It would be an apt description to say Peter Sutherland is a physically domineering man with large powerful shoulders having captained the UCD team as a prop in his youth. He also played for Lansdowne and was captain there as well. A tough, rumbustious forward, he has suffered several injuries including a broken nose. His great regret was that he wasn’t chosen for Ireland (it’s one of two - he has always regretted not becoming the European Commission president). School, college and rugby - they were the three main passions of his youth. Even now, after all the fortune he has accumulated, his home is in Donnybrook, just a mile from each, he also has a flat in South Kensington and a house near Marbella.

He was a rising star of the Dublin Bar, combining a gregarious nature with a competitive streak and fierce intellect. But life as a barrister was never going to be enough. Sutherland was cut out for big-time business and politics, for the hazy interface of wealth and power. Back in 1981 Garret FitzGerald made him Ireland’s Attorney-General. He was just 35 - the youngest in the country’s history.

Back then was also a time of great political turbulence - and violence. He was heavily involved in the first extradition case of an IRA member to Northern Ireland. “He’s totally opposed to physical force - he’s not a traveller,” said one of his close colleagues.

In 1985 he became Ireland’s European commissioner. It was a defining moment. “Going to Brussels heralded the most significant part of my life,” he said. He was completely pro-European and became a close colleague and friend of the French EC president Jacques Delors. As well as this he was also architect of the EU’s new competition policy and to his enormous pride, he was the first commissioner to be given the Gold Medal of the European Parliament during his tenure.

Sutherland never landed the position he most desired however. Three times he was put forward as a candidate for EC president and on every occasion he was knocked back. What sets Sutherland apart from the rest is that he doesn’t let setbacks get in the way of whichever goal he has set his sights on. Only time will tell what challenge will come next for the man who has achieved so much already.

It can be difficult to be a woman in the dating arena. A lot of things can go wrong for you more than it can for your male counterpart. Plus, men can be really dense about a few things. Well, no worries. Here are a few tips on what to do and not to do during a date:

1) Timing is important - Timing as in ‘on time’. No matter what they say, there is no such thing as ‘fashionably late’. For the first date, this can give the guy jitters and make him think that you’ve stood him up. For the later dates, having him wait for you in the living room for half an hour with either your roommate, your sister or, worse, your father is not something you want him to do - whether it be for the embarrassing stories or Dad’s ‘eyes of doom’.

2) Keep your head on straight - Yes, we all know dates are supposed to be fun, but knowing what’s going on is important both for your own safety and for you love life. Is your date acting suspicious or just nervous? Maybe you’d want to end the date early or do something to calm him down. Is he taking notice of what you’re wearing or just ogling? The choice to either wink at him or just stare knowingly is up to you. Is his attention on you or the girl next to you? You might wish to reward him with a smile or a slap. Situational awareness is not just for soldiers on the front but also for young women on the prowl.

3) Be nice - Have a positive attitude, find things that you like and tell him. Compliment him about his clothes, how he looks and how well the date is going. It puts him at ease and also makes him feel important. It also shows him that you’re taking notice of him and you appreciate him. But, don’t lie. Like I said, look at the bright side of things - the service of the restaurant may have been slow but the ambience was terrific. Try making it into a habit, you aren’t lying - you’re just being diplomatic!

4) Do not complain - This may be technically part of tip three, but it deserves a separate heading. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t tell him that something is wrong or something makes you uncomfortable. The way you phrase it and the tone you use is important here. ‘Venting’, like we do with our girl friends, is not going to go over well with him since he’ll probably misinterpret it. Grin and bear it then tell him after the date in calm, reasoned tones your problem. Trust me, he’ll understand and he’ll try to make it up to you.

5) Enjoy the date - A date is a chance to get to know each other and to enjoy yourselves. Have fun during the date. Try not to be hyper-critical and just take things in stride. If you’re not having fun, your date will notice and, trust me, he will get nervous which will probably start ruining the experience for both of you. Also, just let your guard down for a little while. Let him see the real you. He may or may not like it, but in the end he will appreciate the honesty of the act. Besides, if he doesn’t like you for you, why should you keep on dating?

6) Afterwards, show interest - If you really like the guy, waiting for the call after a successful date is nerve-wracking. You know he’s interested and you’re definitely interested, you’re just waiting for him to call you so you could arrange another date. Try giving him a day or two. He usually has to get his act together and work up the courage to call. If he doesn’t call, he’s probably still tongue-tied from being in your presence. Call him up to say hello. Talk about the date and how you had fun and give hints. No matter how dense he will pick up on it and he’ll probably be asking you for another date!

