Author: blogger007

Visiting North Carolina


A visit to North Carolina is full of firsts. Watch the sun rise and set from the same spot on a barrier-island beach. Hear the sound of waterfalls echoing all around you. Sip moonshine distilled from a recipe five generations old. Do something you’ve never done before. Experience firsts that will last for a lifetime.

North Carolina truly has something for every traveller. It is a state blessed with beautiful beaches, stunning mountain scenery and plenty of Old South charm. North Carolina is also the de facto champion of cleanliness on the East Coast. The best times to visit North Carolina for ideal weather are April 2nd to June 10th or September 3rd to November 4th, based on average temperature and humidity from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Read below for more travel details.

Pictures don’t do Carolina justice. There’s a sense of being here, a feeling that’s impossible to fully describe. You can also visit some universities such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You know it is a unique place as soon as you walk onto campus. Are you ready for a tour? You can sign up and learn more about their special visit options.

Another nice campus to visit is the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). The ideal way to experience the UNCW campus is with a campus tour, guided by our enthusiastic UNCW Student Ambassadors, Seahawk Admissions Network for Diversity (SAND) members and Transfer to Teal Guides. During the academic year (August-May), tours are offered Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10am and 2pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am and 2pm.

North Carolina has something for everyone, with the highest mountains in the eastern U.S., 300 miles of pristine coastline, quaint towns and vibrant cities. From the mountains to the sea, explore the natural, scenic beauty, discover outdoor adventure or try one of 500 golf courses, including the legendary Pinehurst No. 2.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the country’s most visited National Park and one of the best places to visit in North Carolina. It is renowned the world over for its variety of animal and plant life, its stunning ancient mountains, and visible remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture.

One of North Carolina’s must-see attractions is the Biltmore Estate, one of the top attractions in Asheville. At the center of an 8,000-acre compound, the Vanderbilt Mansion is the largest private home in the United States. The mansion has 250 rooms with impressive artwork, antiques, and architecture, as well as collections of vintage clothing and accessories.

The pedestrian-friendly Riverwalk winds along the Cape Fear River, connecting many of the city’s shops, cafés, and nightlife with waterfront hotels, parks and the Port City Marina. Annual festivals, such as Riverfest, Wilmington Beer Week and the world-famous North Carolina Azalea Festival, attract crowds year-round.

With the Atlantic Ocean to the east, North Carolina features plenty of shoreline for visitors to enjoy with water activities, sunbathing, or simply relaxing on the beach. The state’s long history means that you can find important historic sites from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

The Battleship North Carolina is a self guided tour. Follow the arrows and enjoy climbing ladders to explore up to 9 levels. Make sure to bring your camera but hold onto to it along with your cell phones and sunglasses! The Ship is huge and not air conditioned, so be prepared to savor her as the sailors did.

Concord, North Carolina, Cabarrus County’s largest city, was established in 1796 near the center of the county to serve as the seat of local government. It began as a small hamlet and became the major cotton market for an area that included parts of several surrounding counties. Concord dumpster rentals are part of the waste management efforts by the city, so you will not see much junk around.

North Carolina’s ideal stay duration: 2 days Raleigh, it’s a smart city and also part of the Research Triangle, a geographical area that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. The lush landscape of the Neuse River Trail or the wooded beauty of Umstead State Park or any of the green spaces that the city has worked hard to protect.

Myrtle Beach Attractions


That would be Myrtle Beach, a place known for sandy beaches, tasty food, golf courses, and other amazing tourist attractions. Whether you are looking to dig your feet into beach sand, go wading, visit museums, or seeing fantastic performing arts, there is something for everyone in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

One of the reasons families love Myrtle Beach is because of the range of activities by the shore. Its nutmeg-colored sand is compact enough to bike on, but the waters are also pleasant for small kids to enjoy. Myrtle Beach is replete with more than just miles of sand, though the white and gold ribbons lining the coast here are certainly appealing. Thanks to its position by the ocean, some of the best Myrtle Beach activities include boating, swimming, kayaking, parasailing, and scuba diving.

