Los Angeles

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Los Angeles Bank

American Business Bank
(213) 430-4000 523 W 6th St # 900
Los Angeles, CA

Ban Metropolitano Corp
(213) 427-7610 1101 S Vermont Ave # 112
Los Angeles, CA

Banco Agricola Comercial De El
(213) 388-3143 1133 S Vermont Ave # 6
Los Angeles, CA

Banco Popular
(213) 626-1160 354 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA

California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BT&H)

Links to other state departments which are involved in banking and financial affairs, such as:

Department of Corporations

Department of Financial Institutions

Census of Finance and Insurance (1997)

Provides comprehensive statistics on the banking, investment, and insurance industries.

Census of Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (1997)

Provides comprehensive statistics on the , real estate and rental and leasing industries.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Includes banking news, consumer information, and banking laws and regulation.

International Monetary Fund

Includes publications, reports as well as statistics issued by the International Monetary Fund.

U.S. GSA Consumer Information Center

General Services Administration offers consumer information to a wide range of subjects. Its section on Money includes information on fair credit reporting and debt collection laws, and investing and financial planning.

U.S. Treasury Department

The Treasury Department offers links to many banking and money related agencies, such as:

Bureau of Public Debt

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Financial Management Service

Office of the Controller of the Currency

Office of Thrift Supervision

U.S. Mint

World Bank

Offers publications, proceedings and programs as well as statistics issued by the World Bank.

Companies

Private Companies

Internet 800 Search: Includes toll free telephone number of businesses.
Super Pages: Includes businesses with detailed street location map.
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers: Includes manufacturers in US and in Canada. Searchable by product, company, and brand name.

Public Companies

Annual Reports Library: Provides links to annual reports of many publicly held companies. Includes also annual reports of selected nonprofit organizations.
EDGAR: This official Securities and Exchanges Commission site offers annual reports and 10-K statements of all publicly held companies.
Hoover's Online: Lists both private and public companies. Information includes financial data, and key personnel.
Wall Street Research Net Company Research: Includes publicly held companies in US and Canada.

Check the section on Investment for more sites linking to financial information of the publicly held companies

International Companies

The European Business Directory: Maintained by Euredit, this page serves mainly companies in European communities who wish to trade beyond their national borders. The directory lists 150,000 selected companies from 25 countries.
BizWeb: Lists companies by services and products. Provides links to company's internet site.

Consumer Information

Agencies That Process Complaints Against Businesses and People: List from LAPD of local, state, and national agencies that assist with consumer complaints.
Better Business Bureau: Provides consumer and business guidance and information on dispute resolution.
California Department of Consumer Affairs: Provides information on consumer rights and responsibilities
Consumer Action: Provides consumer tips, advice and the Consumer Assistance Directory.
Consumer Guide: Includes product reviews and information.
Consumer Reports: Provides product ratings and general consumer information.
Consumer Search: Provides product reviews and information.
Consumer World: Provides information on products, prices and consumer agencies.
Credit Reports Free Annually: Federal Trade Commission site that provides information and a link on how to order your annual free credit reports.
Federal Consumer Information Center: Provides consumer information on numerous topics.
First Gov for Consumers: Resource for consumer information available from the federal government.
Recalls.gov: Federal government inter-agency web site providing safety information covering consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, medicine, cosmetics and environmental products.

Industry & Economy

NAICS/SIC Conversion Table: Introduces the industrial numbering system scheduled to replace Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes.

General Industry Statistics

Census Bureau: Economy - Wide Page: Gives national statistics on minority owned businesses, North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) which replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) in 1997. Broad based information on business ownership, financial statistics and research for Business.
County Business Patterns: Provides business statistics by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code and by county. Beginning in 1998, data are tabulated by industry as in the North American Industry Classification System: United States, 1997 (NAICS). Data for 1997 and years are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) System.
Economic Census, Summary of National Statistics: Summary of establishments, sales, payroll and number of employees by SIC

or by industry. Profiles of U.S. economy every 5 years.
How to Find the Latest Business Data: Provides links to a variety of additional data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Statistics By Industry

Agriculture

Census of Agriculture

Offers agricultural statistics by geographic areas.

Internet AgriBusiness and AgriEconomics Resources

Includes commodities, futures and options, cooperative extension reports, statistics, trade agreements.

