I am tired of the cell phone contracts that I have with Sprint. They keep increasing the rates and the if I want to switch to an unlimited plan, it costs a lot more. My contract is up for renewal and I am going to switch to Straigh Talk! I shopped around a lot of others who provide a no contract service but most of them do not have the phone selection I am looking for. I like Straight Talk and I have my eye ona couple of phones they have. They have an unlimited minutes, messages and Data plan for $45 which sound pretty good to me. I am a little concerned about their coverage but I think all these companies are really owned by one of the big cell providers and they are in thier network anyways.

Here is some information about Straight Talk from their site…

Straight Talk is a brand of TracFone Wireless Inc., one of the largest wireless providers in the US. Straight Talk provides reliable Nationwide
coverage from Coast to Coast

• Simple Straightforward Program Straight Talk is designed to do exactly what it says: provide everything most people need in a cell phone, without a contract. There are currently two no-contract plans to choose from:

(1) All you Need Plan

$30 a month – 1000 minutes, 1000 text or multimedia messages, and 30 MB of data transfer

(2) Unlimited Plan

$45 a month – Unlimited Minutes, Messages and Data Nationwide anytime and calls to 411 at no additional charge

• Providing high quality phones at the lowest prices Straight Talk has a global relationship with top manufacturers such as Motorola and LG. Therefore, we are able to bring the highest quality phones to customers at the best prices, starting as low as $ 29.99.

I will post about their service in a few months once I switch to them. Hope Straight Talk has a good coverage!

I have tried a few Hosting Providers so far and finally settled on HostMonster as my web hosting provider. I tried Dreamhost before, they were good for a little bit and then there Customer Service started deteriorating. They were complaining about the number of files, and mentioned some kind of violation which I did not understand. My feeling is that I was hosting about 40 or 50 sites with them and they did not like it even though they said I could host unlimited Domains. So, I switched to HosMonster about a year ago and have been very happy since. HostMonster is a much superior hosting provider when compared to Dreamhost and others. My websites run much faster with HostMonster and they have many more features as well. They trule let me host unlimited Domains with unlmited bancwidth and so far no complaints on the number of files as well. I recommended HostMonster to some of my friends as well and they have been happy with them.

This is a sales verbage from HostMonster

For only $6.95 per month we are offering: – Unlimited Hosting Space – Host UNLIMITED Domains on 1 account for no extra cost – 5000 Pop/Imap Email Accounts – SSH Access (Secure Shell) – Unlimited Transfer – SSL, FTP, Stats, CGI, Ruby (RoR), Perl, PHP, MYSQL, Front Page Extensions, Free Domain Forever, Free Site Builder, Free Search Engine Submission – Best Support in the Industry!

This is from their site…

• Unlimited Space & Bandwidth
• Host Unlimited Domains
• Unlimited E-mail Accounts
• Free Domain
• cPanel Control Panel
• $75 Google Adwords Credit
• Free Site Builders
• Free Online Stores
• WordPress, Gallery and More
• We don’t outsource—EVER

HostMonster is absolutely the best web hosting provider in my opinion!

In my opinion, the Nikon D7000 is the best Digital SLR Camera out there.

The good: Excellent performance for its class; great viewfinder; control locations and operations streamlined over previous Nikon dSLRs; double SDXC-compatible card slots.

The bad: No 1080/30p video.

The bottom line: An excellent dSLR for experienced shooters or Nikon professionals looking for a relatively cheap option, the Nikon D7000 delivers on almost all counts, including the company’s best shooting design to date.

Review from Cnet:
When it comes to mid-to-high-end dSLRs, it takes quite a bit to float my boat these days. I’m not looking for whizzy new features, bold redesigns, or insane burst rates for either myself or the shoppers I advise; to me, the perfect camera just gets out of the way between my eye and the final photograph (and perhaps video). That’s a lot more elusive than you’d expect. But shooting with the Nikon D7000 frequently came close to delivering the photographic tinglies in a way I haven’t felt in way too long–I think since I gave the Canon EOS 5D Mark II an Editors’ Choice Award almost two years ago. Of course, the usual caveats apply: it’s not the right camera for everyone and it’s not best at everything. But its combination of design, feature set, performance, and photo quality for the price is hard to beat (and will be especially so once the street price starts to drop).

