Sunday, April 26, 2015

Your Logbook Loan could be ready in a Matter of Fifteen Minutes


A logbook loan is a recent phenomenon. The term is popular in the United Kingdom as it is coined by the British. Many people are still not aware of how the logbook loans work. By the term `logbook’, it becomes clear that you need to be the owner of a car to use it as collateral against the loan. The maximum amount of money that you can take on your loan will be based on the current market value of your car. You have to make sure that your car does not have any finance arrangement already as lien. In such a case, you will not be able to deposit the logbook or borrow against the car. When you check online, sites like logbookloan4u.com will offer a huge selection of lenders that give logbook loans. The website will carry details of how the loans of most of these lenders work and also present comparative interest rates. The details will also be provided on where the lenders can meet you and finalise the loan. Often, the loan process will be ready for you in just a matter of fifteen minutes. The lending agencies generally inspect your vehicle before they take a decision to advance the loan amount to you. They will keep the logbook as collateral until the loan is fully repaid. When they examine your car, they will estimate the current worth to establish the loan value. The repayment schedule will be agreed upon mutually. It could be on a weekly or a monthly schedule basis. It is important for you to know you can afford the repayment schedules or else, the lender can get a court order issued to possess your car and sell it off to get their logbook loan amount back.

Your Selection of Shoes will Depend on the Style of the Wedding


Weddings go on for the whole day and you do not want to be kicking your shoes away until you are done dancing. Comfort is a very important factor when you go out to choose a pair of wedding shoes. More than how the shoes look, it is how they feel that is important. If you are used to wearing heels, then only, they can be a decent option. You have to buy your wedding shoes well ahead of the wedding day so that you are able to break them in and get used to the feel. When you want to select the fabric for your shoes, there is a choice available ranging from crepe to satin or raw silk to velvet. This is mainly because these are quite often the fabrics for the dress too. Many brides choose the traditional colour for their shoes to match their wedding dress. There are cases when few brides have to dye their wedding shoes to match the colours of their dresses. Wedding shoes reference from Aleeyas that offer embellishments in the form of encrusted jewels and Swarovski crystals will add to the look of the dress and complement your overall get up. You have to take into account the style of the wedding. It could be a formal wedding or an informal one. Your dress and the season of the wedding do play a part before selecting the shoes. For instance, a satin off-white sandal would do well in summer. A plain silk and closed shoe would nicely complement a conventional raw silk wedding gown during the fall and winter months. If it is going to be an informal kind of wedding, it would easily allow for casual looks and wear, such as ballet flats or embellished sandals.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

A Random Video Chat could be Fun


Soon after the telephone and a mobile phone became common instruments for conversation, forward looking thinkers started visualizing addition of images while conversing. This has now been realized by video conferencing, smartphones and video chat rooms. You can enter these rooms for a free video chat as a guest or you can create a profile to start the chat. There are hundreds of random video chat rooms that are available to you to browse from. Most of these chat rooms are free cam to cam. You can view many cams after becoming a member. You can make your own individual video chat room and invite others to a private chat with you. A random video chat is a great way to have fun as it allows you to see those strangers that you are talking to. You will come across many chat sites on the web that offer a free video chat with hundreds of users. The video chat tool allows viewing other members and texting to or speaking with them in the chat room at the same time. You do not always require a webcam for all video chats. You can take part in the chat even without a camera. Camfrog chats are rising in popularity. Camfrog is software that provides a free live webcam app for Windows operating system. It allows you to share your video while chatting with others during a random video chat. The camfrog chats allow you to make calls to either land-line or mobile phones and could be either done privately or publicly. People like to do networking today and interacting with people to relieve the stress from their work environment. They go to video chat rooms to chat with strangers. They like to keep their anonymity intact by using different usernames and do not reveal their real identity.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Two Stages of Credit Card Processing


