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The best known contact list, prevalent almost everywhere there are people and telephones, is the telephone book, commonly known as the white pages. The book is intended as a means of finding the phone number of a person, by finding the name of the person owning the number. Entries in the phone book white pages are arranged alphabetically by person, or business name. In addition to the name and phone number listing of a person, the white pages also provides the person’s, or more properly, the telephone’s address. By locating the name of the person, then, we may lookup that person’s telephone number or address. This might be called primary
lookup, for we are going by the primary index, the name, to find other data associated with the name.

In most cases, this works very well for our needs, but sometimes, in other situations, we may know an address or a telephone number, but not know the person’s name. Since the white pages is not arranged by phone number or addresses, the only way we can discover the person’s name by address, is through what is called reverse address lookup, by reading each entry and determining if the address in the entry matches the address we have. If it does, then we are able to determine the name and phone number of the person at that address.

Reverse address lookup, using the telephone book would be a tedious and time-consuming process, because the white pages use only the name as an index. Sure, the telephone companies might have added a reverse address book which used the streets of a city as the primary index. They might have also created another reverse address book that used phone numbers as the lookup index. Helpful as this might have been, having a reverse address book for addresses and a second reverse address book for phone numbers would have been both expensive and non-essential for most people who use phone books.

There are occasions when an address or phone number is available, but not a name. In such cases a reverse address book is exactly what is needed. Marketers, for instance, may send advertising through the mail and may want to customize their advertising to include the name of the person destined to receive the ad. From a map, the marketer can get the names of the streets of a city. Using the street name as a reverse address lookup key, the marketer could determine the name of the person living at that address. A reverse address book would also be helpful to an investigator who has followed someone to an address and wants to know that persons’ name. A reverse address lookup in a reverse address book would be the ideal
solution.

Although a printed reverse address book is not available from the telephone company, a digitized phone book could be used instead. Using a computer to search thousands of entries would take a fraction of the time it would take to do a reverse address lookup with the printed white pages. Contact maintenance programs are commonplace today, and many phone companies have made their white pages available as digital files. While the primary key may still be the name, most will do a reverse address lookup if only a country, state, city, street, zip code, or phone number is submitted. If there is more than one entry matching one of these keys, the program will present a list of these for you to choose from.

So, the next time you wonder what the name of that person is who lives down the street, enter the address and you’ll be likely to find the name. Sherlock Holmes would have been delighted!

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The return on investment for any investment you make is a crucial piece of information you need when you have limited funds to invest. The idea of return on investment is simple enough. It is the total net profit you expect to gain from your investment. The formula for determining return on investment is ROI = (gross sales or gain cost of investment) / cost of investment. Gross sales or gain minus cost of investment is your net profit. Dividing your net profit by the cost of investment can result in a number greater than your investment, less than your investment, or zero. When the value is zero, you have broken even: the amount
of money you invested has been regained. When the value is negative, you’re in the hole, and when it’s positive, you’ve actually made a gain.

Return on investment has a time dimension. The ideal return would be an immediate ROI. You put your cash down and you get the amount you invest plus something more a moment later. There may not be many such opportunities for an immediate return. Day traders come the closest, investing an amount in the morning on a piece of stock that’s heading up, and then selling it by the end of the day, for an amount that will at least cover the cost of the transaction and gain even a slight profit. Of course, if the stock goes down, you’re out of luck, unless you decide to go for the long term, but then you’re in different territory, one that requires careful analysis.

In some cases, a return on investment may be negative for months, or even years. For example, you may be running a manual accounting system in your firm costing you half a million dollars a year. A computer system is offered to you for a million dollars and promises to reduce your yearly accounting cost by a quarter of a million a year. The first year, your ROI will be less than the million you spent, that is, $250K. It will take four years before the new million dollar investment pays for itself. Every year thereafter, you’ll then realize a quarter of a million dollars in savings!

Calculating your return on investment can be tricky. The results always depend on your inputs, especially your cost of investment. It’s simple enough when you’re considering only the actual cash cost, but remember, cash has a value in terms of the interest it can earn you. Then, too, if you borrow the cash to invest, you’ll have to include the total cost of the interest you have to pay for borrowing the cash. Careful consideration of all the costs gives you a more realistic picture of what your ROI actually is. When assigning cost values, its best to be as inclusive as you can. Consider all the costs, not just the cash outlay. Better to have a lower return on investment then one that misleads you into investing more into that investment, when you could be investing in one with a true, higher return. When others attempt to get you to invest, use the ROI calculation given above to figure out just what you really stand to gain. Your return on investment, a ratio of money gained or lost to the money spent, should always be the principal means of determining what your best investment is.

