Business intelligence is the process of gathering information from the business. The gathered business information is transformed into knowledge using business intelligence. Business intelligence will ease the decision making process, helps in understanding the customer taste and market trends. To run the business successfully one should have the comprehensive business knowledge and understanding of our business strengths and weakness. Business intelligence will take into account the internal and external factors of a business.

Business Intelligence Definition

The basic definition of business intelligence “the process of gathering information about a business or industry matter; a broad range of applications and technologies for gathering, storing, analyzing, and providing access to data that helps to make business decisions.”

Business Intelligence Includes

Business intelligence (BI) includes software applications, technologies and analytical methodologies that perform data analysis. Business intelligence covers data mining, Web mining, text mining, reporting and querying, OLAP, and data visualization.

Knowledge management is part of Business Intelligence

Knowledge management is one of the methods in business intelligence. Knowledge management has been defined as “the technique and tools for capturing, storing, organizing, and making knowledge” Business intelligence is driven by an objective laid by the company. The duration of the objective may be short period or long period.

Business Intelligence Software

Business Intelligence software enables users to integrate and analyze data. Business intelligence software enables us to explore all the business information instantly and effectively. Business intelligence helps the business management to access up-to-date and accurate information about the business performance. Identifying and understanding business opportunities in this vast business environment requires far more than an understanding of technology trends.

OLAP powerful BI Software

The most popular business intelligence tool is OLAP (Online Analytical Processing).
OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) is a powerful, Business Intelligence & enterprise reporting application for small and medium organizations with the capacity to fully Integrate Enterprise Information.

OLAPBrowser delivers incredible reporting power. Create global and enterprise information delivery systems, executive information Systems and personal analytical application.

Ramki is with Axsellit Technologies (http://www.axsellit.com) Business Software. Axsellit Software delivers professional, benefit-enriched business solutions with an unbeatable performance-to-price ratio. Axsellit Technologies provides Business Intelligence Software (http://www.axsellit.com/business-intelligence.html)

How would you like to sell as much in one year as Britney sells in one day or in one hour? Have you put much thought into how marketing empires are created? If you’re selling anything then you’re a marketer and you should study the biggest successes to follow in their footsteps.

We’ve all heard of branding, but do you do it? Have you branded yourself? If you have, are you expanding your marketing opportunities with your brand?

Once you’ve created a name, built successful marketing campaigns and gotten people to know and like who you and your company are don’t stop there.

The real money is in building multiple streams of income. Once your brand begins to build you can diversify to create your own franchise. Think Star Wars, Harry Potter, the books for “Dummies.” You don’t have to be a celebrity or an acclaimed author to cash in, but we can definitely learn from them.

Here are some examples:

Britney Spears makes money on CD’s, concert sales, posters, books, movie appearances, TV appearances, videos, Pepsi commercials and other endorsements.

Paul Newman makes money on movies, and makes money for charity on salad dressing, pasta sauce, popcorn, salsa, lemonade, steak sauce, cook books, T-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts.

Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield (The “Chicken Soup For The (fill in a lucrative target market here) Soul” authors make money on a series of books and tapes so large and profitable that they have their own book rack at Barnes and Noble stores everywhere. There are over 35 titles and 53 million copies in print in over 32 languages. What if they would have stopped with the first title and not bothered to expand the money making potential of their brand?

Talk about branding! …and they get other people to send them stories for free so they don’t even write the books. Beyond this, they make money from other books and tapes, public speaking, joint ventures, and seminars.

Robert Kiyosaki (author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad) makes money from books, tapes, board games, public speaking, seminars, an affiliate program, game events, teleconferences and real estate.

There are limitless possibilities of where you can go in expanding or capitalizing on your brand. Mark and Jack have used their “Chicken Soup” fame to sell unrelated products that are also directed at helping people live the lives of their dreams. Paul Newman is using his fame as an actor to sell food and sauces that have nothing to do with the movies he’s been in.

So don’t limit yourself. As your success builds over time continue to write down new and bigger goals. Imagine what you would do and what products you would create if you were already famous in your field. What would you sell? How would you market? How would you expand your empire?

You are a brand and so is your company. Even before you had a business everyone you came into contact with had an idea of who you were (your brand) because of how you presented yourself. Now it’s time to be aware of the brand your building and make the most of it.

