The Synchronous Converter

John Lennon wasn’t always my favorite Beatle; at first it was Paul. But gradually, over a period of time, it was John Lennon who won my heart. I think the transition began sometime during the latter part of the 1960s. Back then, it seemed to my young mind, that the world was falling apart. Revolution and anarchy were on the doorstep. John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy had each been assassinated, riots were springing up all over the south, Watts was burning and the war in Viet Nam was escalating. Out of the turmoil a growing hunger was born among many of my generation, including myself, for truth and peace.

During this period I had one brother who was fighting in the jungles of Viet Nam and another who had recently returned from overseas. I can remember taking part in some of the protests at my school, which consisted of “sit-ins”, walking out of class, and wearing black arm bands in recognition of the soldiers who had died. The Peace Movement became very important to me and my hero in this effort was John Lennon. John and Yoko were
staging several protests in hopes of raising public awareness and support for peace in Viet Nam, as well as other human rights issues they cared about. I followed there activities
with great interest and gave what I could to their cause. So you can imagine how strange it seemed after all those years, to find myself standing in the boyhood home of John Lennon, quietly paging through a book which he had written.

It was the summer of 2003 and my husband and I were on an extended honeymoon in Britain. Two years earlier he had met a woman whose husband had gone to school with John Lennon. When she learned that we were planning a trip to England, she offered to give us a private tour of the Beatles’ stomping grounds. Through a mysterious set of circumstances we were able to visit the home where John Lennon lived as a boy, as well as each of the other Beatles’ homes in Liverpool. We also went to The Cavern, where the Beatles often played prior to being “discovered” by Brian Epstein, and Abbey Road Studios in London, where they produced their last album.

John Lennon was born “John Winston Lennon” October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England. His parents, Fred and Julia Lennon, divorced when he was about four or five years old, leaving him to be raised by his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George. John never saw his father again (except for one very brief episode in 1964), but Julia continued to make sporadic visits from time to time. As a little boy, John would sometimes hide when his mother Julia came to see him, because the emotional pain was too much for him to bear. Though his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George did their best to provide a good home, John always felt abandoned and unloved. He became angry and rebellious as a
result and gained a reputation as a bully or “Teddy-Boy”. Then one day he heard a new kind of music on the radio, called Rock and Roll, and his life was changed forever. From that point forward all he wanted to do was learn how to play the guitar.

Well, as they say, the rest is history. The Beatles soon emerged and later took the world by storm in 1964 when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. Their first American single “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was released and distributed through a small record label in December of the previous year, and by January it had leaped to number one. The song had
sold 1.5 million copies within five days and was expected to reach two million in another month. This was an unprecedented phenomenon in the recording industry at the time when a
hit song usually reached it’s peak in sales at 200,000. Now all the other “big” record companies that had originally scoffed at them, were kicking themselves in the you know what
for being so blind to the Beatles unique sound and charisma. Since then, the Beatles and their music have exceeded more than three decades of fame and popularity.

John Lennon was, himself, a very gifted writer, songwriter and poet. To this day, the “Songwriting Techniques of John Lennon; The Beatle Years” is one of the most
popular classes offered at California’s Berklee School of Music. His lyrics could be abstract and difficult to understand, or extremely simple and straightforward, often
providing a rich spectrum of color and creativity through the use of metaphor and simile. John had a keen mind, quick wit and sharp tongue. It seemed as if he was always searching for something just beyond his reach, something to fill the emptiness and give meaning to his life. Happiness had somehow eluded him until he met Yoko Ono, after which he became
completely disenchanted with the Beatles, and announced that he was leaving the group for good. “I want a divorce” he told Paul, and the Beatles were formally dissolved by January
of 1971, each going their separate ways.

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot dead on the streets of Manhatten, New York, just outside his home, by a lone gunman named Mark Chapman. Chapman later signed a statement for the police saying “I never wanted to hurt anybody. My friends will tell you that. I have two parts in me. The big part is very kind; the children I worked with will tell you that. I have a small part in me that cannot understand the world and what goes on in it. I did not want to kill anybody and I really don’t know why I did it…”

I don’t know why it still seems so ironic and hard to believe that John Lennon was murdered. Maybe it’s because he had come to represent a message of hope and peace for my generation. John had developed a social conciousness that was not unlike others who had gone before him; men like John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. None of these men were perfect, but they were all influential in making us aware of the larger picture. They pointed out the need for change and the importance of developing new ideas. They knew how to draw us in close and inspire us to dream, to imagine, and to pursue doing whatever we can to help establish a better world.

