Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Mobile Applications And Its Future Trends

Mobile applications are in great demand today. Most operating systems have come up with their own app stores and have revved up competition too.

Research giant Gartner published in the recent report that in the coming trends for mobile applications, money transfer would top the list of priorities while others were Mobile Payment, Near Field Communication and Location based Services. Mobile Search followed soon after followed by Mobile Internet and browsing, Health checkup through mobile, Advertising, SMS and instant messaging and music. There are trends related search engine optimization which are backed up by some other reports as an identifiable trend with marketers. Over the years, the picture of the mobile market is going to change drastically as virtually mobiles nowadays sport dual core processors as hardware which came up just 2-3 years back for laptops!

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Mobile to enterprise software is also a good trend which will come up drastically, as mobile workers seek to sync their sales orders with enterprise ERP systems. Most product companies who provide CMS or other applications also feature a version which is compatible with a smartphone. Emails are probably the most popular applications today in a mobile. A new class of apps is in the reckoning which will be compatible and connected with ERP to CRM solution to HR modules.

Mobile devices are nowadays morphed using cloud and virtualization. A single device will soon be used as a mobile phone, still/video camera, credit card, location device, gaming device, music player etc. Cloud infrastructure coupled with virtualization is necessary for morphing. Form factor is also needed.

Mobile games are also in demand and there are many types of games coming up and will become more and more complex and chances are that there would be many multiplayer games being played by many people in real time. Mobile personal assistants are PDAs in a new avatar. There would be multiple digital interfaces, and diverse security mechanisms. Chances are that it would be very difficult to remember and manage so many disparate set of systems. A new class of mobile applications will come and go every month and there would be different concepts in play too.

A mobile grid and cloud will be available for futuristic applications, for sure as most of the companies are moving towards the cloud. There are different communities now based on the cloud. Companies are sure to leverage the processing, memory as well as bandwidth or other requirements.

Mobile Applications And Its Future Trends

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Outdoor Solar Lights For Basketball Courts

Anyone who has ever enjoyed playing basketball during the day has wanted to play at night but not all basketball courts have lights. Why, well conventional lighting is expensive and uses lots of electricity during nighttime hours. Whoever the property owner is probably didn't want to have a sky-high electric bill or in most cases, if the basketball court is owned by the city, the city did not want to pay for the ongoing electricity bill.

This is one instance where outdoor solar lighting is perfect. Simply perfect. Outdoor solar lights are a very unique product in that they contain solar cells that notice, store, and release light as the sun begins to set. Every solar garden light has built in semiconductors that absorb the sun's light, which then interacts with other very intricate parts that create solar powered electricity. Each unit has a sensor that sends a signal to the solar cell when its time to begin releasing light or when it is time to slowly stop releasing light and begin storing it again. This perfected technology along with countless models to choose from have proven to be the most popular lighting product for residential & commercial basketball courts. This basically means that during the day light is being stored and as the sun begins to set, these lights begin to give off more and more free light.

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Every single online provider of outdoor solar lighting has multiple options to choose from. This will ensure that no matter the size or set up of your court, they have packages that will fit your needs and budget perfectly. Online providers specialize in providing you with outdoor solar lighting at a low initial cost that will not cost you a dime nor raise your utility bill in the future, which is the whole purpose of solar energy. Of course there is a cost to have them installed but with the current state of the economy, just about every online provider has steeply discounted their costs.

These lighting packages for basketball courts do come ready to install or you can have them installed. Depending on the size of your court and how much lighting you will need will probably determine whether or not you install them on your own. The most important aspect of installing these solar lights is that they're placed where they're in direct sunlight during the day. This will ensure they get a full charge daily. There are full and half court packages to choose from. If and when you choose to install them on your own, the specialized kits eliminate "guesswork" during installation.

Just like basketball courts can be customized, so can these lighting packages. They come in a wide range of options like powder coat finishes, galvanized, tall short, custom colors with your favorite logos and more. As mentioned earlier most online providers are really giving some heavy discounts because of the current state of the economy but with that being said, these packages come priced including installation and set up but can save a good bit by installing them on your own. If you find yourself interested in solar lighting for a basketball court, don't go to a retailer like Lowe's or Home Depot, shop online because most online providers will give you an immediate discount before checking out.

Outdoor Solar Lights For Basketball Courts

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Low Interest Cash Loans - Fast and Cheap

Low interest cash loans are becoming more and more popular among people as they offer money faster and at more affordable rates. It is a loan that you can borrow for a very short period. You can go for these loans when you are cash poor and there is a sudden financial emergency.

Generally, this doesn't happen at the beginning of the month, as you would have just got your salary. It is only the last two weeks of the month that are crucial when it comes to managing unforeseen expenses. When this situation arises you can borrow cash loan for up to 00 and repay it within two weeks.

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Usually, Loan Term Is Not More Than Two Weeks

Since your pay date is the due date for repayment of low interest cash loans, usually the loan term doesn't go beyond two weeks. Moreover, the amount that you borrow is also not very big. Most of the people borrow in the range of 0 to 00. Considering these facts, lenders do not ask you to provide any security to avail money. Your next paycheck is considered sufficient and no other document is required.

What Information Should You Provide

You have to provide some pertinent facts about your occupation, bank account etc along with some personal information. You can submit all this information online along with the loan application form. Besides filling out this simple application form, you do not have to do much to obtain these low interest cash loans.

Getting the approval for this loan is subject to fulfillment of the eligibility norms that are simple and not harsh. Once approved, the requested funds are wired to your bank account electronically, hence reaching you in no time.

Other Advantages

Low interest cash loans have several other advantages as well. A very useful feature of these loans is that you can qualify for them even if your credit rating is not up to the mark. This comes in handy as most of us have had to face bad credit issues at one time or other in our lives. So, bad credit people can rest assured, as they have found a true friend in the form of low interest cash loans.

Now the only important point that remains to be talked about is the repayment of these loans. The procedure is as simple and smooth as any other step of the entire procedure. Latest technology has made it possible to perform this step without any manual interference. As you receive your paycheck on your pay date that also is the due date for repayment, the loan amount plus related fees is withdrawn automatically from your bank account.

Low Interest Cash Loans - Fast and Cheap

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Disability Retirement For Federal Workers - The Importance of a Coherent and Consistent Application

Federal and Postal employees either fall into one of two possible retirement systems: FERS (an acronym for Federal Employee Retirement System) or CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System). Whichever system the Federal or Postal employee falls under, the benefit of Federal Disability Retirement is an option which is available, in the event that a Federal Government worker is no longer able to perform at least one of the essential elements of one's job. Remember that, in order to qualify for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, the medical condition or injury does not have to be job-related. Indeed, one could have incurred a career-ending spinal injury while on a skiing trip, and still qualify for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under either FERS or CSRS.

application squeegee

The Agency which determines that a Federal or Postal Employee is entitled to Federal Disability Retirement benefits is the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). They are empowered by statutory authority to scrutinize each application for approval or disapproval. In order to be eligible for the benefit of Federal Disability Retirement, one must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, three basic components:

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(A) a Federal or Postal employee under FERS or CSRS has a medical condition;
(B) the medical condition prevents him or her from performing one or more of the essential elements of one's job; and
(C) that the Agency is unable to accommodate the individual or, alternatively, to reassign the individual to a position in the same pay or grade.

