Advanced Backgammon Strategies Using the Doubling Cube

Although, the Doubling Cube is unknown to most of the backgammon casual players, it is an essential tool in advanced backgammon strategies and in money matches and tournaments.



This cube is designated for raising the stakes of the match and its introduction to the backgammon world is one of the main reasons for the rise of popularity of backgammon.



The cube has 6 faces and the numbers written on it- 2, 4, 8,16,32,64.



At the beginning of the match, the doubling cube is placed beside the board or on the Bar between the players.



Any player, who feels at any stage of the match, that he is leading sufficiently in the match, before throwing his dice, may suggest to double the stakes by placing the doubling cube with the number 2 facing up.



For example player A decided to raise the stakes.



Player B, his opponent, the player the offer is given to, after reviewing his situation, has two options:



He may refuse the offer and thus lose the game and one unit.



He may agree to double the stakes, and in this case the match continues with higher stakes.



Player B, who agreed to the offer, is now the owner of the doubling cube, meaning only him (player B) has the option to double the stakes again at any stage of the game.



If player B decides to do so, he has to do it on his turn before throwing his dice.



Now he takes the dice and places it so that the number 4 is facing up.



Player A, has now the same two options, only this time if he declines the offer he will lose two units, and if he agrees the stakes will rise to 4 times the original and the doubling cube returns to his control.



The cube can pass from player to player, each time raising the stakes.



The Crawford rule-



If you are playing a game until N- points, and your opponent is leading and reaches N-1 points, meaning he is short one point from winning the game, you are not allowed to use the Doubling cube in the following game, however, you can use the dice in the following matches if the game continues.



The reason is the weaker player will always want to raise the stakes because he has nothing to lose anymore and we want keep the use of the dice in fairness of both sides.



The Jacoby rule-



This rule is used in money games and never in match games. It decides that a backgammon or gammon may not be scored as such only if the cube has been passed and accepted. The reason behind this rule is speeding up.



The Holland rule-



The Holland rule is used in match games and decides that in post-Crawford games, the trailer can only double after both sides have played two rolls. The rule makes the free drop more valuable to the leading player but generally just confuses the issue.



Unlike the Crawford rule, this rule isn't popular, and is rarely used today.



The beavers, raccoons, otters and any other animals in the backgammon game-



These animals appear only, if wanted by both sides, in money games and never in match games.



If player A, doubles the stakes, and player B believes A is wrong and he (player B) has the advantage, B can double the stakes and keep the doubling cube on his side. For example, if A makes the initial double and puts the doubling cube on 2, B can say Beaver, turn the cube to 4 and keep the cube at his side. If A believes B is wrong he can say Raccoon and turn the cube to 8. All this time, B remains the owner of the doubling cube. If B wishes to raise the stakes once more, he only needs to say another silly name (the animal's name is a controversy among players) and so on.



The Chouette-



Chouette is a version of backgammon for more than 2 players. One of the players is the Box and plays against the rest of the group on a single board.



Another player is the Captain of the group, who throws the dice and makes the moves for the group playing against the box.



If the Box wins, the Captain goes to the back of the line and the next player becomes the Captain of the team. If the Captain wins, he becomes the new Box, and the old Box goes to the end of the line.



The rules regarding the ability of the group to consult with the Captain changes from



version to version. In some versions of the Chouette the group can freely give advice to the Captain, and in other versions, consulting is strictly forbidden.



The compromised version is the most popular- consulting is legitimate only after the dice have been thrown.



Originally, Chouette was played with a single die .The only decisions that players other than the Captain were allowed to make on their own was concerning the takes: If the Box had doubled, each player on the team could take or drop independently. Today, a multiple-cube Chouette is more popular; each player on the team has his own cube, and all doubling, dropping, and taking decisions are made independently by all players.

A Small Formula To Simplify The Bear Off In Backgammon

Is There Greener Grass to Real Estate Investing?

This may come as a surprise to you but trust me when I tell you the grass is not always greener on the other side.

What kind of oddball do you think I am here making this type of statement as a real estate investing lesson?

Well, for me this lesson was one of those rather costly, hard learned lessons that I'm sharing with you. This is one of the most basic fundamentals when it comes to investing in real estate that far too many people overlook when on the lookout for their first property or gaining more properties. They believe they'd be better off investing in an area other than their own backyard.

They see all the stories of where someone picked up a property cheap and they think, I wish I could, I would have if I were in an area like that, blah, blah, blah. Or they think of the area that has seen double-digit appreciation rates and think if I was only in an area like that. The fact is whether you're in a red-hot market or a slowing market, there's a way for you to make money investing in real estate. It starts by just realizing that you've got opportunity in your own backyard to make this a successful business.

Here's why:

When you're thinking of investing in real estate, you're looking for sellers that have some underlying situation that's causing them to want to sell. Usually, these sellers have a problem of some sort that's causing some undue pressure. We call these 'Motivated Sellers' and if you're not attracting motivated seller then you're wasting your time.

And there's not an area in the country without motivated sellers!

The problem with thinking the grass is greener in another market keeps you from looking in your own backyard for the next profitable deal.

Even though, this sounds basic, it's easy to fall into this line of thinking. At one point, I was convinced that I could work another market that was nearly 4 hours from where I lived. I've got to confess that this was a costly lesson.

While you can make money in another market, I was stepping over dollars in my own backyard to pick up dimes in a completely different market. See I tried building my business wide instead of building it deep in my own market. Lesson Learned.

See, I want you to focus on your own market, instead of making the mistake of spreading yourself too thin. Once I realized this lesson, I refocused my business and started building it like a business instead of a mom and pop shop. See, so many people are opportunist and just look for wherever they could make a potential buck. Just realize you know more about what's going on in your own backyard than anywhere else. Also, it's imperative that you work to build key relationships with people in your business. This was a major problem when attempting to do deals in too many markets - you've got to find new contractors, new realtors, new closing agents, and new investors to flip to. It's like basically starting from scratch in every aspect.

So, the key lesson is to stick to your own backyard and master the system before you even think of looking outside your area.

Derek Pierce is a full time real estate investor and business owner. He got his start investing in real estate when he bought his first property in September of 2000. After this first deal, Derek literally became obsessed with Real Estate Investing. After being faced with the possibility of being downsized in 2001, he quit his job to be full time in the business and hasn't looked back since. Now, he reveals the real estate investing techniques he swears by in his Free Real Estate Investing E Coaching Program. To sign up for the Free E-coaching program, go to http://www.thereisecrets.com

Tips For Choosing Lingerie That Will make You Feel And Look Your Best

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 1

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

**************
To read this article and see photos that go with this article
http://www.lovekittenlingerie.com/LingerieTipsforProblemsAreas.pdf

Lingerie is now not only a bedroom item but now very fashionable to be seen wearing your lingerie as outerwear. It looks very sexy to be wearing a corset with your favourite jeans or that cute little babydoll with your denim skirt.

Love Kitten Lingerie provides suggestions and tips for how to choose lingerie that will flatter and enhancer any figure type. Different kinds of lingerie are better at covering or disguising problem areas. This article provides helpful information that women can use when deciding what styles of lingerie to wear.

Did You Know That
Women generally know their particular problem areas, but are confused on what to wear when it comes to lingerie to best suit their shape.
The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence. In this report, Love Kitten Lingerie will provide suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

# Helpful tip to remember is no matter what shape or size a woman's body; dark colors hide a multitude of sins.

If you have a great cleavage but heavy thighs, wear a piece of lingerie that will draw attention to the cleavage therefore taking the focus off the thighs.
Enjoy this Special Report!

Cindy

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Problem Area # 1

I Have Small or Drooping Breasts

Under wire lingerie comes in a variety of styles, including babydolls, bustiers, gowns, and even camisole sets. Under wire is great for providing lift and creating cleavage, and this all leads to feeling more confident. Under wire camisoles look great in the bedroom and also under a jacket as outerwear or with a pair of jeans.

**************

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 2

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

*********

Problem Area # 2

I have large arms and wide shoulders

Thin straps should be avoided if you have large arms and wide shoulders. If
you want to disguise these problem areas you should wear lingerie with
sleeves or wide straps instead.

Many gowns and chemises come with wide straps or sleeves and available in both long and short styles. Some women feel more comfortable if they are more covered and if that is the case choose a long gown.

# Helpful tip -
Another great idea if you are feeling a little adventurous is to choose a costume, as these most often will offer a little more coverage. Most costumes at Love Kitten Lingerie have sleeves, both long and short and, this allows women to cover their arms and give their partner a lovely surprise.

Remember in 'Part 1' we spoke about extending your bedroomwear to outerwear. The picture below looks really cute with a sexy black bra underneath, add a pair of straight leg jeans, high heals and a great belt and you are ready for clubbing.

Whatever you decide to wear, make sure you wear it with confidence!

**************

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 3

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

*********

Problem Area # 3

I Have No Waist

Don't despair, even if you have a tomboyish figure two-piece outfits really help this problem area. If you feel like you have no waist you should try wearing 2-piece outfits to break up your body. Camisole and boy short sets are perfect for this, as they provide separation between the bust and the hips creating the illusion of an hourglass figure, even for women who are not naturally shapely.

