Counter Assertion

A relatively new concept in the online world is “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. Everything from using the internet as an avenue to make more money in real estate to online games such as SecondLife seem to be included in the popular definition of this term.

In order to figure out the truth of the matter, I sought out Bryan Ellis, whose experience in the fledgling industry is truly impressive.

“I began using the term ‘virtual real estate investing’ in the late 1990’s when I realized the clear similiarities in profit strategies, regardless of whether the “real estate” is “virtual” or “physical” said Ellis.

Bryan Ellis cites the similar strategies one can employe to make money from “virtual property” and “physical property” as a primary parallel of the two markets. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.

I must admit: Its easy to see the parallels. Consider: A valuable piece of real estate is valuable largely due to the interest that other people have in that specific location. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. Regardless of the type of asset, you can sell or lease or use any number of strategies to turn the assets into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

The loved ones left behind following a tragic accident on the River Clyde took the lives of the crew of a tugboat in heavy fog are considering whether they should take legal action against the owners of the boat.

The company known as Svitzer Marine, which is headquartered in Denmark, was strongly criticised following an investigation into the tragedy by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

According to the MAIB there were severely lax safety requirements on the river itself and on board the tug boat which sailed under the name Flying Phantom. The families believe it proper safety procedures on the river Clyde were not followed and that required fog detection mechanisms were not installed.

The families are also requesting that criminal charges be brought against Svitzer and river operators Clydeport pointing out that there was a similar accident on the river seven years ago.

The accident just before Christmas 2007 happened while the tug was towing a bulk ship named Red Jasmine in a heavy fog after dark in the Rothesay Dock area, Clydebank. According to the official report to tug was unable to quick release the tow rope and was rapidly dragged under the water by the larger vessel it was towing.

This tragic accident is yet another reminder that it is essential to know the rules and regulations regarding health and safety at work. Workplace Law Training run a well respected NEBOSH distance learning course that will help keep you up todate and improve your company’s health and safety culture.

I have figured out a way to remain unaffected in an economy that is going down the toilet. It is the best thing for me to do to try to get business online. It is proven that one of the only areas that is not going to be affected by this economy is the Internet and Internet sales. This is because people are buying products online to save more money. So, I just got into affiliate Internet marketing program. The way it works is that I have a website that directs people to a specific website where they can buy a product, and I get a cut of whatever that customer buys.

I have wanted to get into the business of Internet sales for a while now, but I have been nervous because I just don’t know what I am doing. I am excited because I know once I get the hang of it I will have a lot of money to spend from all the sales that are coming in. But it the meantime, I just signed up for affiliate marketing make money, and I have no idea what to sell. Then, I found out that there is a tutorial on how to figure out what to sell, and I went out and got it right away.

On Friday, August 29, 2008, Sean King published an article in The Seoul Times, called “One Country, Three Systems? Unlikely.” Sean King discussed Hong Kong’s return to China in July of 2007. Though the Chinese anticipation for Hong Kong’s return was significant, there was more intrigue following what this move would mean for Taiwan.

Sean King’s analysis, decidedly, is that most people were “unnecessarily pessimistic about the former colony’s post-handover fate.” He said that the economy has remained unwavering, in spite of the difficulties China faced.

Sean King said, “…for Beijing, democratic virtues, or lack thereof, are only the beginning of the end of Hong Kong’s parallels with Taiwan. History is the key differentiator.” He then discussed some of the history behind the issues with Hong Kong and China. He referenced when Hong Kong became a part of China, falling under the Qin Dynasty.

And lastly, Sean King said: “It’s more than just a question of representative government. It’s a question of whether Taiwan’s people, ethnic Chinese or not, can see themselves within a greater Chinese state. Only Taiwanese themselves can make that call, and they’ll likely take their own sweet time. But the decision must be theirs, and theirs alone, to make.”

Sean King is the Vice President of Park Strategies, LLC and has been the expert in Asian-US economy interests for a number of years.

