On the bank of Iceland’s world-famous Blue Lagoon, the Nokia 5500 Sport leaped into the world arena, displaying its sleek, sporty design with an athletic lifestyle appeal. The Nokia 5500 Sport features all the technology that every active-minded consumer needs, and is specially designed to withstand the daily rigours of work and work-out.

“The Nokia 5500 Sport combines the passion and spirit of sports with the latest in mobile communications. It’s an ideal companion for an active, urban lifestyle,” says Heikki Norta, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. “There is a very sizeable audience of consumers who demand sport-inspired products, even if they are not professional athletes themselves. The Nokia 5500 Sport offers these consumers a mobile phone suited to their specific needs - during a jog in the park, a day at the beach and even that dress-to-impress first date.”

A mode to match your mood

A single button serves to activate three dedicated “modes” - a phone mode to stay in touch, the music mode to unwind or power-up, and the sports mode to help you break a sweat. The Nokia 5500 Sport also offers “text-to-speech” technology. Don’t take your eyes off the track or that magazine, just tap the Nokia 5500 Sport and the message is read out to you. In sports mode, the Nokia 5500 Sport reads the status of your workout, allowing you to stay focused on the task, or the excercise, at hand.

When music is on your mind, the Nokia 5500 Sport gives you a jump start. Supporting a multitude of different digital music formats and memory cards of up to 1GB (microSD), the Nokia 5500 Sport can hold approximately 750 songs. With your music collection in hand, every activity has its own soundtrack!

Switched into sports mode, the Nokia 5500 Sport helps you keep track of work or your work-out. The integrated pedometer feature serves to monitor distance walked or calories burnt -during a busy day in the city or that breathtaking cardio session. For extra durability, the Nokia 5500 Sport features an ergonomic stainless steel casing, complemented by a splash and dust resistant shell and rubber grips.The sleek Nokia 5500 Sport is engineered with materials used in the latest high performance running shoes which make it look good on and off the court.

The triband Nokia 5500 Sport (GSM 900/1800/1900) is scheduled to sprint into stores during the summer (3rd quarter) of 2006 and is expected to retail for around 300 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

Visit our website to read more on the Nokia 5500 Sport mobile phone

There are a variety of opportunities for holiday shoppers,
including stores, catalogs and the internet. If you’re heading
out to the mall this year, have your shopping list ready. It’s a
good idea to shop early in the season because, if you wait too
long, that perfect gift may already be under someone else’s
tree. Always remember to be polite. The holidays are extremely
busy and store employees are working overtime, so be patient as
you wait for assistance.

If you have a big list, but not quite a budget to match,
consider a layaway. Many stores offer a convenient layaway plan,
which would allow you to make payments up until Christmas. It
saves you from having to charge up credit card bills or spend a
lot of pocket money all at once, so consider a layaway if you
have a big shopping list.

If you’re shopping from a catalog this year, be sure to place
the order early. The most popular items sell out first, so get
your order placed and on its way as soon as possible. There’s no
need to wait for a catalog to arrive in the mail because you can
log on to the internet and find many catalog companies online
with product photos, descriptions, size charts and special
‘internet only’ sale prices.

If you do decide to shop on the information superhighway this
year, it will save you a lot of time standing in line at the
mall. You can literally shop worldwide with the click of a
button. Browse photos, compare prices, read customer reviews and
see a huge variety of products without having to leave home.
Best of all, in some cases, you won’t even have to pay sales tax
on internet orders. Some stores offer free shipping, quantity
discounts and all kids of other incentives to lure you into
their site. In addition, several televised shopping networks
have websites in which they offer an easy payment program on
select items. This means that you make one payment, using a
credit/debit card, and the product ships out to you immediately.
The remaining payments are billed to your credit card, until the
item is paid in full, for the specified number of months.