Remember whatever you wear you must wear it with confidence!

# Helpful tip -
This season's swimwear trend is the monokini, it has been seen on the Paris and Milan shows and on our beaches. It is also a great style if you have no waist and looks very sexy and stylish. Throw on a sarong and you are ready for the beaches on Monoco.

It's all an illusion but who cares as long as it works

**************

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 4

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

*********

Problem Area # 4

I Have a Bulging Tummy

Most of us have this problem, just because you may have a tummy is no reason not to wear lingerie and look great. If you are feeling a little uneasy about your tummy there is some very flattering styles available to cover this area.

I also suggest wearing silky fabric or micro fibre cut in a very feminine style to provide tummy coverage. Once again by drawing attention to the cleavage or a pair of great legs, the focus is off the tummy area.

# Helpful tip -
Remember to wear your lingerie as outerwear. Imagine this sexy little babydoll with a strapless bra over ? length straight leg white jeans and high heals. I was travelling with one of our models whilst she was wearing this and we actually got upgraded to business class.

**************

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 5

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

*********

Problem Area # 5

I Have a Heavy Bottom

Does my bum look big in this? How many times have you said that or heard that being said. There is some easy ways to hide a heavy bottom? Bustiers and babydolls often come with a bikini panty, which will provide great coverage. Women with heavy bottoms should avoid thong or g-string panties, as these accentuate the bottom.

Boy leg and boy shorts have wider leg coverage and helps to give that illusion of a smaller backside. It also covers dimples and cellulite that we all hate.

You will feel more confident wearing these type of boy leg cut shorts.

# Helpful tip -
I think if a heavy bottom is the problem we feel so much more confident if we are covered. This still allows us to look sexy and feminine.

**************

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 6

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

*********

Problem Area # 6

I Have Heavy Thighs

To read this article and see photos that go with this article http://www.lovekittenlingerie.com/LingerieTipsforProblemAreas.pdf

# Helpful tip -
The key to hiding heavy thighs is to wear lingerie with a wide skirt. Instead of close-fitting gowns, or bustiers, which can accent the thighs, babydolls with a wide skirt or ruffles or pleats.

The fabric will drape over the legs and minimize those problem thighs. This is very deceptive, as the added width appears to come from the babydoll not from the thighs!

We all hate those thunder thighs and even slim girls will have this problem. But if we create that illusion no one will ever know.

Hey, I feel sexy again and 10lbs lighter - to read this article and see photos that go with this article click on this link

**************

A Women's Guide to Looking, Feeling
and Being Sexy - Part 7

In this 7 part article series, Love Kitten Lingerie is giving you suggestions and tips for hiding bulges, flattering figures, and choosing the lingerie that will make every woman look and feel her best.

The most important thing no matter what your shape or your age is to wear your lingerie with confidence.

*********

Problem Area # 7

I Have Thick or Short Legs

Women with short or thick legs should wear shorter lingerie, like bustiers and teddies with high cut legs; the more leg that is shown, the longer the legs will appear.

Short girls for example, Kylie Minogue seem very leggy and that is achieved by the cut of the teddy or the shortness of the item that she is wearing.

# Helpful tip -
Remember to start thinking about wearing your lingerie as bedroomwear.

Girls with thick legs often feel more comfortable if they can cover their legs. If that is your case I suggest long styles.

I feel like a super model wearing these outfits!

About the Author

Love Kitten Lingerie is the only Lingerie Members Site in the World that Offers ALL Lingerie, Costumes and Shoes at Cost Price. Why Pay Full Retail Ever Again to Look Sexy? Visit us now at http://www.lovekittenlingerie.com

Real Estate and Your Retirement

Many people are looking for ways to increase their retirement income. For most of these individuals, their homes are the greatest asset. A large section of the aging population has failed to plan effectively in order to have sufficient savings at retirement. They now are looking to their real estate to supplement their retirement income.

Real estate values are very unpredictable, especially now with the decrease in the real estate bubble. Prices are falling in some cities and flattening in others. It will take some planning to get the most from selling your real estate to supplement your retirement.

Be Realistic. To plan effectively, you must be realistic about the price you may get for your home. Real estate is an up and down market, so you should assume a traditional real estate market for valuating your home, with gains in value equal to the inflation rate. At retirement, you will have the same purchasing power you currently have. If gains in real estate values are better than the inflation rate, then you will have more. Just don?t count on it.

Get the Most from Your Real Estate. People used to work hard to pay off their mortgages for homes they planned to raise their children in and retire. Since 1989, the number of people 65 and older with mortgage debt has nearly tripled, adjusting for inflation. Making payments on real estate in retirement years will deplete your savings and retirement income faster than any other expenditure.

There are three reasons to pay off your real estate mortgage ? (1) decrease expenditures in your retirement years, (2) use the mortgage interest rate that you will save to increase your retirement savings, and (3) build more equity, in case you need it as income on which to live later. Paying off your mortgage is a good thing to do, regardless of what the real estate market is doing.

Downsize Your Home. If you are living in a home that is larger than what you need, do not hold on to it for sentimental reasons. Selling the larger home for a smaller one can: (1) give you a smaller mortgage payment than you currently have, or (2) purchase a smaller home outright with no mortgage. It also means less physical upkeep by you, as well as less maintenance and repair costs in the future during retirement. Please keep in mind that there will be selling, moving and new home renovation costs that must be deducted from the sale proceeds.

Sell the Extra Real Estate. If you have a second home or vacation real estate that will not be your retirement residence, you may wish to sell this extra real estate now, putting the sale proceeds into your retirement savings. You can put the mortgage and annual upkeep payments for this property into your retirement savings, too.

Reverse Mortgages. Though these products have been around for some time, we are hearing a lot about them lately. Such mortgages give you 50 percent or more of your home?s value with no mortgage payments, which are collected by the lender at your death or if you sell the real estate.

Beware! Reverse mortgages should be used only as a last-ditch effort at survival. The interest and fees added to your mortgage debt can be very costly. If you must consider a reverse mortgage, here are a few smart tips:

?There are only a few reverse mortgage products now on the market, but others are coming soon. So, wait two or three years to garner more options and possibly better products.

?You must be 62 to qualify for a reverse mortgage loan, but wait as long as possible to take such a loan. The younger you are, the smaller the loan and higher the cost over time.

?Check out all of the products on the market and get independent financial counseling on the best one for you. They may look the same upfront, but the number of years and the loan value differ greatly between products, as well as the costs over time.

?Do not buy into the hype! Mortgage brokers receive a large commission on these products. If you feel you are being pushed in this direction, check out other lenders.

?Plan ahead. If you move and sell your real estate, the lender receives all that is due on the reverse mortgage from the sale proceeds. This could actually leave you in a worse financial state.

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more on San Diego Homes for Sale visit http://www.twtrealestate.com

New Exciting online Backgammon Tournament

Covenants Easements Eminent Domain and Restrictions in Real Estate

Owning property and it's legislated bundle of legal rights can become complex when you aren't aware when your rights are being violated. Once a property survey is done, it might include easements and encroachments which might affect the value of your property. Or, if you're purchasing a home in a Homeowners Association (HOA), you will be presented with the covenants and restrictions, and most deeds carry covenants on animals and other non-residential uses, make sure you read them carefully. Eminent domain has been a hot topic in 2006, as the Federal Courts have ruled in a new direction that has wide implications for homeowners across the nation.

Covenants. Is an agreement contained in a deed or Homeowners Association to limit or deny certain uses such as barnyard animals, industrial noise or waste. In HOA's covenants can eliminate motor homes or dictate that garbage cans are hidden from view.

Easements. A right given and assigned to a specific third party to use land for a specific function. Most properties grant easements to utility companies for water, sewer, cable, power and telephone lines. You can also give a neighbor an easement for their driveway to run over your property if theirs is land-locked. Many resort subdivisions grant easements to lake front beaches to homeowners who do not have lake frontage.

Eminent Domain.The power of local, county, state or U.S. Government to condemn and purchase at current market value a property to be used for public use; such as a road, school or hospital. Recent rulings have changed this to include the highest and best use for a property, including purchasing a single-family home for re-development as condominiums.

Restrictions. Similar to covenants in that they restrict fence heights or the number of cars you can park overnight outside a garage, the number and type of pets in a HOA or the style and color of alterations to your home.

? Copyright 2006 Mark Nash

Mark Nash, is a residential real estate author, broker, columnist and writer based in Chicago. His fourth book 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home received eighteen five star reviews on Amazon.com. His latest book; Real Estate A-Z for Buying & Selling a Home will be published in December 2006. Mark publishes a free monthly ezine for real estate professionals. Agent to Agent features ten articles that offer free reprints for agents, home buyers and sellers through EzineArticles.com . Real estate news and book reviews, Celebrity Homestyles, Home selling and buying tips and advice, Joke-of-the-Month, Help this Agent, and agent marketing tips. Over 5000 subscribers in the U.S. & Canada. Subscribe at: http://www.1001realestatetips.com/forrealestateagents.html

Selling a Note Which is Best Partial Sale or Full Sale?

If you are like most people when you consider selling a note, you generally think about selling the entire note. And, in some cases, that may be the best solution.