Lost & Found for the 21st Century

In today’s hectic world more and more people are turning to those handy gadgets and mobile products that can be taken with them anywhere they go. The more things consumers own, the more they’re prone to lose them. This in mind we actually went out and tested a new service on the UK market from Want it Bak. Lets see what Londoners are really made of.

We left a Palm m130 PDA on the Jubilee Line of the London Underground, a Sony Ericcson Mobile on the number 15 bus route, a Blackberry “email on the move” gizmo down in a local pub in South West London and a rucksack sitting in Starbucks Chancery Lane area. Lastly we left a digital camera sitting out in the open in Hyde park. Not the easiest thing leaving items lying about in this highly security conscious world we live in these days.

Here in the 21st century our lives have become more and more reliant on mobile items. As we go through our days, keeping a mental log of everything we have and where we have it becomes more and more difficult. It is inevitable that some things get lost. In fact as stated in a recent research “Around 62,000 mobile phones were left in London taxis during the last six months. That’s an average three phones per taxi, according to a survey of licensed London cabbies by the Taxi Newspaper and Pointsec Mobile Technologies. Absent minded and drunken travellers also forgot 4,000 laptops and 5,000 PDA’s when exiting cabs”.

So what can we do to have give us some reassurance that we have at least a chance of getting our valuable or even sentimental items back.

In steps lost and found for the 21st century in the form of Want it Bak. The service is based around the belief that most people are actually honest and will do the right thing if a method is offered to them. This feel good factor is enhanced by the added incentive of a reward for doing the right thing.

Anything you can imagine, mobile phones, keys, cameras, PDA’s, laptops, binoculars, backpacks, passports, briefcases, wallets and purses, golf clubs, power tools, textbooks, credit cards, cheque books… you get the picture, it can all be protected using their simple system.

How does Want it Bak work? Simple. You purchase a range of security tags each with their own unique id number. You register them with Want it Bak and that’s it. If you ever lose the item and someone finds it they contact Want it Bak directly using their website or their 0800 number and they arrange a courier to pick it up and return it to the owner for a small admin charge.

One of the best things about this service is the confidential nature of it. The “Finder” never knows who the owner is and vice versa. Reassuring for owners of expensive items, they can now safely retrieve their possessions.

“It’s a great incentive for people to do the right thing”, says Chris Cameron from Want it Bak, “Our research shows that most people are actually honest and the biggest barrier they have to returning items is the hassle of finding out who it belongs to, arranging delivery or pick up, getting the time to drop the item off at the local police station. Now they don’t have to do anything except ring us or visit our website, and they get a Reward for their troubles”.

The “Finders” themselves are offered a basic reward of £10 gift pack of Want it Bak Labels. Additionally the finders may also receive gift vouchers, shop discounts, trial packs and much more. Customers may also offer an optional CASH reward to Finders as a thank you to the person for taking the time to contact Want it Bak.

Want it Bak organises Couriers to pick up and delivery directly to you your lost item. As a customer of Want it Bak you are only charged if an item is lost. No ongoing monthly subscriptions or fees. Just a basic Administration charge when an item is found of £25 which includes next day courier delivery UK wide. A small price to pay for the return of your personal items.

“This service is invaluable” say Russell Lewis of Chelsea, an actual benefactor having signed up from the start. “A few weeks back while travelling home in a Black Cab I left my portfolio containing vital customer information and demonstration CD-ROMs. It would of taken me weeks, if ever at all, to redo everything. Before the end of the day Want it Bak had taken a call and I had arranged for it to be sent straight back to me. This is an amazing service, it was all so easy.”

So how did we go with our test?
Well Want it Bak claim an 80% return rate, which works out to about 5 out of 6 items. It seems Londoners are more honest that we thought. The camera was found by someone in Hyde Park and within the hour Want it Bak had taken the call and arranged return. When originally registering this item we had offered £50 cash reward to the finder.