Hey, we can’t all be Britney, but we’re missing the boat if we don’t learn from watching her cash in.

About The Author

Sopan Greene, M.A. is a marketing & life coach & editor of the Net Profits newsletter. Grab Your 2 FREE eBooks & a FREE report: “Million Dollar Emails” “How To Start Your Own Traffic Virus” & “The 13 Deadly Internet Marketing Mistakes Almost Every Business Is Making…” mail to: webmaster87-5956@autocontactor.com

http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com

Subnet mask shows which bits of an IP address (read the article IP Addresses, by the same author) represent the network and which represent the host.

By default we have:

IP addresses - Subnet mask
Class A - 255.0.0.0
Class B - 255.255.0.0
Class C - 255.255.255.0

Example:
IP address 192.168.8.4 ( class C ). The first 24 bytes represent the network
- 192.168.8.0 - and the last 8 bits the host - 4 -.

When a host A wants to be connected to a host B, the host A uses its subnet mask to check if the host B is on the same LAN - local area network -
or on a remote network.
For this purpose it is used the boolean ANDing process.

Example:
Host A IP address ( class B ) 172.16.2.4 - Subnet mask ( class B ) 255.255.0.0
Host B IP address ( class B ) 172.16.2.5

Host A IP in binary:
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000100

Host B IP in binary:
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000101

Subnet mask in binary:
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000

– ANDing process for Host A
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000100
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000
—————————————–
10101100 00010000 00000000 00000000 Result for HOST A

– ANDing process for Host B
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000101
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000
—————————————–
10101100 00010000 00000000 00000000 Result for HOST B

The calculation works in this way:
- 1 when the first and second bits are both 1.
- 0 when they are 0 and 1, 0 when they are 0 and 0.

Since result A = result B the two hosts are on the same network, so the communication is possible without using a gateway ( normally a router ) to
establish a connection to another network.

There are two ways to write an IP address using subnet mask:
Example:
1) 49.22.2.3 255.0.0.0 - class A IP and subnet mask
2) 192.168.1.3/24 - class C IP and subnet mask ( showing its bits )
255 in binary is 11111111 - 8 bits -.

Since in a class C subnet mask there are three 255 groups we have 24 bits.

Subnets

Sometime it is useful to divide a network in smaller networks.
Let’s suppose we want divide a network, with a class B - IP address, in 8 subnets. The class B subnet mask is 255.255.0.0

We must use some of the 16 bits of the host portion ( borrowing process )
to create the 8 subnets. Since the subnets are 8, we need 8 different combinations plus 1 ( the broadcast ): 9 in total.

In binary 9 = 1001, that is 4 bits.

Subnet mask:
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000
Inserting 4 bits in the third group ( the first of the host portion ):
11111111 11111111 11110000 00000000
the third group becomes 11110000 = 240 ( base 10 )
It means that we have a new subnet mask: 255.255.240.0

Generally speaking:
The calculation for the number of subnets is
2^x -2
where x is the bits number for the subnet mask.
( In the example above x = 4 )

The calculation for subnets addresses is
256 - s
where s is the value of the subnet mask: in the same example s = 240

The calculation for the hosts number is
2^y -2
where y is the number of the remaining bits: in the same example y = 12 because

———————-bits left (12)
11111111 11111111 11110000 00000000
—————– bits
—————-inserted
——————(4)

The IP addresses numbers are between the IP of the first subnet and the IP of the last subnet with the exclusion of the broadcast and network IP.
Broadcast IP have all the bits of the host portion = 1
Network IP have all the bits of the host portion = 0

Final Example:
Let’s divide a network with IP address 192.168.5.0 ( class C ) in two subnets.
The necessary combinations are 3. In binary it is 11, so we have 2 bits.
The class C subnetmask is 255.255.255.0
After the borrowing process, it’s last group becomes 11000000 which is 192 (base 10).
The new subnet mask is 255.255.255.192

Hosts number is 2^6 -2 = 62 ( y = 6 )

Subnets addresses: 256 - 192 = 64 ( s = 192 )
Then 192.168.5.64 and 192.168.5.128
It starts with 64 and goes on adding 64

IP addresses: from 192.168.5.65 to 192.168.5.126 for the first subnet.
from 192.168.5.129 to 192.168.5.190 for the second subnet
Note: the broadcast address for the first subnet is
11000000.10101000.00000101.01111111, the fourth group is 127 (base 10 ) and the broadcast address of the second subnet is
11000000.10101000.00000101.10111111, the fourth group is 191
( base 10 )

Renato Piccini - Florence - Italy
Computers Networks technician
http://www.softgrafic.com

Vacant House Riches, How to find any owner.