One of the advantages of selling the entire note is that once you have sold the note, you literally wash your hands-off. You no longer have to worry about collecting the payments, up keep of the property or making sure taxes are paid. You have your money and collecting on the note and worrying about details on this property is now someone else's problem. If the note defaults, you will not be affected by the default if payments are late you are not even aware of it.

But what about the situations where you may need a smaller amount of money immediately and enjoy having the monthly payments as extra spending money. Did you know that you have the option of selling only part of your cash flow or note and continuing to collect the monthly payments on the portion you do not sell?

Partial purchases can be structured in many ways. You can sell the next 12 payments and have the note return to you when those 12 payments have been paid. Or you can sell 24 payments, or 36...you get the picture. If you have a balloon payment you may sell up to the balloon payment and then collect it. This last scenario is less appealing to investors.

Another option is selling a portion of each payment and continuing to collect the unsold portion. For instance, you could sell 1/2 of each payment and still collect 1/2 of each payment. Normally done when the monthly payment you collect is of a substantial amount. In this way, you get a lump sum of money and still continue to collect a monthly payment as well.

Partial payments have some down falls also. On the down side, partial purchases mean you are still need to be involved with the note and if it should default, you are likely to be affected by the default. Make sure you are protected in your contract like what happens in the event of a late payment or default. You want this clearly spelled out in your agreement with the investor before you finalize the sale of the note.

Many times a partial purchase will actually allow you to collect a much larger total sum of money for the note than a full purchase will allow. You may actually end up collecting more than the face value of the note in some instances.

You can read all about deed of trusts, note buyers and partial note purchases at www.deed-of-trust-buyers.net/partial-note-purchase.html.

Representing real note buyers not just a brokering service and offering self-help for those wanting to remain real estate note holders through valuable free material and downloads.

Spurt in Prices of UK Land ? An Ideal Investment Opportunity?

UK is becoming densely populated to an untenable level. This has led to an acute housing shortage and a sharp rise in UK Land for Sale prices.

Prices for housing and land in UK has shown continuous upward trend due to a robust growth in average earnings - predicted to be close to 5% this year - as well as cuts in interest rates that has combined to prop-up the housing market .

According to Milan Khatri, chief economist at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the medium term outlook is for steady price growth.

Despite a fall in the number of mortgage approvals in April, which are viewed as a forward indicator of housing demand, activity remains above the historical average and still point to firm demand conditions, Mr. Khatri said.

Thus investments in UK Land for sale market are increasingly becoming attractive to common investors.

UK Land Highlights

? Unlike equities, the capital growth of land investments is attractive and so is the downside risk
? Better growth and lower downside risk than ANY other investment.
? Growth is consistent
? Unlike equities and land in the right location does not suffer long periods of cyclical decline.

Today, there are a number of companies serving smaller investors select plots of land to buy, and investments typically start at about $10,000.

Following types of plots of land for sale are available across the UK -

Brownfield Land: Brownfield Land is the common term used for previously developed land i.e. land that is or was occupied by a permanent structure. This land is often smaller, resulting in High Rise Development e.g. old petrol station and factories.

Greenfield Land: Greenfield Land simply refers to land that has never been used for development eg Farmland.

Greenbelt Land: Greenbelt Land is largely undeveloped or sparsely occupied land, which historically has been set aside to contain development, prevent towns merging and provide open space. Greenbelt boundaries can change in response to the requirements for additional housing in a controlled manner.

While there is some opposition against moves to grant planning permission to builders on greenbelt and greenfield land but keeping in view the acute mismatch between expected demand for housing and the amount of land available for planned development such moves are necessary.

Moreover release of such land for planned development would create jobs and opportunities in those areas and by increase in the supply the house prices would automatically lower, thereby ensuring that everyone can afford to become a home owner. At present, for the ambitious young generation to own a home is easier said than done. It is also very difficult for the low waged population to build there own homes.

Thus be it a farmland, greenbelt land, greenfield land or brownfield land, buying plots of land for sale has the potential to make stunning returns quickly. Infact prices of land in UK have increased by a stunning 926% in last two decades.

UK Land for Sale Market is thus expected to show a steady increase for coming decade and could prove to be an ideal investment vehicle for common investors

Stephen Brewood
Land Plots For Sale in UK

Real Estate for Sale in Arizona

If you are looking for real estate for sale in Arizona, you may want to check the Internet for listings or consult with a real estate broker.

If you are looking for a top custom builder of homes, the Dalton Ross Homes may just be what you?re looking for. On the other hand, La Costa Homes is a premium property found in Kingsman, Arizona. Its builders put a premium on quality. Additionally, Esmay Construction showcases quality properties. They has open floor plans and customized features with a flair for architecture. They have new homes in Kingsman, Arizona, and in Lake Havasu City along with the popular Valley Vista Gold Course.

If you are interested in a family-focused Scottsdale community, there is a modern and luxurious estate in Paradise Valley. Perhaps you are looking for a quaint ranch in Carefree or a custom house with a creatively designed golf course or even a downtown loft. You can search for these homes online with the help of agents.

Some online real estate firms offer first timers and veteran home purchasers valuable knowledge to guide them in their decision-making process. They provide real estate reports online, articles on available properties and a monthly newsletter with informative features on the Arizona real estate environment.

If you are the seller, remember not to utilize traditional methods of selling properties such as open houses and advertisements in magazines. Make sure that the agent maximizes exposure of your home to command a good price.

Since the selling strategies of properties have undergone dramatic changes, a proactive approach is necessary. These include agent-to-agent selling, marketing through the Internet, and other new techniques so your property will fetch a handsome amount.

So keep these things in mind to guide you in your search for estates in Arizona.

Arizona Real Estate provides detailed information on Arizona Real Estate, Tucson Arizona Real Estate, Phoenix Arizona Real Estate, Arizona Real Estate Agents and more. Arizona Real Estate is affiliated with Arizona Vacation Rentals.

800 Number Directory Helps Take Care Of A Baby

Ohio Foreclosure Process

Ohio performs its foreclosures judicially. Specifically the County Court of Common Pleas have jurisdiction for the filing of a foreclosure complaint. There are eleven (11) separate steps to the foreclosure process in Ohio. They are

1) Breach letter; 2) Complaint to foreclose; 3) Title Report 4) Judgment Decree; 5) Praecipe ( order of sale); 6) Appraisal by three disinterested freeholders 7) Newspaper Publication; 8) Foreclosure Sale; 9) Motion to Confirm the Sale; 10) Confirmation Hearing; 11) Sheriff?s Deed.

1.) Breach letter

The first step in the Ohio foreclosure process is for the lender to notify the homeowner by certified mail that he/she has breached the contractual terms of the promissory note and to notify the owner of its intention to foreclose on the home and seek a deficiency judgment. This letter will be forwarded to the homeowner prior to the filing of the complaint to foreclose. This is the end of the private information which we will only see if we are able to enter the home prior to an auction and purchase the property from the homeowner directly.

2) Complaint to Foreclose

The Complaint to Foreclose is just a lawsuit which is filed in the court where the property is located. The attorney prepares the complaint after a review of the file, performs a title search and has sent a breach letter to the homeowner. It recites the facts of the breach of contract by the homeowner. For instance the complaint will recite the amount of the original mortgage, the current amount that the homeowner is behind on the mortgage and will include all of the other parties of record. 3. Title Report

A list of all parties interested in the property.

4) Judgment Decree

Once the court has established that a judgment shall issue, they will enter into a judgment which will set out the amount of the debt due on the house, orders the foreclosure, marshals the liens, establishes the priority of payment and orders the property to be sold free of liens.

The judgment decree will contain the following:

1) a recital of the pleadings filed; 2) a finding that service has been made 3) a finding as to the lien for the real estate taxes; 4) a finding as to the validity of the mortgage and its right to foreclose; 5) finding as to the priorities of the liens; 6) order of sale to the sheriff.

5) Praecipe (order of sale)

This must be filed with the clerk within three days after the decree.

6) Appraisal

Ohio requires that the property be appraised by three separate impartial individuals and that the property cannot be purchased for less than two-thirds of the appraisal except when a junior lien is foreclosing.

7) NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION

The notice in the newspaper is required to have the following information contained therein: 1) The time and place of the sale. 2) The street address of the sale and description of the property.

8) Foreclosure Sale

The sale is then held in the courthouse at the county courthouse where the property is located. The high Bidder is required to deposit ten percent (10%) of the winning bid by certified check or cash with the sheriff. If the high bidder defaults on his obligations to make all payments within the prescribed time the high bidder will lose his/her deposit and the property will be re-advertised for sale.

9 Motion To CONFIRM The SALE

This simply is an order prepared by the Banks lawyer confirming the sale and the order of payment.

10) CONFIRMATION HEARING

The standards to confirm a sale are that if the judge finds that the sale was regular it will be confirmed. It is not subject to appeal unless there was an abuse of discretion.

11). Sheriffs Deed

After the confirmation hearing the winning bidder will be given a deed by the sheriff deed. frontgateconsulting.com/

frontgateconsulting.com/

Buyer Agents Vs Seller Agents: What's The Difference And Should I Care?

