Famous Diamonds

Among the most well known diamonds is the Hope.This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond is currently on display at the Smithsonian.The legends of the ill-fortune and curse bestowed on the possessor of the Hope Diamond are many. This diamond was donated to the Smithsonian in 1958.The Hope was originally a rather flat, blocky 110-carat rough.

The Dresden Green stands out among the natural colored diamonds. It is the largest green diamond in the world weighing 40.70 carats. This diamond is historic, large and has a natural green color with a slight blue overtone. These facts make it virtually priceless.

The Conde Pink is a pear shaped and weighs 9.01-carats. This pink diamond was once owned by Louis XIII.

The Tiffany Yellow diamond a beautiful canary-yellow octahedron weighing 287.42 in the rough (metric) carats discovered in either 1877 or 1878 in South Africa. The gem after cutting boasts the extraordinary weight of 128.54 carats. And until recently, was the largest golden-yellow in the world.

The Koh-I-Noor ( Mountain of Light ) is now among the British Crown Jewels. This diamond weighs 105.60 carats. First mentioned in 1304, it is believed to have been once set in Shah Jehan‘s famous peacock throne as one of the peacocks eyes.

The Agra is graded as a naturally colored
Fancy Light Pink and weighs 32.34 carats.It was sold for about 6.9 million in 1990.Since this sale, it has been modified to a cushion shape weighing about 28.15 carats.

The Transvaal Blue is pear cut.This blue
diamond weighs 25 carats. It was found in
the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal,
South Africa.

The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered in the summer of 1963, in a South African diamond field. This 198.28-carat fancy brown diamond appeared to be a light honey color in its rough state. However, after cutting, it proved to be a rich golden brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt orange.

The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a pear-shaped 69.42 carat diamond. Cartier of New York purchased this diamond at an auction in 1969and christened it "Cartier."The next day Richard Burton bought the diamond for Elizabeth Taylor. He renamed it the "Taylor Burton”.In 1978,Elizabeth Taylor put the diamond up for sale.Prospective buyers had to pay $2,500 each to view the diamond to cover the costs of showing it. Finally, in June of 1979, the diamond was sold for nearly $3 million dollars.

Snsd song for Valentine

With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, Korean based music portal ikaraoke, recently asked members whom they wished to spend the most romantic day of the year with.

537 members between the ages of 20 and 30, participated in the weeklong poll and the results have confirmed that: 41% of men chose SNSD, as the idol they would want to be on a date with the most on Valentine’s Day. Solo singing sensation IU came in at second place with 32% of votes from men, whilst South Korean boy band Big Bang were chosen as the top choice among female voters.

Source: osen.co.kr

Juve JInakkan Inter

Turin.Alessandro Matri kembali membuktikan Juventus tak salah merekrut dirinya Januari lalu. Striker pinjaman dari Cagliari ini membukukan satu-satunya gol kemenangan I Bianconeri atas Inter Milan di Olimpico Turin, Senin (14/2) dini hari WIB.

Itu gol ketiga yang dicetak pemain berusia 26 tahun itu dalam dua laga pertamanya bersama klub barunya. Sebelumnya, Matri juga menyumbang dua gol saat Juventus memukul klub lamanya, Cagliari, 3-1 di Sant’Elia akhir pekan lalu.

Inter tak pernah menang di kandang Juventus dalam pertemuan di Serie A sejak April 2005. Tapi, kali ini mereka datang dengan penuh percaya diri setelah memetik kemenangan beruntun dalam tiga laga sebelumnya.

Kondisi psikologis Juventus juga tengah bangkit setelah mengalahkan Cagliari akhir pekan lalu sekaligus menyudahi puasa kemenangan yang sempat mereka jalani dalam tiga laga sebelumnya.

Meski begitu, tak bermain terlalu terbuka menghadapi Inter yang diperkuat tridente Samuel Eto’o, Giampaolo Pazzini, dan Wesley Sneijder.

Strategi ini mengundang Inter untuk terus menekan sehingga barisan pertahanan I Nerazzurri menjadi lebih terbuka. Situasi ini memungkinkan Juventus melakukan sejumlah penetrasi berbahaya.