7) Be consistent - For those who’ve crossed the ‘First Date’ Rubicon, try maintaining the impression you made on him on that first date. Men don’t like surprises except, of course, if they plan them. This doesn’t mean, however, that you’ll just give him the first date you. Talk to each other, both on and off dates, to get to know each other more. What he got on the first date was a sneak peek, what he should get from your continued dating should be the entire reel.

Well, there they are seven tips for dating success! Hopefully, this advice could help lead you through today’s tough tangle of relationships. Happy hunting!

“Are You Lonely?” Discover How to Join the World of Online Dating And Remain Safe and Secure While Searching for “Mr. or Ms. Right!” www.push-button-online-income.com/online-dating

While HD radio increases the quality of AM and FM broadcasts dramatically, this may not be the main reason to buy an HD radio.

You may buy it because of a new concept called HD2.

HD radio is digital radio. It requires less radio spectrum which, in turn, enables a concept called multicasting. In other words, radio stations with HD radio technology will be able to broadcast their primary FM channel in digital while offering up to two additional side channels on the same frequency. These extra channels have been named HD2.

What to expect from HD2

Seven of the nation’s largest broadcasters have joined together to form the HD Digital Radio Alliance to promote HD radio and to coordinate the use of HD2. One of the goals of this Alliance is to help create new programming content to put on those HD2 signals. The Alliance intends to coordinate the use of the new HD2 channels to offer variety - music, news and entertainment - across formats. Early next year, it will announce specific HD2 programming and promotional efforts for the country’s top 25 markets.

The Alliance also pointed out that HD radio offers more than just entertainment. It can also transmit text messages such as traffic reports, and real-time weather forecasts. It also has an interactive capability. For example, the day may come when you will be able to instantly download or purchase a song you’re hearing on your radio simply by pressing a “Buy It Now” key.

Free and commercial free

Alliance members have said that HD2 channels will be free and commercial free, at least initially. Just as important, they will be locally programmed in each market - unlike satellite radio which cannot offer local material. How long these HD2 channels will remain commercial free is hard to guess. However, Alliance members have said that these HD2 channels will remain free to listeners, just like today’s AM and FM broadcasts. with the possible exception of premium multicast services such as concerts or traffic updates.

25 stations now with dozens more coming

Last May, Chicago’s WUSN became the USA’s first commercial FM outlet to multicast. Infinity Broadcasting recently added a second digital channel to Chicago’s WJMK. Three Detroit stations have announced a new companion multicast channel, and a number of National Public Radio stations have begun multicasting. It is believed that more than 25 stations are now broadcasting HD2 and dozens more are expected to add these channels by year’s end.

In other words, HD radio and HD2 are on the march. Now, all we need are more HD radios so we can actually hear this amazing new technology.

To learn more about HD radio, please go my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz.

Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio, the Internet and family finances.

Identity theft is the fastest growing criminal activity in the 20th Century, replacing illegal drug sales.

How BIG is this Problem?

Banks, credit card companies and businesses that house servers storing passwords or other sensitive information all report “break-ins”through Trojan viruses or other online hacking methods - resulting in the loss of millions of pieces of information. Instances of lost information are employees selling it and other lax security measures resulting in thieves having access to your identity.

Thieves Want

- Your Name
- Date of Birth
- Home Address
- Phone Numbers
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License Number
- Credit Card Numbers
- CW2 Security Code (the number on the back of your credit card)
- Your Credit Report
- ATM Cards
- Telephone Calling Cards
- Mortgage Details

Where Are They Getting Your Information?

- Banks
- Credit-Reference Agencies
- Retailers
- Credit Card Networks
- Data-Brokerage Companies
- Payment Processing Companies
- Phone Companies
- Schools
- Your Employer
- Doctors, Clinics and Health Departments
- Government Agencies

There are other effective methods:

- Dumpster Diving
- Mail Theft
- Retail Theft
- “Phishing”/pretexting/pretending
- Purse/Wallet Theft

What are Thieves Using Your Information For?

- Making charges to your existing credit cards
- Opening new credit cards in your name
- Having phone or utilities turned on
- Withdrawing money from your existing bank accounts
- Employment purposes
- Driver’s Licenses
- Tax Fraud
- Social Service benefits
- Student loans
- Business or Personal loans
- Health care
- Mortgage loans/leases
- Auto loans
- Using your ID when caught committing a crime

How Can You Protect Yourself?