Are you unsure of what type of real estate agent to use when you are selling your home and/or buying a new home? Understanding the function of a real estate agent and what their relationship to you as a seller or buyer is tremendously important. For a first time home buyer or seller you should be aware of some facts, and clear out the cobwebs of confusion on the responsibilities and duties of a real estate agent.

Real estate agents, depending on the state in which you live, may only be allowed to act only as a seller?s or buyer?s agent. In many instances however a real estate agent may take on a dual role of representing both the seller and buyer. This type of agent is known as a dual agent. In other words they have a duty to sell the home for the best possible price for the seller, and at the same time are committed to get the best asking price for a buyer. This can be a somewhat upsetting for many people, but the best defense is being in the know about the legal and moral responsibilities associated with a real estate agent?s dual agency representation, and how you can feel positive about working with them.

In most states real estate agents are legally required to state which party they are working for. Most of the time real estate agents work for the individuals that are selling a home. Make sure to ask, if you are unclear so to alleviate any nervousness on your part. Always presume that any real estate agent is working for a firm that represents both a seller and a buyer, and if you are a buyer, make sure to keep to yourself any information that may affect any deals that are offered for your purchase of a house. Buyer?s agents have a loyalty only to the buyer. This is established by a signing of a contractual agreement between both the agent and the buyer. The buyer should be aware that agents are held to a legal and moral obligation to not reveal any personal facts not only to the home seller, but to the real estate agent. Material disclosure is allowable though about the property, such as any known pest infestations, or problems with the structure itself. A dual agency for a real estate agent is usually understood for them if they represent a buyer; make sure to check into the real estate agent?s status for your own serenity. Nonetheless, contract protection is afforded for anyone that is interested in purchasing a property through an agent that represents a seller?s interest by signing a contract to represent both.

If you are selling your home and you will be searching to buy a home in the same area you need to expect a reasonable amount of service from the real estate agent that represents you. The agent?s goal should be to fully represent your best interests. Your agent needs to clearly inform you if they will require you to sign an exclusive contract. This legally binding contract will require you to work with that agent only. You should always search around for an agent that will allow you to have other realtors working on your behalf to locate a new home for you. All agents should work diligently to help you sell your home by providing comparisons studies of the properties in your area, to handle any inspections or appraisals, and to work with your mortgage lender and in the loan application process. He or she should be more than willing to consider and respect your wishes when scheduling an open house for either other agents or for the general public. Agents should always be courteous about appointment times to meet with you, and should always leave a cell phone in case of unexpected issues surrounding the sale of your home. Your buyer?s agent should clearly explain all aspects of the contract to you. Issues such as contract compensation and their exact fees for selling your home, along with other important details such as how long you must list your home with them should be covered in a written contract. Never take their word for it. Get everything in writing. Be careful, verbal contracts, maybe legally binding.

Buying or selling a home should be a pleasant experience. Selling and buying is a serious decision that can influence your financial and emotional well being for years to come ? consequences of how informed you are will be long lasting, many years after you have left the bargaining table.

Matthew McDonough is a real estate investor and a former real estate agent in New York. He owns property throughout the USA. He wants to share is knowledge and operates the website Inside Real Estate Info

Helpful Advice on Food and Drink for your Backpacking Trip

If you are going out on an extensive backpacking trip then you will need to closely consider your food provisions. Food and water are important aspects of staying energized on a backpacking trip, so understanding the best ways to prepare and pack food can really help you plan a good menu. Food can seem like a hassle, but it doesn't have to be if you know some helpful advice that can make planning the food and water for your backpacking trip simple.

Water Tips

To make sure water is safe to drink you should filter it or add water treatment to it. Iodine tablets are popular because they are easy to use, but they can result in the water having a weird taste. One solution to the taste problem is to add sugar free drink mix to the water. You will still get the same benefits from the water and with the additive being sugar free you will not get the extra calories. If you need to filter water because it has debris in it you can use cheesecloth. For a makeshift filter, you could use a clean bandana.

Food Tips

You should try to carry food that is lightweight, durable and easy to cook. Anything canned is usually fine. Indeed, canned tuna and chicken is a backpacking staple. They can be dressed up a number of ways with other easy to carry items. Bread can be bulky to carry, and it also hardens quickly. An alternative to bread are crackers or tortillas. Make good use of instant items, like potatoes or macaroni and cheese. These cook up quick and are very lightweight. Also, you will find dried meats like jerky are a useful addition to your food provisions. Zip top baggies are a good tool too. You can store almost anything in these easy to pack containers. Try to pack healthy foods that also are full of energy like granola and beans. Another idea is buying army MRE's or Meals Ready to Eat. These are made to be easy to carry, easy to prepare and have a healthy balance of nutrients.

When you are planning your meals for your backpacking trip you need to keep these basic tips in mind. Food and water are your main energy source and if you are not eating right and getting plenty to drink it can have a negative effect on your backpacking vacations.
About the Author

Brian McGregor is a backpacking enthusiast and author. You can read about his latest ebook on backpacking recipies, including six free backpacking gifts at http://www.backpackingtime.com/backpackingrecipies.htm

Yellow Lamborghini Gallardo for Rent

What?s in a Lambo that can arouse emotional reactions and invoke a cosmos of images? Is it the Lamborghini?s razor-sharp headlights, long edgy lines of body work, deep side air intakes or maybe the fact that it is a luxury car that makes it a wonderful sight to behold?

A rental company in Washington, DC is giving everybody (but basically those who can afford only) the chance to drive a Lamborghini Gallardo. Capital Dream Cars will soon have the Lamborghini as part of their rental fleet. Oh yes, believe it or not the Capital Dream Cars, Washington, DC?s premier exotic car rental service is happy to announce that the Lamborghini Gallardo is the latest addition to its fleet of world-class rental automobiles.

Jumi Kim, Founding Partner of Capital Dream Cars, The hard-top, E-Gear transmission Lamborghini is a nice complement to our manual Ferrari convertible and tiptronic Bentley coupe. Whether you want a coupe or convertible, a manual, semi-automatic or automatic transmission, we have a dream vehicle for every preference, season and occasion.

The Yellow Lamborghini Gallardo has a design inspired by modern jet fighters. The Lamborghini Gallardo is a muscular car that possesses dynamic styling and performance. The Lamborghini Gallardo is called SantAgata? raging bull and it?s because of its 5.0 liter, V10 engine that produces 500 horsepower and sprints from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Despite its power some people who have already tested to drive a Gallardo claimed that it is smooth.

As expected from a Gallardo its interior is sleek black which Motor Trend magazine describes as ?the best cabin ever bolted and stitched into a Lamborghini...an exotic-car cockpit that you'll actually want to ride in. it is equipped with power seats, on-board computer, heated seats/floor mats/exterior mirrors, coming home function, silver brake calipers, and 19? alloy wheels.

According to a Lamborghini of Washington spokesman, ?Five thousand Lamborghini Gallardos can't be wrong. Style, performance and fun are why the Lamborghini Gallardo is the most successful Lamborghini ever built and one of the most popular sports cars today. In short great cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo calls for great responsibilities and attention.

About the Capital Dream Cars

Capital Dream Cars in Washington, DC is the premier exotic car rental company that provides only the finest and the most elegant marques for rent such as the red Ferrari 360 Spider, metallic gray Bentley Continental GT and the new addition to the fleet, the yellow Lamborghini Gallardo?self-drive basis; the white or silver Rolls-Royce Phantom, blue or black Maybach---on a chauffeured basis. Capital Dream cars also provides corporate incentives and programs such as the Prince Michael package or the thrilling Power Tour package which includes a visit to the rural back-roads in the Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini.

About Lamborghini

Automobili-Lamborghini S.p.A., which is commonly referred to as Lamborghini is an Italian manufacturer of high performance sports cars based on the small Italian village of Sant? Agata Bolognese, near Bologna.

Lamborghini is also a subsidiary of Audi AG which in turn is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, Europe?s largest automaker and maker of high quality VW GTI parts. Volkswagen is offering the Lamborghini as a match to the Ferrari in the Italian sports car business. 536

For more about your Volkswagen parts needs VW GTI parts, visit your trusted online source.

Benjamin Hudson works as a supervisor at one of the top engineering firms in the business district of Louisiana. He is also a freelance journalist and has passion for anything automotive.

Great Travel Toys for Kids

The solution to keeping kids amused and occupied on long car rides can seem as elusive as the perfectly placed pit stop.

Parents of even the smallest of infants will find the perfect travel toys to keep them amused and stimulated in between naps. The irresistible Whoozit Activity Spiral wraps around most stroller and car seat carrier handles for on-the-go fun. A baby safe mirror encourages self-discovery, a hidden rattle reinforces cause-and-effect play, and the pull-and-release ball under the Whoozit makes a delightful jiggling motion that stimulates developing motor skills.

Does your baby love to reach for little toys and give them a good shake - before throwing them under the front seat? Well, Lamaze Garden Bug Foot Finder and Wrist Rattle Set is your solution to keeping those toys and rattles off the car floor. These baby-soft wrist rattles and foot finders slip around wrists and onto feet. Let baby grab and shake to her hearts' content - while developing hand-to-eye coordination skills! Bright patterns and faces encourage discovery while fun sounds reward exploration.