Sebuah pergerakan Milos Krasic menggiring bola menyusuri sisi lapangan menarik barisan pertahanan Inter, ia kemudian berbalik dan memberikan bola kepada Frederik Sorensen yang langsung melepaskan umpan first time yang diselesaikan dengan sempurna oleh Matri dengan kepalanya untuk membawa Juventus unggul di menit ke-30.

Ketertinggalan itu mendorong Inter untuk meningkatkan serangan sepanjang sisa pertandingan. Sejumlah peluang pun berhasil diperoleh, tapi tak ada yang berbuah gol penyeimbang sehingga mereka harus pulang dengan tangan hampa.

Ini kekalahan kedua yang ditelan Inter sejak ditangani Leonardo dan hasil itu membuat mereka tertahan di posisi 4 Besar dengan 44 poin dari 24 pertandingan, 8 poin di bawah AC Milan yang memuncaki klasemen setelah memainkan 25 pertandingan.

Di pihak lain, Juventus naik ke peringkat 6 dengan 41 poin.

Tahun Baru Imlek 2561

Tahun Baru Imlek 2561 yang jatuh pada penanggalan masehi 14 Februari 2010 merupakan sebuah perayaan besar bagi masyarakat Tionghoa. Menggantung lentera merah, membunyikan petasan dan menyembunyikan sapu adalah salah satu keunikan dari perayaan ini. Disamping itu, masyarakat Tionghoa juga akan mulai menempel gambar Dewa Penjaga Pintu.

Imlek mempergunakan Kalender Tionghoa dikenal juga dengan sebutan lain seperti "Kalender Agrikultur" (nónglì 农历/農曆), "Kalender Yin 阴历/陰曆" (karena berhubungan dengan aspek bulan), "Kalender Lama" (jìulì 旧历/舊曆) setelah "Kalender Baru" (xīnlì 新历/新曆) yaitu Kalender Masehi, diadopsi sebagai kalender resmi, dan "Kalender Xià 夏历/夏曆" yang pada hakikatnya tidak sama dengan kalender saat ini.

Cara perhitungan Imlek

Kalender Tionghoa memiliki aturan yang sedikit berbeda dengan kalender umum, seperti: perhitungan bulan adalah rotasi bulan pada bumi. Berarti hari pertama setiap bulan dimulai pada tengah malam hari bulan muda astronomi. (Catatan, "hari" dalam Kalender Tionghoa dimulai dari pukul 23:00 dan bukan pukul 00:00 tengah malam). Satu tahun ada 12 bulan, tetapi setiap 2 atau 3 tahun sekali terdapat bulan ganda (rùnyuè, 19 tahun 7 kali). Berselang satu kali jiéqì (musim) tahun matahari Cina adalah setara dengan satu pemulaan matahari ke dalam tanda zodiak tropis. Matahari selalu melewati titik balik matahari musim dingin (masuk Capricorn) selama bulan 11.

Penerapan di masa kini

Penggunaan utama dalam kegiatan sehari-hari adalah menentukan fase bulan, yang penting bagi petani dan dimungkinkan karena setiap hari dalam kalender sesuai dengan fase tertentu dalam suatu bulan. Kalender tradisional Asia Timur lainnya mirip, atau sama dengan kalender Tionghoa: kalender Korea sama, dalam kalender Vietnam digunakan kucing, bukan kelinci dalam shio-nya, dan kalender Jepang tradisional menggunakan metode penghitungan yang berbeda, sehingga ada ketidaksesuaian antara kedua kalender itu dalam tahun-tahun tertentu.

Rodamin B Salah Satu Pewarna Yang Berbahaya

Rodamin B merupakan zat pewarna sintetis bebentuk kristal tidak berbau, berwarna merah keunguan, dalam bentuk larutan berwarna merah terang berpendar ( berfluorescensi ). Nama lain dari Rodamin B adalah :

Tetra ethyl rhodamin, Rheoninine B, D & C Red No. 19, C.I. Basic Violet 10, dan C.I. No 45179. Rodamin B diperuntukan untuk bahan pewarna kertas, tekstil dan sebagai reagensia untuk pengujian Antimon, Cobalt, Bismuth dan lain lain. Rodamin B yang digunakan untuk pewarna makanan melanggar Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan No 239/Menkes/Per/V/85 tentang Zat Warna Tertentu yang dinyatakan sebagai Bahan Berbahaya. Rodamin B sering disalah gunakan untuk pewarna pangan dan kosmetik. misalnya : sirup, lipstik dll. Penyalah gunaan rodamin B sangat berbahaya bagi kesehatan.

