Striving For A Debt Free Life

For many people, living a debt-free life is just a dream. There's no chance that they will be able to reach such a place. The problem with this idea is that it is a failure to understand what it takes to attain a debt-free life. Often, it comes down to a lack of sound strategies for addressing the problem and achieving results. So many Americans are under tremendous debt loads, living literally from paycheck to paycheck. It seems like nothing more than a pipe dream to those who don't have a vision or a goal in mind. With proper planning, living debt-free is very possible. You first have to decide that it is something that you really want and make a commitment to strive for the prize.

The first question you might ask may be, "Where do we begin?" If you want to know how to start your quest for a debt-free life, it helps to have some idea about what not to do. Often the first mistake that people make is to try to do everything at once. They attempt make huge, sweeping changes to their spending and saving habits or just paying down all of their debts in a haphazard fashion. This approach is totally unrealistic when you consider how complex financial debt concerns can be. If you are just starting out, the better way is to take small, incremental steps on the road. Examine your circumstances, determine what sort of planning is required, set goals, and begin to make smaller changes over time. Most importantly, once you decide what you are doing, you need to stick with it and persevere; this is the only way to see results.

As was stated briefly above, establishing goals and completing them is paramount to the goal of living debt-free. Look at your goal setting in terms of a monthly time frame. What sort of goal do you set for this month? Perhaps, it is establishing a budget on what you spend at the grocery store and keeping to it. Maybe, it is about paying a certain amount above the minimum balance on your credit card. Continue to set these types of goals and continue to implement them in the months ahead. Establishing these types of goals will help you to develop better money management skills and possibly discern the differences between good spending and wasteful spending.

Another area that must be dealt with in no uncertain terms involves all of those small, seemingly insignificant expenditures that can add up over time. If you want to achieve a debt-free life, you need to streamline your spending habits. This category of spending includes eating out, catching a movie in the theater, buying an expensive outfit, etc. Decide for yourself that you will make the effort to learn about the virtue of frugality. If you can live cheap, even below your means, you will be able to pay more on that debt load so that you will achieve freedom from the weight of debt that much faster.

It was said earlier, and it should be said again. Resist the temptation to spend needlessly. Keep your goal in mind and keep striving towards it. The best way to get something that you want is to plan for it. Rather than racking up more credit card debt, delay that gratification long enough to save the money and pay for it outright.

It will take work. But, it is very possible to attain a debt-free life. Get started now—and don't give up!

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Fannie, Freddie May Raise Up to $20 Billion, Regulator Says

By Dawn Kopecki

March 28 (Bloomberg) -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-chartered mortgage companies, may raise as much as $20 billion in capital as part of an agreement that allows them to buy more debt securities, its regulator said.

``That's the top end of the range,'' James Lockhart, director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, said in an interview in Washington yesterday. While ``there's no specific number'' that was agreed upon, the companies and Ofheo discussed ballpark figures, he said.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must raise the money before Ofheo approves any further reduction in the capital they need to guard against losses on their combined $5 trillion of mortgage investments, Lockhart said. Ofheo agreed last week to lower their capital threshold to 20 percent from 30 percent, enabling the companies to buy as much as $200 billion in securities backed by home loans and help prop up the housing market.

The capital surcharge is one of the last remaining restrictions imposed on the companies after $11.3 billion of accounting misstatements. Ofheo had required the companies to increase their capital cushion to 30 percent more than normally required to ensure they were protected against losses.

The capital may either be in common shares, preferred shares or convertible preferred shares, Lockhart said.

Fannie Mae, based in Washington, raised $7 billion in December by selling preferred stock. McLean, Virginia-based Freddie Mac sold $6 billion a month earlier. The companies will need to raise the capital ``sooner rather than later,'' Lockhart said.

`No Number'

The companies didn't say last week how or when they would raise the additional capital. Fannie Mae spokesman Brian Faith didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. Freddie Mac spokeswoman Sharon McHale declined to comment.

