The LuxMob Info Tags

Alfred Winslow Jones started hedge funds in 1949. He was a pioneer of non-traditional investment strategies. “Non-traditional” categorizes hedge funds quite accurately. Hedge funds have the potential to make an investor quite a bit of money, but many do not understand the nature of hedge funds. Hedge funds have undergone skepticism because they do not have to disclose their activities to third parties.

Hedge funds can be quite profitable if an investor uses the best techniques. One technique is risk arbitrage. Basically, buying stocks in a company that is in the process of a merger and acquisition. Companies announce a specific price the day of the merger, so if the stock is under the stated value before the day of the merger, it is a relatively safe plan to buy and wait. This does pose some risk, because some mergers do not go through.

Hedge funds are very secretive and do not have to disclose their activities to third parties. This allows hedge funds to be free from the regulations that mutual funds have to adhere to. This can be considered as beneficial because fund managers will perform better because they see a direct profit from the success of the fund. In mutual funds, this is not so. Also, large companies can move undisclosed amounts of money and gain significantly without authorities noticing. Actual numbers are not known, but HFR (hfr.com) reported that at the end of the second quarter in 2003, there were 5660 hedge funds managing $665 billion dollars around the world. The sheer magnitude of this number is shocking, but demonstrates the massive profits that can be made from successful hedge fund strategy. Unfortunately for secretive businesses that enjoy the secrecy of hedge funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is attempting to successfully implement the requirement that hedge funds be registered with the SEC. If this continues and is successfully implemented, then all of the advantages to secrecy will be lost.

One negative aspect of the non-regulation of hedge funds is the fact that there are no official hedge fund statistics. Most hedge fund holders are large companies and so little is knows about their financial movements. Hedge funds are based in offshore jurisdictions, making them seem even more suspicious. Unlike mutual funds that have a base in large cities like New York, Hedge Funds are based in places like Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and the Virgin Islands. It may seem strange to call your fund manager in Bermuda rather than to call someone in New York City.

Another negative aspect of hedge funds is their high price tag. Hedge funds seem to be more suited for large businesses and companies that are merging than they are suited for the average worker. Hedge funds usually require an extravagant amount of money for initial purchase. If someone does have the money, however, they can gain even more money with this sometimes high-risk venture.

Hedge funds have the potential to help an investor gain quite a bit of money. However, hedge funds undergo a great amount of scrutiny because of the lack of regulations and the general secrecy surrounding hedge funds. Hedge funds are based offshore and have been rumored to hold as much as $665 billion. Some reports even state that at one point, 39 firms were managing hedge funds worth $1.1 trillion. These startling numbers show that hedge funds can be quite lucrative.

Jenny Delinga is very interested in hedge funds. You can find out more about hedge funds at Hedge Fund Reader ( http://www.hedgefundreader.com ).

eBay is a great place to find almost any item that you can
imagine. Jewelry wholesale auctions are quite common on eBay,
and in many cases, you cannot beat the deals that are offered
here. However, there are also many con artists that operate
through eBay, and you have to use caution.

Start by reading all of the fine details about the jewelry
wholesale lots that you are purchasing. If you still have
questions, send those questions to the seller through eBay’s
website. Make sure that you keep all of your contact with the
seller through the website so that there is documentation.

Check out the person or company that is offering the jewelry
wholesale. Look at their ratings and their feedback. Has there
been any negative feedback? If so, you may want to reconsider
your options and look into other auctions. If the feedback is
all positive, and the seller’s rating is high, doing business
with them should not be a problem.

Make sure that you are clear about shipment costs and the
shipment time frame, as well as the payment options offered.
Usually, the buyer is responsible for the shipment costs, and
this is added to the total and paid before the item ships. In
the case of high ticket items, insurance may be required on the
item as well. The seller seldom pays the shipping costs.

If the jewelry wholesale is a high ticket item, such as jewelry
that is bought in bulk or rare pieces of expensive jewelry, you
should strongly consider using the escrow service that is
recommended by eBay. If the seller recommends any escrow service
other than the one that eBay recommends, you might not want to
do business with this seller - it could be a scam.

