Monday, September 28, 2009
Amazon said
Amazon said this afternoon it’s agreed to buy specialty shoe e-tailer Zappos for $807 million in cash and stock. It’s a smart move as it will allow Amazon to become even more synonymous with e-commerce. Funnily enough, it was just a few weeks ago that I was wondering if Amazon would be launching any more specialty stores. Indeed, they are going vertical — though I didn’t expect them to spend so much money to buy Zappos. Under terms of the deal, Zappos employees will get about $40 million in cash and restricted Amazon stock, and the entire Zappos management team will stay on.
Zappos, while in the commodity business of retail, has carved itself a nice (and fast-growing) niche by focusing on shoes. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Zappos’ hometown paper, the company reached its goal of a billion dollars in sales in 2008, 10 years after it was started by Nick Swinmurn. The sale is yet another smash hit for white-shoe Silicon Valley venture fund, Sequoia Capital. Zappos’ customer service reputation reminds me of Nordstrom, the big department store chain.
“We are joining forces with Amazon because there is a huge opportunity to utilize each other’s strengths and move even faster towards our vision of delivering happiness to customers, employees and vendors,” said Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos. “We will continue to build the Zappos brand and culture in our own unique way, and we believe Amazon is the best partner to help us do this over the long term.”
I am a big fan of both Jeff Bezos and Tony Hsieh, because they belong to that rare breed of company CEOs who put the needs of the customers (and their happiness) above everything else. Hsieh has been a fixture at various tech industry events but I’ve never met him, I’ve just enjoyed his talks and his posts on the Zappos blog. In an email to his employees today, Hsieh says something that all startup founders — myself included — would be well-advised to remember: “What happens to our culture is up to us…we are in control of our destiny and how our culture evolves.”
Zappos, while in the commodity business of retail, has carved itself a nice (and fast-growing) niche by focusing on shoes. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Zappos’ hometown paper, the company reached its goal of a billion dollars in sales in 2008, 10 years after it was started by Nick Swinmurn. The sale is yet another smash hit for white-shoe Silicon Valley venture fund, Sequoia Capital. Zappos’ customer service reputation reminds me of Nordstrom, the big department store chain.
“We are joining forces with Amazon because there is a huge opportunity to utilize each other’s strengths and move even faster towards our vision of delivering happiness to customers, employees and vendors,” said Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos. “We will continue to build the Zappos brand and culture in our own unique way, and we believe Amazon is the best partner to help us do this over the long term.”
I am a big fan of both Jeff Bezos and Tony Hsieh, because they belong to that rare breed of company CEOs who put the needs of the customers (and their happiness) above everything else. Hsieh has been a fixture at various tech industry events but I’ve never met him, I’ve just enjoyed his talks and his posts on the Zappos blog. In an email to his employees today, Hsieh says something that all startup founders — myself included — would be well-advised to remember: “What happens to our culture is up to us…we are in control of our destiny and how our culture evolves.”
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Gold Investing
For centuries, buying gold has been recognized as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power. Gold is a unique investment, one that has served mankind well for thousands of years. From the times of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has been fascinated with the beauty and magic of gold, and with its power to change men's lives.
Gold bullion is real, honest money...and, many say, the best form of money the world has ever known. It is a store of value and a safe haven in times of crisis. Gold is rare, durable and does not wear out in the manner of lesser metals (or paper!) when passed from hand to hand. A small amount, easily carried, can purchase a significant amount of goods and services. It is universally accepted, and can be easily bought and sold around the world.
Today, the beauty of a gold bar lies in its ability to diversify investments, protect wealth and preserve one's purchasing power.
Gold bullion is available from Monex in three convenient forms:
The 10-ounce gold bullion bar of at least .995 fine purity is the standard industry unit. It is traditionally used for trading and storage, and can also be taken for personal delivery. Each gold bar is hallmarked by a leading refiner to certify weight and purity.
Also available from Monex is the 32.15 troy ounce gold “kilobar”...a one kilogram bar of fine gold bullion of at least .999 purity. Manufacturers of these bars certify the weight and purity of the bullion content by imprinting their stamp or hallmark on each bar.
And finally, for those who want the finest investment-grade gold bullion bars available, we proudly offer the exclusive Monex-certified 10-ounce gold bullion ingot...composed of pure .9999 (or "four-nines") fine gold bullion—among the purest gold bullion bars available to investors today. Each bar is certified, with its weight and purity guaranteed by Monex, and each bar is further hallmarked by Heraeus, one of the world's leading refiners, and the 800 year-old Austrian Mint, one of the world's leading minting institutions.
Gold bullion bars are real, tangible assets, and throughout history, have been an ideal store of value and an excellent hedge against inflation, deflation and political uncertainty. They are extremely liquid investments, easily stored and transported, and can be a uniquely private way to preserve one's wealth.
Call a Monex Account Representative today to discuss how a gold bullion investment could and possibly should become part of your investment portfolio.
Monex Account Representatives are normally available between 5:30am and 4:30pm Pacific time each Monday through Friday (except national holidays)...and on many weekends.
Give us a call...give our service a try...and compare our prices. You'll see why Monex has been America's trusted name in coin and bullion trading...for over 40 years.
For up to the minute gold prices and price charts see our Live Prices
Gold bullion is real, honest money...and, many say, the best form of money the world has ever known. It is a store of value and a safe haven in times of crisis. Gold is rare, durable and does not wear out in the manner of lesser metals (or paper!) when passed from hand to hand. A small amount, easily carried, can purchase a significant amount of goods and services. It is universally accepted, and can be easily bought and sold around the world.
Today, the beauty of a gold bar lies in its ability to diversify investments, protect wealth and preserve one's purchasing power.
Gold bullion is available from Monex in three convenient forms:
The 10-ounce gold bullion bar of at least .995 fine purity is the standard industry unit. It is traditionally used for trading and storage, and can also be taken for personal delivery. Each gold bar is hallmarked by a leading refiner to certify weight and purity.
Also available from Monex is the 32.15 troy ounce gold “kilobar”...a one kilogram bar of fine gold bullion of at least .999 purity. Manufacturers of these bars certify the weight and purity of the bullion content by imprinting their stamp or hallmark on each bar.
And finally, for those who want the finest investment-grade gold bullion bars available, we proudly offer the exclusive Monex-certified 10-ounce gold bullion ingot...composed of pure .9999 (or "four-nines") fine gold bullion—among the purest gold bullion bars available to investors today. Each bar is certified, with its weight and purity guaranteed by Monex, and each bar is further hallmarked by Heraeus, one of the world's leading refiners, and the 800 year-old Austrian Mint, one of the world's leading minting institutions.
Gold bullion bars are real, tangible assets, and throughout history, have been an ideal store of value and an excellent hedge against inflation, deflation and political uncertainty. They are extremely liquid investments, easily stored and transported, and can be a uniquely private way to preserve one's wealth.
Call a Monex Account Representative today to discuss how a gold bullion investment could and possibly should become part of your investment portfolio.
Monex Account Representatives are normally available between 5:30am and 4:30pm Pacific time each Monday through Friday (except national holidays)...and on many weekends.
Give us a call...give our service a try...and compare our prices. You'll see why Monex has been America's trusted name in coin and bullion trading...for over 40 years.
For up to the minute gold prices and price charts see our Live Prices
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Truth About Life Insurance
Cash value life insurance, like whole life, will help me retire wealthy.Truth: Cash value life insurance is one of the worst financial products available.Sadly, over 70% of the life insurance policies sold today are cash value policies. A cash value policy is an insurance product that packages insurance and savings together. Do not invest money in life insurance; the returns are HORRIBLE. Your insurance person will show you wonderful projections, but none of these policies perform as projected.