Paparan rodamin B dalam waktu yang lama kronis) dapat menyebabkan gangguan fungsi hati / kanker hati.

Pewarna makanan / minuman untuk warna merah sebaiknya disarankan memakai pewarna alam atau pewarna Sintetik yang aman sesuai dengan permenkes No 772/Menkes/Per./I/88 tentang Bahan Tambahan Makanan. Bahan pewarna sintetis yang dianjurkan adalah Karmin,Merah allura.

Berikut tanda dan gejala akut bila terpapar rodamin B :

1. Jika terhirup akan iritasi pada saluran pernapasan.

2. Jika rekena kul;it dapat menimbulkan iritasi pada kulit.

3. Jika terkena mata akan menimbulkaniritasi pada mata, mata kemerahan,oedema pada

kelopak mata.

4. Jika tertelan dapat menimbulkan iritasi pada saluran pencernaan dan menimbulkan

gejala keracunan dan air seni berwarna merah atau merah muda.

Tindakan bila terpapar Rodamin B :

1. Bila terhirup segera pidahkan korban dari lokasi kejadian, pasang masker berkatup atau

perlatan sejenis untuk melakukan pernapasan buatan, bila perlu hubungi dokter.

2. Bila terkena kulit segera lepaskan pakaian perhiasan dan sepatu penderita yang

terkontaminasi/terkena Rodamin B Cuci kulit dengan sabun dan air mengalir sampai

bersih dari Rodamin B, selama kurang lebih 15 menit sampai 20 menit. Bila perlu

hubungi dokter.

3. Bila terkena mata, bilas dengan air mengalir atau larutan garam fisilogis, mata dikedip

kedipkan sampai dipastikan sisa Rodamin B sudah tidak ada lagi atau sudah bersih.

Bila perlu hubungi dokter.

4. Bila tertelan dan terjadi muntah, letakan posisi kepala lebih rendah dari pinggul

untuk mencegah terjadinya muntahan masuk ke saluran pernapasan. Bila korban tidak

sadar, miringkan kepala ke samping atau ke satu sisi. Segera hubungi dokter.

Boraks berbahaya bila digunakan untuk makanan

Bahaya Boraks

Boraks adalah senyawa berbentuk kristal, warna putih, tidak berbau dan stabil pada suhu tekanan normal.

Boraks merupakan senyawa kimia berbahaya untuk pangan dengan nama kimia natrium tetrabonat (NaB4O7 10H2O). Dapat dijumpai dalam bentk padat dan jika larut dalam air akan menjadi natrium hidroksida dan asam borat (H3BO3). Boraks atau asam borat biasa digunakan sebagai bahan pembuat deterjen, bersifat antiseptik dan mengurangi kesadahan air. Bahan berbahaya ini haram digunakan untuk makanan.

Bahaya boraks jika terhirup, mengenai kulit dan tertelan bisa menyebabkan iritasi saluran pernafasan, iritasi kulit, iritasi mata dan kerusakan ginjal. Jika boraks 5-10 gram tertelan oleh anak-anak bisa menyebabkan shock dan kematian.

Efek akut dari boraks bisa menyebabkan badan berasa tidak enak, mual, nyeri hebat pada perut bagian atas, perdarahan gastro-enteritis disertai muntah darah, diare, lemah, mengantuk, demam dan sakit kepala.

Penyelahgunaan boraks untuk makanan telah ditemukan pada mie basah, baso, kerupuk dan jajanan lainnya.

Untuk mengetahui makanan mengandung boraks ciri-cirinya sebagai berikut:
- Ciri-ciri mie basah mengandung boraks: Teksturnya kenal, lebih mengkilat, tidak lengket, dan tidak cepat putus.

- Ciri baso mengandung boraks: teksturnya sangat kenal, warna tidak kecokelatan seperti penggunaan daging namun lebih cenderung keputihan.

-Ciri-ciri jajanan (seperti lontong) mengandung boraks: teksturnya sangat kenyal, berasa tajam, seprti sangat gurih dan membuat lidah bergetar dan meberikan rasa getir.

- Ciri-ciri kerupuk mengandung boraks: teksturnya renyah dan bisa menimbulkan rasa getir.(Vivanews.com).