There’s a variety of new Nikon tech in the D7000 over older models, including a new Nikon-designed 16.2-megapixel sensor coupled with its Expeed 2 processor; with this pairing, Nikon ups its analog-to-digital conversion to 14-bit processing. There’s also a new metering sensor and more sophisticated autofocus system. It’s also Nikon’s first dSLR to rise to 1080p HD video–albeit only 24fps–with the “added bonus” of full-time autofocus during video capture. And the body’s construction, though not quite as tanklike as the D300s, incorporates an all-metal chassis with magnesium alloy covers (the rest is polycarbonate), and is sealed against dust and moisture like the D300s.

Photo quality is first rate, and, despite the resolution increase, stands up very well against the D300s as well as most competitors. Though I’d probably say the D7000′s JPEG photos are clean up through only ISO 800, they remain very good through ISO 1,600. By ISO 3,200, shadow detail gets pretty noisy. You can eke out about a stop more of usability out the D7000′s medium-high ISO sensitivities by using raw instead of JPEGs, or at least by tweaking the default camera settings. Granted, the images aren’t noise-free, but the monochrome-grain appearance is more attractive than the in-camera err-on-the-side-of-color-noise approach, and there seems to be enough dynamic range that there’s still shadow detail and little loss of sharpness.

Exposure and metering are solid and consistent, and it reproduces color faithfully when you want it to. Nikon pushes the saturation a bit in its default Standard Picture Control, but it doesn’t display the wholesale color shifts we tend to see on lower-end models. However, when you compare the Neutral setting with all the others, you can tell it pushes the contrast to the point where you actually lose shadow detail.

The video looks solid, but not standout. It’s sharp, but there’s a little more color noise and moire than I like; I didn’t have much problem with rolling shutter, though, which can usually be produced on demand. The full-time autofocus is pretty useless. Not only is it too easily confused, like most contrast autofocus systems–if your subject is moving it hunts a lot–but you definitely need an external microphone with it because the lens noise is very obvious.

For all intents and purposes, with the exception of burst shooting, the D7000 runs neck and neck with the 60D for speed–and they’re both really fast. Time to power on and shoot for the D7000 is negligible, much like it was for the D90. It takes a mere 0.3 second to focus and shoot in good light, rising to only 0.5 second in dim light. It typically takes about 0.6 second for two sequential raw shots (0.5 for JPEG), bumping up to 0.7 second with flash enabled. Shot-to-shot time is the only nonburst speed where the D7000 is slower than the more expensive D300s, but only by a bit and that’s likely because the D300s uses faster CompactFlash. And the D7000′s 5.7fps burst rate is quite good for a nonpro camera.

There are a bunch of autofocus options: Single-point AF; 9-, 21- or 39-point dynamic; 3D tracking; and full auto. Shooting with standard single-point autofocus feels almost instantaneous most of the time, and though the automatic AF is equally fast, it’s just as bad as all other auto AF systems, chronically picking the wrong subjects. I couldn’t thoroughly test the various dynamic AF options, but AF during continuous shooting seems to deliver similar performance to the D90. It’s very good, but with the same problems that typically plague tracking AF systems; you have to carefully choose your settings based on the scene (such as going with the 9-point mode instead of the 39-point mode), for example, to prevent it from sliding off the subject and locking on something in the background, and it’s not terribly effective for subjects moving toward and away from you, just those moving laterally.

In the D7000, Nikon tends to offer a lot of useful options on core features rather than whizzy but less essential capabilities. It’s got two saved settings slots on the mode dial–less powerful than the settings banks in Nikon’s older mid-to-high-end dSLRs, but with a more practical, straightforward implementation that means they’re more likely to get used. I’m hoping that in the future (probably in a more expensive model) Nikon manages a combination of the two systems: saved, named banks of settings that you can mix and match and assign to the dial.

There are two SDXC card slots, which is both unusual and welcome, and you can configure them in functional ways: for overflow, backup, raw vs. JPEG, video vs. still. I was a little annoyed with the card-to-card copy, though. Thrilled to have it, but when it’s done it just stops and goes dark. I copied a directory three times thinking the camera had died in the middle before realizing that it had, in fact, worked the first time.