When you run a business, it is important for you to be aware of how the (credit card processing) works. The (credit card processing) for your business is done in two stages. The first stage is the Authorization Stage where you get approval for a business transaction that is stored along with an order. The second stage is the Settlement Stage where the sale is processed while it transfers the funds from an issuing bank to a merchant's account. The flow chart looks like this: Buyer - Merchant Store - Data Payment Processor - Issuing Bank or Credt Card Association and reverse in the same order. (Credit card processing) rates may vary by a processor program or by company. [Comparing Rates through (Credit Card Processor Reviews)] It is a smart idea to always compare the rates among competitive financial institutions. In any case, the interests of the customer have to be given priority as far as the processing rates are concerned. There are few issues that you may have to look for while exploring the (credit card processor reviews). These issues are: 1. Looking for processors who do not charge early termination or cancellation fees. 2. The payment processor has to be compatible with your shopping cart online. 3. The option of interchange-plus pricing should be available to you. With this facility, you can track excatly what the Visa or MasterCard charges are for the interchange fee and what you are likely to pay the processor. 4. What is the customer support available if there is help required in a case such as a terminal malfunction. [The Authorization Process for (Merchant Accounts) Orders] When a buyer clicks the 'checkout' button while doing shopping online with (merchant accounts), the process is sent to secure servers to get completed. This authorization request is sent to the payment processor. It is then forwarded to the issuing bank or the credit card association. The details include the 1. Credit Card Number. 2. Expiration Date of the Credit Card. 3. Billing Address 4. CVV or the secret code number. 5. The amount of the order. This information is validated by the credit card company or the issuing bank against the available credit of the buyer. When approved, the order amount is reserved from the sum of available credit of the cardholder. The confirmation is sent to the source within a mater of seconds. [The Settlement Process of an Order] The process of settlement for various merchant services and other compatible (merchant accounts) involves the signing in to their account by the merchants. This goes to the Order Manager. The order is reviewed against any signs of fraud. Before completing the sale, the merchant clicks the `sale' button which is available in the transaction panel of the order. This initiates the process of settlement. When the request is accepted, the cardholder's account is debited by the order amount. [Main Objective of the (Merchant Accounts)] As a business owner, your main objective is to make money and not to spend more on transaction fees or the maintenance of your website. When you want to compare by going through (credit card processor reviews), the important thing to consider for a good deal is the (credit card processing) rate before you open (merchant accounts). Once you have a good credit history behind your business, it is easy to get approval.

Zak holds the World Record for the highest Test Score by a Number Eleven


Zaheer Khan was born on 7th October 1978 at Shrirampur in the Ahmadnagar District of Maharashtra. He was coached at the National Cricket Academy at Bangalore in 2000. Gautam Gambhir was also enrolled there the same year. He has had some strong performances in the domestic circuit. He played for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy and led them to the championship in the 2001 final against the Railways and was man of the match for his 5/43. He started playing for Mumbai from 2007 onwards. He again helped Mumbai defeat Bengal in the 2007 final. He played for Worcestershire County in 2006. In the English County Cricket scene, Zaheer Khan has made history in Worcestershire as the only cricketer to take ten wickets in a match on debut for over a century against Somerset in 2006. Later, the same year, he had figures of 9/138 against Essex. His nickname is `Zak’. Zaheer Khan is a left arm fast medium bowler and a right hand batsman. He has improved in his abilities to swing the new ball and reverse swing the old ball. He is quite good even on flat tracks. He made his test debut against Bangladesh at Dhaka on 10th November 2000. He made his one day debut against Kenya at Nairobi on 3rd October 2000. He made his T20 International debut against South Africa at Johannesburg on 1st December 2006. He has played 78 tests scoring 1,045 runs with three fifties. He has taken 271 wickets and 18 catches. His best test figures are 7/87. He has played 191 one day matches scoring 781 runs with 42 catches and 273 wickets. His best one day figures are 5/42. He has played 12 T 20 internationals scoring 13 runs and taking two catches and 13 wickets. He has played fourteen world cup matches and has taken twenty three wickets. Zaheer Khan’s initial spell in the world cup final this year against Sri Lanka at Mumbai subdued batsmen like Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga. His bowling played an important part in curbing the Sri Lankan batting strength. He bowled three maidens out of his first four overs. While it is the batsmen who are always given a lion’s share of praise for winning a world cup final like the one this year when Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked away with accolades, Zaheer Khan’s contribution with the ball cannot be forgotten. He ended this year’s World Cup tournament as the joint highest wicket taker with Shahid Afridi. During the final, he really rose to the occasion and performed. Hamstring injuries in the 2003 to 2005 seasons kept him mostly out of the team. He is now the pace spearhead of the Indian bowling attack. He swings the ball both ways. In the 2009 test series against Australia in Bangalore, he became the third Indian cricketer after Rusi Surti and Kapil Dev Nikhanj to score a half century and take five wickets in an innings. Zaheer Khan holds the world record for the highest test score made by a number eleven batsman when he made 75 against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2004. His partnership with Sachin Tendulkar for the tenth wicket of 133 runs is also an Indian record. In one day internationals, his batting average of 19.46 at number ten is also the highest average at that slot. Zaheer Khan belongs to the old school of thinkers who believe that test cricket is the ultimate challenge.