Snsd Profile

Girls' Generation (hangul: 소녀시대, Romanized: Sonyeo Sidae) is a nine-member South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2007.

The nine members are: Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun. They are often referred to as SoShi (소시), or SNSD (mainly outside Korea), the first of which is an abbreviation and the second an acronym of the group's Korean name Sonyeo Sidae. In China, they are known as 少女時代 (Shàonǚ Shídài; or Siu Nui Si Doi in Hong Kong) and in Japan as 少女時代 (Shōjo Jidai).

The group has released two full albums, three mini-albums, and various singles. Their 2009 hit single "Gee" holds the record for being the longest running #1 song on KBS's Music Bank, having held the #1 chart ranking for 9 consecutive weeks.2009 and 2010 also saw the group winning various awards, including consecutive Artist of the Year (Daesang) awards at the Seoul Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards, Melon Music Awards, and the Korean Cultural Entertainment Awards.

The group began a foray into the Japanese music scene in late 2010 under Nayutawave Records, a part of Universal Music, with the Japanese remakes of their 2009 Korean hits "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)" and "Gee".2010 saw the group reach considerable success in Japan, and solidifying their title as the "National Girl Group" in Korea after winning the prestigious Disk Daesang (Album of the Year) and Artist of the Year at the Golden Disk Awards and Melon Music Awards respectively.The group was certified gold by the RIAJ twice in Japan, while their yearly album sales in Korea surpassed 300,000, a feat which was last achieved by TVXQ in 2008, earning them the tile of the best-selling artist of 2010.

Airline plot trio get life terms

Three men who plotted to blow up liquid bombs on flights from the UK to North America have been jailed for life, with minimum terms of up to 40 years.

Ringleader Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, was jailed for at least 40 years.

Plot "quartermaster" Assad Sarwar, 29, must serve at least 36 years, while Tanvir Hussain, 28, was jailed for at least 32 years at Woolwich Crown Court.

Their aim was a terrorist outrage to "stand alongside" the 9/11 attacks on the US "in history", the judge said.

Mr Justice Henriques called the plot "the most grave and wicked conspiracy ever proven within this jurisdiction".

The trial heard that at the time of his arrest, Ahmed Ali, of Walthamstow, east London, had identified seven US and Canada-bound flights that were to be attacked within a two-and-a-half-hour period.

The judge said that the plot had "reached an advanced stage in its development", with the men in possession of enough chemicals to produce 20 detonators.

"I'm satisfied that there is every likelihood that this plot would have succeeded but for the intervention of the police and the security service," he said.

"Had this conspiracy not been interrupted, a massive loss of life would almost certainly have resulted - and if the detonation was over land, the number of victims would have been even greater still."

The convicted men displayed no emotion at their sentences, although Ahmed Ali shook his head and appeared angry and frustrated at earlier sentencing remarks from the judge.

"With this plot you sought the attention of the world and now you have it," Mr Justice Henriques told him.

"You have embraced Islamic extremism and it is that burning extremism that has motivated you throughout this conspiracy and is likely to drive you again."

E-mails submitted as evidence in the trial had shown that "the ultimate control of this conspiracy lay in Pakistan", the judge said.

Ahmed Ali, Sarwar, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Hussain, from Leyton, east London, had been "high-level executives within this country".

A fourth man, Umar Islam, 31, convicted of a more general conspiracy to murder charge, has been given a life sentence and will serve a minimum of 22 years in prison.

The men's arrests in 2006 caused chaos to the global aviation industry and prompted continuing restrictions to the amount of liquids passengers can take on to aircraft.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, is seeking a retrial of three other men for conspiracy to murder, after the jury failed to reach a verdict on this charge against them.

A legal hearing on 5 October will decide whether Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Khan, 28, and Waheed Zaman, 25, will face another trial.(BBC)

The Brazilian connection! Juve tame the wolf!

It is immediately a great match with a bit of tacticism in the beginning but great rivalry and determination and will to win throughout. Ferrara chose to field a 4-3-2-1 formation with Diego to act as ball feeder to strikers Iaquinta and Amauri.