Beware of sniper’s on eBay! Sniping is against the rules at
eBay, but a large group of people do it anyway. Sniping is
automatic bidding, which is not against the rules, but the
software or service is instructed to place the highest bid in
the last possible minute of the auction - leaving no time for
anyone else to place a higher bid. Again, this is against eBay’s
rules.

Instead of sniping, place your first bid at the maximum amount
that you are willing to pay for the jewelry wholesale lot. Each
time the bid is raised, your bid will automatically be raised -
until your limit is reached. This is not sniping, and it is a
perfectly legal way to bid on auctions at eBay.

The debate has raged for many years, and it will probably continue for years… is coffee good or bad for your health? While the jury may be out, here are some findings that indicate coffee is not all bad.

Coffee, as we all know, is high in caffeine, and caffeine is suspected of increasing blood pressure and heart rate. The medical fraternity have long suspected that coffee drinking might therefore contribute to higher rates of heart disease. However a recent study by researchers at the Harvard University School of Public Health found no significant increase in the risk of heart disease or stroke among men who drank up to four cups of coffee a day – a finding supported by the Kaiser Permanente health care organization in California.

The same outcome was found in women where data collected from more than 85,000 women over a 10-year period produced no evidence for any positive association between coffee consumption and risk of heart disease for women consuming six or more cups of coffee a day. That’s a lot of coffee!

This is not to say that there aren’t physical effects to coffee drinking. Caffeine does excite brain cells, and this in turn improves concentration and reaction time and reduces fatigue. In fact, caffeine can increase the speed of rapid information processing by 10%. A study in 1993 clearly demonstrated that caffeinated coffee had a beneficial effect on alertness and improved performance in a variety of tasks. Caffeine also has a beneficial effect on asthma by reducing the severity of attacks. Two studies found that three or more cups of coffee a day reduced the prevalence of asthma and this is further supported by improved ventilatory function in exercise-induced broncho-constriction - although this required over five cups of coffee a day!

Interestingly, it has been found that increased activity, alertness and efficiency are associated with a decline in levels of depression and anxiety. Two independent studies noted a significant inverse association between coffee drinking and the risk of suicide. Further research into the possibility that coffee drinking may decrease depression is certainly needed.

Although, caffeine is often singled out as the chemical in coffee that has the most impact on our health, coffee has a complex chemical composition. One beneficial characteristic of coffee is that it contains compounds with antioxidant properties. Polyphenolic compounds known as flavonoids are common in plants and are known to have disease suppression benefits. What is most interesting is that the roasting process increases antioxidant activity in the beans. Although the beneficial role of food antioxidants is a relatively new research area, this is likely to become more important in years to come.

Yet too much caffeine can lead to irritability and restlessness along with an increase in urination. Talking of this, kidney stones are extremely painful and in a study of some 45,000 men with no history of kidney stones it was found that increased consumption of regular and decaffeinated coffee, tea, beer and wine were linked with a decreased risk of stone formation. The same effect was found in a study involving 81,000 women where caffeinated coffee and wine were found to be significantly more effective than water in helping women avoid kidney stones.

Coffee also has several metabolic effects that could reduce the risk of gallstone formation. According to a study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), drinking coffee is associated with a 40 percent lower risk of gallstone disease in men. Men who drank four or more cups of regular coffee per day had a 45 percent lower risk profile.

The link between coffee and cancer is probably more weighted in favour of coffee. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with some 131,000 Americans being diagnosed with cancers of the rectum and colon on an annual basis. Now there is some convincing evidence for a protective effect of coffee against the development of colon cancers. A recent review of over 15 studies on coffee consumption and colorectal cancer from 1960 to 1990 found the risk of colorectal cancer to be 24% lower among those who drink four or more cups of coffee per day, than among those who rarely or never drink coffee. Researchers in Sweden also found that “…coffee consumption appears to be protective against colon cancer, and tea against rectal tumors”. The most likely explanation for lower risk of colorectal cancer among heavy coffee consumers is the enhanced colonic activity induced by coffee, and the inhibition effect on the cancer-causing effects of various micro-organisms by anti-mutagenic components in coffee and caffeine.

Coffee is also commonly used to “lift” hangovers and to get going “the morning after”. However it might be more useful to drink it before having the party…as in the past decade, research in the United States, Japan and Italy has shown that the consumption of coffee has a strong protective effect against cirrhosis of the liver. Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day was associated with an 80% reduction in risk for cirrhosis of the liver, compared with those who don’t drink coffee at all.