In order to successfully prepare and submit an application for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, two overarching elements should always be kept in mind: Coherence and Consistency. "Coherence" has to do with the form of the application, while "consistency" has to do with the content, or substance of the application. Both elements are important in preparing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application. Thus, an effective Federal Disability Retirement application will make logical sense and "fit together" with everything (coherence), as well as have an internal structure of information which agrees with one another (consistency).

How does one prove that he or she is eligible for Federal Disability Retirement benefits? Is there a table or schedule of accepted medical conditions? As to the latter question, the general answer is "No". Qualifying medical conditions have more to do with the symptoms of a medical condition, rather than the formal diagnosis. Thus, physical conditions can range from Cervical & Lumbar diseases, Degenerative Disc Disease, Spondylolisthesis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Failed Back Syndrome, Chronic Pain; Fibromyalgia; to total hip replacements which limit and restrict flexion and mobility; cardiac issues; migraine headaches; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Chemical Sensitivity issues; Asthma; Hypothyroidism; Plantar Fasciitis; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; shoulder problems, often referred to as bursitis or shoulder impingement syndrome; trochanteric bursitis; lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, as well as a great many other conditions which are not named here, and which are too numerous to catalogue. As for Psychiatric conditions, the list can be just as long: Major Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Bipolar Disorder, Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, ADD & ADHD; Paranoia; Schizophrenia; Asperger's Syndrome; and multiple other psychiatric conditions. Whether attempting to file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits based upon a physical medical condition or a psychiatric medical condition, it is important to prove that one is eligible for the benefit.

Which brings us to the first question: How does one prove that he or she is eligible for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, either under FERS or CSRS? In any application for Federal or Postal Disability Retirement benefits, one must make sure that the application is both coherent, as well as consistent. Coherence of an application results when all of the various components of the application "fit" together. Thus, for example, in preparing the Applicant's Statement of Disability (SF 3112A), Block 4 asks the applicant to "Fully Describe Your Disease or Injury". If the disease or injury is a physical one, then the focus of the narrative should be to describe the pain, the physical restrictions and limitations, etc. Then, when one comes to Block 5, where it asks how your disease or injury interferes with the performance of "your duties, your attendance, or your conduct," the focus should have a coherence with the previous answer - meaning that, if the narrative described physical issues, the impact upon one's job should therefore focus upon the physical aspect of the job. Thus, by way of example, to say that you "cannot concentrate or focus" upon a certain aspect of the job, would only be coherent if either (A) the job required cognitive-intensive work and the severity of the pain impacted one's cognitive faculties, or (B) the medications prescribed to alleviate the physical condition impacts one's focus or concentration. Conversely, if the narrative concerning one's medical condition entails primarily psychiatric issues, then the impact upon one's job should encapsulate cognitive issues (i.e., focus, concentration, ability to analyze, evaluate, etc.). As you can see, coherence in an application for Federal Disability Retirement benefits is an important component.

Furthermore, an effective application for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS or CSRS should be consistent. Each element of the application should "agree", wherever possible, with all of the other components. Where inconsistencies occur - for example, between what the treating doctor says and what the applicant states in his or her explanation on SF 3112A - a red flag may arise, providing an opportunity for a denial from the Office of Personnel Management. Thus, don't try to "oversell" the description of the medical condition. Remember how, when you were deathly ill but your voice sounded perfectly normal over the telephone? You had to call in sick, and you had to "sound like" you were sick, even though you were in fact deathly ill. In preparing a Federal Disability Retirement application, this is not the time to "sound like" something more than what the treating doctor states.

Ultimately, the success or failure of a Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS or CSRS as submitted to the Office of Personnel Management will depend upon the coherence and consistency of the application. Preparation is the key to success, and it is important to always remember that coherence and consistency are two elements which must always guide the formulation, preparation and submission of a successful Federal Disability Retirement application.

Disability Retirement For Federal Workers - The Importance of a Coherent and Consistent Application

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Factors to Consider While Hiring an iPhone Application Developer

Now is the time when hundreds of small IT firms are specializing in developing iPhone application but hiring iPhone app developer could get time consuming if you don't know the basics.

application server with raid-5 storage

Before you hire an iPhone developer you need to make sure some of the things that an iPhone developer must have and also you should be clear with the basic ideas of your application development. You must have to be clear in some of factors when hiring an iPhone app developer:

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• How your app will help your business and people?
• What if there is some app exist same like the one you are going to develop?
• What are the different features you are providing in your app?

Before hiring an iPhone developer, you need to check some of things like the developer's experience or portfolio because an experienced developer can understand the critical needs of the application. If you want to check their knowledge, you can ask them about the apps they developed till date, how many of them available in the AppStore or you can ask about the app which you want to develop that how they will work for such an app.

The other thing to make sure is the confidentiality between you and the iPhone developer. You must offer the developer a NDA (non disclosure agreement) to make sure that your idea of iPhone Application and any other information that you share with them are strictly confidential.

Also you need to take care of the price you are offering the developer because iPhone Application Development is a very competitive and advanced field and the people who are expertise in this field they will not come for less. You should prepare a good proper hourly estimate of the work for the developer and according to that you can justify the pricing.

The last but more important factor to consider while developing an iPhone application: You must need to register as an iPhone Application Developer to get your Developer ID with bank account information so that you can able to sell your app to AppStore. It might happen that when your app is launched, it might face some issues so it's important to check the support terms with the developer before starting.

Well, there are so many risks involved when you are going to hire an iPhone Application Developer, if they are not worthy enough. But this will be easy with the factors given above if you keep them in mind.

Factors to Consider While Hiring an iPhone Application Developer

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Apply For Food Stamps Online

Many people have hit hard times and can use any help that is available to them. Assistance in providing food for yourself and your family could be obtainable, and the applications for consideration can often be submitted online. It will likely vary for each state, but here are some of the necessities that may be needed across the board.

There are eligibility calculators available online to determine if you are a candidate and how much is available to you. A few factors are the household income, dependents, disabled residents and monthly expenses. You must also provide the balances of each person's cash, checking and savings accounts.

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Each application must include quite a few pieces of paperwork needed to being the application process. You must have a social security number and be a US citizen, US national, American Indian, or a qualified alien if born in Mexico or Canada. It is also required to show proof of address, information on all monies received for all household members, housing costs and how much child support is paid, if applicable.

Some persons may be entitled to immediate benefits if they meet the following: income is less than monthly rent or mortgage, liquid assets are less than 0 and monthly income is less than 0, or liquid assets are less than 0 and at least one person applying is a migrant who is "out of funds".