On the 1st minute Felipe Melo with the help of Buffon clears a rather tricky ball in the area. Two minutes later, A Diego shot from outside the area is deviated into corner. The 4th minute sees a A Marchisio cross go straight into the arms of the keeper. On the 5th minute there is a corner for Roma but the ball goes very wide. Three minutes later Roma benefit of another corner after a run and shot by Mexes with deviation. The Juve defence brings the ball out. One minute later, there is a ball into the Juve area but Chiellini heads away.

On the 10th minute there is a good cross by Iaquinta into the area but Amauri does not manage to head the ball. One minute later Cassetti shoots from way out but the weak shot does not create any problems for Buffon. On the 20th minute, Diego puts a ball into the Roma area but De Rossi heads away.

It is the 21st minute when Iaquinta recieves a ball in the area but the ball is shot into corner by the defence. From the flag the ball is put into the area but the defence clears. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve: Diego puts the ball into the area, Tiago heads greatly but the keeper performs a miracle putting the ball into corner.

The Brazilian champion scores his first goal in the Serie A three minutes later. Diego wins a ball in midfield, goes past two defenders, enters the area and puts the ball behind the keeper for the opener (1-0). Three minutes later, there is a corner for Juve: ball reaches Iaquinta but is put one again into corner. Tiago back on the field shoots but the defence clears.

The 32nd minute sees a free-kick for Roma: Pizzarro puts the ball very wide for a goal-kick. Three minutes later De Rossi takes Juventus by surprise and shoots from a distance equalizing before the bianconeri have time to settle down for the free-kick (1-1).

Juve react and on the 37th minute benefit of a free-kick. Diego puts the ball into the area but Riise clears. One minute later another Diego free-kick followed by an Amauri header is saved by the keeper. On the 40th minute there is a free-kick for Roma: ball into the area but Melo puts into corner. Three minutes later it is Juve who go close to scoring again: Amauri hits the post after a good exchange in attack.

The 45th minute sees Diego with a great cross into the area for Amauri but the keeper manages to punch away. In the only minute of stoppage time two Juve defenders slip and Totti is alone in front of Buffon who performs a miracle just before the half-time whistle.

The second half continues where the first left off. On the 3rd minute there is a free-kick for Roma: ball into the area cleared well by Iaquinta. One minute later, Melo tries a shot from 25 metres but the ball is cleared. On the 5th minute, the ballis put into the area towards Amauri but Julio Sergio saves. Seconds later, Diego enters the area and passes to Iaquinta but Mexes manages to anticipate.

On the 9th minute Amauri receives the ball in the area and shoots but Julio Cesar denies him the goal. From the corner, the ball reaches Amauri who heads high. On the 12th minute Iaquinta with a great run enters the area, is disturbed by Burdisso who puts the shot into corner in what was a golden opportunity. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve: Diego puts the ball into the area, the defence clears partially but the referee stops the action because Cassetti is on the floor. Two minutes later, A Iaquinta header goes inches high.

Camoranesi comes on for an injured Marchisio on the 17th minute. Four minutes later, a great header in the area by Amauri is saved by the Roma keeper. On the 23rd minute Diego shows all his phenomenal talent. The Brazilian receives from Iaquinta, goes round Mexes and shoots beyond the keeper for the 2-1! Simply magical!

On the 25th minute Diego dribbles past the defence who finally intercept the pass. Two minutes later Menez makes Juve hearts miss a beat finally putting a dangerous ball wide. On the 29th minute Legrottaglie on for De Ceglie. Cheillini moves to a full-back position. One minute later there is a corner for Juve: Tiago receives the ball and sees his shot headed into corner.

The 32nd minute sees Tiago who receives from Iaquinta but his shot is not powerful enough. One minute later, Totti hits the post after a Cannavaro deviation. From the flag a De Rossi attempt is waved away by Buffon and then another attempt goes very high. A Roma free-kick goes straight into the arms o Buffon.

On the 36th minute, A Chiellini conclusion goes wide after some really good action by Diego, Amauri, Iaquinta and the defender. Two minutes later, a powerful Diego shot from outside the area is saved by the keeper.

The 39th minute sees Poulsen come on for Diego. The Brazilian ace is applauded as he exits the stadium. Two minutes later, Amauri stopped for a foul in attack after some really good work. Menez tries a shot but the ball goes wide on the 42nd minute. The 44th minute sees a free-kick for Roma after a dubious foul of Amauri on Pizarro: Pizarro takes it but Chiellini clears.