- Keep a photocopy of your credit cards, bank account numbers and investment account numbers in a safe
place
- Keep your credit card receipts
- Put a “fraud alert” on all your credit reports
- If you apply for credit and the card doesn’t arrive on time, call the card issuer
- Choose difficult PIN numbers or passwords. (Don’t use birth dates, your mother’s maiden name, etc.)
- Never give personal information to anyone who sends you an email, a letter or calls you asking for it
- Shred personal information
- Don’t use the ATM machine if someone is watching you
- Pay attention to what’s going on around you - cell phones often have cameras in them. If someone is standing by you with a cell phone while you’re entering a PIN number, block their view
- Review your bills each month. If there’s something you don’t remember, call the creditor.
- Check your credit report at least once a year
- Store your cancelled checks safely.
- Don’t leave your purse in plain sight when driving
- Keep your valuables locked in the trunk or glove box when driving
- Make all personal information on your computer password protected
- Don’t carry information about your PIN numbers, passwords and account numbers in your purse or wallet

Warning Signs that Your Identity Has Been Stolen:

- A loan application is denied, or you’re refused extended credit requests
- You are contacted by a debt-collection agency
- Your purse or wallet has been stolen, or your house broken into
- Unfamiliar activity on your credit report

What to do if it Happens to You:

- If your purse or wallet is stolen, call the police
- Contact your bank, credit card and other credit extending companies and report the theft
- Close accounts
- Contact the credit-reporting companies
- Have fraudulent activity removed immediately and monitor your credit report every 90 days for the next year
- Put everything in writing
- File a report with the Federal Trade Commission
- Change passwords on your existing accounts and create new ones for new accounts

Identity theft is real. There are no guarantees you can keep your information safe, by taking proactive steps to protect yourself, you can minimize your chances of having an “identity crisis”.

Host, Sintilia Miecevole offers resources for purses with designs influenced by the latest trends at www.trendipurses.com. Be sure to visit www.trendipurses.com to find information from designer handbags, fashion, trends and accessories to vintage, replica, wholesale and much more.

Identity fraud crimes, one of the most insidious forms of white-collar crime, are a federal offense under the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. Identity fraud is the deliberate appropriation of an individual’s personal information to impersonate that person in a legal sense. In the sci-fi flick “The 6th Day” machines are used to replicate the mental state of a person, such as memories, habits, etc. and subsequently create a clone. Similarly, stealing someone’s identity allows a fraudster to clone or create your shadow, enabling him to make a number of financial and personal transactions in your name, thus making your life a living hell, particularly if you don’t realize what has happened right away, and the pretender siphons off huge funds. Identity theft is usually slow to detect and even slower to rectify.

Therefore, to detect many types of identity theft crimes in the earliest stages and minimize damages, you should subscribe to one of the identity theft monitoring services provided by all three credit bureaus. For a small monthly or yearly fee, the identity theft monitoring agency of your choice notifies you by email of any changes or unusual activity in your credit reports. Most of these services come with identity theft insurance as well as the reports. Some of the bureaus even offer a three-in-one monitoring service that alerts you to changes in any of the three bureaus’ reports. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the leading governmental agency addressing the problem of identity fraud, recently launched an identity theft monitoring website annualcreditreport.com where all consumers are eligible for a free copy of their credit reports. I recommend that you visit this web site and determine if the service is for you.

Banks, credit cards, debit cards and brokerage statements give a transaction-by-transaction replay of where you spent your money for the month. The more often you monitor them, the more quickly you will detect foul play. However, the best way to obtain and monitor your credit worthiness is through identity theft monitoring organizations that work with major reporting agencies. ConsumerInfo.com is one such identity theft monitoring agency that provides copies of reports and a credit check monitoring right over the Internet. Time is of the essence. Monitoring credit statements on the Net, removes the paper statements from the mail, and there is a very little lag time between making a charge on your card and being able to view it online, thus cutting detection time. Fast detection time is your friend in stopping identity theft.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on Identity Theft, please visit Identity Theft for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

For most of us photography is not necessarily as much about being an art form as it is a way to preserve cherished memories and moments of our lives so we can go back and visit them again later. For that kind of purpose, a multi-function digital camera that has all the bells and whistles that you could ever want is overkill. And buying one could result in serious overpaying too as those kind of digital cameras are still very expensive.

But the average person just wants to be able to get great shots that they can enjoy with no muss or fuss. And if that describes you then you need to consider getting a compact digital camera for your photo needs. Here is why:

* You could get a compact film camera if you wish but why would you want to do that these days? Digital cameras will afford you so much more flexibility and control over the shots that you take. For instance, when you take a snapshot with a film camera, you just don’t klnow how it’s going to look until you develop the film. With a digital camera you can see what the shot looks like immediately and decide right away if it’s a keeper, or if you need to just delete it and shoot all over again. What an important option to have at those special occasions that can’t be redone again later like weddings, birthdays, etc.

