Roseannas Blog

Kangaroos

The kangaroo is a singular creature. What other animal can jump a distance of 28 feet, or a height of 6 feet? What other animal can hop at speeds of 43 miles per hour? What other animal uses its muscular tail as a third “leg” to help balance and stabilize and holds kickboxing matches to determine breeding rights? There’s only one animal that fits this description-the kangaroo.

At the mention of the word kangaroo two words instantly jump into people’s minds: pouch and Australia. Indeed, these large marsupials are natives to the land down under. Three species of kangaroos populate the continent: Reds, Eastern Grays, and Western Grays. Since man appeared 50,000 years ago kangaroos have been an important resource to Australia’s Indigenous peoples and have been used for food, clothing, and shelter. They are still hunted today, but only under strict government control. Specially adapted for the fragile ecosystem, kangaroos thrive in their home.

Kangaroos are the largest surviving marsupials in the world. A male buck can reach 6 ½ feet tall, and weigh 200 pounds. Female flyers are slightly smaller. Their babies, called joeys, are born at only 31-36 days gestation. (This is developmentally equivalent to a 7 week old human embryo!) At only 0.35 ounces, the joey’s forelimbs are developed enough to climb from the birth canal to its mother’s pouch, where it attaches to one of four teats. There it stays cuddled up for nine months, transforming from a hairless, pink, bean-sized mite, to an irresistibly furry, doe-eyed darling. Then it will venture out of the security of its pouch for a short adventure before hopping back in. Its mother will feed and protect it another nine months, until her next joey is born. Flyers are perpetually pregnant once they reach maturity. Immediately after giving birth they go into heat. The fertilized embryo will go into a dormant state until the older joey has vacated the pouch. The milk produced by the flyer is specially suited to its growing joey’s needs. If she is simultaneously feeding an older and a younger joey, a flyer may produce two different kinds of milk!

The rangeland where kangaroos graze is hot and arid, but kangaroos are suited for their environment. To conserve energy and keep cool kangaroos are crepuscular, meaning that they rest during the day and are most active at twilight hours. They shelter under trees and in caves and rock clefts during the day. Instead of sweating and panting, kangaroos lick themselves all over to cool off. Their long hindquarters have a stretchy tendon and studies have shown that even the kangaroo’s breathing is synchronized with their rhythmic leaping. In this way their agile bodies are designed to be fast and energy-efficient, two important qualities that are needed to cover the long distances in search of food and water. Kangaroos are not built for walking, and their legs do not move independently of each other. Because of this they cannot walk backwards. This fact won kangaroos a prominent position on the Australian coat-of-arms, where it symbolized progress and forward movement.

Kangaroos travel in groups of ten or more called mobs, led by the largest dominant male, called the boomer. Boomers may wander in and out of the mob, but they retain exclusive breeding rights with the females. If the mob is approached by an infrequent predator, (dingoes, dogs, and carnivorous reptiles represent the kinds of animals who may prey on kangaroos), the group will scatter. Sometimes a kangaroo will fight its enemy, and can be a formidable foe. Using its front paws to hold its attacker, the kangaroo will disembowel the enemy with its powerful hindquarters. Few people know that kangaroos can swim, and they will sometimes lead an attacker to a pool. There they will hold the enemy underwater and drown it. These traits, as well as their ability to reproduce so rapidly, give kangaroos an advantage in the wild, where they are abundant. Kangaroos live 9-18 years.

The story is told about how kangaroos got their name. When Europeans first landed on the Australian continent they saw the creature for the first time, and in astonishment they asked an aborigine what it was called. The aborigine responded, “Kangaroo,” meaning I don’t understand your question. The Europeans thought that was its name, and from that time forward the world learned about the unique marsupial of Australia-the singular kangaroo.

Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content for Wildlife Animals www.wildlife-animals.com http://www.wildlife-animals.com and Riding Stable www.riding-stable.com http://www.riding-stable.com .

