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Tax Lien Investing – Just Another Scam

On May 17, 2012, in Investing, by admin
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We’ve seen and heard about the latest investing method on TV infomercials, in newspapers and everywhere. It’s even said to be so easy it’s like taking candy from a baby. They’re talking about tax liens and you should be vary wary.

Tax liens are liens placed against ones property by local counties and similar municipalities for non-payment of assessed property taxes. According to a website I just looked at its states that every county of every state sells these late or derogatory property tax bills for immediate funds after placing a tax lien against the property in question. This did use to be true in the past, but most states don not allow the public sale of property tax liens under any circumstance. One os these states is North Carolina. You cannot legally buy or profit from these sales in North Carolina. Yet these websites state you can – they just want your money for their kit $49 or more. They will take your money and run.

Upon further review over 37 states do not allow the public sale of these tax liens. Furthermore, even if they did the homestead laws in many states would supersede any supposed foreclosing rights and make it so you could not evict these people from their homes for non-payment. Yet their advertisements state the opposite- good in any state. 5-25% guaranteed returns on every lien and most pay within 1 year, etc… These are all lies. The rule is this – if it sounds too good to be true than it is. If tax liens were such a great business than why isn’t everybody else in it? By the numbers proposed by these shows, infomercials, websites and similar and the fact that this idea has been around for over 5 years there should be many, many millionaires. Where are they?

This scam is similar to ISC (Invention Submission Corporation). They promise new inventors a patent and big royalties. Finally after thousands of complaints the FTC looked into many submission companies and found that most just lied, took money and didn’t deliver anything. It was a pure ripoff. This is the same. Keep your money. There is no money to be made by the property tax lien scam.
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African Home Decor and Accents – Decorating With a Natural, Eco-Friendly, and Sustainable Touch

On May 16, 2012, in Home Improvement, by admin
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African home decor is more accessible than ever, and globalization has increased interest beyond that of a trend. African arts maintain a history and quality that cannot be replicated through modern means of mass production. Today, African home decor ranges from traditional ethnic arts to more contemporary designs. And, a significant amount of African decor is created from natural or recycled materials. Authentic African home decor and accents reflect established principles that are gaining resurgence in today’s culture of social awareness.

Natural Elements with Bold Colors

Traditional African arts, such as basket weaving, often combine natural elements with bold, vibrant colors. For instance, African coil baskets are often made using raffia, a material indigenous to the area, and are dyed using colors from berries or vegetables. Colors can range from bright hues of orange, red, and turquoise to darker shades of burnt orange and burgundy.

African baskets include designs that vary from traditional, symbolic patterns to more modern and contemporary designs. Often times you will see these vivid colors integrated with the neutral color of the natural fibers, creating a wide variety of colorful designs and patterns for functional or decorative use.

Reclaimed, Reused, and Recycled

In addition to natural materials, African home decor and accents may also be made of reclaimed or recycled materials. African arts often integrate reclaimed metal, reclaimed wood, or other recycled materials into innovative art forms. For example, herdsmen working on the Kahero Farm in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, are known for their reclaimed wood carvings. Their handmade wooden bowls are created using rustic handcrafted tools, machetes, and chisels. Each is finished using broken glass bottles and sand paper, followed by a liquid paraffin dip to protect the wood. The result is a unique, eco-friendly home accent for decoration or display.

Similarly, artists working in an informal settlement just outside of Cape Town are transforming recycled tea bags into small canvases on which they create unusual pieces of art. The recycled art they create now provides economical opportunities for 125 people in South Africa.

Social Awareness and Sustainability

African home decor and accessories that are produced according to fair trade standards are sustainable as well as eco-friendly, characteristics that resonate with us in our current culture of social awareness. With technology narrowing the geographical gap of distant countries, we are exposed to and inspired by African artists who maintain their cultural heritage through traditional handicrafts, especially when many live in the midst of severe economic uncertainty.

Fair trade practices and payment allow these artists to maintain their heritage and art forms, while also being able to create economic opportunities for their families and their communities.

In today’s culture of social awareness, we appreciate natural elements. We actively pursue eco-friendly, sustainable designs in our homes. Interestingly enough, all of these characteristics are inherent to African arts, both in the present and the past. African home decor is not a passing trend, but rather a reflection of established principles that are gaining resurgence in today’s culture of social awareness.