``There's no specific number,'' Lockhart said. ``There was a range of numbers. The best way is to say it's significant.'' The amount raised will be ``much more'' than the $5.9 billion of capital released by reducing the cushion, Lockhart said.

Fannie Mae fell $1.28, or 4.4 percent, to $27.97 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday. The stock is down 30 percent this year. Freddie Mac dropped 62 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $27.08.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created by Congress to boost homeownership. They profit by holding mortgages and mortgage bonds as investments and by charging a fee to guarantee and package loans as securities. They are required to set capital aside to absorb any losses on those mortgages.

They own or guarantee almost half the $11.5 trillion in U.S. residential-mortgage debt outstanding.

Limited Assistance

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have said they were limited in how much assistance they could offer amid regulatory limits and rising losses. Fannie Mae posted a record $3.55 billion fourth- quarter loss as rising foreclosures sent credit costs soaring. Freddie Mac reported a record $2.45 billion net loss for the period.

The Bush administration, trying to stem the mortgage crisis, has gradually eased constraints on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Congress lifted a ceiling on the companies' mortgage assets and raised a limit on the loans they buy to $729,750 from $417,000 in some counties.

The requirements were eased on Freddie Mac even though the company hasn't met all stipulations in a consent order issued against the company after its accounting misstatements. Freddie Mac is yet to split the roles of chairman and chief executive officer and hasn't registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as required.

Freddie Mac is likely to meet those demands by midyear, Lockhart said. The company also has a search under way for a CEO to replace Richard Syron, Lockhart said.

``They are well on their way to replacing the CEO,'' Lockhart said. ``They have a search under way, so they're making good progress on that. And there will be a splitting of the duties come summer.

``We felt at this point it was important to add liquidity to the mortgage market.''

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What To Do With A Low Mortgage Appraisal On A Loan

by: Rob Lawrence



On every loan, there are a number of hurdles that must be overcome before the loan is “cleared to close” by the underwriter. One of the most important hurdles is the appraised value on the property. A deal can be dead on arrival, if the property comes in too low. A value can never be high enough (given the local market conditions), provided that there is comparable value to support it.

I’ve seen too many loan officers work so hard on a loan, only to have it fall apart when the report comes back. But, all is not lost! With my Sink or Swim training at http://www.loanclosingsystem.com and the things I tell loan officers to look out for, I’ve also seen deals come back to life!

Could you have saved your last dead deal? How much money did you lose in commission, because of a low appraisal? Follow these steps and your next deal will be a closer NOT a loser…

* Get the appraiser to go back out and re-evaluate the property. Did he overlook something? Did he do most of the report at his desk and spend little time out at the property? Was it a rushed job?

* Be sure to check the comparable properties listed on the report. Ask for additional comparables so you can make sure that the appraiser is valuing it properly.

* Ask your realtor contacts if any similar properties will be closing soon. You may be able to use these as comparables if need be.

* Will the bank allow a desk appraisal? If there is significant equity in the property, or the purchaser is putting a lot of money down, is there even a need for a full appraisal? What did automatic underwriting come back with? Will the bank accept a drive-by appraisal?

* Did you do your homework upfront first? Always be sure to check the property value on your own. A great site I use is domania.com. Also you’ll want to check the local tax assessors office to get a rough idea of property values in the area. Do this, and you’ll always be able to get a sense if the deal looks “iffy” or not.

* If it’s a purchase loan, you can still do the loan, but purchaser will have to make up the difference in down payment amount and pay for the additional “missing equity” with extra money down. Does the borrower have the funds to do this? Are they even that interested in the property to pay above “market value”? Don’t count this out! I’ve seen it happen!

* Will the seller lower the asking price? This can help make up the difference between the appraised value and the sales price.

* Can you get rid of any seller concessions, which may artificially have raised the purchase price of the home? Again, this will help lower the sales price and the shorten the gap.

* Is there still time before you submit the loan to have an new appraisal done by another company? If the original report had serious flaws, you may want to consider this. Keep in mind that all appraisers work within specific guidelines and one appraiser may not be any better than another.