The “finder” Sam, an office worker was very impressed “I was out walking at lunch time and came across the camera just sitting there. Having personally lost my camera while holidaying in Greece earlier in the year I knew how annoyed the owner would be. The Want it Bak labels were visible enough and probably prompted me more to the right thing than if they hadn’t been there. The whole process only took me a couple of minutes when I got back to the office. Want it Bak arranged a time for the courier to come and they picked it up from me at work. Few days later my reward and £50 cheque turned up in the mail. Fantastic.”

The PDA & Blackberry were also found by good Samaritans and returned. In fact the only thing still outstanding was the rucksack left in a Starbucks, strangely enough the least expensive of the 5 items. No doubt the cause of a police call out during these troubled times. The mobile phone turned up a couple of days later. No bad 4 out 5. Well done London.

Like most things these days there are no guarantees of course, but just the knowledge that for a small price you can have an additional type of insurance that works when you need it to.

www.wantitbak.com for more information.

As new technologies continue to change the look of today’s classrooms and media centers in the educational and business community, the laminator continues to be a fundamental and intricate part of these centers. In most cases you will find at least one roller laminator or pouch laminator in every public school and even in most colleges.

Now today’s laminators have certainly surpassed those of the past with the evolution of electronic technology. Although it still requires some input from the end user, most controls are processed through a main control center (microprocessor).
Heating is no longer controlled by the unreliable means of thermal fuses and thermal cut off fuses. Finding the proper temperature for your particular laminating project has become so much easier with the advent of the brains of the laminator now being controlled by a microprocessor. Your laminating temperature remains at a constant giving you the high quality laminations you require for education or business applications every time you laminate.

Even the control of the motor speed and voltages required to operate the drive motor of the laminator are now controlled by a separate processor. The need to operate the drive functions of your laminator with an AC motor are long since past. The processor now allows the motor to operate on DC voltages, making the drive motor more reliable and less expensive to replace when repairs become necessary.

In retrospect, from a service technician’s point of view, repairs have certainly become more technical in nature. A background in Electronics is now a must for anyone who plans on servicing this new generation of laminators. Repairs can no longer be easily performed by the end user, and in some instances could actually be hazardous because of the voltages they may encounter, as many of today’s larger laminators operate on 220 volts. General cleaning of course can still be performed by the end user, and can prolong the life of rollers and heating elements if performed properly, but troubleshooting electronic components should be left to a professional service technician.

As advancements in electronic technologies continue, they will continue to complement the laminators of the future, as the need for laminating will continue to be necessary whether it is for education, security or the preservation of important documents.

Mark Boehm is the president of M-B Electronics He has over 25 years of experience in the Audio Visual and Electronics Industry. You can contact M-B Electronics at 800-872-9456 or at etbinc@comcast.net.

Article sourcce: http://www.mbelectronics.com/article.aspx?id=68

AutoShip, or the automatic delivery of products or services on a monthly basis primarily serves two functions: 1) To create consistent consumption and repeat purchases of that product or service by the consumer; 2) Customer convenience, by eliminating the need for the customer to have to repeatedly reorder the same products or services over and over again.

Unfortunately, the benefits of AutoShip for either of the above purposes are vastly overrated. It is true that network marketing companies would love to see their customers continue to come back month after month to make repeat purchases. However, in reality, it simply doesn’t work that way. Unless you have a product or service that by nature is generally delivered via ongoing subscription, i.e., newspapers and magazines, utilities (including communications and Internet), insurance, loans, financial services, etc., just getting the customer to agree to go on AutoShip is no guarantee that they won’t cancel it.

Many companies and their representatives like to rely on the fact that a certain percentage of customers will indeed stay on AutoShip for extended periods for no other reason than habit, and/or because they simply don’t know how to cancel it. Is that really the position that you want your customers to be in, though? People who are buying your product simply because they forgot or don’t know how to cancel the recurring AutoShip order?

Most friends and associates tend to view me as a well organized person. And certainly I’m not one to waste money. Yet, despite that, I will admit that in any given year it is not uncommon for me to spend anywhere from several hundred to over one thousand dollars on products and services that I simply didn’t have time (or didn’t know how) to cancel. It is not by accident that many companies make it easy to sign up for the automatic delivery of their products or services, but provide no easy way to cancel.