AP - Edgar Vincent, who represented Placido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Mikhail Baryshnikov and a bevy of stars in classical music during a six-decade career, died Thursday following an operation in New York. He was 90.

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I have a great tip for you that’s going to end all the doubt you had in your mind about golf setup and where the golf ball goes in your stance. It’s called ball position.

A lot of amateurs, unfortunately, address the golf ball, what I call, backwards. They come in and they put their feet down and try to aim where they’re going, either down the fairway or towards the pin, and then they just stand to the golf club that they’re holding onto. Sometimes their golf setup is too far back and sometimes it’s too far forward.

Other amateurs do this. They like to play all of their shots off their front foot. Some like to play all their shots off the middle of their stance. But let me tell you something, and I think this is really going to help you.

This weekend if you’re sitting around watching TV, watch the tour players and watch how they come up and they grip the golf club first, they take a look at where they’re going, and then they stand to the golf club that they’re using.

For instance, put the butt of the pitching wedge across from your belt buckle, and stand to the golf club with the face square and your shoulders going where you want them to go.

What that does is put the golf ball in the middle of your stance for your pitching wedge. Now, keep that stance with your 7 iron.

Now, the 7 iron is three inches longer than the pitching wedge. If you just stand there and grip it with your shoulders square, look how the golf ball is just starting to move forward in your stance over towards your left heel, and it’s about three inches apart.

Now, pick up your long iron and do the same thing. Keep your shoulders square, don’t move your stance, and grip the golf club. And all of a sudden, the long iron starts to move even further forward.

Lastly, watch this. During golf setup, when you hold your driver in your hand. If you just put the butt of the club across your belt buckle, put the club on the ground the way it was built in the factory and stand across from it with your shoulders square, that puts the golf ball across from your left foot.

It’s not complicated, but remember this: During golf setup, stand to the handle of the golf club. Don’t address the golf ball first, but address the golf club to the ball and then take your stance.

Copyright 2006 David Nevogt

David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of The Simple Golf Swing which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to www.golfswingguru.com http://www.golfswingguru.com .

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Your family is expanding, and you need to start planning the nursery for the little one. The choices may seem daunting at first, but if you take it a step a time, it’s not that hard. If this is your first, a lot of things will be taken care of by family and friends at a baby shower, but they will probably want your input.

Furniture

The variety of baby furniture is as large as adult furniture. You have your choice of many styles, wood stain color or painted, and new or used. While buying used furniture is frugal, be sure that the furniture still meets safety standards and check for any old recalls that may have been missed by the previous owner. Most used furniture is in very good shape, and is well worth the savings.

There are three basic types of beds for newborns, cradles, cribs and co-sleepers:

- Cradles are usually recommended for newborns, as it’s easier to keep near the parents’ bed, if there is room. It’s also more comforting for the newborn. However, the newborn outgrows the cradle fairly quickly.

- Cribs are an investment, but by shopping wisely, that investment will pay off in the long run. Many of the cribs today are convertible, so they can be reconfigured into a day bed, toddler bed, and eventually a twin bed, by simply adding supports and the larger mattress.

- Co-sleepers are becoming more popular as many families enjoy the closeness of a “family bed”, but don’t actually want the child in their bed full-time. They are an attachable mini-bed on the side of the parents’ bed. They allow the baby to be within arms reach for nighttime nursing, but still have separate sleeping areas. Many people prefer this to actually having the infant in bed with them, for safety reasons as well as a less traumatic transition later, when they feel it’s time for the big kid bed.

Dressers

Dressers are another important feature in a nursery. Most cribs have matching dresser sets, but it’s not necessary to have all of it match, as long as it coordinates nicely. Many dressers come with a changing table that can be placed on top, so the baby can still use the dresser as they grow.

Be sure that the dresser is a solid construction, and that it won’t tip over after the little one begins the climbing stage. Check that the knobs can not come off easily, as they can pose a choking hazard.

