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From budget basic to modern marvels, the hunt for the most indispensable of sewing tools.

Sewing is so different from what it used to be, and so are the machines on the market today. With so many different sewing machines, shopping for one can be daunting.

The following list of machines are worth a test drive, dividing them by the sewing skill level, the kind of sewing they are suited to for, and the pros and cons of each category. Use it as a starting point in you search, then head to your local dealer to try them out in person. The only way you'll know which machine is the one for you.

STARTER SEWING MACHINES; They are no-frills, sewing-only machines. Most will include automatic buttonhole features and a basic selection of utility stitches. Some are electronic rather than computerized, with dials or buttons for machine settings rather than touch screens. These machines are basically for the beginning sewers, kids and anyone who plans to do only basic garment construction, mending, or home decorating and craft projects.

PROS; easy to use, affordable and capable of turning out quality clothing and decorating projects.

CONS; decorative stitches are limited or non-existent. Tension may not be set automatically. Buttonholes may require manual manipulations.

SUGGESTED MACHINES ARE; Singer Feather weight 11; Brother NX-200; Elna's Debut 2110 or 2130; Euro-Pro's Intelli-Sew; Bernetta from Bernina; Husqvarna Viking's Scandenavia 100

MID TO HIGH-END SEWING MACHINES; These machines are performance oriented machines geared to garment and home decorating sewing. They handle a wide variety of projects and fabrics with ease. Some are electronic, but some are computerized. They feature a wide variety of utility stitches, automatic tension settings, self-threading and multiple automatic buttonhole settings. Some have built-in decorative stitches for embellishment. These machines are for serious sewers focused on dressmaking, tailoring and home decorating projects.

PROS; touch screens or electric settings take care of tension setting and indicate the correct stitch length and presser foot. Multiple automatic buttonhole settings and styles, precision sewing speed control, better handling of fabrics and hundreds of built-in utility and decorative stitches. Instruction manuals are stored in the machines memory and can be accessed from the LCD screen.

CONS; pricier than basic models. The wide variety of features and options may intimidate those not comfortable with computerized functions. These can be rectified with practice and lessons from the dealer.

RECOMMENDED MODELS; Singers Quantum 9940; Brother's NX-600 Janome's Memory craft 6500; Elna Quilters Dream Ultra 6003 QT

COMBINATION SEWING / EMBROIDERY MACHINES; these high-tech machines offer the best of both worlds. You can stitch up garments, home decor, and accessorize to your hearts content. They have a switch presser feet and snap on the embroidery attachment to decorate y our designs with professional embroidery. The designs are built into the machines memory, supplied on flash cards or similar devices. Some models you can download designs directly from the internet to the machine by way of a USB port.

PROS; Offer almost unlimited creative embellishment potential.

CONS; These machines are expensive, but as the technologies advance manufacturers are introducing lower-priced models that offer many of the same functions as higher-end machines.

RECOMMENDED MODELS; Singer Quantum Futura; Brother's Innov-is 4000D; Janome's Memory Craft 10001; Bernina's Artista 200E; Artista 185 Quilters Embroidery Edition

EMBROIDERY-ONLY MACHINES; These machines are dedicated to machine embroidery. These machines are for mostly for someone starting a custom embroidery business, crafters interested in embellishing read-made items.

PROS; Since embroidery is their sole function, these machines turn out designs more efficiently. Higher speeds than combination sewing embroidery machines.

CONS; You can not sew on these machines.

RECOMMENDED MODELS; Brother's PR-600; Babylock's Embroidery Professional; Bernina's Deco330.

Now you are ready to head out to your local dealer and try out some of the machines before you buy.

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Source by DeLois C Weldon

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There are many reasons to go to Brazil, probably thousands of reasons. I've listed the top 101 reasons to travel to this beautiful country filled with warm, fun loving, people, and very beautiful exotic feminine women.

# 1. Carnival – A world-renowned celebration in Rio which takes place 40 before Easter. Carnival in Rio, Brazil's world-renowned celebration, takes place 40 days before Easter. Rio is considered by many to be the carnival capital of the world!

# 2. Copacabana Beach World famous beach that attracts millions of tourists every year. In 2005, Lenny Kravitz performed there in front of 300,000 people.

# 3. Cariocas (Define Carioca) The women of Rio de Janeiro are called 'Cariocas'. They are known for being very friendly and hospitable to visitors.

# 4. More Women then Men The ratio of women to men are higher then in most other countries in the world. Especially in Rio, where it is believed there are 100 women for every 86 men.

# 5. Great surfing Beaches In Rio you have the Arpoador beach at the north end of Ipanema beach, and it's great for surfing. Brazil has many great beaches for surfing such as Florianopolis in the state of Santa Catarina and the island of Fernando de Noronha, located off the northeast coast of Recife.

# 6. Brazilian Bikini Babes millions of young Brazilian women love to sport bikinis — and with warm weather all year long, trust me you will not miss seeing them in winter coats.

# 7. Median age in the late 20's According to indexmundi, the median age in Brazil as of 2008 is 29. This is much lower then most Western European countries (late 30's), United States (late 30's) and Japan (40). This means more younger sexy ladies!

# 8.Fitness Culture: most women are thin or fit It only takes one trip to Rio, Sao Paolo, Recife or any other Brazilian city to realize that in Brazilian culture the women — and men have a keen interest to stay in shape . Thousands of young ladies work out on the beaches every day.

# 9. Small percentage of obesity in Brazil Because of a culture of fitness and health conciseness, most Brazilian women are in good shape and are not obese. Brazil does not have an obesity crisis like the United States, Australia, England and some other Western European countries. How can a young Brazilian woman where a bikini if ​​she is obese? I guess the bikini craze keeps the pressure on them!

# 10. Brazilian women love foreign men! If you are North American, German, British, Australian, Japanese — or from any other Western European country, then Brazilian women will love you. They have a thing for foreign guys — most Brazilian women are fed up with Brazilian guy's reputation of 'players' — but can you blame these guys? With such nice ratios of women to men and numerous hot young ladies to go around, it's very easy to fall to temptation!

# 11. Great place to learn Portuguese If you want to practice some Portuguese, then this is a great place to start. Be sure to practice some basic phrases before you come! You will have plenty of women to practice with trust me.

# 12. Brazilian women are fun to be with Most Brazilian women are very fun and know how to have a good time. In there culture it's all about the carnival and having a good time, dancing and just living life to the fullest

# 13. Brazilian women are friendly and hospitable In comparison to American and some Western European countries, the women in Brazil are much friendlier and approachable. You can easily make new friends with young sexy Brazilian girls — just by being sincere, and they will make you feel at home very quickly.

# 14. Great food Brazilian food is very good. Be sure to go to a 'churrascaria' while your down there. The 'Frango Asado' is a good dish, it's barbecue chicken with rice and fries. Very good.

