A multiple-item (’Dutch’) auction is an auction where more than one of the same item is being sold at once. There are two kinds of Dutch auctions.

Without Bidding.

The most common Dutch auctions are actually a combination of two auction types: they’re multiple-item fixed price auctions (Dutch Buy it Now auctions to you and me). This just means that you can offer more than one of an item at a time for a fixed price.

This is very powerful if you’re selling something small in large quantities. You can just say how many of the item you have, and the Buy it Now auction will stay there until its duration is up or all the items have been sold.

Buyers aren’t limited to only buying one item at a time, either: they can enter how many they want and then just click Buy it Now to get them. If you’re selling small things loose, then this can be really great - instead of selling them in packs of 50, you can sell 24 to one person and 95 to the next. It lets buyers save money by buying exactly what they need, and it lets you offer them the flexibility to have as many or few of an item as they want.

With Bidding.

Dutch auctions can also be done by bidding, but the process is rather complicated. Buyers bid a price and say how many items they want, and then everyone pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the winning bidders. Let’s say there are 10 of an item for sale. Anne bids $5 each for 4, while Bob bids $4 for 6. Anne will get her 4 and Bob will get his 6, but they will both only pay $4.

Here’s another example. If there are 5 items for sale and Anne, Bob, Carol and Dean want to buy 2 each, then obviously someone is going to lose out. Whoever bid the lowest will only get one of the item. If Anne bid $5 each, Bob bid $4 each, Carol bid $3 each, and Dean bid $2 each, then Anne will get 2, Bob will get 2, Carol will get 1 and poor Dean gets nothing. So then: how much they pay for the items?

Starting to sound like a particularly evil math problem, isn’t it? The answer is that everyone will pay $3, as Carol’s bid was the lowest one that won anything. If you have trouble getting your head around that, then don’t worry - everyone else does too! That’s why Dutch auctions with bidding are so rare.

In fact, even eBay’s normal one-item auction format has all sorts of problems, not least of which is auction sniping. Snipers are buyers who come along at the last minute to bid a few cents more than the highest bidder and win the item. Your buyers will find this infuriating - and you’re the only one with any power to help them out by stopping it. The next email will show you what you can do.

Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

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I’m finishing the end of my first week of the two-week trial subscription with Netflix, and I have to say, I’m impressed!

(1) They promised about a one business day turnaround on orders, and they’re on their game! Let’s say you return your video to them and they receive it on Monday; by Tuesday, you may have the next video on the list that you submitted, parked in your mailbox.

(2) I signed-up for the two videos at a time subscription, expecting that I’d be able to comfortably watch and turn around about two sets a week. That’s on target, too, so my net cost per video is going to be around a buck, and possibly less.

(3) The packaging in which they send you the video, which also serves as the return envelope, is easy to use and brilliant in its simplicity. You don’t have to write anything. Just pop the already watched program in the envelope and either leave it for your postal carrier, or put it in the nearest mailbox.

(4) The convenience of not facing late fees or having to drive your viewed videos back to stores cannot be overstated. It saves gas, time, and of course, money.

(5) Navigating the Netflix site is easy and it’s a snap to add a new video to your list, or to rearrange your priorities for viewing them.

Finally, it’s a pleasure to praise a company that is delivering value while reinventing what is, at best, an imperfect pastime: renting movies or subscribing to movie channels.

This process blends the Internet and snail mail into a convenient package.

So far, so good!

My recommendation: Take Netflix up on it’s trial offer, and test it for yourself!

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When you are longing to acquire a brand new TV, one of the leading choices that you may want to make, particularly if you have young kids, is whether or not you need to wall-mount you’re Plasma telly, put it in a dinning room cabinet or on a TV stand.

If you choose that you wish to lay your television on a television stand, it’s sensible to buy your stand at the precise time as you procure your brand new television in order that you are capable to erect it up once it turns-up.

Various makes of TV’s come with a stand included, however if you’ve elected television isn’t one of these that do, then you will be made to decide if you want to buy a stand distinctively produced for your television or a basic television stand which is expressly made to fit any sort of television. Pick-up a bargain today with Digital Direct’s TV Stand offers!

If you choose a TV stand entirely designed by your TV’s company, you will undoubtedly have to ensure that you have the correct model number of your particular television close by when you are browsing for the stand to go with it.