In the case of one MLM related service that I decided to try out, not only was there no way to cancel online, but their Contact form didn’t work, so there was, seemingly, no way to send them an email either! At first, they provided only a Contact form and no email address. When eventually I found an email address and sent an email asking them to cancel my account there was no reply! Finally I found a phone number and called them, and even then they often had problems with their voicemail box being full or not taking messages, etc.

So, while it is possible to retain some customers longer simply because it’s easy for them to signup for AutoShip but not so easy to cancel, again, do you really want your customer to feel like he or she is being held hostage?

Ideally, you should have high quality products and services that are well understood and in demand by your customers. Customers should continue ordering because they WANT or NEED your product or service, and not simply because it’s on AutoShip.

In the majority of cases, companies, and their representatives, want people on AutoShip for ONE reason and one reason only, to attempt to extract ongoing consistent revenue from that customer. At least from the company’s standpoint, that’s the real bottom line. And, from both the company’s standpoint and that of the representative, that AutoShip may very well be tied to that representative achieving or maintaining a certain compensation level, often with names like Silver, Bronze, Gold, Platinum, Executive, etc. The more money you spend each month (especially on AutoShip) the more money you qualify for in the compensation plan. Often this results in inflated and/or artificial consumption. In other words, people either buying things they don’t really need, and/or buying more than they really need.

Rule #1 For Keeping AutoShip Under Control: For your own long term financial success and in the best interests of your customers, is to make sure that you buy only what you need! If you need a particular product or service delivered every month and in that quantity, great. If not, don’t agree to have it continue to be auto-shipped to you.

Rule #2 is to remember that, whether as a representative or a customer, YOU are the ultimate consumer and purchaser. It’s your money! Therefore, it should be up to you as to when and how much of it you spend. Don’t be intimidated by your company or upline into buying more than you need, or fall into the trap of trying to make your representatives and customers to do the same (buy more than they need on AutoShip).

In the short run you may make less money than if your numbers are artificially inflated by people buying more on AutoShip than they really want to. But, in the long run, you’ll have a stronger customer and rep base, and your representatives and customers will respect you far more for keeping their best interests in mind by encouraging them to buy your products and services because they want and need them, and in the quantities they need them in.

At the very beginning of this article “Customer Convenience” was mentioned as one of the reasons that companies claim to offer AutoShip.

However, after decades of experience ordering a multitude of products worth tens of thousands of dollars, and watching others do the same, I’m absolutely convinced that AutoShip can be just as much an inconvenience as it is a convenience.

And please let me be quick to point out that, yes, I absolutely DO have products and services that to this very day are delivered to me each and every month on AutoShip. I’ll go even further by sharing with you that in just one category, nutritional products, I order as much as $400 to $600 PER MONTH worth of those kinds of products.

HOWEVER, in a “slow” month I might order as little as $100 to $150 worth of product. So, you might be wondering, why the difference, and what do I mean by a “slow” month?

Just one example: Health Packs (or Paks). Keep in mind that this is most commonly applicable to health and nutritional products, but it can apply to many other products and services as well.

Most health and wellness companies offer at least one, “Health Pack,” which they’ve stocked with items they feel that most people would always want to purchase every month. Again, these packages may also be designed to qualify the representative for a particular level in the company’s compensation plan.

The problem with this approach is that, especially if it is a pack that contains many varied products, it is highly unlikely that you will consume all of its contents equally over the entire month. So, at the end of the month it is very possible that you’ll end up with too much, or too little, of some of the products included in any given package.

If you just keep ordering that same package then before long you’ll end up with a whole surplus of some items, and perhaps run short on others. That’s what I mean by a “slow” month. Slow months for me are those months where the previous months’ AutoShips have caused me to be overstocked on certain items. If I end up getting overstocked on many if not most items, then I may only spend as little as $100 to $150 that month buying just the few items that I’m running out of. On the other hand, if it is a month during which I’ve almost run out of everything, or soon will be, then I can easily spend as much as $400 to $600 purchasing all of the health and nutritional products that I might typically buy in any given month.