Real estate investors, both those who buy and hold or buy and
flip, make money when they buy. One of the best methods of
getting good deals is through vacant homes. You may have little
or no competition.

If you have a systematic method of driving neighborhoods,
finding vacant houses is easy. What is not so easy sometimes is
finding the owner.

What I like to do is record into my Palm Pilot every vacant
address I come across and once or twice a week do my detective
work.

Where to start? In Florida, the place to start is the local
property appraisers web site.
http://www.myflorida.com/dor/property/appraisers.html ) In
almost all cases, you just put in the address and the site will
give you the owners name and address. You should then do two
things. First, you should write them a letter telling them that
you are interested in buying their home. Second, you should try
and call them.

Some web sites to get phone numbers are as follows:
www.switchboard.com www.whitepages.com www.yahoo.com people
search function

One thing I always do is just put in the last name. Husbands may
have died and the wife does not want to be listed. Also, they
could have gone to live with a relative of the same last name
but the phone is not listed in their name. If the last name is
the same as that listed on the property appraisers site just
call and ask.

An invaluable tool is an old phone book to look up numbers the
old fashioned way. Your goal should be to try and have one phone
book for each five-year increment for the last 25 years. Stop at
estate and garage sales and ask if they have any old phone books
you can have.

These are the easy ones. What if this does not work?

First, I check to see if the tax bill is being sent to a
different address than recorded on the property appraisers web
site. Many times it is. You start over.

Second, you call the local utility company and find out where
the bill was last sent.

Third, you put the persons name in the Clerk of the Courts look
up page to find out if there have been any recent legal actions.
Is there a recent probate or foreclosure action? If so, there
will be addresses and names of other people for you to contact.

This is where most people stop. And this is where if you
continue to see the same vacant place you can find gold.

The easiest place to start is to knock on all the neighbors’
doors and take one of two approaches. One, just say “what is the
story with that house?” and point to the house. You can usually
find a neighbor who will give you clues or answers. If you get a
nice person who you think was friendly with the owner just ask
for the number. If the house happens to be vacant because the
owner is in foreclosure, you might want to say “I have some
money for Joe Owner, do you know how I can get in contact with
them?” You want to use this approach if you think they are
protecting friends from bill collectors.

You can also use a couple more web sites in your search. Use
www.people-finders.ws to get a history of where people have
lived and birthdays. You can use find.intelius.com to get spouse
and children names.

In Florida, you can also get a Social Security Number off of the
older mortgages recorded in public records. It was printed right
on the mortgages. If you have this you can almost always find a
person using a paid service like findtheseller.com.

If all else fails do something very crazy. Put a FOR SALE sign
in the yard. If the owner or any relative lives anywhere near
they will call. You just say you are sorry, your sign person
must have put it up in the wrong yard. You then say, ” I buy
homes, are you interested in selling?”

Obesity is officially considered an epidemic in western cultures. In the 30 years between 1970 and 2000, the number of obese persons in the United States has grown from 15% of the population to 31 percent of the population. We know that obesity leads to diabetes and high blood pressure. Having a Body Mass Index of greater than 30 is now considered a risk factor for heart disease, even if other risk factors are not present. There has been some controversy, however, over whether being obese leads to more frequent hospitalization, illness and death in old age.

In an effort to answer this question, Lijing Yan, PhD, MPH and his colleagues studied data that had been collected as part of the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project (JAMA. 2006; 295: 190-198). The study collected information from 17,643 men and women aged 31 to 64 during the years between 1967 and 1973. The examination included BMI, blood pressure, non-fasting cholesterol and electrocardiogram. Information was also collected on demographics, ethnic group, smoking, medical history and medications used.

The researchers then looked at data through 2002 and matched the study participants with specific diagnoses by using Medicare records. Their main outcome that they wanted to measure was the risk of dying after age 65. They then divided those in the study into one of five levels of risk of heart disease, as defined by their blood pressure, cholesterol level and smoking.