Millions of people visit Myrtle Beach each year, enjoying all of the best things that the city has to offer. Besides the beach, Myrtle Beach boasts tons of amazing attractions. From shows and theaters to water parks, go-kart racing, and shopping, the list of Things to Do in Myrtle Beach is seemingly endless!

Thousands of entertainment options make the Myrtle Beach area fun! Whether you’re part of a large group visiting or on your honeymoon, there is fun and adventure waiting for you at one of the area’s many entertaining attractions and amusements. A family-friendly, memorable time awaits with a Myrtle Beach Dolphin sightseeing cruise; this fun and relaxing activity provides both a pleasant time spent on the water and the opportunity to see some intelligent and playful dolphins in their natural habitat.

North Myrtle Beach is jam-packed full of fun and exciting outdoor adventures to enjoy year-round. Whether you’re looking for things to do out on the water or prefer to spend your time inland, there are plenty of outdoor activities and attractions for beachgoers of all ages to enjoy.

Known as the “Grand Strand,” Myrtle Beach is sure to entertain the wide variety of tourists who come for the endless, broad sandy beaches – and stay in the equally endless lines of hotels. Attractions include live award-winning entertainment, a great dining scene, and excellent local shopping.

Myrtle Beach includes numerous residential communities that are hidden gems, many that are within walking distance from the beach. Read more about it on the local blogs, created out of a need to rebuild communities for the residents by focusing on the neighborhood lifestyle and sustainability.

The Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation (MBREDC) leads Horry County’s efforts in attracting, growing, and retaining sustainable businesses that create jobs. They work diligently to ensure the region is poised for continued growth, and people have access to opportunities that help build and strengthen our region. A dumpster rental near me is always available in the city so that every resident can help keep the place clean.

Myrtle Beach Branch Service Information prides themselves on providing one of the highest quality services available in the industry, and they know that an effective solid waste company means that you shouldn’t ever have to worry about waste collection or junk accumulation in the city. If you have any questions about residential or commercial properties, trash and recycling pick-up, check the government site. If you see any questions not answered, please contact them at your earliest convenience.

5 Tips to Buy Luxurious Property in the USA

Buying a luxurious property in the USA can be a complicated affair. Right from the paperwork to finding the right customer to finally clinching the deal, it is imperative to follow the correct steps so as to get the best possible deal.

Here are 5 tips that you can follow to ensure that the property buying process is a smooth one.

1. Do Proper Research

Make sure you have done proper research before finalizing on a property. Do a quick survey of the market online to get a better picture about the kind of properties that you want to buy. Dare to go beyond the photos of the property that are available online and go check out the property yourself to see what you’re in for.

View the property on Google Earth, check out the vicinity and then go make a physical visit to understand the feel of the neighborhood. Often, in order to protect the seller’s privacy, luxury properties go unlisted. In that scenario, you may have to use the personal connections of the realtor, rather than completely relying on online sources.

2. Find a Local Agent

Find a local good agent who is familiar with the area in which you want to buy the property and then use his skill and expertise to gauge it. A qualified real estate agent who knows the luxury market well will be able to find you properties that are on sale but that might not be easy to find because of privacy concerns.

An agent who is familiar with the luxury market will have inside information about potential listings, and will help you to correctly determine the market value of the property. He will give you the estimated prices which similar properties in the area have fetched, as well as give you options to explore before zeroing in on a particular property. One such agent is the Kale Realty company. As they employ hundreds of brokers all over the Chicago region, you are certain to find an expert in the type of property and location you are looking for.

3. Proper Documentation and Financing

Make sure the documentation in order, the ownership of the property is secure and there has been a clear title. Because there is often high scrutiny in the luxury property market, make sure that all your financial documents are in order. It is important that you also approach a bank early on and get your documents ready because the loan process for luxury properties is longer than for smaller mortgages.