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The biggest association with a restaurant is probably the food it serves, but restaurant customer service also plays a big role that people sometimes overlook. Its probably a bigger thing with more upscale restaurants, but restaurant customer service can be important in the lower class as well. Even if a restaurant serves really good food, the experience worsens when the staff is rude to you. Conversely, average food can seem a little bit better when the staff is friendly and attentive.

Restaurant customer service varies according to the type of restaurant it is. Some places its just a cashier, other places are sit-down with a personal server, and in yet other places the server does little beyond seating you and giving you a glass of water. Obviously, tipping doesnt apply to the first situation.

Apparently, tipping is only a trend in America. Other countries dont do it or even look down on it because servers are already paid for doing their job, so tipping remains an exclusive perk to American servers. Along with tipping comes some unofficial etiquette that no one teaches you, but somehow everyone knows. Generally, a good tip is at 15 percent. Some people think 12 percent is as low as you should go, but ultimately it depends on how generous or stingy you are. You definitely take the quality of the customer service into consideration. A rude server will probably lose some tip, and a friendly server will gain.

While tipping, its worth considering that servers are people too before you take financial revenge. Theyre working to earn a living and tips really help them out. Like everyone else, sometimes theyll have a bad day, and so they might not give the best service. Of course, this doesnt necessarily excuse bad service since its their job, but at least think about it before you bash the server as soon as theyve left your table. However, if youve been to a place often and the server is consistently rude, then its probably more acceptable to skimp on the tip, though you might stop going to the restaurant anyway because of the lousy customer service. Thats another reason why restaurant customer service is importantit can determine whether customers come back or not.

All in all, customer service at restaurants is important because its part of eating-out because really, you or someone in your family could serve the food if you wanted to for free. Restaurant customer service is an integral part of the dining experience that can greatly influence how good restaurant business will be.

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Buying tech products can be a gamble sometimes. These devices get upgraded so often and so quickly that you run the risk of purchasing an item that will soon be replaced by a better, faster, more compact model. This seems especially true with iPods and every other portable music player out there, since the manufacturers release a new generation each year. Although you can’t really lower your risk of buying something outdated — unless you time your purchase to coincide with release dates — but you can reduce your overall investment by getting refurbished MP3 players instead of new ones.

Refurbished MP3 players are those that have been returned to the store or manufacturer for one reason or another. In some cases, the device might not have been exactly what the original purchaser expected. In other cases, the buyer might simply have changed his mind after using the music player for a while. But most often, these gadgets have been returned or resold simply because the customer wanted a newer model. So, the manufacturer does some maintenance and cleaning, restores the devices to factory specs, and sells the refurbished MP3 players at huge discounts.

Some people might be a bit skeptical about buying refurbished MP3 players, which is understandable. They ask, “What if I take it home and have problems a month later?” or “How can I be sure I’ll get the best performance out of my device?” Well, obviously no one can say with 100 percent certainty that your experience will be trouble-free — but then again, nobody can say that about a brand-new player, either. The key to achieving some peace of mind regarding refurbished MP3 players is to make sure that you get a warranty with the product. This should be a matter of course if you buy from an authorized dealer, but will not be the case if you buy from a third-party seller on eBay or something similar.

So how much money can you save by shopping for refurbished MP3 players instead of new? That depends on a variety of factors, including age of the device, general condition when it was returned, and what kinds of peripherals (earbuds, charger, USB cable) are included in the package. Personally, I’ve seen discounts ranging from 15% for the current generation Apple iPod Touch to 40% for the current Zune. Those are some pretty good deals, especially if cash is tight, so it really could pay off for you to consider refurbished MP3 players the next time you’re in the market for a device.

There’s no question that being able to carry around your entire music collection on a single device that easily slips into your pocket is a convenience worth paying good money for. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore common sense and just part with the full retail price each and every time. Just as we buy used cars because they’re often a much better deal than new, we can do the same with refurbished MP3 players.

