Stamp collecting, also known as philately, is a popular and educational past time.  Stamp collectors save stamps from letters, especially those from other countries.  They also search out old stamps that represent a past time.  Stamp enthusiasts can be found everywhere.  Their notebooks and glassine envelopes filled with stamps are fascinating to look through.  Many of the stamps they collect are very valuable as well.

Materials needed for starting a stamp collection include a stamp album and special mounting tapes called hinges.  Tools you will find useful are a pair of small tongs or tweezers for carefully lifting delicate old stamps and a magnifying glass for finding minute details.  The beginning philatelist can start with the stamps on the mail that arrives this very day.  To remove a stamp from an envelope, carefully tear away the envelope from around the stamp being careful not to tear the stamp itself.  Now soak the stamp in warm water.  The remaining piece of envelope will turn loose, allowing you to lift the stamp from the water with the tongs.

Lay the stamp on absorbent paper.  When dry, place a heavy book on top of the stamp to flatten it.  As a past time, stamp collecting requires precision and neatness.  Place the dried and flattened stamp in the album by using one of the hinges, or store it in one of the tiny glassine envelopes unique to stamp collecting.

Many collectors specialize in collecting currently available commemoratives as a past time.  Stamp designs are varied, beautiful and interesting.  Commemoratives are those special stamps that are released by the post office for a limited time.  They can commemorate special people or events.  Most nations print commemorative stamps from time to time.  American stamps have featured wild life, artists, antiques, and many other themes.  In fact, there is an annual contest in which American school children compete to draw the best picture of a wild duck.  The best duck art is featured on a stamp.

A fun way for a young person to build a collection of foreign stamps is to find a few pen pals in foreign countries.  This activity helps people make friends as well as broadening their outlook.  There are also companies that will send out introductory collections of foreign stamps in order to get stamp collecting customers on their mailing lists.  These collections are usually colorful and contain a wide variety.

Stamp collecting is an educational past time.  Stamp collections can sometimes become very valuable to the right people.  If you are looking for a new hobby or past time, stamp collecting might be for you!

Summary:

More and more people are talking about home schooling and online schools. As talk about it increases, so do the questions of parents as to what exactly is home schooling and online schools. Are these two things the same and do these methods really work?

Well to begin, home schooling and online schools are not the same things although it shares a basic principle, which is that the student studies and learns at home.

These two types of schooling are considered non-traditi...

Keywords:

home schooling

Article Body:

More and more people are talking about home schooling and online schools. As talk about it increases, so do the questions of parents as to what exactly is home schooling and online schools. Are these two things the same and do these methods really work?

Well to begin, home schooling and online schools are not the same things although it shares a basic principle, which is that the student studies and learns at home.

These two types of schooling are considered non-traditional learning methods as opposed to the regular schoolroom type of setting. However, being non-traditional is one of the few things these two methods have in common with each other.

Home schooling entails that the child or children, are taught by a parent at home. Although done outside of the classroom setting, children that are home schooled still learn the same things that other children learn in school like basic curriculum.

Also, home schooled children will still go on field trips or other social activities that the parent-teacher will plan, as well as learn music and physical education, among other things. There are many reasons as to why a parent may decide to home school their child or children and some reasons may include the fact that traditional schools have their own philosophy and set of values that they teach to their students, so much so that certain basic lessons will be taught with certain slants toward their own preference. To avoid this, a parent may decide to home school his or her child or children.

Another reason could be that one of the parent's job entails a lot of traveling and instead of breaking up the family unit, home schooling will allow the flexible of learning anywhere home is. This same flexibility is shared by home schooling with online schools. An online school is available to its enrolled student anywhere, anytime as long as there is a computer connected to the internet.

An online school's main benefit is the flexibility in time it affords a student. This is why, online schools are preferred by a lot of adults who may want to pursue further studies but cannot do so in a traditional setting because perhaps they already hold jobs or they have other responsibilities that prevent them from learning in a traditional setting. Just like in a regular school, online schools have set curriculums and lesson requirements that an online learner needs to accomplish to earn an online degree.

Home schooling and online schools are considered non-traditional methods of learning only because it is yet to have enough people utilizing them to become the norm. Although they are non traditional, this does not mean that they are any less better than attending a regular traditional school. In fact, in some cases, these non-traditional methods are the best solution available.

Summary:

While the arrival of Chinese cars has been delayed, they will still arrive on American shores pending the resolution of three concerns.

Keywords:

discount auto parts, Geely Automotive, Chery Automobiles, Diphthong Motors, chinese cars, car parts

Article Body:

Over the past year, much has been written about various Chinese automakers and the pending introduction of their vehicles to the U.S. market. Manufacturers such as Chery and Geely have been mentioned most frequently with a few smaller automakers also receiving some press. Originally, it appeared that both manufacturers would import their vehicles some time around the summer of 2007, but that now appears unlikely as several current models have already failed preliminary U.S. safety tests. Regardless, before 2009 hits, at least two Chinese manufacturers will likely be importing cars to the U.S. and at prices starting as low as $8500!