Bedding

The bedding is one of the most fun parts of any nursery (not counting the baby). There are endless choices for the bedding (which usually consists of sheets, bumper, sheets, and comforters). There are many varieties of the traditional pinks and blues patterns, as well as gender-neutral designs for the parents-to-be who wish to be surprised. One of the recent trends in bedding is using bright primary colors, especially combinations of red, black and white. Studies have shown that these colors help the newborn’s eyesight focus quicker.

There are hundreds of licensed character bedding sets, with matching accessories to decorate the nursery quickly and easily. Many of these are designs that most children will continue to love as they grow older, making it easy to save money in decorating in the future.

Adriana Copaceanu is a busy mom of 2. Visit her at www.busy-moms-online.com http://www.busy-moms-online.com if you are looking for ways to maximize your precious time. And if you are a new mom, you’ll find everything you need to know at her www.babys-first-year.com http://www.babys-first-year.com website.

Reuters - A Palestinian journalist said from his hospital bed on Monday that he was abused and injured by Israeli security personnel on his way home to the Gaza Strip after receiving a journalism award in Britain.

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Raise your hand if you:

- Have always gotten poor grades

- Constantly put off essay writing until the last minute

- Are under extreme academic pressure

- Hate essay writing?

All these factors can result in students who do not enjoy essay writing. How can you love something that is always associated with stress and fear?

And the sad part is that most students feel the same way. . .

For most students - essay writing is a chore they suffer through until they learn how to write essays that score well every time. Almost everyone feels the same in the earlier part of their school careers. If you plan to study further then you are going to make peace with essay writing. For many students - university is the time when essay writing becomes easier. Thus there is no choice but to learn to love essay writing.

Essay writing is often referred to as an art - and with good reason. It can take years of practice to perfect the craft. Most often students really become good at writing essays when they reach the end of their school careers!

The good news is that you can make essay writing fun through some simple shifts writing the essays assigned to you.

The key to academic success is to become efficient and to learn to love the process. After all by writing essays you are expanding your mind.

Efficient Essay Writing

With any essay the hardest part is to begin. The act of sitting down and putting pencil to the paper is the biggest hurdle.

Leaving an ample amount of time before an essay deadline is crucial. If you are always time pressed you will not have time to absorb the question, do the research and come to educated conclusions. By adding a little buffer you will be able to think, research and write up a beautiful essay with minimal fuss.

By removing some of the stress associated with your essay writing you can help create a good feeling about essays.

The essay writing process

Begin by breaking each part of the process up into steps. By breaking down what needs to be done you make the overall task easier. Tackle each part of the process - one at a time and you can make the task less daunting.

This also leaves more possibility for fun!

1. Thinking/absorbing/processing the question:

This is the most important part of the essay writing process. Once you have properly understood what the essay question is asking you - you can analyze what kinds of supporting research you will need. There is no need to formulate your entire argument yet - save that for later in the essay writing process. For now you need to understand exactly what the question is asking you. Highlight key terms and brainstorm some possible angles.

2. Research:

Thanks to the Internet - research has become much easier and more fun that it was in past generations. Without this super research tool we would all have to spend a great deal of time in the library searching for information.

But this doesn’t mean that libraries are obsolete. You can still find better information in a library (although soon there will be vast libraries in the Internet too!). If you are even slightly interested in the topic - simply typing the keywords in your assignment and googling them can provide a wealth of information and viewpoints. Be careful to keep the two separate. Whatever resources you use you must be sure to take good notes for referencing. Include the year, page number and any other information you can. This will make the process of writing much easier for you later. When writing university level essays you will have to reference each point you make so you will do yourself a huge favor by getting into the habit early.

3. Mapping out your argument:

With all that great research under your belt you can be sure that the next step will be easier. Take good notes and fit all your points into sections. Mind mapping is a great tool for organizing information in an efficient and fun way.

4. Writing it all up:

Undoubtedly the hardest part of the process is crafting the essay. But now that you have prepared thoroughly you will be able to relax and have some fun putting together your essay.