Furthermore, there are also numerous types of telly stands to be had, therefore you will have to settle on whether or not you fancy a ground stand, a pedestal stand or alternatively a desk-top stand. You may prefer to buy what is recognised as an “open cabinet”. Open cabinets are television stands which, unlike the usual furniture TV cabinets, comprises of open shelves so that you can store your VCR tapes while still being capable to have unproblematic access to the wires & the back of the telly when you require.

Getting the most fitting cabinet to complement your arrangement can be hard, specially considering the amount of television models in the market nowadays. To help you in making the correct decision there is a huge choice of guides available online currently.

When you splash out on a TV or home cinema system, you might also wish for some accessories to go with it. There is a wide collection of telly accessories to be had on the market presently such as; remote controls, telly stands, television cabinets, wall fixings & TV cables.

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Out: Driving to the local video store to rent a video.
In: Visiting a DVD online club to rent a video to have it sent to your home effortlessly.

Out: Waiting in long lines at the local video store.
In: Choosing which movies to have sent to you from a website in moments.

Out: Not finding the video you really wanted at the video store, the whole reason you went there. That, and having to find a “good enough” movie.
In: Choose the movie you really want among tens of thousands of choice. The one you want, everytime.

These things describe why I switched to a DVD online club. From my experience, everytime I went to the local video Blockbuster, I never got the movie I really wanted. The new releases were always out for weeks, and you had to practically stalk the store to get one when it came back in. That, and recently I had the urge to watch an old movie, Karate Kid 1 (the original where he learned karate). After going there a couple of times, I found out someone had kept the video out and maybe at some point they’d get a new one in as the person decided to keep it apparantly. Ok, so I went to Walmart, but the movie wasn’t there. So it comes down to I have to order one in from Amazon.com it seems if I want to watch it. I never quite took to Netflix after my credit card number got stolen years ago and that’s what the person did, they ordered videos from Netflix. So, recently I came across this place called Intelliflix and I never went back to Blockbuster again. The old movie was great to see again.

That’s why I chose to change to a DVD online club, but everyone has their own reasons. I have compiled together a list of all the great things about switching to a DVD online club since some you don’t realize until after you switch, like a bonus:

• No late fees or return dates. While this is true about Blockbuster now (if you don’t count the restocking fee) , it is 100% true about these DVD online clubs.
• Great for old movies or unusual, lesser-known movies. This was very true in my case, and I’m sure it has been with other people as well.
• The movies you really want are actually there and ready to rent now. Plenty of movies to go around, something you can’t get in a little store.
• Delivered to your door. You can’t get any easier than this! What you want, delivered right to you in no time.
• Fast, free delivery, usually in 1 day from my experience. Some DVD online clubs get the movies to you faster than others. The biggest DVD online club is not Blockbuster or Netflix. There is one that has many, many more distribution centers, meaning you get the video much faster to your door.
• Free shipping both to your home and also back to the DVD online club. The only fees are the low monthly subscription fees.
• 3-4 videos out a a time. Once you watch a video, pop it back in the mail, and in a couple of days you get your next video choice at your door.

I used to spend way more money in the local video store than I do for my DVD online club monthly subscription. Heck, I spend more driving to work and back on just 3 of the days than I do on my subscription. The difference is, now I actually get to watch what I want, when I want it. Seems simple, but when you’re spending your hard-earned money, you should be able to at the least get the movie you really want. Now, I do have to say one DVD online club stands above the rest, both in having a cheaper price, a bigger selection, and much faster shipping, but I won’t mention it in this article as I’m focusing on the DVD online club market in general and why it’s a blessing. You can watch literally any movie you want one after another. I usually have a pile of 3 videos on top of the tv, so I can’t even remotely watch them as fast as I can get them. But I do get to see what I want now, not what I’m stuck with. Wax on .. wax off!

To find out more, including which one is the best DVD online club, visit the DVD online club resources at eArticlesOnline.com. Anthony Kristovich III is the author/maintainer of eArticlesOnline.com along with many articles and great reference information.

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Dan Rather bowed out of CBS after serving 44 years as a reporter and (since 1981) an important news anchor.

Dan Rather was a reporter’s reporter whom I’ve admired greatly. But I also believe that he would be still anchoring his news desk today (June 2006) if he could only rein in his political impulses.