Do I continue to keep receiving products on AutoShip every month even when I already have too many, or don’t need them? Absolutely not! If I see that I’m getting too stocked up on certain items then I’ll remove those items from my AutoShip order for that month. Some companies let you put AutoShip on “pause” and then resume it again when you are ready for exactly this reason. However, if no such options are provided I am not at all shy about simply canceling my AutoShip order for a particular month altogether. Then, when I see that I’m going to be running low on those items, I’ll go back on AutoShip.

AUTO SHIP DEADLINES

Especially if you are new to receiving products on AutoShip, be sure to familiarize yourself with your company’s policy for submitting changes or cancellations to your order. Some companies will allow you to literally change your order almost at the last minute. More commonly, however, they will have a policy that states that you must do so well prior to the actual AutoShip date, sometimes by as much as 10 days in advance! If your company has such a policy and you wait until after the deadline you may be unable to stop your AutoShip for that month, even if you don’t need any more of the product!

To summarize:

1. Emphasize the value of your products and services so that both you and your customers are purchasing because they need and want your products, and not just to meet some compensation plan requirement. Ask yourself, “if I weren’t personally involved in this company, would I still be buying this product?”

Almost all of the products and services that I mentioned above that I buy, sometimes to the tune of as much as $400 to $600 a month, are for my personal consumption only and not at all because I’m trying to qualify for a spot somewhere in a company’s compensation plan. In fact, in most cases, I do not push the opportunity at all, and in most have never signed up even a single rep. (Though I’m a huge fan of health and wellness and practice it daily, it just so happens that my primary focus is on building organizations outside of the strictly heath and wellness area.). So, I can definitely answer with a resounding, “yes,” the question, “would I buy these products anyway even if no opportunity were involved.”

If you can answer, “yes,” to that question and you happen to be in the health and wellness area, awesome! You’ll be much better off and build a stronger organization and customer base as a result.

2. Do not buy and certainly do not continue to receive on monthly AutoShip anything that you do not really want or need. Buy products because you actually intend to use them, and not just to qualify for a certain level of compensation.

3. Monitor your AutoShips and your usage of the products and be ready to adjust as needed, ordering more, or less, whenever necessary.

4. Finally, remember that YOU ultimately are in control and are the one who determines what you need, and in what quantity, and when. So, if you are simply getting too stocked up on certain items, or you simply don’t need them during a certain month, don’t be shy about canceling your AutoShip order if your company doesn’t give you more flexible options. You can always resume your AutoShip order when you are ready.

And, lastly, let me point out that, all things considered, as long as you actually need and want whatever products you are buying, then by all means DO take advantage of any specials, bonuses, and/or compensation plan benefits that you will enjoy by ordering on AutoShip. In other words, if your company offers advantages to placing your order on AutoShip, as opposed to placing a “regular” order, there is nothing wrong with that. Very few companies have a policy that states that you won’t get those same advantages just because you don’t stay on AutoShip every single month. If you cancel your AutoShip this month for instance, naturally you probably won’t enjoy for that month any of the perks that are offered for being on AutoShip. However, when you DO decide to order again, if you place your order back on AutoShip, you’ll probably enjoy the same benefits as if you had been on AutoShip the entire time.

Some people like to shop at sales just because items are on sale. Hence the old saying, “no sale is a good sale if you don’t need the item that’s on sale!” Likewise, AutoShip does have it’s place, but no benefit is likely to worth it if you are spending money each month buying products on AutoShip that you don’t really need or want.

GRPMAX, L.L.C. was founded by CEO Phil Covington in 1979 and is the parent company of www.abcincome.com. GRPMAX specializes in developing Uniquely Innovative Technologies & Solutions and has worked with clients ranging from small business, to government, to the Fortune 500. Specifically, GRPMAX creates solutions that automate processes that previously required human staffing and interaction. Mr. Covington’s interest in the home business field started in the 1980s and developed out of relationships with some of the industry’s most talented and highest earning individuals, during which time he has actively pursued the creation of the ultimate home business passive income solution.

