Paramount
Milford Plaza
Hotel Pennsylvania
New Yorker Ramada Plaza
Wellington Hotel
Omni Houston Hotel
Intercontinental The Barclay
The Hay Adams Hotel
Hilton Checkers Hotel
The Westin La Cantera
The Westin Galleria Hotel
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Intercontinental Central Park
Adlon Hotel San Jose California
Le Merigot Beach Hotel Santa Monica California
Anaheim Marriott Suites California
L'Horizon Hotel Palm Springs California
Bacara Resort Santa Barbara California
Los Willows Resort and Spa California
Best Wester Mission Bay Inn California
Maison 140 Beverly Hills California
Best Western Bristol Hotel Campbell California
Mandarin Oriental San Francisco California
Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel Los Angeles California
Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel California
Cambria Pines Lodges California
Mason Beach Inn Santa Barbara California
Campton Place Hotel San Francisco California
Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles California
Casitas Laquita Palm Springs California
Miramonte Resort and Spa California
Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego California
Montecito Inn Santa Barbara California
Comfort Inn Downtown Los Angeles California
Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa California
Coronado Beach Resort California
Nob Hill Hotel San Francisco California
Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort California
Paradise Point Resort and Spa California
Crowne Plaza Hotel Beverly Hills California
Paso Robles Inn California
Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina
Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club California
Crowne Plaza Union Square Hotel California
Radisson Hotel Midtown California
DoubleTree Hotel San Diego California
Radisson Wilshire Plaza Los Angeles California
Embassy Suites Napa Valley California
Red Lion Hanalei Hotel San Diego California
Executive Hotel Vintage Court California
Renaissance Hollywood Hotel California
Fairfield Inn & Suites Ukiah Mendocino
RiverPointe Napa Valley California
Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn California
Royal Sun Inn Palm Springs California
Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley California
Santa Barbara Ramada Limited California
Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort
Santa Ynez Inn Santa Barbara California
Harbor View Inn Santa Barbara California
Shadow Mountain Resort and Club California
Hilton Checkers Los Angeles California
Shelter Pointe Hotel and Marina California
Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines California
Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf California
Holiday Inn Anaheim-Resort Area California
Sheraton Gateway Hotel California
Holiday Inn Carlsbad by the Sea California
Silverado Resort Napa California
Holiday Inn Express-Cahuenga California
Sterling Hotel Sacramento California
Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf California
Stonepine Estate Valley California
Holiday Inn Golden Gateway California
SW Hotel San Francisco California
Hotel Bel-Air Los Angeles California
The Ayres Hotel Anaheim California
Hotel Cosmo San Francisco California
The Bristol Hotel San Diego California
Hotel De Anza San Jose California
The Claremont Resort and Spa California
Hotel Del Coronado San Diego California
The Hayes Mansion San Jose California
Hotel Drisco San Francisco California
The Lodge at the Torrey Pines California
Hotel Griffon San Francisco California
The New Otani Hotel and Garden California
Hotel Majestic San Francisco California
The Palace Hotel San Francisco California
Hotel Milano San Francisco California
The Pan Pacific San Francisco California
Hotel Nikko San Francisco California
The Peninsula Beverly Hills California
Hotel Oceana Santa Monica California
The Prescott Hotel San Francisco California
Hotel Palomar San Francisco California
The Sutton Place Hotel California
Indian Wells Resort California
The Warwick Regis San Francisco California
Kensington Park Hotel San Francisco California
Westgate Hotel San Diego California
La Valencia Hotel La Jolla California
Wilshire Grand Hotel Los Angeles California
Lake La Quinta Inn California
Lemon Tree Hotel Suites and Apartments
Hotel Pepper Tree Anaheim California USA
22 Eylül 2007 Cumartesi
Hotels in Amerika-Travel
What is Forex?