First Test Centurion of India


Nanik Amarnath Bhardwaj was born on 11th September 1911 at Kapurthala, Punjab near Lahore. He lived in Lahore during his early years before the family came to Patiala and settled down there. He came to be known in the cricketing world as Lala Amarnath. He scored a century in his debut first class match for Southern Punjab against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1933. The Indian team selectors were so impressed with his first knock that he was able to get into the test team and made his debut the same year against England at the Bombay Gymkhana in December. It was the first test match that India played at home ground. Lala Amarnath became the first Indian test centurion and he got his century on debut. India were 21/2 when he came to the crease and counter attacked in such a way that he got his century in just under a couple of hours. He went on to make 118 in that match and that was his only test century as he never made another again. He was a wicket keeper, right hand bat and a right arm medium pace bowler. He bowled from a short run up with a unique delivery from the wrong foot. He played 24 test matches and scored 878 runs with one test century and four half centuries. He took 45 test wickets. He played 186 first class matches scoring 10,426 runs at an average of 41.37 with 30 centuries and a highest score of 262. He took 457 wickets. He was the first post independence captain of India taking over from Nawab of Pataudi Senior when he led India to Australia in 1948. Earlier in 1936, he was sent back from an English tour by the Captain Maharaj Kumar, also known as Vizzy, on grounds of indiscipline. He was an aggressively outspoken person. Between 1936 and 1946, he was in the wilderness taking an extensive sabbatical before he played his fourth test in 1946. This was mainly because of his outspoken nature against the team management and the dominance of the royal families on matters of selection. In addition to the politics that worked against him, the Second World War also interrupted his best years like it did for many other cricketers in the world. In the 1946 tour to England, he was India’s premier wicket taker. He had a five wicket haul in the first innings of the Lord’s test that year. During his 1948 tour to Australia, Sir Donald Bradman was appreciative of his aggressive captaincy. Lala Amarnath earned a distinction of getting Bradman out hit wicket but when Bradman scored his hundredth first class century during that tour, Lala was the first to congratulate him. Lala eulogised Sir Donald Bradman. Lala Amarnath was also the first Indian captain to win a test series against Pakistan in 1952. He played his last test match against Pakistan at Calcutta during that series in December 1952. Lala Amarnath went on to become one of the patriarch figures for Indian cricket as he was very active in his later years as a selector, manager, coach and even as a broadcaster. The class, quality and character of Lala Amarnath as an all rounder are unquestionable. All his three sons played first class cricket. Mohinder Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath played test cricket and the third son Rajender Amarnath played first class cricket both in India and England. Lala Amarnath died on 5th August 2000 at New Delhi and writing on hearing about his death, Sir Donald Bradman called him “an absolutely charming and wonderful ambassador for the game of cricket”.

Monday, April 20, 2015

A Masterwork by Victor Hugo


https://youtu.be/JhhsylxYafE
When I first read this masterpiece by Victor Hugo when I was just fourteen, It had an everlasting impact on my mind and my young brain taught me that forgiveness is perhaps the strongest weapon man has been blessed with and the gift of forgiveness permeates throughout this outstanding work. This is not a book or a movie but a great lesson to learn. There are some unforgettable scenes in this book - for example, the initial scenes with the police and the priest and the final scene at River Seine. Liam Neeson has turned in one of his finest performances as Jean Valjean. He is superb in this role. I watched the entire movie on the edge of my drawing room seat. Hugo has given us a master work that shows us how dignity, power and forgiveness can mould our lives. Uma Thurman as Fantine has also done well. Claire Danes is brilliant but the standout performance in this film is that of Geoffrey Rush as Inspector Javert. I am impressed by the direction of Bille August. Rafael Yglesias has adapted this brilliant 1862 Hugo classic in the screenplay. The narrative is about the pursuit of an escaped convict, Jean Valjean by Inspector Javert. Valjean is originally an honest man who is condemned for stealing just a loaf of braed to feed his starving sister and her family. The tale picks up after twenty years of Valjean's escape from the prison and how he becomes a respectable mayor in the Village of Vigau. Compared with this well acted version, the musical that was released last year is a big joke with Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. I shut the movie off after the first half an hour. Les Miserables will turn into a miserable tale if you try to make it into a musical. Only background music has an important role to play in a tale like this and Basil Pouledoris has done a great job in the Bille August version of 1998. This version of Victor Hugo's masterpiece is well acted with good production values. Geoffrey Rush as Inspector Javert is magnificent. Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean is excellent. Uma Thurman and Claire Danes are good. The drama is given its punch by excellent photography and superb music score by Basil Pouledouris. This drama is also popularly known as 'The Bishop's Candlesticks'. The Frenchman, Jean Valjean, is imprisoned for stealing bread and is paroled after nearly two decades only to be struck by twists of fortune when he tries to rob silver cutlery from a Bishop's house that changes his life forever turning him to be a rich benefactor and ultimately a Mayor. Fate does not leave him in peace there. He is hunted down by Inspector Javert and the climax of this master tale is heart wrenching. Once again, an extra ordinary performance by the master actor Geoffrey Rush. Thumbs up to Basil Pouledouris.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

