Liberty Reserve games

Are you where God is

Article by Terry Dashner

Faith Fellowship Church…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…Pastor Terry Dashner”Am I Where God Is?”Where He leads me, I will follow–or so goes the old hymn. Now, if I can only find Him…Saint Augustine of Hippo found true liberty in 386 AD. Listen to his words, “How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose!… You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasures.” The “place” that Augustine once reserved for immorality and debauchery was invaded by God who then filled that empty place with His great joy and sweet pleasures. Augustine found God and followed Him. He could truly say, after his conversion and throughout the rest of his life: I am where God is.Blaise Pascal once said, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end… The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.” Blaise Pascal is not very well known in church circles because he was a mathematician who invented, among other things, the calculator– hundreds of years before electricity ran through wires. He is very well known, however, among Bible students because of the term: “Pascal’s Wager.” No time to explain that here, but there is time to consider Pascal’s statement. He believed that all men were motivated by the need for pleasure. If suicide could end their misery and bring them relief, then suicide it was. That sounds odd, but I think it is true. People seek things, even various religions, because they think they will bring them happiness. But, “things” in this world, even religious devotion, can not give man true pleasure or happiness. That’s right. Only God can give man fulfillment. Allow me to continue, please.I don’t consider true Christianity a religion but a relationship with the person, Jesus Christ. Religions are many and are basically any attempt by man to make himself right with God on his own terms. On the other hand, Christianity says that it is impossible for a man to make himself righteous (right standing) before God. The Bible concurs and says that any attempt by man to stand right before God without a mediator is futile. The Bible declares that self-made righteousness is not unlike “filthy rags.” Any religion that promises happiness through acts of humility, good deeds and morality may sound genuine, but in the end it is discovered for what it is–nothing more than man’s attempt to earn his way to heaven. Religion apart from God is not “true religion.” Man’s need for lasting peace will never be met by religious works (life style).If I want to be where God is, I must come to Him on His terms, not my own. The problem, says the Bible, is that man is not really trying to find the real God. Men are like sheep gone astray; each one is after his own happiness. So, to discover God, man must allow God to find him. Sound confusing? It’s really not. God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to seek out men and save them by dying for them. Jesus, the second person of Trinity, came to earth to take on Himself man’s death penalty. Man was the guilty party and deserving of death because of his blatant sin before a Holy and Just God. But, it was Jesus who came and died to set men free. This wonderful gift of grace can’t be earned, just received freely by asking for it.The Jews in Jesus’ day were very religious. But, they rejected His offer of salvation. Why? Maybe it was because their idea of happiness was practicing religion their way and not “the Way.” Jesus said that in order for a man to get to where God is, he must receive His gift, on His terms. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said that, not me.What about you? Do you fellowship with Jesus? Have you denounced all your religious attempts to earn righteous? Let me share this with you in closing. The things of the world will never give you, nor sustain you with the happiness you seek. When I came to God on His terms through His Son, Jesus Christ, I found joy unspeakable. I can’t express to you in words alone what fullness I’ve experienced in Christ through the years. Will it last? I was seven when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I’m now almost 50, and Jesus has never failed me, not once, not twice, not even in the turndowns of life. His joy has remained with me since I was a child, and I believe it will stay with me throughout eternity. If you truly know Him, you know I speak the truth. If you don’t know Him, guess you’ll just have to take my word for it and try it. Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is one day soon coming again. Pastor Terry DashnerFaith Fellowship ChurchPO Box 1586Broken Arrow, OK 74013918-451-0270

About the Author

Senior Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church in Broken Arrow, OK. 918-451-0270

Why Consider Offshore Banking For Your Personal And Financial Privacy In This Post “9 / 11″ World ?

Article by William Z. Piker

The point is, by moving assets offshore, you regain control. Within the United States, you must play according to federal rules — rules that get a little less citizen-oriented every year. Offshore, there are entire jurisdictions organized to play by your rules. You design the game, and you get to be the winner.

The forefathers of America did not foresee the 21st century post 9 /11. Today, the greatest threat to your individual privacy has nothing to do with property theft.

It has to do with access to information about you and your activities. Where you live and work, the names of your children, your medical and psychiatric history, your arrest record, the phone numbers you dial, the amount of money you earn, the way you earn it, and how you report it to Uncle Sam after if s yours — these are the information tidbits that will undoubtedly remain stored in lots of different places as long as you keep your money within U.S. borders.

An offshore financial involvement offers youand your family the one and only escape from this government-endorsed conspiracy. Just as you can legitimately make more money oversees than you could ever hope to earn in this country, you can also look forward to enjoying your foreign profits in an atmosphere of complete confidentiality. In money havens scattered from Hong Kong west to Aruba and south to the Netherlands Antilles, you can benefit from iron-clad secrecy laws that strictly forbid any bureaucratic review of your personal financial records. That means you can legally guard your assets from the overzealous inspection that has become part and parcel of U.S. banking and investment portfolio management.