The foreign exchange market, often referred to as forex, is the market for the various currencies of the world. It is a market which, at its core, is rooted in global trade. Goods and services are exchanged 24 hours a day all over the world. Those transactions done across national borders require payments in non-domestic currencies.
For example, a US company purchases widgets from a Mexican company. To do the transaction, one of two things is going to happen. The US firm may, depending on the contract terms, make payment in Mexican Pesos. That would require a conversion of Dollars in to Pesos to make payment. Alternately, the payment could be made in Dollars, in which case the Mexican company would then exchange the Dollars for Pesos on their end. Either way, there is going to be some transaction which takes Dollars and swaps them for Pesos.
That is where the forex market comes in. Transactions like that take place all the time. The market maintains a rate of exchange between the US Dollar and the Mexican Peso (and between and amongst all other world currencies) to facilitate that activity. Consider the amount of global trade which takes place and you can see why the forex market is the biggest in the world, dwarfing all others. Literally trillions of dollars worth of forex transactions take place each and every day.
How is the Forex Market Different?
There are some significant differences between the forex market and others like the stock market. While it may be the feeling that a good trader should be able to handle any market, the fact of the matter is that some structural differences in forex can require a different trading approach.
Time
For most stock traders, the first difference they will notice between the forex market and equities is timeframe. Although the hours of stock trading have been expanding in recent years, the forex market is still the only one which can truly be viewed as 24-hour. There is ready forex trading activity in all time zones during the week, and sometimes even on the weekends as well. Other markets may in fact transact 24-hours, but the volume outside their primary trading day is thin and inconsistent.
No Exchanges
The lack of an exchange is probably the next big thing that sticks out as being different in forex. While it is true that there is exchange-based forex trading in the form of futures, the primary trading takes place over-the-counter via the spot market. There is no NYSE of forex.
On the largest scale, forex transactions are done in what is referred to as the inter-bank market. That literally means banks trading with each other on behalf of their customers. Larger speculators also operate in the inter-bank market where they can execute multi-million dollar trades with ease. Individual traders, who generally trade in much smaller sizes, primarily do so through brokers and dealers.
This is something which can trouble stock traders. There is no central location for price data, and no real volume information is attainable. Since volume is an often reported figure in the stock market, the lack of it in spot forex trading is something which takes a bit of getting used to for those making the switch.
Transaction Processing
Also, the lack of an exchange means a difference in how trading is actually done. In the stock market an order is submitted to a broker who facilitates the trade with another broker/dealer (over-the-counter) or through an exchange. In spot forex much of the trading done by individuals is actually executed directly with their broker/dealer. That means the broker takes the other side of the trade. This is not always the case, but is the most common approach.
Transaction Costs
The lack of an exchange and the direct trade with the broker creates another difference between stock and forex trading. In the stock market brokers will generally charge a commission for each buy and sell transaction you do. In forex, though, most brokers do not charge any commissions. Since they are taking the other side of all the customer trades, they profit by making the spread between the bid and offer prices.
Some traders do not like the structure of the spot forex market. They are not comfortable with their broker being on the other side of their trades as they feel it presents a type of conflict of interest. They also question the safety of their funds and the lack of overall regulation. There are some worthwhile concerns, certainly, but the fact of the matter is that the majority of forex brokers are very reliable and ethical. Those that are not don't stay in business very long.
Margin Trading
The forex market is a 100% margin-based market. This is a familiar thing for those used to trading futures.
In fact, spot forex trading is essentially trading a 2-day forward (futures) contract. You do not take actual possession of any currency, but rather have a theoretical agreement to do so in the future. That puts you in a position of benefiting from prices changes. For that your broker requires a deposit on your trades to provide surety against any losses you may incur. How much of a deposit can vary. Some brokers will asked for as little as 1/2%. That is fairly aggressive, though. Expect 1%-2% on the value of the position in most cases.