Copyright 2009 ? Amy L. Milligan, bluedango

This article may be freely published. Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the byline is included with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).
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How to Save the World by Buying From Sustainable Sources

On May 12, 2012, in News And Society, by admin
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In these days of multi cultural communities and easy air travel, many people have discovered that most of the products made outside of say Europe and America are made in third world countries. They have discovered that the person sitting for hours making that beautiful basket or wallet is actually only getting something very small while the importer gets a big chunk of the end price. With this in mind the idea of Fair Trade was born. For example, Fair Trade jewelry, although still quite reasonable to the end buyer, means that the person making that particular piece is being paid a decent price for the goods produced.

In many countries the poorest segment of society lives on less than one dollar per day. Outside countries know this and take advantage of that fact. Women in particular are generally the ones left to bring up children and put them through school, but working all day for very small money does not help anyone.

Some forward looking companies have decided to bring some order into this bad practice and have started marketing the goods produced overseas. Very often they will not be taking a profit for themselves; they will just assist the third world country in making contacts and showing them how to get contracts etc. Most of these entities will sometimes buy all the products from the artisans and sell them on to wholesalers and non profit organizations around the world. In this way it is a sort of self replicating deal where they can virtually guarantee that anything produced will be bought. Imagine the relief for these underprivileged artisans, who are more than willing to work, just knowing that they will be making a constant and reasonable income on a regular basis.

Some adornments, like earrings and bracelets, come in beautiful and exciting ethnic designs which seem to be very popular with people throughout the world. Beads of all kinds, including glass, are perhaps the most used medium and these are usually mounted with wire to be bent into exciting and unusual styles. This style of adornment is very popular especially during the hot summer months when very little is being worn. It adds a great focal point to beach wear, evening wear and even ‘just going to the shops’ outfits.

Most of these artisans are encouraged to go ‘green’ and will use sustainable resources to make their products. Recycling is hugely popular since the initial costs are kept to a minimum. People from all over the world are getting the message about this kind of product and many have started incorporating this type of gift into their holiday plans.

Indeed, many journals or diaries from these poorer countries are now go ‘tree less’. That is, no form of paper is used in the formation of the book. They usually use cotton based products for the pages and the cloth or leather bound covers are from reliable sources. Leather may seem to be an odd choice but the only type used is from places where animals are kept cruelty free.
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Different Kinds of Bonds

On May 9, 2012, in Investing, by admin
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Investing in bonds is extremely safe and sound, and the returns are remarkably gracious. There are four basic Kinds of bonds on tap and they are sold through the Federal Government, corporations, state and local governments, and foreign governments.

The supreme thing about bonds is that you will get your initial investment back. This makes bonds the extinguish investment vehicle for those who are new to investing, or for those who have a low risk perseverance.

The United States Government sells Treasury Bonds through the Treasury Department. You can secure them with maturity dates ranging from three months to thirty years. They include Treasury Notes (T-Notes), Treasury Bills (T-Bills), and Treasury Bonds. All Treasury bonds are advocated by the United States Government, and tax is only charged on the interest that the bonds earn.

Corporate bonds are sold through public securities markets. A corporate bond is purely a company selling its debt. Corporate bonds frequently have high interest rates, but they are a bit risky. If the company goes belly-up, the bond is valueless.

State and local Governments also sell bonds. Contrary to bonds issued by the federal government, these bonds usually have higher interest rates. This is because State and Local Governments can indeed go bankrupt unlike the federal government.

State and Local Government bonds are free from income taxes even on the interest. Also, State and local taxes may be waived.

Purchasing foreign bonds is really difficult, and is often done as part of a mutual fund. It is often fairly risky to invest in foreign countries. The safest type of bond to buy is one that is issued by the US Government.

The interest earned might be much less, however, there is pretty little or no risk involved. For greatest results, when a bond reaches maturity, reinvest it into another bond.
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Green Houses – or Just Colorful?

On May 8, 2012, in Real Estate, by admin
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Just as we were fooled by the terms ‘lite’ and ‘low-cal’, so we are now beginning to get caught out with the terms ‘green’ and ‘environmentally friendly’. In the same way that we were willing to pay more for low fat and low calorie products, we will also pay more for green products.