#15. Ipanema Beach The other great beach in Rio besides Copacabana. Ipanema Beach is also one of the safest areas in Rio, giving you yet another reason to stay here. Plenty of young ladies to check out.

# 16. Great weather all year round The average weather in Brazil fluctuates around 70's to 80's degrees all year long. For example, the average annual temperature in Rio De Janeiro is 73.5.

# 17. Help Disco Almost half of the girls you will meet here are working girls. Either way, it's a great way to warm up with the local ladies.

# 18. Club Six in Rio – A very popular nightclub in the Ipenema section of Rio. A great place to have some drinks while enjoying all kinds of music, including dance music, hip-hop, etc. Plenty of women to talk to.

# 19. World famous Topless beaches Copacabana and Ipanema have great nude beaches. Do not forget the sunglasses!

# 20. Lots of single attractive women who are not committed Unlike many other countries, Brazil is full of attractive single women who are not committed. Many are having a hard time finding a normal, down to Earth guy who is not married.

# 21. Friendly Brazilian culture In Brazil it is culturally accepted to treat everyone, especially foreigners — with great hospitality. A smile and a friendly greeting is very common from strangers. Not like in NYC!

# 22. Variety of women from mullata to blonds You can find all kinds of women in Brazil. To date, there are roughly 11,714,000 people in the Rio De Janeiro metropolitan area. Out of these, 53.6% are white, 33.6% are brown, 12.3% are black, and .5% are Asian or Amerindian. This means you have plenty of different shades of women to choose from!

# 23. Great soccer games If you like soccer, then you will be in the right place. There are many soccer games to go to.

# 24. The Maracana Stadium The most famous soccer stadium in Brazil. It's located in Rio and the local clubs Flamengo and Botafogo play here.

# 25. Open sexual culture Unlike women from many other countries, in Brazil sex is embraced openly — it's considered the national pastime!

# 26. Brazilian women enjoy sex and are very sensual Great news guys! In Brazil sex is not used as a bargaining chip by the local women like in other countries. In Brazil sex is used to make love!

# 27. Stable Government, Stable political climate The Brazilian government is experiencing a period of political stability. President Lula Da Silva has won the faith of the people and it's showing.

# 28. Improving economic situation – Compared to other Latin American countries, Brazil is experiencing a period of unprecedented economic growth and investment.

# 29. One of the easiest places on Earth to find an attractive girlfriend It's the most populated Christian country in the world that has a higher female to male — China ratio, India and USA have a higher male to female ratio! Indonesia is an Islamic country.

# 30. Pay for play is always an option, especially in Rio There are many popular places in Rio where you can find plenty of young hot working girls. Help Disco is one of them.

# 31. Hot Brazilian girls will flirt with you Hot Brazilian girls, from working girls, university students, professional ladies, to traditional ladies, they all flirt with you!

# 32. No game needed, the sexy Brazilian girls will do all of the seducing They have no choice. Remember, in Brazil there are more women then men. This means the women have to compete over the fewer guys — like you!

# 33. Beach soccer: A great way to work out and have fun also. Many women play soccer also, making it even more enjoyable.

# 34. Brazilian thongs and bundhas World Famous "Dental Floss" thongs, very popular and very sexy. You will not find these in NYC, Dublin or London! Have fun!

# 35. The Euro, Pound and Dollar are stronger then the Real (the Brazilian currency) Your currency is stronger. This means while in Brazil most local goods will be much cheaper for you. Especially the Euro and Pound, you guys will live like Kings!

# 36. Brazilian culture is one of the most open minded in all of the Americas and the World – Due to a history of mass cultural absorption by Portuguese, Indigenous, African, Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish and many other ethnicities, Brazilian culture has evolved into a very diverse, 'everyone get along' culture.

# 37. Brazilian women love to dance The local ladies are known for having a great time, especially on the dance floor. This is one reason they stay in such great shape.

# 38. The exotic culture, women, and feel – Brazil is being discovered as the world's most exciting destination and the local Brazilian people are vibrant and the nightlife is simply extraordinary.

# 39. The drums in Pelourinho – Salvador has some of the best nightlife in Brazil. Pelourinho explodes with music and people and activity search harder and on any given night in Pelourinho you could probably uncover scores of groups playing. Many of these concerts are free.

# 40. The tan – Beach life is considered a normal part of Brazilian culture and a major attraction for tourists and foreign investors.

# 41. New Years party on the beach Rio de Janeiro has the largest new year's celebration worldwide — well over 3 million people every year go to Copacabana.

# 42. The Caipirinha's Brazil's most famous cocktail drink — so popular that even in Miami and NYC people enjoy it. It is delicious and potent!

# 43. The view from Corcovado – Corcovado (Christ the redeemer) is one of the best-known landmarks in Rio and it is definitely the best view in Brazil. Recommended for one of the seven wonders of the world, you can see all of Rio beneath you.

# 44. Sugar loaf mountain around 600 million years ago mother nature's formed a natural wonder, called Pao de Acucar or Sugar Loaf. Today it's one of the most recognized and sought after tourist attractions in Rio.

# 45. Botafogo Bay (Rio) – Botafogo is a beautiful beachfront neighborhood (bairro) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Botafogo's beach is within Guanabara Bay and it's also home to two of the city's largest shopping centers, Botafogo Praia Shopping and RioSul.

# 46. The malls filled with beautiful Brazilian ladies Botafogo Praia Shopping Mall and RioSul Shopping Mall are just two of the many malls filled with beautiful young ladies in Rio. This is a great place to get a few emails and make a few dates!

# 47. Ipanema Beach – Ipanema is a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, near Copacabana beach. It is a sunbather's paradise filled with thousands of young beautiful women wearing Dental Floss bikinis. Ipanema is also regarded as one of the safest districts in Rio.

# 48. Bello Horizonte (means "beautiful horizon" in Portuguese) – The capital of Minas Gerais state, located in the southeastern region of Brazil and with a population of 5.3 million it also has the third largest metropolitan area in the country. The city offers interesting leisure areas and it's known for a traditional characteristic: regional hospitality.

# 49. Bahia – one of the 26 states of Brazil located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is also the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais. It is also one of the most important states in terms of history and culture. Bahia's capital is the city of Salvador (São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos). Salvador is known for having world class beaches for surfing.

# 50. Minas Gerais – one of the 26 states of Brazil and also the second most populous with 19,522,000 people. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte. In Tourist attractions are Monte Verde and the national parks of Ibitipoca and Aiuruoca. You also have the Sete Lagoas, Cordisburgo and Lagoa Santa, and waterfalls which attract many tourists.

# 51. Recife – the fifth largest Metropolitan area in Brazil with a population of 3,646,204. The capital of the state is the city of Pernambuco. It is also known as the Brazilian Venice thanks primarily to its resemblance with the European city. Recife is considered one of Brazil's cultural capitals.

# 52. Fortaleza – Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in northeastern Brazil, and has a population of over 3.4 million (in the metropolitan region). Nightlife in Fortaleza is filled with energy and excitement, local nightclubs and discos open every day of the week.