After submitting the online application you will be scheduled for an interview at a local, office within 14 days. If you have a health, work or childcare complication which makes coming to an office not possible, then you can interview over the phone.

The length of time to receive food stamp benefits, if you do not meet the immediate benefits criteria, can take approximately 30 days. If you have little or no money, or need food right away, special steps can sometimes be taken to provide you with the funds more quickly. How much food stamps you receive depends on the size of your family and the income and output of your money.

When beginning the application process online, you have the option to enter a valid email address, which will help with communications; create a password and select a security question in case you forget the password. You will then be given a household ID which you should write down for future reference. Ensure you have all the necessary paperwork for each member of the household before beginning the application. Each page will require you to fill in various pieces of information about yourself and each resident.

After completing the request for benefits and submitting the information entered, you should receive a confirmation code and/or email. Then it's just a matter of waiting to be contacted for the interview and to get your first month of benefits.

It is important for those that are in need, to learn to Apply Food Stamps, it is a very helpful and useful method of getting through rough times.

Apply For Food Stamps Online

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Woodworking 101 - How to Properly Edge-Glue Boards Into Panels

There are several steps to consider in the process of edge-gluing lumber including (1) lumber selection, (2) cutting to rough length, (3) ripping, (4) jointing, (5) grain matching, (6) biscuit joining, (7) gluing, (8) clamping and (9) thickness sanding. Just how you go about these steps depends on the condition of the lumber, the capacity of your machinery and the final size of the glue-up.

LUMBER SELECTION:

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If at all possible, try to have all boards in the glue-up out of the same tree. If that is not possible, select lumber that is of similar color and grain pattern. To my mind, the ideal glue-up looks like one, extremely wide board with the glue joints barely visible to the naked eye. Since this only an ideal, I always try to get as close to it as possible.

Another, less-important goal would be to have all boards in the glue-up of the same approximate width. I am not suggesting ripping the wider boards down to match the narrowest board as this would be a terrible waste of expensive lumber. I do suggest, however, ripping extremely wide boards in two to minimize the possibility of curling due to changes in humidity after delivery.

Straight or ribbon grain makes the best homogeneous final appearance while wavy or swirly grain makes for an interesting but more difficult glue-up. Swirly grain will require orientation of the individual boards to minimize the number of places that the grain line suddenly stops at the glue line rather than appearing to continue into another swirl in the adjacent board. This orientation is highly subjective.

CROSS-CUTTING TO ROUGH LENGTH

I always rough-cut my lumber into lengths an inch longer than the length of the final product. This allows the entire glue-up to be neatly trimmed to size after the glue is dry. It also makes the ripping and jointing process a lot easier as I will explain below. The same is true for the width of the glue up: Make sure it is about an inch wider than the final product after trimming.

RIPPING

Kiln or air-dried lumber often decides to bow into a curve as it dries and this must be corrected before a glue-up can be accomplished. If my finished glue-up is only 3 feet long and it is coming out of a 14-foot bowed board, it will be far easier and economical to get the curve out of the 3-foot pieces than it would to remove the curve from the entire 14-foot board before cross cutting. This is one reason that you should always do your rough cross-cutting before ripping and jointing. Another reason is that a 14-foot, 2" thick x 12" wide board is pretty difficult to control on a jointer or table saw.

If there is a bow in one or more of your rough-cut pieces, those pieces should first have the curved edges ripped off on the table saw. The concave side of the board should always be towards the fence. Measure from the fence out to the outside of the end of the board that is nearest the fence and set the fence to cut this width. Once you have trimmed off the convex side of the board, flip it over side-to-side and find the point where the outer edge of the board is closest to the fence (somewhere near the middle) and rip the board to that width. When all boards have been ripped straight, take them to the jointer.

JOINTING

The jointing process should now be fairly easy in that the boards have been ripped straight. Take shallow depth cuts to minimize the possibility of tear-out. In loose-grained lumber with a lot of swirls on the face side, tear-out is sometimes unavoidable. If this happens, try running the board over the jointer head in the opposite direction. If the tear-outs persist, you will have no other option than to rip the tear-outs away on the table saw. You will then have a sawn edge in your glue-up. If you have a clean-cutting table saw blade like a recently sharpened Forrest Woodworker II, this should not be much of a problem, especially if you plan on using a biscuit joiner to secure your glue-up. You probably won't be able to tell which glue lines are jointed and which are ripped in the final product.

GRAIN MATCHING

Lay out all the boards on your work bench and arrange them for best appearance. Obviously, if one side of the final product will show more than the other in a piece of furniture, then you will want to have the best-looking sides all on that side of the glue-up. Examples of this would be table tops and cabinet doors. You also must orient the boards so that the glue-lines are not accentuated, as discussed in the paragraph on lumber selection above.

BISCUIT JOINING

Whenever possible, make sure that you biscuit-join your glue-ups. I say, "Whenever possible" because you will not be able to use a biscuit joiner on very thin lumber. On the other hand, very thin lumber (3/8", for instance) does not usually have enough strength to pop open a joint. So, with very thin lumber, you will simply be using glue without biscuits. With regard to lumber ¾" or thicker, I have seen a number of table tops, cabinet doors and cabinet casings open up along a glue line after delivery. At this point, repairs are difficult or impossible so the extra step of biscuit joining is well worth the minor time and expense. Look on it as major headache insurance! If you don't yet own a biscuit joiner, there are a number of great machines out there including Porter Cable, Lamello and Freud. There are also two good alternatives to using a biscuit jointer: Those are the Festool Domino floating tenon joiner and the Freud Doweling Joiner. Different methods, same result.

When you have your boards laid out the way you want them in the glue-up, make sure all the ends are flush and the edge joints are touching. Double-check to make sure the glue-up will be about an inch wider than the final product after trimming. With a builder's square or a straightedge mark a pencil line in 4" in from each end of the rough glue-up across the grain, crossing all glue lines but not continuing over the side edges of the glue-up. Make a similar pencil line across the grain at the mid-point of the boards. Make additional pencil lines half-way between the other pencil lines until all pencil lines are about 6" apart.

Mark the boards on one end "A","B","C" or "1","2","3", etc. so that you can put them back together in the same order when it is time to glue them up. Put the boards aside and nail, screw or clamp a stop board (scrap) to the bench top, left to right in front of you and about a foot in from the edge of the bench. As you are applying pressure with the biscuit jointer, while making mortises for the biscuits, this stop board will keep the board you are mortising from moving away from you. Make a mortise wherever a pencil line touches a board edge on every board.

GLUE-UP AND CLAMPING

There are two ways to clamp up a glue-up: horizontally on the bench top and vertically with the first board mortised-edge-up in a woodworking vise on the end or side of the bench. In the case of horizontal glue up, place pipe or bar clamps about 2 feet apart on the bench top with the clamp handles hanging slightly over the edge of the bench. Pre-adjust the clamps to an inch larger opening than they will be when tightened. Place the first board on edge on top of and across the clamps with the mortises facing up. Do the same with all the boards, in order. Make sure you have sufficient biscuits for the job ready.