If you have a lot of people to buy for, and aren’t exactly
certain of their taste, consider buying in bulk. You can
purchase a nice package of scented candles, divide them up into
multiple gifts and present them with a beautiful bow wrapped
around the glass jar. These types of gifts are ideal if you have
teachers, doctors, co-workers or other special people that you
want to wish a Merry Christmas. Another terrific idea is to
purchase small Christmas tins and several bags of assorted
miniature candies. Divide the candies up into each tin and
present them with a beautiful bow on top. These are ideal gifts
because they are thoughtful, but also budget conscious. You can
purchase a pre-designed tin similar to the one described, but
you will get a much better deal if you make your own. As an
added bonus, you get to decide which candy to include, which
isn’t always the case with pre-packaged gifts.

Happy shopping!

Are you thinking about buying or selling a home? Starting and operating a small business of your own? Maybe you need a little help with personal motivation or computer technology… If so, you may find this column useful over time because we will be discussing ways you can save time and money, protect your legal and financial interests and deal on a more level playing field with industry operatives to help you avoid costly mistakes made by so many people. Let’s face it, it’s a complex world out there and either you operate from a position of knowledge and insight or from guesswork and blind trust. Money Matters is designed to help remove the blinders. Knowledge is power right? We believe applied knowledge is powerful.

To jump-start this column we decided to throw out a few tips for homebuyers and sellers before the real estate season begins. You may want to clip this article and tuck it away for safekeeping. Buying or selling a home is the largest investment of a lifetime for most people…it’s a BIG business deal composed of people, emotions, contracts and cash…all the ingredients for legal and financial pain if you don’t know what you are doing (and most people don’t).

1. Buyers: real estate agents legally represent sellers, NOT buyers…their job is to get the highest possible price for the property. They are not “your agent” and what you tell them may be used against you. Caveat Emptor is legal jargon meaning “buyer beware”…

2. Buyers: avoid giving more than $100.00 when you write a purchase offer on a home. In this way, if you cannot complete a transaction you have less money at risk. Large good faith deposits do NOT guarantee you will get financing. Why risk your money?

3. Buyers: arrange your home financing first, BEFORE you look for a home. Doing so gives you the same power as a cash-buyer You can use your financial pre-qualification to SAVE THOUSANDS when buying a home if you are a smart negotiator.

4. Buyers: when you sign a purchase offer, make sure that you write above your signature the clause “subject to buyer’s attorney’s approval”. These 5-magic words (known as a weasel clause) can get you out of a bad deal if your attorney does not approve… you can (weasel) out of a bad deal…

5. Buyers: remember; a purchase offer becomes a legally binding contract when accepted by the seller. Fully understand the legal details before signing ANY contract or document.

6. Sellers: avoid signing long-term listing agreements with any real estate agent. Keep the listing contracts limited to 90-day increments so that you can review selling performance.

7. Sellers: Avoid signing a listing agreement with part time agents. Use only full time agents so that you increase your chances for more professional representation.

8. Sellers: Interview multiple agents before signing a listing contract. Make sure the “potential selling prices” they are quoting you are accurate. Many agents will quote high selling prices just to get the listing contract. There is a saying in the real estate business “if you don’t list, you don’t last”…many agents will do and say most anything to get you to sign a long term listing contract. (See tip-6)

9. Sellers: avoid signing purchase offers with unqualified buyers. Doing so removes your property from the market while waiting to find out you are dealing with a dud.

10. Sellers: Make sure your agent presents you with an itemized marketing plan detailing the selling activities that will be performed during the listing agreement.