Please, don’t give up too soon! Just when you think the deal is dead, it may come back to life. Follow my advice above, and you’ll be all the richer next time.

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Prefabricated Office Building

The ability to add extra office space to your business premises quickly and cleanly can make a huge difference to your ability to establish organizational change, and in order to react to the changing needs of modern industry. Thanks to the huge range of different prefabricated office buildings that are now available, it is completely possible to add extra space to your business in a much more straightforward way than ever before, and even to convert existing indoor areas into fully equipped offices with a minimum of disruption to the ongoing operations within your company.

With prefabricated office buildings, you can ensure that the office space is delivered with all services such as AC and electricity installed within the structure.Modern offices need a variety of features in order to allow staff to work effectively. Power supply systems, phone networks and internet connections are all absolutely vital in allowing staff to carry out their duties effectively. Add into this the need for air conditioning to make the workplace more pleasant, and the prospect of installing additional office space into your existing building can be an expensive and time consuming affair – although this is not the case if you opt to use prefabricated office buildings rather than building space from scratch.

One of the most obvious advantages of installing prefabricated office buildings rather than choosing a conventional building technique is that the structure can be supplied in a more or less complete state, meaning that rather than having a period of disruption within your business that can last for weeks as various construction workers carry out a building job, the prefab office building can simply be delivered and put into place ready for use.

With prefabricated office buildings, you can ensure that the office space is delivered with all services such as AC and electricity installed within the structure. These integrated systems offer a much more convenient construction time, and also result in a lot less mess. Once the new prefab building has been connected to the mains supply, staff will be able to move in immediately.

One of the main concerns for staff in the past regarding prefabricated office buildings has been the perceived low quality of the construction, and the fact that the relatively thin walls mean that the buildings can be drafty and cold, as well as being subject to disturbance from the surrounding area. This is no longer the case. The latest prefabricated office buildings are developed using computer controlled techniques that ensure that there is very little opportunity for holes in the walls, while the use of 3 inch thick insulated panels means that the buildings are able to keep out any ambient noise.

You can also choose from a wide range of different interior designs and color schemes, so that no matter what the design of the rest of your business premises, or the corporate image that you want to put across, using prefabricated office buildings from most companies will allow you to achieve that end simply and quickly, and for a price that offers you stunning value for money. Thanks to the high quality of the construction work that will be carried out, you will be able to enjoy high quality office space more quickly, and at a fraction of the cost of using conventional techniques when you choose prefab offices from a company.

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Determine The Best Home Business Idea For You

How do you determine which is the best home based business idea and which will have the most potential for home-based entrepreneurs in 2008?

Here are some steps to help you evaluate any home business and see if it can actually deliver it's claims for the average person. We are always told that ordinary people can make it in the home business world, so why do 98 % of people fail.

6 critical points to ensure that you are not wasting your time and money, and you join the best home based business idea that sets you up for success, not failure.

Be sure you are looking at the best home based business idea before sinking your valuable time and money into something that is only going to lead you to heartache. You want to be certain it has the qualities to lead to success and is worth your time and money.

1. The Product: The best home based business opportunity can have have either one product or many products but you want to make sure that the company has a unique product or products and that there is a need in the marketplace. You have to look to be certain that this is not just another version of a similar product and will be of value to all consumers. The product should be patented or be patent pending and should be affordable to the masses. You also want to know about the background of the product and if it has medical qualities you may want to know some of the science behind the product. You would also like to use the product even if their was no business opportunity associated with it.

2. Company Stability: There are brand new, ground floor companies and ones with a long history. In both a brand new company and established one's you will want to research the founders of the company as well as see what their vision statement and a mission statement equates to. You want to look at the sales to date and compare that to how long they have been in business.

Take a close look at the management team and be sure that they are successful people with a business background and not just someone who put up some website that will be gone tomorrow. There should be a phone number on the site to a corporate office as well.

