Real Estate Investment - When is the Bottom Really the Bottom?

The real estate market continues to spiral downward on its way to bottom. Every day, the press continues to report more and more bad news. Foreclosure rates are up and home sales are down over last year. "Short sale" has become an all-to-familiar phrase in the industry. The question that is being asked is, "When will the value of real estate stabilize?" Can anyone accurately predict when the market will actually will reach bottom?

The press and most others are not asking the right questions. The real estate market should not be considered as one giant ocean without tributaries, but rather as streams and rivers representing local markets that flow together to form that larger body known as the real estate market.

In some small towns, the local market can be made up of an entire town. It doesn't matter whether the house is located on "A" Avenue or clear cross town on "P" Street. Relative value would not be affected by location. In larger towns or small cities, neighborhoods would govern "locational" values. While in larger cities, two perpendicular streets may each have different value.

The type of real estate investment also reflects what market a property is in. A single family house, an office building or a mall are all different markets even if they are in the same town or neighborhood. Each property's value will depend on these factors. Is there any wonder why it is so hard to predict when the nation will hit "bottom"?

Real estate is a unique form of investment. As I have written, it takes many different forms when considered as an investment. If you consider income producing properties, then the value can only ultimately increase as much or as fast as the income it produces. The market corrects relatively quickly because the income of the property can not sustain the debt service on the borrowed funds at the inflated price. Investment real estate is a business, i.e. income must be more than expenses in more years than not to be sustainable. Consequently, you can only hype that product for so long before the bubble pops.

The home market is a different story. It takes longer to correct because it is farther away from a "perfect" market. Primary or secondary residential properties do not produce income from tenants. However, they do have expenses such as real estate taxes, insurance and debt service. As prices for these properties escalate, so do the expenses, especially the debt service. However, as prices escalate, fewer and fewer people can afford to buy the asset since, in a perfect market, they would not qualify for financing. As we saw, though, this controlling mechanism was abated by banks and government lowering lending standards, reducing down payment requirements, and having low initial interest rates on loans. These artificial mechanisms allowed more and more people to qualify for homeownership which then consequently bid up the value of homes to an unsustainable high. When the inevitable downturn occurred due to the combination of oversupply, the price of oil and higher interest rates, the boom turned to a bust and we have a falling market.

Many factors will influence when the bottoming of the broader market will occur. That question, like others posed by the press, is irrelevant to the investor. You can not time the real estate market any more than you can time the stock market. Each purchase or sale must be evaluated through the unique prism of the time, place and circumstances when it is occurring. If, after thoughtful analysis, it doesn't make economic sense, then the investment should not be made or a current holding should be sold. Too often we see what we want or hope to see rather than what is actually there.

Thomas F. Campenni CPM, CCIM has more than 35 years of experience as a broker and is licensed in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Since 1992, Tom's focus has been working with a smaller client base so that he can provide the kind of individualized service that results in greater return for his clients and, consequently, greater client satisfaction. In addition to his real estate brokers' licenses, Tom also holds insurance licenses in New York and Florida and has earned the CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) and CPM (Certified Property Manager) designations. Please visit http://www.thomascampenni.com or email him at Tom@thomascampenni.com for additional information.

Fundamentals and Basic Principles of Economics - Domestic and International Approach

Wherever we go, economics is everywhere all over the world and it can be located in all major continents around the globe. This begins in domestic up to global approach. In my own opinion, economics is a social science. There are several branches of economics to deal with and these are: Sociology that studies the society and culture, Physics that studies the useful in the production of goods and services that produces machines and electricity,Political Science because it will study the economic policies of each leaders across the globe because it influence from the government of economic activities,History that studies the past, present, and future events of economic developments, Religion because it will based on the studies of religious traditions and beliefs that can encourage or discourage of economic development.

Readers and Viewers must discover and know the content of economics. This article will be tackling fundamental and basic principles of economics. Fundamentals of economics is focus on banks or banking, business, business cycle, depression, economic freedom, income, inflation, investment, labor force, manufacturing, marketing, money, monopoly and competition, consumer price index, cost of living, physiocrats, price, production, profit, property or dealing with real estate business, recession, rent, standard of living, supply and demand, trust, unemployment, value added tax in which I believed that this term will be understand by the viewers. The meaning of economics is very simple. According to Fajardo, the author of his book titled "Economics" third edition, The meaning of economics is the social science that deals with proper allocation and efficient use of available resources for the maximum satisfaction of human needs and wants.

Here in economics, there is also an economic system and theories to be learned by the readers and viewers. They must know the information of capitalism, communism, economic determinism, Facism, laissez faire theory, Theories of business cycle, Manioralism, Mercantilism, Socialism, and Syndicalism. They must take note that economic system is a set of an economic institutions that dominates a given economy. There is also a history in Economics from past to present times, even in the future. According to Fusfeld, who has a knowledge of John Meynard Keynes or known as "Baron Keynes of Tilton" that has a famous books which is very popular until now titled "Keynes General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money" which was written in the year 1936 which ranks among the most important books on economics. Aside from this, among his other works are A Tract on Monetary Reform written in year 1923, The End of Laissez Faire Theory written in year 1926, and also A Treatise on Money written in year 1930. There are also future in economics and these are called "ethico-economics in which I will discover it on my next article and next is economic crisis that cannot predict when will it happen so it belongs to the future.

After mentioning the introductory part and historical background of Economics, this time I will proceed to domestic approach. The writer of this article will focus on the Philippine Financial System in order to share ideas, thoughts, and opinions from other nations. This article is a big help for those who will take Master's and Doctoral Degree in Economics. In Philippines, the most common financial institutions are based on banking, pawnshops, insurance companies,lending, financial or lending companies. The Banngko Sentral ng Pilipinas or known as BSP (former Central Bank of the Philippines) is the central monetary authority and their purpose is to maintain monetary stability, and to promote a balance and sustainable economic growth.

The last part content will be international approach because it deals with global economy. In our planet Earth, seven continents around the globe gather to participate in International Trade. To those who are interested in this part of my article, they can find or search it in tariff, trade, International Monetary Fund or known as IMF, Asian Development Bank or known as ADB, Exports and Import, Common Market, Exchange Rate, World Bank.

To understand the meaning of international trade, according to James B. Calderwood, "International trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries and it is sometimes called "world trade" or "foreign trade". to explain this meaning, it enables a nation to produce the goods it can make the most cheaply and exchange them for goods it finds more costly to produce from one country to another countries. That is how the international trade means to the economics. The good example that practice International Trade is Japan because they can compete with other countries.

The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank are the major lenders to our country. Their development funds have been focus on economic development such as agriculture.

After mentioning my content of economics from domestic up to global approach, they must take note that we are in the concerns of social responsibility this is not referring to the rich or poor people.

A. Books

Calderwood, James B. "International Trade" Vol. 10, The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, World Book, Inc.,1985.

Fajardo, Feliciano R. "Economics" 3rd Ed. Sta. Mesa Heights,Quezon City:Rex Printing Company, Inc. May,1996.

Fusfeld, Daniel R. "Keynes, John Maynard" Vol. 11, The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, World Book Inc.,1984.

Government Is Not the Answer

We have seen an unbelievable number of fumbles, errors and just plain mistakes made by Congress and various administrations over the years. But the speed and frequency of the self-induced problems in Washington today are so apparent that, if it were not so serious, this would be a laughing matter.

Part of the reason for the mounting problems is that the government's influence is growing and it is seeking more involvement, which 57% of adults are against according to a recent Rasmussen survey. The other part is the obvious inability of the ever-expanding bureaucracy to deal with day-to-day issues with any kind of effectiveness. The synergy produced by this quest for power coupled with a lack of experience and ability to manage long-distance issues or business oriented situations is much like a snow ball gaining both speed and mass as it plummets downhill to its ultimate end.

Things are happening that never before occurred in our lifetime. Even pre-boomers, those born between 1930 and 1945, who were brought into the world during the Great Depression and WWII were not prepared for what has taken place in the recent past and continues to plague us.

The half-spent stimulus package, cash for clunkers, taking over GM and Chrysler, special favors and concessions for unions, the bank and insurance company bailouts, passing the House version of cap and trade (the energy tax), the late-night, questionable vote on health care that added 32 million to the insurance roles while setting up Medicare to be cut by $500 billion, floating the concept of a value added tax (national sales tax), freezing Social Security cost of living adjustments (COLA) for a minimum of two years for the first time in the history of the program represent a partial list of concerns.

Plus there's the unemployment rate that has been hovering around 10 %. An exploding national debt, the highest budget deficit in history and the out-of-control spending. Add to this the economic and fiscal issues, questions about the administration not reacting promptly to the need for troops in Afghanistan or sending forces to the Arizona border, the entire immigration/amnesty problem, as well as being slow to deal with the Gulf oil spill and clean up. There is also a host of smaller, yet nagging problems facing America, which have yet to surface. Maybe that's why polls show only 28% of likely voters believe the country is headed in the right direction.

It's obvious that the politicians' wish list is far too long and their agenda differs greatly from the general population. New Seniors, who are already retired or soon will be, have plenty to worry about. Paying for more programs through taxes, fees or increased prices for goods and services are certainly at the top of our fear list. Lower quality healthcare and some form of rationing is certainly a possibility. And there's more. But our greatest fear is for our children and their children, How are they ever going to pay for the government inserting itself into our personal lives? We need to vote for a more responsible government. And we can start this November. That's the answer.