If you are interested in further information about Smart Books, check us out online at www.smart67.com

Copyright © 2005
James W. Hart, IV
All Rights reserved

James W. Hart, IV, a consumer advocate and CEO of Smart Books Publishing, has been involved in the field of residential and commercial real estate mortgage financing since 1987. Hart, previously licensed to engage in the sale of real estate in the state of Ohio, has been directly involved in the origination of residential and commercial mortgage financing and has worked with residential and commercial mortgage lenders, large commercial mortgage banking firms and life insurance companies for financing. Hart is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army, graduate of the University of Toledo and graduate of the Cleveland Institute of electronics. He is a member of the National Panel of Consumer Arbitrators and the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. During 1992/93 Mr. Hart appeared on a number of radio and TV stations throughout the U.S. including WJR-AM, WWWE-AM, WHUR-FM, WRC-AM, WLW-AM, WTVN-AM, WSPD-AM, KDKA-AM, KBGS-AM and CNBC-TV and many others…

Have you ever read the encyclopedia? Well, I guess you are not a; know it all, after all? Have you ever read the dictionary? It seems like a boring thing to do but you really should read it, as it is quite good actually. In my life I have read two dictionaries; an abridged Oxford dictionary and a regular dictionary.

It is amazing how the language changes over the years in each society and in each new generation. If you ever want to read a book on the subject, then I recommend; “The Meaning of Everything; The story of the Oxford English Dictionary” by Simon Winchester.

What will the future of the English language be? Well, a lot of that depends on professors and scholars and what they consider words, as each year new words are added to the dictionary. But in the information age we have compound words that take on entirely new meanings. We also have industry professionals and consultants creating new words in their fields. Many words that are quite unique and in industry terminology and new industry buzzwords are not in the Oxford dictionary although as time marches on they may actually earn a spot.

But still, what will the future of language be with all this instant messaging and abbreviated words? Our language is evolving and changing whether the professors and Oxford scholars like it or not. Slang is becoming acceptable and hyphenated shortened words are also. Still authors who are popular often invent new words and they are readily accepted if the writer is recognized. The future of language is involving faster than ever before and perhaps you will think of 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/

The Passion Ration

The last straw to finalize divorce proceedings in a marriage is when adultery is committed. I would say the hurt is unbearable for the loving partner who has been betrayed. Innocent Parties like the children and family members automatically become involved to take their share of the heartache when a marriage collapses.

Many couples manage to salvage what is left of their relationship and carry on regardless fighting a lost cause. It is not easy to put your feelings and emotions on hold. Emotions are a powerful force that comes back with vengeance filling you with anger and in some cases hate.

All the respect and trust has gone leaving that once happy relationship a farce. They say you forgive and forget. Sorry having none of it, forgive yes forget no, mental scarring does not heal.

So much suffering is caused by a one night stand or affairs that normally do not last long after the guilty party has lost everything. Ask your self is it worth it.

I do not condone such behaviour where a man or woman strays outside the Marital Home to seek pleasure; only in some cases there are reasons why partners go down this road seeking comfort elsewhere.

May be the adulterer is not the guilty one. What of the spouse who decides to ration the passion in the bedroom leaving the partner no choice but to have his or her needs fulfilled outside the marriage.

You need to think twice before making a one sided decision about when you want to play or not play ball in the bedroom. Excuse the pun, but the ball is in your court to put back the missing link that is causing your marriage and partner to suffer.

They say true love never runs smooth, and if that being the case then for a little happiness give me the rough with the smooth any day.

If you have a problem regarding being bored in the bedroom, talk it over with your partner.

Rekindling a relationship is a made a lot easier if both parties participate in trying to understand why such actions were taken in the first place. Talking it through may help you both realize that the marriage is worth saving.

Counselling is out there for couples struggling to come to terms with the fact the marriage is over. Consider the children’s feelings throughout any divorce proceedings, they will need time to adapt to having there whole life turned around.

Abide by your marriage vows, if out of spite you decide to sleep alone in the master bedroom then accept the fact that the guilty part is the Betrayer not the Strayer.

You will find some helpful advice on my information page if you are going through a divorce or tips on how to save your marriage . Counselling helps ease the pain. Check the information page htpp://www.benidormbeaches.com

Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or A.D.D. child have you at the end of your rope? Relax. We have some tried-and-try ADHD information that should get your A.D.D. child on the right homework path.