3. Marketing System: The best home based business idea will have a solid marketing system either done by the company or the team you join. Look at the ease of how it is done and that it is simple to follow as well as to duplicate. Know if your team helps get qualified people to talk to or if you will be required to learn Internet marketing or if you will have to by leads.

4. Your Marketplace: Your best home based business idea will have room for global expansion. If it is already worldwide or has limited global expansion you may not want to pursue joining the company. The bigger your market is now or could be in the future the more chance for success in a home based business opportunity.

5. Compensation & Incentives: You want to maximize your potential income based on your efforts. Must payout a minimum of 50% of the total Sales. The compensation plan must offer Unlimited Depth and also must have Fast Start Bonuses. The best home based business opportunity will offer it's members other Rewards and Recognition. An absolute must is that you will be able to achieve $10,000 per month true residual income with less than 500 people in your entire organization.

6. The best home based business idea will give back globally what they are taking out. If the company's vision is to make an Impact on the World in a Positive Way.

If the company or business you are looking at meets the above critical criteria the you have selected the a valid and best home based business idea for you. Welcome to the world of home-based entrepreneurs.

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Taking advantage of your equity

During the last 10 years property prices in the UK have increased dramatically so this has left many people with very high equity in the value of their properties. The equity in your property is the difference between what your property would be worth if you sold it that day and whatever mortgage or secured loan balance you have secured against the property value. For example if you have a £150,000 mortgage and your house is worth £200,000 you have £50,000 equity, or 25 per cent.

Lots of UK homeowners have already taken advantage of the rise in UK property prices and borrowed against the equity they have in their properties. This borrowing is again secured on the value of the property but can be used for any purpose.

Secured loans have get progressively favorite over new years, with much and much folk appreciating the increased fiscal leverage that their fairness levels have provided. There are many lenders that provide secured finance to those with their own homes, and the fairness levels required can change from one lender to another. Some secured lenders will permit borrowers to adopt upward to a sure percent of their accessible fairness. There are others that will permit you to adopt the complete sum of your fairness. Some will still let you adopt over and above the sum of your fairness. The lending criteria can change from one lender to another, then you should have certain that you liken the distinct loans accessible from an amount of lenders to discover the better trade for your needs. Whatever you need to grow finance for a reduced pace secured loan will enable you to have the most of your fairness by getting reduced pace finance that offers affordability.

You will be capable to select from a broad scope of lenders, although you should hold in psyche that lending conditions have get tighter newly payable to the recognition crunch and thus you may discover that some lenders are tightening their lending criteria. For many, however, this is the almost efficient and cheap manner of borrowing, and many folk support a far best opportunity of getting a loan that is secured against the house than getting an unsecured loan. For instance, somebody with terrible recognition may discover it practically inconceivable to have an unsecured loan because many unsecured lenders will not provide finance to those with terrible recognition. However, many secured lenders will regard terrible recognition applicants because the fact that the loan is secured provides additional protection of the lender.

If you seek to take your fairness in decree to go away a secured loan there are an amount of things that you will require to make. First of all you need to organize a rating on your house. You do not require to get to any specific expense to make this, as you can request a land broker to go away and make the rating. However, you should have certain that you go valuations from at least two or three agents then that you go a thought of whether the rating they are providing is practical. Also liken the rating number with the value of related properties that are for sale in the region. Once you have your rating you should meet your mortgage lender and discover away what you owe on the mortgage. Often the lender will get to offer this in writing, and then you may get to look a few days. Also, if you already have any loans secured on the holding link those lenders as easily in decree to have an upward to appointment equilibrium.

Once you know precisely how more you owe on the home subtract that number from the value of the holding, and the number that you are left with is your fairness. You can so decide how more fairness you have to adopt against and this will accelerate things upward when you begin looking for an appropriate secured loan. The second matter that you need to make with regard to finding an appropriate loan is to begin comparing distinct secured loans from a kind of lenders. You need to liken the stake rates that are accessible, as easily as refund terms, eligibility requirements, etc. You will so be capable to decide which lenders are better suited to your needs and which loans you are qualified to use for. Of class, do have certain that you do your budgeting before you take your application for a loan, as you need to recognize what kind of monthly refund you can give to have so that you know how more you can realistically give to adopt.