A small dispensing glue bottle with sufficient glue for the job should be within easy reach. The type of glue is important: If the glue dries too quickly you will have big problems and if the glue dries too slowly, you will be losing valuable production time. I like to use Franklin Titebond Glue indoors or Franklin Titebond II for outdoor applications. These are "aliphatic resin" type glues that can be easily cleaned up with water. Ether formula gives a very strong joint and has a reasonable, 45-minute clamping time. Both of these glues are widely available in hardware stores, home improvement centers and woodworking stores.

Run about a 1/8"-thick glue line down the center of the edge of the first board, making sure that the glue drops into every biscuit mortise along the way. Then apply short glue lines on both sides of every mortise. This should result in sufficient glue so that it appears squeezed out of both sides of every glue joint after clamping. Insert a biscuit into each mortise. With 2" lumber, you may need an extra glue line for the full length of the joint. There is no such thing as too much glue because you can wipe up the excess with a wet rag. There is, however such a thing as not enough glue and you will recognize that condition when you see that glue is not being squeezed out of the full length of both sides of the glue joint. That is called "starving the joint" and starved joints often open up later. Glue is cheap! Don't skimp on it!

Lay down the first board with the letter or number up and the mortised edge away from you. Apply glue in the same manner to each succeeding board wherever there are mortises and place biscuits in the far edge of each board, except, of course the last board.

The board ends should be flush and the left clamp should be about 6" in from the end. The right clamp should be about 1-foot six inches in from the right end. This is because you will be placing alternately spaced clamps on the top side of the glue-up so that there is a clamp (top or bottom) about every foot. The top, right clamp will be in about 6" from the right end.

Once you have all of this in place, start tightening the clamp handles. Clamp all the bottom clamps finger tight, then the top clamps finger tight. Then, go down the row of clamps tightening them fully, bottom, top, bottom, top, etc. With a wet rag, wipe off most of the excess glue. Turn over the entire glue-up and wipe the other side. Look at your watch or clock and add 45 minutes to the time. This will be the minimum clamping time, any time after which you may remove the glue-up from the clamps. Mark this time on the glue-up with a felt pen. If you have multiple glue-ups, you can stand this glue-up against a wall to get it out of the way while it dries.

If you have been paying attention to the above, then you can figure out how to do a vertical glue-up in a vise which is suitable for smaller glue-ups and is easier to manage. The difference is that when it comes time to apply the glue, you will clamp the first board at its center in the vise with the mortises facing up. Apply the glue and biscuits. Apply glue to the mating edge of the second board and place it in correct orientation on top of the first board, and so on. Place the first clamp 6" in from the end, in front, the second clamp a foot away from the first clamp, in back and so on.

Once your glue-up is out of the clamps, it is ready to be thickness sanded either in a drum sander or wide-belt sander. If you don't have either of these machines, don't worry. Most professional furniture-manufacturing shops in your area will be happy to thickness sand your glue-ups for an hourly rate. You might want to consider buying your own drum sander or wide-belt sander, if you can justify the expense.

It is best to know the maximum width capacity of the sanding machine you will be using: 48"-wide glue-ups will not pass through a 36"-wide sander. If you know that you will have this limitation in advance, simply make two, 24" glue-ups and glue those together with biscuits after the thickness sanding is complete. The glue line won't be perfectly even and so it will have to be sanded true with a random orbit sander. Your glue-up should be sanded to at least 150 grit. 220 grit is even better. Trim the glue-up on the table saw to its final dimensions, rout the edges, if appropriate, and then random orbit sand the final piece to 220 or 320 grit before finishing.

For some woodworkers, gluing up lumber may not be the most interesting part of the craft. It is one of the most important, however, because a glue-up done incorrectly can be a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, the way you orient the boards in the glue-up will have a lasting and irreversible effect of the beauty of the finished project.

Bob Gillespie

Woodworker

©2010 Robert M. Gillespie, Jr.

Woodworking 101 - How to Properly Edge-Glue Boards Into Panels

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Growth in Online Trading and Credit Card Online Payment Options

Online shopping has simply changed the art of purchasing; a lot more can be done by online. Credit card had opened a new window of online shopping and trading. World's top 10 shopping sites like Amazon and eBay are purely empowered based online payment option. PayPal is another website, which makes payment on behalf of your credit card. Is not just a luxury which it used to be, it's a necessity today. Most of the transaction would just not work without a credit card.

In the world of contemporary market "Internet" where lots of people make purchase through credit cards, it is undoubtedly single most important thing.

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Here the key benefits of Online Credit Card Applications:

• Convenience and quick transactions
• No banking related paper works
• Almost zero processing charges
• On the spot transaction
• Low chances of data encryption
• International transactions and trade easier than ever

As have numerous applications in online market, Cash and Cheques are no more the only options to make payment. The new products and services keep offering benefits for holders. Through internet gateway, card holders are entitled to different facilities. With the special credit facilities, many companies offer pop up services at the most flexible rates. So there're plenty of options to do e-deals and make the best choice. Huge number of websites supports a range of credit options with comparable different interest rates and monthly fees.

Lot of people today prefer credit card over any other payment options just because it's quite convenient and efficient in terms of operations. Apart from above mentioned some key benefits, it is a very popular mode of offline transactions as well.

The transaction on applications available today is quite simple and easy to use. The customer is only asked to feed the details in from the credit card and transaction is made.

As all the required necessary information is passed through the web based filtered services while the rest of the things are managed by companies or banks. That's why the information you provide them in the site page is fairly enough to process the transactions to go ahead. Luckily, these systems work quite properly and no problems as such making the final choice on both the sides. While using your card in online applications you must be careful as there fraudulent applications as well which tend to take your money to unidentified accounts. You must know and trust the application you are using while doing any online transaction.

Growth in Online Trading and Credit Card Online Payment Options

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How To Get Cheap Airline Tickets to Peru

(Sidenote: If by any chance you have plans to travel, then don't buy that ticket until you have read my review on a book that contains an insider's guide to help you get up to 75% discount on airfares. Refer to the bottom of the article for more info.)

Do you want to explore Peru and see the Machu Picchu perhaps? Peru has a lot of sights for the hungry-eyed traveler whose fondness extends from history to archaeological adventures. In Peru you get them all!

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If Peru seems to be a distant dream because money is a problem, when will you ever start to realize that dream? There are several agencies offering cheap airline tickets to Peru that could help you realize that long time dream of seeing the old ruins of the Machu Picchu and the exotic sights of Lima.

Some travel agencies based in the United States may not be able to offer you cheap airline tickets to Peru because they are only middlemen acting in behalf of the airline companies and have no control whatsoever on the ticket prices. As middlemen, they aim to profit out of your ticket purchase and definitely you cannot be sure that what you are getting from them are indeed cheap airline tickets to Peru.

Secondly, middle agencies add huge margins over the ticket prices to the actual cheap airline tickets to Peru, making them expensive in return knowing that the consumer cannot do anything about it when the demand is high.