Example of Cash ValueIf a 30-year-old man has $100 per month to spend on life insurance and shops the top 5 cash value companies, he will find he can purchase an average of $125,000 in insurance for his family. The pitch is to get a policy that will build up savings for retirement, which is what a cash value policy does. However, if this same guy purchases 20-year-level term insurance with coverage of $125,000, the cost will be only $7 per month, not $100.
WOW! If he goes with the cash value option, the other $93 per month should be in savings, right? Well, not really; you see, there are expenses.
Expenses? How much?
All of the $93 per month disappears in commissions and expenses for the first 3 years. After that, the return will average 2.6% per year for whole life, 4.2% for universal life, and 7.4% for the new-and-improved variable life policy that includes mutual funds, according to Consumer Federation of America, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Example of Cash ValueIf a 30-year-old man has $100 per month to spend on life insurance and shops the top 5 cash value companies, he will find he can purchase an average of $125,000 in insurance for his family. The pitch is to get a policy that will build up savings for retirement, which is what a cash value policy does. However, if this same guy purchases 20-year-level term insurance with coverage of $125,000, the cost will be only $7 per month, not $100.
WOW! If he goes with the cash value option, the other $93 per month should be in savings, right? Well, not really; you see, there are expenses.
Expenses? How much?
All of the $93 per month disappears in commissions and expenses for the first 3 years. After that, the return will average 2.6% per year for whole life, 4.2% for universal life, and 7.4% for the new-and-improved variable life policy that includes mutual funds, according to Consumer Federation of America, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
You got the wrong embryos
On a cold morning in February, 10 days after undergoing in vitro fertilization, Carolyn Savage lay in bed at her Ohio home waiting for the results of her pregnancy test.
Sean and Carolyn Savage with daughter Mary Kate (now 18 months) and sons Ryan, left, and Andrew.
Time was moving slowly. It was getting late and the call from the fertility clinic should have come by lunchtime.
"We were waiting and waiting and the call seemed like it would never come," Savage said.
Finally, around 4 p.m., Carolyn's husband, Sean, got the call at work.
"The doctor told me in one sentence, 'Carolyn is pregnant, but we transferred the wrong embryos,'" he said. "I didn't even know that could physically happen. It was a total shock, totally beyond the realm of possibility."
In a tragic mix-up, the Savages say the fertility clinic where Carolyn underwent in vitro fertilization implanted another couple's embryos into Carolyn's uterus.
In essence, she had become an unwitting surrogate for another family.
After receiving the news, Sean hung up the phone and drove straight home to tell his wife in person.
"He walked in and was as white as a sheet," Carolyn said. "He told me, and I think he repeated himself two or three times, and I kept saying 'You're joking.' I kept yelling at him stop it but there was nothing on his face indicating a joke." Watch more on the Savages and their reaction to their situation »
Incredulity turned to shock, and when that shock melted, so did the couple's hope for having another child of their own. At the time, Carolyn was 39 and her chances of having a child naturally after this one were waning.
"That was the beginning of a very treacherous and emotional journey for us," said Sean.
"I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life," said Carolyn. "It was such a nightmare and, in a way, I felt violated."
Don't Miss
What happens to extra embryos after IVF?
That nightmare was the tipping point on a pregnancy path marred by failed attempts and painful miscarriages.
Only the birth of the Savages' first child was easy. Their second child, born almost three years later in 1997, was 10 weeks premature after Carolyn developed life-threatening complications.
"That was a scary time for us," said Carolyn. Yet after she recovered, the Savages consulted with a doctor and remained intent on pursuing future pregnancies.
It would prove exceedingly difficult. Carolyn and Sean tried on and off for 10 years to have another child before turning to IVF. Eventually, Carolyn became pregnant with the couple's third child, resulting in another difficult pregnancy and premature birth. Their daughter is now a healthy 18-month-old.
With five embryos left over from IVF -- and despite the risks to Carolyn's health -- the Savages, guided by their religious beliefs, refused to let the unused embryos at the clinic languish.
February 6 was when they thought they had three of their own embryos implanted by the fertility clinic.
Cases like these, while tragic, are exceedingly rare, said Dr. David Adamson, a reproductive endocrinologist and past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
"There are well in excess of 100,000 embryo transfers every year in this country," said Adamson. "The fact that this happens once in several hundred thousand embryo transfers means the vast majority of the time, systems do protect from this taking place."
Groups like the ASRM have a series of strong protocol recommendations for in vitro procedures, such as accurately labeling embryos with the patient's name and Social Security number, and color-coding samples uniquely to avoid confusion. These identification procedures are not legally mandated, but mistakes can occur if they are not followed, said Adamson. After learning about the mistake, the Savages made two decisions right away: They would not abort the baby, and when he was born, they would relinquish the baby to his DNA parents.
"They didn't choose this path either," Carolyn Savage said of the DNA parents, who declined to speak with media. "We knew if our embryo had been thawed and negligently put into another woman, we would expect that the child would be returned to us."
The Savages are not releasing the name of the clinic where they underwent the IVF procedure, but provided CNN with proof of their reproductive predicament, including results of amniocentesis, a genetic test, indicating the baby Carolyn is carrying is not theirs.
They have met with the baby's DNA parents, and according to Carolyn the DNA-related mother of the child has come along for one doctor's appointment.
"We knew based on legal precedent that custody would be lost, and we agree with that precedent," said Carolyn, alluding to a similar case of errant IVF in 1999 in New York in which custody was awarded to the genetic parents.
The Savages are grimly aware that they will have to do the same thing soon. Carolyn is now 35 weeks pregnant and expecting to deliver within the next couple of weeks. It is a countdown fraught with mixed emotions.
Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Infertility
"As the process has gone along, it has been exceptionally difficult imagining this playing out," Sean Savage said.
"There are so many ways to walk into that delivery room," Carolyn. "We're trying to mentally frame it instead of a loss -- it is a loss, I don't want to say that it isn't -- but we're trying to look at it as a gift we're giving someone else."
The Savages say the five embryos they originally had cryogenically preserved at the clinic in Ohio are still unused and have been moved to another clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. They say doctors have advised against any more pregnancies for Carolyn, so they are working out terms with a gestational carrier, or surrogate, to carry some of those embryos for them.
Still, even if a surrogate can eventually help them expand their family, the Savages say that the memory of the child they gave up will always linger.
"I know that tug will be there every day wondering if the baby's happy, healthy and OK," said Carolyn.
"We want him to know that it wasn't that we didn't want him, but too many people wanted him," said Sean. "We gave him up because it was the right thing to do
Sean and Carolyn Savage with daughter Mary Kate (now 18 months) and sons Ryan, left, and Andrew.
Time was moving slowly. It was getting late and the call from the fertility clinic should have come by lunchtime.
"We were waiting and waiting and the call seemed like it would never come," Savage said.
Finally, around 4 p.m., Carolyn's husband, Sean, got the call at work.
"The doctor told me in one sentence, 'Carolyn is pregnant, but we transferred the wrong embryos,'" he said. "I didn't even know that could physically happen. It was a total shock, totally beyond the realm of possibility."
In a tragic mix-up, the Savages say the fertility clinic where Carolyn underwent in vitro fertilization implanted another couple's embryos into Carolyn's uterus.
In essence, she had become an unwitting surrogate for another family.
After receiving the news, Sean hung up the phone and drove straight home to tell his wife in person.