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If you smoke, you may be looking for the right motivation to quit. You would think that the threat of lung cancer would do the trick, but not all smokers get this, meaning it seems like a ‘what if’ rather than a reality for many. There needs to be a more immediate reason to quit to really get motivated. Nicotine takes a strong hold on the body, making the motivation for quitting an important part of the process of giving up cigarettes. If you want to quit, think about the many good reasons to stop smoking that are out there and that can have a more immediate affect on your life as your motivation.

The most obvious of the reasons to stop smoking are the health complications that come with smoking for a long time. For some people, even a little smoking ends up being a problem. Lung cancer is the most common problem, and emphysema can be a problem for some that spend a lifetime smoking cigarettes. Some even end up with cancer in the throat and even tongue though these are more rare. However, know that your health depends on you giving up the cigarettes. Smoking may also contribute to other conditions like stroke or heart attack. If you want to be thoroughly and completed scared, talk with your doctor about the dangers of smoking.

Secondhand smoke is another of the more commonly known reasons to stop smoking cigarettes. While you are smoking, those around you are smoking too. They are not getting quite as much of the toxins as you are when you direction inhale a puff of smoke, but they are getting some of it. This is a problem in homes with children, as their immature lungs can really sustain damage from constantly breathing in the secondhand smoke. Pets can also get sick, though that is not something that most think about when considering reasons to stop smoking.

Recently, it has been suggested that there is a such a thing as third hand smoke, which could also be one of the good reasons you can find to stop smoking. Third hand smoke is what clings to your hair and clothing when you smoke outside and then go back into your house or a building. Some people never smell like smoke, but some always do. If you smell of smoke, you may be carrying smoke in to those that you are wishing to protect by smoking outside. Some do not think that third hand smoke is a real danger, but you can decide that on your own.

There are other reasons to stop smoking that are a bit less health related but may be some motivation for you any way. When you smoke, you smell like that smoke without realizing it. Only when you quit do you realize how you once smelled when you come across another smoker. You are also causing everything else in your home and car to smell like smoke without realizing it. If you quit, you will notice the smell lingering in your home. If you do not want to stink, quit. Also, smoking deadens your taste buds, so if you want to really enjoy your meals, that is one of the best reasons to quit smoking.

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People seem to be worrying a bit about the future of television. Most of this is because of a combination of the Internet and Digital Video Recorders as part of complete revolution of the current business models that make network and cable television work. This is nothing new. All art forms are under scrutiny or concern whenever a new form appears. Painting was in crisis mode when photography was invented; the result was a re-evaluation of what painting could be, if not a representation of reality (such as a portrait). In this case, the photography was better suited for this, so painting had to develop and evolve in other ways, bringing about impressionism, cubism and abstract expressionism.

In the same way, the Internet must force those that create in the form of television what television can do that the Internet can not. In that sense, reality TV shows might be the best bet. Certainly the Internet can be a site for reality shows, but reality TV shows and, more specifically, contests do very well on television. Why? Well, for one, television reaches more homes. I know, you think that many homes have Internet as well, but the difference is that television’s distribution is much more streamlined; you can name several channels that provide content such as reality TV shows. You would struggle to name many such “channels” or web sites beyond YouTube and Hulu.com.

In this way, television’s strength lies in one thing: weekly suspense. For years, filmmakers and studios worried that television would destroy the film business; why would people go to movies when they could stay at home? This didn’t work for several reasons; there is an enjoyment in seeing a movie with a group, the large screen allowed for a more immersive experience and so on. Finally, television producers found that they could do well by creating content with a serial nature; this “tune in next week” for more become a crucial component for television. Television schedules could be created and lived around.

It is in this sense, that reality TV shows are going to remain, and in fact, grow. First of all, they are cheaper to produce than scripted fare. Furthermore, the experience of watching a sitcom is no different on any given night; a contest must be watched in its original viewing slot for fear of an audience member falling behind. Reality TV shows are here to stay.

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Rapid application development methodologies: then and now, a world of difference!

Software has always been expensive to produce and purchase. The production of software, or software development, began without any methodology at all. Problem analysis and solution design were accomplished at the same time. The programmer just sat down and started coding. Documentation was typically absent. If a programmer left the firm, along with the programmer went the knowledge of the programs and systems the programmer had created. When programs needed maintenance, the new programmer had to reverse-engineer the code and system before changes could even be made. This approach facilitated rapid application development, but resulted in lengthy and expensive maintenance, and sometimes required starting from scratch when the often modified code became impossible to reverse engineer.