Don’t overstretch the sum that you can realistically give, as otherwise you may discover that you cannot hold upward with repayments if there is the slightest difference in your fiscal circumstances, and this could head to the departure of your house.

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Know How to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rates?

Are you currently carrying a large balance on your credit card? Do you ever find it necessary to carry a balance occasionally from time to time? If you can answer yes to either of these questions, now is the perfect time to take a look at your credit card's interest rate and find out if you could be saving big money.

Many times, credit card APR's (annual percentage rates) have a way of gradually creeping upwards while we fail to take notice. It's easy to sign up for a credit card offering a certain low rate only to find the rate has dramatically risen just a couple of years later. The good news is that it's just as easy to reverse the situation if you know how to lower your credit card interest rates. How?

Just Call and Ask

This is perhaps the easiest and also the most often overlooked tactic to lowering credit card interest rates. If you have good credit and have maintained a great record of paying all of your bills early or on time, most credit card companies will be thrilled to lower your interest rate if that's what it will take to keep you as a good customer. Just call the number on the back of your card and see what they can do.

Log In Online and Look for Special Offers

Sometimes the best deals are found online. This holds true for credit cards too. Try logging into your account online and looking for a section covering special offers or promotional offers. The credit card companies often offer interest rate deals right there in the online account center for those savvy enough to find them.

Do a Balance Transfer to a Better Card

If you have little success in lowering the interest rate on your current card, it's probably time to move on to another card that can offer what you need. By transferring your entire balance to another credit card, you can often score awesome promotional balance transfer interest rates ranging from zero percent for a year to a low fixed rate for the life of your balance. Usually these come with a small balance transfer fee, but the money saved in interest alone can be truly astonishing!

Maintain Really Good Credit and the Offers Will Come to You

The better your credit score is, the more likely you'll be to receive the best offers by mail. Credit card companies are known to offer some really awesome zero or low interest deals to new customers with the hope of acquiring and keeping these good customers for life. Some of the very best offers are only made available to a select few with excellent credit. You can take part in this by maintaining superb creditworthiness.

No matter what method you choose to use, knowing how to lower your credit card interest rates can have really fantastic results and save you bundles on finance charges. Keep more of your money!

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Finding the Best Cash Back Credit Cards

The best cash back credit cards offer benefits in the form of rewards of air miles, gasoline discounts, hotel stays, car rentals, online purchases, bonus points, gift certificates, a percentage of your annual interest charges returned or checks in the mail when you use the card for a certain amount and type of purchase. Several credit cards with cash back also offer reasonable APRs (around eleven percent) which can be a great incentive to sign on with a particular company. It makes sense to shop around for the best cash back credit cards that meet your spending habits and specific purchasing needs.

If you tend to shop at the same department stores on a regular basis, their house credit cards may be one of the best cash back credit cards for you. The benefit to you is that you will often receive rewards such as discounts on merchandise or services for your patronage. Others offer free services such as gift wrap or postage for sending gifts in exchange for using their house credit card.

Some of the best cash back credit cards involve the purchase of gasoline. These gas cash back credit cards enable you to receive rewards of a certain dollar amount - usually a percentage of the fuel that you buy with that card. Some of these cards also offer additional cash back savings for other purchases besides gasoline as well. Some of the gas cash back credit cards even offer to use part of your rebate as a donation to a nonprofit organization, if you so choose. If your job requires frequent commuting, these credit cards can offer real savings on your fuel costs, assuming that you do not allow the card to carry a balance. If you pay off the purchases each month as you make them, you will receive the greatest amount of cash back with a credit card such as this.