On the subject of losing brain cells, Parkinson ’s disease, a progressive nervous disease occurring generally after age 50, destroys brain cells that produce dopamine and is characterized by muscular tremor, slowing of movement, weakness and facial paralysis. Research into the relationship between caffeine consumption from a variety of sources and the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, has shown that moderate consumption of caffeine reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease in men and women.

In fact, men who drank four to five cups per day of caffeinated coffee cut the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease nearly in half compared to men in the study who consumed little or no caffeine daily. Women who consumed between one and three cups of caffeinated coffee per day also cut their risk nearly in half of developing Parkinson’s disease when compared to women who drank less than a cup of coffee per day - but this apparent benefit was lost at higher levels of intake.

Finally, while some people believe that coffee can induce acid reflux, recent research has found that coffee consumption has no effect whatever at inducing heartburn in healthy people. Even for those individuals with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, coffee consumption was found to have only a minimal effect.

Is coffee all that bad? Probably not…in moderation. Indeed, many studies identifying beneficial effects also noted the loss of these effects at high consumption rates. So, enjoy your three to four cups of coffee a day…on average you’ll be just fine!

Steve Giddings is Managing Director of Frontier Beverage Corporation (Pty) Ltd. This article and other coffee related information can be found at http://www.frontiercoffee.co.za

Imagine your are five years old. As your family arrives at the train station, your hand slips free of your Mom’s and you dash over to the tracks. Looking left, then right, your eager eyes scan the horizon, searching for your train.

Then you hear it. The quiet chugging of the locomotive. The clicking and clacking of the wheels gliding over the rails. The sound of happy families enjoying their ride as they arrive at the station

The engine pulls to a stop; the steam escaping. You run to the first car, eager to board and ride behind the engineer. But this is no ordinary train. This engine is just your size! The cars have seats built just for you! Even still, these cars are large enough for your Mom and Dad to come along for the ride.

With the toot of the horn, the engineer gently pulls the throttle and the little engine slowly starts inching forward. The cylinders pump and the steam chuffs and before long, the engine is chugging along. As you round the first curve, you look back and see the trusty red caboose tootling along, bringing up the rear.

Bright, cheery smiles are every where! Children cry out with glee as the train winds through the tunnel and into the day light. Parents look on with joy and contentment as they reflect on their own precious memories and those that are being made now. You and your parents never want this moment to end.

WHOLESOME & EDUCATIONAL FAMILY FUN

Railroading is in the blood of thousands of Americans. And, even through steam engines may have disappeared from full size rails across the nation, they are still running strong in miniature railroads. What is it about trains that appeals to children and adults alike? Is it the freedom of travel? The sound of the whistle? The simplicity of design? The life-like sounds of a chuffing steam engine? Or the smile on the face of a tired, yet friendly engineer?

There is no one answer but one thing is for certain: children of all ages, love trains! Look at the phenomenal success of Thomas the Tank engine properties! But it doesn’t stop with wood Thomas engines or electric HO train sets. No, this affection seems to grow into something much bigger. . . trains that are large enough to ride in, whether you are 3 or 93. There is no mistaking the attraction of trains to folks of all ages.

And even if you have never ridden aboard an Amtrak train, you may have fond memories of miniature, or Grand Scale, trains found at your local park or drive-in theater when you were young. Maybe you were one of the children who have fond memories of riding behind the diesel at Kiddieland in Chicago or in one of the department store displays of the time. Or perhaps you have heard stories of the famous steam engines running at Coney Island. Fairs, amusement parks, local parks, pumpkin farms, roadside attractions and others have all housed miniature trains at one time. Literally millions of people have had the joy of riding these at one time.

But what of today? Do these iron horses still exist to thrill our children of today? Are there place for families to go so that their young children can make their own memories? Yes! These trains are alive and steaming all around the world today! And more are being built or re-built every year!

In the California alone, it is estimated that there are at least 45 miniature engines being built. New facilities are opening or are in the planning stages each year. Some railroads, like the Redwood Valley Railway in Tilden Park, Berkeley, California, and the Riverside and Great Northern Railroad in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, have just recently celebrated 50 years of service! Other mile stones include the 10 year anniversary of the Orland, Newville & Pacific Railroad in Orland, California. Various museums have resurrected old trains and brought them back to life for their visitors as well.