You can talk to your television now


Interesting things are always revealed at the Consumers’ Electronic Shows. Now, you can talk to your television sets without sounding mental. Few years back, if you were found talking to your television, it would have seemed that you were probably agitated, lonely, flipped or down with mental instability. The television manufacturers are hell bent on proving people wrong now. Talking to your television will be considered as rational behavior from now on. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, there were television sets that responded to speech. Lucky Goldstar Electronics announced that they will sell high end flat panel televisions with a remote that has a microphone. You will be able to speak into that microphone to enter text on the television for Twitter updates and web searches. Hold on yet! You still will not be able to change the channel or control the volume by shouting at the television set. Samsung Electronics also announced that it will sell televisions that would respond to voice commands. Samsung is also in the process of launching its first television with a built-in camera. As you watch the television, that is going to be Model No. ES8000, it will watch you back. It will be looking for hand gestures that will prompt it to move the on screen cursor or the launch Apps. Google Inc. is also trying to break into your living rooms with software for these smart televisions. While on this, Sony is also bringing on a BluRay player that will have a remote with a microphone for voice powered web searches.

You can use your Facebook Timeline to promote your business


Facebook is making its new Timeline layout to all user profiles. Business pages on Facebook are not affected and your company can take advantage of this move. The Timeline is a change to the format for displaying content on Facebook profiles. It makes the Facebook content more attractive and it lays the entire history of a user’s Facebook posts in a chronological order that makes it easier to browse to earlier material. The new layout will be a welcome change to Facebook business pages in several ways. Businesses can take advantage of Timeline’s features to build up on brand recognition and word of mouth marketing. By featuring your company on Facebook’s Timeline profile, you can maximize your exposure on Facebook. There is a large banner image featuring at the top of the Facebook Timeline. The cover art is different from the picture associated with the Facebook profile. The image is displayed in a smaller thumbnail superimposed over the bottom left of the cover art. Most people would like to post a picture of their kids, their family or images of nature. This is a prime location actually to show off your business. You can use an image of the company logo, a picture of the business or a team picture of your employees. You can make sure that the business name or logo is in plain view of people. You can also offer some incentives to your employees if they are willing to show off your business on their Timeline profile. You can also create paper business cards that will feature your Timeline cover art. Tagging photos also can be a very effective way to promote your business.

4G will push up your Smartphone Bills


If you are thinking about upgrading to a 4 G phone, you can also plan to pay a little more every month as the 2 GB data caps are going to take their toll. On an average, people are using about 750 MB of data on their mobile devices currently. The main reason for the bills going up is the large scale roll out of 4G and the lightning fast wireless networks that are being deployed. 4G is now capable of speed that can be compared to your home broadband service as it is about ten times faster than 3G phones. In the next five years, it is estimated that the average smartphone connection speed is likely to grow to three times what it is now. If the connection becomes swifter, people keep on piling more data on their mobile handsets and they can include large video files. This will be the main cause of the download upsurge. The streaming video services like Netflix, YouTube and Hulu are going to dominate the download scene in 4 G phones in the next half decade. 4G is making up about fourteen per cent of the global mobile traffic and that is likely to rise to almost half of all the traffic in the next five years. People owning 4 G phones usually download videos by impulse. It has a great impact on the wireless network carriers and also on your pockets. As you build up more GB s on your 4 G devices, you will end up paying more. The smartphone traffic is going to shift more and more to Wi-Fi now.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Strangers on a Train


This is a masterpiece by the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. It can be best described as a psychological thriller. It was made in 1950. The film has a strong cast of Farley Granger and Robert Walker, supported by Ruth Roman. The narration is based on Patricia Highsmith's novel. Some of the highlights of the film that you simply cannot erase from your memory are the strangling scene in an amusement park that is shot from an isolated right frame of a fallen pair of spectacles. It is simply spectacular and unique way of filming. Another unforgettable scene where Walker crashes the Senator's party and tries to demonstrate how easy it is to choke a victim. His relationship with his parents is brought out admirably by Hitchcock. The finale at the merry go round is a cracker of a scene. The film's narrative is built around the events on a train as a binding link; another link that binds the tale is Granger's cigarette lighter which he receives as a gift from Roman. https://youtu.be/J1iSS5r0OVE

Sunday, April 12, 2015

1913 Silent film on Richard Wagner


http://youtu.be/0CzYzGfQp54 This silent film made on the major events in Richard Wagner's life in 1913, even before the first major silent motion picture, `The Birth of a Nation' by D.W. Griffiths. This silent film is made by Carl Froelich. It featured Giuseppe Becce as Richard Wagner and it is a master stroke in casting as Becce resembles Wagner to a great extent. Becce also wrote the background music score for this film. It was released on 20th November, 1913 and was considered one of the first full length bio-pics as silent films in those days did not run for more than a reel or two or more than ten or twenty minutes. The length of this film is one hundred and four minutes. Froelich was a pioneer in German silent films. He made over seventy films in a span of forty years after 1912. This was his directorial debut. He made his first talkie in 1929, 'Die Nacht Gehort Uns'.