# 53. Florianopolis (nicknamed Floripa) – The capital city of Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil. It is composed of one main island, the Island of Santa Catarina. It has a population of 406,564 while the metropolitan area has an estimated population of 821,552. The city has 42 pristine beaches and is a center of surfing activity, considered by many Brazilians as one of "the best places to live in Brazil." As a result Florianopolis is growing as a second home destination for North Americans and Europeans.

# 54. Porto Alegre (Joyous Port in Portuguese) – The 10th largest city in Brazil and also the capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is one of the most important cultural, political and economic centers of Southern Brazil. It is also considered to have one of the highest standard of living in all cities of the country.

# 55. Curitiba The capital city of the Brazilian state of Parana, with a population of 1.8 million — it also has the fourth best GDP ranking in all Brazil. As most of Southern Brazil's population, Curitiba is mostly inhabited by Brazilians of European descent. The city has the largest population and also the largest economy in Southern Brazil.

# 56. Trancoso – A small town in the municipality of Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia, Brazil, it's the perfect sunny getaway — a place to slow down and relax. There are many great beaches — one of the most popular by visitors and locals is Coconuts Beach.

# 57. Osklen Swimming trunks Here is your opportunity to sport some of the most popular Brazilian swimwear for men — and check out the ladies in bikini! This is not New York guys! In this environment everyone shows 80% of there skin every day!

# 58. Sao Paolo – The capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, this city is also the largest in the country and the most populated city in all South America (10,886,518 people). Located in the South East of the country, Sao Paolo is also the richest city of Brazil. Again, like Rio, there are unlimited number of blondes, brunettes, mullattas, etc.

# 59. Futsal The indoor version of soccer, 'Futsal is very popular in Brazil. Futsal is played with a smaller ball and places more emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique. It's a great way to stay in shape.

# 60. World cup champion soccer Brazil is the world cup's most successive national team, having won the prestigious tournament a record 5 times. Brazil is also the only country to have participated in every World Cup tournament.

# 61. Porto Seguro- A municipality in Southeastern Bahia, a North Eastern Brazil state and one of the oldest settlements in the country. Many Brazilians believe it is in Porto Seguro where Pedro Álvares Cabral, (a Portuguese discoverer) first set foot on Brazil on April 22, 1500. An interesting note: A significant number of Bahian women have married Italian and Swiss men — and the trend continues to grow

# 62. Investing- Apart from life's pleasures, Brazil is also a great country to invest in. The Brazilian economy and importantly the rates of interest and currency are recognized as stable and supportive for foreign investment. The country is also experiencing unprecedented growth.

#63. Outdoor culture unlike many other countries where people tend to spend a lot of time indoors, in Brazil people tend to spend more time outdoors, usually with beach related activities such as surfing, swimming, beach soccer, or just working out. This means there are plenty of sexy women outdoors!

# 64. Brahma Beer a very popular Brazilian beer, originally made by the Companhia Cervejaria Brahma which was founded in 1888. It's very sensual and a great way to relax in the sun.

# 65. Daily Flights to USA and Europe More then 5 million people visit Brazil every year. There are numerous flights from USA — Europe is literally connecting with Brazil, particularly via Fortaleza with direct flights from Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Norway and others.

# 66. Great scenery and diversity One nice word to describe Brazil is diversity: a mix of cultures, food, music, dance, drinks, art, crafts, architecture and love of the sea.

# 67. The nature Covering 3.8 million hectares (9.4 million acres), Tumucumaque Mountains National Park is the world's largest tropical reserve – the same size as Belgium and about 500,000 hectares (1.23 million acres) larger than the state of Rio de Janeiro. Nature untouched !.

# 68. The Amazon Rain Forest – Brazil has the largest forest in the world in the Amazon Basin which houses 20% of the worlds living species and have 14% of the worlds renewable fresh water. Another interesting note: more than one third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest

# 69. The Amazon River – The largest river in the world by volume, with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers flowing into the ocean combined. It also has the largest drainage basin in the world, accounts for approximately 1/5 of the world's total river flow. The Amazon river has over 3,000 recognized species of fish and that number is still growing. Some estimates go as high as 5,000.

# 70. Beautiful waterfalls – Brazil is much more than beautiful beaches: a trip to the southern state of Paraná reveals one of the countries most popular tourist destinations. This is a beautiful waterfall named Cataratas do Iguaçu located in the town of Foz do Iguaçu,

# 71. Lots of international food (from previous migrants and communities) – The cuisine of Brazil is very diverse and varies greatly by region. This diversity reflects the country's mix of native Amerindians, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Poles, Syrians, Lebanese and Japanese among others. There is great variety and great food!

# 72. Lapa (Small bar / club zone in Rio, close to club Six) – The Lapa street parties are among the best of Rio nightlife and there are bars open all week as the crowds gather from around 11 am until 5 in the morning. Hundreds even thousands of sexy ladies mill up and down the street, drinking beer at street bars and just going with the flow.

# 73. Brazilian coffee – Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer. Santos Brazils is the most traditional Brazil coffee, and the kind most likely to be seen in specialty store. Be sure to try some when your down there!

# 74. Salvador – a city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of joy due to its countless popular outdoor parties, including its famous street carnivals. The first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is also one of the oldest in the country and in the New World.

# 75. Manaus – a city in the northern part of Brazil and capital of Amazonas State, it is an important centre for ecological tourism. Located on the Rio Negro near its confluence with the Amazon River it is the chief port and a hub for the region's extensive river system. It is also a common point of departure for tourists visiting the Amazon region.

# 76. Belem – the second biggest city of Amazonia, in the northern part of Brazil. It is the capital of the state of Pará, part of the greater Amazon River system. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon region and together with Manaus the most important city in the north of Brazil.

# 77. Goiânia – The capital and the largest city in the state of Goiás, it's also the largest city in the Central-Western Region of Brazil. With a population of nearly 1.25 million Goiânia is the twelfth largest city in Brazil.

# 78. Pao De Queijo (Cheese Bread – a famous bread from the state of Minas Gerais) – A typical Brazilian snack which is made of manioc flour and cheese — served hot. Very delicious and very popular sidekick for coffee.

# 79. Cachaca This Brazilian sugarcane liquor has become the second most popular drink in Brazil — after beer. Cachaca is distilled in such a way that the scent of sugar cane and inimitable flavor typical of rum are retained — making an enjoyable drink!

# 80. Brasilia – The capital of Brazil which borders the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais. The city and the district are located in the Central-West region of the country and has a population of about 2,455,903 making it the fourth largest city in Brazil. It is also listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

# 81. Praia do Pinho First official nude beach in Brazil's history located in the southern state of Santa Catarina. Praia do Pinho beach in Brazil is a naturists dream. It is one of very few nude beaches in the world where it is legally required to be nude!