USDA: United States Department of Agriculture

News, general information, and opportunities with the USDA

Construction

Census Bureau: Construction Industry

Provides many reports on the construction industry published by the Census Bureau.

Manufacturing

Census Bureau: Manufacturing

Offers census reports on manufacturing industry, including Annual Survey of Manufacturers, Census of Manufactures, Manufactures' Shipments to Federal Agencies, Manufacturing Technology Surveys, and the Survey of Plant Capacity Utilization.

Current Industrial Reports

Provides statistical data on commodity production and shipments for approximately 5000 products, accounting for more than 1/3 of all U.S. manufacturing.

Mining and Mineral Industries

California's Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources

California Department of Conservation's site which offers oil and gas statistics in California.

California Department of Conservation's Geological Survey

Offers additional statistics of minerals in California.

Census of Mineral Industries

Provides detailed information on products, selected supplied, minerals used, machinery installed and fuels consumed. Geographic Area Series consists of 9 reports covering the US protectorates.

Retail and Wholesale Industries

Census Bureau's Retail & Page

Includes the Advance Monthly Retail Sales Survey, Monthly Retail Trade Survey, Annual Retail Trade Survey, and Census of Retail Trade as well as Advance Monthly Wholesale Sales survey, Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey, Annual Wholesale Trade Survey, and Census of Wholesale Trade. There are links to related sites.

Service Industries

Census Bureau's Services Page

Includes links to all the Censuses that involve service industries, eg. Census of Service Industries, Census of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate, Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities, Truck Inventory and Use Survey, Commodity Flow Survey, Motor Freight Transportation and Warehousing Survey, and Annual Survey of Communication Services.

Tourism Industries

California Tourism Research

Vital visitor statistics & research articles on California tourism industry.

Transportation Industries

Census of Transportation and Warehousing (1997)

Provides data on passenger and freight transportation, communication services. and electrical, gas, steam, water, or sanitary services to the general public or to business.

U.S. DOT. Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Includes Transportation Statistics Annual Report, American Travel Survey and other travel and transportation related statistics.

U.S. DOT. Office of Airline Information

Includes statistics of airline industry

Utilities

Federal Communications Commission

The home page of FCC offers information on auctions, consumer information, rules and regulation, and many other useful information.

Census of Utilities (1997)

Includes census information of communications industry as well as sanitation, electricity, gas, and water utilities.

Economic Indicators

Bankruptcy Statistics: Offers statistics of business and personal bankruptcy filings. Includes annual and quarterly statistics for US and major metropolitan statistical areas.
The Beige Book: Current Economic Conditions (2002): The report, published by by Federal Reserve Board, provides summary of economic conditions by federal reserve district. Includes major economic indicators, and interviews with key businessmen, economists, market experts, and other sources.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): Includes many important national, international, and regional economic indicators. Links to many BEA's publications, including Survey of Current Business.
Business Cycle Indicators of the Conference Board: Includes links to many leading economic indicators, consumer confidence index, and other business cycle indicators.
Census Bureau's Economic Briefing Room: Provides current statistics of household income, poverty and other economic indicators.
Consumer Price Indexes: The Bureau of Labor Statistics' official site on consumer price index.
The Inflation Calculator: Offers instant calculation of inflation, based on consumer price index, from 1800 to 1997.

World Economic Indicators

UN Indicators on Income and Economic Activity: Provides basic income statistics of member countries of United Nations.
UN Indicators on Housing: Provides basic housing statistics of member countries of United Nations.

International Trade

Trade Leads and Suppliers

Asian Sources: Includes product suppliers and manufacturers in many Asian countries.
Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States: Trade leads and matchmaker services for companies doing business with former Soviet states.
Central & Eastern Europe Business Information: Companies doing business with Central and Eastern European countries.
Commerce Business Daily & FedBiz Opps: The official source for government contracts and bids is now available on the web. You can get one week free if you register as a guest.
Export Opportunity Hotline, Small Business Administration: Provides export assistance.
Owens Online: Provides trade leads and international credit reports.
Trade Opportunities Program (TOPS): Provides companies with current sales leads from international firms seeking to buy or represent their products or services. This is a fee based service, but you can get information without subscription for trade leads three months and older.
World Trade Center Association: Provides international trade leads from World Trade Center.