5. Referencing:

Because you took such good notes you are going to sail through the reference pages.

6. Polishing/Editing:

The easiest part, and definitely the most enjoyable. Going through your essay with your own red pen and editing it ruthlessly will ensure that you have a perfect essay to turn in when the deadline comes.

For many students - these kinds of tips can do little to ease the struggle of essay writing. You can also improve your academic performance by buying a custom written essay. Custom writing experts of www.Exclusive-Essays.com http://www.Exclusive-Essays.com provides custom research papers for students who are struggling academically. Let a professional write your essay for you - and use it to learn about how to answer essay questions.

Sandra Aniston is an outstanding custom essay writer of Exclusive-Essays.com http://Exclusive-Essays.com , a reliable company that provides professional custom essay writing & research services for students worldwide. Visit interesting Blog for useful articles.

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The success of an organisation does not solely depend on management but on the work of its staff as well. An employee that enjoys his or her position and feels rewarded by their efforts will ultimately be the most successful in their careers and the most beneficial to the company.

There is nothing like being around happy, satisfied staff that bring their optimism and productivity to the organisation. These are the employees who are the most attentive to the needs of the customer and strive to go that extra mile to be the most helpful.

A positive attitude is contagious and can change the attitude of every staff member around. However, just as a positive mindset is easily spread, so is a negative one. If a member of the team is unhappy, watch out! His or her negative attitude can become infectious - contaminating fellow co-workers and customers alike.

Pessimistic employees can breed an atmosphere of low morale which equals decreased productivity, employee turnover, and unproductive time spent gossiping and complaining among co-workers.

In order to combat negativity in the workplace, it is essential that employees experience ongoing motivation from management to perform their work to the best of their abilities. Regular contact with employees is necessary to show that you care about their contributions.

Another way to beat low morale is to develop an employee satisfaction survey. This is an easy, anonymous way for employees to voice their concerns and problems without being identified. Issues that are brought up from the survey can be addressed during an organisational meeting.

Extra ways that an employer can construct an environment that motivates employees include:

~Staff lunches
~Holiday celebrations
~Employee of the month
~Continuing education programs

An organisation that recognises that its employees are valuable and deserve to receive a certain amount of praise and recognition will benefit from increased productivity and employee satisfaction and retention, which in turn, will positively affect customer satisfaction. Otherwise, the expense of training each new employee so that they may excel in some OTHER organisation is foolish, time-consuming and expensive.

Management with the easy-come-easy-go mentality creates conflict, confusion and quite a bit of turnover in the workplace. Nothing positive can be gained by treating employees in such a manner. It’s no wonder that some employees treat their positions as a 9-to-5 job.

Any organisation can make changes for the better and help create an environment that is conducive to employee happiness. After all, the success of your business depends upon it.

The organisation with the right approach will be the one to reap the rewards of success.

Andrew Rondeau offers a FREE e-Course that informs and educates on all aspects of Management and Leadership. He is the author of top selling management e-Books including ‘Accelerate Your Management Effectiveness’. Article website - www.greatmanagement.org/ http://www.greatmanagement.org/ www.andrewrondeau.co.uk/ http://www.andrewrondeau.co.uk/

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney’s top adviser on Thursday refused to claim any responsibility for the adoption of harsh interrogation methods following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks during a combative exchange with congressional Democrats.

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The first method I recommend is taking articles you have written and placing them on article exchanges so that other websites may pick them up and publish them. Be sure to include your author’s bio with website links to your major websites. Usually only two websites are allowed. Also look into ezines that may be looking for content and offer your article for publishing provided they leave the bio box at the end of the article when published.

Give out advice on how to succeed in your field of expertise on your website. Of course you will want to include an advertisement for your website or product. You can also use your voice mail to start a weekly or monthly advice line on areas having to do with you website and advertising the voice mail. The only real problem is that if you don’t recognize the number calling you should not answer the phone so the voice mail can kick in.