Software developers soon recognized the need for a preliminary analysis, systems analysis and design, and documentation throughout. In the 1960s and 1970s, software development methodologies began to crystallize. By the eighties, the structured software development methodology became preeminent. This methodology called for extensive, up-front planning and design, with top-down analysis and design being the preferred approach. The top-down approach meant that comprehensive planning was required before components could actually be built. Teams of business process designers would map out the overall design of the business system and hand over their requirements to another team of system designers. These designers would specify the detailed parts of a system, drilling down until each part of the system was fully explicated, with narratives and flowcharts for each program. Finally, programmers would code from the documents and produce the programs and systems that had taken months, even years, in some cases, to design. Rapid application development was impossible given all the planning that was required by a top-down approach to systems development.

In the beginning of business computing, businesses were encouraged to automate to remain competitive. Automated sales order systems, for instance, meant you could offer your customers quicker service than your competitors, who still used manual-based systems. As more businesses automated, the flexibility of the system to accommodate changing business requirements became the key to competitive advantage, but the lengthy software development cycles impeded a rapid application development. Often, by the time the systems were completed, new changes in requirements meant the developed system was out of date. A faster approach to software development was needed.

With the rise of object orientated design and development, which tends to create ‘reusable’ components, components that can be used in more than one system, and the creation of visual software development platforms that made it easy to prototype, a new software development approach emerged, the rapid application development methodology. This methodology emphasizes incremental development, development of programs that facilitated some process that is needed now. Up-front planning and design is not comprehensive, but focused on the problem at hand. Together with the business requirements representative, programmers prototype the required software in little chunks. This allows some functionality to go into production as soon as possible, leaving other functionality for a later pass.

Rapid application development methodology is now mature. Incremental development is putting programs into production much faster than earlier methodologies. The iterative passes are adding the new functionality a changing system requires. Reusable components are being reused rather than rewritten, and software development is able to keep up with changing business requirements at a lesser cost than systems created through other methodologies. Despite this success, most businesses have not adopted rapid application development methodologies. Most businesses prefer to fully scope out a system before they put their programmers to coding it. While this may reduce the risks and increase the likelihood that a
system of programs will exactly meet design specifications, the question of whether the final system will be delivered in time still remains. Once businesses using rapid application development begin to out-perform their competitors who use slower methodologies, rapid application development will begin to enjoy wider use. Only the future will tell.

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The history of America is unfortunately tainted with slavery and institutionalized discrimination. These atrocious practices have since then been abolished, but the prejudice behind them lingers and continues to exist today. Discrimination is largely prohibited by society, but it is still practiced by its members. With the diversity of the American population comes animosity between groups of different cultures.

These days, its widely looked down upon to openly declare prejudice. Everyone jokes about claiming to be a racist to dodge jury but no one actually does it when jury picking begins. However, this doesnt change the fact that internally we all have some bias. In the past, racism was explicit. Currently racism is more implicit, which has its virtues and vices.

On one hand, we truly admire people like the abolitionists, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and all of those who fought against inequality, and we celebrate the fact that such injustice no longer exists. This is a positive outcome, but it risks perpetuating the belief that racism is over. Just because racist policies are a thing of the past doesnt mean that racism is. Today, racism in America is less obvious than it was before, which potentially allows its effects to go unnoticed. Forcing black people to sit at the back of the bus was undoubtedly racist, but its harder to decide whether its racist when you assume that all black people come from the ghetto and listen only to rap music. You might not even think of this belief as racist, but rather just the way things are. The effects of implicit racism in America are subtle to the point that sometimes theyre invisible.

Stereotypes about race are everywhere, from casual conversation to stand-up comedy and social issues. It can be difficult to determine when racial stereotypes are harmful, and it seems like theres always a double standard. People are able to criticize and make stereotypical jokes about their own race, but it becomes offensive when someone of a different race says the same thing. Its funny when comedians evoke racial stereotypes that are so true, yet often offensive when someone mentions them in real-life. Its hard to know how to fight racism in America when you dont know what and when to fight.

Some might argue that institutionalized racism in America still exists, pointing to lack of affirmative action and hiring practices. This is also a difficult issue because affirmative action is essentially a type of discrimination in itself, a positive kind. It chooses students based on race and potentially gives positions to less-qualified candidates. Then you could argue that minority candidates are less-qualified because institutions like the education system work against them. Minorities start out disadvantaged and society keeps them that way. So essentially, you begin to see that to fix racism in America, you have to fix society.