"He walked in and was as white as a sheet," Carolyn said. "He told me, and I think he repeated himself two or three times, and I kept saying 'You're joking.' I kept yelling at him stop it but there was nothing on his face indicating a joke." Watch more on the Savages and their reaction to their situation »
Incredulity turned to shock, and when that shock melted, so did the couple's hope for having another child of their own. At the time, Carolyn was 39 and her chances of having a child naturally after this one were waning.
"That was the beginning of a very treacherous and emotional journey for us," said Sean.
"I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life," said Carolyn. "It was such a nightmare and, in a way, I felt violated."
Don't Miss
What happens to extra embryos after IVF?
That nightmare was the tipping point on a pregnancy path marred by failed attempts and painful miscarriages.
Only the birth of the Savages' first child was easy. Their second child, born almost three years later in 1997, was 10 weeks premature after Carolyn developed life-threatening complications.
"That was a scary time for us," said Carolyn. Yet after she recovered, the Savages consulted with a doctor and remained intent on pursuing future pregnancies.
It would prove exceedingly difficult. Carolyn and Sean tried on and off for 10 years to have another child before turning to IVF. Eventually, Carolyn became pregnant with the couple's third child, resulting in another difficult pregnancy and premature birth. Their daughter is now a healthy 18-month-old.
With five embryos left over from IVF -- and despite the risks to Carolyn's health -- the Savages, guided by their religious beliefs, refused to let the unused embryos at the clinic languish.
February 6 was when they thought they had three of their own embryos implanted by the fertility clinic.
Cases like these, while tragic, are exceedingly rare, said Dr. David Adamson, a reproductive endocrinologist and past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
"There are well in excess of 100,000 embryo transfers every year in this country," said Adamson. "The fact that this happens once in several hundred thousand embryo transfers means the vast majority of the time, systems do protect from this taking place."
Groups like the ASRM have a series of strong protocol recommendations for in vitro procedures, such as accurately labeling embryos with the patient's name and Social Security number, and color-coding samples uniquely to avoid confusion. These identification procedures are not legally mandated, but mistakes can occur if they are not followed, said Adamson. After learning about the mistake, the Savages made two decisions right away: They would not abort the baby, and when he was born, they would relinquish the baby to his DNA parents.
"They didn't choose this path either," Carolyn Savage said of the DNA parents, who declined to speak with media. "We knew if our embryo had been thawed and negligently put into another woman, we would expect that the child would be returned to us."
The Savages are not releasing the name of the clinic where they underwent the IVF procedure, but provided CNN with proof of their reproductive predicament, including results of amniocentesis, a genetic test, indicating the baby Carolyn is carrying is not theirs.
They have met with the baby's DNA parents, and according to Carolyn the DNA-related mother of the child has come along for one doctor's appointment.
"We knew based on legal precedent that custody would be lost, and we agree with that precedent," said Carolyn, alluding to a similar case of errant IVF in 1999 in New York in which custody was awarded to the genetic parents.
The Savages are grimly aware that they will have to do the same thing soon. Carolyn is now 35 weeks pregnant and expecting to deliver within the next couple of weeks. It is a countdown fraught with mixed emotions.
Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Infertility
"As the process has gone along, it has been exceptionally difficult imagining this playing out," Sean Savage said.
"There are so many ways to walk into that delivery room," Carolyn. "We're trying to mentally frame it instead of a loss -- it is a loss, I don't want to say that it isn't -- but we're trying to look at it as a gift we're giving someone else."
The Savages say the five embryos they originally had cryogenically preserved at the clinic in Ohio are still unused and have been moved to another clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. They say doctors have advised against any more pregnancies for Carolyn, so they are working out terms with a gestational carrier, or surrogate, to carry some of those embryos for them.
Still, even if a surrogate can eventually help them expand their family, the Savages say that the memory of the child they gave up will always linger.
"I know that tug will be there every day wondering if the baby's happy, healthy and OK," said Carolyn.
"We want him to know that it wasn't that we didn't want him, but too many people wanted him," said Sean. "We gave him up because it was the right thing to do
Health Insurance
Compare Auto, Homeowner, Health Insurance QuotesEveryone knows that insurance premiums can be affected by your credit history or perhaps a spotty driving record in the case of auto insurance. But few people realize that an insurance company's loss experience is one of the biggest factors for determining how much they will pay for coverage. How so? Well, say for example an insurance company paid out a large amount of homeowner insurance claims due to a particularly catastrophic year of floods and fire damage. The same insurance company may also provide auto insurance coverage. To compensate for the losses experienced under their home owner insurance division, they may raise premiums for their car insurance customers even if they had no accidents or tickets. Or, they could simply increase the insurance prices for house insurance policyholders in another state.Insurance is a business, and like any other business it needs to generate profit. Monetary losses from an excessive amount of insurance claims are usually shifted to the consumer in the package of higher insurance premiums. If the insurance company had an extremely profitable year, they may lower rates to attract more customers and increase the number of policyholders they have. For this reason, insurance rates vary greatly from one company to another.Health and life insurance rates are very low right now in this competitive insurance industry. However, some health and life insurance companies offer low initial rates to gain insurance customers and then gradually increase these teaser insurance rates over time. The best way to ensure you are getting the best price for your insurance needs is to review your policy rates regularly and compare them against what other competing insurance companies are offering. You can do this by requesting insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies.Use Technology to Find an Affordable CoverageIn the past, obtaining insurance quotes was a time consuming affair that involved hours on the phone or lengthy meetings with individual insurance agents. With the technology advancements of today, you can request insurance quotes quickly and efficiently. It only takes about two minutes to fill out the online insurance questionnaire provided on 2insure4less.com. Our cutting edge technology allows you to instantly compare insurance coverage and premium quotes from multiple competing companies. The best part is you only have to enter your information once instead of traveling from website to website. We are not an insurance company, but we offer tips on how to determine the amount of insurance coverage you need.So, whether you are looking for a cheaper auto insurance rate for an expiring car insurance policy, or you simply want to make sure you are getting the best deal on house, renters, disability, long term care, cancer, burial (final expense), life insurance, and annuity, 2insure4less is here to help both men and women find affordable insurance coverage. Why not see if you can save a little extra money on your health insurance premiums? You have the option of comparing cheap insurance coverage quotes online or speaking with a qualified insurance agent licensed in your state.Learn How to Get a Discount from Insurance CompaniesOur learning center is dedicated to helping insurance consumers become educated on their insurance needs. Our library of educational material, insurance guides and coverage calculating tools will help you in a variety of insurance situations. The next time you have an accident or need to file an insurance claim you can be prepared. We'll also tell you about what to do when a claim is denied and your rights as a policyholder. You'll also learn how to understand your insurance policy and of course, there are many tips on how to save money on insurance.Don't pay more for insurance than you have to. Take time to compare your current insurance rates with comparable coverage from other insurance competitors. It only takes a few minutes to select the type of coverage you are interested in, and you'll be on your way to comparing insurance quotes and saving money.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Recession-Proof Career
Although there's no such thing as a recession-proof career, some jobs may offer more job security than others. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2016, three out of 10 jobs in this country will be in education and in health care. If teaching or working in a hospital doesn't appeal to you, professional and business-related jobs will provide the second largest area of growth.
If, like many Americans, you want or need a new career, check out these six in-demand careers. With an associate's or bachelor's degree and some career training, you may be well on your way to enjoying peace of mind and job stability, even in this economy.
If, like many Americans, you want or need a new career, check out these six in-demand careers. With an associate's or bachelor's degree and some career training, you may be well on your way to enjoying peace of mind and job stability, even in this economy.
Computer and Information Scientist
As our need for technology grows, so does our need for computer scientists. Working as researchers, computer scientists solve technological problems and develop successful solutions. Many computer scientists work on teams in industrial settings or at universities, exploring new and innovative technologies. According to the BLS, computer scientists made over $100,000 a year on average in 2007. An online bachelor's degree in computer science may be able to give you the traction you need for this fast growing career.