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Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com

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It is confusing I think, for the first time traveller to plan a safari to Tanzania. Many subjects are covered about travel to Tanzania on the web and in an amazing selection of specialist travel books. Emphatic statements and sage advice is churned out ad nauseam in order to help plan a safari. The problem is that so much misinformation is given and how do we sift the bad from the good?

I will try to cover some basic concerns here and maybe put right some of the misinformation. A little learning is a dangerous thing and with the internet so accessible decrement has to employed. If you look at many sites for Tanzania you see how many of them seem to copy each others content. This morning I visited three sites of three independent safari companies based in Arusha, Tanzania and word for word they have the same script about camping safaris; so reading something more than once does not always make it more reliable.

Statement: The best time to come to Tanzania is in the dry season from July to October. This is a little misleading. It is the most popular time to come to Tanzania and if you come to visit the Serenegeti and Ngorongoro crater I would advise you do not come at this time as it is truly madness. There are so many tourists coming to Tanzania during these months that I would advise against travel to the northern Tanzania National Parks during these months - if it can be avoided.

November is a time of short rains and it is usually dry again from Mid December through to March. However, the rains of late are unpredictable and East Africa tends to suffer from droughts. As with anywhere the off season or low season offers a magic of its own with the bonus that safaris are offered at bargain basement prices.

Statement: June and September to plan to visit the Serengeti during this time frame would not be a good idea as this is when the wildlife has migrated to the neighbouring country Kenya. Again this statement is a little misleading. The migration follows or is dictated to by the rains. The migration follows a certain pattern however this can be disrupted if [as is often the case] the rain pattern changes. Also this sounds as if all the animals leave Tanzania to move into Kenya. Whilst it is true the migration of Wildebeest usually migrated to Kenya there is a constant crossing back and forth at this time. Some nomadic lions and predators follow the migration but other prides remain in Tanzania year round. The Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti has a high concentration of game year round.

Park Fees have changed and some web pages have not updated there pages. I will not list them here but advise you to check for your self on the official site http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/regulation.htm - any other information you might want can be found from the tourist board http://tanzaniatouristboard.com/

Statement: Roads are in bad condition and there are very few paved roads. Again this is a general statement covering a huge country which has large cities as well as wilderness areas. The road to Ngorongoro crater has been improved and can now be reached in a few hours from Arusha town. Major towns have decent roads and the roads between Arusha and Dar es Salaam and then from Dar to Iringa - Mbeya and on to Malawi and Zambis are fine. A much needed road from Arusha to Dodoma is planned and we hope work will begin soon on this project.

All statements on tipping are wrong - this statement will upset many people but I stick by this one - let me give my advise here. Remember, many people in Tanzania are poor. Many have an extended family. If you happen to over tip it is not a sin and maybe you have helped change someone’s life. I have seen children die for the want of a few dollars. I don’t believe in pooled tips. Whatever anyone says, ignore them, tip the person you wish to reward for good service. It is the only way to ensure the person deserving the tip gets the tip.

Remembering every time you make an extra stop on your safari and buy a curio, or a coffee [recommended by your driver perhaps] the driver will get commission. Cultural Heritage a huge curio hypermarket in Arusha will pay drives a commission for bringing tourists through the door.

I would encourage you to buy your curios from the people who make them, where possible. And although bargaining is part of the fun and is expected - always keep it good natured and don’t be too hard.

Tanzania is a wonderful country; the people of Tanzania are friendliness personified. Most of all enjoy the wildlife and make new friends. It is a place that will steal your heart.

For more information on Tanzania see http://www.betheladventure.co.uk or for more comprehensive advice and comments go to http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk - responsible tourism can change lives.

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The toil involved in visiting a brick and mortar gaming establishment should suffice not to go there altogether. Ultimately traffic congestion, the toil, and chores entailed don’t excuse the incommodity for the prospect of gambling at gaming establishment, but provided you are the kind who is quite frenetic about games of luck then going virtual would be a good alternative. Tips, tricks and strategies for all the top free online casinos games here.

