Archive for December, 2009

The Little Christmas Tree That Could

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Arthur Levine asked:

Please feel free to use this article as long as credit is given to the resource box

© Copyright Arthur Levine

Keywords: Christmas Tree, Miracle, Faith, God

Words: 426

Many years ago when Johnny Oops son, Johnny Jr., had twin baby girls and was pursuing a quest to find his faith in God, he bought a tiny little Christmas tree to celebrate the holidays. It was all that he could afford at the time.

His wife and little children were very disappointed that the tree was so small. They didn’t say anything, but Johnny Jr. knew it, and was upset that they were not happy. He wished and prayed that the tree was larger and more magnificent.

The night before Christmas when he went to put his few meager presents under the tree, he was startled to notice that the Christmas tree had grown much larger. It was taller by more than three feet and wider and its branches seemed to sparkle. The few tiny ornaments and lights that Johnny Jr. and his wife had managed to put up also appeared to have multiplied, and now their sparkle lit up the whole room.

Johnny Jr. called his wife and little children over to witness this miracle of the little Christmas tree that could grow. He had been praying that things would get better for him and his family, but he never dreamt that his prayers would be answered in this manner.

Johnny and his family were convinced that it was their faith in God that gave them the miracle of the little tree that could grow.

Do you have something happening in your life that can help make your faith grow stronger? Has something happened to you that seems like a miracle at this wonderful time of the year? Think about it. Sometimes it is the little acts of faith in our lives that can help make miracles happen. Sometimes our prayers do get answered if we truly believe.

I believe that each of you has a little Christmas tree in you heart that could grow larger if you just have enough faith that it could. Miracles do happen. I pray that at this marvelous time of the year that the miracle of your dreams happens for you. I think it could. I think it could. I think it could, as your faith grows stronger.

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Buy Gold Coins as Bullion Gold Coins Gain Favor

Monday, December 28th, 2009
Richard Goldstein asked:

In today’s world of global uncertainty, one thing remains certain: gold coins. Gold bullion coins continue to outperform traditional vehicles the same way gold coins and bars outperformed everything under the sun during the 1970’s. By holding gold coins in one’s portfolio, you dramatically reduce the overall risk of your portfolio. Just by having some gold coins as part of your strategy, you also allow the price of gold, as it increases, to bring up the value of your portfolio.

It is much easier to buy gold today than it was 30 years ago. Gold bullion coins are easily bought and sold with the click of a mouse. Not only is it easier to buy gold, but gold investments are exploding onto the investment scene like never before. In fact, gold coin sales by the U.S. mint in recent months have outpaced the gold coin sales of the prosperous-for-gold 1970’s. Despite this recent fact, the gold price is just beginning its increase.

As gold coins become more scarce, quite naturally, investors covet the yellow shiny metal at an ever increasing rate. The type of gold coins sought after by investors who follow the price of gold are American Gold Eagles, Canadian Gold Maple Leafs, South African Gold Kruggerands, Australian Gold Kangaroos, Chinese Gold Pandas, and Austrian Gold Philharmonics. These are the most popular gold coins available to investors who want profit potential and protection. The benefit to owning these gold bullion coins is four-fold.

1. You get immediate liquidity. This means you can sell your gold bullion coins at or near the gold price at any time, anywhere in the world.

2. You are in control. A strong gold investment is an investment in certainty. Knowing you have gold coins in your possession that you can rely on makes a world of difference to one’s sense of financial well-being.

3. There is tremendous profit potential with gold bullion coins, more so than just about every other vehicle out there. It matters not whether you hold American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, South African Kruugerands, or any other type of these gold bullion coins, they will provide a well positioned investment portfolio an increased probability of profitability.

4. Last but not least, gold bullion coins provide economic safety and stability in a world increasingly plagued with uncertainty and dangers.