Computer Systems Analyst
Computer Systems Analyst
We know computers are important, but consider this: without computers, most American businesses would not be able to run. Computer systems analysts work for companies and businesses, identifying their technological needs. As a computer systems analyst, you will choose and configure hardware and software in order to meet your company's goals. Keeping up to date with current technologies is key. A bachelor's degree in a technical field, such as computer science or management information systems, can give you the career training you need for this rapidly growing, much sought after career. According to the BLS, computer systems analysts made an average yearly wage of $75,890 in 2007.
Employment Recruiter and Placement Specialist
As the job market tightens, more workers are drawn to temporary, seasonal, and part-time work. Employment recruiters have the important job of matching these employees with jobs. As an employment recruiter, you may work for a company looking for new hires or for a local job placement agency. Your duties will probably consist of meeting with prospective employees, interviewing them, and extending job offers. Armed with an online or on-campus degree in human resources, as an employment recruiter and placement specialist you may be able to make an average of over $50,000 a year.
Health Care Technician
Don't like the idea of working with patients but are still drawn to the medical field? Become a health care technician. Since you'll be compiling patients' charts and records and keeping their health information up to date, you'll need to be well organized and have an eye for detail. An associate's degree in health care management or a related field can prepare you for this rapidly growing field. Many employers prefer technicians who are also registered health information technicians (RHITs), which requires attending an approved program and passing an exam. The BLS estimates that medical records and health information technicians made an average yearly wage of $31,450 in 2007.
Registered Nurse
Approximately 587,000 new nursing jobs are projected within the next eight years, making nursing one of the largest job markets in the United States. According to the BLS, nurses made an average annual salary of $62,480 in 2007. An online program can give you the training you need for a nursing career as you earn your associate's or bachelor's nursing degree. As a registered nurse you will tend patients, providing them and their families with much needed emotional support and education in a doctor's office, hospital, or clinic. You can choose to specialize in one of medicine's many exciting fields, such as oncology or neonatal care.
Special Education Teacher
Within the next eight years, an estimated shortage of special education teachers will coincide with a rise in the anticipated number of qualifying students. Special education teachers work closely with students who have handicaps and disabilities. As a special education teacher, you will modify your students' lessons and help them and their families set and achieve goals. In order to become a special education teacher, you need a bachelor's degree in an approved program. Special education teachers in the United States made over $50,000 a year in 2007, according to the BLS. Plus, along with the good feeling that often accompanies helping others, you may get a portion of your summers off.
Pundits can predict where the rough economy will go within the next few years, but nobody knows for sure. An in-demand career could be one way to ride out the storm.
Special Education Teacher
Within the next eight years, an estimated shortage of special education teachers will coincide with a rise in the anticipated number of qualifying students. Special education teachers work closely with students who have handicaps and disabilities. As a special education teacher, you will modify your students' lessons and help them and their families set and achieve goals. In order to become a special education teacher, you need a bachelor's degree in an approved program. Special education teachers in the United States made over $50,000 a year in 2007, according to the BLS. Plus, along with the good feeling that often accompanies helping others, you may get a portion of your summers off.
Pundits can predict where the rough economy will go within the next few years, but nobody knows for sure. An in-demand career could be one way to ride out the storm.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money
Making videos for YouTube — for three years a pastime for millions of Web surfers — is now a way to make a living.
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Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
Michael Buckley quit his day job in September. He says his online show is “silly,” but it helped pay off credit-card debt.
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One year after YouTube, the online video powerhouse, invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes from the Web site. For some, like Michael Buckley, the self-taught host of a celebrity chatter show, filming funny videos is now a full-time job.
Mr. Buckley quit his day job in September after his online profits had greatly surpassed his salary as an administrative assistant for a music promotion company. His thrice-a-week online show “is silly,” he said, but it has helped him escape his credit-card debt.
Mr. Buckley, 33, was the part-time host of a weekly show on a Connecticut public access channel in the summer of 2006 when his cousin started posting snippets of the show on YouTube. The comical rants about celebrities attracted online viewers, and before long Mr. Buckley was tailoring his segments, called “What the Buck?” for the Web. Mr. Buckley knew that the show was “only going to go so far on public access.”
“But on YouTube,” he said, “I’ve had 100 million views. It’s crazy.”
All he needed was a $2,000 Canon camera, a $6 piece of fabric for a backdrop and a pair of work lights from Home Depot. Mr. Buckley is an example of the Internet’s democratizing effect on publishing. Sites like YouTube allow anyone with a high-speed connection to find a fan following, simply by posting material and promoting it online.
Granted, building an audience online takes time. “I was spending 40 hours a week on YouTube for over a year before I made a dime,” Mr. Buckley said — but, at least in some cases, it is paying off.
Mr. Buckley is one of the original members of YouTube’s partner program, which now includes thousands of participants, from basement video makers to big media companies. YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, places advertisements within and around the partner videos and splits the revenues with the creators. “We wanted to turn these hobbies into businesses,” said Hunter Walk, a director of product management for the site, who called popular users like Mr. Buckley “unintentional media companies.”
YouTube declined to comment on how much money partners earned on average, partly because advertiser demand varies for different kinds of videos. But a spokesman, Aaron Zamost, said “hundreds of YouTube partners are making thousands of dollars a month.” At least a few are making a full-time living: Mr. Buckley said he was earning over $100,000 from YouTube advertisements.
The program is a partial solution to a nagging problem for YouTube. The site records 10 times the video views as any other video-sharing Web site in the United States, yet it has proven to be hard for Google to profit from, because a vast majority of the videos are posted by anonymous users who may or may not own the copyrights to the content they upload. While YouTube has halted much of the illegal video sharing on the site, it remains wary of placing advertisements against content without explicit permission from the owners. As a result, only about 3 percent of the videos on the site are supported by advertising.
But the company has high hopes for the partner program. Executives liken it to Google AdSense, the technology that revolutionized advertising and made it possible for publishers to place text advertisements next to their content.
“Some of these people are making videos in their spare time,” said Chad Hurley, a co-founder of YouTube. “We felt that if we were able to provide them a true revenue source, they’d be able to hone their skills and create better content.”
In a time of media industry layoffs, the revenue source — and the prospect of a one-person media company — may be especially appealing to users. But video producers like Lisa Donovan, who posts sketch comedy onto YouTube and attracted attention in the fall for parodies of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, do not make it sound easy. “For new users, it’s a lot of work,” Ms. Donovan said. “Everybody’s fighting to be seen online; you have to strategize and market yourself.”
Mr. Buckley, who majored in psychology in college and lives with his husband and four dogs in Connecticut, films his show from home. Each episode of “What the Buck?” is viewed an average of 200,000 times, and the more popular ones have reached up to three million people. He said that writing and recording five minutes’ worth of jokes about Britney Spears’s comeback tour and Miley Cyrus’s dancing abilities is not as easy as it looks. “I’ve really worked hard on honing my presentation and writing skills,” he said.
As his traffic and revenues grew, Mr. Buckley had “so many opportunities online that I couldn’t work anymore.” He quit his job at Live Nation, the music promoter, to focus full-time on the Web show.
There is a symmetry to Mr. Buckley’s story. Some so-called Internet celebrities view YouTube as a stepping stone to television. But Mr. Buckley started on TV and found fame on YouTube. Three months ago, he signed a development deal with HBO, an opportunity that many media aspirants dream about. Still, “I feel YouTube is my home,” he said. “I think the biggest mistake that any of us Internet personalities can make is establish ourselves on the Internet and then abandon it.”