Now baby can drive along just like mom or dad with the Beep Beep Baby Soft Driver by IQ Baby. This colorful, soft activity toy features a steering wheel, key, gear shift - even a cell phone! The colors and contrasts stimulate baby's visual development, while the baby safe mirror promotes self-recognition. And with all the squeakers, rattles and ratchet sounds, your baby will be kept amused no matter how long the car ride is!

For quiet moments, try keeping an assortment of CD's to soothe your young ones to sleep on the road. For example, Dreams and Lullabies by Markus is a collection of old favorites like Brahms' Lullaby and new favorites-in-the-making like the dreamy Angel on my Shoulder.

LeapFrog can make traveling with kids seem like a walk in the park. The Little Touch LeapPad allows your baby to interact with classic stories like Guess How Much I Love You, while the My First LeapPad is perfect for your pre-schooler to learn letters, numbers, shapes and other fundamentals while reading and interacting with engaging stories and familiar characters like Bob the Builder and the Wiggles. You can even coax the Game Boy out of your 4-8 year-old's clutches when you hand him a Leapster! Boys and girls have a blast reinforcing essential math and language skills while playing games and reading stories with their favorite characters like Spiderman, Junie B.Jones, and Spongebob Squarepants.

Electronic games are sure to be a hit with your school-age travelers. Remember 20 Questions? The the hot new game, 20Q - a small, handheld electronic genius that can guess what you are thinking in 20 questions or less! Just think of any object and answer yes or o to each of its questions as they appear on its LCD screen. Will 20Q guess your answer? About 95% of the time it will - wow!

Another backseat favorite is MadLibs by Excalibur Electronics. Based on the wildly popular series of activity books, players create the craziest, funniest stories by choosing from a list of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs - or by writing their own. The wackier the better!

Perhaps you have a passenger who is an aspiring chess master. Travel chess sets are a great way to improve your chess game on the road, and the Excalibur Chess Station is the grand champion! This full featured travel unit has an LCD screen - no small pieces to lose - and boasts a 1750 tournament rating with 73 power levels from beginner to advanced. It even has a teaching mode and a series of opening play challenges to sharpen your traveler's skills. Once you have arrived at your destination or returned home, Excalibur Chess includes a game board and chess pieces for traditional play as well.

So your teenager thinks he knows it all? Test his Quiz Quotient against the New York Times Quizmaster from the famous Noodle Nudger of the NY Times online quiz game. Featuring over 2200 questions in 280 topics, this multiple choice format travel game is perfect for either the solo player or a minivan full of kids (and adults!) to match wits against each other.

Pen and paper games are also essential activities for traveling with kids. Klutz has discovered a new use for your vehicle's drink-holder - how about Klutz Books in a Cup in either Green or Orange `flavors'? For ages 8 - 10, this unique collection of puzzles and games comes in a reusable container, complete with a pencil and a lid, that fits neatly into a cup holder for easy access and storage. Combine this with the Klutz Kids Travel Book and you have the ultimate backseat survival kit. This super high quality book comes with a built-in clipboard, 100 page notepad, 47 page activity book, and a conveniently attached zipper pouch full of markers, yarn, dice, string and more! Mazes, Cat's Cradle Loop and instructions, Hidden Pictures, Parcheesi Board, License Plate Bingo and Classic Song Lyrics are just a few of the activities included in this Parent's Choice Gold Award-winning travel activity kit.

What's a road trip without a great selection of tunes? Your traveling tots will enjoy Raffi or Disney. For songs in the car that even Mom and Dad will love, check out A Child's Celebration of Rock and Roll featuring original artists like Bill Haley and the Comets, the Coasters, Bobby Darin, Johnny Otis, Shirley Ellis, and Richie Valens. Modern hit-makers, including Sarah McLaughlan. Billy Bragg, Tom Waits, and the Barenaked Ladies, provide new takes on old childhood classics (and some new ones!) on For the Kids. This alternative-rock CD is perfect for traveling with kids of all ages - even those too-cool tweens who think they have outgrown kids' music!

About the Author

Freelance writer and homeschool mom, LJ Bronart is based in Toronto Canada. You'll be surprised at how easy your next road trip will be! For more travel games and travel toy ideas please visit www.mastermindtoys.com

Shooting Games ? Sharp Shooters Are Not Always Bad!

 



Shooting Games ? Sharp Shooters Are Not Always Bad!Submitted By: Peter Rodrick   

Someone was assassinated in a downtown area of the city last morning! The INTERPOL thinks of some sharp shooters involved for this sinful act, who probably used the new bolt-action Centerfire Rifle from Remington with a Bushnell 3-9X scope! Do not fall from your seat?this is nothing other than the bruit we wrote!!! But now, we need some sharp shooters who take over the mission and complete it restless with flawless performance.

Not putting a reader in mystery further, let us talk clearly that shooting games are the genre of video or computer games that are gaining skyrocketing popularity. No one on this planet would hate it; irrespective of the gender and age. However, shooting style or type may differ since someone would like to be on hardcore mission where they see deserts around with no water or a battlefield with no mercy and others may like to be thousands of miles away from the earth, targeting meteorites and all the space objects from their supersonic spaceships.

This type of games cover a fairly broad spectrum of genres, which have the commonness of controlling some character or an object (like vehicle or spaceship) that is generally armed with a firearm that can be freely aimed at target or enemy to destroy or to gun down respectively. The shooters in the games that attempt to emulate life-like ballistics and characters that damage the target are often called as tactical shooters. Those that use more lenient arms are usually labeled as arcade shooters. However, whatever the type of shooter you require for shooting games, it is for sure that once you start your computer or TV with this game, you get lost in another world where you don?t feel hunger or thirst!

Such type of action games includes adventure and thrill. There are several option to play these games, like many games would be solo ventures where as others may offer the players the opportunity to order a squad of characters, generally directly controlling one, the head or the chief. This chief would be giving orders to computer-controlled allies. Games that feature non-player characters that fight alongside the player but that are not directly controlled (either by switching player control or by ordering to the other characters) are not categorized under the squad-based games.

Shooting games can be played through the game CD that is readily available in the market that can be put onto the computers and played or the generation-next players who look for game players like PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo player platforms are latest devices that have different quality of sound and system that add realistic flairs to shooting games. If your pocket does not permit such type of shooting games, you can go online for free! There are plenty of websites offering online shooting games free of cost. All you need is to logon to the website, select the game and get started with your mission. Another genre ? MMORPG is also a revolutionary game that rocks the net nowadays.

About the Author:

Play online free Shooting Games and Fighting Games by visiting website webgameawards.com

Article Tags: game, games, shooting

Buying a Home in Glendale Arizona: On the Road to Success

If you are looking to buy your first home in the Phoenix metropolitan area, you may want to consider Glendale. It is located west of Phoenix and offers easy access to the city, as well as to the many businesses.

Glendale is one of the most affordable home communities throughout the Valley. For first time buyers, this community gives you options of getting more home for your money. Of course, buying your first home is a big first step, and you can take some steps to avoid those mistakes of home buying.

Not Being Prepared

Most first time buyers think the first step is going out and looking for a home. Actually, the first step is working with a mortgage agent. A big part of your home purchase is getting a mortgage, and your mortgage agent is best qualified to help you through the process. A good agent can show you where you may experience potential problems, take a good look at your credit, and give you some suggestions of the price range for your potential home.

Focusing on the Long Term

When you look for a home in Glendale, be careful not to focus too far in the future. It's hard to predict where you'll be or what you'll be doing ten or fifteen years from now. If you are focused too far in the future, you may buy a larger home than you really need. Focus on your needs for the next five to seven years, how close do you need to be to work, how many bedrooms are ideal, how big of a home do you want.

Chances are you'll be looking for a new home in five to seven years, and you'll revise your home search based on your needs at that time.

Waiting Too Long to Buy

Taking that first step to buy a home is a huge decision, and at times it can be a little frightening. Maybe you've heard rumors of a real estate bubble, and you think if you wait it out that bubble will collapse and you'll find a house at a better price. Actually, most experts have already said that the real estate collapse is not going to happen. You aren't going to see home prices fall in the near future. In fact, most likely home prices will continue to increase, just at a slightly less pronounced rate than the last couple of years.

If you decide to wait too long, you may find that you can't afford the increased prices. And, the longer you stay in your rental property, the more money you give to your landlord that you could be investing that money in yourself.

Looking for Perfection

First time buyers see themselves living in a home for years, and want to find the home that is perfect for them. Unfortunately, there is no such house. All homes will have a few problems, some that are easier to fix than others, some that you just have to learn to live with. When you look for a home in Glendale, be prepared to walk in with an open mind. You'll find that you have a lot more options when you do.

Do a little preparation in advance and you'll find the perfect Glendale home for you. You home is an important investment in your future, the right home will let you begin upon the path of accumulating wealth, it's a good road to be on.

Reg Gustin is a senior loan officer with Sun American Mortgage and specializes in helping families and their financial lending needs.