On the 46th minute a A Poulsen shot goes high but two minutes later Felipe Melo wins a ball in midfield, advances, shoots and scores a great goal dfixing the final result on 3-1!
Juventus played a great game against a difficult team in a tricky stadium, once again responding to Ferrara’s instructions and bringing home a very important 3 points.

Serie A 2009/10 2nd Match Day
Rome, Stadio Olimpico
Sunday 30th August, 2009

ROMA – JUVENTUS: 1-3

Scorers: Diego (25th), De Rossi (36th), Diego (68th), Felipe Melo (93rd)

ROMA: J. Sergio; Cassetti, Burdisso, Mexes, Riise (Vucinic 71st); De Rossi, Pizzarro; Taddei (Tonetto 46th), Perrotta (Cerci 80th); Menez, Totti. Reserves: Artur, Juan, Motta, Gubetti, Tonetto, Cerci, Vucinic. Coach: Spalletti.

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Grygera, Cannavaro, Chiellini, De Ceglie (Legrottaglie 74th);Tiago, Felipe Melo, Marchisio (Camoranesi 62nd); Diego (Poulsen 84th), Iaquinta, Amauri. Reserves: Manninger, Legrottaglie, Molinaro, Camoranesi, Poulsen, Del Piero, Trezeguet. Coach: Ferrara.

REFEREE: Rocchi

Yellow Cards: Tiago (15th), De Rossi (19th), Taddei (34th), Diego (36th), Perrotta (36th), Marchisio (44th), Grygera (80th), www.juventus.com

Short History of Cigars and Tobacco

Have you ever wondered where cigars were first produced? It is widely believed that cigars were first produced in Spain. But before cigars became all the rage in Europe, tobacco was needed to make them. Tobacco is indigenous to the Americas, where native peoples have produced it for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Maya of Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America cultivated tobacco, and even smoked it! Tobacco use spread to other tribes, both north and south. It is believed that its first use in the United States was probably among the tribe along the Mississippi. It wasn't until Christopher Columbus sailed his famous voyage to the Americas in 1492 that the rest of the world came to know tobacco.

It is said that Columbus was not impressed by tobacco or its use among native peoples, but many sailors grew found of the strange plant. Soon it quickly caught on in Spain and Portugal. From there, it spread to France, where the French ambassador Jean Nicot lent his name to the scientific name for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The origins of the word tobacco itself are still suspect, although many believe it is simply a corruption of the word Tobago, which is the name of a Caribbean island. Still others believe it comes from the word Tabasco, a region (and now state) in Mexico.

The first tobacco plantation in the United States was established in Virginia in 1612. More tobacco plantations followed in Maryland soon after. Although tobacco became a popular crop, it was only smoked in pipes. The cigar was not introduced to the United States until the late 18th century. Israel Putnam, an army general who had served in the Revolutionary War, is credited with introducing the cigar to the United States. He had traveled to Cuba after the Revolutionary War and returned with a box of Cuban cigars. Their popularity quickly spread, and soon enough cigar factories were established in the area of Harford, Connecticut, where General Putnam resided.

In Europe, cigar production and consumption did not achieve widespread popularity until after the Peninsula War in the early 19th century. British and French veterans returned to their homelands after years of serving in Spain with their tobacco pipes in tow. Among the rich and fashionable, the favored method of taking tobacco was the cigar. Cigar smoking remains a habit associated with the rich and discriminating of upper society.

Making Money With Articles : Banner Advertisements

When you are trying to make money off of the articles on your website, it is important to effectively promote your site so that you will attract customers and they can see just what a good, quality site you have. There are several ways so market and promote your website, one of them being though banner advertisements.

What Banner Ads Can Do For You

Banner ads can help bring visitors from others sites to your own. Although monthly fees can be expensive to advertise on high traffic sites, in the end it may be cheaper and/or a faster way to start seeing significant revenue from your website efforts, rather than waiting for SEO techniques to bring your own site to the top of search engine results. Aside from paying to advertise on someone else’s site, there are also free banner exchanges to choose from. We will look at the pros and cons of each banner advertising method below.