Cory Williams, 27, a YouTube producer in California, agrees. Mr. Williams, known as smpfilms on YouTube, has been dreaming up online videos since 2005, and he said his big break came in September 2007 with a music video parody called “The Mean Kitty Song.” The video, which introduces Mr. Williams’ evil feline companion, has been viewed more than 15 million times. On a recent day, the video included an advertisement from Coca-Cola.
Mr. Williams, who counts about 180,000 subscribers to his videos, said he was earning $17,000 to $20,000 a month via YouTube. Half of the profits come from YouTube’s advertisements, and the other half come from sponsorships and product placements within his videos, a model that he has borrowed from traditional media.
On YouTube, it is evident that established media entities and the up-and-coming users are learning from each other. The amateur users are creating narrative arcs and once-a-week videos, enticing viewers to visit regularly. Some, like Mr. Williams, are also adding product-placement spots to their videos. Meanwhile, brand-name companies are embedding their videos on other sites, taking cues from users about online promotion. Mr. Walk calls it a subtle “cross-pollination” of ideas.
Some of the partners are major media companies; the ones with the most video views include Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, CBS and Warner Brothers. But individual users are now able to compete alongside them. Mr. Buckley, who did not even have high-speed Internet access two years ago, said his YouTube hobby had changed his financial life.
“I didn’t start it to make money,” he said, “but what a lovely surprise.”
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Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
Michael Buckley quit his day job in September. He says his online show is “silly,” but it helped pay off credit-card debt.
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One year after YouTube, the online video powerhouse, invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes from the Web site. For some, like Michael Buckley, the self-taught host of a celebrity chatter show, filming funny videos is now a full-time job.
Mr. Buckley quit his day job in September after his online profits had greatly surpassed his salary as an administrative assistant for a music promotion company. His thrice-a-week online show “is silly,” he said, but it has helped him escape his credit-card debt.
Mr. Buckley, 33, was the part-time host of a weekly show on a Connecticut public access channel in the summer of 2006 when his cousin started posting snippets of the show on YouTube. The comical rants about celebrities attracted online viewers, and before long Mr. Buckley was tailoring his segments, called “What the Buck?” for the Web. Mr. Buckley knew that the show was “only going to go so far on public access.”
“But on YouTube,” he said, “I’ve had 100 million views. It’s crazy.”
All he needed was a $2,000 Canon camera, a $6 piece of fabric for a backdrop and a pair of work lights from Home Depot. Mr. Buckley is an example of the Internet’s democratizing effect on publishing. Sites like YouTube allow anyone with a high-speed connection to find a fan following, simply by posting material and promoting it online.
Granted, building an audience online takes time. “I was spending 40 hours a week on YouTube for over a year before I made a dime,” Mr. Buckley said — but, at least in some cases, it is paying off.
Mr. Buckley is one of the original members of YouTube’s partner program, which now includes thousands of participants, from basement video makers to big media companies. YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, places advertisements within and around the partner videos and splits the revenues with the creators. “We wanted to turn these hobbies into businesses,” said Hunter Walk, a director of product management for the site, who called popular users like Mr. Buckley “unintentional media companies.”
YouTube declined to comment on how much money partners earned on average, partly because advertiser demand varies for different kinds of videos. But a spokesman, Aaron Zamost, said “hundreds of YouTube partners are making thousands of dollars a month.” At least a few are making a full-time living: Mr. Buckley said he was earning over $100,000 from YouTube advertisements.
The program is a partial solution to a nagging problem for YouTube. The site records 10 times the video views as any other video-sharing Web site in the United States, yet it has proven to be hard for Google to profit from, because a vast majority of the videos are posted by anonymous users who may or may not own the copyrights to the content they upload. While YouTube has halted much of the illegal video sharing on the site, it remains wary of placing advertisements against content without explicit permission from the owners. As a result, only about 3 percent of the videos on the site are supported by advertising.
But the company has high hopes for the partner program. Executives liken it to Google AdSense, the technology that revolutionized advertising and made it possible for publishers to place text advertisements next to their content.
“Some of these people are making videos in their spare time,” said Chad Hurley, a co-founder of YouTube. “We felt that if we were able to provide them a true revenue source, they’d be able to hone their skills and create better content.”
In a time of media industry layoffs, the revenue source — and the prospect of a one-person media company — may be especially appealing to users. But video producers like Lisa Donovan, who posts sketch comedy onto YouTube and attracted attention in the fall for parodies of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, do not make it sound easy. “For new users, it’s a lot of work,” Ms. Donovan said. “Everybody’s fighting to be seen online; you have to strategize and market yourself.”
Mr. Buckley, who majored in psychology in college and lives with his husband and four dogs in Connecticut, films his show from home. Each episode of “What the Buck?” is viewed an average of 200,000 times, and the more popular ones have reached up to three million people. He said that writing and recording five minutes’ worth of jokes about Britney Spears’s comeback tour and Miley Cyrus’s dancing abilities is not as easy as it looks. “I’ve really worked hard on honing my presentation and writing skills,” he said.
As his traffic and revenues grew, Mr. Buckley had “so many opportunities online that I couldn’t work anymore.” He quit his job at Live Nation, the music promoter, to focus full-time on the Web show.
There is a symmetry to Mr. Buckley’s story. Some so-called Internet celebrities view YouTube as a stepping stone to television. But Mr. Buckley started on TV and found fame on YouTube. Three months ago, he signed a development deal with HBO, an opportunity that many media aspirants dream about. Still, “I feel YouTube is my home,” he said. “I think the biggest mistake that any of us Internet personalities can make is establish ourselves on the Internet and then abandon it.”
Cory Williams, 27, a YouTube producer in California, agrees. Mr. Williams, known as smpfilms on YouTube, has been dreaming up online videos since 2005, and he said his big break came in September 2007 with a music video parody called “The Mean Kitty Song.” The video, which introduces Mr. Williams’ evil feline companion, has been viewed more than 15 million times. On a recent day, the video included an advertisement from Coca-Cola.
Mr. Williams, who counts about 180,000 subscribers to his videos, said he was earning $17,000 to $20,000 a month via YouTube. Half of the profits come from YouTube’s advertisements, and the other half come from sponsorships and product placements within his videos, a model that he has borrowed from traditional media.
On YouTube, it is evident that established media entities and the up-and-coming users are learning from each other. The amateur users are creating narrative arcs and once-a-week videos, enticing viewers to visit regularly. Some, like Mr. Williams, are also adding product-placement spots to their videos. Meanwhile, brand-name companies are embedding their videos on other sites, taking cues from users about online promotion. Mr. Walk calls it a subtle “cross-pollination” of ideas.
Some of the partners are major media companies; the ones with the most video views include Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, CBS and Warner Brothers. But individual users are now able to compete alongside them. Mr. Buckley, who did not even have high-speed Internet access two years ago, said his YouTube hobby had changed his financial life.
“I didn’t start it to make money,” he said, “but what a lovely surprise.”
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Uttarakhandi:
Dharchula, located on the banks of River Kali that forms a natural border between India and Nepal, was an ancient trading town on the trans-Himalayan route. When this Indo-Tibetan trading route was closed in 1962, many of the Bhotia traders chose to settle in Dharchula instead of using it as their summer home. Today, Dharchula is a rich cultural mix of the Bhotia, Kumaoni and Nepalese tradition and people. It is also the base camp for one of the holiest journeys known to the Bhotias, Hindus and Jains – the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra.