Then, of course, there’s the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS knows how much money you make, and where it comes from. The Social Security Administration probably knows more than you do about your employment earnings history. If you served in the armed forces, you’re permanently listed in the archives of the Veterans Administration as well as your service branch.

Are you a borrower? If so, then at least one credit bureau (and probably several) keeps a file on you. Lenders nationwide can request from any one of these independent business operations a slew of information about your income, debts, employment history, marital status, tax liens, judgments, arrests and convictions.

Still another category of consumer investigation companies collect information about the health habits and lifestyles of likely employment and insurance applicants. How do these agencies get their information? Mainly from the friends, neighbors, employers, landlords and other casual professional associates of those they are investigating.

The law also demands that banks maintain records of any credit extension (other than a real estate mortgage) that exceeds ,000. Banks must report all cash transactions, deposits or withdrawals, in excess of ,000. They are required to ask you for your Social Security number or taxpayer identification number before any new checking or savings account can be opened. If you do not supply this number within 45 days of the request, your name, address, and account numbers are put on a list for inspection by the Treasury Department.

Even more to the point, you would wonder why any American with the economic option of moving offshore and into an atmosphere of utter financial privacy would chose to.

Better and there are plenty of foreign financial centers willing to make you an offer that’s hard to refuse.

To ensure your own financial privacy, you must do two things. First, you must minimize the amount of information that gets created about you. Second, you need to verify and limit access to the information that already exists.

So, out of respect for the fact that you will probably want to keep some portion of your assets within the United States, take a minute and consider ways that you can protect yourself from unnecessary invasion of privacy. Just to get you thinking along the right track, here are some practical suggestions.

First, be aware that that not all domestic banks are alike. They all fall under U.S. banking regulations, but some are more privacy-oriented than others. For example, a number of financial institutions have recently started photographing and fingerprinting customers before completing even the most routine transactions. Don’t do business with that kind of place! Instead, look for a bank that’s willing to ensure the highest possible level of financial confidentiality.

A good way to identify the right institution is to ask for a written contract that sets down the ground rules for your professional relationship. Make sure your contract includes at least these two provisions: the bank must notify you whenever anyone asks to see your records; and you reserve the right to periodically see and correct any records the bank may keep on you.

A second rule of thumb is to conduct low-profile banking. Think about it. By reviewing nothing more than your monthly checking account statement, an investigating agent could learn a lot about you — where you shop, the restaurants you frequent, the names of friends and relatives, your religious and political affiliations, even the private clubs at which you have a membership. In essence, the account provides a panoramic view of your everyday lifestyle.

Again when it comes to investment, consider the benefits of working through a registered trade name. Brokerage firms accept corporate accounts, and these accounts are used by individuals as well as by large corporations. A professional corporation can trade under its own name, and if titled properly, will ensure the anonymity of the real owner. You should know that your privacy is maintained only at the trading level. Outsiders can still gain access if the brokerage firm chooses to reveal the true owner. To maintain financial and personal privacy in your correspondence, consider renting a post office box. This, together with a registered trade name, can do a lot to ensure at least a significant amount of confidentiality.

Finally, keep tabs on your credit records. There are about two thousand separate credit bureaus in this country, and they all carry data that could potentially be used against you. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you can demand to know what is in your file. If you disagree with any of the information you find in it, you can insist that another investigation be done. If that second go-around doesn’t resolve the matter, you can enter your own statement of explanation as a permanent part of the credit file.

Within the United States, it’s possible to work like a dog, diligently and ferociously safeguarding the limited privacy that our legal system still allows. Frankly, the incredibly rich don’t need to bother. They’re already protected by sophisticated investment plans — usually they include offshore involvements. The very poor don’t make much effort either. They’re too busy making ends meet, and Uncle Sam isn’t vigorous in pursuit of information about them. They don’t have enough money to make it worth his while. Finally, of course, there are the very crooked. They don’t spend time protecting a legal right to privacy because illegal activity keeps them pretty well-occupied and camouflaged.

By moving a portion of your money offshore, you can give yourself an immediate escape valve. You can stop chasing that elusive goal of onshore privacy, and in the process, you can walk away from the frustration and aggravation that are part of that quest.

You can find out what life is like on the other side of excessive government regulation and bureaucratic red tape. You can, for the first time in your life, discover what true financial freedom feels like.

Nevertheless, there are four basic privacy benefits that apply to almost every offshore venture and can be, implemented in virtually any foreign financial center.