It isn’t required to go outside to experiment with online roulette or related games since everything is done from within your domestic environment assuming you possess a pc and Internet access. Though, don’t get all worked up to soon as there are quite a lot of tenets that you’ll definitely want to pick up concerning online roulette or related games, in particular should you be a novice in this area. All right soothe that excitation and let your mind read and absorb what follows. Here’s a trimmed down rough that unravels what to consider if you’re spotting a bona fide online roulette or related games web site. The first thing that any streetwise Web gambler will definitely look out for is an online roulette or related games web site of the type promoting top odds. Beyond this, here are various alternate instructions concerning locating your virtual roulette web site.

Always ensure the virtual roulette web site is actually licensed, for example by scrutinizing the official approbation as revealed on the casino site’s webpage. Should it prove impossible to locate any official approbation on that virtual roulette web site, do not think of risking at that place. As a next step I would advise you survey attentively the mixed promos that the virtual roulette web site presents their visitors with. Another bit of advice would be to gamble initially in smallish amounts in place of spending so much it can hurt off the bat. Check first the operability of this virtual roulette system prior to running any major hazard, in particular that of losing your money! Our last most important pointer concerning online gambling. It is, expectably, to remember always that gambling in online casinos should be about fun and pleasure and less about money. Wagering is not a business, but, instead, a hobby that can help you become chipper and your life as a whole delectable.

If you have observed these guidelines, now go ahead and submit to the magic of virtual roulette…

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A rich cultural history, cosmopolitan and rural cities, and a diversified landscape characterize India. With its huge landmass, it is impossible to experience its natural treasures without a good travel package.

The eight days’ and seven nights’ journey in “Palace on Wheels” takes a traveler across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (Delhi-Jaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Sawai Madhopur-Chittaurgarh-Udaipur-Bharatpur-Agra). The luxury train has deluxe cabins, wall-to-wall carpeting, a bar, two dining cars and personalized service. Scheduled to leave the station in April 2006, the tariff per person for seven nights is single occupancy $395.00; double occupancy, $295.00; and triple occupancy, $240.00. This is inclusive of meals, sightseeing tours in deluxe coaches, entrance fees for monuments, palaces cultural entertainment at Jaipur and Jaisalmer, boat ride to and from Lake Palace Hotel at Udaipur, Elephant ride at Jaipur, Camel ride at Jaisalmer and Rickshaw ride at Bharatpur.

CONTACT: E-Mail: info@tsiindia.com; Tel: 91-11-29812205.

“Ananda Wellness Bliss” (five nights, six days) is the ideal tour to detoxify in Ananda Spa amid the serene Himalayas. The package includes a detoxifying drink (ginger, lemon and honey in hot water); three spa cuisine meals, per night of stay, per person; transfers from Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun or Haridwar Railway Station; spa orientation; use of Hydrotherapy facilities (jacuzzi, steam, sauna, chill plunge pool, Kneipp Hydrotherapy foot bath and heated lap pool), yoga, Pranayama, and meditation; daily use of the Nutritional, Wellness and Lifestyle Library; Hydrotherapy Aromatic Bath; customized Body Exfoliation Therapy; and a customized Massage per day. Contact: Tel: 91-11-2689 9999; Fax: 2613 1066; E-mail: sales@anandaspa.com.

Thirty kilometers south of Trivandrum on the backwaters, “Poovar Island Resort-Kerala Backwaters” is ideal for honeymooners and detoxifying ayurveda treatments. This resort is accessible only by a fifteen-minute cruise from the Poovar jetty. The three-day package comes at a price of Rs. 12,999 (per room; land costs only), and includes two nights, three days accommodations, airport /station transfer, boat transfer, meals, and a sunset cruise on the backwater. Twin accommodation in a Floating Cottage comes at a steeper price of Rs. 19,999 (valid till March 31, 2006). Contact: Thomas Cook, Dr. DN Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001 India; Tel: 91-22-22048556; Fax: 91-22-22871069.

India Travel provides detailed information on India Travel, India Travel Agents, India Air Travel, India Travel Tours and more. India Travel is affiliated with Cheap Calling Cards To India.

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Ask yourself as a Christian, who, in all history, would you
most envy? Would it be one of the heroes of the Old
Testament? Would it be a famous saint in the history of the
church? Or would it be one of the people in the New
Testament who was healed, or in some other way, touched
by Christ himself?

Surely, the Twelve Apostles - those who lived and worked
with Jesus on a daily basis for three whole years - must
have been the most privileged people in all history, and the
ones we would most like to have been.