You could also have a loan officer, a mortgage broker or a personal banker to obtain your financing approval early on. Understand the difference between a pre-approval letter and a prequalification letter before you jump on to the transactions.

4. Due Diligence

Take out the time to properly inspect the luxury property before making a purchase decision. Make sure you do specialized inspection on amenities like lawn irrigation systems, exterior fireplaces, pools or spas, automatic screen or awning systems, landscape lightning systems, fountains and ponds, surveillance and security systems, central heating and vacuum systems, or heated floors and driveways. Doing this will ensure that you know what exactly you are getting into and will ensure you get a fair bargain.

5. Negotiation

Make sure you negotiate on the terms of the contract before signing on the dotted line. Look out for the warrants and representations, make sure all transactional costs like transfer stamps, title insurance, and attorney fees have been paid and the price that you are paying is reflective of prices of comparable properties.

Make sure you also get title insurance so that you are insured against risks that were earlier forgotten. Make sure that you take a look at the exceptions clause of the title insurance before closing, so that you know what exigencies are not covered. At the same time, during the negotiation process, be ready to furnish a few details about yourself. Some sellers might need a letter from a financial accountant or a bank statement to show that you are financially capable of buying the property. Thus, if you are ready to make these disclosures the process becomes easier.

Why Chronic Inflammation Is Detrimental To Our Health

Pain, swelling, redness, warmth and restricted body movements are some of the cardinal signs of inflammation. If you’re not yet familiar on what exactly this is, inflammation is an immune response activated by the body – and there are 2 kinds of inflammatory responses: acute and chronic.

Acute inflammatory response usually occurs when your body experiences trauma, or it’s trying to fight off a certain infection. Generally, this type of inflammation doesn’t cause any major negative side effects to your health.

Chronic inflammation on the other hand can cause more health problems than you may think. This type of inflammation can run for a very long period of time and this condition is usually left unnoticed. It stems from various reasons, the major causes being an unhealthy diet, a low-grade but long-infection, or a poor immune system.

At the beginning, a low-grade yet chronic inflammation may seem harmless. In fact, you might barely notice it at all! But through time, this kind of inflammation can show up in many forms of health issues like arthritis, a bloated abdomen, obesity, pre-diabetic symptoms or type-2 diabetes, heart conditions, and even cancer.

Because inflammation is carried out by messenger cells, it goes around all over your system and can potentially affect other tissues and organs in your body. This is why there is a need for you to break this cycle because chronic inflammation can lead to the death of some of your cells and tissues.

For men, chronic inflammation can create the visceral fat called beer belly. But the truth is, you don’t necessarily have to drink beer to get this kind of fat accumulation in your mid-section. There are studies stating that the beer belly is caused by leaky gut syndrome – an inflammation in the gut.

On top of an unhealthy lifestyle and poor diet choices, this contributes to the accumulation of fat that’s surrounding your digestive system organs. Fat accumulation can be found around your liver, intestines and even kidneys. So, it is very possible for you to be thin overall, but still have a beer belly.

Believe it or not, the steps for controlling inflammation has a lot to do with your diet. Merely eating food rich in starch and sugar can suddenly inflame an old injury you had. Clues such as this one can tell you that your body is having an inflammatory reaction. Other clues include feeling swollen, distended or bloated.

Below are the worse two foods that are known to be pro-inflammatory and you should try to stay away from them as much as possible:

  • Sugar and Starches – sugars, including natural ones like fructose as well as artificial ones, can be pro-inflammatory especially when taken in large amounts.
  • Processed Food – processed food contains a lot of sugar, salt and saturated fats produced industrially. These ingredients alone can start fumes in your body.