History has also taught that discrimination can rise up and attack even the powerful within a society. At various times, in various places, Jews, Blacks, Asians, Protestants, Catholics and many others have been singled out for disdain. Unfortunately, governments are not immune to their own prejudice. Under federal authority, people around the world have had their property taken away. Sometimes they have also been imprisoned and even killed.

That’s why smart investors living in politically and socially explosive countries often keep the bulk of their money offshore. Overriding (and rational) fears of government expropriation push them into a no-choice position. As Americans, we can be far less fearful. Nevertheless, there is growing concern about creeping federal authority over individual economic liberty. As a result, quiet transfers of money and assets have become common.

If the essence of financial privacy means limiting the information that is available about you, then it seems wise to act before the fact. Don’t wait until a period of unrest brings you and your assets under federal scrutiny. By then, it will be too late. You won’t be able to protect what you’ve got because Uncle Sam will probably decide to “protect” it for you.

If you have the proper government credentials and just $ 150, you can gather the following information and material on just about anyone: checks (both front and back copies), bank statements, signature cards, loan applications, deposit and withdrawal slips, and all bank communications. Even more to the point, you can get it without your suspect ever knowing about the probe.

Domestic banks typically release records in the event of civil litigation, court proceedings, and in some IRS audits. A private foreign bank, on the other hand, can protect you from any such invasion. By owning your own offshore bank, for instance, you ensure that all your financial decisions (and the papers that authorize them) are beyond the reach of domestic rules and regulations. Provided your dealings are structured as bank transactions rather than as individual or corporate ones, Uncle Sam has limited authority over the size or frequency of your transactions.

One of the most important privacy benefits you get from an offshore involvement is protection against overly aggressive competitors. Countless fights have taken place in U.S. courtrooms, many of them involving large sums of money and vengeful antagonists. The inclination to sue at the least provocation is on the verge of becoming an epidemic. And the likeliest targets are the people with the most money.

Let’s say you become involved in a business situation that ultimately leads to a lawsuit. If you bank within the United States, a court may award your competitor legal access to any or all of your financial records. In the process, your privacy may be seriously jeopardized. If, however, your records are kept offshore, they are impervious to court orders.

Another important benefit involves the right to maintain a healthy distance between creative ideas and your competitors. For example, let’s say you have a formula or patent that you want to protect. If you decide to copyright the idea here, you must disclose it to the Copyright Office, Immediately; your million-dollar concept becomes part of the public domain. Before you have time to establish a firm market, the idea can be reformulated with minor revisions and translated into your strongest competition.

Instead of going to the appropriate onshore office to file your formula, why not convert it into financial information? Call it “the exhibit to an agreement between a scientist and the formula’s owner.” If the formula’s owner just happens to be an offshore entity, the exhibit is likely to be protected under the bank secrecy laws of the foreign jurisdiction.

Have you ever been the target of ugly gossip or intentional misinformation? It’s sometimes based on nothing — just lies and innuendo. Other times, the story has a kernel (or more) of truth. And that’s even more difficult to handle.

Most of us have a few skeletons in our closet. When it comes to financial privacy, however, those bones take on particularly ghoulish contour. Past mistakes — from car repossession to a personal bankruptcy, draft evasion, or a minor criminal record — can haunt you for a very long time. Credit bureaus maintain all their information for at least seven years; and often for even longer.

Financial privacy is a must. You will never have it within the domestic financial environment. Offshore centers, however, can guarantee that today is what matters. Yesterday is essentially irrelevant.

Offshore banking can help you regain control your personal and financial privacy.

It is an option in the post 9 /11 era that you should take seriously for yourself and your family’s financial and personal privacy.

About the Author

Bill PikerAce Employment Services204-272-8801 ext 49920http://www.ace-training.nethttp://www.sellyourmanitobacottage.comhttp://www.aceemploymentservices.net

Holland America Welcomes Guest Chef Jacques Torres

Article by Roy Witman

© 2007, All Rights Reserved

Chocolatier, pastry chef, candy maker and cookbook author. When it comes to sweets, Jacques Torres has it all wrapped up! This is one of the primary reasons Holland America Line invited Torres to be a guest chef during 2006 at its onboard Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine. Passengers are able to attend cooking classes in a theatre-style demonstration kitchen and also view the classes on large-screen plasma TVs.

With a charming smile and exciting personality, Jacques Torres is a natural with public speaking and teaching. Starting his career at the age of 15, Torres began his apprenticeship at La Frangipane, a small pastry shop in his hometown of Bandol, France. Upon graduating first in his class, Torres began to refine his intuitive sense of creativity and artistry under the direction of two-star chef Jacques Maximin at the Hotel Negresco.

Always a proponent of education, Torres went back to school to earn his Master Pastry Chef degree from 1980 to 1983. Immediately upon completion, he began sharing his wealth of knowledge and his talent with students at a local culinary school in Cannes. In 1986, however, Torres set a record by becoming the youngest chef ever to receive the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France medal: something in which he and his students took great pride.