* Compact digital cameras let you do so much with each image that you take that you just couldn’t do with film. Of course, you can get scanned images of your film photos but you have to wait until the film is processed first and you have to pay extra for the processing and scanning. With a digital camera you just store the photos on a reusable media card and then pop it into a photo printer for printing, or you can also upload the photos to your home computer where you can play around with them until they are just the way you want in a photo editing program. After printing them out you can store them on your hard drive, transfer them to CDs or whatever you like. And best of all, because they are digital, they will never fade with time or how many times you make copies from those image files. Once all your files are uploaded, just wipe the camera card clean and start over again. How’s that for easy and simple?

Here are a few recommendations that show up on many compact digital camera reviews by both photo websites and consumers alike:

* Fuji FinePix F10, Canon Powershot A510 & Canon Powershot A520, Olympus Stylus 800, and the Kodak EasyShare Z700.

All of these compact digital cameras produce excellent photo results and most of them have a good mix of features and options that would please the average digital camera user. And most are inexpensive units that won’t break your wallet either.

So if you have struggled about making the switch to digital from film cameras, now is the time to finally let go of the old ways, and embrace the newer, better technology of compact digital cameras instead.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about digital camera best buys and cannon digital cameras by visiting our Home Theater website.

Along with Seinfeld and Frasier, Friends dominated the must-see TV of the 1990’s. Winner of innumerable television awards, the show features the lives of six friends in their late-twenties/early-thirties living in New York City - Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry). The six friends spend the majority of their time in a coffee house named “Central Perk” or in either Monica’s apartment or Joey and Chandler’s apartment.

The Friends DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including season premiere in which Rachel leaves her fiancée Barry at the altar and moves in with Monica. Without her daddy’s credit cards to live off of, Rachel is forced to get a job at the Central Perk coffee house. As the season progresses, we learn that Ross has harbored a life-long crush on Rachel, but he is continually unable to tell her because of a number of obstacles that get in his way. Season 1 also features the antics of Ross’s pet monkey Marcel who would later be fazed out of the show because of the strain an animal placed on the show’s production schedule…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Friends (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate) Air Date: 09-22-1994
Episode 2 (The One with the Sonogram at the End) Air Date: 09-29-1994
Episode 3 (The One with the Thumb) Air Date: 10-06-1994
Episode 4 (The One with George Stephanopoulos) Air Date: 10-13-1994
Episode 5 (The One with the East German Laundry Detergent) Air Date: 10-20-1994
Episode 6 (The One with the Butt) Air Date: 10-27-1994
Episode 7 (The One with the Blackout) Air Date: 11-03-1994
Episode 8 (The One Where Nana Dies Twice) Air Date: 11-10-1994
Episode 9 (The One Where Underdog Gets Away) Air Date: 11-17-1994
Episode 10 (The One with the Monkey) Air Date: 12-15-1994
Episode 11 (The One with Mrs. Bing) Air Date: 01-05-1995
Episode 12 (The One with the Dozen Lasagnas) Air Date: 01-12-1995
Episode 13 (The One with the Boobies) Air Date: 01-19-1995
Episode 14 (The One with the Candy Hearts) Air Date: 02-09-1995
Episode 15 (The One with the Stoned Guy) Air Date: 02-16-1995
Episode 16 (The One with Two Parts: Part 1) Air Date: 02-23-1995
Episode 17 (The One with Two Parts: Part 2) Air Date: 02-23-1995
Episode 18 (The One with all the Poker) Air Date: 03-02-1995
Episode 19 (The One Where the Monkey Gets Away) Air Date: 03-09-1995
Episode 20 (The One with the Evil Orthodontist) Air Date: 04-06-1995
Episode 21 (The One with the Fake Monica) Air Date: 04-27-1995
Episode 22 (The One with the Ick Factor) Air Date: 05-04-1995
Episode 23 (The One with the Birth) Air Date: 05-11-1995
Episode 24 (The One Where Rachel Finds Out) Air Date: 05-18-1995

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Friends (DVD).

Hundreds of snowboarders will before long be looking for their ski pants and darting off seeking the heaviest snow conditions.

And beyond question the result from your carbon footprint will be about as far down the list of holiday to dos as a xmas cracker after the Christmas vacation.

Just last year, a tardy snow hit the newspaper headlines and tourists were frightened about the smattering of snow disappearing almost as soon as they settled.