# 82. Scuba Diving There are more then beaches in Brazil. Arraial do Cabo Marine Reserve is considered the best scuba diving on the southern coast of Brazil — it's located just 2 hours by car from Rio de Janeiro. The splendid waters of Arraial do Cabo are teeming with marine life – turtles, sea horses, moray eels, colorful coral and some exotic tropical fish like the famous Holacanthus Ciliaris). For around 200 $ you can take a tour that includes Scuba equipment, bilingual guide, boat operation and a 10 hour duration.

# 83. Fishing – Peacock bass fishing in Northern Brazil (Manaus) is as good as it gets! The peacock bass is legendary in its explosive top-water strikes and bullish runs. In a class of its own, the peacock bass is one of the hardest hitting and most aggressive sport-fish — plentiful in the Amazon. The Amazon offers fishers a haven of fish life that makes fishing as fun and exciting.

# 84. Trekking- One of the most traditional backpacking trails in Brazil, a 36 kilometer (22 miles) crossing linking the two Brazilian imperial towns of Petrópolis and Teresópolis. The crossing takes 2 to 4 days, hiking through valleys, ridges and mountaintops where Atlantic rainforest vegetation is exuberant and pristine. It's located just 100 km off Rio.

# 85. Rafting – Hold on tight and experience a great adrenaline rush: rafting down the wild rapids of the Paraibuna River! The Paraibuna is located in Três Rios city, 2 hours from Rio de Janeiro by car. The Paraibuna is also a full 20 km (14 miles) of level 3 and 4 rapids so bring a change of clothes! For around $ 100 you can enjoy up to three hours of great adventure!

# 86. Amazonia National Park This massive park covers almost 40% of Brazil's landmass including seven of Brazil's 27 states. Every year thousands of visitors come here to witness the splendour of this magnificent natural wonder. You can go bird watching here. A journey into the Amazon rainforest can be an experience of a lifetime!

# 87. Iguassua Falls The waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. It's a great once in a life time opportunity!

# 88. Brazil's Oil Boom Last year a huge offshore oil discovery in Brazil could raise the countries oil reserves by a whopping 40 percent and boost this country into the ranks of the world's major exporters. The future of Brazil looks bright indeed.

# 88. Great ecosystems – many of Brazil's plants and animals are found no where else on Earth.

# 89. Brazilian women are generally very friendly the best part of Brazil is how friendly the women are. The great weather, nice beaches, growing economy, it's all great, but without the sexy friendly women — it's all in vain!

# 90. The nice hips and bottoms Hourglass figures are very common in Brazil. How many women do you see where you live that have a nice .7 waist to hip ratio? If it's not 80% of all the women, then you need to come to Brazil!

# 91. Proximity to other great destinations for men Brazil borders many great countries for meeting women, such as: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela!

# 91. Language close to Spanish If you learn Brazilian Portuguese, then learning Spanish will not be so difficult. These two languages ​​are cousins, so learning either one will only make it much easier to learn both!

# 92. Brazil is considered the world leader in production of Ethanol based fule Brazilian Ethanol is made from sugar cane, which is cheaper then gasoline and is much less harmful to the environment and the world.

# 93. Brazilian currency weaker then US Dollar, Euro, Pound, Yen and Australian Dollar Get more bang for your buck. In Brazil you will find much cheaper prices then you would in the United States, Western Europe, Japan, UK and Australia!

# 94. Brazil has the eighth largest economy in the world Their are a lot of potentials for investment in Brazil. Many people are realizing that Brazil has great resources and is a major player in the world economy.

# 95. Political Stability Brazil has not had a major conflict as some of it's neighbors have had. It is politically stable, and is a leader in Latin America, such as the recent crisis between Colombia and Venzuela, Brazil's government led the peace and helped keep Latin America in a period of stability.

# 96. Brazil is self sufficient in Oil! Due to the leadership in Ethanol on a global scale, Brazil today produces enough oil / ethanol to run its own economy.

# 97. Brazil is not a Hurricane risk Unlike other countries such as Cuba, United States (Gulf Coast Area), Honduras and Guatemala, Brazil does not experience Hurricane risks.

# 98. Cost of living very low compared to USA and Western Europe You can live like a King in Brazil. In some places of Brazil, you can live with 30% of what it would cost you in Western Europe, USA, Japan, UK, Canada, Australia and other wealthier countries.

# 99. Real Estate in Brazil is Booming! Do not wait til it's too late. Now is the time to invest in Brazil!

# 100. Brazil is believed to be a leader in the future Many leading world economists and politicians believe that Brazil has the potential to become a world leader along with China, India and Russia.

# 101. All the young Brazilian ladies that are waiting for you! That's the icing on the cake! Remember, in Brazil there are more + women then -men = great news for you!

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Source by Dan DeLa Cruz

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If your business is one of the many businesses that needs additional equity capital, then you have a basic choice: do you seek the expertise and capital of a financial or strategic investor? The two have very different implications.

Financial investors, broadly defined, include venture capital funds (for start-ups or companies early into their life cycle), angel investors (for small companies) and private equity funds. As the name implies, "financial" investors typically bring equity finance and expertise primarily of a financial nature, although many financial investors also pride themselves on bringing value-added knowledge in other areas, such as corporate governance, restructuring or sometimes even expertise in specialized sectors, such as logistics or food and beverages. Each financial investor will have criteria for eligible investments that are clearly set, such as geographic scope, minimum and maximum investment size or sectors of preference.

Strategic investors have an industry specialization and would include multinational corporations or mittelstand companies seeking to go international. Locally, there are an increasing number of CEE companies developing a strategy to acquire and grow throughout the region, which seem to an account for an ever-increasing proportion of overall CEE investment activity.

Whether you target a financial or strategic investor depends on your objectives. For example, my company has a client who insisted on a strategic investor, because he wanted to exit his business as soon as possible and did not want to stay on for the several years, as a financial investor would generally require. A different client insisted on a strategic investor because he had a very successful concept locally and wanted the cross-selling synergies of services that a strategic investor would bring. Another insisted on a financial investor because he had intellectual property to which he did not want a potential competitor to have access. Many clients will solicit interest from both strategic and financial investors.

Offering your business to a financial investor will typically take a higher degree of preparation. You will need to have an extremely thorough business plan with cash flows that may be relatively accurately forecast over at least a five-year horizon, including revenues, expenses and capital expenditures (capex).

Despite difficult financial market conditions, it is possible to find both financial and strategic investors, provided your business is sufficiently attractive and valuation expectations are realistic.

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Source by Les Nemethy

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The difference between Qué and Cuál in Spanish is usually an issue of concern to students of Spanish whose native language is English and who can not do a literal translation into their own language. In this lesson we will take a look at the differences between the two words.

Firstly, let's see what happens with the verb SER.

Qué es: this form implies the question for a definition.
¿Qué es un gato? / What is a cat?

Un gato es un animal felino y pequeño, que suele tenerse como mascota. / A cat is a feline and small animal, usually taken as a pet.