Don Potter, a Philadelphia native, was born in 1936 and is a 50 year veteran of the advertising agency business. Now living in Los Angeles, he has written two novels in retirement, frequently writes on marketing issues, and has a blog dedicated to pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945).

Read more articles for and about pre-boomers with thoughts, comments and opinions designed to spark thinking, foster discussion, and stimulate debate by logging on to http://www.pre-boomermusings.com

Top 7 Tips To Take Supplements Without Getting Taken

Walk down the supplement aisle at most health food stores, pharmacies and, increasingly, supermarkets, and it is almost impossible not to feel overwhelmed by the dozens - sometimes hundreds - of brands and combinations. Should you select a multivitamin/mineral combination or a dozen bottles of single-nutrient supplements or a multi plus a few additional singles? Should you buy natural supplements or synthetic? Regular or timed-release? A store brand or a national brand? Tablets or capsules?

If so, how much more? Energy formula? Stress formula? Women's formula or men's? It is such a hassle, there are so many brands and so many combinations. The choices are confusing, and few consumers know much about what they are buying. As a result, they often spend much more than necessary for supplements that may not meet their needs. Fortunately, you can take supplements without getting taken. Here is what I can advise.

1. Look For An Expiration Date

An expiration date is no guarantee of freshness, but it suggests that the packager understands that vitamins have a finite shell life. Steer clear of supplements within six to nine months of their expiration dates. They have probably been in the bottle for several years and may be past their prime.

2. Keep Supplements Away From Children

This is especially true for iron, often taken to treat iron-deficiency anemia or iron loss from heavy menstrual flow. Although - iron and supplements in general - are safe for most adults at the optimal daily requirement, it takes only a few tablets of a high-potency iron supplement to kill a child. An estimated 5,000 children swallow toxic doses of iron supplements every year; a few die. In the typical case, an adult carelessly leaves iron supplements on a bathroom or kitchen counter. Don't do this.

3. Don't Get Taken In By Hype

Want more energy? Stress management? Sexual ecstasy? Longevity? Immune enhancement? Freedom from illness? Some supplement labels promise their products can do everything except raise the dead - and maybe that too, if you take enough. Biochemically, vitamins and minerals play important roles in virtually every body system and process. So yes, they are involved in energy production, stress reactions, sexual enjoyment and everything else. But by themselves, supplements do not eliminate fatigue, alleviate stress or make you a great lover. Some supplements can help prevent and treat specific conditions, but brands that claim to keep you young, beautiful, energetic, mellow and sexy offer more hype than hope.

4. Think Food First

Supplements absolutely, positively do not replace food, and they cannot undo the damage caused by a chronically poor diet. Before you buy supplements, fill your shopping cart with fresh fruits and vegetables - and eat them. Buy organic produce if you like. But the data clearly show that any fresh fruits and vegetables help prevent cancer. Get your five servings a day, and then take your supplements as extra added wellness insurance.

5. Look For Beta-carotene Instead Of Vitamin A

The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, so for all practical purposes, they are the same thing. However, long-term use of vitamin A at doses above 50,000 international units a day may cause problems. Beta-carotene is non-toxic even at high doses, so stick to that. Beware of labels that say vitamin A with beta-carotene. If the label does not specify, you can't be sure how much of each you are getting.

6. Supplement Your Insurance Formula

Insurance formulas have breadth but possibly not enough depth for your personal needs. If you have a family history of cancer or heart disease, you may want to take larger doses of antioxidants. In addition, some minerals are simply too bulky to fit into a single pill. The optimal daily requirement for calcium is 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams a day, but it is impossible to get that much from an insurance formula. Magnesium is also too bulky to fit into a single pill. Women of childbearing age should take 400 micrograms of folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects, but insurance formulas may not provide that much.

7. Forget Brand Names

All vitamins are essentially the same. Only about a half-dozen drug companies, such as Hoffman La Roche, actually make vitamins. They supply all the hundreds of companies that sell them. What you are paying for is basically packaging and advertising. Personally, I buy the cheapest vitamins I can find. They are just as good as the expensive brands.

Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He has spent countless of time and efforts conducting research and share his insightful and powerful secrets to benefit men and women all over the world. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

Expat Life in Sri Lanka, Colombo

I recently visited the wonderful island of Sri Lanka, and found a country full of surprises.

Sri Lanka is situated just south of India, in the Indian Ocean. Once known as the Dominium of Ceylon and often referred to as the tea country, tea plantations abundantly thrive across the island, with spice gardens, banana and coconut palms growing randomly to create a jungle of natural resources.

People, animals and transport seem to co-exist side by side with no animosity towards each other. Dogs wonder aimlessly across or bask in the sun at the side of roads, cows and goats roam around everywhere, even on the beaches (which I found rather amusing) and people are everywhere, whether walking, cycling, using a tuc-tuc, motorbike with 5 astride, in a taxi, bus, car or truck, each takes up a space of the not too wide road. But co-exist they do, there is no anger at being stuck behind a truck, merely a short hooting of the horn to say I am here and would like to pass, politeness abounds and the expression and sounds are all of friendliness, within a country that sorely needs help at redeveloping itself since the tsunami. People are poor and yet happiness is everywhere.... Not just for the child on the hip or the person at their side, but for expats and tourists as well.

Tourists fluctuate towards the resorts and some chance the areas slightly outside of these areas, to experience a quieter less harassed holiday. Small pockets of expats can be found, dotted all over the country. When you bump into these people and chat about life on the island, there is not much to complain about. Yes, sometimes the water gets turned off or the electricity, yes the internet is not as fast as they would like it to be. Isn't that how most people feel in developed countries anyway: The faster it gets the faster we want it. In this little piece of paradise, expats are not too concerned that it takes a little longer to do things here, the people are prepared to wait, not too hasty to move forward too quickly. There was a lot of talk and concern about the elections and safety within the country and there are still road blockades and police / army personnel with guns wandering around keeping peace if necessary. However, with 70% of the population being Buddhists, the lifestyle is peaceful and life simplistic.

From an expat perspective, I could not fault the lifestyle. As said above, yes there are definite things missing, things are slower, it takes a good 4 - 6 hours to get from Colombo to Galle and similarly to anywhere about 200km's apart. I cannot say that the roads are particularly in good condition, but in the 10 days that I visited, I did not see one accident. Hardships could include the lack of being able to get from one part of the island to another quickly, the lack of fast internet connection, perhaps the human waste / refuse, which allows for the influx of flies, the dirt which is left to lie around and lastly the lack of funds to rebuild the country to what it was before the Tsunami.

Having said that, I have to look at all the good things that you find there, the beauty of the natural resources, how the nationals and expats are trying to rebuild the country, the beaches, game parks and mountains. This is truly a beautiful part of the world.

Expat Cost of living summary

The currency in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee LKR

The Exchange rate as at 15 January 2010 was $1 = 114.217 Rupees

I am going to break the Cost of living down according to some of the basket items:

Alcohol and Tobacco: Alcohol at Bar, Beer, Cigarettes, Locally Produced Spirit, Whiskey, Wine

Cigarettes (20s) - $3.14 to $9

Domestic Beer(500ml) - $2.50

Imported Beer (330ml) - $5.80

Wine at a bar - $6 a glass

Wine at a shop - $15 (750ml bottle)

Hotels tend to increase the prices of alcohol as it is the one way that they can make a profit. There are many small hotels and restaurants which create a competitive edge to where you can stay.

Clothing: Business Suits, Casual Clothing, Children's Clothing and footwear, Coats and hats, Evening Wear, Shoe Repairs, Underwear

Casual Long Sleeved Shirt (Men) - $12

Casual Long Sleeved Trousers (Men) - $20

Shorts (Men) - $11

T-Shirt (Men) - $6

Casual Blouse (Women) - $7

Casual Skirt (Women) - $12

Children's Jeans (Boys) - $5

Children's Jeans (Girls) - $3.50

Children's Shirt(Boys) - $5

Children's Shirt(Girls) - $4

Clothes are extremely cheap, in Colombo a person can get most of the name branded clothing at fairly reasonable prices in Factory shops.

Communication: Home Telephone Rental and Call Charges, Internet Connection and service provider fees, Mobile / Cellular Phone Contract and Calls

Monthly phone rental - $4.36

Phone call rate - $0.05 for a local call

Internet line connection fee - $104 (buy all equipment with installation)

Internet service provider fee - $17 (1 geg free thereafter)

Monthly mobile contract fee - $2.18 (for the year)

Mobile / cellular call rate - 90% of phones are prepaid,

Mobile Phone 100 Minutes Call - $38

- $0.012 - $0.05 sms peak times

Due to so many of the nationals working overseas to send money home, the communication costs are extremely low and there are often special deals or no cost is involved in the actual call.

Education: Creche / Pre-School Fees, High School / College Fees, Primary School Fees, Tertiary Study Fees

Annual Creche fee - $4.36 per month

Annual Primary school fee - $260 - $436 per month

Annual High School fee - $260 - $436 per month

Annual 1st Year Tertiary / University fee - $260 to $436 per month (dependent on which

private school they go to)

Private schooling is the most expensive on the island for expat children to attend, however the rates in comparison to other countries are reasonable. Expats that I came across spoke highly of the education system in the country and were happy with the private education that their children were receiving.