Country Specific: Regulations & Practices

Country Library [TradePort]: Summarize all information you need to know in order to trade with a specific country. Includes each country's demographics, political environment, economic outlook and trends, trade regulations and standards, business travel overview, etc.
Guides to Doing Business: More than 100 Guides to doing business for Countries, States or Provinces compiled by Lex Mundi, an association of independent law firms.
Hong Kong Trade Development Council: Provides access to product suppliers and service providers from Hong Kong and China. Includes information on trade leads, tradeshows, and practical tips for doing business in Hong Kong and in China.
International Business Resources on the WWW: Maintained by the Center for International Business Education and Research of Michigan State University. This site leads to news and magazine articles relating to international trade, and many regional or country specific information sites.
Official Economic Information of Mexico: Maintained by Mexico's Ministry of Finance & Public Credit, this site contains basic economic and financial data, documents and reports on economic policy, and links to various other Mexican economic sites.
Taiwan Products: Lists manufacturers in Taiwan.

Supporting Services

California State Overseas and Investment Offices: The State of California maintains offices in Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom to promote California products and to assist California exporters locally. You will be able to find the addresses and contact information of these oversea offices at this site. Administers a loan guarantee program for California-based firms with at least one year export experience.
CEDAR's International Trade Site: Maintained by California Economic Diversification And Revitalization (CEDAR), this site offers many valuable links to export guides and regulations, trade leads, international directories, and other resources relevant to international trade such as shipping.
Export.gov: Portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government, providing trade leads, free export counseling and help with the export process. Click on “Partner Agencies” to find other links, including the U.S. Commercial Service, which give additional information.
Export-Import Bank of the United States: Assists in export financing of US goods and services by offering direct and intermediary loans to foreign buyers of US exports, working capital and loan guarantees.
Journal of Commerce: The daily journal of trade logistics. The new JOC Week paper edition is located at the Reference Desk in the Business & Economics Department in the Central Library.
SCORE (Small Business Administration): The SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives Association), is made up of retired, professional business managers from all disciplines of business and government. They volunteer their time to provide free management and business counseling and workshops.
Trade Information Center: Supported by the International Trade Administration, the Trade Information Center is the first stop for information about all federal export assistance programs, as well as country and regional market information.
U. S. Bureau of Industry and Security: Official site of the US Bureau of Export Administration offers information on export regulations and related information on exporting from US.
U.S. Customs Service: Provides general information about custom regulations.
U. S. Department of Commerce. International Trade Administration: Provides assistance in researching foreign markets, making business contacts overseas, and promoting products abroad.

International Trade Statistics

Foreign Trade Statistics: Trade statistics issued by U.S. Census Bureau.
ITA. Office of Trade & Economic Analysis: The Office offers Global Data Links, U.S. Foreign Trade Highlights, State Export Data, and many other trade statistics from its site.

Investment

Quick Quotes and Charts

BigCharts: Provides stock quotes, charts and links to stocks, mutual funds and futures traded in all major exchanges. Historical information included. Market reports on each exchange included.
Yahoo! Finance: Provides opening, closing, high, low, volume information, including splits and dividends and foreign currency exchange rates. Historical information downloadable in spreadsheet format. Covers bonds, mutual funds as well as EFTs [Exchange Traded Funds] and indices. Market reports available.

Investment Information & Stock Analysis

American Association of Individual Investors: This site gives all sorts of help to the investor. Pages include a glossary of investment terms, building an investment plan from scratch, basic investment principles, techniques for picking stocks, and others.
Hot Links for Traders: Links to sites of interest to the investment trader.
IPO Central: A commercial site that has the latest Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Includes links to the EDGAR SEC IPO filings and other sites of interest.
Motley Fool: Provides stock quotes, company news, and opinions on publicly traded companies. Graphs and charts are available for most companies. A humorous and insightful approach to investing.
MSN Money: Provides comprehensive investment assistance and financial information about publicly held companies.

Stock and Commodity Exchanges

American Stock Exchange: Home page for the American Stock Exchange (AMEX).
Chicago Board of Trade: Includes news, quotes, and other marketing information on futures and options trading.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange: Includes news, consumer information (how to choose a broker), and trading information.
NASDAQ Home Page: Home page for the NASDQ network.
New York Stock Exchange Web Site: NYSE's Home Page "is designed as an educational tool for investors, students and teachers. It provides links to a rich diversity of information."