The results of the scientist’s efforts showed that regardless of other risk factors for heart disease, their chance of hospitalization and death after age 65 increased as their BMI increased. This risk was the highest in obese persons as compared to those of normal weight. As a person’s risk increased towards the highest levels their risk for hospitalization and death increased as well.

One of the most fascinating pieces of information is how few low risk persons there were at age 65. Only 6.7% of people in the study were in the low risk category as based on the defined criteria. If normal weight is added to the criteria of risk for heart disease, that number drops to only 3.9%. This means that less than 4% of those studied were of normal weight and had a low risk for heart disease.

This is a study that supports other research that has also demonstrated the positive impact a change in lifestyle can have on people’s health. Considering the costs to society of the health problems caused by being overweight or obese, the authors of this study call for “population-wide, multifaceted, primary prevention [of overweight] starting at young age.”

A practicing, board-certified Internist in northern Virginia, Tim’s love of food preparation began as a teenager working in the restaurant business. Starting as a dishwasher, by age twenty-two he opened his own restaurant: a small country-French café. After three years as chef-owner, Dr. Harlan decided to return to school. He’d originally intended to pursue a degree in hotel and restaurant management, but events led him toward medicine and the decision to become a physician. In medical school, Dr. Harlan wrote _It’s Heartly Fare_, a book best characterized as a food manual for patients with cardiovascular disease. His latest book, _Hand on Heart_, is a healthy cookbook.

Dr. Gourmet has been an on-air consultant to the TV Food Network show “Cooking Thin” as well as a host on the DIY network show, “AskDIY”. In 2002 “The Dr. Gourmet Show” won an Emmy award.

Dr. Gourmet is a natural outgrowth of Dr. Harlan’s interest in good food and good health: “Eating well and eating healthy are the same thing,” he says.

Healthy skin happens when we eat good foods, have enough
exercise, minimize stress and protect our skin from the
harsh environment.

Certain foods are especially beneficial to the skin.
Garlic is one such food. It contains sulphur compounds
(which give it its rather strong odor) which are beneficial
to your skin. It also acts as a natural antibiotic and
cleanses the whole system. If you like garlic, eat it as
much as you can. If the smell worries you, chew a piece of
parsley afterwards and this will neutralize it. Odorless
garlic tablets are available if this is all too hard.

Vitamin C is probably the most important skin vitamin
in my opinion. Not least because the human body can neither
make it or store it. This vitamin helps collagen formation
which keeps the skin looking young and plump. This could be
why smoker’s skin can look older than a non smoker’s.
Smoking also uses up the oxygen in the blood. Give it up if
humanly possible or at least cut it down.

Vitamin C is best consumed together with bioflavonoids,
the way it is normally found in nature. The two have a
synergistic effect. They can be found in Citrus fruit,
berries such as strawberries and blueberries and vegetables
such as broccoli.

Broccoli also contain vitamin A, an important vitamin
for skin as it helps it fight infection from the inside out.
Great for those with acne! Have some every other day if you
can.

Carrots are a great source of carotenoids such as
“beta-carotene” which your body converts to vitamin A .
Beta-carotene is absorbed into the skin and can also protect
it from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Carrots also contain
“alpha carotene” which protects against free radical damage.
Carrots are a great way to get your vitamin A as excess
carotenoids are expelled by the body. Too much vitamin A is
toxic to the body.

Dark leafy green vegetables, particularly kale and
spinach are a good source of zinc and iron. Iron will make
sure your skin gets enough oxygen and zinc is a great pimple
fighter. Eat some every day if you possible can or include
some in a fresh juice.

Parsley deserves a separate mention as it is rich in
just about all the skin boosting nutrients. It contains beta
carotene, chlorophyll, vitamin B12, folic acid (great for
firm skin), vitamin C and iron. Parsley can be added to
juices, casseroles, sprinkled over any savory dish or simply
chewed by itself. Its great for fresh breath too. Parsley is
easy to grow, pop some in a pot and keep it near the kitchen
door.

Olive oil is fabulous for dry skin and wrinkles. Use
it for cooking - it contains monounsaturated fats and anti
oxidants- or slather it on your skin after a bath.