Furniture and Appliances: DVD Player, Fridge Freezer, Iron, Kettle, Toaster, microwave, Light Bulbs, Television, Vacuum Cleaner, Washing Machine

DVD Player - $87

Fridge / Freezer - $489 (LG / Whirlpool - 4 year guarantee)

Iron - $12 cheap to $35 top of the range

Kettle - $20 cheap to $37 top of the range

Microwave - $191

TV 21 inch - $244 (2 year guarantee)

Washing Machine LG - $570

Discounts can be negotiated with stores on all items

Groceries bought in a grocery store: Baby Consumables, Baked Goods, Baking, Canned Foods, Cheese, Cleaning Products, Dairy, Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Fruit Juices, Frozen, Meat, Oil & Vinegars, Pet Food, Pre-Prepared Meals, Sauces, Seafood, Snacks, Soft Drinks, Spices & Herbs

Powdered baby formula (400g) - $7

Plain biscuits (100g) - $0.20

Loaf white bread (200g) - $0.70

Cake Flour (1kg) - $2.80

Baked Beans (415g) - $1.92

Tuna (185g) - $2.75

Cheese: Cheddar (250g) - $6.63

Crisps: Pringles (139g) - $2.50

Autowash clothing powder (750g) - $1.57

Dishwash liquid (500g) - $0.87

Clothing Softener (2l) - $5.40

Breakfast Cereal (250g) - $2.45

Butter (227g) - $2.18

Milk (1l) - $1.40

Eggs (12) - $1.80

Orange Juice (1l) - $2.80

Frozen Mixed Vegetables (1kg) - $6.20

Cooking oil (1l) - $3.22

Olive oil (500ml) - $8.28

Can of cola (355ml) - $1.00

Local Fizzy Soft Drink (1l) - $1.30

Local Natural Mineral Water (5l) - $1.08

Tea Bags (200g) - $1.85

Instant Coffee (100g) - $6.75

Local Ground Coffee (200g) - $3.66

Salt (400g) - $0.26

Pepper (400g) - $0.35

Prices were obtained from local grocery stores, there are no big department stores to shop in.

Healthcare: General Practitioner Consultation rates, Hospital Private Ward Daily, Rate, Non-Prescription Medicine, Private Medical Insurance / Medical Aid Contributions

GP Private rate visit with meds - $3.50

Hospital Private ward rates - $28 per day

Dentistry - Tooth extraction - $4.35

Most expats use Bupa or the Sri Lankan Equivalent

Household: House / Flat Mortgage, House / Flat Rental, Household Electricity Consumption, Household Gas / Fuel Consumption, Household Water Consumption, Local Property Rates / Taxes / Levies

Rent 2 bed Apartment City Centre - $700

Rent 2 bed Apartment outside of City Centre - $600

Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage per - $80 to $90 per month for an average

household, this is expensive when taking household

air conditioning into account

Gas / Fuel - 12 ½ kg bottle - $14

Local property Rates - 8 to 10% of value of property

Expats cannot buy a property directly, this has to be done via a Lawyer who owns the property. Mortgage for locals is 4/5%. This is where most expats find the costs creep in, running the air conditioners is extremely expensive as well as the cost of water.

Miscellaneous: Domestic Help, Dry Cleaning, Linen, Office Supplies, Newspapers and Magazines, Postage Stamps

Domestic Rates - full time per person - $80 average

1 Black inkjet printer cartridge - $14

1 Color inkjet printer cartridge - $21

500 sheets printer paper - $5.23

Local Daily Newspaper - $0.17

International Daily Newspaper - $0.45

International Magazine - $20

International Airmail Stamps - $0.22

Domestic Stamps - $0.12

Domestic help is cheap and most employees either live on the property or close by. Office supplies are reasonable, with CD's and DVD's freely available on the street where most locals buy them.

Personal Care: Cosmetics, Haircare, Moisturiser / Sun Block, Nappies, Pain Relief Tablets, Toilet Paper, Toothpaste, Soap / Shampoo / Conditioner

Body lotion (400ml) Vaseline Intensive car - $4.53

Toilet paper 1 ply per roll - $0.50

Toothpaste (200g) - $1.92

Shampoo (200ml) - $2.40

Some of the items that can be purchased can be expensive, like creams, sunblocks and cosmetic creams. Name brand products are the most expensive.

Recreation and Culture: Books, Camera Film, Cinema Ticket, DVD and CD's, Sports goods, Theatre Ticket

Books paper back - $10

Cinema ticket - $0.50

DVD / CD Imported - $2

Cricket ticket - $0.50 to $8

Theatre Ticket - only in Colombo - $30

Hard cover books are expensive in the country, but paper back books are of a similar cost to the US and UK. Cinema tickets are cheap due to the availability of cheap DVD replicas which can be bought on street corners. International cricket tickets are also kept cheap for the local population.

Restaurants / Meals out / Hotels: Business Dinner, Dinner at Restaurant (non fast food), Hotel Rates, Take Away Drinks & Snacks (fast Food)

Business Dinner excl Alcohol - $22 per person

Dinner / lunch at local restaurant - $8 per person

McDonalds Big Mac - $4.10

Hotel Rates 3* - $8 to $50 pppn

Hotel Rates 4* - $80 to $120 pppn

Hotel Rates 5* - $140 pppn upwards

Take away - Can of cola x 1 - $0.70

Medium pizza - $3.50

Hamburger - $2.00

Coffee - pot x 3 cups - $1.40

As in most countries how much you pay for a meal is dependent on where you go, the local restaurants have great local meals, as well as international flavours, we found a fabulous vegetarian restaurant in Galle, well worth a visit and all prices were fairly cheap. Some restaurants do take advantage of the tourist population and serve sub standard meals. However, most restaurants were good with their portions and meal plans.

Transport: Hire Purchase / Lease of Vehicle, Petrol / Diesel, Public Transport, Service Maintenance, Tyres, Vehicle Insurance, Vehicle Purchase

Hire / Lease car - Sedan Toyota Corolla - $37.14 per day for 1 week

Hire / Lease car - Toyota RAV4 - $46.71 per day for 1 week

Petrol unleaded per litre - $1.23

Diesel per litre - $0.64

Bus Ticket (one way) - $1.00

Taxi Ride - per km - $0.50

Tuc Tuc - 10 km ride - $6.00

Train Ticket 2nd class - $1.57

If you are visiting I would suggest you use the local taxis and tuc-tucs, driving can be a head-ache and unpleasant experience if you are not used to the local norms. However, speeds do not go over 80km on the bigger roads and overall a safe place to drive.

The above detail are some of the items form the basis of the cost of living indexes for each basket group in the Xpatulator calculators, these costs are then used with their indexes and exchange rates to calculate the cost of living in different locations.

For more information on Sri Lanka read more at www.xpatulator.com/outside.cfm.

Steven is Chief Instigator at Xpatulator.com a website that provides cost of living index information and calculates what you need to earn to compensate for cost of living, hardship, and exchange rate differences.

Information Technology (IT) - An Overview

This present era is an era of information technology. This article is dealing with development of information technology in different facet of our life"

INTRODUCTION

In today's world (IT) is all pervasive, everywhere, and in every facet of our day to day life. Prominently service sector involving railway, airlines, scientific and businesses establishments, banks, universities, schools, and most definitely in our homes. The phrase 'information technology' has many varying connotations in the same way as it has a wide spread presence. From the most mundane of things which a common person does to the most complex wizardry which only a techno savvy geek comprehends. Information technology can be seen and experienced in processes improving services to citizens and consumers (online transactions, bookings, university admissions, professional consultations, telecommunications, consumer products etc), increasing the productivity and efficiency of governments (computerization of government records, departments, e-cops), strengthening the legal and law enforcement systems (Judicial administration and Court Management) and in promoting the priority economic sectors (banking, agriculture, industry, marketing and the like), involving processes of manufacturing and production chain. Possibly the greatest impact Information technology has had is on blurring the time and geographical divide.

The penetration of the home computer or the personal computer phenomenon along with the Internet has increased the impact of information technology beyond our own imagination. Thus use of Internet has given the globe a shrinking effect. Every kind of information is only a few clicks away. In today's world of competition -"information" is the key word to success. Availability of right information at the right time can make all the difference. Today relevant information outweighs the price of gold. The graphical user interface has simplified one of the most complex issues in the world. Indeed, the world is undergoing a second Industrial Revolution.

Information technology today touches every aspect of life, irrespective of location on the globe. Everyone's daily activities are affected in form, content and time by the computer. Businesses, Governments and individuals all receive the benefits of this Information Revolution. While providing tangible benefits in time and money, the computer has also had an impact on everyday life, as computerized routines replace mundane human tasks. More and more of our businesses, industries, economies, hospitals and Governments are becoming dependent on computers. With the computer, the heretofore impossible has now become possible, The computer has allowed large volumes of data to be reduced to high-density, compact storage, nearly imperceptible to the human senses. It has allowed an exponential increase in speed, and even the most complex calculations can be completed in milliseconds. The miniaturization of processors has permitted worldwide connectivity and communication.

WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY?