Holiday company Chalet1802, located at the foot of Monte Bianco in Chamonix France in the Alps, is one of the only autonomous businesses to go carbon neutral and afford skiers an environmentally friendly selection when reserving their skiing holidays.

Chalet1802 owner Lichas stated: Last winter was a bit of a shock with the warmest wintertime in fifty years in France. Skiing resorts such as Samoens, Hautacam and Le Tour suffered.It was temperate and the snowfall didn’t last so much of the early winter ski season in the mountains was uneven. We decided to become carbon neutral to assist in the preservation the snowboarding resort.

Lichas said: We are not attempting to dictate to clients but we believe it is important to grant the clients the choice without raising the cost of the ski holiday. If the guest book with us and visits our Chamonix catered chalet they can more than off-set their carbon footprint and we take in the added costs. Of course we still have a sauna and a hot tub - guests require luxuriousness but not at the expense of the alps mountains, so we considered ways of lessening the affect of a client flying over here for a snowboarding holiday.”

The firm have also partnered with organisation Climate Care, who tackles global warming by providing carbon dioxide reductions on behalf of individuals and companies.

For additional information on luxury chalets and carbon neutral skiing vacations provided by Chalet1802 visit www.chalet1802.co.uk.

Jet Li isn’t Bruce Lee.

And it’s a good thing if you’re a movie fan.

Jet Li is much more interesting to watch. Instead of seeing a permanent scowl, like the one attached to Bruce’s face, Jet Li’s countenance is super subtle, mobile, and complex.

You can see him trying to restrain himself, waging inner battles that call for tremendous restraint. Staring forward, trying to appear impassive and inscrutable, Jet Li speaks volumes about his characters.

By comparison, Bruce Lee’s characters are open books with far too little written inside.

“Kiss of the Dragon” is a Jet Li story. He created the plot, the concept, and he has a good grasp of what it means to develop a hero.

Generally, heroes are RELUCTANT. They’re not looking for a fight. In this sense, they’re connected to the ideal martial artist, a person who only fights when there is no alternative.

With Bruce Lee’s characters, you can hear the chained tiger roaring inside of him; he always has to prove himself.

Of course, there is Bruce Lee, the legend, and that is a different matter, as is the Bruce Lee who wrote a book on a martial art that he developed, or assembled, if you will: Jeet Kune Do.

And there is Bruce Lee, the first Chinese American to breakthrough to the big time, to become a heroic film icon in the United States.

Arguably, if there hadn’t been a Bruce Lee, there wouldn’t be a Jet Li.

I haven’t told you much about “Kiss of the Dragon,” have I?

It’s a good film with a lot of fun fight scenes, including a semi-comedic encounter between Jet Li and a room filled with Black Belts at a Parisian police station.

Speaking of Paris, it’s beautiful, and you’ll definitely get a “Kiss” of it, in this movie.

Acupuncture and acupressure will also catch your attention by being used in ways that you’ve never imagined.

With all due respect to Bruce, this is Jet Li, at his best.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations from Santa Monica to South Africa. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com. For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to http://www.customersatisfaction.com

Most spam messages will include a link at the bottom which states something like “to remove yourself from the list click here …”. On the surface this seems innocent enough, but if you do respond you are potentially increasing the amount of spam that you receive by many times.

Wait a minute. You mean you ask to be removed and instead not only are you not removed but you will get more spam than ever? How can that be so? To understand why you must first understand how spamming works. You see, spammers operate by getting zillions and zillions of email addresses however they can.

Sometimes they purchase CD collections of “15 million clean email addresses” or “5 million email addresses” for some small amount of money. I’ve seen these collections as cheap as $9.95 (one wonders how clean these collections are).

Another common tactic is to use spiders to scan thousands of web pages for email addresses. These addresses are then added to a database which is then sold or used.

And sometimes the spammers just pick a domain and send their spam to a variety of possible email addresses at that domain. They just pick a domain and use a dictionary of names and send every one of those names to the domain. Those that generate a bounced (error) message are deleted from the list.

So you see, the spammer begins with a list of email addresses which are not validated. They are simply known to not have returned a bounce message (an error indicating an email account did not exist). However, what is not known is that a human being is actually reading the mail from that mailbox.

The problem with responding is that you validate for the spammer that a human exists at that email address. This increases the value of your email address by many times. A smart spammer can actually sell these verified addresses to collections of “clean” lists.

Of course if you actually buy something from the spammer you’ve increased the value of your email address to astronomical levels. In this case, you may find yourself added to countless “sucker” lists, receiving countless offers from the most obscure places.