An ever-growing list of distinctions follows Jacques Torres, including:

· participation in the rededication ceremonies for the Statue of Liberty

· winning the Japanese Pastry Chef Association’s gold medal

· winning the 1986 French Championship of Desserts

· guest chef on Julia Child’s Master Chefs program

· recognition as James Beard’s Pastry Chef of the Year

· receipt of Chefs of America Pastry Chef of the Year award

· recognition as Chocolatier magazine’s 10 Best Pastry Chefs and

· membership in Academie Culinaie de France

Likewise, his accomplishments are equally amazing. Torres has:

· developed two television shows: Dessert Circus with Jacque Torres and Dessert Circus At Home

· authored a companion cookbook entitled Dessert Circus At Home (Morrow, 1999)

· opened two chocolate and pastry shops in New York: one in New York City and one in Brooklyn

· made frequent guest appearances on the Food Network

· sailed as guest chef onboard Holland America Line cruises

· served as Dean of Pastry Arts at the French Culinary Institute

· prepared desserts and pastries for presidents, kings, celebrities and the wealthy worldwide

· and much more!

Deeply concerned with giving back to the community, Torres donates his time to a wide variety of notable charities, including the American Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, Gods Love We Deliver, New York’s Hard of Hearing Association, Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center, the Association to Benefit Children and others.

With a fun, fanciful style, Torres creates delightful confections that look as fabulous as they taste. His goal is to appeal to all the senses, as he engages the eyes with creative presentations, the nose with exceptional aromas and – most importantly – the mouth with textures and flavors that can only be described as decadent.

The guest chef lineup for 2007 includes other amazing chefs. Check with your travel agent or Holland America for details on who will sail on which ships throughout the coming year.

About the Author

Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com offering the best deals on Holland America Cruise Line cruises.

BLUE SKY From American Express – More Savings Less Constraints

Article by Richard Gilliland

American Express is fêted around the world for its credit card and traveler’s check businesses as also for its charge cards. Blue Sky from American Express is the ideal card for you globetrotters who are ready to pay balances in full, each month.

The Blue Sky from American Express card takes flexibility to new heights. It is a great card for those of you in possession of good credit and willing to take advantage of the substantial travel benefits. You must have heard of Reward Credit Cards through which you can earn points for free airline travel or merchandise. Well, Blue Sky extends the rewards beyond free airline travel to utilize points for other types of travel related expenses such as hotels, cruise line tickets and even rental cars.

Special Benefits

There are a number of exclusive features, which you would find only in BLUE Sky. Take a look at the special attributes of BLUE Sky:

§ Whenever you spend a dollar with the card, you will earn a point towards airlines, hotels, cruises and car rentals. So you have unlimited miles and points to earn, and there is no expiration date on them. This points program is fee-free.

§ You will not be charged for any additional cards, so almost all the benefits of the card can be shared along with your family.

§ Blue Sky credit card is one of its kind, as it offers you an opportunity to realize savings on any flight, hotel or rental car at any time, without restrictions on dates or seat.

§ You have the choice for shopping around for your travel deals. If you are comfortable with the price, make a booking and pay through your Blue Sky credit card. You’ll get your Blue Sky savings.

§ Pick your spot and date of choice. Whether it is a weekend’s holiday or a peak season, it does not matter at all. You can make your plans according to your convenience and save on hotel stays, airline tickets, cars rent, and cruises.

§ You will enjoy a lot of liberty and flexibility with Blue Sky as purchases can be paid in full or over time.

(*All these exclude the normal blackout dates that are typical.)

Fundamentals Of Blue Sky

Blue Sky proffers a reasonable interest rate for purchases and requires no annual fee. You have the convenience of a 0% introductory rate for purchases, which goes up to a competitive rate after six months.

The low introductory rate of 4.99% rate for balance transfers (remains valid until you pay off the loan) is another advantage you would definitely like. Keep in mind that the introductory rate for balance transfers will only be applicable, if you initiate a transfer while applying online for the card.

Your savings will start at 0 for just 7500 points. You can keep track of savings, which will show up as credit on your Blue Sky billing statement.

Additional Package

The added reward packages that accompany the Blue Sky from American Express credit card are:

§ Travel accident insurance of up to 0,000, emergency card replacement, car rental loss and damage insurance, and a global assist hotline

§ An assured reservation service, which will ensure that your room will be ready albeit you show up at your hotel late.

§ The additional auto rental insurance-online financial statement at year-end and a unique service Return Protection (you are credited upto 0 for purchases and these are non-refundable within 90 days).

Blue Sky from American Express is a credit card designed to pamper you with unlimited travel choices without any restriction.