Green has even entered the realty market, and green choices are optional in some newly built homes. But how can we protect ourselves from what is truly green and what is erroneously called green?

As consumers, we need to know how to define these popular terms that are pushing our prices up. We need to know that we are getting value, and doing something ethical, for our money.

We can be fooled by such terms as biodegradable, natural, non-toxic and organic. According to the web site called the green guide.com, those words have no value in terms of lawful support. They are not defined by a governing body and have no uniformly required standard.

Housing is one of the newer areas where the terms ‘green’ and ‘sustainable living’ are bandied around. In housing, some of the recommended labels include Greenseal, LEED Certification for Homes, and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Also, the labels stating ‘PVC Free’ and ‘Low or No VOC’ are recognized as reliable.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs, but take care when you see this mark of approval, as it comes in four different levels. The lowest level is simply called ‘certified’. The levels proceed upwards from silver, through gold to platinum.

Generally speaking, when builders take sustainable living into account they examine six different performance areas. LEED uses these guidelines to grade their certification.

One of the guidelines is sustainable sites, which includes availability of public transportation plus effects like storm water run-off. Water efficiency is a different point and it includes landscaping, use of non potable water and trying to incorporate low use water fixtures.

Energy and atmosphere is considered when building homes. The possibility of renewable energy sources is investigated, such as wind power and solar energy. Green Power may be accessible from the local energy company; also low wattage bulbs will be in use.

Indoor air will be protected by avoidance of toxic emissions from carpets, paint and sealants. Thermal comfort will ensure that some windows are able to be opened and levels of daylight will be adequate.

Materials and resources cover quite an impressive amount of points. Regional materials are recommended and rapidly renewable resources are specified. Also listed are recycled and reused building materials.

The points that are awarded for each section will dictate the LEED certification (up to platinum) of the building. Greenseal, Rainforest Alliance Rediscovered Wood and USDA Organic provide independent third party verification. These labels at least, have some proof of authenticity from green guide.com.

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Turtles Trading System And The Way Turtles Make Money By Rules

On May 5, 2012, in Investing, by admin
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The argument in the year 1983 between famous speculator Richard Dennis with his buddy Bill Eckhardt about great traders are born or trained resulted in training of 13 beginners in trade .They were funded and by continuous training for four years they mastered the rules, who were christened later as turtles. They showed a performance of earning a collective compound rate of return of over 80% and the Turtles trading system made a beginning.

The Turtles introduced the concept of “Volatility Normalization”. In simple words, volatility normaliztion suggests that the more volatile an instrument, smaller is the trade. This means every instrument carries the same dollar risk. This is from where oft-repeated term *N, the 20 day exponential moving average of the ATR (true range) derives.

In the turtle trading system, the losses are taken seriously. Let us say, a turtle trader starts with a notional amount of $100 . In case, the trader looses $10 he would, normally, have $90 to manage future trades. However, in turtle trading system, the trader would have to manage the future trades with only $80 till he earns a profit of $10 to cover the loss.

Turtle trading system is based on two models. one being a 20 day breakout system and the other one is 55 day breakout system. If the market opened thru the 20 day hi9gh or low, or traded during the day, that would be signal to enter. One unit would be bought /sold to initiate the position. However, previous signal would have resulted in a successful trade, this signal would be ignored in an attempt to avoid whipsawing.

Once established, Turtle trading system will add a unit every 1/2 ‘N’ advance, up to maximum number of units they are permitted (4 single instrument, 6 in closely correlated markets such as Oil and Crude, 10 units in “Loosely Correlated markets, 12 units overall in a single direction). CONSISTENCY is the prime directive for all these. It was essential to be in all of them, so as not to miss few huge winners that made profits as majority of traders failed.

The Turtles trading system undoubtedly works. However, it requires iron willpower to follow the rules, and not to try and ‘bend’ the mechanics of the strategy. Most people are not mentally equipped to deal with the constant losses, even though they are handsomely offset by the occasional huge winner.
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Eco-Friendly Bamboo Beds – Product Spotlight

On May 2, 2012, in Shopping And Product Reviews, by admin
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Many consumers are doing their part to find eco-friendly household goods, lighting and other methods of recycling waste to cut down the impact that many of these things have on our environment and natural resources. Furniture is also something can be explored in terms of finding green alternatives. One such alternative is in the form of bamboo.