Now, unlike the stock market, margin trading does not mean margin loans. Your broker will not be lending you money to buy securities (at least not the way a stock broker does). As such, there is no margin interest charged. In fact, since you are the one putting money on deposit with your broker, you may earn interest in your margin funds.
Interest Rate Carry (Rollover)
When trading forex, one is essentially borrowing one currency, converting it in to another, and depositing it. This is all done on an overnight basis, so the trader is paying the overnight interest rate on the borrowed currency and at the same time earning the overnight rate on the currency being held. This means the trader is either paying out or receiving interest on their position, depending on whether the interest rate differential is for or against them.
This is commonly handled is what is referred to as a rollover. Spot forex trades are done on a trading day basis, and as such are technically closed out at the end of each day. If you are holding your position longer than that, your broker rolls you forward in to a new position for the next trading day. This is generally done transparently, but it does mean that at the end of each day you will either pay or receive the interest differential on your position.
The type of trader you are and the way your broker handles rollover will be the deciding factors in determining whether the interest rate differentials are an important concern for you. Some brokers will not apply the day's interest differential value on positions closed out during the trading day. By that I mean if you were to enter a position at 10am and exit at 2pm, no interest would come in to play. If you were to open a position on Monday and close it on Tuesday, though, you would have the interest for Monday applied (the full day regardless of when you entered the position), but nothing for Tuesday. (Note: There is at least one broker who calculates interest on a continuous basis, so you will always make or pay the interest differential on all positions, no matter when you put them on or took them off).
It should also be noted that although some folks will claim there is no rollover in forex futures, the interest rate spread is definitely factored in. You can see this when comparing the futures prices with the spot market rates. As the futures contracts approach their delivery date their prices will converge with the spot rate so that the holders will pay or receive the differential just as if they had been in a spot position.
Intervention
Fixed income traders know that central bankers, like the Federal Reserve, are active in the markets, buying and selling securities to influence prices, and thereby interest rates. This is not something which happens in stocks, but it does in the forex markets. This is known as intervention. It happens when a central bank or other national monetary authority buys or sells currency in the market with the objective of influencing exchange rates.
Intervention is most often seen at times when exchange rates get a bit out of hand, either falling or rising too rapidly. At those times, central banks may step in to try to nullify the trend. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not.
The US has traditionally taken a hands-off approach when it comes to the value of the Dollar, preferring to allow the markets to do their thing. Others are not quite so willing to let speculators determine their currency's value. The Bank of Japan has the most active track record in that regard.
21 Eylül 2007 Cuma
TRAVEL & TOURISM
Travel & Tourism
Reminder: new posts are going up at upgradetravelbetter.com
Just a short reminder (especially if you're seeing this on a feed reader): Upgrade: Travel Better has moved to http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/. Same blog, different location. If you want to stick with a feed, go with this one.
Blog moving: Please visit UpgradeTravelBetter.com
Nine months after starting this blog, almost to the day, it's time for Upgrade: Travel Better to move to a new home. The new address: http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/If you read the blog via a feed, make sure you're subscribed to http://feeds.feedburner.com/UpgradeTravelBetter and not to one of the many feeds generated by upgradetravel.blogspot.com. The blogspot feeds will *not* be updated, going forward. Existing FeedBurner subscribers should be transitioned automatically.If you haven't subscribed to the feed, you're invited to do you. You also have the option of receiving new posts via e-mail; there is a sign-up option in the "Syndicate" section of the right column on the new site.The "legacy" blogspot site will stay up, as-is, but all future updates will appear at the new site.All in all, Blogger and Blogspot.com have been generally good to me, and I feel a little bad moving the site away (especially after they named the site a "Blog of Note" a few weeks ago...) But the interface has its limitations, and I've been frustrated with repeated site downtime and general reliability.For those who might care, the new site will run WordPress and is hosted on BlueHost (<-- affiliate/referral link), which I can recommend as a fantastic bang for the buck. All the old content will appear on the new site. The text is all already there. I'll be tinkering with layout, updating categories, transferring images, etc., for weeks to come, but the transition is underway. Comments and suggestions on the new site are welcome.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
TRAVEL & TOURISM
Travel is the transport of people on a trip/journey or the process or time involved in a person or object moving from one location to another. Reasons for travel include
Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In 2004, there were over 763 million international tourist arrivals.[1]
Tourism is vital for many countries, due to the income generated by the consumption of goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry, and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services such as cruise ships and taxis, accommodation such as hotels, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, and other hospitality industry services such as spas and resorts.