You can do what is called a loss leader . Take an item you own and offer it as a free bonus to someone else’s main offering. This way when they buy from the other individuals products, your product with advertising of your website branded in it will go out with the purchased product of the other individual.

Linking and link exchanges are a good idea. There are several link exchanges out there that will help you get started at this for free.

These are some methods that many web sites use to generate thousands of traffic hits daily.

Don’t spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on things that do not work. The methods above work and are free. Make your website a success in traffic and not a failure. Good luck in your marketing adventure.

Copyright 2007 by Ian RoeBuck

Ian RoeBuck is an internet marketer with multiple streams of income. His sites include: www.iansbreakthroughbiz.com http://www.iansbreakthroughbiz.com and businesssolutions.thebreakthroughsite.com http://businesssolutions.thebreakthroughsite.com

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So, as most of you all know Microsoft is releasing its first Operating System since the 2001 release of Microsoft Windows XP. Is it going to be a success on a similar level to the its previous and very popular Operating System?

Opinions are obviously widespread and vary greatly but there are some fundamental issues that may cause sales to struggle.

Firstly, the current Operating System, Microsoft Windows XP is very popular and Vista doesn’t really have anything major that will cause people to be eager to switch. When Windows 98 was replaced by XP it had many aspects which made it easier to persuade people to upgrade such as the ability for plug and play hardware for ease of installation. Such advances in computing are not seen within Vista.

There are changes which many a computer professional will find useful such as easier and more secure networking features and also Windows Superfetch, which is able to get more out of the Random Access Memory (RAM) your machine has. However, these improvements may not be seen as valuable enough to prompt a change in Operating System for the less technical home user.

As for Businesses, many will hold back for at least the initial six months to one year period for a number of reasons. Microsoft Windows XP has had some security problems which Microsoft has been addressing and a new Operating System could potentially have some security faults and loopholes which you can guarantee will be very tempting to hackers mainly to have a laugh at the expense of Microsoft.

Many businesses have, believe it or not, only changed over from Windows 98 to Windows XP in the last year or two and another change over which will be time consuming and costly is unlikely to happen initially.

Whilst Microsoft currently has the lion share of the market other Operating Systems such as Linux and Mac OS are becoming more and more popular as a valid alternative to the Windows Operating System. Microsoft needs to be careful not to alienate or confuse its users to avoid increasing the number of users using other alternatives. Other Operating Systems are also less susceptible to hackers and viruses due to the fact hackers mainly target Windows simply because most people use it.

Another issue would be regarding the cost. Many expect Vista to be cheaper than Windows XP was when it was first released to encourage people to switch. However, will users be willing to pay out when XP is still a very usable Operating System?

The majority of new users is likely to be buyers of new PC’s which will come with Vista as the pre-installed Operating System.

Of course Microsoft Windows Vista will eventually take over Windows XP given time and I fully expect it to be a better Operating System once any teething problems are resolved. I personally will be upgrading without any doubt, but only after I know it has been tried and tested to make it worthwhile for me to make the change and I’m sure many others will follow suit.

Andrew Peers is owner and founder of www.freeithelpdesk.com http://www.freeithelpdesk.com which helps users with their IT related problems. Andrew has also studied and been working in the IT field for a number of years.

Reuters - A suicide car bomber killed seven policemen and wounded three in an attack on a patrol in northern Iraq’s Salahuddin province on Sunday, police said.

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We all know what wolves and coyotes look like, and nearly everyone is familiar with bears, deer and turtles; what about some less familiar animals such as capybara, kiwi, or tapirs? There are so many lesser known animals on this planet that we hear little or nothing about most times, it is interesting to investigate a few of these creatures and understand them a little more.

Mammals

Capybara are first on our list of unusual mammals. They are the world’s largest rodent, averaging 100 pounds. They are called rodents because they have sharp front teeth that never stop growing. They are semi-aquatic, spending a lot of time in the water. They live in grasslands and forests alongside water in Central and South America. They are most active during the early morning and late evening and rest during the heat of the day.