About the Author

Richard Gilliland Provides Expert opinions and reviews to help you Compare and Apply for a Credit Card – Compare Credit Card Offers with Credit-Wisdom.com – Unraveling the best in Personal and Business Credit Cards.

Advantages of Being in the Home Based Business

Article by Robert W Chappell

A home based business can be a life saver if you are perceptive enough to recognize its virtues and harness them correctly. It offers its entrepreneurs an unrivalled flexibility and the ability to achieve a striking balance between personal and professional priorities. Home based businesses are intensely convenient with and give you more freedom over your time and finances compared to a regular nine to five job. A home based business sets you free from the stress that outlines a conventional vocation, which in turn manifests itself into better results, higher productivity and an increased sense of self-fulfilment. You are potentially your own boss and have no compulsions to follow ludicrous company policies. You also have a free hand in taking your own business decisions without experiencing the fear of potential repercussions of skewed decision-making. There is also more liberty to carry out the expansion of your enterprise and not be a victim of an indecisive organization that prolongs the process of implementing your ideas.

A home based business is extremely cost-effective and can be launched with an insignificant and frugal capital compared to a traditional enterprise. There are minimal operations and administration costs involved that translate to amplified residual income. The chances of an early breakthrough with decent net profits are high in a home business due to the financial leverage it offers its patrons. You don’t have to incur expensive real estate costs and pay soaring electricity and water bills. They are expenses that you contend with irrespective of your business, so your enterprise doesn’t contribute to any additional charges to function. The cost of high-priced business attire when dealing with clients is totally eliminated and so is the need for expensive business luncheons. All these money saving factors are critical in helping you build a steady cash reserve.

A home business lets you spend more time with your loved ones and be a part of their daily lives while making the most of your skills. It allows you to give vent to your creativity and boost your self-esteem by being increasingly productive. In a financially insecure milieu that has undertones of extremely unpredictability, the fear of layoffs heightens the need to create alternate modes of income to fall back on. A home based job can be a brilliant conduit of passive income and can help you augment your earnings by leveraging your time, efforts and revenue. If you have an innovative business plan and the will to succeed, a home based business will help you climb the echelons of entrepreneurial success.

About the Author

Robert W Chappell is a business coach and mentor that assists serious entrepreneurs in building a profitable online business with multiple incomes streams. Robert and his team have assisted hundreds of people in generating profits that exceed 0K or more in their first year. For more information and to contact Robert, visit: http://www.bobchap.com/

US welcome poker rooms

Article by szury

Gambling survives in the United States as a restriction which is prolifically followed throughout the country. Also adumbrated as ‘gaming’, it has managed to dig out as much as .65 million according to the 2005 gross revenues. Concerning statistical implicates, gambling provides over 354,000 jobs, and a huge sum of .2 billion as the yearly state and local revenue.

However, despite the scores of profits earned from gambling, certain organizations affirm a contrary ideation towards gambling, saying that it leads to corruption, compulsive gambling and higher crime rates.

‘Gaming’ is followed throughout the nation, from bingo in church basements to multi million dollar poker tournaments. It proffers a range of gambling categories (as entitled by the American Gaming Association), which include Card Rooms, Commercial Casinos, Charitable Games (and Bingo), Indian Casinos, Legal Bookmaking and Lotteries.

It is legal to exercise gambling under the United States federal law. However, all states can exercise the liberty to prohibit gambling in their respective states, if they feel it should be considered as something illegal. If state run lotteries are excluded from this prohibition, virtually every state in the United States derives a part of its profit from gambling. Yet Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming are the eight distinguished states that do not provide lottery tickets.

A Card Room offers a range of card games for play by the public. Since many card games played here are variations to poker (for example, Texas Hold ‘em), a Card Room at most times is also called as a poker room. Casinos on the other hand embrace slot machines or video poker, and table games such as craps which is unlikely to be found in a Card Room. Approximately 450 commercial casinos in 17 different states (some of which include California, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan and North Carolina) have been recoded with gross gaming revenue of .93 billion in 2004.

California is the home to the treasures of Card Room gambling, with over a hundred clubs that have already been licensed here in 2006. Among them is a card room on the Hollywood Park Racetrack, a Thoroughbred racetrack in Inglewood, California. Some other large scaled Card Rooms are located at Bay 101 and Garden City at San Jose, the Commerce Casino in Commerce and the Bicycle Casino at the Bell Gardens.

Some Native American tribes prefer to run gambling and casinos on tribal lands, to provide employment and revenue to the tribal civilization. Tribal Gambling (also called as the Indian Gambling) has had a share of over .5 billion as their revenue collection from approximately 350 casinos. With an effort to preserve their sovereignty, the revenue collected is contributed towards governmental operations, economic development, and welfare of the people. ‘Tribal gaming is regulated on a tribal, state and federal level’.