FOREX is.
FOREX (FOReign EXchange market) is an international foreign exchange market, where money is sold and bought freely. In its present condition FOREX was launched in the 1970s, when free exchange rates were introduced, and only the participants of the market determine the price of one currency against the other proceeding from supply and demand.As far as the freedom from any external control and free competition are concerned, FOREX is a perfect market. It is also the biggest liquid financial market. According to various assessments, money masses in the market constitute from 1 to 1.5 trillion US dollars a day. (It is impossible to determine an absolutely exact number because trading is not centralized on an exchange.) Transactions are conducted all over the world via telecommunications 24 hours a day from 00:00 GMT on Monday to 10:00 pm GMT on Friday. Practically in every time zone (that is, in Frankfurt-on-Main, London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, etc.) there are dealers who will quote currencies.FOREX is a more objective market, because if some of its participants would like to change prices, for some manipulative purpose, they would have to operate with tens of billions dollars. That is why any influence by a single participants in the market is practically out of the question. The superior liquidity allows the traders to open and/or close positions within a few seconds. The time of keeping a position is arbitrary and has no limits: from several seconds to many years. It depends only on your trading strategies. Although the daily fluctuations of currencies are rather insignificant, you may use the credit lines, that are accessible even to currency speculators with small capitals ($ 1,000 - 5,000), where the profit may be impressive. (You can learn more about it in the section: The main principles of trading.)The idea of marginal trading stems from the fact that in FOREX speculative interests can be satisfied without a real money supply. This decreases overhead expenses for transferring money and gives an opportunity to open positions with a small account in US dollars, buying and selling a lot of other currencies. That is, on can conduct transactions very quickly, getting a big profit, when the exchange rates go up or down. Many speculative transactions in the international financial markets are made on the principles of marginal trading.Margin trading is trading with a borrowed capital. Marginal trading in an exchange market uses lots. 1 lot equals approximately $100,000, but to open it it is necessary to have only from 0.5% to 4% of the sum.For example, you have analyzed the situation in the market and come to the conclusion that the pound will go up against the dollar. You open 1 lot for buying the pound (GBP) with the margin 1% (1:1000 leverage) at the price of 1.49889 and wait for the exchange rate to go up. Some time later your expectations become true. You close the position at 1.5050 and earn 61 pips (about $ 405). For the calculation of 1 pip click here.Everyday fluctuations of currencies constitute about 100 to 150 pips, giving FX traders an opportunity to make money on these changes.In FOREX, it's not obligatory to buy some currency first in order to sell it later. It's possible to open positions for buying and selling any currency without actually having it. Usually Internet-brokers establish the minimum deposit such as $ 2000, for working in the FOREX market, and grant a leverage of 1:100. That is, opening the position at $100,000, a trader invests $1,000 and receives $99.000 as a credit. The major currencies traded in FOREX, are Euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), British Pound (GBP), and Swiss Franc (CHF). All of them are traded against the US dollar (USD).In order to assess the situation in the market a trader has to be able to use fundamental and/or technical analysis, as well as to make decisions in the constantly