As much as some food can wreak havoc in the body and immune system, there are also foods that can naturally repair and control inflammation. Here are a few examples:

  • Fermented Food – Adding good bacteria to your diet can help detoxify it. Doing so will help inhibit inflammation in the gut. There are 2 ways wherein you can help restore the healthy flora of your digestive tract – first, you can eat more fermented foods like yogurt, natto, kimchee. Second, you can take probiotic supplements regularly.
  • Food Rich In Antioxidant – Colorful berries, green leafy vegetables, black coffee and green tea are just a few ingredients you can include in your diet to help fight oxidative damage. By taking in more antioxidants, you will help neutralize the free radicals in your body that are also causing the inflammation.
  • Take Anti-inflammatory Supplements – If you’re having difficulties in staying healthy and in good shape, the best way to treat chronic inflammation is by taking some dietary supplements. The health benefits of turmeric curcumin supplements have been demonstrated in recent research papers among those who are suffering from this kind of health issue. You can also check out other herbal remedies and there are many brands out there to choose from.
  • Protective Oil – Protective oils include coconut oil, organic palm oil and avocado oil. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are also anti-inflammatory in nature. Eating cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel a few times a week can give you the omega-3 you need. If you wish to skip this, you can take fish oil supplements instead as well.

To control your inflammation, you must pay more attention to the kind of lifestyle you have. Are you exercising? Are you eating right? These are the questions you need to ask yourself every day to make sure that you avoid possible health issues that could have catastrophic long-term effects.

Are You Too Old To Use Instagram

Instagram presently reigns as one of the most famous apps used by everyone especially the teens.

So, what exactly is Instagram? Instagram is a social imaging site, a network of connected active users who chat and share by posting photos. The name is a cross between “instant”, meaning instant instantaneous, and “gram”, meaning “drawn” like in a picture.

The application is of course free, it very well may be downloaded on any device and it enables users to modify their pictures utilizing filters before publishing them in their feeds.

Everybody loves Instagram particularly teens. It can’t be denied that to them, “Instagram is life!”.

The application is a habit they would prefer not to kick. Some may end up devoured by Netflix or Facebook, however, the genuine trap is Instagram. With artsy photos, fun filters, and selfies, it’s easy to tell how teens get silly addicted, in spite of those annoying Instagram glitches.

So why are teenagers so addicted to Instagram?

The answer is more intricate than you might think. It is concluded in a recent study released in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that taking photos of a specific occasion can really influence the individual to recollect the occasion more, hence making them more joyful if the occasion was an amusing one.

Having a photograph to glance back at as a souvenir of a particular time makes the temporal lobes of the brain to activate, helping to recall the memory. Those who took photographs of different experiences detailed an inclination to re-enjoy and feel the same feelings as back when the picture was taken, regardless of how important or unimportant the occasion was.

We check Instagram continually for two other enormous reasons: to check what number of preferences/remarks we are getting on our photographs and additionally staying aware of every other person inspired by a paranoid fear of passing up a great opportunity. After the greater part of the diligent work somebody had put into making a photograph, it is satisfying to get likes after likes for it.

When somebody gets a like, it discharges the serotonin molecule in their brain, which is otherwise called the “upbeat compound”. Had side effects with this one, to be precise I had flushed skin. But should be honest, this is completely nothing compared on how well it helps fucking. It really goes on like for one and half. Never ever doubted taking it. I know there are some possible adverse things, just keep it one pill per time. Actually here they state those precautions so get yourself ready. The habit likewise originates from the way that clients would prefer not to pass up what different clients are doing. As a general rule, individuals don’t have to see another selfie of a young lady with idealizing cosmetics or yet another photograph of somebody’s puppy, yet the sentiment of being tuned in is compelling.

Likewise, with around 544 million posts per day teens can never get bored with Instagram. There is continually something fresh to look into, particularly with the search they follow.

What do Parents of these Teens Need to Know?

As with all social media networks available on the Web today, parents should take time to monitor their teen’s online activity, yet their most powerful weapon is a conversation. They’ll need to explain to their daughters and sons the threats related to social media sharing, that it is their obligation as a parent to monitor their online activity and explain the real reason why they have to monitor to prevent offense and trust issues. They need to educate their children about the threats of online addiction as well.