Bonds, Commodities and Mutual Funds

Investing In Bonds: Offers basic information on investing in bonds and how to read bond prices in the daily newspapers.
MorningStar: Offers rating and financial analysis of mutual funds as well as stocks.
World Bank Commodity Price Pinksheets: Commodity prices.

Labor & Employment

Job listings - See Jobs & Career

Employment and Labor Market Statistics

California. Labor Market Information: Maintained by California Employment Development Department, this site offers labor market statistics by industry or occupation, and by county.
U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. News Releases: This site has current news releases in a number of areas of interest to labor. It has employment and unemployment, prices and living conditions, productivity and technology, employment projections, and regional news releases.
United Nations: Indicators on Unemployment: Provides unemployment rates for all member countries of the United Nations

Labor Laws & Unions

Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Home Page: Provides links to other sites which cover ADA information, technical assistance, and information hot lines.
California Labor Code & Others: Maintained by California Employment Development Department, this sites offers links to California Business and Professions Code, California Labor Code, and California Unemployment Insurance Code.
Law.Com: Maintained by a law firm, this site provides comprehensive coverage and links to documents and information relating to labor and employment laws.
National Labor Relations Board Decisions: Full text of NLRB decisions.

Salaries and Wages

Employment Standards Administration, Wages and Hour Division: Gives information on the minimum wage, Family and Medical Leave Act, and employee rights.
JobStar Salary Survey: Provides links and descriptions to 150 salary surveys.
Salary Calculator: This calculator can be used to compare the cost of living in hundreds of U.S. and international cities
WageWeb: Provides average salaries for clerical, professional and managerial jobs.

Real Estate

Finding a Home

Homebuyer's Fair: Includes listings for homes available for sale, and links to other useful information relating to home buying.
Homebuilder.com: Includes new home production, floor plans, and real estate market of the U.S. Links to 7,000 home builders' sites.
International Real Estate Directory: Includes real estate listing outside U.S.
Los Angeles Times hosts DataQuick: Gives sales comparisons and latest sale prices for the five county area (Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties).

Mortgage

Quicken Mortgage Home Page: Offers links to everything you need to know about securing a mortgage.

Government Housing Agencies

California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BT&H): Provides links to California state departments regulating real estate industry, including the Department of Real Estate, and Office of Real Estate Appraisers.
U.S. General Services Administration Consumer Information Center: Housing: Maintained by the General Services Administration, this section of the Consumer Information Center offers consumer information on housing and mortgages. It offers links to many booklets available in a wide range of subjects, see the section on Banking for the CIC pamphlets on money and financial services.
U. S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Offers links to consumer information on housing assistance.

General Resources

Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA): This site provides information on industry data and expenditure analysis of commercial real estate.
California Association of Realtors: This site provides consumer and industry information for California real estate industry. Its Economics page offers current economic trends and forecast.

Los Angeles Surf

Experience for yourself the exhilaration of riding a wave with one of our professional surf lessons, provided year round in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Malibu, Zuma, Manhattan and El Porto. We've instructed thousands of people of all ages how to surf in just one surf lesson. Our technique has proven itself time and time again--Everybody gets up on their very first surfing lesson! Our boards are top notch foam beginner's boards, and our full length wetsuits will keep you warm and comfortable in the water, even in mid winter.

Perfect for all ages and skill levels: Beginners will be catching waves and standing on their first surf lesson, and more advanced students will learn techniques to improve their performance. You'll be up and surfing on your first lesson, guaranteed! Learn to Surf LA offers year round private surfing instruction in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Malibu and other locations.
Our experienced, qualified and friendly staff of local and international surf instructors are CPR and First Aid certifed, and very knowledgeable about ocean and wave dynamics. We provide everything you need: Top notch surf instruction, boards, wetsuits and an unforgettable experience!

Our Santa Monica surf lesson location is one of the best places you could learn to surf in the Los Angeles area--because of the gradual slope of it's sandy ocean floor, waves break gently far offshore no matter what the ocean conditions, delivering consistently perfect beginner's waves, one after another. Add to that the convenience of its location just off of the 10 highway and the Pacific Coast Highway, and our proximity to such tourist attractions as the Santa Monica Pier, the Third Street Promenade, Venice Beach, and countless hotels, spas and restaurants, and you'll see why we think it's the best location for surf lessons in the greater Los Angeles area.