Those were the same liberal impulses that led him to challenge on-air President Richard Nixon in 1974, Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1998, and influenced him to approve the broadcast of a false document on President George W. Bush’s military background in 2004.

I believe Rather is made from the same straight-arrow mold as Edward Murrow who did not believe that a reporter’s main duty was just “reporting” whatever might be happening out there.

The Murrow School believed (and still believes) that a journalist is also a public advocate of “just causes,” an advocate who acts on behalf of “the people.” I think that applies to Dan Rather as well.

Rather’s coverage of the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, many hurricanes, 9-11 tragedy, space shuttle disasters, his interviews with many world leaders, and his countless great segments on “60 Minutes” and “48 Hours” will always be remembered as the best examples of American journalism in the 20th Century.

I understand Rather is now joining forces with Dallas Mavericks owner billionaire Mark Cuban for an HDNet project. I’m getting ready to enjoy the resurgence and renaissance of Dan Rather as the wise old counsel and ace liberal commentator on the brand new High Definition TV platform.

I wish him well.

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Part of Magnum’s appeal for the ladies, was the tall, dark, good looks of Tom Selleck which brought them back for more, week after week. For the men, it was the car (a Ferrari) and for both genders, his location - Oahu, Hawaii.

Thomas Magnum was a rather likeable character who hit our screens in 1980. He narrated the series, which rather gave the impression that he was talking to himself.

Magnum grew up as a Navy brat and despite his father’s death when he was 10 years old, Thomas entered the Naval Academy and having graduated, found himself in Vietnam. The program occasionally flashes back to this period in his life, usually in a somewhat unpleasant way, as might be expected. For me this detracted from the usual rather happy go lucky feel of the programme. I digress - when Magnum left Vietnam, he was stationed at Pearl Harbour, having joined Naval Intelligence. It was there that, at age 33, he decided to become a private investigator.

Thomas duly got his PI licence, moved to Hawaii and opened for business. Some time later, he was hired by absentee author and international playboy, Robin Masters, as head of security at his vast estate, Robin’s Nest. (Robin never appeared in person, but his voice was that of Orson Welles.) This job came with the use of Robin’s guesthouse and his Ferrari, so Magnum was in clover. It also came complete with Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (played by John Hillerman), an Englishman of impeccable background, who ran the estate and who totally disapproved of Magnum and everything he stood for.

The good thing that came out of Magnum’s Vietnam experience is the making of two good friends, who naturally find their way into Magnum PI. They were Theodore Calvin (TC) and Orville Wright (Rick). TC, played by Roger E. Mosley, ran a helicopter hire business so was often roped in by Magnum when he needed some speedy air transport from which he could keep an eye on suspects on the ground. Rick Wright, played by Larry Manetti, owned a rather shady nightclub and also proved useful to Magnum in providing information from the criminals who were his customers.

While each episode of Magnum PI stood alone in its storyline, there were often references to previous events and characters, giving a sense of continuity which appealed to the viewer.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Private Investigators
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One of the funniest movies of 1997, Vegas Vacation lives up to the high standard of comic relief expected from this ongoing series by National Lampoon. Although on the low end of hilarity when compared to Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation, the film is nonetheless a non-stop, belly-laughing comedy in its own right. After all, how can we expect anything to live up to the genius of a perfect comedy like Christmas Vacation? Complete with a brand new set of children, Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo once again form an onscreen comedy duo that is simply magical…

When Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) gets a large bonus as a company reward for inventing a new food preservative, he and his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) decide that the money would best be spent on a good old-fashioned family vacation. But when kids Rusty (Ethan Embry) and Audrey (Marisol Nichols) bicker over the destination, the only place that gets unanimous reviews from the family is a Las Vegas vacation.

Flying to Vegas, the family experiences a series of pitfalls that threatens to tear them apart forever. Clark becomes a gambling addict (even gambling on rock-paper-scissors and a guy doing a “I’m thinking of a number between one and ten” routine at a low-rent casino), Ellen becomes the target of Wayne Newton’s seduction, underage Rusty becomes a gambling superstar under the false identity of Nicholas Pappagiorgio, and Audrey tries her hand in exotic dancing after a rendezvous with her stripper cousin Vicki… Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) makes another show-stealing performance as the redneck, dumber-than-a-doorknob relative, and he shadows Clark around the casinos generously imbibing his beverage of choice - a thirty-ounce can of Busch Light.