Cuál es: This is a question for an election. From a homogeneous group, you have a choice. You want to know a name.

¿Cuál es tu película favorita? (From all the possible films) / What is your favorite movie?

Mi película favorita es Terminator./ My favorite movie is Terminator.

¿Cuál es la capital de Argentina? (From all the possible capitals) / What is the capital of Argentina?

La capital de Argentina es Buenos Aires./ The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires

¿Cuál es tu nombre? (From a long list of possible names) / Which is your name?
Mi nombre es Anna./ My name is Anna.

When the question is "cuál es" you should only respond with an option, but this question has a version in plural, where you can respond with more than one option.
¿Cuáles son tus libros favoritos? / What are your favorite books?
Mis libros favoritos son "Cien años de Soledad" y "13,99 euros". My favorites books are "Cien años de Soledad" and "13,99 euros".

¿Cuáles son los colores que más te gustan? / What are the colors you like the most?
Los colores que más me gustan son el rojo y el azul./ The colors I like the most are the red and blue.

Qué + Verb

When I ask: ¿Qué quieres tomar? / What do you want to drink ?, I am not giving you options, you can answer anything from an heterogeneous group: café (coffe), leche (milk), agua (water), cerveza (beer), licuado de frutilla (strawberry smoothie), etc.
Or: ¿Qué cocinamos, pizza o empanadas? / What should we cook, pizza or empanadas?

Cuál + Verb

When I ask you: ¿Cuál prefieres? / Which do you prefer ?, I have some options for you, and I'm showing these from a table or I have them in my hands: ¿Cuál prefieres, ésta o ésta? / Which do you prefer, this or this?

We can ask the same using Qué + the noun + Verb.
¿Qué bebida prefieres? / What drink do you prefer?
¿Qué color te gusta más? / What color do you like more?

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Source by Anna Rivera

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Being with my feet on the sales ground for 25 years in IT, I can recommend that many steps in the sales process need to be discussed and agreed internally and with the business customer to come to an agreed and signed contract.

Following this sales process through a so called 'Sales Close Plan', describes all the necessary milestones that need to be agreed from a resource perspective, internally from a supplier perspective as well as from the business customer resource perspective. This Sales Close Plan will enable you to set upfront the right expectations during the contract negotiation milestones during an enterprise sales process.

Discuss with your business customer the close plan and have your customer sign / off the Sales Close Plan on timescales and milestones. If each milestone is finalized confirm this in email to your customer so all expectations and potential road blocks keeps transparent and visible to you as supplier and business customer.

1. Identify the Power Sponsors:

Which customer contacts have the power to approve or veto a major contract deal?
Who are the business owners?

2. Identify customer procurement process:

Send Non Disclosure for approval.
Perform Customer due diligence and screening.
Is supplier employee screening process required?
What are customer standard terms & conditions?
What are the expected legal challenges? Intellectual property, Warranty …?
What are the payment terms?
What is the VAT number?
What are the shipping address details?
What are the billing address details?
Discover expense costs cap guidelines.
What is the business identity code?
Will payment be in Dollars / Euro …?
What are the finance contact details?
Which legal resources are required from supplier, internally, externally?

3. Approval process:

Who needs to approve from the IT department?
Who needs to give approval from the business department?
Is budget available? If not when?
Is Board approval required to close the deal? I yes, when is next Board meeting
Which person from the Board supports business case?
Do we need a reference visit and who will attend from the customer?
Which reference do we nominate for site visit or phone interview?
Agree on travel arrangements for reference visit.

4. Feedback 1st round legal / proposal discussions :

Does the commercials / T & C's in the proposal need to be updated to get a deal?
If yes, which resources from supplier and customer are required?
Do we need internal approval from higher management for this?
Is customer requesting any legal adjustments that need further legal review by supplier?

5. Send new proposal / T & C 's contracts:

Agree date for presentation final proposal to customer.
Is customer verbally accepting new proposal / T & C's?

6. Contracts:

When will customer sign / off contracts?
When can signed contracts be collected at customer?
Reconfirm resources allocation.
Start of project or delivery.

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Source by John Kraak

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Infinity pools are also known as vanishing edge or negative edge pools. They have one or more sides where the pool edge terminates in a weir that is 15 to 25 mm lower than the median pool water level. The water cascades over the weir into a collection trough that runs along beneath the whole length of the weir. The effect when viewed by a bather in the pool is very dramatic when the edge appears to merge with sea in the background or even the sky if the pool is located high up on a hillside.

A properly designed infinity edge pool has two circulation systems. The infinity edge system is only designed to run when the pool is being used and consists of a circulation system that takes water from the collection trough, filters it and returns it to the main pool. The other system works in exactly the same way as a conventional pool, filtration and heating circulation system except that the ugly conventional skimmers are not required and the water circulates back through the pump via the drain in the pool floor.

The additional cost of an infinity edge pool arises mainly from the provision of: –

• The collection trough that acts as a buffer tank
• The water-proofing of the weir and the collection trough
• The large capacity infinity edge circulation pump and filter
• The electronic autofill sensor in the collection trough

The automatic level sensor / filling device is needed to ensure there is enough water in the system to prime the edge pump and to compensate for any waves sent over the weir by bathers and rainwater. For a 12 x 6 metre pool with one infinity edge the additional cost should be in the 8 to 10,000 Euros range excluding any taxes. The trough and autofill, edge filtration system and the additional water proofing costs will each amount to about one third of this or about 3,000 Euros each. The water-proofing may seem to be costly but a conventional factory made PVC liner is not suitable for an infinity edge pool and needs to be replaced by a PVC "liner armee" system that involves cutting and welding the PVC liner on site.

There is a very interesting alternative to infinity edge pools that is beginning to be sold into the French pool market where Bluepools operates. These are called mirror pools and they are an exciting option when the views from a garden are less than spectacular. In a mirror pool the infinity edge is taken around the entire perimeter of the swimming pool and the weir is drained by a perimeter trough that is much smaller than the collection trough of an infinity pool. The perimeter trough is drained by a network of gravity fed downpipes that take the water to a central collection tank that provides the buffer water storage normally provided by the collection trough in a conventional infinity pool. The cost of a mirror pool will be a little more than the cost of an infinity pool of the same size with the infinity edge along one long side.

The additional operating costs of either an infinity or mirror pool will not be that high because the big pump needed to run the infinity edge system will only operate when the pool is in use. The extra costs will be incurred from: –

• The power the pump uses
• The cost of the water that is lost due to evaporation from the flow over the weir
• The cost of replacing the heat loss caused by evaporation
• The heat required for the water replacing the evaporated water

The total additional operating cost is difficult to assess accurately because it does depend on so many variables but it will certainly be less than the cost of heating a conventional pool of the same size using a heat pump.

The development of infinity pools has coincided with the increase in a new trend towards designer pools that are now often seen at exclusive properties and on magazine covers. Many people have property in an ideal location for the installation of an infinity edge pool even more have gardens that would benefit from a mirror pool and I hope this article encourages the development of both.