To those parents with a teen who is obsessed with social media, Instagram in particular, that doesn’t essentially mean they are being destructively influenced. There is no need to confiscate gadgets, as it may only create gaps and grave familial conflicts. The best thing to do is to boost teens to have a healthy relationship with their devices and be responsible when using them.

How Social Media Sites Improve Your SEO


There is no doubt that social media is a must-have component of an effective SEO strategy. After all, it is a place in the web where people gather, talk, engage and share materials on a daily basis.

Over the years, it has been confusing whether social media has an impact on a site’s rankings or not. In 2010, Google stated that Facebook and Twitter pages were used as ranking signals. However, Matt Cutts released a video in 2014 stating that Google treats Facebook and Twitter posts as any other page on the web.

Even though Google no longer treats these Social Media sites as a direct ranking factor, it can still enhance your SEO efforts when used right. Below are the reasons why investing time and effort in social media is not a waste.

It Builds Your Brand

People conduct some research before availing or purchasing a product. Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are websites where people mainly express their own opinion about a variety of things. These include good and bad products and services. Tapping into these communities is an ideal platform for building a reputation.

By establishing a presence on these social media sites, you create an identity that could potentially stand out. When you improve your brand in these social channels, there is a great chance that your SEO will develop as well. You can do so by sharing aesthetically pleasing photos of your products and services, constantly engaging with your audience, and continuously publishing relevant and valuable content about your product or service.

Once your social media profile is trusted by the audience, they will start looking forward to your posts and would gladly visit any link you share if they think they are relevant to them. It increases the number of your visitors per day – which will unquestionably send an improvement in your site traffic.

It Also Acts As A Search Engine

One of the features of Social Media sites is their own search engines. People do social network searches as well. One superb example would be the site LinkedIn. Most members of this site are professionals in their own field. Companies use the search tool to look for potential employees with the required qualifications.

You optimize your LinkedIn profile by constantly updating your experiences, skills and other details. When a person’s LinkedIn profile is optimized, his or her profile becomes more visible compared to others with incomplete information. The more visible your profile is, the more people are likely to visit the blog or website linked to your account.

The same goes for Facebook Pages. For example, when a person searches for resorts in Facebook, pages with multiple reviews will usually come up on the top results. If they see good reviews, they are more likely to visit the linked website to view the resort’s accommodation and room rates.

It Leads To Quality Backlinks

A strong backlink profile is an essential ranking factor. The more quality backlinks, the better chances of gaining one of the positions on the first page of the SERPs. The logic here is that the more you share your best content, the more you foster engagement.

When you publish engaging articles, people will be compelled to share your work. Social media is another place for your blog posts to be disseminated. Even though you are using Facebook, Twitter and other social channels as a promotional platform, it is a place where you can stimulate discussions.

This opens up tons of opportunities for people to join and even link back to your content. Social media is one of the most valuable staging ground for enticing people to link back to your work, so take advantage of this.

Businesses today with an online presence only want one thing, that is to gain if not the top spot of the search engine results page, at least belong in the top ten. However, it usually takes a time and money to achieve this.

There are still many other ways to develop a site’s organic search and eventually reach the top of the SERPs without paying for it, and that is using Social Media Sites to your advantage.

Motivate Yourself To Start Losing Weight Using These 5 Steps


To some people, weight loss is an ordeal that they need to face to become healthy. For reasons that cannot be explained, there are people who are better at staying motivated and sticking to a fitness routine while others tend to either immediately quit or abandon their progress. The mantra “Get off your behind and just do it!” is truly easier said than done.

How do you exactly motivate someone who struggles with their weight? If you really want to diminish your fat, this is not going to going to happen by itself, you need a plan of action.

If you are one of these people, there are solutions to your weight problems. But it will not be an easy road. Fuel your motivation and stay determined by following these five steps.

Step 1: Assess the reason behind the need to lose weight

It is easier for people to become motivated and work on their goals if they know what they want. Taking health concerns aside, physical and emotional insecurities top the list.