The funniest scenes in the film involve Eddie (as always) and his trailer trash family, now living in a trailer on a parcel of land Eddie purchased cheap because it’s a burial ground for nuclear waste. And Rusty’s various exploits under the alias of Nic Pappagiorgio are extremely amusing. Meeting up with a group of quasi-mafia, professional gamblers, Rusty enjoys the massages, comp suites, and various frills associated with the biggest names in the business. Vegas Vacation is just downright funny. If you liked the earlier films, don’t miss this one…

Continuing the stellar reputation of the Vacation film series, Vegas Vacation is pure entertainment fun from beginning to end. Chevy Chase is up to his usual antics, and Wayne Newton turns in a classic performance in his role as Griswold home-wrecker. Family friendly, Vegas Vacation is a comedy made for both parents and children alike. And its role as yet another show-stopper in the long-line of Griswold comedies makes Vegas Vacation a definite must-see…

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

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Technology has taken us from Beta to VHS and now to DVD movies. With each new step of technology, the pictures became more clear, the sound more defined and an improved experience overall. However, nothing has matched the quality of DVD movies. With crystal clear images, incomparable sounds and tons of added features, DVD movies are a hit.

Gone are the days when a movie rental was just a movie. These days, a DVD rental includes not only the movie, but also deleted scenes, cast interviews, commentary and often even a documentary on how the film was made. Video store rentals are excellent, but what if you don’t have a local rental store? No problem. Several big name retailers offer online rentals, which means that a video store is now just a click away. For a monthly fee, online rental companies will allow you to create a wish list of DVD movies that you want to see. They will send a movie from your list and, after you watch it, it is returned in exchange for another selection on your list. This process goes on and on without any additional cost to the customer. The only thing you pay for is a monthly membership fee. So, whether it’s online or in person, a video store is a terrific place to rent Hollywood’s latest hit movies.

If you are looking to purchase a video, the options are equally unlimited. Virtually every retail store has an electronic section in which they offer DVD movies for sale. The new releases are generally more expensive than others so, if you’re on a budget, check out the titles that have been released for a year or longer. You may be surprised at the bargains to be found. Another purchasing option is through a video club. With this type of membership, you simply sign up and select several movies at an unbelievable low price. In exchange for the bargain, you agree to purchase a predetermined number of movies over the next several years. Each month, the video club will send a video catalog and selection card. Be sure to read the selection card carefully because you may have to return it to the company. Typically, a director’s selection is chosen every month and is automatically sent to the customer unless they indicate they do not wish to receive it. A customer can indicate that they do not wish to receive this selection simply by marking the appropriate box on the selection card and mailing it back. Or, often times, customers may indicate their wishes online without having to spend money on postage to mail the selection card back. Video clubs are a terrific way to build a nice collection of DVD movies and they offer terrific deals every month.

If you’re still in the market for DVD movies and haven’t found a video rental store or local retailer, check out one of the many online retailers who offer a wide variety of DVD movies for sale. With the internet, a customer’s options are virtually endless. A never ending sea of DVD movies are just a click away.

Vincent Abrugar is the an online publisher of www.dvdmoviesinfo.com a website about dvd movies

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One of the funniest TV comedies ever produced, Cheers is essential viewing for anyone who’s ever frequented a hangout “where everyone knows your name”. The shows focuses on a friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers (the Bull & Finch Pub in real life). Owned by former Boston Red Sox reliefer Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Cheers has three employees other than Sam: Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Pearlman), and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar) and his wife Dr. Lilith Sternin Crane (Bebe Neuwirth) are regular customers of the bar (with Dr. Crane later playing the lead role in his own series, Frasier). Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), regular barflies, round out an excellent supporting cast of characters.