But hey, since you went to them, they can do anything they want. Remember that the principle of business is making money and cheap airline tickets to Peru, don't really offer these agencies much money. So when the demand is high, they would rather go in for the kill and offer expensive tickets to buyers who would be willing to pay extra.

How To Get Cheap Airline Tickets to Peru

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Monday, November 28, 2011

Phoenix Real Estate Schools

Travel and home magazines describe Phoenix as a tropical paradise. Financial and investment publications feature articles about the real estate situation in Phoenix and its rich economic vitality. As a result of this demand for property, real estate brokers and agents have a thriving practice. This has motivated many people to seek a career in the real estate business. As in any other field, professionals in the real estate business require specialized education.

Real estate schools coach and train aspiring real estate agents and guide them through the mandatory certification and examination process. These schools also offer their expertise in helping a student acquire real estate licenses.

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Real estate schools in Phoenix offer online courses and the duration ranges from a month to a year. Typically, one year of study is required to complete a pre-license course. Completing a pre-license course gives students 63 hours of credit, which is required as a prerequisite for the real estate sales associate license. On completion, a student would have met the educational prerequisite to appear for the Phoenix State Exam. It is not necessary to be a U.S. Citizen or a Phoenix resident to obtain a Phoenix real estate license. The eligibility criterion are that the applicant must be at least 18 years of age, he/she should not have had a real estate license denied within one year or revoked within the two years prior to the application date.

Phoenix real estate schools provide adequate knowledge and support to its students in order to make them masters of the profession. It is advisable to plan the course as per each individual?s requirements and availability of time.

In recent times, many real estate schools have sprung up in Phoenix. Experts advise caution when choosing one for enrollment. Some of these schools are relatively new and do not have sufficient credentials to back their claims. It is believed that many don't even have a standardized curriculum. Choosing a reputed real estate school with a updated curriculum and practical sessions is critical to becoming a successful real estate professional.

Phoenix Real Estate Schools

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Application For the Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is an American reality race program broadcast by CBS. Since its start in 2001 TAR has had twelve series and has been hugely successful. It has received seven Prime time Emmy Awards and has provided the United States with some wonderful viewing. Application for the Amazing Race is a complicated procedure and there are many considerations which are taken into account.

applications and investigations in earth science

Each time must be made up of two members and to be eligible for application for the Amazing Race these two members must have a significant, and usually long term, relationship. There have been teams of spouses, siblings (including twins), business partners and almost every other coupling imaginable. There have even been two beauty queens who were past rivals. Although most couples must have had a relationship that has lasted for three years or more, exceptions have been made to this ruling in a few cases.

APPLICATION

Application for the Amazing Race is made by application form which is available either from CBS or can be downloaded from the Amazing Race website. Not only must you complete the written form but you must also include a short video of up to three minutes. This video will be used by the producers to decide whether they are interested in meeting you at an interview and taking your application further. They are looking for people who come across well on film and have a character that will be suitable for the Amazing Race. If they feel that both members of the team have the right personality, looks and commitment, then they may ask you to join a team of finalists in one of several major cities in the United States.

When filling in your application for the Amazing Race, you will be ask to sign a contract to confirm your agreement to a number of points. One of these will be a background check. The show will have the right to carry out any background investigations that they feel necessary. This will be at their discretion. They will also want to know about any misdemeanor or felony that you may have been responsible for in your past (with the exception of minor traffic offences).

Another condition of your application for the Amazing Race will be that you sign a confidentiality contract. This will mean that you will not be able to talk to anyone regarding any issues concerning the recording of the show or any issues relating to the content of the shows. This will ensure the show being aired without the audience being aware of where the teams will be heading or indeed any other plans for the series. If you are considering applying for the Amazing Race, take plenty of time to complete the application form. You will find 8 pages of quite intense questions and do not forget that it is the way in which you answer these all important questions that will help decide whether or not you become a contestant on one of America's most popular game shows.

Application For the Amazing Race

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Are You a Good Online MBA Candidate?

Almost all applicants for online MBA programs would ask themselves this question when they submit their applications to any business school they prefer. They are eager to know whether they can be accepted by the universities to pursue the online study. On the other hand, the admission officers who process the applications are also asking themselves whether they make the right selection on the candidates for their MBA program.

As online MBA is a very intense program, most of the well known business schools are looking out for those applicants who have prior knowledge about the program and they are also clear about what they want from the program. In order to be accepted by the top business schools, there are a few key areas that you need to focus in order to stand a better chance to admit yourself to the reputable universities.

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Your application is the most important aspect that makes you a great candidate. An impressive and completed application form determines whether you can be accepted into an MBA program. In general, it is a must for all the applicants to fill up the application forms provided by the universities. Make sure you list down all your academic qualifications, your work experience as well as the social activities you get involved. Do not leave any part of the application form blank. Besides that, attach the letters of recommendation from your employer and also other referees who have high enough title in the organizations. Getting good referees who can strongly recommend you will enable you to stand a higher chance to be enrolled to the online MBA program.

While preparing the application form, you need to ensure that you have got a high GMAT score to be included in your application form. The result for GMAT is important as this evaluation is used to assess the potential candidates according to the field of study they select.

If your application and GMAT score are as good as it should be, then there would be high possibility for you to be short listed for the face to face interview or telephone interview. This interview is another critical aspect of the online MBA admission process. The interviewer can determine how good a candidate you are for their MBA degree. Do not panic when you are called for interview. Get yourself prepared for the possible questions. It is necessary for you to you're your high interest and strong determination to pursue the online program.

In fact, there are many preparations you need to do before you enroll yourself to the online MBA program. It is indeed important to portray yourself as a good candidate who can achieve great success in this program.

Are You a Good Online MBA Candidate?

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Find a Part-Time Job For Free!

Do you need to find a part-time job? Join a group of thousands and thousands of Americans nationwide. Just know that it should not cost you anything! Finding a job should be free, and with the many, many services out there that you can use, it will be. First of all, anyone charging you to find a job should deliver something special, certainly not something that you can go on your own and get. Agreed?

While there are services out there to help professionals find work, there should be no need for such services if you are trying to find a part-time job or a seasonal job. There is nothing that a flat fee company can do that you could not do. Pounding the pavement is the cheapest form of finding a job. Get ready for disappointment but do not get discouraged. Persistence is the key.

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Some of the best hiring application opportunities for part-time jobs are the Best Buy application, the Pizza Hut application, the Walmart job application, just to mention a few. Students everywhere will be applying for a job as school lets out for Summer. But additionally there are adults also seeking for secondary job employment to help catch up on late bills, and help close the gap between their expenses and their primary salaries. The whole country is playing catch-up and adults and the elderly are leading the pack. So teenagers expect more competition for those part-time jobs than ever before. Needless to say, keep on searching and eventually your searches will be fruitful. Do not give up, it may seem hopeless, but there are jobs out there. I wish everyone searching for a job, much success in their future employment endeavors.

Find a Part-Time Job For Free!