It can be uncomfortable to think about your insecurities, but finally getting it out of your chest will will give you more reasons to work out.

Think about how sweaty you are even if the weather is cool enough. Visualize yourself looking good in a fitted suit or dress. Imagine how lethargic you feel every time you climb a few flights of stairs. Go back to the reasons why your ex left you and internalize what could have been done to make the relationship work.

These insecurities are like piles of garbage that you need to be gathered first and thrown out one at a time or altogether. So be honest and acknowledge them, even if it takes toll on you.

Step 2: Set your goals

After gathering all your insecurities and acknowledging that they need to be addressed, think of the possible solutions to these insecurities. Start with small yet achievable goals, and work your way up. If you set bigger plans right away, you are setting yourself to fail.

Be specific with your goals. You can’t just say “I need to lose weight in two weeks”. Instead, assign a number to make it achievable, like “I will lose three pounds in two weeks”.

Specifying your goals allow you to get a clearer picture on how you can achieve them, which leads to step 3.

Step 3: Formulate the course of action

Creating a plan for your specific goals will guide you on what to do.

First, get a pen and paper. To formulate your course of action, write down all your goals and the possible ways to achieve them. For example, if your goal is to lose a single pound for every week, you will need to burn at least 3,500 calories a week.

Second, jot down different ways to achieve them. For example, for you to lose 3,500 a week, you can either workout 7 times a week for 45 minutes. Or exercise 5 times a week for an hour.

Third, decide on which course of action to take. It is probably more convenient for you to work out 5 times a day if you have already allotted your weekends to something else.

Step 4: Execute your plan

After deciding on the course of action, you can now start working on it.

Signing up for a gym membership or an exercise program is probably the best way for you to get an hour of exercise everyday. Every 60-minute session will most likely burn off 250 to 300 calories. If it is determined that you can only burn 300 calories per session, you can reduce your calorie intake to hit your 500-calorie daily mark.

At the end of the day, go back to your journal and write down what you have accomplished – how many hours you have exercised and how little calories you have eaten. Doing so will keep you motivated and in track of your goals.

This is just an example of how you can execute your plan. Of course, there are many other ways for to do it. You can research further or consult a professional for you to find the best course of action for your goals.

Step 5: Enjoy the fruits of your labor

For every goal you tick in your list, you should give yourself a reward for doing a great job.

You can treat yourself by going to the spa, getting a new haircut, or buying new clothes. If you must reward yourself with food, you can do so. But make sure to stay within your calorie limit and only choose the food you truly miss and love.

Always remember that small changes can make a big difference, and the smaller the change is, the easier it will be to stick to it. Inspire yourself more by taking before and after photos of your weight loss journey. Try to take photos within a 3 week interval or a monthly interval. In this way, the results of your hard work are truly visible.

Middle East Doll Styles


Arab parents, and indeed people who have a conservative mindset, have quite a tough time when it comes to selecting playthings for their daughters. Little girls all over the world love to play with dolls. However, the choices available are severely limited. There are quite a few parents in the Arab world who disapprove strongly of the ubiquitous Barbie doll (and her friend Ken) for a variety of reasons.

It is not just Barbie’s impossibly exaggerated body shape and revealing clothes that people have a problem with. It is also because of the values, or perceived lack of them, that these figures portray.

Certain toy manufacturers have realized that there is huge demand for playthings for little girls in the Arab world because Barbie and her like will never be accepted. There is a very large tradition of making play figures for little children to play with but parents want to be able to go to a departmental store and select something that looks modern and is packaged well.

As a result, these manufacturers have come up with a variety of dolls that Arab girls can play with and also use as their role models. Not only do these little figures have distinctly Arab features with dark hair and brown eyes but they also dress modestly.

Jamila is one of the most popular Arab dolls available in the market today. Originally launched as a smart young woman, she is now sold as a happily married woman who looks after her family consisting of her husband Jamal and two children, Asad and Almira, a boy and a girl respectively.