Also excellent are our Malibu surf lessons, provided at Zuma surf beach and at world famous Surfrider in Malibu. These locations have favorable conditions for beginners to learn the basics of surf technique and etiquette.

Our surf instructors are from such varied places as Australia and Hawaii, Newport and, of course, Los Angeles.

OUR GREAT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SURFING LESSONS GET GREAT RESPONSE!

"Thanks for the great instruction!! I got up and rode on my first surf lesson! My friends won't believe I can surf now!" - Devin, 32, Toledo, Ohio

"We're telling everyone we know to see you for surfing lessons when they go to California. What a great time! Thanks!" - Marla, 40, Bar Harbor, Maine

"That was fun! I want a board!" - Martin, 10, Santa Monica, CA

"That was definitely better than anything they had at Disneyland." - Megan, 27, Pittsburg, PA

"I got up in five years as many times as I got up in the first surf lesson!" - Miguel, 39, Los Angeles, CA

Come do what you've always wanted to do: experience the exhilaration that's brought people back for years! Build your strength and coordination while enjoying a satisfying, fundamental connection with the ocean. Leave your cares on the beach. Learn to surf with us and have a blast!

North Los Angeles Introduction
Northern Los Angeles County (and by that we mean from County Line to the northwestern most corner of Santa Monica) isn't what you're thinking. This mountainous, lush, green, quite, wave-rich stretch of coast is the yang to metro L.A.'s formidable, grid-like, flat, paved, wave-starved yin.

The jewel of North L.A. County is, of course, Malibu, where Miki Dora laid down the law, and hordes of surf-stoked city boys follow it to the letter. This is the beach where Gidget hung out and where surfing's mainstream movement took roots. Today, the retro movement calls Malibu its Mecca, and you'll see groups of 19-year-old guys sitting on the hoods of their 1940s Plymouths, smoking Camel Lights, and combing their hair back. This sight can instantly transport you back to pre-Vietnam America, and you might suddenly get the urge to go out and vote for Kennedy. It's not unusual to rock up to Malibu on a hot August afternoon with a 4-foot swell peeling 150 yards down the point, and see 200 surfers in the water ... all vying for one wave. And if you drop in on Cameron Diaz or Zach de la Rocha, try not to hit them, they're national treasures.

But Mal isn't the only good thing about this northern wing of the city of angels. Other spots include Zuma Beach, Leo Carillo, and the enigmatic and occasionally über-perfect Topanga. Fish and longboards go really well in this stretch of the world, so don't be afraid to do the time warp.

--Joel Patterson

Crowds
In a word: yes. Malibu is only eclipsed by Australia's Superbank when it comes to the most crowded spots on the planet, but the beauty of Malibu is that it frees up many of the surrounding spots by collecting nearly everyone. Keep in mind that Los Angeles County is home of over 10,000,000 people.

L.A. localism isn't very strong because almost everyone in the water had to make an hour commute to get there, though you might run into some real old-school locals now and then.

Hazards
Shark attacks aren't very common in L.A. Scientists theorize that sharks have too much self respect to spend a lot of time there. The bigger dangers here are petty theft, super-heater car seats, parking, and ultra-aggressive, balding lawyers who use the ocean as a form of therapy. Just be cool, and really concentrate on the hidden meaning the parking signs ... they can be complicated. If you cross your eyes, sometimes the silhouette of a dolphin will emerge. Pollution
Yes. Avoid the ocean after a rain when 85 buhgillion gallons of god knows what runs through the sewers and into the vast, blue Pacific. The Seasons
Summer
Summer in Los Angeles is typically warm and mild with temperatures reaching into the 90s, yet cooled by the ocean breeze -- T-shirt and flip-flop weather. Water temperatures generally hover in the high 60s through summer, which is a bit chilly, but you can still surf in the raw, and the surf comes almost exculsively from the south. Around August, temps get up near 70 degrees and quite a bit cooler from Malibu north. Fall
September through November is the best time to surf in Southern California with cleaner and even warmer conditions than summer. The blessing here being the more frequent offshore Santa Ana wind conditions. (Unless you own inland real estate -- frequent tinder for the Santa Ana-fanned brush fires.) Add to that the early north swells crossing up with lingering souths and the exodus of the tourists, and you have little reason to leave SoCal in the fall. Winter
The word "winter," when applied to SoCal, is almost a misnomer. December brings generally clear skies and temperatures in the 60s and 70s, though a few nights each winter can get down near the freezing point. This is the rainy season, but many find it almost comical to watch the L.A. local news coverage of StormWatch 2000 -- listening to the hype, you'd think there was a biblical flood upon the city. Spring
Spring is a good time to surf somewhere else. On the upside, several good sandbars are left over from winter. An early session is your best bet, and don't put the fullsuit away just yet. Spring is probably the least desirable season for surfing in L.A., but savor some solitude before school lets out for the summer.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Los Angeles Education And Universities