Uttarakhandi:
History
Dharchula, because of its geographical location (the Nepal border on one side and the Tibet-China border on the other), was an ancient trading town. Bhotias, the principal traders with skills to cross the high mountain passes from Tibet to India, brought wool, sheep/goat, borax and salt to the Dharchula market to sell; and took coarse cloth, sugar (especially gur), spices and tobacco from here to sell in Tibet. The thriving town was the centre of several small industries based around the wool trade. Trade fairs such as the Jauljibi were held here to encourage commerce. This commercial activity came to an abrupt end with the Indo-China war of 1962 as a result of which trade between the two countries was halted – and Dharchula’s importance as a commercial town declined.
Dharchula’s remote location has precluded its active participation in the historical events of the area. However, its history is tied to that of Kumaon. In common with the rest of Kumaon, Dharchula too was ruled by several princely dynasties before India attained independence. Before the 6th century AD, the Kunindas ruled here. They were followed by the Khasas, the Nands and the Mauryas. It is believed that the Khasas revolted during the reign of Bindusar (the Mauryan emperor) and the revolt was suppressed by Ashok the Great, his successor. At this point in time, several small chieftains and kings held sway over Kumaon. It is believed that at this time Dharchula Kot (fort) was ruled by a local king called Mandip.
It was only between the 6th to 12th centuries AD that a single dynasty became powerful: the Katyuris ruled over entire Kumaon during this period. However, they became confined to small areas when, between 1191 and 1223, the Mallas of Western Nepal invaded Kumaon.
The Chands came into prominence in the12th century AD and ruled Kumaon till 1790. They subdued several principalities and went to war with neighbouring kingdoms to consolidate their position. This dynasty saw only one break during this period when the Panwar king of Garhwal – Pradyuman Shah – also became king of Kumaon and was known as Pradyuman Chand. The last Chand ruler was Mahendra Singh Chand, who ruled from Rajbunga (Champawat). In 1790, the Gorkhas – locally known as Gorkhiyol – over-ran Kumaon and the Chand dynasty came to an end.
The oppressive Gorkha rule lasted till 1815, when the East India Company defeated them and took over the reigns of Kumaon. Towards the end of British rule, local action groups and press played an important role in creating mass awareness about the obnoxious begar tradition as well about the forest rights of people. These movements merged with the struggle for India’s independence – which was achieved in 1947. Kumaon then became a part of Uttar Pradesh and in 2000 of the new state of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhandi:
Mythology
Dharchula is considered the gateway for the holy Kailash-Mansarovar yatra and the area has always been thought of as blessed by the gods. Many ancient sages and saints chose this as their tapasthali (place of meditation), the most well-known of whom was Byas Muni. In fact, the town derives its name from a legend about the Muni. Dharchula is composed of two words: dhar or edge/mountain and chula or chulah or stove. It is said that when Byas Muni cooked his meals, he used the area between the three mountain ranges surrounding Dharchula to light his stove, so the name.
It is also said that the Pandavs, during their 12-year exile, visited this area.
Another popular myth here is associated with the Kangdali festival, celebrated by the Shauka or Rang Bhotia people, whose largest settlement is based in Dharchula. The myth tells of a boy who died upon applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kang-Dali on his boil. Enraged, his widowed mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Shauka women to pull up the root of the Kang-Dali plant out of the ground when it reached full bloom, which happens once in 12 years.
Uttarakhandi:
Culture
Dharchula’s culture is a mixed one. And each community that has made this town its home has contributed to the places’ unique culture. For centuries, Dharchula has played host to a vast floating population – the devotees, sages and saints making their way to the sacred Kailash-Mansarovar or the semi-nomadic Bhotias.
Dharchula was a traditional trading town, and when trade with Tibet was at its zenith, this town saw a large number of Bhotias sell their wares here and buy necessities to take back to Tibet. The Bhotia tribes also used this as their summer base when their homes higher in the mountains were snowed under. The Indo-Chinese war in1962, however, put an end to commercial activity, and many Bhotias have since chosen to settle down in Dharchula and the surrounding areas. Apart from the Rang Bhotia tribes, Dharchula is also home to a substantial population of Kumaoni Brahmins and Rajputs.
Major festivals such as Dhhyoula and Kangdali are celebrated as well as minor ones such as Syangthangapujan, Syeemithhumo (atma pujan), Maati (soil) puja, and Nabu Samo and the annual Kanda-Utsav.
The legend behind the Kangdali festival tells of a boy who died upon applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kangdali on his boil. Enraged, his widowed mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Rang women to pull out the root of the Kangdali plant when it reached full bloom, which happens once in 12 years. According to another story, the Kangdali festival commemorates the brave women who repelled Zorawar’s army that attacked from Ladhakh in 1841. The women destroyed the Kangdali bushes in which the enemy was hidden, who retreated.
The festival begins with the worship of a Shivling made of barley and buck wheat flour mixture. Every household performs this puja, which eventually culminates in a community feast. Women and men, dressed in traditional attire, assemble around a designated tree in every village and raise a flag.
A procession is formed behind the flag bearer and the crowd heads towards the Kangdali plants. The women lead the procession, each armed with a ril, a tool used in carpet making, attack the blooming plant viciously. Children and men armed with swords and shields follow closely. After the victory dance and the extermination of the shrub, the festival concludes with a feast.
The last year that the Kangdali bloomed was in 1999 and the next festival will be held in 2011.
Music and Dance
The remoteness of the mountains in which they live has ensured that the people of the area have preserved their distinctive culture traditions through dance and music. Most songs and dances are religious or pertain to the people’s traditional lifestyle.
Folk songs and dances are performed on every ceremony. Devotional songs or Jagars are sung to invite various gods to be present on the occasion. Apart from this, both men and women take part in recreational dances such as the Chanchari which are group songs and dances.
The Hurkiya Bol is associated with agriculture, mainly with the collective planting and weeding of paddy fields. A Hurkiya plays the Hurka and sings devotional songs in praise of local gods and seeks blessings for a good harvest, while the women working in the fields join in the singing.
The Choliya is a martial art form of dance which is performed on the occasion of marriages and fairs. Two or more persons holdings a shield in one hand and a sword in the other performs various attack and defence tactics and acrobatics to the tune of Dhol, Damau, Ransingh and Turahi.
The area has a very rich tradition of folk literature, which deals with local/national myths, heroes, heroines, deeds of bravery and various aspects of nature. The songs deal with the creation of earth, the deeds of gods-goddesses, especially Nanda Devi, and local dynasties/heroes as well as characters from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. Usually, these songs are based on events from local history and the bharau (ballads) are usually sung during collective agricultural activities (Hurkiya Bol) and other songs in different social and cultural festivals. Similarly, Bhotia tribes also have their own folk songs and dances. These are used mainly during festivals and social cultural ceremonies.
Languages spoken
Indo-Nepalese (Kumaoni-Nepalese) and Hindi. The Rang Bhotias have their own language which is distinct from Tibetan languages and is an oral dialect with no written script.
Architecture
The older homes in Dharchula – a few of which have survived -- are two-storey structures, not much taller than a single-storey house in the plains. Made of 10 to 25 mm thick stone walls and slate roofs, their living areas are accessed by a narrow wooden ladder-type staircase. The lower rooms once housed cattle, but now are mostly used for storage. Very few of these traditional houses remain as brick-and-cement structures with marble floors and indoor toilet replace them.
Uttarakhandi:
People
Dharchula is the business and population centre along this particular stretch of the Kali River. Apart from the Rang Bhotias and Kumaonis, Dharchula's population includes Indian army and paramilitary units stationed to protect the international borders and scores of workers, including a handful of Europeans and Koreans, employed at the hydroelectric dam being built at the base of the Darma Valley.