changing current of information about political and economic character. Most small and medium players in financial markets use technical analysis. Technical analysis presupposes that all the information about the market and its further fluctuations is contained in the price chain. Any factor, that has some influence on the price, be it economic, political or psychological, has already been considered by the market and included in the price. The initial data for a technical analysis are prices: the highest and the lowest prices, the price of opening and closing within a certain period of time, and the volume of transactions.A technical analysis is founded on three suppositions:Movement of the market considers everything;Movement of prices is purposeful;History repeats itself. That is, technical analysis is a statistical and mathematical analysis of previous quotes and a prognosis of coming prices.A number of technical indicators have been installed into the PRO-CHARTS trading system. Analyzing the indicators one can come to the conclusion about further movements of the quoted currencies. For a more detailed de******ion of the indicators, analyzing price charts and volumes of trading, click here.Fundamental analysis is an analysis of current situations in the country of the currency, such as its economy, political events, and rumors. The country's economy depends on the rate of inflation and unemployment, on the interest rate of its Central Bank, and on tax policy. Political stability also influences the exchange rate. Policy of the Central Bank has a special role, as concentrated interventions or refusal from them greatly influence the exchange rate.At the same time one should not consider fundamental analysis just as an analysis of the economic situation in the country itself. A far bigger role in the FOREX market belongs to the expectations of the market participants and their assessment of these expectations. Various prognoses and bulletins, issued by the participants, have a strong influence on the expectations. Very often an effect of the so-called self-filfilling prophecy occurs when market players raise or lower the exchange rates according to the prognosis. But a deep and thorough fundamental analysis is available only for big banks with a staff of professional analysts and constant access to a wide field of information.In spite of these different approaches, both forms of analyses complement one another. Traders who act on the basis of a fundamental analysis, have to consider some technical characteristics of the market (the main rates of support, such as resistance and resale), and supporters of the technical approach to the market must track the main news (interest rates, important political events).The main merits of the FOREX market are:The biggest number of participants and the largest volumes of transactions;Superior liquidity and speed of the market: transactions are conducted within a few seconds according to online quotes;The market works 24 hours a day, every working days;A trader can open a position for any period of time he wants;No fees, except for the difference between buying and selling prices;An opportunity to get a bigger profit that the invested sum;Qualified work in the FOREX market can become your main professional activity;You can make deals
FOREX NEDİR?
Forex piyasası(ingilizce Forex, Foreign Exchange kelimenin kısaltılması) – uluslararası döviz piyasasıdır.Forex piyasasında döviz kurları farkli faktörler üzünden hep değişmektedir. Piyasanın ana katılımcıları bankalar ve broker şirketleri, ithalatçılar, ihracatçılar, finans kuruluşları ve bireysel katılımcılar bir para birimini diğer para birimine değiştirirler. Forex piyasında operasyonlarının bir kısmı uluslararası ticaretinin ve kapital akışının servisi için, bir kısmıda döviz kurlarının değişimini yararlanarak kar alma amaçlı yapılmaktadır. Bireysel katılımcıları ilk önce Forex piyasasında kar alma