a needed service to your constituency.

8.Try thinking more as if you were in the commercial sector competing for people, money, sales, recognition, and providing superior customer service.

9.Upgrade your office equipment to provide the efficiencies that will allow you to save money by making everybodys job easier.

10.Redo your website to reflect your comfort with technology.

11.Hold regular meetings with your community to get their observations about how you are doing, and their suggestions about what other things you could do.

12.Use technology to network. Join online social networks like LinkedIn and Care2.

13.Play fair with your competition, and be direct with them when you think they have not played fair with you.

14.Position your organization to develop and promote your brand.

15.Develop a short term and a long term strategic plan that includes a chapter on how you are going to survive in this new highly competitive environment for nonprofits.

16.Consider partnering with companies in the commercial sector for your mutual benefit.

17.Re-evaluate how you look at activities which might be considered unrelated to your specific mission.

18.Update your accounting program to allow you to monitor projects, programs, employees, and growth.

19.Associate your organization with good outside talent, including accounting and legal.

20.Be alert to situations which would warrant the issuing of a public service announcement for free inclusion in newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV.

21.Become known as a good citizen by sponsoring open meetings, adopting a section of road, or providing free services in the schools.

According to the Urban Institute, the ranks of registered nonprofits have swelled from 1.2 million to 1.4 million, up 17 percent in the last five years. Some of those new nonprofits have your organization in their sites. Additionally, with the diminution of funding from the Federal Government, nonprofits have to scramble just to stay even. Some may do so at your expense. That makes it urgent that you look at yourself as existing in a competitive world, and that you make plans to address it.

Jim Gould is the Chairman of Fundraising Solutions, a fundraising company that offer a free fundraising program for non profit organization fundraising and ClickShopSupport.org, a charity shopping site.