Traditionally, however, Dharchula was the summer home of the Rang Bhotia people and a centre of trans-Himalayan trade. The practise of winter migration has been a traditional phenomenon for all Bhotia communities of this region. They came in close contact with each other during this period and matrimonial alliances were formed. They also come in contact with the people living in the villages along the traditional migration routes. Influenced by and practicing Tibetan Buddhist, Bön and Hindu religions together, the Rangs rely on Lamas to conduct ceremonies and rituals in the Buddhist Gompas. They celebrate Tibetan festivals such as Losar, and worship Hindu and animist gods such as Gabladev. Buddhist prayer flags, locally known as Dharchyo, are hung outside houses.
Traditionally, the Rangs practiced sheep rearing and trading – they were a part and parcel of the brisk trade that took place between India and Tibet before the Indo-Chinese war of 1962. At that time, Dharchula was a centre for spinning, weaving and natural dying of wool and manufacture of traditional dress. Many families – segregated along the lines of their skills such as dying – were involved in this business. Women engaged themselves in the fine and painstaking task of weaving intricate patterns on the Chyungbala –the traditional dress for women – and the Ranga, the dress for men. Skills and knowledge of these patterns were passed down orally from generation to generation.
Since the 1962 Indo-China conflict, life in the region has undergone complete change. Earlier, almost all of the local community depended upon trading with the Tibetans and related activities, and sheep rearing. After 1962, they had to look for other means to make a living. Literacy picked up and as people became educated, they looked for better jobs elsewhere in the plains. They began to give up the traditional way of living for a modern and relatively easier and physically less demanding lifestyle. This changed the demography of the area completely. Local inhabitants now come to their villages only to perform traditional pujas -- such as Pitrapuja (prayers for the ancestors), Navratras and Shivpatri -- and for customary celebrations, thus keeping the link with their roots intact.
The people of Dharchula are warm and friendly, adept in the practice of the Rang social code called nocksum, that is, treating most strangers as guests and guests as family.
Dharchula, located on the banks of River Kali that forms a natural border between India and Nepal, was an ancient trading town on the trans-Himalayan route. When this Indo-Tibetan trading route was closed in 1962, many of the Bhotia traders chose to settle in Dharchula instead of using it as their summer home. Today, Dharchula is a rich cultural mix of the Bhotia, Kumaoni and Nepalese tradition and people. It is also the base camp for one of the holiest journeys known to the Bhotias, Hindus and Jains – the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra.
Uttarakhandi:
History
Dharchula, because of its geographical location (the Nepal border on one side and the Tibet-China border on the other), was an ancient trading town. Bhotias, the principal traders with skills to cross the high mountain passes from Tibet to India, brought wool, sheep/goat, borax and salt to the Dharchula market to sell; and took coarse cloth, sugar (especially gur), spices and tobacco from here to sell in Tibet. The thriving town was the centre of several small industries based around the wool trade. Trade fairs such as the Jauljibi were held here to encourage commerce. This commercial activity came to an abrupt end with the Indo-China war of 1962 as a result of which trade between the two countries was halted – and Dharchula’s importance as a commercial town declined.
Dharchula’s remote location has precluded its active participation in the historical events of the area. However, its history is tied to that of Kumaon. In common with the rest of Kumaon, Dharchula too was ruled by several princely dynasties before India attained independence. Before the 6th century AD, the Kunindas ruled here. They were followed by the Khasas, the Nands and the Mauryas. It is believed that the Khasas revolted during the reign of Bindusar (the Mauryan emperor) and the revolt was suppressed by Ashok the Great, his successor. At this point in time, several small chieftains and kings held sway over Kumaon. It is believed that at this time Dharchula Kot (fort) was ruled by a local king called Mandip.
It was only between the 6th to 12th centuries AD that a single dynasty became powerful: the Katyuris ruled over entire Kumaon during this period. However, they became confined to small areas when, between 1191 and 1223, the Mallas of Western Nepal invaded Kumaon.
The Chands came into prominence in the12th century AD and ruled Kumaon till 1790. They subdued several principalities and went to war with neighbouring kingdoms to consolidate their position. This dynasty saw only one break during this period when the Panwar king of Garhwal – Pradyuman Shah – also became king of Kumaon and was known as Pradyuman Chand. The last Chand ruler was Mahendra Singh Chand, who ruled from Rajbunga (Champawat). In 1790, the Gorkhas – locally known as Gorkhiyol – over-ran Kumaon and the Chand dynasty came to an end.
The oppressive Gorkha rule lasted till 1815, when the East India Company defeated them and took over the reigns of Kumaon. Towards the end of British rule, local action groups and press played an important role in creating mass awareness about the obnoxious begar tradition as well about the forest rights of people. These movements merged with the struggle for India’s independence – which was achieved in 1947. Kumaon then became a part of Uttar Pradesh and in 2000 of the new state of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhandi:
Mythology
Dharchula is considered the gateway for the holy Kailash-Mansarovar yatra and the area has always been thought of as blessed by the gods. Many ancient sages and saints chose this as their tapasthali (place of meditation), the most well-known of whom was Byas Muni. In fact, the town derives its name from a legend about the Muni. Dharchula is composed of two words: dhar or edge/mountain and chula or chulah or stove. It is said that when Byas Muni cooked his meals, he used the area between the three mountain ranges surrounding Dharchula to light his stove, so the name.
It is also said that the Pandavs, during their 12-year exile, visited this area.
Another popular myth here is associated with the Kangdali festival, celebrated by the Shauka or Rang Bhotia people, whose largest settlement is based in Dharchula. The myth tells of a boy who died upon applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kang-Dali on his boil. Enraged, his widowed mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Shauka women to pull up the root of the Kang-Dali plant out of the ground when it reached full bloom, which happens once in 12 years.
Uttarakhandi:
Culture
Dharchula’s culture is a mixed one. And each community that has made this town its home has contributed to the places’ unique culture. For centuries, Dharchula has played host to a vast floating population – the devotees, sages and saints making their way to the sacred Kailash-Mansarovar or the semi-nomadic Bhotias.
Dharchula was a traditional trading town, and when trade with Tibet was at its zenith, this town saw a large number of Bhotias sell their wares here and buy necessities to take back to Tibet. The Bhotia tribes also used this as their summer base when their homes higher in the mountains were snowed under. The Indo-Chinese war in1962, however, put an end to commercial activity, and many Bhotias have since chosen to settle down in Dharchula and the surrounding areas. Apart from the Rang Bhotia tribes, Dharchula is also home to a substantial population of Kumaoni Brahmins and Rajputs.
Major festivals such as Dhhyoula and Kangdali are celebrated as well as minor ones such as Syangthangapujan, Syeemithhumo (atma pujan), Maati (soil) puja, and Nabu Samo and the annual Kanda-Utsav.
The legend behind the Kangdali festival tells of a boy who died upon applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kangdali on his boil. Enraged, his widowed mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Rang women to pull out the root of the Kangdali plant when it reached full bloom, which happens once in 12 years. According to another story, the Kangdali festival commemorates the brave women who repelled Zorawar’s army that attacked from Ladhakh in 1841. The women destroyed the Kangdali bushes in which the enemy was hidden, who retreated.
The festival begins with the worship of a Shivling made of barley and buck wheat flour mixture. Every household performs this puja, which eventually culminates in a community feast. Women and men, dressed in traditional attire, assemble around a designated tree in every village and raise a flag.
A procession is formed behind the flag bearer and the crowd heads towards the Kangdali plants. The women lead the procession, each armed with a ril, a tool used in carpet making, attack the blooming plant viciously. Children and men armed with swords and shields follow closely. After the victory dance and the extermination of the shrub, the festival concludes with a feast.