She wears the traditional black Abaya that many Arab Muslim women wear as a sign of modesty but she also wears other types of apparel as well (all of which will meet the approval of Muslim parents who want their daughters to remain modest).

Another popular plaything for girls in the Islamic world is Fulla. Her manufacturers customize her appearance to suit different Islamic markets and she comes in a variety of looks ranging from the highly conservative Abaya to the relatively modern looking dress and skirt. Even if she is wearing western clothes, she never shows off her knees or wears an outfit that is completely sleeveless.

Little Muslim girls from all over the world have a great time playing with these little dolls because they look exactly like the women in their immediate surroundings such as their mothers and aunts. Big stresses caused the awful insomnia and depression. A few days I could not sleep or slept for a few hours and had horrible dreams. Parents too prefer buying these toys because they reflect the values that they wish their daughters to have. In fact, many Middle Eastern countries ban the sale of western dolls because they do not conform to the ideals of Islam.

Toys like Fulla and Jamila are widely accepted by parents because they serve as excellent role models to girls from the Muslim world. With their realistic looking bodies (with smaller breasts and darker skin) and conservative looking clothes, they are the perfect toy to buy for little girls who need good role models in a confusing modern world.

Google

Considered to be one of the most valuable and recognized brands on the planet, Google has grown from humble beginnings to literally take over the world.

The go-to search engine, it is a company that has become synonymous with the Internet itself. Since 1998, the company has continued to grow, expanding into new territories.

Google was originally founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University, incorporating the company on Sept. 4, 1998. According to the founders, the purpose of Google is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. The domain of Google was actually registered on Sept. 15, 1997, one year previous to the founding of the company.

The first funding for the company came in August of 1998 when Andy Bechtolsheim, who was the founder of Sun Microsystems, provided $100,000. This occurred one month before the company even incorporated. One year later, the founders felt that the company was taking up too much of their time and their academics were suffering. They offered to sell it to Excite CEO George Bell for $1 million but he refused. To put this in perspective, 15 years later Google earned $50 billion in annual revenue.

The founders continued to work with the company and on August 19, 2004, it officially went public, earning $1.67 billion and giving Google a market capitalization of over $20 billion. This number has continued to grow, and Google is now believed to be worth nearly $400 billion. Many Google employees owned shares in the company, with the majority of the 271 million shares staying within Google. As a result, many employees at the company became instant millionaires when the company went public.

Today, the company runs millions of servers all over the world, processing one billion search requests, and 24 petabytes of user-generated data on a daily basis. Google is the most-visited website on the entire planet, and there are over 100 other Google sites in different languages. In addition, Google owns Blogger and YouTube, and the company has dominated the Internet market like none other before or since.

In all, Google has 57,756 employees, consisting of 10,000 software developers in 40 offices around the planet. The CEOs have a base salary of one dollar per year, down from $250,000 a year previously. That being said, they are billionaires many times over due to owning so many Google shares.

Google has also changed the way that employees are treated. Engineers at the company are encouraged to spend 20 per cent of their work time on projects that they are interested in. This method of employee motivation has helped to create Gmail, Google News and AdSense.

The company uses enough electricity to power 200,000 homes, roughly 25 per cent of the output of a nuclear power plant. As a result, Google has pledged to become carbon neutral.

Services

The company has several services that it provides to consumers, including:

1. Search Engine: This is the main service and what Google is so famous for. Currently, Google has a market share of 65.6 per cent, indexing billions of web pages. In all, Google Search handles roughly three billion searches every single day.

2. Advertising: The company makes roughly $10 billion a year from advertising and advertising makes up 96 per cent of its revenue. Google Analytics allows website creators to track where and how people use their websites. Google advertisements are placed in search engines when searches are done, and AdWords allows advertisers to display their advertisements within the network of Google.

3. Gmail: Launched as a beta-program in 2004, and available to the public in 2007, the service has 146 million monthly users, providing one gigabyte of storage to its users.