Though it offers a maximum of three-shot exposure bracketing, it can handle up to a two-stop interval, which is unusual. Plus, it has a novel two-frame under/over bracket, which I imagine can come in handy. You can also set manual white balance from saved images on a card or by the typical measuring method–and they can be annotated and up to five presets stored; most cameras, especially in this class and down, offer only a subset of those capabilities. For video capture, you’ve got full manual exposure controls and a handful of microphone sensitivity settings.

Other, more common but nice to have capabilities include a relatively powerful intervalometer, user-definable spot sizes for center-weighted metering (6, 8, 10, or 13mm), and Eye-Fi enable/disable support.

Here is the spec from Ritz Camera:

Two-Lens Nikon DSLR Bonus Outfit!Includes: D7000 DX-Format Digital SLR Camera, Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR and Nikon 55-200mm F/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Lens!Nikon D7000 DX-Format Digital SLR Camera FeaturesMeet the new Nikon D7000, a camera ready to go wherever your photography or cinematography takes you. Experience stunning images with sharp resolution and smooth tonal gradation, thanks to the 16 megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor and a powerful EXPEED 2 image processing engine. Take advantage of its wide ISO range of 100 to 6400 (expandable to 25,600) and its incredibly low levels of noise. Expect your images tack-sharp and accurately exposed, thanks to the camera’s 39-point AF and Scene Recognition System using a 2,016-pixel RGB matrix metering sensor. And with an approx. 0.052-second release time lag and approx. 6 frames-per-second shooting, you won’t miss a moment.You’ll see exactly what you’re capturing with the approx. 100% frame coverage viewfinder, and for those who want to shoot both stills and movies, the D7000’s D-Movie capabilities now include Full HD 1080p capture with full-time autofocus and manual exposure. All of this advanced imaging technology is kept safe beneath the magnesium alloy covering the top and rear chassis of a compact body, whose sealing has been severely tested against moisture and dust. The D7000 is ready to shoot indoors and out, and at 150,000 cycles tested, the camera’s durable shutter unit helps you keep shooting. Combine all this with the unmatched NIKKOR lens lineup and Creative Lighting System and you have everything you need to explore your imagination to its fullest. Where can creative freedom like this take you? Find out, with the D7000.High Resolution 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensorHigh Speed 6 frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shotsBreathtaking Full 1080p HD Movies with Full Time AutofocusDynamic ISO range from 100 to 6400Ground-breaking 2,016-pixel RGB (3D Color Matrix) exposure sensorCustomizable 39 point AF SystemEXPEED 2 image processing and 14-bit A/D ConversionCompact but durable with magnesium-alloy top and rear covers, superior weather and dust sealsBright Glass Pentaprism Optical Viewfinder with approx. 100% frame coverage3 Inch, 921,000-dot Super-Density LCD Monitor with 170 degree viewingTwin Card Slots with SD, SDHC, SDXC memory card compatibilityFast Start-Up time of 0.13 sec and Short 50ms Shutter LagBuilt-in Speedlight flash with i-TTL and Wireless Commander supportCompact EN-EL15 Battery lets you shoot up to 1050 shotsOptional MB-D11 multi-power doubles shooting timeBuilt-in HDMI ConnectionTwo User Definable Settings (U1, U2) right on the Mode Selector DialActive D-LightingPicture ControlVersatile Scene ModesVirtual Horizon Graphic IndicatorStunning Image Details: 16.2 Effective MegapixelsWhether you want to make large prints or crop tightly in an image, the D7000 delivers theresolution you need.

Click here for the Cheapest price on the Nikon D7000 – the best Digital SLR Camera with free shipping and no sales tax!

Now the question for Stock Traders is…Is this a good buying opportunity or panic and sell what we own? I for onw think that this is a great opportunity to buy some stocks that have been beaten down pretty badly recently or even buy some of the stable stocks at a discounted price. Some of the stocks I believe which has been beaten up and will go up high are Travelzoo TZOO, Linkedin LNKD and Jinko Solar JKS. Infact I believe many of the Solar stocks are at a huge bargain right now such as TSL – Trina Solar, STP – Suntech Power, YGE – Yingli Green Energy etc.

It is also good time to stock up on the long term stocks right now for those who are long term investors. Some of the stocks I like are AAPL – Apple, GOOG – Google, CSTR – Coinstar and BIDU – Baidu.