But it isn’t just public attractions. Private individuals are building their own railroad empires right in their own back yard. Some are indeed empires, as the track runs through miles of property. Many are smaller lines that might run around a city lot. All of them provide hours of fun for young and old alike.

FAMILY OPPORTUNITIES

But what does this all mean for families today? For many, it is a living, breathing education. In one visit you can learn about history of railroading, the science and math behind the locomotives, building and construction, wood working, machining, and more. You can visit with the people who run the railroads, often volunteers , and receive a lesson in community service. Visit the ticket office and gift shops and learn about business. And take a look at the gorgeous locomotives and rolling stock and see pure art! Creative families can find educational value in all aspects of Grand Scale railroading.

As an adult, you can be transported back in time to your youth. Revisit your own memories of the whistles and happy families. . . and make new memories with your own family today.

Where to Ride?

Grand Scale railroads can literally found all around the country. Three of the public railroads are listed above but others include: Griffith Park in Los Angeles, the Little Puffer in the San Francisco Zoo, the Portland Zoo railroad in Portland, Oregon, the Milwaukee Zoo railway, the Whiskey River Railway, Little A-Merrick-A, Marshall, Wisconsin, the Michigan AuSable Valley Railway in Fairview, Michigan, the Detroit Zoo railway, the Traverse City Railway, the Peconic County RR in Long Island, and many, many more private and public RRs.

HOW TO LEARN MORE

Various publications now exist to help people in their search for Grand Scale railroads. The prominent magazines include the Grand Scales Quarterly and the 7+RAILROADER, both published by Robinson & Associates in Red Bluff, California and Live Steam, published by Village Press in Traverse City, Michigan.

The Web has also been a valuable tool for those interested in learning more. Web sites of interest include www.grandscales.com and www.7plusrailroader.com, which have exhaustive links pages. Another great resource is www.discoverlivesteam.com, www.livesteaming.com and www.steamingpriest.com. All provide a great deal of information.

Susan Robinson is the associate editor of both the Grand Scales Quarterly and the 7+RAILROADER magazines. Contact her for a free brochure titled “Want to Learn More About Riding Railways?” by calling 530-527-0141, by visiting http://www.grandscales.com or by mail at PO Box 8953, Red Bluff, CA 96080.

When Mitsubishi launched a new car with the name “Pajero” on the Spanish market, it became obvious very soon that the name chosen was not optimal because it immediately was the subject of jokes due to its homophony with a Spanish expression related to masturbation.

The same happened to Ford’s model “Pinto” (Portuguese for male genital) in Brazil where it was quickly renamed into “Corcel”(horse).

There is quite a long list of product names that give food to the dirty mind be they chosen accidentaly or deliberately. Obviously there seems to be a kind of tradition for this in the history of naming which originally started with place names.

Some of our ancestors obviously were too innocent to realize what burden they place on their offspring when naming places like Pratts Bottom (Kent), Brown Willy (Cornwall), Lickey End (near Birmingham), Booby Dingle (Powys), Great Cockup (Cumbria). Even places such as Thong (Kent) seem to have revealed far too much for not being the victim of lewd remarks.

The European continent, however, is also challenging the innocent mind of the English speaking travellers. In Southern Bavaria they will come across a village with the name of “Petting” and about eleven miles from there, in neighbouring Upper Austria, the shock might be inevitable when they enter the village of “Fucking”. Inspite of the fact that the inhabitants of Fucking have had enough with English-speaking tourists swiping their sign, they refuse to change their name. It goes back to the ancient Bavarian settlement and although this area was christianized by Irish and Scottish monks in the 9th and 10th century, an amendment of the name has never been deemed necessary.

No wonder that in many countries there are restrictions regarding the choice of a place name as a trademark for goods and services. One way around these restrictions is to distort the name so that it becomes indisputable but on a subliminal level takes advantage of the fact that sex sells. A recent example of successful distortion are the products of a British based fashion retailer called French Connection Group plc with the trademark FCUK. Linguists tell us that the power of a word depends on its context, and clearly the English word “fuck” falls into that category. To make it even more explicit, two new fragrances were launched named “FCUK Him” and “FCUK Her”.