Copyright Bluepools SARL

www.bluepools.com

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Source by Will Witt

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The vast majority of board games available today are fun board games for adults. They may be fun for other age groups as well, but they fit in the adult category because adults have already lived through those younger years. It's what qualifies them to be adults.

That said, it should be obvious that not all board games are fun for every adult. Fun board games for adults I'm associated with might not be the same fun board games for adults you have contact with. Among the dozens that I've played as an adult, there have been a small fraction that I have not particularly enjoyed. They are few and far between though.

When speaking of adult board games, I'm not going to devote time to those that have risque content. The adult-ness referred to here will only be a reference to an age group, not to games that are for "adults only" because they would be rated R if they were movies.

There are some traditional gateway games mentioned fairly often by those who make suggestions for board games for adults – and I think understandably so. Ticket to Ride and sometimes Carcassonne are most frequently brought up, and I agree that they should be as I would also recommend them, especially for adults who have not yet played anything remotely like a Euro board game before. Yes, that's how these fun board games have earned the moniker of gateway games. Once people see how much fun these are, they tend to look for more fun board games that they have not played before.

Sequence

Sequence is a combination card and board game for 2-4 players. It is somewhat reminiscent of the classic Pente in that you need to get a row (or two, depending on the number of players) of five chips – vertically, horizontally, or diagonally – for a victory.

The board shows all the cards in the deck twice except the jacks, which are wild and have special properties. Play a card and place a "poker" chip of your color on a corresponding card space. Then do not forget to draw a card to replenish your hand. If you do not pick up a new card before the next player plays, you have to finish the game with less cards in your hand than you deserve, which can severely limit your options – especially if you forget more than once.

Sequence is a light-weight board game strategy-wise, so there's plenty of time for socializing, if that's what you like to do while playing with friends and family. Still, there is enough challenge to make you think a little before placing just any old card anywhere.

Wits & Wagers

As its name suggests, Wits & Wagers is a combination trivia and betting game that is great for parties. It plays quickly, especially if you enforce the time limit imposed by the hourglass. And it does not really matter if you know the answers to the trivia questions; you can still win by intelligent wagering.

A question is read from one of the cards included. All answers are numeric. (This includes years.) Players write down their answers secretly within 30 seconds. When all are ready, answers are revealed simultaneously and are arranged on the betting table from low to high. When sorted properly, players then have 30 more seconds to place their "poker" chips on the answer they think is closest (without going over) to the correct one.

Winnings are paid only to the player or players who guessed the correct (closest) answer according to the odds shown on the betting table. The farther away from the median answer, the higher the odds.

Alhambra

Alhambra is another combination card and board game. Cards are money in four flavors usually identified by card color (though other cues can be used by those who have difficulty with colors) and come in various denominations. Normally, you pick up cards on your turn or discard some of your cards to pay for one of four tiles available on the board.

These tiles, most of which have dark-colored "walls", are used to construct your own personal Alhambra. The tiles also come in different colors. Twice during the game and once at the end, players score points based on how many tiles of each color are in their Alhambra.

The challenges come in deciding when to purchase a tile, when to bide your time and collect more cash, where to place a purchased tile in your Alhambra (as there are restrictions), and which tile to go after.

When playing with three or four people, you can usually do a fair amount of planning ahead. With five or six people, chances are that the tile you were waiting to buy is going to be taken by someone else before your next turn.

With just a little more strategy involved than in Sequence, this board game will provide many hours of fun for most adults.

Outburst

Party games like Outburst and Balderdash are two more fun board games for adults that you might like to try. Balderdash is virtually the same as the generic "dictionary game". Having the actual game just makes finding good words to stump people with a lot easier.

Outburst is similar to Family Feud in that you're trying to come up with lists of items in a category as a team. The main and significant differences are that everyone on the team participates at the same time and that the items in the unknown list are not necessarily the ten most popular answers. Sometimes you'll wonder why in the world they did not list an item that your team came up with, and other times you'll be puzzled at where the creators came up with an item that none of you thought of.

Quiddler

Quiddler is a card game that works best with players of roughly equal vocabulary levels and spelling ability. You have a hand of three to ten cards (depending on which round it is) that have letters instead of numbers. After drawing a card, you try to spell one or more words using all the letters except one, which you will discard. When one player accomplishes this, the rest have one more chance to do the same, or to at least play as many cards as they can. Any cards left in your hand score negative points. Bonuses are awarded for the longest word and most words each round.

With these suggestions as a starting point, you should be able to find your way to many, many other fun board games for adults.

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Source by Gary Sonnenberg

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Breaking 1996 down into the biggest news, sports and entertainment events; here's what happened …

Two tragedies hit the hearts of Britons in 1996, the nation's sympathies going out to the people of Dunblane and Manchester. In Dunblane, a crazed gunman went on a shooting spree in at a local infant school, killing an entire class and their teacher. Later in the year, as a direct response to those ill-fated events, the Government announced that it would be outlawing almost all handguns in the UK.

In Manchester, a huge bomb devastated its busy central shopping area just as it was filling up with eager Saturday shoppers. Police managed to start an evacuation before it blew up but scores of people were still killed or injured in the blast. Such was the damage caused, that the episode led to a total regeneration of Manchester city centre.

Also hitting the news in '96 was the introduction of the first genetically modified (or GM) food to go on sale in British supermarkets. Modified tomato puree was the cause of all the fuss with some critics dubbing it a "Frankenstein food".

The world of sport was dominated by England's hosting of the European football championships (Euro '96). The England v Scotland group stage match drew much attention with Gazza's wonder goal eventually stealing the win for the home team. Cheered on by home support, the 'Three Lions' made it all the way to the semi-finals, the nation going football crazy as it looked as if England were really going to win a major tournament for the first time since '66, then , as really should have been expected, they lost on penalties to Germany.

Entertainment wise, carrot topped Chris Evans re-invented the chat show format with his hit show 'TFI Friday'.Presenting celebrity gossip, the hippest bands and lad friendly guests, this unscripted, chaotic program briefly made Evans the most sought after man on TV . Over on the BBC, a group of thirty-something lawyers were gaining huge ratings; 'This Life' being a bit like the American 'Friends' but with much more 'bad' behaviour and saucy goings on.

The big screen was blessed with one of the jewels of the British film-making crown, 'Trainspotting'. Despite featuring heroin, needles, vomit and disgusting toilet bowls, this was the coolest thing of the year and took Ewan McGregor from nowhere to 'Star Wars'. The more family friendly film of 1996 was 'Toy Story'; it being the first feature length movie ever to be animated entirely by computer. The results were quite stunning and people flocked to see 'Woody' (a pull-string cowboy) and 'Buzz Lightyear' (a high-tech space ranger) battle it out to become little Andy's favourite toy.