Those are some of the “pros” of owning gold bullion coins. There is more that a first-time purchaser of gold coins should be aware of; the “other side of the coin,” so to speak. If you own American Eagles, Canadian maple leafs, South African Kruugerands, Austrian Philharmonics, Chinese Pandas, or Australian Kangaroos, they are subject to confiscation by the federal government. In 1933 Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order which required U.S. citizens to turn in all gold bullion coins produced by the U.S. mint, as well as any gold coins and bars produced by foreign governments. Our country, in that period was in the peak of a crisis: the dollar was in trouble, smart investors were getting out of stocks and bonds, and unemployment was on the rise. This period was the great depression. The consequence of not turning in your gold bullion coins or gold bullion bars was a huge fine and jail. If you buy gold bullion coins today, like the American Eagle, the U.S. mint prints a $50 denomination on the back of the coin. Why? Because if the government were to confiscate gold bullion coins like they did in the 1930’s, you would only receive the $50 denomination value, despite the current price of gold in the market, whether that price be $500, $1000, or even $2000. The chance of such Federal government confiscation is universally deemed as unlikely.

Also gold bullion transactions are reportable to the IRS. We will also cover in detail the type of gold transactions that are not reportable, private gold, momentarily.

Also important to recognize is that as the price of gold fluctuates, so does the value of gold bullion coins.

Nevertheless, despite these contingencies, asset managers all over the country are recommending allocating at least some portion of an investment portfolio to gold. Prices are on the rise, in what analysts have termed a long-running bull market which is just in its beginning stages

PRIVATE AND NON-CONFISCATEABLE GOLD COINS

Investors naturally gravitate to gold investment vehicles where they can expect the greatest return with the smallest amount of risk. In the physical gold market certified gold coins reign supreme. Certified gold coins are the gold coins minted by the US Mint befor the year 1933. $20 Saint Gaudens, $20 Liberty, $10 Indian, $10 Liberty, $5 Indian, $5 Liberty and $2.5 Liberty gold coins are all examples of the most profitable gold coins an investor can acquire for several reasons.

1. Certified gold coins have a limited mintage. The government can not go back and mint any more of these gold coins. You want to own gold coins that continue to go up because of this fact year after year regardless of what the gold price does. Because of their limited availability these gold coins can surpass the gains seen by gold bullion 2 to 5 times.

2. Certified gold coins are also one of the last legally private assets the government allows you to acquire. World Financial and goldcoinsgain.com are not required to ask for a social security number when you buy gold coins or when you sell gold coins.

3. Non-confiscatable. Certified gold coins are exempt from confiscation. Certified gold coins are exempt from confiscation if the government decided to confiscate gold like they did in between 1933 and the early 1970s. You were in a world of hurt during those almost 40 years of you were holding the wrong kind of gold coins. So you can rest assured your certified gold will do what its supposed to do under the most strenuous conditions — protect your money.

4. Immediate liquidity. World Financial is a major market maker in certified gold coins and will assist in converting your gold coins back into cash on a moments notice.

In addition to the advantages listed above, certified gold coins are also more stable than bullion gold coins. The value of a certified coin is not solely determined by what the spot price of gold does. In fact, certified gold provides more stability than the stock market, bond market, or just leaving your money in cash. So if you are tired of having to worry about the current economic environment you may want to consider diversifying out of riskier vehicles into an asset that has stood the test of time.

Portability is also something you should keep in mind when selecting which type of gold coins are right for you. To put things in perspective, you could carry one million dollars worth of certified gold coins in an attaché case. This should give you a sense of comfort knowing that you have acquired an asset that is completely portable and discreetly portable.

IRA AND 401’s BACKED BY GOLD COINS

Gold Coins backing your IRA or 401k rollover makes the perfect diversification asset in today’s uncertain economic environment. Gold coins can be added to your retirement strategy in just a few easy steps.

Step 1. Determine what portion of your retirement account you would like to convert over into gold coins.

Step 2. Print out the one page Gold Coin IRA Setup Form and fill out to the best of your ability. Fax the form into our retirement account department at (818) 506-6597.

Step 3. A Gold Coin Customer Service representative will contact you in a very short amount of time to confirm and guarantee the availability of your gold coins. We then work with your existing custodian to get the appropriate funds transferred over into your new self-directed IRA, backed by physical gold coins.