Like the small handful of people who have walked on the
moon, they alone would have had intimate knowledge of
something that the rest of the human race could only dream
of. There were multitudes of people who caught a glimpse
of Jesus, who witnessed one or more of his miracles, who
heard him preach on at least one occasion. Christians living
today could certainly envy any one of them. But there are only
twelve who were there with him through it all.

Twelve men were hand selected by Jesus Christ himself,
the Son of God, the Creator of the Universe. They were
picked from thousands who came to hear what Jesus was
saying, at a time in history which he described as a
spiritually “green tree”.

These men were the “creme de la creme”, the best of the
best.

Amongst them were Simon Peter (”The Rock”), and several
pairs of famous brothers. There were James and John, the
sons of Zebedee, Andrew and Phillip the fishermen, and
Matthew the tax collector and his brother… the other James.

“The other James?” you might ask. It’s true that, apart from
being included in the lists of the Twelve Apostles, this other
son of Alphaeus is never mentioned anywhere else in the
Bible. And the same can be said for the other Simon (the
Canaanite) and the other Judas… although some people
think he may have been the Jude who wrote a one-page
letter right near the end of the New Testament.

Nothing more is known of Bartholomew either. And men like
Thomas, Phillip, and Matthew are only mentioned briefly in a
couple of other places.

In Thomas’ case, he is primarily remembered today as
“doubting Thomas” because of his skepticism about the
resurrection.

And yet Christ himself selected these men to sit as judges
over the twelve tribes of Israel. He placed them above Noah,
Moses, King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah. Imagine
that! Bartholomew, someone we know almost nothing
about, lecturing Elijah on how to be spiritual! But that’s how
it is.

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews lists many of the heroes of
faith in the Bible, but then concludes with a reference to
others, “of whom the world is not worthy”, who died without
receiving deliverance, and without being recognised by the
world in general for their faith and courage. These people,
too, were considered greater in God’s eyes than the big
name heroes of the Old Testament.

Even now, few Christians realise, for example, that
“Doubting Thomas” journeyed all the way to India, where he
started a branch of Christianity that continues to this day. He
died a martyr’s death in a cave that he had been hiding in
because of the persecution that his message had inspired
amongst the local population.

Maybe you feel at times like Peter, James, and John are
such superstars that they are out of your league. But don’t
forget that the Son of God had room in his tiny circle of
favourite friends for some nondescripts like yourself as well.

And the list is not finished yet. The book that GOD is writing
is still being written. And there’s still room to have your
name included amongst spiritual giants like Bartholomew
and Simon the Canaanite, and James the Son of Alphaeus,
and that other Judas… you know, the one no one
remembers, because he did not betray Jesus!

Dave McKay is co-founder of a Christian intentional
community. Website: jesuschristians.com

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The Consumer Federation of America reports that car buyers are frequently overcharged on auto loans received at the dealership. The overcharge amount varies, but averages 3 percent. This could add as much as $1,000 to the life of your auto loan. To avoid being overcharged, you may want to consider online auto loans.

The Benefits

Internet auto loans have recently begun gaining in popularity. This is because there are many benefits to getting auto loans online. The competition is fierce between online lenders, and most can offer better rates than auto dealers and traditional lenders. In fact, online auto rates have become the standard for dealers to beat. Other benefits include:

• No down payment

• No application fees

• Loan flexibility

• Fast approval

Finding a Lender

As mentioned above, the online lending market is competitive. This makes finding the right lender very important. Start by searching for a reputable company who offers auto loans. If possible, use primarily vehicle loan companies that can help you compare quotes and offers from more than one lender. This will ensure that you get the lowest interest rate and the best loan terms available to you.

Tips for Securing Auto Loans

Before you begin shopping for an auto loan, you should pull a free copy of your credit report so you can check it over. This will allow you to clear up any mistakes before the lender sees them. The better your credit is, the better your interest rate will be. If possible, clear up any and all errors before applying for auto loans. Here is a list of recommended Auto Lenders online. It’s important to use a reputable lender online to make sure your personal information is secure.

Here are some other tips that may help:

• Choose a reputable lender.

• Be honest on your application.

• Get offers from more than one lender.

• Use vehicle loan companies to secure quotes.

• Carefully compare loan rates, terms, and conditions.

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With the advent of the Internet, and with so many people all over the world turning to the Web to do nearly everything, including meeting new friends, getting a date online has become too commonplace to really strike curious chords. In fact, any Internet fanatic would tell you that online dating is probably one of the best products to be introduced to the Web ever.