The last year that the Kangdali bloomed was in 1999 and the next festival will be held in 2011.
Music and Dance
The remoteness of the mountains in which they live has ensured that the people of the area have preserved their distinctive culture traditions through dance and music. Most songs and dances are religious or pertain to the people’s traditional lifestyle.
Folk songs and dances are performed on every ceremony. Devotional songs or Jagars are sung to invite various gods to be present on the occasion. Apart from this, both men and women take part in recreational dances such as the Chanchari which are group songs and dances.
The Hurkiya Bol is associated with agriculture, mainly with the collective planting and weeding of paddy fields. A Hurkiya plays the Hurka and sings devotional songs in praise of local gods and seeks blessings for a good harvest, while the women working in the fields join in the singing.
The Choliya is a martial art form of dance which is performed on the occasion of marriages and fairs. Two or more persons holdings a shield in one hand and a sword in the other performs various attack and defence tactics and acrobatics to the tune of Dhol, Damau, Ransingh and Turahi.
The area has a very rich tradition of folk literature, which deals with local/national myths, heroes, heroines, deeds of bravery and various aspects of nature. The songs deal with the creation of earth, the deeds of gods-goddesses, especially Nanda Devi, and local dynasties/heroes as well as characters from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. Usually, these songs are based on events from local history and the bharau (ballads) are usually sung during collective agricultural activities (Hurkiya Bol) and other songs in different social and cultural festivals. Similarly, Bhotia tribes also have their own folk songs and dances. These are used mainly during festivals and social cultural ceremonies.
Languages spoken
Indo-Nepalese (Kumaoni-Nepalese) and Hindi. The Rang Bhotias have their own language which is distinct from Tibetan languages and is an oral dialect with no written script.
Architecture
The older homes in Dharchula – a few of which have survived -- are two-storey structures, not much taller than a single-storey house in the plains. Made of 10 to 25 mm thick stone walls and slate roofs, their living areas are accessed by a narrow wooden ladder-type staircase. The lower rooms once housed cattle, but now are mostly used for storage. Very few of these traditional houses remain as brick-and-cement structures with marble floors and indoor toilet replace them.
Uttarakhandi:
People
Dharchula is the business and population centre along this particular stretch of the Kali River. Apart from the Rang Bhotias and Kumaonis, Dharchula's population includes Indian army and paramilitary units stationed to protect the international borders and scores of workers, including a handful of Europeans and Koreans, employed at the hydroelectric dam being built at the base of the Darma Valley.
Traditionally, however, Dharchula was the summer home of the Rang Bhotia people and a centre of trans-Himalayan trade. The practise of winter migration has been a traditional phenomenon for all Bhotia communities of this region. They came in close contact with each other during this period and matrimonial alliances were formed. They also come in contact with the people living in the villages along the traditional migration routes. Influenced by and practicing Tibetan Buddhist, Bön and Hindu religions together, the Rangs rely on Lamas to conduct ceremonies and rituals in the Buddhist Gompas. They celebrate Tibetan festivals such as Losar, and worship Hindu and animist gods such as Gabladev. Buddhist prayer flags, locally known as Dharchyo, are hung outside houses.
Traditionally, the Rangs practiced sheep rearing and trading – they were a part and parcel of the brisk trade that took place between India and Tibet before the Indo-Chinese war of 1962. At that time, Dharchula was a centre for spinning, weaving and natural dying of wool and manufacture of traditional dress. Many families – segregated along the lines of their skills such as dying – were involved in this business. Women engaged themselves in the fine and painstaking task of weaving intricate patterns on the Chyungbala –the traditional dress for women – and the Ranga, the dress for men. Skills and knowledge of these patterns were passed down orally from generation to generation.
Since the 1962 Indo-China conflict, life in the region has undergone complete change. Earlier, almost all of the local community depended upon trading with the Tibetans and related activities, and sheep rearing. After 1962, they had to look for other means to make a living. Literacy picked up and as people became educated, they looked for better jobs elsewhere in the plains. They began to give up the traditional way of living for a modern and relatively easier and physically less demanding lifestyle. This changed the demography of the area completely. Local inhabitants now come to their villages only to perform traditional pujas -- such as Pitrapuja (prayers for the ancestors), Navratras and Shivpatri -- and for customary celebrations, thus keeping the link with their roots intact.
The people of Dharchula are warm and friendly, adept in the practice of the Rang social code called nocksum, that is, treating most strangers as guests and guests as family.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Google's bailout: You can work from home
When Michelle Richardson filled out a simple online form, working online was the way to get a new job. From Michelle Richardson's personal website: "On average I make around $5,000 to $7,000 a month from a system online. Not a ton of money. But, earnings are very solid, and consistent month after month. I was able to replace my previous job's income in less than one week. Now I'm working less than 8 hours a week on my computer at home or a coffee shop. My life has never been better!"
Michelle was not alone. Many americans have recently been laid off. From her personal site: "I was not interested in some fly by night get rich quick business opportunity, pyramid scheme or anything to do with network marketing. You know the ones that want you to try to sell stuff to your friends and family members. I just wanted a legitimate honest way for me to earn extra income from home. I am here to spread this word. Hopefully my story can inspire you to try what I discovered."She realized that after the first three days, posting links on the internet was easy. "I never realized how this worked, otherwise I'd have started this years ago," she says. It turns out that most of the links you click on while surfing is making someone, somewhere, money. That is how Google has created it's huge empire. Technically, Google is the worlds largest employer. Google has been making people rich overnight. Worth over $100 Billion Dollars, this great company has been helping people to work from and home and give them new jobs. From Michelle Richardson's own words: "Now, I have seen scams out on the Internet that talk about making $50,000 a month online. But that is exactly what they are - scams. This is my story of my real life where I am now generating a legitimate income from home that easily replaced my previous job's income. It's not a lot of money, but I can earn up to $87/hr right from home.In a short time Michelle Richardson was able to make it with an easy system to post links online that saved her financially. She was able to share her story with us, which we're finally revealing to the public for the first time:
Q: Michelle thanks for speaking with us today. What made you search for an online job?
A: Hi, thanks for interviewing me. I am excited to give something back to the people. I know its tough out there, and it's really hard to find a job. So that's why I'm doing this interview. I wanted to let other people know there is hope, and that you really can make a living online.
Q: Did you ever work online before? I'm kind of skeptical that it's really as easy as you say it is.
A: I've had a home computer for about 5 years. I was one of the last people I knew to get one. (Laughs). So it really is pretty easy. I would say if you have basic typing skills, and can send an email, you can get your links posted on Google.
Q: How long did it take for you to start earning money?
A: It was really simple, and they laid everything out in front of me. This isn't a get rich quick scheme, you do have to do some reading. Then the second day, I started posting links on Google. I made my first money within about 4 hours.
Q: OK, Great. I bet a lot of our readers want to make the same money as you do. How do they get started? What is the key to your success?
A: Again, it's really easy to do. People think I'm crazy for sharing this information. Let's just say Google is a 100 Billion dollar company. There's enough money for everyone to make a decent living. Just follow these steps:
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Red cars cost more to insure.
Color is not a factor used to calculate car insurance rates — we don't even ask you what color your car is when you get a quote from us. Factors that do matter are the year, make, model, body type, engine size and age of your car, as well as drivers on your policy.
One speeding ticket will make my car insurance rates go up.
Sometimes this is true, but in many cases, you have to get two tickets before your rate goes up. Your driving history, the length of time you've been insured with a company and how fast you were going when you were cited can affect whether your rate increases or not. Keep in mind that a speeding ticket may not be the sole reason your rate increases, as several factors are considered when reviewing them.
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