Out of all the states, Nevada is perhaps the only state that exercises gambling state wide. The others have their gambling portals confined to definite geographical areas, like Atlantic City, New Jersey or Tunica, Mississippi; or some of the Native American reservations.

About the Author

The writer of this article is a poker expert and a webmaster. To get more information related to this article visit free poker money or get more information about no deposit poker money

Welcome to Opposite World

Article by Fritz Pfister

Local Realtors in Springfield Illinois have posted the fifth consecutive month over month increase in the number of home sales June through October. Good news. Or is it? Has the local housing market returned to normal, or is it a false market driven by financial incentives provided by the government with your tax dollars?

Unemployment jumped in September in Springfield to 7.9% the highest in decades and about 3% higher than one year ago. This means we can rule out job expansion adding home buyers to the market explaining the jump in home sales.

What has caused home sales to increase? Financial incentives through the first time home buyer tax credit. This produces sales that would not have occurred without the incentive, and therefore is a false market.

Don’t over look the role record low interest rates have played in the number of home sales. Why are interest rates so low? The federal reserve during the financial meltdown crafted a plan to purchase .3 trillion in bonds at artificially low rates, not market driven rates, to keep interest on consumer loans low. Hence not normal market rates driving home sales, artificial rates adding to the false market.

It was reported early in the week that the GDP grew by 3.5%. The stock market boomed. Then it was reported that consumer spending fell.5% in September for the first time in five months, and the most since last December when the country was in the grips of uncertainty. The stock market crashed.

Why did consumer spending fall in September? Declining auto sales led the way. Why? Financial incentives offered through the cash for clunkers program in August drove car sales up, but it was a false market that was robbing future demand as witnessed in September.

Wall Street figured this out when it was reported the cash for clunkers represented 1.6% of the growth in GDP. The real growth turns out to be 1.9% which is too anemic for businesses to start hiring. It followed that it was no surprise when first time claims for unemployment did not decline as predicted.

Welcome to opposite world. Short term solutions result in long term opposite effect. The good intentions of the government (incentives) only help short term, but doesn’t have staying power, and in the long term creates weaker demand. Unless government makes the incentives using your tax dollars permanent.

Regarding taxes the opposite is true in the real world. More means less, and less means more. Just ask New York who raised taxes on the quote wealthy, those earning over 0,000 a year. Revenue projections are running 20% below expectations, while thousands are leaving the state, meaning fewer tax payers in the future. More means less.

Maryland imposed a millionaires tax. The year prior 3000 filers reported that level of income. The first year of the tax intended to raise revenues? Only 2000. Rich people can afford to move. The opposite has resulted as there are now fewer rich to tax, and revenues fell 0 million below projections requiring massive spending cuts. More means less.

California and New Jersey have had the same results. Raise taxes with the expectation of more revenue, only to find tax collections running billions below projections and people leaving their states that will leave them fewer tax payers. The opposite result once again, more means less.

Illinois Governor Quinn wants to raise income taxes by 50%? His opponent Hynes wants to impose a progressive tax? Hynes claims only the ‘rich’ earning over 0,000 will have their taxes increased. Hynes better check with New York and Maryland officials to see where all their high income earners have moved, so he can send Illinois’ rich a post card when they leave. More means less.

Indiana cut taxes and are running a billion dollar surplus. Indiana figured out the more people working the more people paying taxes, and the fewer collecting unemployment. Less means more.

JFK, Reagan, and W. all cut taxes resulting in revenues increasing to the government as millions of jobs were created. Regrettably it only fed the insatiable spending habits of congress as the money was squandered. But the principle holds true regarding taxes, less means more.

The health care reform bill proposed this week by Pelosi and the progressives is a stellar example of opposite world. Within the bowels of this nearly 2000 page monster are mandates to purchase insurance, penalties for those who don’t, hundreds of billions in tax increases on businesses, including small businesses, a massive half trillion dollar cut in Medicare, with taxes to be implemented in 2010.

But the health care plan doesn’t start until 2013. Why? So the disastrous opposite results won’t be realized by voters until after the presidential election. Opposite world (on purpose).

What will result from this reform if passed? The opposite of the stated goal to get health care costs down. Health care costs will go up, your taxes will go up, and millions will lose their jobs so businesses can afford to pay the tax. Opposite world.

What if cap and trade passes? The cost of living will go up for every man, women, and child in the country. Millions of jobs will be lost beyond any green jobs created. In the name of saving the planet based upon disproved/faulty science. The economic superpower of the world, America is brought to its economic knees causing financial pain and misery for those it intended to save. Opposite world.

The same flawed logic regarding climate change is used for energy independence. The Obama administration prohibits the expansion of drilling for oil offshore or capturing oil from shale in the Rockies. The result? The highest gas prices of the year, which will further diminish consumer spending heading into the Christmas season, and creates more dependence upon foreign oil. Opposite world.