Bamboo is featured in many products from chopsticks, fencing, musical instruments, flooring, and of course furniture. The pulp from the bamboo plant can also be turned into material or fabric for use in products like mattress coverings, clothing and other uses. Something else that the bamboo plant produce are called shoots. These shoots are cylindrical almost in the shape of a tusk and protrude out away from the base of the plant. In China these shoots are harvested in the spring and winter. The outer part of the shoot is peeled off and they can be cooked and eaten. Chinese consider these a vegetable and can be found throughout markets during the different seasons that they are harvested.

Bamboo is often mistaken as a hardwood from China. It is true that Bamboo is found throughout Asia and most of China however bamboo is actually classified as a plant or a grass. Bamboo grows very quickly and as it matures the stalk of the bamboo grass hardens considerably and typically within 5-7 years many species of bamboo plants have reached almost 60-70 feet tall at which time they can be harvested. Compare this with the fact that most oak and maple trees of the same size take between 40-45 years to reach this same height says a lot about the quick maturity of bamboo plants. Once harvested bamboo can usually be reseeded in about 3 months where the grass will again grow quickly replenishing the land in a short amount of time. This cannot be said however for hardwood trees like oak and maple that require decades of growth. That is why many environmentalists believe using bamboo as an alternative building material or resource can help to alleviate the use of these woods.

A furniture manufacturer in the United States by the name of Ramblin Wood actually decided that they wanted to offer beds in an alternative wood source to help provide customers with the choice of getting furniture made with eco-friendly materials. They visited the Las Vegas market which led them to California and eventually took them all the way to Shanghai China where they discovered a manufacturer making moso bamboo boards for building and construction. They toured the plant as well as the countryside where the bamboo was being harvested and replanted and were quite amazed by the fact that there was no clear cutting. The bamboo was being reseeded so quickly that no sooner had bamboo been harvested people were preparing the soil for replanting. This seemed to them to be a responsibly harvested resource with little to no impact on the environment and Ramblin Wood decided to begin importing the moso bamboo boards into the United States for creating bamboo beds, nightstands, bed drawers and dressers.

After reading this article I hope you’ll find that bamboo is an ecological friendly choice as an alternative to other building resources. Bamboo beds, musical instruments, flooring and kitchen cutting boards are just a few of the many uses that bamboo can offer. Bamboo is classified as a grass and because it can be grown, harvested and reseeded so quickly it makes its usefulness as a responsible alternative to hardwoods very apparent. Bamboo is also a source of food in many Asian countries and this further increases its worth as a resource which sets it apart from hardwoods. Alternative building materials like bamboo make sense not only for our homes but also for our planet.

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Eco-Friendly Hemp Homes

On May 1, 2012, in News And Society, by admin
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Although industrial hemp is very well known all over the world even in the United States where it is banned there are some countries that are starting to utilize the incredible properties of this amazing eco-product. In Spain for example newly built ecological homes are being made from industrial hemp. The outer walls of these eco-homes are being made from a substance called eco-bricks which is also manufactured in a part of Spain under the name Cannabric. The material Cannabric is made from the fibers of industrial plant and the combination of line and mineral materials.

These materials are just as fire resistant as stone bricks but the beauty of this material is that it doesn’t require any added insulation at all on the outside or inside of the walls so it is perfect for keeping the home warm in the winter time as well as cool in the summertime and when the minerals are added they also give the Cannabric it’s extra strength as a material. To finish this off the lime is added in as a binder, and it’s job is to hold these materials together as a brick but the lime also has another function. It is also used as a filler material that basically protects the Cannabric against any entry of water by rain or by any pipes in the wall, plus it also provides an added strength protection for the fibers against the fungal attack or a parasite attack. Industrial hemp was nothing new in this part of Spain as it has been used for many materials dating back to the Franco regime many hundreds of years back. The only negative thing about the industrial hemp being made during this time was that it took a lot of jobs from the agricultural workers in that area of Spain and this resulted in many agricultural workers leaving the country and settling outside of the countryside of Spain and making new lives in the city.