fırsatları ilgilendirmektedir. Forex piyasası işlem hacmi bakımından dünyanın en büyük finansal piyasadır. Burada günlük işlem hacmi 1,5 trilyon ile 3 trilyon dolar arasında değişir. Karşılaştırmanız için dünyanın en büyük borsası olan New York borsasındaki günlük işlem hacmi 20 milyar dolar civarındadır. İnanılmaz büyüklükteki toplam işlem hacmi, Forex piyasasını dünyanın en zengin adamı veya en zengin insanlar grubunun dahi kolaylıkla manüple edemeyeceği bir hale getirmiştir. Böylece bu piyasa dış etkenlerden korunup sadece iç kurallarına göre çalışır. Forex piyasasında işlem veya başka kelimeyle Forex piyasasında trading – bir para birimini diğer para birimine değiştirme operasyonunun yapılmasıdır. Forex piyasasında işlem yapmak için sadece internete bağlı olan bilgisayar ve biraz para lazımdır. Başlangıç paranız ne kadar büyük olursa o kadar da karınız büyük olacak. Forex trader – Forex piyasasında işlem yapam kişidir. Serbest çalışma grafiği, üstünüzde yöneticinin olmaması, büyük kazanç potansiyeli: geliriniz asla sınırlanmaz herşey traderin kabiliyetine ve bilgisine bağlıdır işte bunlar trader mesleğinin önemli artılarındandır. Trading – çekici, yaratıcı, kendinize çalışma işidir. Forex piyasasının çalışma prensipleri.Forex piyasası – döviz değiştirme piyasası olunca, çalışma prensiplerini kolayca anlatmak için bir döviz bürosuna benzetebiliriz. Nasıl günlük hayatta döviz bürosuna gider alır satarsınız; buda aynen ona benzeyen bir takım kolaylıkları ve üstünlükleri olan gerçek bir iştir. Döviz bürosuyla Forex piyasası arasındaki benzerlikler. Döviz bürosunda ve Forex piyasasında bir dövizin diğer dövize değişimi yapilmaktadır ve değişim işlem yapıldığı anda verilen kura göre gerçekleşmektedir. Döviz bürosunda ve Forex piyasasında alış ve satış kurları mevcuttur. Alış ve satış kurları arasındaki farka spread deniliyor. Spread müşteri için operasyon değerini ve diğer taraftan da döviz değiştirme hizmetini veren banka veya şirket için kari belirlemektedir. Döviz bürosunda ve Forex piyasasında kurlar değişmektedir çünkü çok bir faktöre bağlıdırlar. Eğer ilerdeki kur değişim yönünü doğru tahmin edebilirsek kar alabiliriz. Döviz bürosunda ve Forex piyasasında operasyonlar aracı üzerinden(banka veya forex brokeri) yapilmaktadır. Döviz bürosuyla Forex piyasası arasındaki farklar. Döviz bürosunda bütün operasyonlar nakit parayla yapılmaktadır, Forex piyasasında ise operasyonlar nakitsiz yapılıyor. Operasyonlar Forex şirketinde açılan ticari hesapta yapılmaktadır. Bu hesap banka hesabına benzer. Döviz bürosunda yapılan operasyonun amacı bir para birimini diğer para birimine değiştirmek.Bunun için büroda tek operasyon yapılmaktadır, mesela dolara euro almak gibi. Forex’te yapılan işlemin amacı değişim operasyonu sonucunda gelir elde etmek. Bu yüzden Forex piyasasında genelde iki operasyon yapılmaktadır, önce dolara euro almak ve sonrası biraz zaman geçince başka kurdan euroyu satmak. Bu paritedeki ilk operasyona pozisyon açılışı deniliyor ikinci operasyonada pozisyon kapanışı. Döviz bürosünda sadece elinizde olan parayi değiştirebilirsiniz. Forex piyasasında hesabınızda olan paradan daha fazla parayla işlem yapabilmektesiniz. Bu mümkün çünkü forex şirketi müşteriye kaldiraç vermektedir. Kaldıraç sayesinde yapılan yatırımın çok üzerinde bir pozisyon alarak daha yüksek oranda kâr/zarar elde edebilirsiniz. Örneğin, EUR/USD partesinin 1,2670’ten 1,2671 seviyesine yükselmesi 1 piplik hareket anlamına gelmektedir. Yine, paritenin 1,2670’ten 1,2663 seviyesine gerilemesi 7 piplik hareket anlamına gelmektedir.Mesela başlangıç depozitonuz 1 000 dolar ve kaldıraç 100 ise 100 000 dolarlık pozisyon açabilirsiniz. Döviz bürosünda döviz kurlari günde bir veya birkaç kez değişmektedir, Forex piyasasında ise hergün dakikada bir kaç kez değişmektedir. Forexin bu özelliğine dinamik diye deniliyor. Grafikleri görmek ve döviz kurları değişimi analiz etmek için real zamanlı çalışan özel programlar kullanılıyor.