Flaxseeds and flax oil (also known as linseed)
contain the essential omega 3 oils not found in many foods.
(Fish also contains omega 3). Flaxseeds contain fiber and
phytoestrogens which balance the body’s hormones and are
vital for younger looking skin. Sprinkle some on your cereal
or use in soups and stews.

Avocados give skin (especially dry skin) a boost.
Although fairly high in fat, its the healthy monounsaturated
kind which makes dry skin supple. Avocados contain
glutathione which is one of the most powerful antioxidants
around and will prevent cell damage in all skin types. They
are also high in potassium.

Drink as much water as you can, this flushes out toxins and
helps to hydrate the skin. If you can’t drink eight glasses
a day - I can’t unless its 40 degrees - then just drink as
much as you can without being uncomfortable.

Skin needs sufficient protein to replace and repair itself.
Most of us have plenty of protein in our diets but a lot of
it comes with a lot of fat attached. If you can substitute
low fat items e.g. milk, peanut butter, cheese etc, then do
so. You’ll still be eating the same amount. Lean meat is
fine, fish is even better as it contains natural omega 3
oils which are great for your skin and your health.

Try and add as many fruits and vegetables as possible to
your diet. If you ‘re a committed junk food “junkie” this
may seem impossible, but if you tackle it in small bites (pun intended!) It will be easy. Commit yourself to healthy
foods on certain days of the week or drink water instead of
soda in the afternoons. When this becomes comfortable,
expand it to every day. Its just breaking old habits and
replacing them with new ones. After a while you’ll be
comfortable with it. And you’ll feel better and loose weight
too.

The purists tell us that all vitamins and minerals can be
obtained from foods and there is no need for us to take
supplements. In theory this is true, however the stress of
life today probably robs our system of vitamin B. Smoking
uses up about 35 mg of vitamin C per day.

Added to this, the practice of storing fresh
produce for extended amounts of time, can’t help but deplete
the natural vitamins in these foods. The pollution in our
cities and some of our bad habits like eating junk and
smoking (who me?) leads to the production of free radicals
in the body. For this we need an antioxidant which contains
among others beta carotene (a precursor of vitamin A),
vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene (found in tomatoes)
and zinc.

Healthy skin loves exercise! It doesn’t matter what kind.
Walking, jogging, all types of sport, aerobics, thumping
around in the gym, whatever you enjoy try and fit it in
three times a week. If you don’t enjoy any exercise, find
one! Join a group of people or find a walking buddy, you
will get to enjoy it I promise!

Stress is bad for you and bad for your skin. Stress will
slow the circulation of blood to the skin causing a shortage
of oxygen to the cells. It will also deplete certain
nutrients from the body - for example vitamin B. It can ruin
your sleep thus preventing the repair and regeneration of
skin cells. It will put worry lines on your face and will
make you look old before your time! Who needs it? No-one!
check out this page on stress to see how you can deal with
this incapacitating disorder now!

As you may have gathered from all this, having a healthy
skin is the same as having a healthy body, it’s worth
maintaining a good diet and lifestyle so you not only look
great but you feel great too!

Like to have better looking skin? http://www.holistic-facial-skin-care.com will give you detailed information on all facets of skin care. The author, Wendy Owen has had a lifetime interest in general and alternative health and skin care.

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is a water molecule with an extra atom of Oxygen attached (2H2O + O2 = 2H2O2). This extra Oxygen atom is quite easily detached from the water molecule and eagerly combines with any suitable substance that has the room for it. For example it will attack organic blood cells.

Any chemist’s shop will sell you some concentrated 35% Hydrogen Peroxide, which may be diluted with water to give a 3% solution for human use. This diluted solution is good for treating minor cuts and scrapes etc. It is also used for softening ear wax. It works by oxidising the chemical parts that are presenting as having a free space for the Oxygen atom.

When H2O2 comes in contact with these “impurities” it will give a reaction which causes it to fizz. This fizzing is the Oxygen atoms coming out of their bond with the water molecules and bubbling out of the solution. As gardeners, we can use this eagerness to break its bond to help keep our plants free from everyday pests.

In the same way as old organic blood cells are attacked and consumed by the fizzing action of the peroxide, so will any bacteria and small insects be destroyed by a solution of up to 5% H2O2. At this strength it is safe for human skin but lethal to most bugs.