Los Angeles, California, commonly referred to as L.A., is the United States' second-largest city with a population of almost 4 million. Originally, the Los Angeles area was home to the Tongva and Chumash Indians. In 1769, an expedition of Spanish explorers led by Gaspar de Portola discovered the area. In 1781, a group of 12 families called the Pobladores founded a village there. Over time, the area became known as the Ciudad de Los Angeles, meaning "City of Angels". In 1848 the United States gained control of the territory and on April 4, 1850, it was incorporated as the City of Los Angeles.

Located in a region with a Mediterranean-esque climate, breezes coming off of the ocean give Los Angeles cooler summers and warmer winters than most Southern California cities. At times, summer temperatures of up to 90 F can contribute to smog; however, L.A.'s status for smog was acquired in the 1970's. Today, as a result of pollution awareness, its air is the cleanest it's been in decades. Ideal temperatures, clean air, and 325 days of sunshine each year support numerous outdoor activities including swimming, surfing, wind sailing, and jogging at places including Venice Beach and Athens Park.

Besides outdoor activities, L.A. offers a wide variety of arts and entertainment recreation. Sometimes called "The Entertainment Capitol of the World", it is known as a cultural capitol of the U.S. along with New York City, its east coast counterpart. It has over 2,000 galleries, theaters, and museums. As well, Los Angeles is known for the mural art that decorates the city by artists such as Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco. Complement the arts with an exciting nightlife and numerous restaurants including the famous All American Burger and entertainer Kenny Rogers Roasters Restaurants, and L.A. entices up and coming young professionals. For the sports-minded, L.A. is home of MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers and the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.

As the United States' largest manufacturing center, Los Angeles' economy is fueled by entertainment, tourism, aerospace, petroleum, agriculture, and international trade. Several of the world's largest companies within the entertainment industry call L.A. their home including Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and Fox Sports Net. It's also a home to Fortune 500 companies including Northrop Grumman, KB Home, and Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Other business sectors include finance, law, telecommunications, healthcare, and transportation. Within the greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles County are businesses including Warner Brothers Records, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company.

Los Angeles has about 2.4 million people over the age of 25 (2004 census); of these, 70.1% have a high school diploma or equivilant, and 28.5% earned a bachelor's degree or higher. As a testament to L.A.'s diversity, an estimated 61.4% speak a language other than English at home - compared to 18.7% nationwide.

Going to School in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has several colleges and universities, both public and private, along with several professional/technical schools. Examples of some of these institutions are as follows:

While choosing an area of study can be a perplexing decision, students in L.A. are presented with a wide assortment of programs to choose from. Some programs offered are as follows, but are not limited to:

Aerospace , Anesthesiology, Statistics, Design, Urban Studies, Women's Studies, Film, Management, Theater, Television, Bioengineering, Communications, Dentistry, and Speech.

When presented with so many areas of study, how does a student choose? A student should consider personal interests and strengths. It is necessary for students to understand themselves and the area of study they are considering before making such a major decision. Students are encouraged to speak with a career counselor or an academic advisor if they need professional guidance.

As well, a student will want to examine the types of industry in the area. "L.A.'s economy is humongous," says David Rattray, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. "We're large and diverse," he continues, "we had a large aerospace industry driving the economy twenty years ago, but now it's not just a single business sector driving everything."

Rattray states that several business sectors are expanding rapidly in Los Angeles, and some of those warrant a higher demand for employees. "The Biomedical industry is growing. A lot of this is stem cell research. Health-related careers are a high growth sector as well. We need more people in all areas of health… from administrative workers to nurses to doctors, all the way to brain surgeons," he says. "The service sector is growing rapidly too. The service sector is slightly misunderstood by the public. It has immense upward mobility, with a high skill-high wage continuum."