The Cheers (Season 5) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere in which the audience discovers that Sam’s marriage proposal from the previous year’s season finale was directed at Diane. However, Diane feels that Sam is on the rebound from Janet, so she declines - requesting a more romantic setting for their engagement. When Sam proposes on a boat, Diane turns him down again then spends several episodes attempting to get Sam to propose once again. Meanwhile, Carla falls in love with Boston Bruins goalie Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas) and John Cleese makes a guest appearance as a famous marriage counselor and friend of Frasier Crane. The season ends with Diane leaving Sam at the altar in order to finish a novel a publishing house is interested in…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Cheers (Season 5) DVD:

Episode 96 (The Proposal) Air Date: 09-25-1986
Episode 97 (The Cape Cad) Air Date: 10-02-1986
Episode 98 (Money Dearest) Air Date: 10-09-1986
Episode 99 (Abnormal Psychology) Air Date: 10-16-1986
Episode 100 (House of Horrors With Formal Dining and Used Brick) Air Date: 10-30-1986
Episode 101 (Tan N’ Wash) Air Date: 11-06-1986
Episode 102 (Young Dr. Weinstein) Air Date: 11-13-1986
Episode 103 (Knights of the Scimitar) Air Date: 11-27-1986
Episode 104 (Thanksgiving Orphans) Air Date: 11-27-1986
Episode 105 (Everyone Imitates Art) Air Date: 12-04-1986
Episode 106 (The Book of Samuel) Air Date: 12-11-1986
Episode 107 (Dance, Diane, Dance) Air Date: 12-18-1986
Episode 108 (Chambers vs. Malone) Air Date: 01-08-1987
Episode 109 (Diamond Sam) Air Date: 01-15-1987
Episode 110 (Spellbound) Air Date: 01-22-1987
Episode 111 (Never Love a Goalie: Part 1) Air Date: 01-29-1987
Episode 112 (Never Love a Goalie: Part 2) Air Date: 02-05-1987
Episode 113 (One Last Fling) Air Date: 02-12-1987
Episode 114 (Dog Bites Cliff) Air Date: 02-19-1987
Episode 115 (Dinner at Eight-ish) Air Date: 02-26-1987
Episode 116 (Simon Says) Air Date: 03-05-1987
Episode 117 (The Godfather, Part III) Air Date: 03-19-1987
Episode 118 (Norm’s First Hurrah) Air Date: 03-26-1987
Episode 119 (Cheers: the Motion Picture) Air Date: 04-03-1987
Episode 120 (A House is Not a Home) Air Date: 04-30-1987
Episode 121 (I Do and Adieu) Air Date: 05-07-1987

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Cheers (Season 5) DVD.

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The use of email in business has mushroomed so quickly and become so ubiquitous that it has become hard to remember working without it.

Email has become the hands-down method of choice for business communication, and for many great reasons:

*Communications move quickly and succinctly *Communications can involve multiple parties in multiple locations easily *Content of the communication is traceable - things don’t get lost *Communications develop a thread of continuity as the email bounces among the participants *Emails can have attachments and links which enhance the breadth and depth of communication

For these reasons, email has moved to the core of our business functioning. At work, the first thing we do is check our email. It stays on all day. New emails pop in as we work and we shoot off quick answers without thinking twice. We juggle and multitask with ease, because email has made it so easy.

One of the difficulties of using computers is that we need to select and use the software appropriate for use for a particular task. One moment we are word processing, spreadsheeting the next, using profession-specific software a moment later.

It can be a disjointed experience for us and even for our computers as they crash from having too many windows open simultaneously.

Why not try to use the power of email to assist in unifying your work experience?

Examples:

*When jotting down notes from a phone call, jot them on a new email. They won’t get lost and you can email them to yourself or others as you see fit.

*If you think of a document you will need to create, put your initial content on an email and build it during your work day. When you have accumulated enough content, open the appropriate software and copy/paste.

*If you travel and need to access files from multiple locations and computers, email the file to yourself and download the file when you are remote.

*Conversely, when working remotely, email your work file to yourself with the subject line, “File This”. When you get back to home base, file it where you need it.

*Explore your email system’s search capabilities. There is a wealth of information buried in your old emails. Think creatively about how to get the most out of this wealth of data. Realize that information kept in email is the most easily searchable work you have at your disposal.

*Begin your email subject line with a 3 or 4 letter prefix which represents the project at hand. When you wish to search the history of your project, use the prefix letters in your search and get a wonderful chronological record of your project.

*Use a tickler service such as Bounceback Server(http://www.poingo.com). Using this type of service, you can send yourself emails which return to you at a time interval you specify. This adds a follow-up reminder system to the already broad capabilities of your email.

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