The broad subject concerned with all aspects of managing and processing information, especially within a large organization or company. Because computers are central to information management, computer departments within companies and universities are often called IT departments. Some companies refer to this department as IS (Information Services) or MIS (Management Information Services). The penguin dictionary of computers defines it as "a portmanteau phrase to cover all aspects of the art or science of processing data to produce information". It includes computer software, hardware, programs, and databases, semiconductor chips that put together process and produce the output. Output can be expressed in human readable form (printouts) or in machine readable form (series of electronic pulses) which are further used to control a any other machine, tool or device. Information technology also includes networking of computers and databases exchanging and feeding information between one another.

Basic understanding of and about technology law warrants proper grasp and appreciation about technology itself. Inherently technology law, like any other emerging facts of law, is purely inter-disciplinary in nature. Hence, it is now proposed to explain and introduce some of essential and relevant aspects of information technology.

Importance of information technology

The importance of information technology cannot be ignored by banking and insurance sectors, except at the cost of elimination from the competition. This is so because the use of information technology produces certain advantages, which are not available when the traditional and conventional methods of doing business are used. The use of information technology generates the following advantages and benefits:

Ø easy handling of day to day affairs of an organization,

Ø speedy disposal of routine and daily works,

Ø assurance of authenticity, integrity and confidentiality in the functioning of the organization,

Ø cost economy,

Ø integration and interaction with the global institutions and organizations,

Ø better communication and presentation facilities,

Ø assurance of safety and sound security of the sensitive and valuable information, like trade secrets,

Ø instant transfer of data and information where the situation demands,

Ø it provides access to public documents which are digitalized by various department s of the Government,

Ø for making online payments of various bills and dues,

Ø to file statutory documents online , etc.

These benefits development of information technology can be claimed by all business ventures, including banking and insurance sectors, but apart from that its advantages are claimed by various other sectors which are discussed as follow :

1. Development to Banking business,

2. Development in Forensic Science and Police Wireless

3. Development in Railways

4. Development of IT in Agriculture

5. Role of Information Technology in Alternative Dispute Redressal & Judicial recognition

6. Development of IT in Health and Medicine

1) Development to Banking business

The benefits and advantages of information technology for the smooth and efficient functioning of the banking business cannot be disregarded and sidelined. This is more so when a bank proposes to deal in "Internet banking " which is an important offshoot of information technology. Its proper and methodical use can bring the following advantages.

(A) Sound Payment System:

The usage of electronic means of funds movement and settlement is still in its stages of formative years. The various forms of electronic based payment, such as credit cards, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Stored Value cards, Shared Payment Network Service (SPNS) etc, are emerging at an incredible speed. Many banks have made initiatives aimed at electronic modes of funds movement. While this is a positive development, it needs to be ensured that such funds transfers are made in a high level of security so that no unauthorized usage occurs in the newer modes being implemented by banks. It is this area, which has been the focus of attention by the Reserve Bank - and the efforts have now resulted in the form of the Structured Financial Messaging Solution (SFMS).

The SFMS incorporates adequate security measures, including that of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), with encryption software equivalent to some of the best security measure in the world. The use of the SFMS over the INFINET would automatically provide safe, secure and efficient funds transfers with the added benefit of the settlement of inter-bank funds transfers taking place in the books of account of banks, maintained with the Reserve Bank, thereby providing for finality of the settlement. Further, the message formats used in SFMS are very similar to those used by SWIFT, resulting in ease of usage by the banking community in the country. This secure messaging backbone can be used for a number of intra-bank applications also.

(B) Effective Currency Management

The impact of technology on the issuances of Bank Notes and Currency Management by Central bank is apparent. The technology offers us immense opportunities to significantly improve our performance of this core function. Given the high value and volume of currency in circulation, the vast geographic spread of currency operations, the largest distribution channel for the supply of currency, prevalent marked preference for cash and currency handling practices, currency management in India is a challenging and strenuous task. In 1999, the Reserve Bank of India announced a "Clean Note Policy" to bring about improvements of the quality of notes in circulation and technology has played an indispensable role in enabling the Bank to provide better quality notes to the general public. The information technology makes the task of currency management easy, effective, economical and speedier.

2) Development in Forensic Science and Police Wireless

The modernization and manpower development of Information Technology in the Central Forensic Science Laboratories and GEQDs, which were started in the Seventh Plan, has had an immense development . The research areas envisaged pertain DNA finger printing; cadaver entomology; immuno-assay techniques; classification of handwriting characteristics; instrumental techniques for examining writing materials; computerized image processing of firearms and ammunition; development of computerized system for superimposition; immuno diagnostic technique, hair identification, range and time of firing and explosive analysis, etc.

It is thus expected that rapidity and sophistication would be introduced by way of video- fit techniques, laser-tracing, holography, image processing, computer aided automatic finger print identification system and initiatives taken in new frontier areas like forensic psychology. Suitable structure and mechanism would be evolved for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of S&T schemes under the Forensic Science.

In the area of police wireless, the main thrust has been to achieve communication link from the national capital up to rural police station through State Headquarters, Range Headquarters, and District Headquarters. This is proposed to be achieved through the development of high speed message switch, micro processor based specifically designed computerized connectors, pocket radio system, micro earth station and secrecy devices and multi-access radio telephone.

3) Development in Railways

Indian Railways is one of the largest systems in the world. It is said that information technology (IT), which is being introduced into various fields, is a key to the development in the 21st century. Technology innovative provider of the In Rule(TM) business rules engine for automating application decision logic that involves rules, calculations and dynamic user interfaces, today announced the expansion of its partner network in response to the needs of its growing customer base. The development of information and technology shows that safety, efficiency and convenience have been improved in the areas of railway use, operations and maintenance.

This is followed by a section on a new train control system for high-density lines that uses methods for transmitting information to the train about the distance to the position at which the train must stop, which is necessary for train control. This system is realized through the advanced application of information technology. Until now, it has been impossible to realize efficient operations in high-density lines due to limitations of existing signal technology. Further information technology has been used for train operation, security and ticket booking/issuing systems, must more actively apply information technology to improve safety, comfort and convenience.

Therefore, we are committing research and development to prevent accidents and dramatically improve passenger services by utilizing information technology to the maximum extent, to the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI). As a means to introduce information technology into various fields of transport service, we are promoting researches to construct a "Comprehensive Transport Information Providing System." and will continue to implement the policies to utilize information technology.

4) Development of IT in Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. It accounts for 27% of GDP, contributes 21% of total exports, and raw materials to several industries. About two third of Indian population depends on the agricultural sector for their means of livelihood. Therefore IT has a major role to play in all facets of Indian agriculture. In addition to facilitating farmers in improving the efficiency and productivity of agriculture and allied activities, the potential of IT lies in bringing about an overall qualitative improvement in life by providing timely and quality information inputs for decision making. The personnel who work for the welfare of Indian farmers, such as extension workers, do not have access to latest information which hinders their ability to serve the farming community effectively. In the context nonagricultural, the potential of IT can be assessed broadly under two heads:

a) as a tool for direct contribution to agricultural productivity

and

b) as an indirect tool for empowering farmers to take informed and quality decisions which will have positive impact on the way agriculture and allied activities are conducted.

5) Role of Information Technology in Alternative Dispute Redersal and Judicial Recognition

Information technology provides opportunities to facilitate communication and so assist in prevention and management of disputes. ADR services can use information technology to provide information to parties in case of disputes arise between the parties and also to complement and substitute for, traditional information system. Information technology can also play a valuable role in supporting the quality of ADR practice through more effective supervision, assessment, training, information management, research and evaluation.

Moving Office Doesn't Have to Be Painful

Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful events in a lifetime. The same is probably true of moving offices. We don't have to learn by our mistakes, as with a little planning and attention to detail, the move can be, if not perfect, at least a smooth and virtually worry free operation.

There's no 'right time' to start planning. Some actions may be taken very early on in the proceedings. You can't plan 'too far ahead'. Involve your staff. A trusted member will be invaluable as co-ordinator for the office move and almost all employees will be willing to help however they can. It's in their best interests to aid the smooth transition from one office to another.

Who needs to know that you are moving?

Make a list including any reference or account numbers and contact 'phone numbers.

Utilities - water, gas, electricity and 'phone

Banks and Insurance companies

Suppliers of goods and/or services ie couriers

Local government bodies/councils regarding local taxes, rates etc

National government regarding income tax, national insurance etc

The list may be added to as necessary and a template produced in readiness for when the moving date has been confirmed, when letters or emails with the new address details may be sent out to the appropriate recipients.

Communications:

Is the move a good time to consider upgrading your hardware and/or your software?

You could trade in the old fax machine for a super duper multi functioning piece of equipment and lose clunky monitors in favour of more modern flat screen varieties.

Laptops may be used as an interim measure should there be any delay in your new office computers being commissioned.

Check out the new premises to consider how the communications systems will be applied.

Space planning:

Are you taking your old office furniture to the new location? It may be time to consider the purchase of new office desks, chairs and storage systems.

You may need a reception counter at the new office with soft seating and low tables.

Partitioning and office screens are also a consideration.

Measure your space in advance for a painless transition.

When you have your moving date:

Send out letters and emails previously mentioned.

Book your removals company and ask for packing materials

When packing the office 'belongings', label them carefully, along with larger unboxed items with their new office location ie which floor or for who's attention etc

Ensure that access to the new premises is good on moving day. Consider parking restrictions, use of goods lifts etc.

Finalise delivery of any new office furniture, computers and communication systems.