Costs

Tuition in Los Angeles fluctuates depending on which institution a student attends. Tuition at private institutions and technical/professional schools are generally more expensive than that of a public institution. A few examples of annual tuition costs are as follows:

Private Universities

University of Southern California - $32,008

Public Universities

University of California - Los Angeles - $24,882 (full-time non-resident); $7,062 (full-time resident)

Technical/Professional Schools

The Art Institute of California - Los Angeles - $44,166.00 (for an Associate of Arts degree, two-year program)

Not all tuition examples provided include other costs including lab fees, housing fees, book fees, meal plan fees, and various fees that institutions may apply. It's highly recommended that students research these costs as well.

Financial Aid

Despite the perception of an insurmountable task, there are ways to make education affordable. Nearly all institutions of higher education offer traditional tuition assistance and financial aid programs. Program information may generally be acquired through the schools' admissions departments or websites.

Other options available to students are grants and loans. With no obligation for repayment, grants are normally awarded based on financial need. The school, the state, or the federal government may make these awards. Loans are available thru the state and federal governments. They must be paid back; beginning 6 months after the student completes his/her studies. A few examples of these are the Perkins Loan, the Federal Stafford, and the Federal Plus loans. Annually, 10 million students apply for these loans while 9 million will receive them.

Finally, students can obtain scholarships for school. Some scholarships are available to all students, while others are of special interest, awarded to students based upon gender, ethnicity, financial need, area of residence, age, and major.

Samplings of scholarships available to students in Los Angeles are:

Gates Millennium Scholarship Program - For African-American, American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asian Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanic-American students, with a 3.3 GPA or higher

Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program - Up to $1500 for California high school seniors entering their freshman year of college

Telacu Education Foundation - $500 to $3000 for Los Angeles residents with a 2.5 GPA or higher

State of California, Governor's Scholarship Programs:
- The Governor's Scholars Award: $1,000 for high academic achievement available to high school students
- The Governor's Distinguished Mathematics and Science Scholars Award: $2500 based on related exam scores
National Merit Scholarship Program - Up to $2500 available to high school students that have taken PSAT's

Los Angeles Music Scholarships - For CSU - Los Angeles students with a 3.0 GPA, majoring in music, and enrolled full time

Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship Programs:

LAJCC Scholarship Program for high school seniors: $2,000 for graduating high school seniors in Orange, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties

LAJCC Community/Junior College Scholarship Program: $2,000 for residents of Los Angeles County who are attending community or junior college

Internships

College Student in Los Angeles

When reviewing a resume, an employer is looking for more than a degree. They want to see practical experience that's relevant to the job. A student can gain that experience through an internship. Internships are more than jobs; they are a great way to get a closer look at an industry, a particular occupation, or a company. An internship helps a student learn if the career they are considering is right for him or her. As well, an internship may turn into a job offer. Some are paid or give college credits. Others may simply provide an opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience.

The Los Angeles Chamber of commerce provides a good example of industry working with education to provide opportunities such as internships for students. David Rattray again comments, "We work to try and influence and shape programs that universities have for the demands of the marketplace. For example, we're doing a program with Cal-State called the CSU advantage", he continues. "It works to build a bridge between the work world and the students. We call it co-op, or cooperative, education."

What does this co-op education do? "It's credits for work experience," says Rattray. "We're trying to emphasize the power & promise that a college education has by providing industry experience via internships and job shadowing. Students that do this tend to earn more and advance quicker."

Employment in Los Angeles

Institutions of higher education in Los Angeles work with industry as a means to make job opportunities available to students. While several institutions work with industry to develop and update training programs for students, many host on-campus recruiting via career fairs and seminars. At these events, students can network with others and see, firsthand, which companies are hiring. On the spot interviewing and hiring can take place as well.

The University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) provides an excellent example of career centers at work for students with career fairs. "We had an 11 percent increase over last year in on-campus recruiting activities including career fairs, on-campus interviews, and career information sessions by employers," said Kathy Sims, Director of the UCLA Career Center. "Some of our traditional employers have contributed to the increase with added hiring this year," she said. "We're also seeing some employers who weren't hiring last year coming back into the market."

"We're encouraging our students to make use of the resources at the career center," Sims further stated. "We also encourage students having difficulty finding jobs to expand their geographic targets, to be more mobile and willing to relocate."

See Career Wise for further information.