For the flexibility you need to cover your daily purchases, the best cash back credit cards can be rewards credit cards. With many of these cards you can select the ones that offer the rewards you most want. They can include things like rewards on travel or points that add up toward receiving for free certain merchandise. The travel rewards, which can include airline travel, typically are accumulated on a one-to-one basis; in other words, for every one dollar you spend with your credit cards with cash back you will receive one point. As the points accumulate and eventually reach a certain threshold, you may turn them in for cruises, flights, and other types of vacations.

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How to Evaluate and Find a Business

Are You Tired Of Seeing Your Bonus Checks Shrinking?
Are You Tired Of Building It AGAIN With Another Company?

Have You Worked Hard In Your Business With NO Results?

Have Network Marketing Companies gone out of business on you
after you worked hard to build them?

This may shock you, but the Good News is," It's NOT YOUR Fault! "

The 7 Critical Success Elements To Long Term
Wealth In your Network Marketing Success!

Look at ANY major success story of Significant and LONG-LASTING
income built in this industry and I guarantee they had these 7 things in
place. Look at any failure to reach that mark, and it is the lack of one
or more of these key success components... Guaranteed!

If you are missing one, you will be fighting an uphill battle and still NOT
have the long-term stability in your income.

If you are missing more than one... FORGET IT! your network marketing success will not happen.

If Any of these 7 critical elements are missing in Your Company, Fix
Them Quickly!

Wow! It's Not Your Fault. How Does That Make You Feel?

The Shocker is, my up-line used to tell me that it was my fault. "If it's to
be it's up to me." They forgot to tell me that the cards were Stacked
Against Me from the Start ! ! ! !

If You want to have Massive Success in Your Business & Life, then
make sure you study the 7 Critical Success Elements so you can LEARN
THE TRUTH about Network Marketing and learn to apply the Secret
and finally reach the Success YOU Deserve!

Here are the 7 Critical Elements to reach your network marketing success below!

1. Unique Products: Products must serve multiple different Market Categories and people would buy even if there wasn't a compensation plan attached to it, Products must be unique enough to get Patents, have a Monopoly power over it's market, (like Microsoft, Fed Ex or Apple with is I Pod) and the Products have to serve the Masses.

2. Company Stability: The ability to give you long-term business and financial security, based on their company and business history must solid like a rock.

3. Marketing System: System to market Primary must follow with the Marketing Techniques and used taught in Pay-It Forward 4 Profits, and must have system Simple and Duplicative.

4. Company Management: Must be led by already Successful Leaders in Business with a Vision for the Future Growth.

5. Global Reach: Must be available in most countries around the world and in continue fast Global Expansion.(if you have to work hard to build your residual income you don't won't to be limited in just 2 or 3 countries, you want to rip all the benefits from at list 15 countries around the world and growing like no others companies to explode your income)

6. Compensation & Incentives: Maximize your income based on your efforts. Must payout at least 50% of Sales with out any breakage, must offer other Rewards and Recognition, you must be able to achieve $10,000/month true residual with with out being one the top marketer in the country.

7. Pay-It Forward: Does the company Pay-It Forward to the Masses. They must give back globally what they are taking out. The company's vision is to make an Impact on the World in a Positive Way.

When ever you have difficulty on finding a real Business that has the required 7 elements in place you can listen to this audio here http://www.idealtrends.com/audios.htm and learn how the most experienced net worker are joining new venture every day.

Isn't it time to learn and understand the complete facts
and not just part of the story?

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The Power of the Internet

People talk about the power of the Internet. But what does that really mean to most people? Let me try and explain what it means to me then form your own opinion on what it means to you and why you use the Internet.

The Internet is without a doubt a powerful tool. It enables us to reach people and places we dream about, while remaining virtually unknown. We can express our feelings, as long as they are not against the law, to complete strangers without fear of ridicule. Even if that other person doesn't agree with you or your opinions it doesn't seem to matter, because the chances of you ever meeting this person is astronomical!

As an Internet Marketer advertising my home business, the Internet has enabled me to meet people with the same shared ideas. We all come from different backgrounds and different beliefs, but as a group we are united in our goals. These are people I would have never come to know if it were not for the Internet.