I think that we should put major consideration into looking into this product as a substance that can be used in homes all over the world. Think of the savings that it would bring by not needing to use regular insulation products to keep us warm or to keep us cool. In addition to this certain areas in Canada are starting to wake up to the incredible properties that Cannabric has and are actually using Cannabric as an insulation product for the insides and outsides of old stone homes that cannot do the job that this substance can.

Another pioneer in the production of industrial temp as a building material is a man known as Steve Allin who coincidently has a new book out on this material which is called “building with hemp”. Steve has come out with his own hemp brick but he does not collect Cannabric. The name he gets to it is Hemphab. This incredible material can be changed and molded into many different shapes and finishes. This gives Hemphab a great advantage over other building materials as it is very eclectic in the ways that you can use it around your home.

Cannabric isn’t the only material made from industrial hemp that can be used as a building material. They are also learning how to make paints from industrial hemp. Industrial hemp paint has many superior advantages over regular paint and some of its advantages are that it has a superior coating that is very durable and can keep its coat from eroding over time.
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Planning A Bachelor Party

On April 27, 2012, in Relationships, by admin
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The bachelor party is just as important as the bridal party. It is an event where the groom can celebrate his last days as a bachelor with the men closest to him: friends, family, and people who have made an impact on his life. It should be a fun and meaningful celebration for both the groom and his groomsmen.

Planning a bachelor party is not really that complicated (at least not as complicated as a bridal party would usually be). The main things to consider are the setting, the guest list, the time of the event, and transportation for the guests.

For the setting, it can be anywhere as long as the guys are sure to have fun and can do some male bonding before the groom finally takes his vow and says goodbye to being single. Like for instance, if the groom is a sports enthusiast, the party can be a sporting event. If the groom loves to ski, and enjoys skiing with his friends, they will have a blast if they make it into a ski trip. A beer fest, golf getaway, beach barbecue, camping trip, weekend in Reno, all these are wonderful settings for a bachelor party. Of course, it would help to discuss things with the groom and groomsmen, and consult them about their preferences. Anything goes as long as it is something that all the guys would enjoy.

For the guest list, it’s usually better to include only the people who are friends of the groom, and people who are close to him. Inviting people who are not so close to the groom may make it impersonal and may lessen the meaning of the event.

Don’t hold the bachelor party on the night before the wedding. Plan the party well in advance and avoid celebrating maybe a week before, because that’s too close to the wedding date. To avoid hassles, you can have the party within a month of the wedding date.

For the transportation, you can choose to use a service with a designated driver, or maybe you can hire or arrange cab services. Limos or buses can also be rented to ferry your guests for the event.

When planning for a bachelor party, keep in mind that it is for the groom and those closest to him, the groomsmen. They are there to celebrate with him on his big day and this party is a great way to have fun and bond at the same time. So no matter where the party is, the main concern would be to enjoy and celebrate.
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$20000 Best Investment Secret For Beginners

On April 23, 2012, in Investing, by admin
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When people are just starting out in the investment world and are looking for advice, I always suggest they find something to invest in that matches their hobbies. There are several reasons that focusing on a fun investment is the $20000 best investment secret for beginners.

First of all, it’s likely that if you focus your investments on things you’re familiar with, you’ll have to do less work researching the market. You’ll also be able to be more helpful to your customers, as you’ll have first hand knowledge of your product. For example, if you’re very interested in video games, why not take your $20000 and buy a lot of wholesale video games? Because it’s a field you’re interested in, you’ll know exactly what the big sellers are and will be able to help your customers understand why it’d be a good game for them to purchase.

Another reason is that if you’re having fun doing what you’re doing, you’ll be much more likely to be successful. The biggest thing standing in the way of making a ton of money is simply becoming disinterested and not putting the time into making sure your investments are doing as well as possible. If you can stay motivated by focusing on things you’re genuinely interested in, making money won’t even seem like work, it’ll simply be fun.

You can see how the $20000 best investment that will continue to payoff for years to come is one that you’ll really be able to stay interested in. Not only will you make a ton of money, but you’ll have a great time doing it as well.
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