Yes, all that talk of $6600 cars from China have evaporated. Many auto enthusiasts, including yours truly, had been passing around information about cheaply priced, cheaply built cars coming from China that would retail below $7000, some $3000 cheaper than any model now sold in the U.S. Dire predictions of just what this would do to the auto industry were raised. Now it turns out that those predictions were woefully incorrect.

What went wrong?

Well, nothing…and everything. The price mentioned was correct until U.S. automotive safety specialists got a hold of two or three models and put them through the ropes. Each and every model flunked safety tests and I’m not just talking about bumper failure: on at least one model the damage was so extensive that it was determined that the particular model as it is built now would never be approved for the U.S. market. Instead, an updated model incorporating the latest safety standards was suggested.

Despite the setback, the Chinese automakers are planning a U.S. roll out within the next few years pending:

Approval from the Communist Central Planning Committee – Lest anyone forget, the Chinese government is totalitarian and only upper government officials can approve the export of any vehicles to foreign markets. China is finding a great internal demand for their vehicles and if there is no excess capacity to export, the cars won’t be coming until that capacity has been met. Look for new factories to be built for Geely Automotive Company, Chery Automobiles, Ltd., and Diphthong Motors, the current group of leading Chinese automotive manufacturers.

Development of a U.S. Dealer Network – Geely is far into the process of having a dealer network in place thanks to Malcolm Bricklin who created Subaru’s network in 1968. Yes, Bricklin was behind the car that bore his name during the 1970s as well as the ugly Yugo of the 1980s. Older, yet wiser, Bricklin is carefully amassing a dealer network that will be in place in all fifty states and parts of Canada by 2008, just months before the first of five Geely models arrive.

Passage of Stringent Government Safety Tests – While the current models flunked, that doesn’t mean they won’t be sold in the U.S. Remember the $6600 price tag? Well, it’ll take between $1500 to $2000 per vehicle to ensure that each one passes the current U.S. safety and emissions requirements, thus the higher price tag. Any model that flunks will never be imported; instead, look for one or two acceptable models to enter first followed by updated versions of other models within the following two or three years.

At prices starting at $8500, the Chinese cars pose less of a threat to the market than cars that would have been priced below $7000. Still, the thought of buying fairly well equipped cars for less than $10,000 has many intrigued, something that the importers of the Chinese brands hope isn’t lost on you.

Taking care of any dog can be rewarding and fun. But there is a great deal of responsibility as well. Small dogs can require more attention from their owners, they cannot be left alone for more than a day, and they may have health problems as they age. Smaller dogs also do not require as much exercise as other breeds. Small dog breeds such as the poodle, maltese, shiz tu, and bichon frise are considered hypoallergenic because they do not shed as much as other breeds and they produce less dander.

Small dog breeds want to spend a lot of time with their owners. This may mean being in the same room, sitting on your lap, or being next to your bed at night. Depending on your dog’s personality, you may need to adjust your schedule in order to spend more time at home with your dog. As your dog ages, it may need less attention, but as a rule, small dogs will demand a lot more of your time than larger breeds.

You will have to keep your dog occupied with toys and games so that it does not get bored. Some small dogs enjoy completing tasks and are considered ‘working dogs.’ If you notice that your dog seems lethargic or does not want to play with their toys anymore, you may need to buy them some new ones. Playing fetch everyday mimics a task which will keep your dog happy.

When you need to travel, you should board your dog so that it will not feel lonely. Dogs that are left alone for a few days will usually not eat their food in order to conserve it. They may become angry or nervous and destroy your home or they may make themselves sick with worry. If you do not want to board your dog, you should have someone pet sit or at least check in on the dog everyday.

As small dogs age, they may be susceptible to many health problems. Because of their small frame, they may suffer broken or fractured bones, arthritis, and other motor skill problems. Loss of eye sight, sense of smell, and hair loss are also common. While these breeds tend to live fifteen to eighteen years on average, they may have health problems for a few years.

If you are looking for a dog to run with on the beach or take for long walks, then you may need to look elsewhere for a dog. Small breeds, even though they love to run, play, and jump, do not need as much exercise. Walking the dog around the block is enough as the dogs will become tired and agitated. Some small breeders such as the terrier can walk and run for a little while longer, but they still do not have to energy that larger breeds have.

When looking for a hypoallergenic dog, you should consider your lifestyle and what you want from a pet. If you want to walk your dog short distances each day and play fetch, then a small breed may be for you.

eBay is a business anyway you look at it. Sure, it is

a great deal of fun for both the buyers and sellers,

but when you look at it from another view point, you

will see that it is a business from the seller’s point

of view, the buyer’s point of view, and eBay’s point

of view. 40 million dollars a day travels through eBay.

Selling items on eBay successfully is an art, and

eBay offers many different forms of Data and

Research to ensure that you are selling the right

items, to the right people, in the right way.

Some of the data and research is not free, but much

of it is. The available resources include hot items by

category, eBay Pulse, merchandising calendar,

sales reports, marketplace research, buyer

behavioral report, and the eBay solutions directory.

These tools are quite easy to use, and the

information that can be gleaned from them is

extremely valuable.

The Data and Research tools are all accessible

through your seller’s account, by clicking on the

‘Advance Selling’ link. Learn to use those tools, and

get your piece of that $40 million eBay revenue each

day.