Get a FREE mortgage rate quote from a reputable Arizona mortgage company at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mortgages.htm

Search the Arizona MLS at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mls.html

Click here: http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-real-estate-appreciation-report.htmland get a FREE copy of The Greater Phoenix Area Housing Appreciation Report, as compiled by Arizona State University with your free subscription to his monthly ezine, MARKET NEWS.

Baby Jogging Strollers Get in Shape Again

There's no doubt about it -- having a baby changes your life. New parents often find that they have to give up some aspects of their lifestyle and may have trouble fitting in all their activities. Jogging, however, is one activity that can be continued after baby is born. Thanks to baby jogging strollers Mom and Dad can fit in their exercise routine by combining their jogging with an outing with baby.

A baby jogging stroller is instantly recognizable by its 3-wheel design. This makes it suitable for jogging over a wide variety of terrain while providing a comfortable ride for your child.

There are 2 basic styles of jogging strollers - swivel front wheel or fixed front wheel. A fixed wheel is easier for jogging. Less effort is needed for steering the stroller and more attention can be paid to the road and your child. On the other hand, strollers with swivel front wheels are much easier to manoeuvre in tight spots. If you want to take your jogging stroller to the shopping mall a swivel front wheel is more convenient.

Many companies offer strollers that allow the swivel front wheel to be locked in position. This offer the best of both worlds - when jogging the wheel can be fixed and when manoeuvring is important the wheel can be unlocked.

Jogging strollers are available in either single or double models. If you have twins or two toddlers the double models are ideal. Again there are 2 styles of double strollers - the seats can be positioned side-by-side or front and back. Some parents find that the front-back arrangement invites hair-pulling, kicking, and other bad behaviour so keep this in mind when choosing a stroller.

In either double or single strollers look for models with a reclining seat. If the seat fully reclines the stroller can be used with newborns although remember that you should not jog with children under the age of 6 months.

Other features to look for are storage areas (either underseat trays or pockets), parking brakes, folding mechanisms, and detachable wheels.

There are many jogging strollers to choose from, so consider your needs and you are sure to find a model that suits you and your child exactly!
About the Author

Anita, mother an inspired author of the
http://www.baby-strollers-guide.com/ and the

Have you jumped on the baby trend?

Are you a stay at home parent who would very much like to earn some extra money but you don't know how? Well the answer is right in front of you, your baby. This does not mean that you should make a business of your child but out of what you as a parent know a child needs. Are you wondering how?
Babies and baby products has become a very hot market lately and is steadily growing. Baby issues and all product regarding babies is turning out to be a big money making machine on-line and if you know anything about computers this would be a great business to get into. It is a business which will not require a whole lot of time when you have it up and running.

Having found a wonderful niche like baby products does not necessarily mean that you will make money of your website and this is where your job will be. You could even have great products up for sale without ever selling one single thing. Even if you had baby beds made of gold for sale on your site, without traffic to your site your sales will remain next to nothing.

Marketing a website concerning baby stuff is not very hard at all because people are searching for baby items constantly. The problem is that without marketing and good content nobody will find you. This is where you have to spend a few hours here and there in order to promote and market your site.

Having gone through this problem myself I would like to let you in on a little secret which helped generate an immense flow of traffic to my baby site and I did not spend a lot of time on it at all. Naturally the more time you devote to market your business, the better it will be, but as a stay at home parent it probably will not be your first priority.

First of all make sure you have good quality products for sale on your site even though it is not your main concern. By having good quality products on your site you will very quickly get a good reputation for having good products and people will return to buy from you and you will find that you get few refund requests.

What is important to have on your site is good content but if you do not know how to write good content don't worry about it because there are plenty of places where you can get great content for your website. In order to find the best thing suited for you I would recommend that you go to a site specifically directed towards baby content.

On such a site you will find articles and information only regarding babies. These sites are not only good for you who are starting your own website but also for those of you just looking for ideas and information about babies. Writing your own articles and submitting them to different directories is another great way to promote your business.

Well, this is just one suggestion on how to earn some extra money while being a stay at home parent. Good luck.

About the Author

Hege Crowton is an established expert copywriter.
She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles.
www.Ispjv.com
www.Submitcontent.com

History Of The Great Ford Mustang

 



History Of The Great Ford MustangSubmitted By: ClassicMustangs   

As far as the consumer is concerned, the history of the great Ford Mustang began when it was shown to the public at New York?s World Exhibition. The prototypes had been in existence since 1962, with the Mustang 1 (T-5) being first introduced to the motor racing world at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix where Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney drove it for a few laps each as a demo.

In the early 1960s, Ford desperately needed a new car to compete with the sporty Chevrolet Corsair Monza, and its first attempt, the Falcon Future, failed to compete. A brand new car was needed, and the idea for the Mustang was born. It was sporty and quick and a four seater. It was appealing to youngsters, and the prototype was well received when shown at the motor racing circuits.

It went in production in 1964, and was an instant hit. Its launch on 17th April, 1964 was the beginning of what was to be the most popular car ever in American history, and it sold half a million in its first year. Its customers included every age and it was equally popular to men and women.

Many of its parts were taken from the failed Falcon, and its immediate success had as much to do with the almost perfect advertising campaign as it had to do with looks and speed. The advertising power of the three major television networks was used extensively, and with its distinctive mane and tail galloping across the red, white and blue of America the ?Pony Car? was the phenomenon of its age, representing the flavor of the 1960s more perfectly than its designers could ever have dreamt possible.

It was a car of its day that arrived with perfect timing. Later to be called the 1964?, the original Mustang was available as a convertible and as a coupe, both with chrome wrap-around fenders, the distinctive chrome grill with running pony, and a lengthened hood. Although it claimed to have four seats, the back seat was a bit small and it also sported three tails lights on each side. It has sold a million by 1966, although before that the GT and fastback model had been introduced.

The car continued to progress, and by the end of the 60s had become longer by four inches, and a lot heavier than the original, much of this in response to the development of Chevrolet?s Firebird and Pontiac. It was the Corvette, however, that brought the Mustang into the road racing arena. The Mustang was so popular, especially with the young, that Ford were desperate to race it against the Corvette. However, only production two seaters were allowed to race, and to enable them to do this at least 100 two seaters had be produced by January 1965.

This was achieved with the help of Mustang fan and racer, Carol Shelby, who modified 100 of the 2+2 models into GT 350 models, in the process re-equipping them to render them more suitable for racing. The suspension, wheel and brakes were all modified, and the cars were to become the basis of many future models that are even now are much sought after.

During the early 1970s the Mustang lost its way a bit and became a bit too big and unwieldy. The original grace and ?lan that so attracted early admirers was lost, and it became just another car. Part of this was due to emissions regulations, but sales dropped so much that Ford had to rethink its design strategy with the Mustang.

The Mustang II was introduced in 1974, and although it was small and vastly underpowered, it takes its place in the history of the car because it brought to a halt the drop in sales. It sold because of economy in fuel, and the 1973 OPEC fuel embargo. People were afraid that a gas guzzler would hurt their pockets, and so temporarily went for the smaller car. However, this did not last long, and 1975 brought back the V8 engine to the Mustang. However, although it had a 5 liter engine, the carburetor was too small and the catalytic converter combined with that to render it lifeless.

Then came a period of relative stability although there were a few trim changes. Fans must have seen the end coming because the late 1970s saw a slight increase in sales, rather than the drop that model now deserved. The Cobra II and King Cobra versions did little to spark a return to the glory days for the 1960s, and Ford made a last ditch attempt to rewrite the Mustang in 1979. The new Mustang was available as a coup? or fastback with a bit more room inside than the either the original or the ill fated Mustang II.

However, the running horse had gone, and the rear lights lost their distinctive three segments: this expanded to six, while the side scallop also disappeared. It no longer resembled a Mustang! Alterations continued to be made, and the California Highway Patrol found a use for a special coupe model as a high speed pursuit vehicle. With its 157 HP V8 engine, this car was used by a number of law enforcement agent up until 1993, when Ford killed them off.

The fans were wrong, however, and development continued as the Mustang conformed with the coming of fuel injection, air bags and other essential improvements, though the original concept had completely disappeared. In 2005 Ford finally ditched the ancient Fox platform and introduced that now used for the Lincoln and the Thunderbird. The newest Mustang has reverted to some of the original features, and it is a miracle that the car has survived so long.

Nobody involved in 1962 development team would have believed that the great Ford Mustang would still be around 45 years later.

Article Tags: car, ford, mustang

Sheikh Hilaly had a Point!

He did have a point, didn?t he? Did we miss it somehow?

I thought the errant Sheikh?s point was that if girls are going around dressed like strumpets, that they?re asking for trouble. If so, he?s raised an important subject in my opinion, and one that needs to be discussed. And I?m not just saying that because I?m a father of a teenage daughter!

Of course, it may well be that the Sheikh said a lot more than that. Indeed, he may have said way too much, and I'm not going to try to defend him. Even so, it?s about time we Australians took an honest look at the effect that dress codes in our culture (or the lack of them) have on our society at large, and on the male segment of the population in particular.