If you look an online dating sites, you will notice that millions upon millions of people are willing to place their photos and personal information out for everyone to see — crossing interest boundaries, geographical locations and even races. But how does online dating really work?

Well, to start with, since there are so many people on the Internet dating scene, it should be enough proof that it does work, right? Some people are a little iffy about putting themselves out to strangers, but with the advancing technology making the world smaller and smaller everyday, the word ’stranger’ sometimes means nothing anymore.

In addition, online dating sites give you a wide list of people to choose from, whether it be dating because you have shared interests, belong to the same city, or what. And because dating sites have this vast vast list, you have the liberty to skip and choose. This actually erases having to care for a few caterpillars before you reach butterflies, if you know what I mean.

Dating sites cater to different needs. There are some that focus on letting single women meet single men. Some filter according to sexuality, religion, sex, or race — the possibilities are endless. You name it, you bet there is something or someone out there who will fit just perfectly with what you’re looking for.

The key to getting the most of your online dating site membership is to know what you want and what you’re looking for, so you won’t waste time trying to get to know people who turn out to be at the polar end of your character spectrum. Don’t join a matchmaking site if you’re just after the date’s “fun” side. Don’t join a Catholic site if you’re Jewish. Things like that.

Also, think about the site you are joining. Most online dating sites require you to supply personal information. If you feel this is a site you can trust, then by all means do so, but not to the point where your identity might be compromised by hackers and scammers waiting to prey on you.

After you’ve gone through all the motions and you’ve decided to finally meet your date, think about your safety first. Do not go dating someone whose background is dubious. Sure, you want a date ASAP but that doesn’t mean you can go jump into the first person who catches your attention. Exercise maximum discretion because you won’t really get to know the other person fully unless you agree to meet. However, you can prevent mishaps and trouble if you do a thorough background check first. It wouldn’t hurt if you do so and it won’t make you less cool, trust me.

In sum, online dating is fun — if you know how to play. There are rules abound and courtesy should be exercised so you won’t offend the other party. Try to be sincere, but not to a point that you appear vulnerable and come of as an easy scam target. Most of all, have fun. It’s a dating site, for crying out loud.

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You know I hate going to the Doctor. They poke and prod, take X-rays and blood tests, and then come up with some report telling you that you have some rare disease that was born in monkeys 10,000 years ago and you’re one of 17 people in the world that have it. So, generally, with such a positive attitude towards preventive medicine, I’m clearly not the best at rushing to the Doctor when I get a snivel or a headache. But sometimes, it’s clear that maybe I should to avoid deeper problems. At least I admit my shortcomings!

Well you know, the same thing goes with your car. Big problems can be prevented when you get some warning signals from your brakes. In short, the brakes should operate very smoothly and should not do anything crazy like pull you to one side or not. To get the full run down on what can go wrong, we had a fire-side chat with Troy Guthrie, our shop manager, who has over 25 years experience fixing everything from Jaguars to big trucks. Here’s what’s on Troy’s list of things to pay attention to. If any of these things are happening, it’s time to take your car to the Doctor… for a few tests:

Vibration: There should be no shake in the car on braking. Warped drums or rotors cause this and there are many causes for this.

Low pedal: Usually caused by worn out brakes and there inability to adjust up

Hard pedal: caused by a failing power brake system

Squeal: When the friction material gets too close to the metal backing plate, it starts to squeal

Drag: Feels like you’re dragging something. Brakes are staying applied from a bad caliper or brake hose.

Grab: Brakes seem to be on or off. Braking should be smooth, not on and off.

Pull: A sticking caliper on one side or the other will cause this.

Mileage: Brakes should be checked every year.

Grinding: This happens when you don’t pay attention to the above!

Frank Bellucci is the President of Performance Motors in Austin, Texas. In addition, he likes to think of himself as a rather funny person. His wife doesn’t agree. But that’s OK. Frank seems to have limitless funny experiences with cars, one of his great passions in life. You can catch Frank driving down 183 in Austin in his Land Rover. He loves his Rover more than wine. And he really likes wine (just not at the same time). Anyhow, look for articles that have good information with a bit of humor in the coming months!

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India, the dominant player in outsourcing touted as the “back office of the world,” would soon have to contend with a third-world rivalthe Philippines.

A highly skilled English-speaking labor force. A reliable telecommunications infrastructure. Low cost of qualified personnel. These are some significant reasons for choosing India or the Philippines for outsourcing support.