Whether it is virtual reality, urban planning, restoration of ancient arts, communication on a global basis, defense strategies, watching programs or carrying on with daily business, the computer has become an indispensable part of our daily life.

However, when our computer suffers from technical problems, whether it is viral or any other hardware or software issues, we face a total breakdown in computer communications.

Repairing computer might be a perennial activity. Upgrading your computer on a regular and systematic basis is a very important factor to maintain the efficiency of the machine and to make your computer provide you with the best of services.

Repairing computers has become a big business. It has become a flourishing career for many technicians who offer services for both the hardware and software devices of the machine. At the same time, it is good for an owner to know the intricacies of their machine and have the knowledge to do some repairs on their own. Not only will you save a lot of money should your computer fail and need repair, but knowing just what must be done to get your computer up and running again is a wonderful feeling, and a great advantage over the competition if you are a businessman or a serious user.

One can get all the necessary information from numerous books available in the market as well as online. There are a thousand of websites who render support and information about computer repair. These services are worth the money because one can gather practical application.

Still, if you are not inclined to learn the basics or intricacies of your computer, there are many technicians who offer computer repair for various fees and services.

Computer Repair provides detailed information on Computer Network Repair, Computer Repair, Computer Repair Services, Computer Repair Software and more. Computer Repair is affiliated with Computer Part Supplies.

What happens if the world is faced with a Pandemic, for which no cure currently exists but one is on the verge of being discovered? Here is a concept, which with the proper protocols could save the human race from near extinction. Human Hibernation. Put as many of the Pandemic victims to sleep as possible before they succumb to the virus or pathogen. Then isolate a team of scientists to figure out a cure. Once the cure is discovered inoculate the scientific team and have them go around to wake everyone up. Wake up the largest groups first and train them with videos how to inoculate the all those people that there is enough vaccine for.

Each time enlisting more recovering people to help and train others; eventually over many months waking back up the entire human race from their suspended animation or hibernation event. Think it sounds to Sci Fi like for you? Well think again, because within a couple of years it will be possible. One groups of scientists have discovered that using a certain ratio of hydrogen sulfide gas that they could induce hibernation in mice. Bears and ground hogs and many other mammals can hibernate and it is likely that all mammals can do this, yes, including human beings. Therefore as this technology becomes available and with the proper protocols it is possible to save the entire human race from such a Pandemic or possible extinction. We need to have a plan, think on this.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

If your child has ADHD, talking to his teacher may be the most important thing you can do to help him function more effectively at school in spite of his ADHD, and maybe even because of the ADHD.

Most teachers want to help their students, and most teachers have had ADHD kids in their classes before, if they’ve been teaching long. In general, teachers want to understand ADHD and the ADHD child and in particular they want to understand your child, their student.

Your first step in talking to a teacher about your ADHD child should be to simply explain that your child has ADHD, that it ADHD is a common childhood illness, and that you and your child’s doctor are ready to provide any information the teacher requires about ADHD, including a list of books and web sites that discuss teaching the ADHD child.

Next, ask if your child is having any problems in the classroom or on the playground. If your ADHD child is having problems at school, find out what they are, whether they are likely related to ADHD, and what you can do about them.

Your child’s teacher will need to know what ADHD medications your child is taking, even if he doesn’t take them at school. Also explain any other ADHD treatments your child is receiving, including therapy or special diet.

Finally, find out if your ADHD child can get any special services. If you are in a public school in the United States, the answer to this is yes, there are accomodations available for ADHD kids. Private schools or schools outside the U.S. will have different ADHD accomodations.

If you feel you haven’t gotten the results you hoped for by talking to your ADHD child’s teacher, or if the teacher feels there is more that can be done, you can also talk to a guidance counselor. These specialists may know more about ADHD than your average teacher and may be able to help.

Angie Dixon is a writer and ADHD mom of an ADHD son, Jack. For a free report on helping your ADHD son, see Angie’s site “That’s My Son!” at http://www.Raising-the-ADHD-boy.com