Familiarise your staff with the new premises, issuing any instructions, keys or codes

Finally, when moving day arrives, and all runs to plan but energy levels are low - make sure someone knows where the kettle and tea making things are!

Andrew Spencer
http://www.londonofficefurniture.co.uk

The Cyber Security Recruiting Dilemma - A Contractor Solution For Cyber Warriors

In the cyber world everything happens quickly. New technology, new threats, new regulations and new players are constantly emerging and in order for the United States to compete and remain secure, qualified people are required - and we don't have them.

In a recent article entitled Cyberwarrior Shortage Threatens U.S. Security (by Tom Gjeltin, the author makes the following points:

· The United States is the most vulnerable country for cyber attacks.

· United States cyber defenses are not up to the challenge.

· The protection of U.S. cyber assets requires an "army" of cyber warriors but recruitment of that force is suffering. Conservative estimates are that at least 1,000 "cyberwarriors"

Not only are new candidates hard to find but existing agency personnel are leaving. This problem is beginning to be recognized by the community at large. This is a serious problem and the solution needs to include the private contractor community as well as direct hiring by government agencies. As a recent study concluded:

The ability of government agencies to fulfill their missions is in peril, requiring immediate and thoughtful attention to the recruitment, hiring and retention of talented IT professionals. Without the right people in the right jobs, our government's ability to accomplish its mission will be hindered by failing projects and high attrition rates. By investing in IT talent, government will ensure mission success and maintain a safe and prosperous nation. (Source ISSUE BRIEF | BUILDING AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE; Partnership for Public Service)

The United States Federal Government is remarkable successful in certain limited areas (e.g. defense and transportation) but recruiting cyberwarriors is clearly not in their core capabilities for a number of very good reasons:

· Cyber warriors are in high demand and the search process requires agile, innovative approaches. Government agencies are burdened with a great number of rules that inhibit the process.

· Government Employee hiring is notoriously slow. Turn around averages about 200 days and if high level clearances are required add about six months or 180 days to the process. Total time to recruit and hire a technically qualified person with required high level clearances (required by most of Cyber Command) - over 1 year.

· It is hard to change government employee status if requirements change or the employee fails to perform.

· Generally speaking government agencies don't expend effort on research and development required to keep up with technology and cyber attack strategy and tactics.

The above reasons are a part of the reasons that Government Cyber Security agencies (DHS and Cyber Command) look to contractors to supply cyberwarriors. Contractors add the innovation and facileness required to reduce the shortage for cyberwarriors. In addition, contractors add specific value in the following ways:

· Many contractors include aggressive recruiting in their business model and effectively use social networking for maximum job requisition exposure.

· Often, contractors recruit from existing staff, prior employees or through the use of social networking sites. These techniques are especially valuable when searching for candidates with high level security clearances. The turnaround on job requisitions averages 30-60 days.

· Each contract issued by a government agency has termination for convenience/cause clauses. The net effect is that if the government decides that it no longer needs or wants the cyberwarrior(s) provided - the agency can terminate the contract and fire the contractor. This gives the respective agency tremendous flexibility.

· Contractors generally engage in internally funded research and development (IR&D) and pass this on to government agencies in the form of better skilled experts and cyberwarriors.

Are Contract Employees More Expensive?

The answer is no.

Recently, contractor compensation has come under administration and media criticism as a waste of taxpayer dollars. Contractors have been portrayed as having an incestuous relationship with key agencies like those in the Intelligence community (IC). This criticism is unfair and not based on facts:

When contracts respond to agency Request for Proposal they must supply forward pricing and identify three levels of cost in detail: direct labor, fringe benefits (health insurance, paid time off, matching social security, workers compensation, unemployment insurance etc.), General and Administrative (Rent, office staff, executive salaries etc.) To the total of all the costs is added a "fee" which represents profit for the contractor (6-8%). A "fully burdened" hourly rate is calculated.

During the RFP process a Basis of Estimate (BOE) is prepared showing the number of hours required for a particular task (defined by the agency). To this estimate is multiplied the fully burdened hourly rate to determine the cost. If the contractor produces rates that are too high, it may lose the contract or, if it wins and costs are less that estimated, it must return to the government the excess. An agency called DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency.

As regards the elements of the fully burdened hourly rate the following should be noted:

· Direct labor rates (the amount of salary actually paid to the employee) of federal employees have increased dramatically as compared to contractor employee salaries. Some estimates are the government employee salaries are 25% higher.

· Generally speaking contractor employees are more flexible for overtime if required.

· Federal employee benefits are more lucrative than contractor benefits including separate health care (richer than the recent public health care bill passed), pension (richer than social security), greater paid time off and other benefits.

· The cost per hour per employee for Federal workers does not include any burden for General and Administrative costs - these heavy burdens for office space, utilities, office equipment and other support expenses are paid by the tax payer.

· The only area that use of Federal employees avoids is the contractor profit fee but when one considers the higher pay, benefits and the tax payer subsidized G&A costs, this is a relatively small item at 6-8%.

The bottom line is that the Federal Government needs highly qualified cyberwarriors and it needs them now in order to protect the welfare of the nation. When one compares this specialized need, and the need to protect the success of its cyber missions, the best choice is contractor provided employees.

Jon M. Stout is Chief Executive Officer of Aspiration Software LLC. Aspiration Software LLC is an Information Technology/Cyber Security services provider focused on the Intelligence Community (IC). For more information about Cyber Security and Employment Opportunities in the Intelligence Community go to http://aspirationsoftware.com

"We Will Bury You" - Who Would Have Thunk It?

In 1956 during a speech to the United Nations by Harold Macmillan, Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev beat his shoe against his desk and shouted to the US representatives "We will bury you".

Khrushchev was not always polite. During the great Kitchen Debate on July 24, 1959, when Richard Nixon poked his finger in Khrushchev's face, Khrushchev said according to translators, "Go screw my grandmother". Nobody seems to know what Nixon said while pointing his finger, but the pic made big news and endured Tricky Dick to some Americans.

The Kitchen debate was a comparison of Democratic Systems and Communism. Khrushchev said that Communism would win out in the long run"

I never thought it would happen-that Communism would bury us. But that is now what is happening. The government has now taken over three huge financial organizations.

General Motors, you had better watch out.

Bill Moyer's Journal

Last evening (September 19, 2008), I watched Bill Moyer's Journal uninterrupted by commercials on Public Television. I just wanted to get away from the noise of television, the endless commercial tirade that destroys any possible enjoyment of watching a television program.

Every American should read the transcript of that program.

You will learn what created this mess and why we are not going to get out of it without more suffering. You can read the transcript at the PBS site.

Speaking of the greatest calamity since the Great Depression, Gretchen Morgenson said, "Because it affects everyone. It is now possibly bleeding into the economy. We've had a fairly strong economy up until now, which has been a godsend, while this incredible turmoil is taking place. If banks are stopping lending, which they appear to be doing, then that's going to affect the economy, to make the downturn. So it is affecting everyone.

"There was a lack of accountability where a banker didn't care whether the loan was repaid. And the Wall Street firm that sold the securitization trust didn't care if it ever got paid back, because they were happy with their commission. The broker making the loan didn't care, because he got, all the way up the ladder to the CEOs of these companies, who are allowed to walk away from a financial cataclysm with huge payments."

As for the Communist-style takeover of AIG, Bill Moyers said, "Let me ask you about one telling anecdote, at least, telling to me. The Secretary of the Treasury, Paulson, calls the CEO of AIG and says, "You've got to go. Pack your bags and leave." That's usually a decision for a board of directors."

That was not unusual for the Soviet Union.

Floyd Norris said, "The government is nationalizing companies. They nationalized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And that made a little bit of sense, since we'd always thought Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had an implicit government guarantee, whatever that meant. And now they've nationalized AIG. They own eighty percent of the company. They have lent money to the company at very strict terms.

"For this company to somehow pay that loan back will require amazing competence in managing things. And I don't think anybody expects them to ever do that. They're probably going to liquidate AIG. It amazes me. I'm not sure it was unnecessary, as I said. But I can only envision what the right wing would be saying if a liberal Democrat had decided to nationalize the biggest insurance company in America. I don't think you'd be hearing a lot of praise for it."

On Alan Greenspan, Kevin Phillips said, "Turn on the spigots. He started in 1987 with a crash that was a wicked one in one day in 1987. And he turned on the spigots. And they had the huge growth of the tech bubble in the 1990s. And then right after the tech and the stock market bubble blew up in 2000, you had 9/11. So there was a need for more stimulus. And they ginned up the stimulus again hugely.

"And the upshot is that during Greenspan's tenure from 1987 to 2006, what they call total credit market debt in the United States quadrupled, quadrupled from about $11 trillion up to $44, $45, $46 trillion. And finance got the great bulk of it. And Greenspan would do nothing to disturb finance.

He wouldn't puncture a bubble. He wouldn't crack down on the exotic mortgages. He really wouldn't do much of anything except give obscure speeches in which, you know, he mumbled the different directions so nobody would know what he meant. But basically he gave finance what they wanted."

Later in the program, he said, "It's been a bipartisan phenomenon. You can go back to the 1980s and say Reagan and George Bush, Sr., got a bubble started. Clinton got in and got an even bigger bubble going. And then George W. Bush with the biggest bubble of all. But it's not that the Clintonites didn't play. They did. Bob Rubin as Secretary of the Treasury - I mean, if he was a Hindu and he was being reincarnated, he'd come back as a pail because this guy bailed out everything you can imagine. They had the Mexican loan bailout. They had the long-term capital management bailout, the Russian Southeast Asian currency bailouts."