Summary

Los Angeles is a city, rich in a diverse culture and a flourishing economy. Integrated with a vast array of educational resources and exciting entertainment scene, it's easy to see why L.A. is a great place to pursue higher education.

Monday, September 3, 2007

california auto insurance quotes

There are many ways to save money in California, but there is only one way to save money on your car insurance. CarInsurance.com offers an online insurance marketplace where you can compare great rates and get the most affordable insurance available in California. By comparing rates from multiple companies, you not only get the lowest rates, you also get a policy that fit your needs. We offer a convenient way to purchase your car insurance, saving you time and money.

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Quotes available in all of California, including:
Los Angeles
San Diego
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Oakland
Santa Ana
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Californians on average paid about $950 in insurance premiums in 2003, compared to the national average of about $914. Most people believe all these rates are fixed by insurance companies and state regulatory agencies, but in reality discounted and competitive rates are available in California, and CarInsurance.com is the best place to find them.

2007 is expected to have the first decrease in rates since 1999. Expect a .5% to 1% decrease in car insurance rates, from 2006! Sites like CarInsurance.com have facilitated the change by bringing competition directly to the consumer and by lower your costs through technology!

Even within the state of California, rates have changed over the past few years. Comparing the current rate to the numbers from a few years back, the average auto insurance premium in 1999 was about $771, that's an increase of about 23.22% in 4 years! Don't waste your money paying high insurance premiums, start saving now by requesting an online quote from CarInsurance.com now.

Minimum State Insurance Requirements

The state of California follows a Tort system meaning someone must be found to be at fault for causing the accident, and that person and their insurance company is responsible for all the damages. You should be aware that the details of a tort system vary from state to state and it is best to check with your state insurance regulator. Visit our State Insurance Regulators page for a list of links to all the state insurance regulators websites.

California state law requires minimum Bodily Injury Liability coverage of $15,000 per injured person up to a total of $30,000 per accident, and Property Damage Liability coverage with a minimum limit of $5,000. This basic coverage is often referred to as 15/30/5 coverage.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in your coverage helps pay for "reasonable and necessary" medical expenses for you and your passengers. While California state law does not require a minimum Personal Injury Protection, some insurers offer this as an optional coverage.

Additionally, you can get Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage for any bodily injury caused by an uninsured driver. While California state law does not require this coverage, you can purchase this as an optional coverage for added protection.

It doesn't matter if you have a perfect driving record or if you are a high-risk driver, we work hard to find you the best rates available in California. With all the statistics on auto theft and car crashes, it is important to protect yourself and your property. We are constantly improving our site and services to make it the ideal place for all your auto insurance needs. In many states you have the ability to get a quote and even purchase a policy online, so get started by entering your zip code and find out how much you can save in the Golden State!

Looking for auto insurance for a different state? CarInsurance.com can give you quotes and rates for all the 50 States. To find low cost car insurance rates in your state, enter the zip code above. For information on a different state, click on the state’s link below and get the information you need.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

From the Ontario International Airport

Go Northwest on North Way toward East Airport Drive.
Stay straight to go onto South Archibald Avenue.
Turn slight left onto ramp.
Keep left at the fork in the ramp.
Merge onto I-10 West toward Los Angeles.
I-10 West becomes US-101 North.
Take the CA-110/Pasadena Freeway/Grand Avenue exit toward Harbor Freeway/San Pedro/Pasadena
Take the Grand Avenue exit.
Turn right onto North Grand Avenue.
Turn right onto West 5th Street

From the Burbank Airport

Go North on North Hollywood Way toward Burton Avenue.
Merge onto I-5 South.
Merge onto CA-110 South toward Los Angeles.
Take the US-101 North exit toward I-5 South.
Take the Santa Ana Freeway exit on the left toward I-5/Santa Ana.
Take the Temple Street exit.
Turn left onto West Temple Street.
Turn right onto North Grand Avenue.
Turn right onto West 5th Street

California Los Angeles LAX

Merge onto South Sepulveda Boulevard/CA-1 South toward I-105.
Take the I-105 East/Imperial Highway West ramp toward Imperial Terminal.
Merge onto I-105 East toward Norwalk.
Merge onto I-110 North toward Los Angeles.
I-110 North becomes CA-110 North.
Take the 4th Street/3rd Street exit #22B.
Take the 6th Street ramp.
Stay straight to go onto West 6th Street.
Turn left onto South Olive Street.
Turn left onto West 5th Street.