Mix up the following for a weekly preventative spray:
Add to 1Litre of Water:

30ml of 35% Hydrogen Peroxide
20 ml of Alcohol (Old style mouth wash works well)
2ml of wetting agent (Washing up liquid will do)
Use this mixture as a foliar spray to keep your plants healthy and free from bugs.

Another advantage of the Peroxide breaking down is that it releases free Oxygen into the area. So, if you were to add some to your nutrient tank, the dissolved Oxygen being released around the root system not only kills any bad root material and bacteria, but also oxygenates the roots with the excess Oxygen produced.

Plants can easily cope with a 5% H2O2 solution and because the mixture reduces to water in a short space of time, the dilutions are not that critical. For this reason, it also makes a great disinfectant for plant pots, greenhouses and grow-rooms.

It may be used at 10% for these jobs, but make sure to only use it if the area is plant free. A really great advantage is that you do not have to rinse it away after use because it will revert to water on its own.

Click the link to see how NASA is planning to use this sanitizing Hydrogen Peroxide system.
http://www.primidi.com/2005/08/29.html

A partner in a thriving retail hydroponics supply business, Rickie Haughton is the owner of http://www.hydroponics-gardening-information.com Your First Choice For Hydroponics Gardening Information, the Hydroponics-Gardening-Information website is packed with good content about all aspects of hydroponics gardening and offers a free Hydroponics Gardening Information Club membership to all subscribers.

Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, John R Haughton - All Rights Reserved

There are many different factors that affect stock market levels on a minute-to-minute basis. This includes inflation data, gross domestic product (GDP), interest rates, unemployment, supply, demand, political changes, and broader economic forces, among others.

Complicating this are some general market trends, which have been determined historically to exist. Like their share-price-based brothers, these stock market anomalies may provide buying opportunities for investors. These anomalies include:

Price-based regularities:

1. Lower-priced stocks tend to outperform higher-priced stocks, and companies tend to appreciate in value after the announcement of stock split.

2. Smaller companies tend to outperform larger companies, which is a key reason for investing in small cap stocks.

3, Companies tend to reserve their price direction in the short and long-term.

4. Companies that have a depressed stock price tend to suffer from tax-loss selling in December and bounce back in January.

Calendar-based regularities:

These regularities allow you to better time your investments in the short-term. Although investors should remember that over the long term the benefits of a regular investment plan (investing each month) far outweigh the benefits of trying to time your investment by a day or two, the following patterns have been shown to occur.

1. Time-of-the-day effect. The beginning and the end of the stock market day exhibit different return and volatility characteristics.

2. Day-of-the-week effect. The stock markets tend to start the week weak and finish the week strong.

3. Week-of-the-month effect. The stock market tends to earn the majority of its returns in the first two weeks of the month.

4. Month-of-the-year effect. The first month of the year tends to show increased returns over the rest of the year. This is referred to as the January effect.

Investors should remember that not every anomaly comes about every time, but making sure you’re aware of anomalies will allow you to profit over the long-term and deal with market volatility in the short-term. In short, profit from these anomalies, but don’t aim to make use of these anomalies at the expense of your long-term investment objectives.

About the author: Tony Reed is the author of " Stock Markets are not always right", please visit his website Stock Market & Futures for more information.

This article is free for republishing as long as you leave the article title, author name, body and resource box intact (means NO changes) with the links made active.

With an espresso machine in your kitchen at home, you can make your own latte’s to enjoy for yourself- and to impress your dinner guests! Some people look at the price of a home espresso machine and change their minds, but if consider what you typically pay when you buy a latte at your local coffee shop, whether it is a mom & pop shop or a chain (like Dunkin’ Donuts), you’re spending anywhere from $2 to $4 for a latte! Your espresso machine will more than pay for itself in a short time of making your lattes from home. Having your own espresso machine means having the ability to make latte’s for much less than you spend on them when you go out. Plus you can enjoy them anytime- not just when you’re on the road. Also, lattes are a wonderful after dinner complement- particularly when you have guests over!

Making a latte is all a part of the fun of having an espresso machine. While some people like to drink espresso shots right out of the machine, most people would prefer to make a latte or cappuccino to sit and enjoy with a good book, or good friends and conversation!

The espresso machine will grind your espresso beans fresh for every cup, giving you the fresh taste latte lovers have come to recognize as an integral part of the latte. Depending on your particular brand of espresso machine, you’ll probably dispense about 7 grams of espresso into the handle. Once you’ve extracted the espresso shot into the provided espresso shot pot (usually stainless steel, with a pouring spout), you can start steaming your milk!