How Qualified are Our Presidential Candidates to Handle This Mess?

Moyers asked about the presidential candidates: "What do you think when you hear John McCain and Secretary Paulson say that the fundamentals, however, are solid?"

Kevin Phillips replied, "Well, John McCain once said he didn't know anything about economics. And half the time what he says, you know, proves that on a day-by-day basis. I don't think we have a sound economy at all. Not remotely at this point. I mean, there are, like, ten yardsticks I could use. Paulson is your typical Treasury Secretary guy that has to deal with it. And everybody knows he has to exaggerate. He has to say all the Hoover type stuff about how strong the economy is and the recession's going to be over in three months and that sort of stuff. I don't really credit these people very much. But, frankly, I don't credit the Democrats either.

Bill Moyers said, "No, I was going to say Obama's trademark rhetoric of inspiration seems to desert him when he talks about economic affairs.

Phillips replied, "He doesn't seem to have anything very specific to say. That's part of the problem. A second problem is, for me at least, you know, just as I can't believe that John McCain ever wanted to get his economic advice from Phil Gramm. I mean, Phil Gramm, a former Texas Senator, appalling. He and his wife were known as Mr. and Mrs. Enron because they were so flagrant, that's McCain.

"But then you've got Obama with Bob Rubin and he doesn't have any problem with the hedge fund types. I mean, one of the Chicago people was a major financier of his. He gets a guy to pick his vice-president. Turns out to be somebody who was part of the Fannie and Freddie mess.

"So I don't exactly see Obama as this fellow riding in on a horse who represents all kinds of reformism. It's an important thing probably to have to change from the Republicans but I don't see that he is free of the ties to finance and Democratic Party financial types."

Conclusion

We are not going to pull out of this mess easily.

There is no quick fix.

We will suffer for many years to come because of greed, dishonesty and incompetence.

Those that created this mess are taking their multi-million dollar pensions to a life of luxury. Some are probably scared that the government will grab some of that money. I'm sure they are stashing some of it away in Bermuda Banks.

The solution to this problem is for the Towers of Education to look at the corruption they are producing. Those former Boy Scouts who are running some of our corporations have forgotten the Scout Law.

They are not honest.

They are not truthful.

They are a corrupt gang of gamblers.

When some young persons graduates from our great MBA schools, he or she has only one thing in mind.

GREED!

Our government has been feeding that GREED for years.

They will continue to do so until the people get angry and do something about it.

If action had been taken when it was needed, we could have avoided this financial mess. Soon, the manufacturing sector may suffer from this financial debacle.

If that happens, we are going to our second Great Depression. That is the reason for the current communistic takeovers.

Being confident and having the pipe dream that all will be okay is folly.

Things are not okay.

Until GREED is replaced with HONESTY and RESPONSIBILITY, we will continue to drift into the rocks of total disaster.

The government had better build a lighthouse and keep that light burning for a long time.

Fly Old Glory!

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com - a retired college professor and business executive, Former editor of an international engineering magazine. Novelist and prolific article writer.

There is only one site that will teach you to learn how to make money on the Internet and give you free tutoring by a personal tutor. That Site is Wealthy Affiliate University. Click on the link for more information: http://www.InternetBusinessToolCenter.com

Fly Old Glory on a Modern TopFlight Telescoping Flagpole: http://www.AAAFlagpoles.com

The High Costs of Being Overweight

Do you know that the high costs of being overweight are affecting your pocketbook and health? If you do not lower your body fat, not only will the extra weight continue to cost you more, but your life may in danger. It is estimated that six out of ten Americans are overweight, and the numbers continue to grow. Even the number of overweight children is growing. In children ages six to ten, 19% are overweight.

The weight loss industry thrives as people go from one diet program to another. This yo-yo effect of weight loss and weight gain is not only unhealthy, but costly as well. The diet industry takes in over $160 billion a year. Life expectancy is also being affected. Premature deaths, due to obesity, are on the rise.

High Costs

The direct medical costs to this nation are estimated by the Centers for Disease Control to be $147 billion a year. As Americans consume more calories, costs rise. Medical costs associated with rising obesity have nearly doubled in the last decade.

Being overweight is costly to the individual and the nation. Overweight leads to:

Higher life insurance costs
Higer health insurance premiums
Airlines charging more for those they determine are obese, because added weight leads to higher fuel costs
Ambulance services now charge extra for those weighing over 350 pounds

Research at the University of Alabama revealed that people who are overweight are less like to be hired for jobs, wait longer at restaurants for service and are less likely to be able to rent an apartment. Overweight people tend to miss more work which is costly to employers.

Health Problems

One of the biggest problems of being overweight is the impact on health. Not only is diabetes on the rise among adults who do not lower body fat, it is a growing problem among children. Type 2 diabetes, which has been known as "adult onset diabetes" is now affecting children and teenagers. Forerunners of heart disease are showing up in children as young as twelve.

In addition to an increase in diabetes.being overweight can lead to:

High blood pressure
Strokes
Depression
certain forms of cancer

These increases cross all ethnic and social groups. The hugh increase in prescription drugs to control these diseases has also contributed to the increase in medical costs.

Gain Control

It is easy to blame TV and fast food restaurants. In fact, it is personal behavior. No one forces anyone to order double cheese burgers, large fries and milkshakes. Buffets are popular because you can go back and pile on a second portion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that American do not eat enough produce because of temptations of fast food. Eating more fruits and vegetables will lower health care costs and obesity according to the Center. Except where a medical condition is present, people are responsible for their own weight gain.

Now is the time to look at how the high costs of being overweight are affecting you. Gain control of your eating habits and health. You have nothing to lose except the excess weight. Not only will you save money, but more importantly, you will save your health and your life. The longer you wait, the more you are at risk. Start today to improve your health and lower your costs.

Lois Bernstein is a former master teacher, adjunct professor, student teacher supervisor, curriculum developer and researcher. She is currently tutoring in reading, writing, study skills and math.

Peak Oil, Energy Wars and Powering Your Home in the 21st Century

What is peak oil and why worry?

About 20 years ago, a well respected geologist by the name of Hubbert proposed a radical new theory now known as 'peak oil' which basically says that at a certain point in the late 20th or early 21st century or thereabouts, the amount of easily recoverable oil on earth which had been used by humans was greater than 50% of ALL the oil on earth. He theorized that after this so-called 'Hubbert's Peak' the availability of oil would decrease dramatically. Not because there was no oil, but simply because we got all the easy stuff FIRST. What would be left would be the very difficult and expensive to extract deep sea oil, oil derivatives mined from shale and other hither to unprofitable deposits.

Whilst this does not sound too bad think about it like this: If we assume the first motor car appeared around the dawn of the 20th century then we used half the available oil in about 80 years. However, it must be remembered that for the major part of that 80 years, most of the people on earth had little or no access to motor vehicles. China for example was barely a developed nation for most of that time. THE United States uses about 25% of all the oil produced on earth and yet has little reserves of its own. It is almost entirely dependent on imported oil. China's extraordinary growth in the last ten years has seen an explosion of domestic wealth with the demand for motor vehicles increasing at an astonishing rate. With a population of over twice the U.S. there is no way that China has access to 50% of the worlds oil!

Energy Wars

Many eminent petroleum experts have debated Hubbert's theory however, many others agree with him. Some experts say we reached peak oil in 1985, some 2005. However, the debate over whether or not we have reached 'peak oil' rages and is mostly denied by the global oil companies. In any event, the fact is that the price of oil is steadily increasing and along with that so is the price of petroleum and almost every other product we use. Many see the problem as manifesting itself in the fight for the remaining major oil reserves in the Middle East. To the consumer like you and I, it will mean ever increasing prices with the cost of running a motor vehicle being just too high to contemplate. Another major cost for us these days, is the cost of power for your home or business. Imagine a world where the power is only available on certain days or at certain hours. Some poorer nations live with this reality right now. Its not science fiction!

Global Warming In The Age Of Oil

I have read various reports that predict that the age of oil will be a very small blip on the timeline of human history. It may last for 200 years, probably not even that long. However, the debate on the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels rages almost every day in newspapers and on television around the globe. Whilst it seems that for every expert proclaiming the effects of global warming, there is another equally qualified expert who loudly decries the very same effects. It does appear however that most of us now recognize that a century of pumping hydrocarbon emissions into our atmosphere has had some sort of derogatory effect on our natural environment. We cannot continue to spew effluent into the air and hope it will not impact us. This is another reason why alternative sources of energy need to be developed which are renewable and have little or no environmental impact. The most obvious sources of clean green renewable energy are solar and wind power.

Well What Can I Do?

Firstly, the only thing we can do about our dwindling oil supply is to use less of it both as individuals and for the whole human race across the board! The other solution is to find much more efficient means of converting oil to energy for our cars and power stations.

On a personal level, it would be prudent to take some steps to provide your family with some energy 'insurance'. What I mean by this, is think about generating your own power. The basis of solar and wind power generation has been around for many years. There are commercially available solar power systems and wind turbine power systems which work very well, are well designed and will provide years of free green power. For most of us however, the initial cost of commercially manufactured and installed systems will be prohibitive. But that need not put you off. There are lots of do it yourself manuals, guides and videos on the internet which offer a much more cost effective way of insuring your family's energy future. Shop around and if you're keen, you'll find that the solutions are pretty simple. It just needs motivation, a bit of handyman skill and not only can you save yourself some money but you can do your bit for a greener, more energy efficient world.