Incentives for home sales now, means fewer to come. Health care reform to keep costs down increases costs. Economic policies to help the economy hurts the economy. Stimulus to create jobs diminishes the number of jobs. Transparency means blackout. Higher taxes to raise revenues decreases revenues. Lower taxes increases revenues. Climate change bill to save people hurts people. Deficit spending to spur the economy drags down the economy. Policies for energy independence creates greater dependence. Government meant to protect liberty denies liberty.

Welcome to “opposite world” where “hope and change” means “nope and misery”.

About the Author

Fritz Pfister is a Realtor with RE/MAX Professionals Springfield IL. with over 2000 real estate sales since 1987. Fritz hosts Let’s Talk Real Estate streaming live at WMAY.com Saturdays at 10am central in its 14th season. Voted ‘Best Realtor’ by readers of The State Journal Register in 2007 & 2008 is recognized as a market expert.Fritz’s website isSpringfieldHome.com

Travel Rewards Credit Card Offers – Things You Should Know in Order to Uncover the Best Deal

Article by Kirby Sutton

A travel rewards credit card can be a great avenue for earning significant discounts on hotel bookings, flight tickets, vacation packages, and rental cars. When comparing travel credit card offers, it is imperative to remind yourself that you have to identify exactly what you’re seeking as an individual consumer to find the best program for your specific situation. Not making the effort to sit down and fully recognize what you’re searching for can be an expensive mistake. There’s no lack of travel rewards credit cards on the market today. All the large banks and credit card issuers including Bank of America, Capital One, American Express, Citibank, Discover Card, and Chase offer such cards. Some of these cards have exclusive partnerships with issuers, e.g, Delta Air Lines. These kinds of cards are favorable if you regularly fly with a given airline or use another specific travel-related company. Other programs give you the freedom of chosing how to cash in the rewards points that you acquire through your spending. These are the most flexible of the offers because they give you the liberty to mix and match how you’d like to use your points. As an example, you could use them to pay for a cruise, to make hotel reservations, or maybe towards a rental vehicle. Although not frequently viewed as a travel reward, money back on gasoline purchases can be very beneficial when applied towards travel including lots of driving. A card that offers cash rebates on petrol can offer major savings over time. There are some very important things to consider before beginning your search for a travel credit card. It’s absolutely vital that you read the Ts & Cs of any offers that interest you. Benefits and features are great but the true value of a card offer lies in its terms, so you must be acquainted with them before applying. Many times rewards cards will have above average charges and rates. This is because of the fact that the financial establishments and banks that issue them need to defray the costs of their rewards programs. These costs are sometimes passed on, at least in part, to cardholders in the form of fees, higher rates, and other charges. This is one of the main reasons it’s so vital for you to do your research, for instance by going to a credit card comparison site. Take the time to get yourself up to speed with all of the details before applying. Thoroughly compare credit cards and you will be certain to uncover an offer that’ll serve you well in your travels.

About the Author

Kirby Sutton is a freelance writer, online journal editor, and ebook author with a background in finance. He specializes in consumer credit issues.

Tibia Geography Introduce

Article by faye

There has lots of places in Tibia,and this time I would like to give you a introduce on it: :

a) RookgaardOff the western shore of the main continent, the large island Rookgaard is situated in a stormy sea. This island is the first part of Tibia new adventurers explore, because King Tibianus III himself declared that any new adventurers must master the challenges of Rookgaard island before they are allowed to enter his realm.Because of its special role Rookgaard has its own laws. No player killing is permitted there, even if you are playing on an open or hardcore PvP game world. Also, characters should have reached level 2 before they leave the village and enter the surrounding wilderness. The south western part of Rookgaard is reserved to premium players. If you are new to Tibia, you should attend the tutorial which takes place right after your arrival. You can earn your first equipment and experience points there and will learn Tibia’s game mechanic. All other players also have the possibility to move on to Rookgaard’s temple by telling Santiago skip tutorial. Moreover, new players are invited to take a look at the quickstart that can provide you with some valuable tips on what to do and where to go in Rookgaard.Note: Characters cannot return to Rookgaard once they have moved on to the main continent. There is one exception to this rule, though. Characters that have been killed often enough to have their level reduced to 5 will be completely reset. Reset characters must start from scratch again, i.e. they are taken back to Rookgaard and lose their equipment, all carried items, all skills, spells, levels, and the money in their bank account. However, items stored in depots will not be deleted. Characters can get them once they have left Rookgaard.