American eagle bullion gold coins are one of the most popular gold coins allowed by the IRS for your precious metal IRA. American eagle bullion gold coins come in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, and 1/10 ounce denominations. These gold bullion coins are guaranteed by the US Mint for purity, weight and size. The Gold American Eagle bears the “W” mint mark reflecting the gold coin was struck at the US Mint at West Point. The obverse of the American eagle bullion gold coin features Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ full-length figure of Liberty with flowing hair, holding a torch in her hand and an olive branch in her other hand. On the other side of the gold coin a male eagle carries an olive branch as he flies above a nest containing a female eagle and her eaglets. Each gold coin is encapsulated in plastic and comes with a custom designated Certificate of Authenticity.

American Eagle Proof gold coins are also available. The proof gold coins are more desired because each year they are produced by the US Mint in a limited quantity. Each proof gold coin is struck several times with a special die to create a more lustrous finish. Because of the limited quantity, investors will typically prefer these gold coins for their retirement accounts. Weather we are talking about gold coins or widgets whenever there is a limited amount naturally prices increase faster and become more valuable. The American Eagle Proof gold coins are also exempt from confiscation. A lot of investors like knowing they have the type of gold coins backing their retirement account that are not subject to confiscation by the Federal government.

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Getting an Overseas Job Can be a Good Thing

Sunday, December 27th, 2009
Boris Tomson asked:

Getting An Overseas Job Can Be A Good Thing

If you have thought about changing your career and are looking for something exciting, why not change locations as well? You can work abroad and start a new life altogether. There are many jobs in the Caribbean and there are sure to be some in your field of expertise.

Finding work abroad may not just be a change in location but the start of an adventure and a change in lifestyle.visit at http://online-typingwork.blogspot.com

If a warmer climate sounds appealing then thr thought of working in the Caribbean must be exciting. Meeting new people and experiencing new cultures and traditions will be just part of the new lifestyle as you search for your dream overseas job. Does your current employer have offices and overseas job vacancies? Are they willing to let you travel and work for them overseas? If your company does not have any overseas jobs available then see if you can find an overseas company offering jobs abroad that match your skills and experience.

Before you start hopping on planes to Aruba and the Bahamas for a job interview, take the time to research the area. Make sure this is a place that you really want to live. If you are looking for small, quaint and quiet, these two places are not it.

Look online and read about the area first. If you are moving a family, you may want to make sure that there are school systems wherever you are moving that are up to your standards. Even if you do not have family, you want to make sure that the location you choose to move to, has everything you need in a city.

When you have found your ideal island locations you can start looking for overseas jobs on those islands. There are thousands of job vacancies in the Caribbean and the chances are that there is an overseas job that requires your skills and experience.

If you are in the restaurant business, advertising, real estate, or are a lawyer, there are jobs for you. In fact, almost every field has something over seas for those that are ready to move and start something different.http://online-typingwork.blogspot.com

Working overseas can be a huge adventure and can offer a great lifestyle. You wil make new friends, experience new foods and cultures and prhaps even learn a new language. Not only will you be starting a new career, you will learn new cultures, foods and possible a new language. If you are looking for jobs abroad check out JobInTheSun.com. JobInTheSun.com. will help you find the ideal overseas job. Join them today to begin the search for your dream job in the sun!http://online-typingwork.blogspot.com

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Outdoor Adventure Travel

Friday, December 25th, 2009
David T Smith asked:

Outdoor adventure travel! What does this mean? Many people are getting excited about outdoor adventure travel that entails a higher risk that normal travel has to offer. Outdoor adventure travel in not restricted to the young but the older generation is also taking part. There’s a trend among people who take regular travel a little boring, mundane or just to predictable. Many now seek out outdoor adventure travel that can put some interest back into their vacations.

When traveling the usual tourist route doesn’t raise any real excitement in travelers who see this type of travel as somewhat mundane. Outdoor adventure travel has changed the modern day traveler and has certainly got them thinking. With new ideas for outdoor adventure travel, blood has been sent to new high levels for the adventurous person.

When thinking about that next outdoor adventure travel just sends my blood rushing to new levels, I’m sure the same happens to you. There are many new opportunities just around the corner when traveling to the off the beaten track. Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and different places to see.

Outdoor adventure travel is certainly different and provides for something very unique when visiting popular tourist destinations. Lets say we traveled to the Caribbean which means visiting the same beaches, living in the hotels that do not provide anything new, travel down the same road that hundreds of other tourist do daily. But thinking of out of the way places in the Caribbean can produce some interesting activities.