Our next animal is a cute little miniature bear called the kinkajou. These are a unique animal in that they are the only mammals that help to pollinate plants. They have very long tongues that they use to lick the nectar inside flowers. While they are licking, they get pollen on their fur and noses and this gets transplanted to other flowers as they feed. They are sometimes called honey bears because they love honey so much, but they are different from regular bears in that they are very small, most times not weighing more than 8 pounds. They are fun loving animals that even make good pets. They feed on fruit, honey and eggs in the wild and their closest cousin is the panda bear of Asia.

Another unusual mammal is a tapir. It looks like half anteater, half pig, yet they are not related to either. They descend from primitive horses and rhinos. They come in various color patterns depending on the region they are from. All baby tapirs, however, are born with a pattern of dots and stripes which make them look like a watermelon with legs. As they age, these markings fade away to be replaced with their adult color patterns. They feed on fruit, berries and leaves, and can live to be 30 years old.

Our last animal is a Marsupial Mouse. While this may seem like just any other mouse, there are some very distinct characteristics about the marsupial mouse that make it stand out. Being a marsupial, its young are hatched from inside their mothers and then they crawl through her fir up to their mother’s underside where they attach and feed until they are fully developed. When they come out of their mother, they are so underdeveloped that in order to survive, they have to breathe through their skin. They are the only mammal found that can do this. As their lungs continue to develop, they gradually start to take over the breathing process until eventually, when fully developed, their skin no longer plays a role in breathing. They are carnivorous by nature, eating insects, small birds, reptiles and small mammals.

Birds

Of the various birds in the world, the kiwi bird is one of the most unique. It is similar to the chicken in that it can’t fly. Their wings are only two inches long and for all practical purposes are useless. They are the sole survivor of an ancient order of birds including the now extinct moas. They are semi-nocturnal animals, so catching a glimpse of them in the wild rarely happens. They can only be found in New Zealand and its surrounding islands. The reason they have survived the ages in New Zealand comes from the fact that there are no snakes or large mammals native to New Zealand. A bird the size of a kiwi, without the capability to fly would be an especially attractive target to snakes. Also…the island has no bears, bobcats, tigers, etc., with also makes it easier for the kiwi to survive. With the coming of humans to the island, especially the colonization by England, house pets such as cats and dogs have become the main predators of the decreasing kiwi population. Some of the biggest birds in the world are condors. They can have wingspans up to 11 feet; they use their large wingspan to float on air thermals for miles without having to move their wings, which conserves their energy as they look for food. They are in the vulture family, feeding on the remains of animals and thus they play a very significant role in the animal kingdom. They have highly evolved immune systems to ward off infection from the various bacteria left on the animal carcasses they feed on. They are very clean birds, spending much of their time cleaning their feathers and heads after eating to further keep them safe from disease and bacteria. Their heads are featherless allowing them to stay clean during eating.

The last unusual bird is the worlds smallest, weighing in at only 1.8 grams, which is less than a US penny. The bee hummingbird’s nest is only 3 cm wide. Its tiny wings beat 80 times per second. Using all this energy requires them to eat half their body weight in food each day as well as drink eight times their body weight in water. That’s like a 150 pound adult human drinking 144 gallons of water each day. They are found only in Cuba and the Isle of Pines.

Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content for Wildlife Animals www.wildlife-animals.com http://www.wildlife-animals.com and Riding Stable www.riding-stable.com http://www.riding-stable.com .

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Imagine this…

You walk into a department store to purchase something you need. Then the friendly young person at the cash register says, You can save 20% off your purchases today if you apply for our store credit card right now.

Save 20%? Wow! Sounds like a great deal, doesn’t it? But let’s take a look at what really happens to your credit when you give in to that temptation.

How Department Store Credit Cards Work

First of all, you have to remember that the young clerk, who barely looks old enough to drive, doesn’t understand how the system works. They just focus on how many applications they can sell during the holiday season. Clerks who sign up the most people get some kind of bonus in return-usually cash or company merchandise.