Racism in America isnt a problem thats going to get solved anytime soon, but the first step is to recognize that it still exists and that it doesnt always have to happen right in front of our eyes. It still happens when we choose to believe that racism doesnt affect us today.

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We know smoking is not good for us, but some continue to smoke anyway. This is not something that is easy to give up, and does not necessarily mean that someone is weak in character. Smoking is addictive and getting over nicotine addiction is harder than anyone could imagine. If you want to quit, you may have to try many times before you actually stop smoking, but you can do it if you try hard enough. The key is to never give up and to find the right quit smoking aids to use that are going to mean the difference between success and yet another failure.

There are many types of quit smoking aids out there today, which is good news for smokers who are trying to quit. This means they have many things to try, and can start with the one that seems to make the most sense in their lives. Each works in a different way and may demand a different level of attention, so think about each of the quit smoking aids out there before you pick one that you want to use. If you get one you think is going to work for you, you have a better chance of quitting the first time around.

One of the newest quit smoking aids on the market is the prescription pill Chantix that many are trying with great success. This pill is taken for a certain amount of time up and until a date to quit is reached. The patient normally chooses when they are going to stop, usually a few weeks after they start taking the pill, and then when that day comes they stop. This may sound too simple, but many find this is a great way to get rid of the smokes for good. Some slip up a bit, but find stopping again right away is rather easy with this pill.

If you do not want to take a pill, don’t worry there are other great options out there for you. There are all types of nicotine replacement items that work well as quit smoking aids. There are patches that lower the level of nicotine in your body slowly so that you do not have strong withdrawal symptoms. Normally there are three steps to these. You stop smoking and immediately add the patch and then step down to the lower dosed patches per instructions. There is also gums that are used as a replacement for a cigarette. You clew the gum (or rather squeeze it between your teeth when you have a craving) so that you do not need to light up a cigarette to get what your body is craving.

When you choose stop smoking with any of the above methods or quit smoking aids, remember it may take you more than one try. If you know anything about smoking, you know the habit is as much a part of the addiction as the nicotine. Therefore, if you need extra help, find something to do with your mouth when using any of the above aids to quit smoking. Chew on straws, chewing gum, or carrot sticks if you find the miss the feel of the cigarette in your mouth. Some suck on hard candy or chew on a pencil. Whatever works is fine.

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It is estimated that one in two smokers will die of the habit. This is to say that if you want to live a long and a happy healthy life, you need to quit smoking. However, this is easier said than done. A cigarette is a product that is cleverly crafted to deliver the right amount of nicotine so that it keeps its users addicted for life before it finally takes their life. There are many reasons why you will want to stop the habit of smoking. One is that smoking is a major contributor to heart attack, stroke, various cancers and more so lung cancer and a host of other respiratory diseases. Consider also what we might call ‘the aesthetic un-appeal of smokers’. While smoking is portrayed as glamorous and as a healthy habit in most advertisements, the reality is different. Smokers develop bad breath, they have stained teeth and their fingers turn yellowish-brown. Now does that look glamorous to you?

Smoking also contributes to impotence in men and smokers are more likely to develop skin problems and premature facial wrinkling. Well, if these do not seem good reasons to quit smoking, consider also its effects on others. Smoking hurts others. A nonsmoker who lives with a smoker has a 30-percent greater risk of developing lung cancer than one who lives with a nonsmoker. Children who live in households where one parent is a smoker are more likely to develop bronchitis or pneumonia in their first two years of their life than children who live in homes where there are no smokers. Pregnant women also put their unborn at risk if they smoke. Since the nicotine and other dangerous chemicals in the cigarette smoke is passed to the bloodstream and goes directly to the child in the womb, women who smoke are at a greater risk of a spontaneous abortion, a stillbirth or the child dying after birth. It has also been shown that the risk of infant death syndrome is 3 times higher if the mother smoked during pregnancy.

So how can you quit smoking? Quitting is like learning to ride a bike; it is rarely accomplished the first time, but with determination, it can be done. First, be determined in your mind that you want to quit smoking and try to analyze your habits to see why you smoke. Then, plan a quit date and put it down in writing, a sort of a commitment to yourself that this day is the day I quit smoking. Millions of smokers have quit smoking and you can too.

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