Good luck trading stocks for short-term and long-term!

Four Management Lessons

Lesson Number One
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, “Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?”

The crow answered: “Sure, why not.”

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

* Lesson Number Two *
A turkey was chatting with a bull.

“I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, “but I haven’t got the energy. “Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re packed with nutrients.”

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.

* Lesson Number Three *

When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The brain said, “I should be Boss because I control the whole body’s responses and functions.”

The feet said, “We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go.” The hands said, “We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money.” And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up.

All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered. Eventually they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed.

All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit!

Management Lesson: You don’t need brains to be Boss, any asshole will do!

* Lesson Number Four *

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out!

He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard he bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!

Management Lessons Summary:

1. Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3. When you’re in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!

Finally, I got some good advice from a nice gentleman at Home Depot. I spent a lot of time there in Home Depot and this older gentleman explained to me how to get it fixed and it worked like a charm. Here is what I did to get it fixed….

• Remove the Caulk in the affected areas completely. For me, it was the corners of my shower. I removed it completely with a tool I bought at Home Depot….you can do it even with a philips screw driver.
• Wipe the entire shower dry.
• Put Bleach throughout the corners.
• Let it be overnight. Do not use the shower.
• Repeat the steps for atleast 3 to 4 days. We had 2 other showers we could use and it was worth the adjustment.
• After you are happy that all the mildew on the inside is removed, Re-caulk again.
• Every day, we have the last person to use this shower wipe the corners with a towel and leave the shower door open for ventilation.

Thats it! This fixed my Mildew problem and I am worry free for the last 9 months. It is amazing how if we use common sense to get rid of the problem, it works. One of the guys even suggested that the mildew must be inside the walls which is why it keeps coming back and suggested we redo the whole shower which would have costed us more than $3000. We got some quotes for that too.

Photo Wall Mural Mighty Beech Trees

Photo Wall Mural Catwalk To Paradise.

yourdecoshop.com also lets you design your wall decals. Amazing stuff! We did not try that…we are not very good at designing our own but with the selections they have, we did not need to. I think this company is in Germany or some european country but I did not care as long as the shipping was free and the shipping was pretty fast as well.

They sell other things as well such as Wall Decals, Wall Decal Clocks, Wall Decal Hooks, Wall Decal Magnet Boards, Wall Decal Borders, Wall Decal Wallpapers, Wall Decal Chalkboards, Photo Wall Murals, Door Wall Murals, Window Decorations, Window Murals, Window Pictures, Glass Decor, Blinds, Tile Murals, Tile Stickers, Tile Mural Stickers etc! We are thinking about buying their Wall Decal Clocks and a Wall Decal Magnet Boards…it seems a little expensive for a Magentic Board but their quality is sooo good we are tempted!

YourDecoShop.com is amazing place. The quality of the stuff they sell is amazing…I would recommend this site to anyone!

Women Friends chatting in office

Personally, I have done all kinds of stock trading. I was a day trader back in the 2000′s when the stock market boomed, became a long term investor after the bust and a swing trader in the 2008 and 2009 period and I am back to Day Trading now! These days with the swings in the market, it is better to day trade in my opinion for 2 mains reasons.

• One, I do not want to keep the money in the market overnight…it seems like it is just too risky.
• Two, the pre-market has been so wild recently that when the market goes down you do not have a chance to get out soon enough

I do more of a hit and run in the market. There are times when I hold my stock overnight but only when the market has tanked quite a bit, I buy the stock towards the end of the day, hold it overnight and sell it the next day. I always sell it the next day though. Like day before yesterday was a perfect day…I bought RDN and ESLR risky stocks and sold it yesterday for some good profit. Does’nt always work but works most of the time.

I think this market is definitely now for Swing Trading since it swings every day. Normally when I did swing trading, I buy and hold for weeks or months before the stock swings the other way. I was good at doing it for certain stocks that I follow all the time like AAPL, JKS etc. Nowadays, there is no momentum trading and it changes every day.

Long term trading is for people’s retirement account and for those who have lost so much in a stock that it does not make sense to get out anymore. In any case, for active traders who are looking to make money in the stock market short term, long term investing does not do any good. In this market, my personal advice is to not do any long term investing.