Let’s assume you agree and fill out a credit application. The clerk presses a few buttons and processes it on the spot. (Guess how? Yup, by quickly making a decision based on how high one of your FICO credit scores is.) This is called instant credit. You see, retailers know that the best time to sell you something is while you’re still in the store.

Whether or not you get approved, you have a credit inquiry from that store on your credit reports.

Your FICO Scores Can Plummet Up to 12 Points Per Inquiry

According to our research, each credit inquiry can lower a person’s credit scores up to 12 points. And here’s the kicker…EACH department store credit inquiry will affect your scores for 12 months. That’s 1 year! 365 days! 8,760 hours!

Let me repeat that: EACH inquiry from any retail store will count against your credit scores. Sometimes you end up going to 8, 10, or 20 different stores. If you’re applying for cards at all those stores, your scores are going to take a major dive.

Meanwhile, Back at the Department Store…

The young person behind the register suddenly announces (loudly, of course) that you were denied credit, gives you a receipt, and says, Thank you, please shop with us again. You walk out of the store rejected. Not to mention embarrassed-and you didn’t even save any money because you have to actually qualify for the card to save the 20%. Punks.

What went wrong?

You weren’t prepared.

I remember the fear that ran through me every time I filled out a department store credit application after my bankruptcy. I would actually wait until there was no one in line at the cashier! That way, if I got declined at least I wouldn’t get too embarrassed.

In the Snyder household, we don’t apply for this type of credit anymore. It was one of the reasons we filed bankruptcy 12 years ago. So we stay clear of department store credit. It’s expensive credit (the interest rates usually hover around 23%) and it’s too tempting and too easy to go into debt.

And the worst thing about department store credit is that the negative impact of the inquiries will last 12 months…so any store credit card applications you fill out will haunt you for the next year. It can be a vicious cycle if you don’t break it. You can do it…break the cycle.

There’s very little a retail store credit card can do for you that your normal VISA or MasterCard can’t. I should know…before I filed bankruptcy I was the king of buying on store credit! The more store credit I got, the more successful I felt. I don’t do that anymore. Now I know better. And so should you.

Who you are isn’t determined by how many credit cards you get approved for. Do you even need their credit card? Is saving 20% of $50 really worth the trouble? (Seriously, do the math…10 bucks is all you would save.) Remember, whether you get approved or declined, your credit scores are going to take a hit. And when you’re recovering from bankruptcy with credit scores that are already low, every point counts.

The Best Way to Apply for a Department Store Credit Card

But let’s assume you’re smarter and more responsible than I was when I was younger, and that you’ve never had a problem with spending more than you can afford (after all, we don’t all go bankrupt because of overspending). Here’s how to properly master this process.

1. Find out what their credit guidelines are. Specifically, you want to know what credit reporting agency they use to make a lending decision and what minimum FICO credit score is required to get approved. Don’t bother asking the young people at the checkout register-they won’t have a clue. Your best bet is to call someone in the store’s credit department.

2. Know all three of your FICO credit scores. You can purchase them through www.myfico.com/12. This way, if the credit card issuer tells you their credit guidelines, you’ll know whether you’ll qualify or not.

3. If the credit card issuer cannot give you straight answers to the questions you’re asking, then talk to another person within the department that will. If no one will tell you what you need, you’re either not asking the right people, or you should take it as a sign you shouldn’t be applying for that credit card.

By knowing the retailer’s credit guidelines and your FICO credit scores you can apply for credit with confidence.

Last Words…

Of course, it’s easy to get caught up in the joy of bringing a smile to someone’s face when you think you’re being a good parent or spouse by spending more than you can afford on credit. You must remember, the joy your children will get from a bunch of small gifts now will be multiplied by a hundred when you’re financially stable enough to pay for their college education…or buy them their first car…or help them with a down payment on a new home. Plus, your financial responsibility will set a great example for your children.