A lot has been on the news media about how bad the Internet is and it should be regulated. Here is a thought on that particular subject. Once you start regulating peoples thoughts and friendships, where does it end? While I agree that sites that are sexually explicit need to be monitored for obivious reasons, I do not feel it is the right of "big brother" telling me which sites are sexually explicit. Obviously, I am not referring to child pornograhpy, or a site showing abuse. These people should be proscecuted to the fullest extent of the law in whatever country it is coming from. I guess I am uncomfortable with government telling me what is appropriate for me to read or think. I have free will and a mind of my own, I would rather decide for myself what I look at. This particular subject can and will open a whole new can of worms, let me just say I am not in favor of any pornography, abuse or racially biased website. When it comes to children looking at such sites, where are the parents?

This brings up another thought: How do you regulate another countries Internet use? As a nation of free people you cannot and should not tell another country how to live. You should encourage world leaders to follow your example, not shove it down their throats! (Another can of worms)

As you can see from my ramblings, the Internet is a great place for sharing ideas and opinions without the arguments! I am sure most of you agree with me concerning the statements above, some have different view points on how to handle the problems. The Internet enables us to share and discuss these ideas without causing loss of friendships. Because lets face it, you don't make friends on the Internet, you make acquaintances. You will 99% of the time never meet the people you converse with over the Internet.

I would just like to say in closing that I have made very good acquaintances through the Internet. A few are more caring about myself and my family than some of my offline friends. I can be more open with the acquainances on the Internet than some of my offline friends. That is the beauty of the Internet...

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About Online Trading

The invention of the Internet has brought about many changes in the way that we conduct our lives and our personal business. We can pay our bills online, shop online, bank online, and even date online!

We can even buy and sell stocks online. Traders love having the ability to look at their accounts whenever they want to, and brokers like having the ability to take orders over the Internet, as opposed to the telephone.

Most brokers and brokerage houses now offer online trading to their clients. Another great thing about trading online is that fees and commissions are often lower. While online trading is great, there are some drawbacks.

If you are new to investing, having the ability to actually speak with a broker can be quite beneficial. If you aren’t stock market savvy, online trading may be a dangerous thing for you. If this is the case, make sure that you learn as much as you can about trading stocks before you start trading online.

You should also be aware that you don’t have a computer with Internet access attached to you. You won’t always have the ability to get online to make a trade. You need to be sure that you can call and speak with a broker if this is the case, using the online broker. This is true whether you are an advanced trader or a beginner.

It is also a good idea to go with an online brokerage company that has been around for a while. You won’t find one that has been in business for fifty years of course, but you can find a company that has been in business that long and now offers online trading.

Again, online trading is a beautiful thing – but it isn’t for everyone. Think carefully before you decide to do your trading online, and make sure that you really know what you are doing!

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7 Search pay per click search engines

The internet based search engines are one of the most important tools which aid the consumers considerably by retrieving the necessary information from the World Wide Web. The pay per click ads are a common feature of these search engines and they perform a variety of functions. It is interesting to note that these pay per click ads are usually placed in various web sites, blogs and advertising networks apart from being placed in websites. These pay per click ads are a great source of earning revenue. This is because the advertisers put their stake on certain key words which they expect the consumer to insert in the search engine in order to gain some information. In such cases, the moment the user clicks on that particular ad, the advertiser pays money. Sponsored ads or sponsored links are also some of the key features of these search engines. There are numerous pay per click options available in the internet at present.