IT OUTSOURCING IN INDIA

India, a former colony of the British Empire for almost two centuries, has the second-largest IT talent pool in the world, a result of its Britain-influenced education system that places great emphasis on science and mathematics. With 120,000 trained IT professionals added to the Indian workforce yearly, India is gearing to be an IT giant in the third world and is ranked as the first choice of U.S. companies for software outsourcing. According to Nasscomm, a conglomerate of India-based software and services companies, Indian companies are software solution provider to more than half the Fortune 500 companies.

The launch of India’s first private undersea cable has tremendously improved the international bandwidth situation. In addition, considerable bandwidth is available with the state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, partially owned by India’s largest business conglomerate. The privatization of telecom industry has also resulted in a significant drop in telecom rates. Observers predict that the entry of newer industry players will see a further drop in telecom prices. In the last ten years, telecom costs in India have dropped by 85 percent.

Over the years, India has built a strong brand equity as an attractive destination for software development and support. India is host to established IT companies such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Sun, HP, and Alcatel.

OFFSHORE DESTINATION: PHILIPPINES

But the Philippinesone of the world’s second-largest English-speaking populationsis fast catching up to India.

With a literacy rate of 94%, the Philippines has a large pool of information technology professionals and a cost-competitive telecoms infrastructure. The country ranks third in Knowledge and Information-based jobs in the 2002 Global Technology Index research done by the META Group. Three million college graduates join the workforce each year, providing a tremendous source of talent.

An American colony for close to 50 years, the Philippines has a Western-influenced culture, a unique trait that clearly distinguishes the country from other offshore destinations. Although Asian in orientation, Filipinos watch American TV and are thus able to communicate effectively in American English.

PHILIPPINES: CALL CENTER HUB

In recent years, the Philippines has become the offshore destination of choice for call center outsourcing, specializing in customer support services. Because of the Filipinos’ high level of English proficiency and strong customer orientation, many leading multinationals have used the Philippines as a global center for customer service. American OnLine, the largest U.S. Internet service provider, maintains a staff of 600 at its call center in Clark, Pampanga. Caltex, Procter & Gamble, Barnes and Noble, among others, have built large-scale service centers in the Philippines.

One very promising industry that has sought outsourcing support in the Philippines is the medical transcription business. The Philippines boasts a large talent pool of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical technologists. The demand for medical transcription has risen as U.S. hospitals are now required by federal regulations to convert medical records into data format. Seventeen medical transcription companies are now in operation, employing 1,200 Filipinos.

GIVING INDIA A RUN FOR ITS MONEY

While the Philippines may not be as a huge an offshore provider of web and software services as India, it holds great promise in the customer service industry. Although India does charge lower than the Philippinesfor data encoding work, India charges around $4 (U.S.) versus $10 in the Philippinesmore multinationals are choosing the Philippines because of the high quality of work. Moreover, Filipinos make good customer service agents not only because they are fluent in American English but also because of their helpful and friendly nature.

More companies are choosing the Philippines for offshore support. Among the services offered in Philippine-based outsourcing companies are copyediting and indexing; web design and maintenance; data conversion, data warehousing, data capture and data entry; OCR and scanning services; proofreading; encoding and keyboarding; imaging services and graphics design; call center and customer service; abstracting and document conversion; typesetting; and tagging, among others.

About The Author

Winston Pepito is the President of Phil-Am Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (one of most successful outsourcing companies in Asia) based in Cebu City, Philippines. More details about his company can be found at http://www.outsourcing-services.net

winston@outsourcing-services.net

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Is it possible for a business to spend too much of its advertising dollar on direct-mail or direct marketing? Some experts believe it is and they have some pretty good rationale for why they believe this. For instance consider if you send out coupons all the time and you end up training your customers to wait for the coupon so that they can use it and then they come to expect the coupon and therefore if you ever stop sending out the coupons your customers will stop coming to the store.

That is unfortunate because the reason you send out coupons in a Money Mailer type direct-mail or direct marketing package is to get new clientele. The goal is to get in new customers and give them great service and then they want to come back and pay full price for additional services at a later date as well as spread the word-of-mouth advertising and give your company good referrals.

But what many small businesses find is that their previous customers and long-term customers start using the coupons as well and essentially you are taking regular customers who are use to paying full price and have no problem doing so and then training them to wait for the coupons and get the discount price, which you really intended for only your new customers, as a way to get them in on a loss leader. Please consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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