On its website, FCUK demonstrates a clear picture of its marketing strategy. Whereas the linguistic allusions are close to Shakespeare’s bawdiness, the images remain subdued and innocent, which on the one hand is rather cynical but on the other hand tries to bridge the generation gap because most parents finance the quite conventional fashion attire that their children obtain from FCUK. Thus FCUK’s clients in each major market display a range of attitudes when confronted with the provocatively distorted four-letter mark. The American Family Association (AFA) promotes initiatives against FCUK such as prefabricated emails protesting against the exploitation of youngsters in such a manner.

Sex in marketing is bound to raise demand along with a few eyebrows which in addition either secure the necessary publicity or ban the product from the market. Branding an almost swear word in order to create a cash cow is, however, not restricted to fashion clothing and related products. On a recent visit to New Orleans I was surprised by the abundance of labels for their traditional hot pepper sauces. Besides the well known Tobasco, there are more spicy brand names such as “Burning rectum” or “Hot shit”.

It shows that name design must be ready to apply wit to anything that makes the blood boil and the label sell. Obviously this does not really work with other economic fields, for instance with tourism, because the places mentioned above are not among the hot spots that travel agents propagate in their catalogues.

About The Author

Wolfgang Nedobity is terminologist and CEO of NameDesigner. More info at www.namedesigner.at

namedesigner@A1plus.at

The Story

When attending conferences, conventions, or private events, it’s guaranteed that you will talk with many people, especially those sitting at your table. Perhaps you may talk with someone you haven’t met before. Some time ago, while in attendance at an event, I was introduced to an insurance/financial consultant working for a major Fortune 500 company. He was very personable and the conversation was pleasant throughout the evening.

We exchanged business cards at the end of the night and parted ways. The next week I received a telephone call from the consultant requesting that I hire his firm to manage my financial portfolio. After I explained to him that I was already taken care of in that area I figured the discussion was over. Several weeks later he called again, and once again, he offered to have his company manage my portfolio. Again I expressed that I was happy with the company who was already managing my portfolio.

For several months the consultant called me attempting to lure my business to his company after I had explicitly said I would pass on the offer. After repeatedly turning him down, the consultant recommended my name to his colleague, who wanted to borrow my mailing list for his company’s marketing purposes. I blatantly refused to lend my mailing list but I offered to help in other ways. In hindsight, I began to wonder if the man’s entire introduction, from our first meeting forward, was designed expressly to profit his organization.

It was during a conversation with the second gentleman that I became even more annoyed. He said, “You should allow [the consultant] to manage your financial portfolio.”

I quickly analyzed the situation. The consultant definitely asked this other guy to say something to me about managing my portfolio. It was at this point that I terminated all communication with the both of them. But Horace Jones, President and CEO of ARTI, Inc. said it best “Tolerance levels vary with different people, but they depend on the type of business that is being represented and how it is being represented. If a declaration has been made and the person still becomes a problem, let them know.”

Vincent Alvarez, IT Technical Manager said, “Aggressiveness is usually a tool employed to obtain a desired decision while arguing a point. Aggressiveness turns into annoyance once a decision has been made to continue making your point after the point is mute. On the other hand, if the person making the decision doesn’t explicitly communicate his position clearly to the other party, this causes continuance.”

Alvarez went on to say that “When this happens often to avoid problems the decision maker should re-state his position instead of putting off the person with a “maybe next week” attitude. This is because the person will keep trying to get a firm decision until satisfied, and most people will do whatever necessary to get what they want, which can be annoying in and of itself.

Jocelyn Cooley, an Executive Recruiter with America Online/Time Warner Inc., said during our interview that “Being aggressive can be a good thing, but many people become annoyed when a person doesn’t give the proper amount of time to perform the task that was agreed upon. Included with that is how professional the follow-up is made. Whether by telephone, email, or written letter, remember to be savvy and know what’s what. Also, remember that recruiters and hiring managers have a responsibility to give constructive feedback to prospective candidates when they have crossed over the line from aggressiveness to annoyance.