The basic recipe is 1 to 2 ounces of espresso to 8 fluid ounces of milk. Put your milk into the frothing jug, and slide the entire container over the steam arm nozzle. Make sure you keep the nozzle as close to the bottom of the container as possible to avoid making a lot of foam out of your milk. Use a thermometer so you know when the milk reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now you are ready to pour your steamed milk into the serving cup. A glass latte cup will look the best, and really impress your friends! Pour the steamed milk into the glass, using a spoon to hold back most of the foam that forms on the top of the milk. Once you’ve filled your cup with the milk, allow some of the foam to lie on the top for a “professional coffee shop latte” look.

Your final step to preparing a latte at home is to take your espresso shot and pour it slowly down the inside of the latte serving glass. Some of the espresso will mix with the milk at the bottom of the glass and some will layer itself in between the milk and foam. You’ll have cloudy areas and several different shades of “latte brown”, making for a wonderful presentation that rivals that of the best coffee house. Only you won’t be paying $4 a cup, and you can make it and drink it in your pajamas if you want to!

If you really want to make the presentation impressive, place your guests’ lattes on a cute little serving tray, with a decorative plate of fancy cookies. Biscotti’s are typically served with lattes, but you can be creative and serve anything you like. Maybe you could make some tiramisu using your espresso to make it from scratch for dessert, and enjoy slices of tiramisu with your homemade lattes! Your guests will want to come for dinner all the time once they experience your after dinner lattes.

This article has been provided courtesy of Kitchen Junkie. Kitchen Junkie offers great kitchen articles available for reprint and other tools to help you get the best bargain on kitchen gadgets.

Sometimes automakers really do listen to consumers. In the case of Ford, particularly with its crowd pleasing F-150 pick-up truck, Ford not only is listening, but delivering. What am I talking about? A hot-rod pick-up truck, that’s what. That’s right, Ford is going ahead with plans to market a truly “boss” version of its perennially best selling truck, the F-150, to give many fans just what they have wanted. Read on for a sneak preview of Ford’s soon to be released FX2, a dream-come-true for avid Ford lovers.

With gas prices approaching record levels, some are questioning Ford’s decision to release yet another version of its highly popular full sized pick-up truck, the F-150. Yet, demand for big trucks and SUVs continues to remain strong suggesting that size really does matter for many consumers. True, a smaller truck can be adequate for some motorists however most contractors require the large carrying capacity of the F-150 thus the continued high demand of these types of trucks. Plus, serious pick-up truck drivers will tell you that there is nothing that matches the abundant capacity of an eight foot bed in carrying everything from lumber to yard debris to sport gear and more.

As it is with many truck owners, function is one thing while styling is but another. Base versions of the F-150 are attractive and capable enough, but sport concepts have continued to create so much buzz that Ford is responding to consumer demand by building the FX2. Specifically, the new model is in response to the overwhelmingly positive buzz a concept version has been receiving at auto shows everywhere.

So, what separates the FX2 from the average F-150? Plenty, including the following features as shared by Ford in a recent press release announcing the new model:

– a dark billet grille

– a sporty, deep front valance

– clear headlights paired with platinum bezels

– monochromatic paint scheme that blends in the bumper, side mirrors, and door handles with the rest of the truck

– chrome exhaust tip

– 18 inch wheels

– black captain chairs with red stitching, available in clothe or in leather

– flow-through center console with floor shifter

Engine choices haven’t been announced, but Ford has said that its popular 5.4L V8 will be offered. The FX2, a two wheel drive vehicle, will complement an existing off road model, the FX4. Ford builds more versions of its full sized pick up truck than any other manufacturer in the world.

Yes, the FX2 is another part of Ford’s “Bold Moves” promotional campaign. While the new model is based on an existing truck, it does something that Ford is finally learning to do right: listen to its consumers. With the 2007 F-150 FX2, it appears that Ford has responded with certainty.

Copyright 2006 – Matt Keegan is a freelance auto writer covering new and future models. Your Ford F-150 FX2 is a truly hot truck that can be further enhanced by installing trustworthy aftermarket products by top manufacturers including Access, Highland, and Extang.