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Beauty in No Time With These Make Up Ideas!

Eyes are said to be capable of revealing feelings and reactions. For this reason, eyes are dubbed as the window of ones soul. This then prompts people especially women to take particular attention to the appearance of the eyes. When it comes to eye appearance, the proper use of eye makeup is necessary. Creating a fabulous eye make-up is a lot more complicated as the make up of the other parts of your face because of the numerous colors and methods you have to deal with. And because the eyes are the part of your face that creates the biggest impression, it is a must that you create great looking eyes through your eye cosmetics. Without any knowledge on the do's and don'ts on eye make-up classification, then it would lead to a disaster.

So, if you want to familiarize yourself with all the necessary information on the proper techniques on eye makeup, here are the eye make up ideas that are very basic yet helpful. After all these steps are followed, you can now brag and flaunt to your friends on your new knowledge on the most important part of cosmetics application.

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These guides will serve as your best friend. Aside from the fact that they are very easy to follow, these tips are also very effective. From now on, you won't encounter any hassles in putting your eye makeup. You can impress your colleagues, friends, and boss with your new look without which screams of beauty and sophistication. When it comes to the eyeliner, you need to find the one that you are comfortable with. This is actually the main key in all cosmetics application as it would be more effective if you can project the look where you are comfortable.

Basically, eyeliner can be available in pencil or liquid form. If you are more comfortable in the pencil form, then it can help you to the easy application of your make up. A pencil eyeliner is also an effective tool in creating a smokier look. If you prefer to put eyeliner on top and the bottom lids, it is recommended to start with the top lid. Apply the liner from the inside of the corner of the eye and continuing along the eyelash line going to the outer corner. If you are used to applying eyeliner to only the lid, this is the right time to correct this mistake as this could make your eyes look smaller.

For the eye shadow, the most important factor in choosing the right eye shadow is the color. Choose the colors that would best complement each other. Take note that the medium color is applied on the lower lid while the lighter colors are used for highlighting. The most recommended eye make up tip for eye shadow relates to the cream eye shadows. Applying the light neutral powered eye shadow will stop the cream eye shadow from creasing. To ensure an even color, sweep the brush across the eyelid. And most importantly, never choose an eye shadow color that matches your eyes. Instead of making your eye stand out, it would just blend to the color of your eyes.

These are just among the numerous eye make up ideas that would help you look and feel beautiful without exerting too much effort. Take note of all the important tips and notice the envious stares of other women as you pass by.

Beauty in No Time With These Make Up Ideas!

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Luxury Apartment Living in Modern Suburban Communities

Like many of my generation, I left fast pace, aggressive city living for a kinder, gentler lifestyle in South Florida. I sought temporary living accommodations, because I was sure that my housing wants and needs would become more apparent and defined once I settled into the tropical lifestyle, assuming they didn't change altogether. So, I set out to rent an apartment from among South Florida's abundant supply of luxury apartment communities.

Once I had made my decision to move I was eager to find a place to live and allotted myself a week in which to accomplish the task. Before leaving for Florida, I started my groundwork and searched online using a variety of websites that cater to the needs of people relocating and seeking housing in Florida. After I arrived in Florida, I picked up a couple of free paperback guides at the local supermarket, which proved more useful than I ever would have imagined. Finding a new home was going to be a snap, I thought.

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IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, YOU WON'T FIND IT HERE.I quickly learned that sometimes too many options can be (almost) as frustrating as too few, and came down with an acute case of "analysis paralysis" trying to sift through the dozens of possibilities I had before me. Initially, all I really knew was that I needed a place to live and that I wanted it to be somewhere on Florida's Gold Coast, that vast region stretching from West Palm Beach south to the Florida Keys. With the Atlantic Ocean bordering the region to the east and the everglades to the west, I felt fortunate that my region of interest was fairly narrow, even if it had been longer than I would have preferred.

My next move was to buy a map of the region and select some criteria to focus my search and further limit my search area. Some considerations were more obvious than others were. For example, I knew I'd need a job and that, in my field, the prospects for finding one would dramatically increase with my proximity to the larger, denser urban areas of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. However, I also knew that, with my luck, it was more than a possibility I'd land a job in less likely West Palm Beach and probably the day after the ink dried on my apartment lease in a community in the midst of one of those more prominent cities. I decided to hedge my bet and search within the nondescript area of Southern Palm Beach County-Northern Broward County, somewhat equidistant in space and time between the polar extremes of West Palm Beach and Miami.

In an attempt to further minimize my potential commutation time, I figured it might be a good idea to find a place near the region's two major north-south highways, I-95 and the Florida Turnpike. Seeing still too many options on my list, I knew that further limiting myself to moderately priced communities would be sure to eliminate both the high end and more affordable extremes. I soon discovered that seeking moderate pricing would also narrow the geographic scope of my search, as I would now be looking too cheap to be near the Atlantic Ocean, but expensive enough to avoid sleeping with the gators in the glades.

Although I had done my best to winnow my list, I still had too many communities to evaluate in detail within the week's deadline I had set for myself. I also knew that the kind of evaluation I needed to do would require more than a seat-of-the-pants review of the various apartment websites and paperback guides that I had at my disposal. It was time to get out in the field and kick a little dirt and wrestle with some bricks and mortar.

YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE. How hard could that be? I wondered. I had limited myself to a mere twenty-mile radius centered somewhere on Military Trail, between Boca Raton and Delray Beach, and I already possessed the complete addresses for all the communities I intended to visit. All I had to do was plan a logistically sensible itinerary, hop in my car and go take a look. As I started to plot each day's itinerary on my map, I realized that having an address offered little insight into a destination's location. After all, this was laid back Florida where residents come and go at a leisurely pace and show little concern about how long it takes to find their destination. Sure, South Florida has addresses, but no one abides by them, not even the mailmen. Around these parts, if you want to know where to go, you ask someone for directions, and get accustomed to hearing them in terms of mileage, number of traffic lights, or counting local landmarks like Winn-Dixies or Exxon stations.

I learned quickly that most street addresses are useless, especially those on streets that don't extend more that a couple of miles, or those on streets that change their names occasionally along the route. Adding to the confusion is the fact that every other town seems to have a road, street, avenue, or boulevard named "Atlantic" or "Ocean," or has street numbers and directional designations that from the perspective of passersby seem to emanate from some fictitious place. Streets that don't calibrate evenly like, for example, NE (Northeast) 47th street, followed immediately by NE 52nd street, and then NE 89th street are bad enough. But, when they intersect, say, SW (Southwest) 11th avenue, you start to wonder if you've found a new wrinkle in our universe's space-time continuum.

Many apartment communities just make matters worse by concocting their own "exclusive" street addresses specially designed to give their locations cache, even if they lack a spatial context. In reality, the addresses exist only on their own community site maps and usually relate to nothing more than a long driveway extending from public access roads to their front gates.