The Lesson

There are many ways people can become annoying in their pursuit of your business patronage. It is imperative that when you meet new alliances, or while in your existing partnerships, you learn to listen and don’t be conniving in trying to change someone’s mind or attempt to use others to do your dirty work for you. The result may be the loss of an alliance and receiving a bad reputation, so, learning to listen is key.

More importantly, it is the style and method that you approach people with which matters most. Using a non-aggressive approach each time will give you yardage on each initial contact. Keep an open mind, get a proper decision, and express interest in speaking in the future. If you follow these guidelines your party will not be annoyed, and will seek your business skills in the future.

Melvin Murphy, consummate speaker, author and seminar leader has written several books including the latest titled, “It’s Who You Know! Creating Alliances and Partneships Through Networking” which this article is excerted. Comments to: MMurphy833@aol.com or Melvin@Partnershipsolutions.net

The ultimate handheld multimedia machine is what I call Sony’s latest gaming console. It is the best thing Sony has ever come up with so far. You can do almost anything with it!

Officially marketed as a gaming console, there is much more to it than that. For one thing, you can download your favorite music files onto the memory stick and voila, you have a portable music player! It also makes use of a new storage device called the UMD. It looks like a CD but is much smaller. Aside from games, you can get music videos and movies. With its wide high resolution screen, you can now watch your favorite movies anywhere, anytime you want to. If you are a high tech bookworm like me, then you will love the PSP even more. You can download e-books from the internet and put them on the PSP as JPEG files and read the latest novels on the go! Do you want to carry precious memories around anywhere you go? Convert your pictures into digital format and transfer them onto the memory stick. Now you can have hundreds of pictures at your fingertips!

The relatively large screen size makes for easy viewing of almost any format you use. During game play, the details will just astound you. Watching a movie is like watching it on DVD. You can adjust the contrast so as to suit your viewing preferences.

The memory stick’s storage capacity might give you a bit of a headache, though. There are large capacity memory sticks available but many of them are a bit pricey. However, I would say that it’s worth it.

It would be a good idea to purchase the headphones that come as an accessory. The built-in speakers of the PSP can be a bit disappointing. They just don’t give you the best experience when playing a game, watching a movie, or listening to music. The headphones give a much better sound quality.

Another drawback is that there doesn’t seem to be enough good games for the console yet. Compared to other handheld gaming consoles, the Sony PSP lags behind when it comes to the release of new games. The UMD disks are quite expensive as well.

Then again, I am sure you will be able to find something to do with your PSP while waiting for the next game or movie to come out.

For more information please visit www.444.net.

The Advanta Platinum Business Card MasterCard is for business owners who want to have one credit card for all of their business expenses.

The card has no annual fee and an introductory 0% interest rate on purchases and balance transfers for twelve months. After the introductory period expires, the interest rate is a variable 13.49% for both cash advances and purchases, although the rate for cash advances is directly tied to the cardholder’s credit and will be 5.99% or 12.49% plus Prime Rate. There is a 3% cash advance fee assessed with a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $50 with convenience checks and a 3% balance transfer fee with a minimum of $5 and maximum of $50 during the introductory period.

Those who may sometimes carry a balance and plan to take advantage of the additional benefits and services that are offered will derive the most benefit from the Advanta Platinum Business Card MasterCard. This is especially true of the merchant discounts on products and services to which cardholders may be entitled.

Some of the benefits a cardholder can expect to receive with the use of this card include the following:

• Online access to account information and services

• Personalized business design, checks, and billing date

• Statements and management reports available online

• Insurance for auto rental

• Protection of purchases and extended warranties

• Products and services discounts at participating retailers and merchants

• Compatibility with both Quicken and Microsoft Money software

Benefits are pretty standard business account benefits, and the average business owner will find them quite attractive. Although the rate is a little high in comparison to that charged to an individual with good credit, it’s reasonable if you don’t always carry a balance on your account.

A Wedding Reception in San Diego will provide fun and elegance
due to the wide range of choices that are available to wedding
couples. This is probably due to the fact that San Diego is a
seaside city, a physical factor that allows for more options and
arrangements for wedding receptions. A San Diego wedding
reception also has its Creole influences, which works to offer
variety in wedding themes as well as adding cultural color to
the occasion.