You don’t have to be bogged down with the same activities while in the Caribbean. Take a eco-trek into the tropical rain forests, go bird watching are just a few ideas. Go see the local in their surroundings. You will see different costumes that the locals wear, the food and their culture.

Don’t overlook Australia for you outdoor adventure travel. There are many interesting sights and places to see in the outback. You could balloon across the continent, snorkel or scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. Australia has a lot to offer for your next outdoor adventure travel.

Don’t for one moment think that outdoor adventure travel is restricted to the young. That is not the case. Young and old alike are seeking new experiences that only outdoor adventure travel con offer. Your imagination is the only limiting factor.

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Top 5 Classic James Bond Cars

Friday, December 25th, 2009
James Todman asked:

The latest Bond car for the film “Quantum of Solace” is the Aston Martin DBS. Low-profile 20inch car tyres, smooth lines and curves, flared wheel arches and an overstated front grill; it is the epitomy of British cool with which to save the world.

The Aston Martin’s 6.0-litre V12 engine has a distinctive throaty roar that is capable of 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 191mph.

This has to rate as one of Bond’s best looking cars but to compare I have compiled a list of 5 other classic Bond cars:

1) Recently voted the most iconic car of all time, the Aston Martin DB5 appeared in ‘Thunderball’, ‘Goldfinger’ and more recently ‘Casino Royal’.

It was originally introduced in 1963. Its film debut was in the 1964 Goldfinger, starring alongside Sean Connery. Its distinctive silver livery, streamlined bodywork and large front grill was new for its time.

However the aesthetically pleasing body hid a vast array of lethal surprises to confound even the most troublesome of Bond’s enemies. You may remember a scene in Goldfinger where one rear brake light spurted oil onto the road. And the other released triple-spiked nails to burst the car tyres of the pursuing villains.

Other clever features devised by Q included a revolving licence plate, an exhaust that expelled smoke-screen canisters and wheel hubs that revealed knives to slash car tyres.

2) The white Lotus Elite used by Roger Moore in 1977 ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ surprised everyone with its ability to be driven underwater.

In an attempt to escape a pursuing helicopter the Lotus was driven off a pier into the sea. At the time you would have thought this was the end for the car. But with typical Bond creativity the car tyres retract and it was transformed into an operational submarine, complete with fins and a periscope. The persistent helicopter soon meets its demise with a missile fired from the car beneath the water.

3) The 1987 film ‘The Living Daylights’ saw a return to the Aston Martin. This Aston Martin V8 had a powerful engine to compliment its macho looks. It used a fuel injection system that replaced carburetion. Due to the compact nature of this new technology the car could be designed with a flat bonnet, unlike the curved bonnets of its predecessors.

As with any Bond car there were a number of clever additions including self retractable spikes in the car tyres for extra grip on icy surfaces, lasers behind the front hubcaps and missile launchers behind the headlights.

4) It was bold move not to use a British manufactured car in the 1999 ‘The World Is Not Enough’ but BMW Z8 soon won over the Bond fan. Its retro styling and red leather interior was backed up by a 400-horsepower V8 engine that had a top speed of 158mph.

Hidden accessories included missile launchers in the side vents and a windscreen that displayed important data. The car could be operated remotely using the key chain.

5) The Aston Martin was back in the 2002 ‘Die Another Day’ starring Pierce Brosnan. This time it was the V12 Vanquish, sometimes referred to as ‘a DB9 on steroids’.

The classic styled V12 nearly met its match when confronted with the villain’s Jaguar XKR. But the front mounted Gatling gun, rocket launchers in the doors and bombs in the boot soon put paid to that.

Two other clever features, which eventually won the battle for Bond, were the car’s ability to become invisible and the spikes hidden in the car tyres. The latter helped the car drive up an ice wall to avoid the fast approaching enemy, causing the Jaguar to have a unceremonious demise at the bottom of a lake.

As wonderful as the Bond cars are, thankfully features like spikes in car tyres have not become common place on our modern vehicles. If they ever do be sure to consult a specialist before changing a punctured car tyre.