b) Main ContinentThe main continent is the biggest land mass of Tibia. It is an ancient land that is surrounded on all sides by savage seas. Due to intense volcanic activity in prehistoric times the interior of the continent is extremely diverse, often changing its face abruptly. Stretches of quiet forests and of fertile farming land are interrupted by wild rivers or by craggy mountain ranges, and a day’s travel can easily bring the wanderer from a marshy swamp to an arid desert.The long history of Tibia has left its mark upon the land. There are many ruins and ancient dungeons whose origins are lost in history, and many a place that used to be grand and glorious is now the gloomy hideout of some vile creature. However, civilised life has survived to this day, and the mighty cities of Tibia are bustling with life and commerce like they have always done.

c) Premium AreasTo the east of the main continent 2 huge islands may be found. The only way for a traveller to reach them is by boat or by flying carpet, so only premium players can go there. The island of Edron, a crescent-shaped piece of land off the main continent’s north-eastern coast, is the smaller one of the 2. Its existence has been a secret for a long time, and the city that bears its name is the youngest settlement in the whole of Tibia. Darama, on the other hand, is much bigger – in fact, it is large enough to be considered a continent in its own right. In the dry eastern part, 2 rival kingdoms, the caliphate of Caliph Kazzan and the empire ruled by the pharaoh of Ankrahmun, vie for dominance over this continent. Their capitals, the thriving oasis of Darashia and the sombre temple city of Ankrahmun, are Darama’s commercial and cultural centres. Moreover, there is the huge jungle of Tiquanda in the western part of Darama. The Thaian Kingdom has founded the colony of Port Hope there. 12 islands, known as the Shattered Isles, are located south of the main continent. On the largest island Vandura, the lovely seaport Liberty Bay became famous for its numerous plantations of sugar cane. In the most northern part of Tibia, the Ice Islands are located. Many years ago, a number of Carliners built a small settlement on Hrodmir, the largest of these freezing isles. Today, this settlement has developed into the prospering city Svargrond which is especially famous for its arena in which fighters can challenge various boss monsters. East of the Ice Islands, the ancient city Yalahar is located. Only the city centre still resembles its former glory. The eight outer city quarters have been destroyed by various catastrophes and are roamed by all kind of creepy and dangerous creatures. Even further east, an only recently discovered continent named Zao can be visited. Unlike on other continents, there is no larger human settlement on Zao. However, there is a large lizard city named Zzaion in the south-east which impresses with exotic architecture. Also the dwarfs have erected a small outpost named Farmine in the southern part of Zao, of course underground how it befits for dwarfs.Note: If you happen to be in a premium area while your premium time ends, you will be automatically logged in at the temple of Thais if you are a citizen of a premium city such as Edron or Ankrahmun at the next login to the game. You will awake at the temple of your home town if you are a citizen of a non-premium city such as Venore or Carlin.Thanks for your reading,and hope you can learn much more about the tibia geography and enjoy playing Tibia game very much!

About the Author

moneytibia.com is an provide superior tibia money or tibia gold, cheap tibia gold,tibia items and Tibia power leveling sevice.welcome you come to have a look!

Debt relief for you is closer than you think

Article by Jack Smith

The times that we are living in are characterized by some of the most unseen and unheard of problems. Maybe it’s our lifestyle or the desire to be somebody in order to prove that we have it in us to live the well-to-do life that earlier on was only reserved for a selected few. The end result is that people who fathomed our desire and tried to cash in on them made it all the more easier for us to stretch beyond our limits and live the life of our dreams. There could be some other reasons like health, education or other such basic necessities that forced you to opt for financial loans. But the end result is that all the financial liberties that we allowed ourselves to take have now ricocheted back on us in the form of debts and financial crisis. Nevertheless help in the form of debt relief and debt settlement is closer than you think.

There are people out there who understand your issues and are always too eager to help you get the albatross of financial crisis off your necks. There are companies whose sole agenda is to provide debt relief to you or your loved ones. All you are required to do is to get in touch with the counselors at these companies and allow them to help you by drawing up a debt settlement strategy that is perfectly in tune with your earnings and the capacity to repay the debt. The debt settlement strategy that would be formulated would allow you to make the payments in a manner that will not have any major bearing on your regular day to day life.

Another reason that emboldens these debt settlement companies to help you in your hour of need is the fact that almost all the creditors would rather settle for a negotiated amount than writing off the entire balance. The counselors at these debt settlement companies will listen to all your financial woes and only then would they formulate a debt settlement strategy. There are millions of people who have either utilized the services of these debt settlement companies or are still a part of the process. Living under a debt that is hanging like the Damocles’ sword is something that is utterly repulsive and the stress associated with it can even lead to some serious health concerns. It is always advisable to take the assistance of a debt settlement company and live a life that is peaceful and stress free with no exertions on your finances or other aspects of your life.

About the Author

For more information regarding Debt Help and Debt Relief, please visit www.debtrezllc.com