Free Banner Exchanges

Free banner exchanges are when you and other sites exchange each others banners. Their banner will go on your site and your banner will go one their site. Although this option is free, there are two main problems with it. First, if you want your banner on a significant number of sites, it will mean cluttering your own site up with these banners. This could even shot you in the foot if you run an affiliate website because, instead of clicking on your affiliate links, your visitors may be clicking on your banner exchange links. Secondly, you have to be really careful about the types of sites that you exchange banners with. Some sites like to gather a lot of banners so that they can be a directory or portal site and not have to have any real content. These “banner farms” or “link farms” will do nothing positive for your site and, in the meantime, you will be bringing them potential traffic.

Paid Banner Ads

As we saw above, paid banner ads cost money, but they will eventually pay off if you choose the right ones. You need to ensure that the site produces the amount of traffic that they say and that they have your ad placed in a way that invites visitors to click without being too pushy. You also want to choose a site that does not house too many other banners on the same page as yours or that there are no competitor links on the same page.

All in all, banner ads can end up being profitable for you site if you go about it the right way. If you do decide to check out banner advertisement as a marketing avenue, be sure to keep the above tips in mind.

SKorea says North fires 7 missiles off east coast

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day.
The launches, which came two days after North Korea fired what were believed to be four short-range cruise missiles, will likely further escalate tensions in the region as the U.S. tries to muster support for tough enforcement of the latest U.N. Security Council resolution imposed on the communist regime for its May nuclear test.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said three missiles were fired early Saturday, a fourth around noon and three more in the afternoon. The Defense Ministry said that the missiles were ballistic and are believed to have flown more than 250 miles (400 kilometers).
"Our military is fully ready to counter any North Korean threats and provocations based on strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted military officials as saying the missiles appeared to be a type of Scud missile. North Korea's Scuds are considered short-range, the South's military said.
But Yonhap also said it is possible they could have been longer-range Rodong missiles fired a shorter distance.
Scud missiles have a range of up to 300 miles (500 kilometers), which could hit most of South Korea. The Rodong has a range of up to 800 miles (1,300 kilometers), putting most parts of Japan within striking distance.
North Korea is not allowed to fire Scuds, medium-range missiles or long-range missiles. They are banned under U.N. resolutions, including Resolution 1874 passed after North Korea's May 25 nuclear test, that prohibit any launch using ballistic missile technology.
Thursday's launches, on the other hand, did not violate the resolution, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. Kim Tae-woo, vice president of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said it was believed North Korea launched cruise missiles Thursday.
Ballistic missiles are guided during their ascent out of the atmosphere but fall freely when they descend. Cruise missiles fly low and straight to their target.
The North has a record of timing missile tests for the U.S. national day, which fell on Saturday.
"The missiles were seen as part of military exercises, but North Korea also appeared to have sent a message to the U.S. through the missile launches," a senior official in South Korea's presidential office said, without elaborating.
The official told The Associated Press that North Korea could fire more missiles in coming days, but said there was little possibility it could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, as it threatened in April.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank, said both political and military reasons were behind the launches.
"I think it's a demonstration of their defiance and rejection of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, for one thing, and to demonstrate their military power capabilities to any potential adversaries," Pinkston said.
He also pointed out that July 4 is not only U.S. Independence Day but also the anniversary of a 1972 joint communique in which the two Koreas agreed to work toward peacefully reunifying their divided peninsula.
During the U.S. Independence Day holiday in 2006, Pyongyang fired a barrage of missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 that broke apart and fell into the ocean less than a minute after liftoff. Those launches, which occurred on July 5 in North Korea, also came amid tensions with the U.S. over North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korea's state news agency carried no reports on the launches. But the North had warned ships to stay away from its east coast through July 10 for military exercises — an indication it was planning launches.
The chief of U.S. Naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, said Saturday the American military was ready for any North Korean missile tests.
"Our ships and forces here are prepared for the tracking of the missiles and observing the activities that are going on," Roughead said after meeting Japanese military officials in Tokyo before news of the launches.
South Korea and Japan, which are within easy range of North Korean missiles, condemned the launches as a "provocative" act that violates the U.N. resolution.
South Korea "expressed deep regret over the North's continuous behavior that escalates tensions in Northeast Asia by repeatedly defying" the resolution, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in a statement that the launch of missiles "is a serious act of provocation against the security of neighboring countries, including Japan, and is against the resolution of the U.N Security Council." In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment. China is the North's closest ally. (Yahoonews)