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Source by Mark Thomas Walters

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Introduction of Case Study:

This case introduces the basics of monetary economics and demonstrating practical applications of monetary policies and exchange rates that pertain to business decisions. Supporting this case study will be a discussion on the exchange rate policy that China has adopted preceding and following 1978, a year in which significant economic liberation took place. Events within the past couple of years that took place in China concerning their exchange rate regime were deemed highly controversial by members of China's trade partners. The first objective of this essay is to trace the history of this discord surrounding China's currency, the Renminbi (RMB), which translates literally into English as "the people's currency". Next, questions from the case will be discussed. Lastly, the case will be made up-to-date with a brief excerpt concerning the current state of affairs surrounding this issue.

Background on Case:

In 2006, many countries that conducted trade with China made strong allegations against China's exchange rate policy. The major complaint was that China's currency was undervalued due to China's manipulation of exchange rates to suppress the prices of its exports. Among other damages, these countries have claimed that this action has cost them thousands of jobs. The US, which had a $ 233 billion trade deficit with China in that year, threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese imports if China did not revalue its currency. Japan and newly industrialized economies, such as Taiwan and Singapore, were less vocal, as they have been trying to strengthen their economic ties with China. Developing Asian countries, however, supported a revaluation in order for them to be better equipped to compete with China. One collective group that stayed relatively mute on the lively debates that ensued in the media between 2005 and 2007 were multinational companies. These companies benefited from low operating costs in China, which, for them, meant cheaper land and more competitively priced China-made exports.

China's exchange rate was deemed to be out of synch with market forces, with several reasons to support this conclusion. First, China's economy experienced 9% annual growth over the past decade. According to the Balassa-Samuelson hypothesis, rapid economic growth is accompanied by real exchange rate appreciation because of differential productivity growth between tradable and non-tradable sectors. Secondly, China has become the world's third-largest exporter with at least $ 970 billion in 2006. China's exports have experienced approximately 30% growth in recent years. Lastly, there has been a compilation of $ 1.2 trillion in foreign currency reserves. These build-ups are claimed to be the result of manipulation of the RMB against natural forces of the market.

Chinese officials strongly oppose the idea of ​​a revaluation of their currency on several grounds, the strongest of which is probably that they are a country that is highly reliant on trade and growth of their exports is vital. Secondly, over two hundred million rural dwellers have left their farms to find work in urban centers. Higher economic growth is necessary to absorbing these workers into a functional economy. Apart from the economic reasons against changing the exchange rate policy, officials in China turn to several counterarguments. First, the RMB, according to them, is not really undervalued and China's economic growth has nothing to do with manipulation of the currency. Secondly, the US is running a large trade and budget deficit, which is partially attributable to capital inflows from China, and should look to the weakness in their economy before pointing fingers elsewhere. Also, China is a sovereign country with a right to choose its own exchange rate policy. Lastly, Chinese officials brought up the little known fact that despite its large trade surplus with the US and Europe, it also has large deficits with others, especially Asian countries.

As mentioned in the introduction, China began liberalizing its country in 1978. Prior to then, it followed central planning and was reliant on economic self-sufficiency. China's foreign trade was negligible and there were hardly any foreign companies doing business in China. The RMB, at that time, was pegged to a basket of currencies and an exchange rate was set at an unrealistically high level. The currency was virtually non-convertible. After 1978, China followed an "open door policy" and special economic zones were opened to foreign investments. A tiny private sector emerged. The RMB was devalued in 1981, 1985 and 1993 to the US dollar in order to promote Chinese exports. The RMB was revalued by 5% in 1995, which held until July 2005.

The squabbles started in July 2005 when China reformed its exchange rate regime. The RMB was revalued by 2.1% to the dollar. The peg to the dollar was replaced by a peg to a basket of currencies with an allowed fluctuation of a 0.3% band against the dollar each day. This basket was dominated by the US dollar, euro and yen. The currencies of baskets and weights were selected on the basis of trade volume conducted with China's partners, the sources of foreign direct investment ( "FDI") and the composition of China's debt. In May 2007, the Chinese central bank announced a widening of the RMB's daily fluctuation against the dollar to 0.5%. This followed an appreciation of their currency by 7.2% against the dollar.

Chinese officials site several alternatives that could be taken in place of a revaluation of their currency. The first suggestion is to reform the banking sector, where up to 40% of loans are underperforming and nine out of ten banks are state-owned. Secondly, they have proposed a "go abroad" policy, encouraging Chinese companies to invest abroad and thus stimulating outward FDI. Lastly, Chinese officials have suggested imposing a voluntary export tax. Unlike with a revaluation, a tax would not affect the value of foreign currencies. Furthermore, the Chinese government would receive much needed tax revenues.

Analysis and Discussion of Case Issues:

Now this essay will discuss responses to questions from the case itself. The first two questions from the case are concerned with how much further China should let its currency appreciate and to determine whether or it is not undervalued as of the time of writing this piece. First, China should never have let the currency fall this far. It has an abundant source of cheap and skilled labor, with a generally high educational attainment level, and does not need to manipulate their currency in order to benefit from strong exports. Yet, this is precisely the action Chinese officials took. This should be immediately corrected before more trading partners are forced to suffer. Regarding the second question, it is clear from the evidence that the currency was undervalued. Given the high level of FDI entering China and its significant trade surplus, the RMB should have appreciated relative to this basket of goods, especially given that the US dollar and Euro have both weakened lately.

The next questions are concerned with the consequence of a revaluation on China and its trade partners and whether any profound reform should be gradual or not. Also, the case study asks about how a floating RMB would impact the exchange rate. In simple terms, a revaluation would benefit most trade partners and come at a significant cost to China. Trading partners, including the US and the Euro Zone will benefit by not losing thousands of workers to the Chinese markets, as had been the case when domestic companies relocated to China under favorable economic considerations. Developing Asian countries will be better able to compete with Chinese exports if a revaluation takes place. Multinational corporations will not favor such a move, as maintaining the status quo allows them to continue benefiting from the low operating costs in China. China would lose in the sense that its economy would likely slow. One could argue, however, that this will happen anyways, given the current state of affairs in the global economy. Current business and political journals and magazines have pointed to the fact that Europe is now in a recession and that the US is not far behind. The credit crunch has not left China unaffected-its economic growth is expected to reduce to only approximately 8% in 2009 according to analysts at the Economists and the Financial Times.

As mentioned before, China is heavily reliant on trade and growth of its exports is vital. A revaluation will eat into its competitive position. This will also likely have a negative impact on their labor market, as fewer jobs may be available in the cities for those leaving the rural communities and entering the urban areas.

To answer the second question, the revaluation should be gradual in order to give the market forces a chance to react intelligently to the change properly and for affected constituents to adjust their business practices accordingly. In response to the final question, a floating of the RMB would cause it to strengthen relative to the other basket of exchange rates because it is currently undervalued due to market manipulation on behalf of Chinese officials.