Of course, when planning a Wedding Reception in San Diego, the
first area of concern is the amount that has been allocated for
the occasion. Other important considerations include the
proximity of the location to the cities center, the facilities
provided by the venue management and also the suitability of the
menu selection.

The uniqueness of a Wedding Reception in San Diego is the
popularity of holding one on board a luxury yacht. Remarkably
exclusive and prestigious, organizing a wedding reception on
board a yacht is by no means cheap. Just a 4 hour brunch or
evening event will cost the host between $70 and $200 per head,
depending on the type of package chosen. Of course, nothing can
compare to the ambience on board of a yacht, with an
accompanying DJ, food servers, champagne and the wedding cake.

As for couples with less money to indulge themselves in, there
is plenty of variety that San Diego can offer. If you are
looking for a wedding reception in a private and tranquil
paradise, than Los Willows will be a suitable choice. With a
French pavilion area for wedding receptions, this area will be
breezy in warm months and heated during the winter time. Elegant
white tables and chairs are used with high quality and elegant
chinaware to add to the sophistication. A heavenly wedding cake
is included in the package and a champagne toast for everyone
prepared.

There are also plenty of hotel and resort venues in San Diego
which make excellent wedding reception venues. For example, the
Paradise Point resort and spa offers wedding packages that
include accommodation amidst a 44 acre island located in Mission
Bay. That’s not all as you can opt to have your wedding
reception held indoors possibly in the Paradise Ballroom, or in
the outdoor lawn or on the beautiful sandy beach.

Finally, for couples who would prefer a San Diego wedding
reception held nearer to the city, they can opt to hold it at
the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel, with everything completely
set up by the hotel. This would include the flowers, the cakes,
food and even arranged transportation. In fact, if you are in
the dark on your wedding planning, they can even recommend a
list of photographers and entertainers to turn your wedding
reception into one that you will never forget.

Prototyping is one of the most important aspects of our development process. We consider the act of prototyping to be a risk mitigation strategy. If approached correctly, we believe that prototyping can reduce the risks in Web application development. In addition, by reducing risks we are often able to reduce project costs.

Prototyping may be done in a number of ways and it may actually employ more than one method over the course of development.

We may begin with hand drawn diagrams and flowcharts to represent User Interface (UI) elements and business processes. These drawings are then converted into HTML-based prototypes of the UI that incorporate a minimal level of functionality.

Customer acceptance tests are then prepared to document the required functionality. These tests are then validated against the prototype, as well as the established business, user and system requirements to ensure that the final system meets the stated goals of the project.

We emphasize to clients that testing should begin early and should be carried out continuously. Testing begins during requirements analysis and prototyping when project managers work with the customer to develop high-level Customer Acceptance Tests that validate the business, user, and system requirements.

During development, unit tests ensure that individual, functional packages of code at the lowest levels do what they are designed to do. Integration testing ensures that all the parts (i.e. functional packages of code) that make up a system function together to meet the specified requirement.

Final Acceptance Testing validates the completed system against the requirements as defined during the requirements analysis and prototyping phase. When all of the final acceptance tests have passed, the system should be ready for production.

Small releases provide positive results to clients in a timely manner, adding value to their business processes as quickly as possible.

Small releases also prevent the project from straying too far from the intended goals before the direction can be corrected. In this regard smaller releases can be considered a risk mitigation strategy as well. The key to a small release approach is to identify the individual subsystems that make up the larger system and rank those subsystems by importance. The most important pieces are then delivered first to add value quickly.

Pair programming is the most difficult to implement of all the development processes identified in this article. While we do not advocate pair programming in all instances, we do feel that there is great value to be gained in many cases. Clients are generally concerned about the development costs of a system. And while the idea of having two developers working side-by-side on the same piece of code may seem counterintuitive, cost savings can be achieved due to shorter testing cycles and less rework as a result of pair programming.

At the same time, managers see the use of two people on one task to be a waste of valuable resources, which can be true if the task is not of sufficient complexity. However, in those situations where it fits, if quality is increased and testing and rework reduced, then we believe the trade-offs are warranted.

The AVS Group is a marketing, training, and communications company. AVS is in La Crosse, Wisconsin. AVS helps clients communicate and market effectively. AVS can be found online at http://www.avsgroup.com