We?re very quick in Australian society to jump on the ?primitive? standards of Islamic communities, where women have to cover themselves in public, at least in part to lower the level of sexual temptation for men. We think it crazy that women should be so restricted and we can?t see why men shouldn?t be expected to simply take responsibility for showing self-control. In my opinion though, the system has a solid logic to it.

The logic goes like this: The community as a whole recognises the potentially destructive force of the male sex drive - destroying individuals, families and the community at large. Therefore both men and women and the government take responsibility for curtailing these destructive effects. Men are taught to pray and to take cold showers when tempted. Women, for their part, cover themselves in public. And the government does its bit by legislating the death penalty for all rapists.

OK. It?s a brutal logic, and I?m not expecting it to capture the imagination of the Australian public, but you?ve gotta admit that the system makes sense. What doesn?t make sense is our Western system, where women can dress and flirt and present themselves in public as they please, and men are expected to pretend that it doesn?t affect them.

A few weeks ago I was taking my younger children to a movie. I guess it was because I was bending down a little to deal with one of the kids that when I pivoted around I almost fell headfirst into the cleavage of the young girl standing behind me. Frankly though, it was an obstacle that was hard to avoid. She must have been all of 18, wearing her push-up bra, putting her best assets proudly on display to the rest of the world, in a way that didn?t leave a lot to the imagination.

Now, given that this is the acceptable standard in our culture, you might think that a rational response in that situation would be for me to compliment the girl by saying, ?Congratulations on your fabulous boobs, luv!?, to which she?d reply, ?Why thanks. I was hoping that people would notice?, though she?d probably add, ?though it wasn?t really you I was hoping to impress?.

Something along those lines would make sense, at any rate. What doesn?t make sense is how, in our culture, I?m expected to pretend that I didn?t notice.

It doesn?t make sense. She wants men to look, but the man?s responsibility is not to look. She?s hoping to drive the guys wild with her sexual allure, but woe betide the male who wolf-whistles or makes some comment that suggests that she has had exactly the effect on him that she was trying to have.

I remember seeing a Leunig cartoon some years ago, depicting a table-top dancer entertaining a client. She struts her stuff and waves her bits in his face. Eventually the man jumps up and drops his pants. She screams and yells, ?Pervert?, and the security guards come and drag the poor bastard away.

That?s how it works in Australian community. It?s all available. It?s all on display. It appears to be all there for the taking, but God forbid that you should make any sort of tangible response!

I remember a while ago we had a court case where some guy was convicted for taking a picture of a girl who was walking around in public topless. The girl made some statement that was recorded at the time, along the lines of, ?I?ve got a right to walk around topless if I like and nobody has the right to perv on me?.

Now I?m paraphrasing, but I think I?ve captured the logic. The assumption is that how I dress (or undress) is my business and nobody else?s, and this is just plain garbage.

If you?re a fan of the Simpsons, you?ll remember Bart saying to his sister, ?I?m going to start swinging my fists around, and if someone happens to get in the way of them, that?s not my fault?. He then starts windmilling his arms and moving in Lisa?s direction, while trying to give the impression that he?s not noticing her presence.

It?s the same logic. If you walk around swinging your arms, you have to take responsibility if you hit someone. If you wander around in public, loudly shouting and swearing, you?re going to have to expect that people will get annoyed with you. And if you are a girl who is determined to walk around topless, you?ve gotta expect men to get excited. It?s natural. It?s genetic. It?s the way we?re built. I?m not saying that this gives male voyeurs an excuse to assault anybody, but girls need to understand that when they do this, they are playing with fire.

I think a large part of the problem stems from the fact that most women in this community have no real awareness of the rapacious ferocity of the male sex drive, especially in testosterone-filled teenagers. Perhaps Islamic communities are just more realistic at this level. I don?t know, and I?m not pretending for a minute that I?d rather live in Tehran than in Sydney. But I suspect that the statistics on sexual assault and marital breakdown are much healthier over there than they are here.

OK. Now I?m not suggesting that the Islamic dress code for all Australian women is the solution, and I?m not even saying that women shouldn?t be allowed to walk around topless. All I am saying is that it?s time we got real about the situation.

Responsibility is a two-way street. As I?ve often said to my teenage daughter, ?If you walk around a room holding a plate of h?orderves, you?ve gotta expect that sooner or later someone is going to try and grab one and have a nibble.?

Does that absolve a teenage boy from responsibility when he assaults some poor young girl, simply because she was dressed provocatively? Of course not. But maybe it?s time we all took responsibility for the problem, instead of just leaving it to the lads to work it out for themselves, because they won?t.

Maybe that?s what the Sheikh was trying to say? I don?t know, though I do suspect that the media beat-up over his comments has more to do with an anti-Muslim political agenda than it does with anything he was actually responsible for. Either way, maybe it?s what he should have said.

Rev. David B. Smith
(the 'Fighting Father')
Parish priest, community worker, martial arts master, pro boxer, author, father of three
http://www.fatherdave.org

Get a free preview copy of Dave's book, Sex, the Ring & the Eucharist when you sign up for his free news letter at http://www.fatherdave.org

Residential Real Estate Appraisal

An appraisal is simply an opinion of value. Some appraisals are a professional appraiser's opinion, others are guesses. Still others are based upon the sometimes harsh reality of the marketplace. The most important factors for appraisers are figures of recent real estate sales involving comparable properties. Basically, there are only two opinions that matter.

(1) The list price is a wishful-thinking value, merely a hopeful estimate. It is set by the seller. The sale price is the real value. It is determined by you, the buyer. Of course, the price you finally agree to pay is partially determined by the seller through the negotiation process. But you and only you decide how much you are willing to pay.

The lender's is the second opinion that truly matters. The bank usually employs appraisers, although sometimes it uses third party fee appraisers. A value of the property is determined, and the lender will then make a mortgage loan based on this figure.

If the lender's appraisal comes in lower than your agreed-upon sale price, you may not be able to buy the home. The lender bases its lending decision upon this professional opinion of value. It will only loan a percentage of this figure. Therefore, if you are counting on using the lender's funds in a certain amount to finance the purchase of your home, a low appraisal from the bank can seriously damage your first time home buying efforts.

The lender's opinion of value can be disputed. The appraisal department at a bank will usually welcome previously overlooked comparable sales data (comps) and other factors which might affect their appraisal. Sometimes there were sales in the area of which the appraiser was unaware. You and/or your real estate agent often know about non-MLS sales of which the bank appraiser has no knowledge.

Perhaps you decided to buy this house because the seller spent thousands on structural and mechanical system upgrades. The lender is not to aware of these value-enhancing improvements. When you bring them to the appraiser's attention, you quite possibly will induce the appraisal department to raise the appraisal figure. The critical point to remember about this is: If the lender produces a low appraisal, you can always contest it.

You might hear complaints when the lender's appraisers express a low opinion of value - Why don't they just appraise at sales price? After all, THESE buyers are willing to pay that much. Surely others would, too. Ah, but that's NOT necessarily true. Some buyers (hopefully not you) do agree to pay too much. The lender needs to protect itself from these lovestruck buyers who must have that home. If the bank eventually has to become the owner, by having to foreclose, it must have reasonable expectations of being able to recover all or most of its investment.

When negotiating the purchase of your home, be sure you are always being prepared to walk away from the transaction if the seller is too unreasonable. There are plenty of other homes available. If you do this, the lender's real estate appraisal will almost certainly come in at or above your sales price and thus cause you no problem.

Keep the Golden Rule in mind: The banks have the gold, so they make the rules.

Paul Anderberg
http://www.first-time-home-buying.net

Mr. Anderberg is the author of many helpful articles about home buying. Visit his website to read more. Several others are also available on this site.

A Bad Real Estate Market Can Allow You to Quit the Rat Race in 1 Year!

JP Morgan, an original Robber Baron and one of the richest men of his time said it best. ?The time to buy is when there is blood running through the streets!? While the blood is not running through the streets yet, it is trickling!

• Housing appreciation is flat or even negative in some formerly hot areas
• Time on market, the amount of time it takes for a property to sell is increasing dramatically across the country.
• Inventories of unsold homes are up 30-50% nationally
• Developers and builders are offering deals unheard of 1 year ago

On the horizon is an avalanche of home mortgages about to ?reset? payment levels, up from ?teaser? rates of 1-3% to market rates of 6-7%. When you realize that the only way many of these people were able to buy their homes was because they could afford only the 1-3% payment rates, you can imagine what will happen when those loans reset.

Also, historically, more mortgages go into foreclosure at 3-5 years after origination than in any other period of their terms. More than ? of all mortgages in the US were taken out in the last 3-5 years. Another negative factor is that, according to one study, almost 50% of all homeowners have less than 25% equity in their homes.