The last two questions refer to different exchange rates and ask which one is most appropriate for China. There are six major exchange rate regimes. The first is an exchange arrangement with no separate legal tender regime. In this regime, the currency of another country circulates as the sole legal tender, or the member belongs to a monetary or currency union in which the same legal tender is shared by the members of the union. Adopting this regime implies the complete surrender of the monetary authorities' independent control over domestic monetary policy. The second regime is called the currency board arrangements. This is a monetary regime based on an explicit, legislative commitment to exchange domestic currency for a specified foreign currency at a fixed exchange rate, combined with restrictions on the issuing authority to ensure the fulfillment of its legal obligation. Some flexibility may be allowed, depending on how strict the banking rules of the currency board arrangements are. The third regime is the other conventional fixed peg arrangement.

Countries that adopt this regime peg its currency at a fixed rate to another currency or a basket of currencies. The basket is formed from the currencies of major trading or financial partners, and weights reflect the geographical distribution of trade, services or capital flows. There is a limited degree of monetary policy discretion, depending on the bandwidth.

China has adopted the fourth exchange rate regime into its monetary policy, which is known as the crawling peg. The currency is maintained within a bandwidth around a central rate, which is adjusted periodically at a fixed pace or in response to changes in selective quantitative indicators. Maintaining the exchange rate within the band imposes constraints on monetary policy with the degree of policy independence being a function of the bandwidth.

The fifth regime is the managed floating with no predetermined path for the exchange rate. The monetary authority attempts to influence the exchange rate without having a specific exchange rate path or target. Lastly, there is the independently floating regime, which has been adopted by the US The exchange rate is market-determined, with any official foreign exchange market intervention aimed at moderating the rate of change and preventing under fluctuations in the exchange rate, rather than at establishing a level for it. This is the regime that the Chinese government should follow because it is market-determined and not open to manipulation, while maintaining flexibility regarding monetary policy.

Third Party Opinions on Case Issues:

This last section will discuss the current situation regarding this debate. According to the latest news articles from such sources as Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, the Chinese economy has experienced weakening exports because of the US housing slump and the international credit squeeze. China's GDP growth is expected to slump, too. The Chinese government has options to stimulate the economy and protect exporters. Reports claim that officials at China's central bank plan on slowing the appreciation of the RMB. Indeed, this is a decision that should have been made a long time ago and would be a major breakthrough in the ongoing debate, which may actually reach a conclusion given the state of affairs in the global economy.

According to Professor Pan Yingli of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the RMB was undervalued since the 1997 Asian crisis and such a foreign exchange policy has been used to finance exports and imports sectors at the cost of non-trading industries. Basically, the crawling peg regime adopted by China allows it to manipulate exchange rates in its own favor in order for it to sell more products abroad, as exports are the lifeblood of China's economy.

The Asian financial crisis involves four basic problems or issues: (1) a shortage of foreign exchange that has caused the value of currencies and equities in Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and other Asian countries to fall dramatically, (2) inadequately developed financial sectors and mechanisms for allocating capital in the troubled Asian economies, (3) effects of the crisis on both the United States and the world, and (4) the role, operations, and replenishment of funds of the International Monetary Fund.

Concluding Remarks:

In conclusion, this case showed how trading partners could be both positively and negatively influenced by the economic decisions by one or more of the players. It is important for countries to realize that we live in an interconnected, increasingly global environment in which important decisions are not made in isolation. In fact, China's decision to pursue exchange rate reform has, for better or worse, greatly impacted billions of people throughout both the developed and developing world.

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Source by David J Stone

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There are over 55 satellites in synchronous orbit over Europe broadcasting just about every language and from every country you can imagine. French is well catered for with three satellites covering all European territory, French citizens living in or out of France can receive, with domestic size satellite dishes of less than 1 metre diameter, these signals with the minimum of equipment.

Within France most of the country is covered by the usual terrestrial transmitters and an aerial is all that is required to pick up all the main French channels, such as TF1, France 2 etc. Those living in remote corners or sometimes in built up areas, with poor aerial reception, have to use the satellite systems to receive them. Outside France of course only the satellites are usable.

Hotbird, Astra 1 and Atlantic Bird3 are the three satellites used for all the French services. These are different providers, but mainly distribute the same group of channels. TNTsat and FranSat have identical lists of channels including TF1, France 2, France3, France4, France5, France o, Arte, direct 8, Monte Carlo and many more.

A third service by the provider BIS is available on both Atlantic Bird and Hotbird satellites. At the moment the signals from Hotbird are transmitted in MPeg4 format, which is normally used for HD, whereas the Atlantic Bird transmission is the older Mpeg2, so with an HD receiver the pictures from Hotbird are very good indeed. Oddly the TF1 channel, which is in HD on both TNTsat and FranSat is currently only in Mpeg2 (standard definition) on Hotbird. The main 4 channels TF1, France2, M6 and Arte are repeated on HD channels on both TNT and Fransat.

When receiving the French channels in the Uk, which system should you choose? The TNT and FranSat offer of 18 channels (plus a few more freebies) is very attractive. Probably the least hassle is FranSat who do not put a time limit on their card, unlike TNTsat which will expire after 4 years, however the renewal fee after the 4 year period is only 15 Euros, so there is only the small issue of actually renewing it. This is done for most French citizens on-line, on the TNT website, but you have to be in French territory to be eligible to use the website, so before the renewal dates are due, lets hope there is a procedure to allow Uk TNT watchers a method of renewal in place.

The set top boxes are now common in Darty and other electronics stores across France and most supermarkets too at around 120Euros for the SD standard definition box. Do not get confused with the terrestrial boxes though if purchasing in France, ensure that you are buying a satellite set top box. There are some boxes with very few extra features beyond the basic setup and some which can be used on more than one satellite and can be better organised into multiple 'favourite' groups, useful if you are watching different languages. Most receivers available today are fine, but there are still some early boxes around with poor remotes and reliability problems.

BIS despite its yearly subscription charges, offers at least 3 different cards. The base card is the Panorama, costing around 100 Euro and entitling the user to all the usual French channels to be found on the TNT platform. Next is the Cinerama, at around 160 Euros, also has the film channels from the AB sat platform – Cine FX, Cine First, Cine Polar and Action. Added too are channels like Orange Sport tv, Animeaux, Game One, L'histoire and RTL 9. Finally the top package adds adult entertainment to the mix. BIS is supplied as a pre paid card so the years payment is 'up front' and there is no phone call required to activate the card, simply insert into your Viaccess decoder card slot and turn to Hotbird or Atlantic Bird.

Lastly there is always the free channels option. With a good satellite receiver and dish with multiple LNBs or a motorised satellite dish, it is possible to get a good selection of the main and some of the smaller channels without a special box or a subscription, as long as you are not wanting TF1 or M6 channel, such a system will still receive some 30 possible French channels including France2 and 3, ARTE (also French language from other countries across North Africa.)

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Source by Andrew Baber