The hyperactive or A.D.D. child especially needs consistency, a work place free of distractions, solid encouragement and praise - along with established consequences if the positive homework tips fail.

Establish a Set Homework Routine:

Because the A.D.D. child functions best in a consistent environment, homework should be done in the same place, at the same time and for a set amount of time every day.

Work with your child to develop that routine. Some Attention Deficit and hyperactive children work best immediately after school while others need an hour or two to settle down before jumping back into studies.

To help the A.D.D. child better focus, the work area should be free of distractions, such as televisions, video games, music and other people. The kitchen table might not be the best place if there is too much activity in that room. The bedroom can offer distractions if the television or stereo have a way of “turning themselves on” when you are not there to monitor.

Mandatory Homework Time:

We are strong proponents of establishing an allotted amount of homework time on school days. This set amount of time gives consistency to the hyperactive or A.D.D. child and discourages rushing through homework.

Talk with your child’s teachers about the average recommended homework time for the child’s grade level. In general, elementary school children should spend about 30 minutes each night on homework. Middle school and high school students should spend about one hour on homework.

If the child does not have homework that evening or they finish before the allotted time, the child can read until their mandatory homework time is over.

“Chunking” and Scheduled Breaks:

The hyperactive and A.D.D. child often experiences difficulty with long-range tasks. “Chunking” homework for the hyperactive or A.D.D. child helps break the homework task into smaller, more manageable pieces.

You can break a 20-problem math assignment into four chunks of five problems each, with a small break in between chunks. If using the mandatory homework time schedule, set a kitchen timer to ring every five to 15 minutes, depending on the child’s attention span. At every break, give your hyperactive or A.D.D. child a few minutes to move around or grab a snack to refocus their attention.

Rewards/Consequences:

As with any parenting issue, rewarding good behavior and disciplining poor behavior motivates kids toward good behavior. The A.D.D. child needs all the rewards they can get, along with firm and consistent consequences.

A “homework contract” is an effective motivator for the A.D.D. and an especially valuable tool to encourage the A.D.D. child to accept responsibility for their work.

The homework contract clearly states that when the homework is completed, the child will earn a reward. The contract also clearly outlines consequences for not completing homework.

You can offer daily modest rewards like earning time to play Gameboy, the right to choose a favorite dinner or a modest treat or special privilege. Or, you can develop a point system for larger weekly rewards. You can give out one point for every night of completed homework for the child to cash in for a trip to the zoo after earning five points, for instance.

Effective consequences for not completing homework are losing phone, computer, stereo and television privileges for the evening. To add a little more discomfort to the situation, have the child stay inside for the evening without friends.

It is important that you remain calm, firm and consistent on nights when Attention Deficit Disorder child decides to get into a power struggle over homework. It may take a couple consequence days before the child realizes that completing homework makes for a better night than not doing homework.

It is also important that you reward for effort and not just grades for the A.D.D. child. The goal is to develop a solid homework habit. With a homework habit established, better grades will automatically follow.

Don’t forget to offer the intangible rewards of smiles and praise when your child puts the effort into completing his homework. A “way to go” goes a long way in positive reinforcement for Attention Deficit Disorder children.

Additional Homework ADHD Information:

• Using an assignment book for the A.D.D. child helps parents keep track of the child’s daily and weekly homework. If the teacher does not use an assignment book, develop a system with the teacher so you know the child’s homework assignments.
• If the A.D.D. child insist on heavy parental homework help, require that the child attempt problems at least twice before asking for homework help. They may need homework help, but make sure he puts a genuine effort into solving the problem first.
• Attention Deficit and hyperactive children may not be able to receive “A”s on every homework and school assignment. Instead of getting hung up on the traditional grading scale, give you’re A.D.D. child an “A” for effort.

About The Author

Jeannine Virtue is a freelance journalist and mother of an Attention Deficit Disorder son. To learn more about natural and effective alternatives to Ritalin and other ADHD medications, visit http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com

jvirtue@add-adhd-help-center.com