My name is Col Herbertson and I am an electronics technician working for a mining company in the field of Exploration Geophysics. I am interested in renewable energy generation due to the growing shortage of oil and energy. I believe that the solution to this problem is that we can all take small steps to become energy efficient. If you would like to find out more about renewable energy systems for your home, visit my website at DIY green energy [http://magnetic-ocean.com/].

Copyright Col Herbertson 2009

Do Red-Light Cameras Work?

There are few issues as controversial as photographic traffic signal enforcement systems, more commonly known as "red-light cameras". This is a technology which reeks of "Big Brother" surveillance. The impact of the technology on the rate of accidents is ambiguous, and the motivation of city leaders is often questioned since the cameras can be a significant revenue producer for municipalities.

The level of cynicism in general is very high right now because of the corruption found in so many of our institutions. When researching red-light cameras, this is apparent not only with comments in blogs from the public, but also with state officials lack of trust in local authorities, and everyone's seeming distrust of the data from the insurance industry.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), funded by automobile insurance companies, is the strongest advocate for red-light cameras. The studies from IIHS appear to be inconsistent with studies by virtually everyone else. For example, the IIHS claims that "using techniques of meta-analysis, the ... review did not find a statistically significant change in rear-end crashes." This conclusion is clearly inconsistent with most other studies. Some news articles, and some lawmakers, accuse insurers of mixed motivations since their revenues may increase when higher premiums are charged due to crash and citation increases. But accusing the insurance industry of wishing for more traffic accidents is amazingly cynical.

It is surprising that a definitive answer on the effect of red-light cameras is so unavailable. One of the problems is the technology tends to reduce one type of wreck, the "T-Bone", a collision between cars traveling at 90 degrees from one another, but increase rear-end collisions. This is because of panicked drivers over-reacting to the presence of the cameras. This was the finding of the Federal Highway Administration in 2005. They concluded that right-angle crashes decreased by 25 percent and resulting injuries decreased by 16 percent. However, the number of rear-end crashes increased by 15 percent and injuries from those accidents increased by 24 percent. It should be noted that the T-Bone collision is frequently the more severe of the two types of accident.

Studies by the states of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia have reported that red-light cameras are responsible for an increase in the number of accidents, as well as crashes involving injuries. "Cameras were associated with an increase of between 31 percent and 54 percent for rear-end crashes overall," the 2007 Virginia DOT Report Shows report found. "The association of the cameras with angle crashes differed among jurisdictions, although a preponderance of test results suggested an increase."

Another complication with the measurement of the rate of auto accidents in general, is that our society in the U.S. is aging, and older drivers tend to be more conservative drivers. In Florida, the injury rate from red-light running crashes has dropped by about a third in the last 10 years without red-light cameras.

Many people question the motivation of local leaders who advocate red-light cameras. Dallas officials reviewed the statistics for red-light camera generated citations, and decided that about a quarter of the cameras they had installed had resulted in a dramatic reduction in the rate of citations, so they turned them off. They were no longer sufficiently profitable.

Texas is the most recent state to consider a ban on red-light cameras.

Red-light cameras are effective in reducing total casualty crashes, but the evidence is less conclusive on total collisions. Nationally, more than 7,000 fatal crashes and more than 500,000 injury crashes occur within intersections every year. This should be reduced. Larger and better controlled studies are needed, performed by entities that have sufficient independence and credibility.

Brian Bradshaw's work incorporates more than 25 years working with advanced instrumentation and information technology. He specializes in implementing Security Camera Systems for homes and businesses in the Southwestern United States with offices in Dallas and Phoenix. For additional information, please visit us at B.V.Technology Video Analytics and Surveillance Cameras.

The Union of European Football Associations

The U.E.F.A. is the governing body for the European football league. This group of people is responsible for setting the rules and standards for the European football league at all levels of football playing. The people in this group take their jobs very seriously. The association was formed so that the integrity of football would not be lost in the European countries, as it is believed to have been lost in other countries around the world.

Each year there is a convention held to discuss the rules and regulations that should followed by the league. Each year the convention is held in a different country that participates in the football league. This year, the U.E.F.A. set a list of value that they intend to instill in the league to safeguard the sport.

The first value that they feel needs to be instilled is to keep football first. Football is about the sport of playing the game, not the merchandize that is produced and sold because of the game. They also believe players sponsoring other products should be kept to a minimum.

The second value they implemented is pyramiding the structure of football. The purpose is of this is to keep the players and the coaches involved in the decision making processes of the league. The U.E.F.A. feels that if the coaches and players help in the decisions it will help keep them honest and passionate about the game.

Unity and leadership is considered the third value that they have implemented. With unity and leadership the sport can be protected and the players stay role models for the younger people in the nations. This is a big concern for the leaders of the sport.

The leaders also feel that keeping football as a grassroots sport will help preserve it's presence in Europe for years to come. Although they put that youth protection and education is a separate value to maintain, it actually falls in to this category as well. The U.E.F.A. feels that the protection and education of Europe's youth is vital to maintaining a respectable football league.

Sporting integrity and betting is another value that the association hopes to instill in the league. While betting revenue helps support the football league, leaders are concerned about coaches and players rigging games for the profits of betting. Maintaining integrity and limiting the betting is a sure way to help insure the league's standings for years to come.

The other values that were set by the association are just as important as the ones listed. Financial fairness to the players and regularity of competitions helps to further keep the integrity and success of the sport. Discrimination of any type is not tolerated in the European league. National teams and clubs are also regulated to insure fairness and structure. Respect is a must for all players, coaches, and fans. No violence of any type is tolerated.

Maintaining the European sports model is the ultimate goal for the U.E.F.A. For more information regarding their rules and regulations, as well as season scheduling check out their website.

If you want to find out more about Football Shirt , please visit Football Shirts Website for more information.

Myth of Man Made Climate Change & Other Draconian Legislation

There is a strong link between an increase in number and intensity of solar flares and global warming. This can largely discredit and override any influence humans may have on the changes in temperature on our planet in recent history. Research tends to suggest that major variations in global temperatures are beyond humanities control; and instead tend to be at the mercy of the sun's activity. Moreover, every couple of million years there is a slight tilt to the planets axis, causing major changes to the climate and structure of the earth. Volcanoes erupt, hurricanes happen and tornadoes take place either more or less frequently. These are natural phenomenon, definitely not man made. Man has not been an inhabitant of this planet long enough to be able to take such arrogant credit for all the wrongs of the world. Not to mention the globe changes: animals become extinct, new species become plentiful, the climate varies, the seas rise, the seas fall, tsunamis happen and the land structures morph. So what else is new?

One of the laws of Nature and Physics is that nothing stays the same, and would we really want it to? For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Matter may change from ice to liquid to gas; but it is never totally destroyed. Organic matter eventually decomposes. The atoms and molecules become further apart as it decays, then are absorbed in the earth, used as nutrients for plant life, which are eaten by animals, and the cycle goes on and on in perpetuity.

However, one digresses. The point is, Nature takes care of herself. No matter how far advanced humanity is now, we cannot make more than an infinitesimal bit of difference to the landscape of this vast Earth we currently call Home. Should we be good stewards of the earth? Absolutely we should; but let us not confuse responsibly disposing of our litter, waste, and oil byproducts as well as keeping endangered plants and animal life off the extinction list with what is currently being proposed by our illustrious leaders in Congress and the Executive office, this being the Cap and Trade bill.

This bill is nothing more than a power grab accomplished through exorbitantly high taxation of energy usage by individuals and big companies alike. This bill if passed will destroy our way of life, as we know it. It will stifle future and present innovations and technological advancements. It will discourage any use of energy and encourage global "spreading of the wealth", or in other words moving nations down to the lowest common denominator in technology, inventions and innovation. What our Government will glean from this is a vastly enlarged government comprised of enlarged bureaucracies and increased tax revenues allowing even more entitlements to be created. This in turn furthers the long arm of Power these self-defined elite in the Government already have. For with every entitlement come more taxes and less money for the individual citizens and states to spend. With every entitlement come more regulations, each monitored and enforced by the Government or delegates of. On a global scale, one might even begin to imagine a one-world order managed by super elite heads of Nations. Why one might wonder was it so necessary to have an international summit to discuss 'Global Man Made Warming', when it has been debunked so recently?

This is even after the massive Health Care Insurance Bill, another massive power grab that will cause increased taxation, bureaucracies and lower quality of health care due fewer resources, increased waiting time and restricted opportunity to see ones physician. Let us not even mention the cuts in Medicare.

However, to return to the subject of Cap and Trade, which lists as a poison, of all things - CO2. CO2 is an element necessary for all types of life to flourish. Its existence is vital in keeping the Earth from becoming a rotating globe of cold rock; for without plants to use the sun's rays to photosynthesize carbon dioxide to oxygen, which in turn promotes a green house effect, the earth would be un-inhabitable. Thus, through plant life the bi-product of CO2 is Oxygen, which all animal-life to one extent or another need to survive.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) describes only the first year of taxes that ultimately will build upon itself in perpetuity under the Cap and Tax bill. Under this Cap and Trade system, the government sets a limit or cap on the total amount of carbon, which will be emitted nationally. Companies will be forced to buy or sell permits to emit carbon dioxide. As time goes down, the cap is cranked down to reduce total carbon emissions and companies will be forced to comply and ultimately die.