7 Search is a very well known search engine and it is necessary to point out here that the name carries enormous significance. It has been noted that in 7 Search, it is possible for an advertiser to display his ads within 7 minutes of signing up. The most significant feature of the 7 Search is that it provides a plethora of useful tools which aids hugely in regulating the various pay per click ad campaigns. Such a feature is the Keyword Suggestion tool which allows the uploading of enormous data based on a larger series of keywords which may be inserted in the search engine by the consumer. In 7 Search it is possible for one to see the previous keyword searches and also therefore it enables one to locate the number of clicks in the previous month and therefore judge one's rank position. On the basis of this ranking, an advertiser may increase or decrease his bid depending upon the revenue outcomes. The advertisers in the pay per click ads of 7 Search are also allowed to change the valuation of the bids or alter them to reach the top slot. Under such circumstances, one must always bear in mind that this option of altering the bid is allowed to be performed only once in 24 hours and depends on a first-come-first-serve basis. Mass submissions are supported by 7 Search and in case an advertiser's account is on a low, the search engine will immediately notify them. a total of $25 is required in order to open an account in 7 Search.

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Stone Polishing is a Kind of Art

By dylan sun [ 02/10/2007 ]
[ viewed 85 times ]



WHICH STONES WILL POLISH?

Most stones on the beach will not polish, but there are many that will. The harder stones polish best - those that look almost shiny already. Reject those stones which look grainy, they may be hard, but will not polish.

One way of checking the hardness of a stone is to try to scratch it with a penknife. If the knife cuts a mark or produces a powdery line, then the stone will not polish. If the knife leaves a metallic line, then the stone is harder than steel and it will polish. This is not to say that softer stones, such as serpentine, cannot be polished, but they must only be polished with other stones of similar hardness and not mixed with harder stones.

Tumbling times will be shorter with softer stones and a close watch will have to be kept on them, as it will not take so long to grind and polish them. Select stones that are generally 1 inch in diameter or smaller, one or two larger stones may be polished in a load that consists primarily of smaller stones.

Step by step rock polishing instructions

STEP 1
Open the barrel by pushing either end cap off with your thumbs. When new they are sometimes tight, but if you immerse the barrel in hot water they can be easily removed. Squeezing one side of the barrel assists when opening. If you use warm water to fill the barrel it will help to suck on the lid. (stone_buy)

1. Fill barrel ? full with stones and shake to settle. Do not use less, it will not work as there is no tumbling action unless the barrel is filled sufficiently.
2. Add water to just over the top of the stones.
3. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of coarse silicon carbide 80grit for a 1 ? lb barrel or 2 heaped tablespoons for a 3lb barrel and 3 heaped tablespoons for a 5 lb barrel.
4. Run the machine for a few days and nights while occasionally examining the stones. Fairly smooth pebbles might need only about 3 days to become nicely rounded while very jagged ones may need 10 or more days running and the grit topping up to get the same effect. 7 days is a reasonable average.
When satisfied proceed to:

STEP 2
1. Thoroughly clean the stones and barrel by removing both ends.
2. Proceed as before using 220 grit this time .It should only be necessary to run this grade for about 5-6 days .

STEP 3
1. Thoroughly clean stones and barrel by removing both end caps, washing carefully.
2. Proceed as before using the same proportions of grit and water but this time use 400 grit. Please note this stage is very significant and determines the final polish, it is vital you do not cut it short. (st-onebuy)
3. Allow at least 7 days tumbling. Do not top up with fresh grit as this will re roughen the stones .Each day on this stage imparts a smoother finish as the grit breaks down and progressively smoothes the stones making it far simpler for the next stage

STEP 4
1. Very, very thoroughly clean the stones and barrel. It would be useful to keep one barrel to be used specifically for polishing only, because of the difficulty of cleaning grits completely from the sides of the barrel. Additional barrels may be purchased separately. Examine the stones very carefully and make sure that they are very smooth. Discard any stones that are badly cracked or have jagged edges- they can be re tumbled with your next load. [s-tonebuy]
2. Repeat steps as before using similar amounts of water but one level tablespoon of cerium oxide instead of grit for a 1 ? lb barrel (adjust amounts accordingly for the size of barrel as with the grits). If the barrel has been cleaned out properly and the previous steps are carried out correctly 7 days running should produce gleaming stones! Remember as with all things practise makes perfect.

Do not put any of the resulting slurry down the sink - it is inclined to set solid!

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