LOTS OF DATA, BUT NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION. Street address numbers are among the most heavily guarded secrets in Florida. Many places don't even bother to display them or display them so poorly that even a pair of eagle eyes and x-ray vision can't spot them modestly displayed behind palm trees, store signs, shopping center marquees and the like. Besides, in my experience, following address numbers are more likely to hinder than help. Sometimes they lull you into a false sense of security as you observe them ascending or descending toward your destination only to find them jump ahead or completely reverse direction when you pass from one town to the next.

After these revelations, I knew that nothing short of some serious old-fashioned dead reckoning was going to be required in order to find my way. That meant picking up a phone, calling leasing offices, and asking for specific driving directions to their apartment communities. In some cases, I literally had to simulate in my mind taking the actual trip by visualizing all its landmarks before ever leaving my driveway. Gone were the days when travel directions were a matter of pinpointing a major intersection near a destination on a map and then leaving the rest up to an organized grid of roads to get there.

As I approached the entrance of the first community on my list, I couldn't help feeling the sense of accomplishment I imagined Magellan had felt after circumnavigating the globe, albeit on a much, much smaller scale. However, I realized my celebration was pre-mature as I sat in my car outside the property's heavy metal gates trying to guess the magic words that would get me inside. I followed the instructions posted on the gates' sophisticated telephone directory system, but was denied access just the same. I ultimately ended up sneaking in behind a resident entering with an electronic key card. I learned during subsequent visits to these so-called secured, gated communities that sneaking in was part of the normal routine, which explains why none of the representatives I met at the various leasing offices I visited ever wondered how I got in without their assistance.

GOOD LEASING FOLKS CAN EASE THE PROCESS. I'm pleased to say that most of the leasing representatives I met at the more than two- dozen communities I visited that week were highly professional and efficient in discharging their obligation to enlighten me about their apartments. The really good ones cut to the chase and sized-up their offerings quickly. Many answered questions before I had asked them and usually with a few well chosen words and the aid of brochures, fact sheets and apartment floor plans and site maps. I was particularly glad when some representatives dispensed with filling out all the pre-application paperwork until after showing me their available units. As far as I was concerned, it was a complete waste of time for both of us unless and until I decided I wanted to live there.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY SMOKE AND MIRRORS. The fun part of the process was actually making inspections of the apartments. It was also the time I felt the need to start paying close attention to what I was doing. Some apartment communities will only show you model apartments they reserve specifically for that purpose, which are designed to help prospective tenants visualize living there. Needless to say, virtually all the models I saw looked brand new, tastefully furnished, and in much better condition than the apartments actually available to rent. And, except for giving a sense of the layout of a floor plan (and some communities have many) and how furniture might be arranged, models give little insight into the finish quality of the apartments actually available to new tenants. They also offer no sense of your neighbors or any other features that relate to the ambience of your apartment, such as its views or its exposure to light, air, and noise.

PRETEND YOU LIVE THERE. I learned quickly that the easiest way to become enthusiastic about or eliminate an apartment was to examine its layout, especially paying particular attention to room configurations, connecting walls and sight lines. If, for example, while standing at the front door, I was able to see all the bedroom and bathroom doors, I knew immediately I was ready to move on to the next apartment and hopefully one that would give the appearance (if not the reality) of more privacy. If layouts flowed logically with, say, kitchens situated near dining areas but separated from other living areas, I was satisfied and moved on to examining the rooms themselves.

During my inspections, I came to appreciate that room quality was not only a matter of size, but also shape and wall space considerations. Large rooms are great, but those with imaginative polygon shapes create odd angled corners that are difficult to utilize. In the same way, wall surfaces that are too encumbered with closets, windows and doors could make even rudimentary furniture placement a frustrating exercise.

The number and placement of doors and how well they separate living spaces was another consideration. For example, some master bathrooms have toilet closets, but no doors separating the shower/bath tub from bedrooms, which won't suffice if you're claustrophobic or finicky about not wanting shower humidity spreading throughout your home. Kitchens without doors can be troublesome too, unless adequate care has been taken to prevent cooking odors from wafting throughout the home.

While examining rooms, I took particular note of the number and spacing of electric outlets, and telephone and cable jacks available throughout an apartment. It came as no surprise that older properties do not usually cater well to today's space-age electrical, entertainment and telecommunications requirements.

SOME PRISONS HAVE MORE WINDOWS. Windows were by far the biggest disappointment I encountered in all apartments across the board. Generally, there aren't enough of them, they're small and rarely found in kitchens or bathrooms. To make matters worse, most (if not all) tended to be on one side of apartments. It amazes me that in a place like Florida with all its sunshine, clean air and pleasant climate (at least 6 months a year), more care isn't taken by architects and builders to optimize the use of windows in residential structures. Suffice it to say that fresh air cross ventilation is hard to come by in Florida, so get used to working your air conditioner hard, because you'll need it and every ceiling fan you can install to pump air through your home all day long, all year long. Another important factor about windows is simply the direction they face. For example, if you like it cool, you should select a northern exposure, or alternatively, if you'd rather bask in sunshine all day long, then a southern exposure will be to your liking. A preference for cool mornings or cool afternoons will translate into a preference for western and eastern exposures, respectively.

SO MUCH FOR AN OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE. Patios were my second biggest disappointment with Florida apartments, and for similar reasons as windows. In general, they're too small and confining to provide a relaxed, comfortable living experience. Most amazingly, few patios are screened-in to provide adequate protection from all those lower forms of life that seem to outnumber humans by many orders of magnitude, especially during the summer. In addition, surprisingly few have overhanging roofs or eaves to provide that little extra protection from sunshine and rain that at times can enhance the patio living experience. On the other hand, most patios have such poor views and overlook such noisy mechanical equipment that you probably won't want to spend any quality time out there anyway. Those of you who look forward to napping on the patio will best appreciate the importance of these seemingly nitpicky comments.

Among other factors, don't overlook the importance of elevation to the overall quality of the apartment living experience. Most of the apartment communities I visited charge a nominal rental premium for an upper floor apartment (approximately per month), probably because upper floor apartments don't have pesky noisy neighbors overhead throwing cigarette butts off their patios. They are also less likely to be flooded from rainstorms and tend to receive fewer visits from all those critters you'll find on your unscreened patios (ants, spiders, lizards, etc.) that Floridians have learned to coexist with. However, along with the superior views and access to light and air that upper floors provide is the excessive heat and possibility of leaks (on top floors). Upper floor units sometimes offer the amenity of a vaulted or cathedral ceiling that can enhance the light and air or feeling of spaciousness in an apartment.

DON'T BE TOO IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE SHINY GADGETS. During most of my apartment inspections, the leasing representatives did their best to talk around the aforementioned design flaws and tried to "sell" me on all the gadgets and labor saving conveniences that typically come with luxury apartments. Many apartments come equipped with washers and dryers (which I prefer to be installed in utility closets off the kitchen or outside on the patio, instead of adjacent to carpeted living areas). By the way, if washers and dryers aren't featured in an apartment, you better get a peek at your apartment community's on-site laundry facility. Many communities offer dishwashers, garbage disposals, oversized bathtubs, microwave ovens, refrigerators with icemakers, and one or more ceiling fans, in order to enhance the comfort of their apartments.

MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO STRETCH YOUR LEGS. After touring apartments that met my basic criteria, I spent some time walking the communities to get a sense of their residents, a feel for their comfort and ambience and to inspect their amenities. Also, as I strolled I took particular note of how well properties appeared to be maintained. Although most luxury apartments will be up to snuff on the day you move in, even the newest and best built will require routine maintenance and repairs from time to time. Walking around may also give you some insight into the mindset and proficiency of the management and maintenance crew. If the common areas are well maintained (e.g., clean and recently painted, parking lots well paved, landscaping well groomed, and few signs of deferred maintenance), chances are better that the same philosophy and vigilance will apply to the upkeep of your apartment.

The best single place for a maintenance inspection is the pool and its surrounding lounge area, which usually is the most popular common area within a community. Most leasing tours for prospective tenants begin with a tour of the pool area, which is usually centrally located adjacent to the property's leasing and property management center. As a community's showcase, these areas are usually better maintained than other less visible areas. So, if the pool area needs a renovation, you should wonder how the rest of the property looks.

SWIMMING POOLS OR CEMENT PONDS? Even if the pool area is well maintained, you may not be all that impressed with the scale and scope of those facilities. Before I started my search it was inconceivable that I would find such woefully inadequate pool facilities in a place where sun bathing and swimming take place more than 300 days per year. In general, pools are small and shallow (barely 5 feet deep in some cases), not very well maintained and surrounded with only enough lounge chairs to accommodate 5% of their tenant population. Most of the places I visited had whirlpool spas, but some are barely larger than bath tubs, are not particularly well maintained, and are as likely to be out of service as they are to be operating on any given day of the week. Even more surprising is the fact that some brand new apartment communities I visited, which typically pride themselves on being loaded with recreational amenities, are not even bothering to build these all-popular whirlpool spas into their otherwise state-of-the-art properties.

DO-IT-YOURSELF TORTURE CHAMBERS. In most cases, health clubs are small, dark unfriendly spaces that suffer from a serious lack of cable TV entertainment and exterior light and views. If I had to use such facilities, I know I'd be even more eager than usual to finish my workout. Except for basic treadmills, stationary bicycles and free weights, the other equipment in some of these facilities looks as though it is borrowed from The Smithsonian. As for other forms of recreation, some apartment communities provide tennis courts, bicycle paths, basketball courts and kiddy playgrounds, but not necessarily in a state of repair you might consider inviting.

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. After one inspection, I started to pay attention to some of the amenities I would normally take for granted, such as where and how tenants go about retrieving mail or disposing of garbage. Tenant mail facilities range from the expected (i.e., located near apartments, sheltered from the elements by a breeze way or some other structure) to the ridiculous (i.e., all huddled together in the middle of a parking lot completely unprotected from the rain and sunshine, and dangerously close to moving vehicles). You may not mind waiting for the rain to stop to pick up your mail, but you can rest assured the mailman isn't going to wait when he/she delivers it. If you live in one of those unfortunate places, you better have your mail delivered to a post office box, or get used to opening soggy mail.

As for the trash disposal, I resigned myself to the fact that the best I could expect would be having one large compactor and storage facility located near the exit of my community, regardless of how large an area that might be. The obvious advantage of such an arrangement is that tenants won't have to smell or look at garbage anywhere else within the community and won't have to be bothered by noisy garbage men carting it away in the wee morning hours. However, I'm still getting used to a routine of hopping in my car every time I need to dispose of trash or coordinating garbage runs with my daily travel schedule.

PEEK OVER THAT SECURITY GATE BEFORE SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE. Before registering a community on my short list of acceptable options, I made sure I drove completely around its periphery, and noted its proximity to public utility plants, highway interchanges, or some other equally undesirable land uses. In the process, I was sure to check out its neighborhood amenities, especially within a five-minute drive. Most appealing community locales were off main drags but near most of the daily conveniences I'd likely need, including supermarkets, restaurants, drug stores, banks, movies, etc.

Communities within 15 minutes of shopping centers, entertainment hubs and other desirable landmarks were placed high on my short list. As a contrast, some of the communities I visited were long hauls from commercial activity of any kind, and some were near special facilities I'd be more likely to visit on a monthly or annual basis, like Lowe's Home Improvements, Home Depot, furniture outlets, vacuum cleaner distributors, and so on.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS. I am pleased to report that I live in a community that provides a reasonable blend of the four major features I had sought from the outset: decent living accommodations (spacious, functional layout, with a view); basic community amenities (good swimming pool and safe, convenient access to personal mail boxes and trash disposal facilities); abundant neighborhood shopping opportunities; and good accessibility to major highways and regional employment centers. Best of all, I reside near the intersection of two important road arteries, which means visitors can find me on a map even using the most schematic maps of the region.

Over the course of my inspections, certain facts emerged as apparent truths. And, you should be aware that some of the foregoing comments apply to other areas of Florida and other types of housing (like condominiums and single family homes) as well as luxury apartment rentals. Readers are encouraged to verify similarities and differences across geographic areas and housing types based on their own experience.

Some general comments are worth noting. Notwithstanding the extreme volatility in residential real estate markets recently, Luxury garden-apartment-style communities in this area of South Florida still rent for .00 (give or take) per square foot per month. That means a 900 square foot apartment will rent for approximately 0 per month. Not surprisingly, one bedroom units have the highest per square foot rents; three bedroom units the lowest. Some communities charge extra for water, sewer and trash removal. Most charge a rental premium for certain apartment views (especially golf course or lake views), upper floor apartments and pets.

Newer doesn't always mean better and be aware that down here 10 years is considered old, if not a lifetime. Unlike other more traditional regions of the US, old residences down here are not considered classic, vintage, or quaint, but rather just plain obsolete and undesirable. However, as the expression goes, "they ain't building them like they used to" and if you want spacious, well proportioned, logical layouts you're going to have to look at the old stuff. The best compromise is to find an old unit that has recently been completely renovated and refurbished.

Age 55 plus communities cater to the seniors, but those without such designations don't necessarily cater to the young single adult population. In my experience, the only tangible difference between the tenancies of the two types is the existence of lots of toddlers and teenagers in the latter.

Like everything else in life, tradeoffs do exist in trying to find that perfect blend of apartment features. In South Florida, within a given price range, if you want to be near the Ocean, you're going to accept older, lesser accommodations. Newer properties tend to have more and better site amenities, such as pools, health clubs and tennis courts, but tend to be located farther away from regional employment centers and shops and facilities you'll need to visit daily, such as food stores, restaurants, drug stores, banks, etc.

Finally, if you want to enjoy fresh air, sunshine and truly experience the lifestyle that has fostered Florida's growth during the past several decades, you'll just have to go to the beach!

Luxury Apartment Living in Modern Suburban Communities

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