4. Google Apps: These are apps that can be used for education, business and more, with Google Docs being the most famous of these.

5. Google News: Launched in 2002, this provides summarized news articles from throughout the Internet.

6. Google Translate: This is a server-side translation service that allows for the translation of most websites into 35 different languages.

7. Android: Google released its Android operating system in 2007 and has released several high-quality phones including the Nexus One. In addition, Google currently controls 64 per cent of the smartphone market.

8. Google Glasses: Launching in 2014, these glasses will give users the ability to literally surf the world right in front of their eyes, accessing a wide assortment of data in their day-to-day lives.

Jimi Hendrix

He is one of the most important musicians in rock history. Considered to be one of the, if not the, greatest guitarists of all time, he helped to change rock and roll during the 1960s.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls him the greatest instrumentalists in the history of rock music, and he is still considered to be one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century.

All this in a career that spanned four years.

Born in Seattle on Nov. 27, 1942, he began playing the guitar at the age of 15. In 1941, at the age of 19, he enlisted in the US Army and was given an honorable discharge the following year. He soon moved to Tennessee, where he was part of the Isley Brothers’ backing band, and later he would serve as the backing band for Little Richard.

In late-1966, he was discovered by Chas Chandler of The Animals, and he moved to England. Within just a few months, he had three top ten hits in the United Kingdom (Hey Joe, Purple Haze and The Wind Cries Mary) and would become famous worldwide after the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

His legend would grow that year, and on March 31, 1967, after thinking of a way to get The Jimi Hendrix Experience noticed, he poured lighter fluid over his guitar after a 45-minute show, and then lit it on fire. This earned him the title of “Black Elvis” and “Wild Man of Borneo” by the London Press. Later on that year at the Monterery Pop Festival, he would once again burn his guitar, which became an iconic image of rock and roll and blew his legend throughout the world. Immediately after the festival, he was booked for five more concerts.

In 1968, Electric Ladyland, his last studio album, hit number one in the United States. This would prove to be his most successful album and help make him the world’s highest-paid performer. In 1969, he was the headliner for the Woodstock Festival and in 1970, he would play the Isle of Wight Festival.

In 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up and he officially became a true solo artist. Their last performance was on June 29, 1969.

He would sadly die on Sept. 18, 1970 at the age of 27 from a drug overdose.

Influence

The influence of Hendrix cannot be understated. Inspired himself by rock and roll and blues, he began to favor overdriven amplifiers on high volume and gain. He would be one of the leading artists to popularize the guitar amplifier feedback.

He would also help to bring in the wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock and he would be the very first artist to use stereophonic phasing in musical recording. Prior to Hendrix, musicians had experimented with feedback and distortion but it would be him that would turn those distortions and other sounds into music and, as some describe it, a fluid vocabulary.

During his lifetime, he would receive several awards for his work. In 1967, he was voted the Pop Musician of the Year by readers of Melody Magazine. In 1968, Billboard and Rolling Stone chose him as the Performer of the Year. He was awarded World Top Musician in 1969 and 1970 by Disc and Music Echo and that same year he would be named the Rock Guitarist of the Year by Guitar Player Magazine.

In 1992, The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and 13 years later, it was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. In a ranking of the 100 greatest albums of all time, all three studio albums by Jimi Hendrix would be included by Rolling Stone. In addition, he was ranked as the greatest guitarist of all-time by Rolling Stone, and the sixth greatest artist of all time by the same magazine.

Hendrix also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, his first album has been preserved by the United States National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, an English Heritage blue plaque exists at his former home at 23 Brook Street in London, the first granted to a pop star. There is also a statue of Hendrix in Seattle, as well as on the Isle of Wright. Jimi Hendrix Park in Seattle is also named after him.

Some of the artists that he has helped to influence, and there are many, include Prince, George Clinton, John Frusciante, Eddie Hazel and numerous hip-hop artists.