The bottom line is: you need to think twice about the negative effect credit inquiries have on your ability to finance more important things such as mortgages, home equity loans, new cars…not to mention your insurance premiums could skyrocket!

Stephen Snyder is the founder and president of the After Bankruptcy Foundation ( www.AfterBankruptcy.org http://www.AfterBankruptcy.org ), a non-profit organization that provides free resources for helping people recover from bankruptcy ( www.LifeAfterBankruptcy http://www.LifeAfterBankruptcy ). Stephen is also an author, speaker and leading authority on bankruptcy recovery and credit scoring.

Reuters - A new Army history of the Iraq conflict faults the invasion’s top U.S. commander for his sudden decision to overhaul the Baghdad-based military command, The New York Times said in its Sunday edition.

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On the Internet, you can find just about anything you want to buy, but how do you get the best deal you possibly can? This article will show you how.

Price Comparison Search Engines

There are dozens of search engines that will allow you to compare prices at hundreds, even thousands of online stores without having to go to each site separately, which can take alot of time to do on your own. Some of the best general ones are PriceGrabber.com, Shopzilla.com, Nextag.com and MySimon.com. All of these sites will allow you to type in what you are looking for and will allow you to zero in on the store that has your desired item for the lowest possible price. These search engines should be one of your first stops when shopping for deals.

Specialty Price Comparison Search Engines

For different shopping categories, there are specialty price comparison search engines for them. For books, check out AddAll.com. For computers and technology items, try pricewatch.com, techbargains.com and shopper.cnet.com. For DVD’s, try dvdpricesearch.com.

Coupon Codes

There are many sites that list coupon codes for all the large online stores. Whether it’s large department stores, chain stores or smaller specialty stores, there are often coupon codes available for them. The code might allow you to take a certain percentage off the price, get you free shipping, a free gift, buy one get one free of some item or another deal. It always pays off to search around for coupon codes before making your purchase. Some great sites that list coupon codes for online stores include eCoupons.com, CurrentCodes.com and CouponMountain.com, among many others.

Deal & Bargain Forums

As a bargain hunter and deal finder, you are certainly not alone on the net. There are many forums where people gather and share deal information and alerts, post coupon codes and discuss online bargains. Some of the most popular ones are: FatWallet.com, SlickDeals.net and CheapStingyBargains.com.

Outlets & Refurbished Items

Just like the offline world where big brand name stores offer their overstock, clearance and refurbished items at outlet stores, many companies have a separate website or area of their website which offers these items for purchase online. Great deals can be had here. Apple, for instance, sells refurbished iPods at it’s outlet store at Apple.com for a fraction of the cost of their new iPods.

Big Stores

Many of the largest web stores offer great deals and special sale areas. Don’t skip sites like Amazon.com and Buy.com, they often have very good deals and prices on their items due to the massive volume they sell. At Amazon, if you find that something you want is out of stock or too expensive for you, they may have the same item available at other stores for less or even used and they will show you this on the item page!

Auctions

There are thousands of online auction sites, ranging from small auction sites that specialize in certain areas to the granddaddy of them all, eBay. On eBay, you can type in the item you are looking for and find both new and used auctions running for many items. It’s always a good idea to check eBay when deal shopping, you’ll get an idea of what the item is going for currently and whether you’re getting a good deal elsewhere on the web.

Extra Tips

Don’t forget to check reviews of your item before buying. You can check Amazon.com, Epinions.com, ConsumerReports.org and Cnet.com for reviews of a wide range of items. Also, don’t forget to factor shipping costs into your deal hunting. Always check on the shipping cost before making a purchase, otherwise you could end up paying a fortune. Some web stores bring you in with great prices and deals, but will make up for it by charging you an exhorbitant amount for shipping.

In summary, armed with these tips you should be able to go out on the web confidently and find the best deal on that item or special gift you have been looking for.

Lydia Quinn writes for ShopWoh.com, an International auction website where you can buy and sell anything. Visit us at: www.shopwoh.com http://www.shopwoh.com .

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