This has come about because of the large numbers of home buyers that put zero down when they purchased and the fact that homeowners pulled out $333 Billion in cash with refinances in the last 3 years. If someone, particularly an investor, (nearly 25% of all purchases were investors over the last 3 years!) can no longer afford their mortgage payments and they have little or no equity, they will not have much incentive to try to hold on, meaning foreclosures will soon spike. Many, many people will be trapped in their homes by the foregoing circumstances. They will not be able to sell:

• Real estate agents will not list their properties if they have little or no equity as they see no means of collecting their fee
• They will not be able to reduce their selling prices without having to bring cash to the closing to pay closing costs, cash they probably don?t have.
• The market will be cluttered with similar properties for sale
• Investors will not be interested in their properties because there is no equity

People who have to sell their homes for financial, personal or emotional reasons will be especially hard pressed to find a solution. If these people are not able to afford their homes and are not able to sell them, they will face financially disastrous foreclosures or personal bankruptcies. You will be able to solve their problems and they will Give you their properties in return! In fact, some will even pay you to take their properties! Why on earth would you want properties with no equity in them? Because they can become Automatic Cash Machines, spewing cash into your bank account so you will not have to work anymore! Here is how:

First, you sell the property! You line up Motivated Buyers as your potential clients.

Then, you find a Motivated Seller and acquire his property Next, you put the Motivated Buyer into the property as the new owner with a private, seller financed mortgage.

Lastly, you collect Automatic Income for the next 5-10-20 years or more while your buyer handles all the maintenance and other duties any home owner is faced with OK, what is a Motivated Buyer and how do you find them? A Motivated Buyer is someone who can not or will not pass the bank?s scrutiny to qualify for a mortgage. These may be owners of small businesses, especially if they are cash based. They could be self employed professionals or even foreigners. They could also be people with really stinky credit! These people will jump at the chance to buy a property with private, non-bank financing and will pay you a premium for the opportunity. To find them, you simply run an ad highlighting private, seller financing. Something like:

Owe too Much to Sell Your Home?

Investor can help! XXX-XXXX

You won?t need money to acquire these homes in most cases! Have a lawyer or a person experienced with land trusts, set one up for you. This is the secret that makes this strategy work. The land trust will allow you to take over the property and sell it without paying off the seller?s mortgage!

You tack on a profit for yourself and this total becomes the Motivated Buyer?s new mortgage, less the 5-10% cash down payment you require upfront on the new purchase price. Your buyer moves in and makes payments to you until he pays your mortgage off. You take his payment and pay the seller?s original mortgage. You pocket the difference. Let?s look at the potential.

You pick up and sell 1 property per month after a 2 month learning curve. The properties average $250,000 each in market value.They produce $300 per month in positive cash flowYou receive $10,000 cash down payment from each one With 10 of these, you have:

An income of $3,000 per month, or $36,000 per year. You received $100,000 in cash down payments$2,500,000 in assets, with equity accruing monthly as the mortgages are paid off Could you Quit the Rat Race with $130,000 per year? No? Repeat the above!

Copyright 2006 Bill Young. Bill is an experienced real estate investor and personal financial consultant. He writes and lectures on advanced real estate concepts and is an expert on the formation and use of land trusts. He can be reached at 877-291-3542. His web site is http://MotivatedSellersOnline.com/SellforMore

20 Harmful Things You Should NEVER Do To Your Baby

These are the 20 silly things that you should never do to your baby... Never!!

(1) Never let your baby play with balloons or plastic bags -- they could be a choking hazard.

(2) Never put stuffed animals or dolls that hold cassette tapes near your baby when she sleeps because if the tape unwinds it could cause strangulation.

(3) Never let your baby snack on crackers or other bread products all day. These can maker her less interested in more nutritious foods and can fill her up.

(4) Never leave your baby with someone you don't know.

(5) Never put magnets on the refrigerator door because these magnets can break and the small spieces can cause a choking hazard.

(6) Never put off decorating your nursery because you might not have time after the baby arrives.

(7) Never put solid foods, like cereal, in your baby's bottle since it may pose a choking hazard and it also adds unnecessary calories.

(8) Never put clothes that has loose ties or strings on your baby because these could cause strangulation.

(9) Never put too many large toys in the playpen with an older baby who can pull herself up. She might use these to climb out.

(10) Never give your infant any small, hard foods, such as nuts, popcorn or raisins.

(11) Never heat bottles in the microwave because the milk could get too hot and burn your baby.

(12) Never keep loose objects in the back seat of the car when baby is in the car seat. If the car suddenly stops, the objects can fall on your baby.

(13) Never leave a baby alone in a parked car for any reason.

(14) Never leave your newborn baby with a toddler, even if they seem to be getting along. Toddlers may endanger the baby without even knowing it because they are sometimes unpredictable.

(15) Never leave plastic dry cleaner bags near the baby's room because your baby can pull off pieces and choke on them.

(16) Never leave your baby alone, except in a crib.

(17) Never leave your child in the bathtub alone.

(18) Never leave your window screens open.

(19) Never let your baby sleep or nap with a bottle of juice or even milk. This may cause tooth decay.

(20) Never use pressure gates at the top of stairs because your baby could lean against it, push it over and go tumbling.

If you have loved this article, what out for my next issue titled: DON'T Do This If You Have A Baby! Here Are 18 Practical Tips. You'll definitely like it! :-)

Copyright 2006. Jonathan Teng
About the Author

Grab your FREE 5 Day Baby Caring Secrets Mini Course and learn 100s of surefire Tips and Tricks about how to take care of your newborn baby from A to Z. Visit: Baby Caring Secrets TODAY!

How to Buy a Quality Car Seat Seven Tips

Car seats are mandatory baby equipment. I know that you?ll be tempted to cuddle your little bundle in your arms while driving, but please don?t! It?s just too dangerous and besides that, against the law.

Here are seven tips to buying a quality car seat for your child?

1. Buy a quality car seat. Make sure that the seal of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety is present on it. Make sure it?s constructed well with no sharp edges or loose parts.

2. Look for a car seat with travel system. The seat, infant carrier and stroller are all part of one convenient unit.

3. Make sue that you check for safety recalls. There are many safety recalls on car seats yearly. You don?t want to purchase one of those!

4. Choose cloth. It is generally more easily cleaned and is more comfortable.

5. Be positive that you choose the correct size. A small baby could slip out of a seat that is too large for him. It?s important that tiny babies under 20 pounds ride only in rear-facing seat. Only after the child is over 20 pounds should he be switched to front-facing seat.

6. Choose a car seat that has been given good reviews by other parents. Many online stores allow people to post reviews about their purchases. Why not check these out to see what other parents have to say?

7. Don?t use a used car seat unless you are able to borrow it and try it first. You want to make very sure that the parts are still functioning well, so your baby will be safe.

Proper child restraints are important. You don?t want to find that out the hard way.

Kristi Sayles, Child Development Coach/Elementary Teacher, invites you to visit her site at http://YourChildandYou.com for more parenting information, advice, products, and fun stuff.

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer SS Plus the Chevrolet Performance and Aftermarket Parts

All The Amazing Secrets Behind Hawthorne Laser Acne Treatment

Acne is a problem for young people and for adults too. The most common type of acne (blackheads, with heads or pimples) appears on the face, back, shoulders, neck or chest. An appropriate laser treatment is able to eliminate redness and scars and dramatically improve the general aspect.

Hawthorne laser acne treatment is assuming an increasing importance in acne treatment, becoming really important in the treatment of acne scars. Clinical research over many years has led to spectacular results; overgrown or thickened scars are improving their appearance, after Hawthorne laser acne treatment. The most responsive to the laser treatment seems to be facial scars; even deeply red colored scars are acquiring normal skin characteristics.

Hawthorne laser acne treatments have the sensation of a rubber band; most patients don?t love this feeling and they prefer some anesthetic creams to feel better. If new pimple appear, the face is easy to clean with microdermabrasion treatments, without unpleasant consequences.

How many treatments are necessary?
The success of laser acne treatments in huge, if the patient is preoperative evaluated carefully; it is important in order to decide the most appropriate laser treatment form. Local anesthesia is administered before Hawthorne laser acne treatment, using a special cream, injections or nerve blocks. The immediate results are not very encouraging: the scars become red. After 6 ? 8 months, the patients are evaluated and the dermatologists decide is another treatment is necessary, at the same strength or higher. Most patients require more than two treatments to see a great improvement. The exact number depends on every patient situation.

Hawthorne laser acne treatments for atrophic acne scars require carbon dioxide laser surfacing depending of the scar extend. Postoperative treatments are always necessary; Skin professional cleanings are scheduled after the laser treatment and the patients are receiving the advice to keep the acne area moistened with special oils and creams. Frequent examinations are very important too in Hawthorne laser acne treatments in order to prevent acne or long-term scar.

Pulsed dye Hawthorne laser acne treatments are the preferred procedure for acne and scars; carbon dioxide Hawthorne laser acne treatments are often replacing chemical peels and dermabrasion. Future advanced Hawthorne laser acne treatments will have spectacular results if they are coupled with other treatments.

Hawthorne laser acne treatment advantages are really important: the patient immediately returns to his normal life; it is possible to see major improvement is an hour after the treatment; the technology has a proven safety record from some years. The laser treatment avoids the side effects usually associated with drug therapy. An appropriate make-up can be used immediately after the treatment; the dermatologist must determine if it is appropriated or no.

Hawthorne laser acne treatment is not painful; it is more comfortable than many other procedures. Following this treatment, the patient?s face will appear flushed, but these effects disappear after a few days. Repeated treatments are necessary to improve or maintain the laser acne treatment results.

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Top Tips for Choosing a Jogging Stroller