The gross domestic product (GDP) is manipulated downward. The sinister premeditated point of Cap and Trade is to hike the price of electricity and gas so that each American uses less. Unfortunately, these higher prices will not be limited to the price of electricity or gas. It will show up in every manufactured good, from plastics, food and cars. Plastic is composed of a bi-product of oil. How many things can you think of that are composed of or wrapped in plastic? Consumers will have no choice but to cut back on spending, resulting in fewer products produced which in turn, results in even higher unemployment as no new jobs will be created, and staff cutbacks on existing ones are made. Companies will eventually move their products over seas, but the result will be the same. Low-income Americans, through necessity tend to devote more of their day-to-day income to energy bi-products such as food, gas to get to work and money for electricity. Thus, they really will be hit the hardest as they have more to lose.

This big government, high taxes, a stimulus bill that did anything but stimulate the economy, the incongruous and blatant disregard for the People's wishes when passing the new Health Care bill behind closed doors through thinly veiled bribery, threats, and an unconstitutional usage of Reconciliation to enact a Bill they otherwise did not have the votes for -- these are some of the things Tea Party people are concerned about. Also, our decreased national security under this current administration: Obama's constant bowing to and apologizing for America to our enemies, snubbing our allies, and signing a contract to disarm our nuclear warheads; while our enemies maintain their own nuclear arm heads, all these things will just be a byline if we pass Cap and Trade and sign the treaty into international and national law. Tea Party protesters have the facts, know their history and are justifiably alarmed at the swiftness and direction our country is being hijacked.

Self appointed policy and trend setters have vilified, and in the process implemented political correctness in our speech and even in our behavior, even as far as in the armed forces to the extent that the Fort Hood massacre prosecuted by a self admitted Muslim extremist and the Christmas Day underwear bomber both are swept under the rug as criminal acts, rather than the first terrorist acts they were, committed on the American homeland since 9/11. The Pentagons answer to the Fort Hood massacre was more political correctness and encouraging more Muslims to enter the armed forces, ostensibly as translators, without profiling or background check, as a show of continued goodwill. Intimidation of Americans through vilification, political correctness and slander appear to be the phrase of the day, especially against Tea Party members and conservatives.

During the initial phase of debate in the House Energy Committee, Republicans offered three amendments to the bill, to be used as a safety net in the quest of not destroying our economy further by initiating a yet untried but potentially devastating change that once implemented would be all but impossible to repeal: the first amendment was to suspend the program while in the implementation phase if gas hit $5.00 a gallon; the second was to suspend the program if electricity prices rose 10% over the year 2009; and the third was to suspend the program if unemployment hit 15%. The Democrats defeated all three, tending to indicate they already had inside knowledge that all these would happen if the bill passed and became law of the land. Britain is already experiencing these effects and they have had the Green program in effect only a few years. This climate bill is likely to be the biggest tax bill in American history. This is unfortunately, saying a lot considering the past 15 months. Americans should be wary.

With Congress solidly Progressive and willing to pass any legislation the President wants, the time has come to protect your future and find a good home-based alternative to make money. Check out my website and get instant access to my secret self-employment options.

Jimmy Mack
http://www.worknowfromhome.net

10 Things You Must Know Before Choosing Your Copier Vendor

Before making your final choice when choosing a copier vendor there are 10 things that you must know.

1)    Are they an authorized dealer?

Ask if they are an authorized dealer for the brand copier they are recommending to your business. Besides hearing the answer, you will need some type of proof. A certificate from the manufacturer or being listed on the manufacturer's web site are adequate proof. An authorized dealer has the advantage of having the full support of the manufacturer which includes product training, replacement parts and supplies as well as warranty support (i.e. replacing defective machines).

2)    Guarantees?

The second item you need to know is their guarantees. Most vendors have good intentions to provide good service. You need to find out what the vendor guarantees, in writing, to provide when things don't go smoothly. You are exchanging cash for the ability to produce documents. You need the assurance that you can produce those documents no matter what. Find out how the vendor guarantees to respond to service requests and what happens if there are repetitive problems with your equipment. A key point is not just finding out what the vendor intends to do, you also need to get an answer to the question "or what?". For example, you need to find out what the vendor's service response time is and then find out what the consequence is to the vendor if they don't perform.

3)    Hidden fees?

Next find out what hidden fees exist besides the cost of acquiring the copier and its operating costs (service and supplies). Hidden fees can include filing fees, insurance charges or interim rent paid to a leasing company and delivery charges for supplies. Hidden fees can add significant expense to your total cost of ownership.

4)    Who is the leasing company?

Most companies tend to lease when they acquire new copiers. You will want to find out who "funds" the vendor's leases. You need to understand the relationship between the equipment vendor and the leasing company. The closer the business relationship, the more likely it is that the vendor can help with issues that may arise with the equipment lease. Late fees, insurance charges, billing errors can be annoying and time consuming problems that can be tough to correct on your own. You want to know up-front what leverage the equipment vendor has to be able to help you.

5)    Who is the vendor owner?

The fifth thing you need to know is who owns the vendor. Is the vendor locally owned or is it a division of an international company? Depending on the structure of your business, each type of vendor can have an advantage to your business. For instance, if you are a local business and operate primarily in a single location, a local vendor may be the best choice. Although not a rule, local vendors (or dealerships) many times outshine national distributors in their ability to customize aspects of their support. On the other hand, if you operate in multiple locations, it may be easier for you to work with a vendor that can personally control the quality of service delivery for all your locations.

6)    Supply replenishment?

A sixth item to determine is how the vendor replenishes supplies used by the equipment. Toner is the most frequently replaced component and without it, your equipment will not produce the documents your company needs to operate. You'll want to find out if the vendor has systems in place to keep you stocked at all times with the supplies necessary to operate your equipment. It's recommended to have your own backup plan but you are first asking the vendor about their systems that will prevent disaster on your end.  You also want to ask about a worst case scenario when you do run out of toner. What systems do they have in place to get you back up and running again quickly?

7)    Meter readings?

Although not critical to your equipment operating, a seventh item you want to find out about is how the vendor collects usage information or meter readings. Most vendors charge for service on a usage basis usually stated as a cost per copy. Service can be packaged in different ways but the vendor will always want to track your usage. Find out how meter readings are collected by the vendor. Your best case is where the vendors have an automated system where the equipment communicates directly with them (and doesn't violate any of your network security policies) so as to not disturb your employees.

8)    Billing errors?

The eighth item to evaluate is who can help you with billing errors. Most often there are two entities you are dealing with. The first is the equipment vendor who is placing and supporting your copier equipment. You will receive operating cost service and included supplies) and supply (i.e. staples, paper) invoices from them. The second entity is the leasing company the vendor used to fund the copier lease. They will send lease invoices for the equipment. There are variations where the leasing company will invoice for the equipment as well as operating costs. Whatever your program type, you want to find out how many invoices you will receive and who is invoicing each component. Will you have one local point of contact that is close to the invoicing process or are there multiple contacts located far from your location. The fewer contacts you have to work with and the closer they are to the process, the faster and easier you will be able to resolve billing errors.

9)    The "lemon".

In the 23 years that I was an equipment salesperson as well as a dealer principal, I never saw any equipment labeled as a "lemon" when it was delivered to our dock. Although not a frequent occurrence, some of the equipment unboxed as brand new had demons that showed themselves fairly quickly after installation. The ninth item that you want to find out about is the process the vendor uses to resolve equipment reliability issues. Ask who is involved and how long each step described takes. Your best case is the fewest people involved and a short time line. Keep in mind you need to find out how the vendor handles replacing a machine that is within 90 days of installation as well as equipment that has been in use longer. These 2 categories are usually handled differently.

10) What do you want to change?

Unless you are a start-up business, you probably are currently using a copier and have a current vendor. During your relationship there are issues that have likely surfaced.  The tenth item you need to find out before choosing your copier vendor is can the vendor(s) you are considering  serve you in a way that eliminates or minimizes the issues that you are currently experiencing. Pretending you have a magic wand, describe on paper the perfect equipment vendor. Have your wish list close at hand when discussing how you want to work with a potential (or current) vendor. Have the vendor put in writing your expectations and how they will deliver them. Remember item 2 above and make sure get an answer to the question "or what?" for each area of concern. Promises or guarantees without "teeth" will not deliver the support you are seeking.

Researching these ten questions will help you choose the best vendor for your business. 

If you have any questions, you can e-mail them to help@bottomlineadv.com

David Cantliffe is the President and Founder of BottomLine Advantage LLC located in Superior, Colorado. BottomLine Advantage is a performance-based, client advocacy consulting group that specializes in reducing hard dollar costs for copy, print, and fax expenses, as well as facilities management agreements while simultaneously enhancing vendor service support levels.

David's experience spans over 18 years as a sales representative within the copier industry combined with 5 years experience as a dealership principal. You can download free articles and templates containing additional cost reduction ideas at http://www.bottomlineadv.com inside the resources tab, send an e-mail with questions or contact David at 888.400.3600.

© Copyright ? David Cantliffe. All Rights Reserved Worldwide