by Doug Firebaugh
MLM Success Muscles.
There is a Law of Success called the Law of Resistance.
And it says that there is no success without resistance to build your 'Success Muscles."
Resistance is everything in fitness training. There must be resistance on the muscles in order to build and develop them to the size and shape you want.
The resistance or opposing force on your muscles, forces them to work in a manner that will create new opportunities for them to grow, enlarge, and expand due to the pressure exerted on them.
The body sends the right nutrients and muscle building material to create and solidify the growth. And the growth becomes a result of the opposing force on the muscle, and it's neccessity to become stronger and bigger due to the resistance it has experienced.
INFERNO Secret:
It is the same in MLM Recruiting.
There is NO Success in Network Marketing recruiting without having resistance, and you will never grow in your skillset if you don't encounter the word 'NO' and negative responses.
When you do, your brain can send you 'Muscle building nutrients' to build your resolve, determination, focus, and skillset.
What happens when you hear the word NO is simple.
Most people take it as a negative and look at it as you have done something wrong. (Subconscious thinking)
It's part of being human, and how most of us were programmed growing up. No meant "Don't do that!"
But what you may not be aware of is that certain Success Forces were put into motion in you and your business with the word "No" that you can either work for you -- or against you.
It's called 'Resistance.'
The word NO, or Opposing Force in your recruiting attempt stretched you a little in your mind and emotions and forced you to react in some manner. You decide how you respond, positive or negative. Your choice.
But the moment that you look at negatives or resistance as BUILDING YOU AND YOUR MLM BUSINESS and an integral part of it, you will have tapped into the Success Power of the Opposing Force in MLM.
And you will get better, simply from the mental/emotional resistance that FORCES you to grow and expand who you are.
As you grow, so goes your business and recruiting.
Network Marketing Success Growth.
The more resistance you receive, you will get:
1) Better at neutralizing objections.
2) Better at staying emotionally motivated.
3) Better at doing riveting presentations.
4) Better at building energy in you and people.
5) Better at finding the RIGHT people.
6) Better at handling the pressure and resistance of the word NO.
7) Building your confidence to do this business.
8) Building Your Focus.
And if all of the above happens, you will need to open yourself a NEW bank account. And there will be NO resistance on your part to do that I am sure. (smile)
Simply, Resistance builds your 'MLM Recruiting Success Muscles."
And they are built One 'NO' or Negative Comment at a Time.
Without it, you never will obtain the Emotional Strength, Recruiting Mastery, and Success that you seek...
Here are some Success Mucle Builders:
'I wouldn't be interested."
'This is a pyramid."
'I don't have the time."
"I have seen these before,. and they do not work."
"I cannot afford to join."
"I am not a salesperson."
"No, this would be anything that I would want to do."
And any other negative opposing comment has tremendous value to your future in MLM.
Each time you hear them, and the resistance happens, you are building you a little more on the INSIDE to make it easier to work this business on them OUTSIDE.
The Last MLM Word.
Remember -- the last word in resistance is "stance."
Take a 'mental stance' that all negatives in MLM are building you and your business.
And how does that help?
Like sore muscles, it may hurt for a little bit at first.
But once those 'MLM Recruiting Muscles' are built, and THEY WILL BE...
Then, You will be the 'Schwarznegger' of Network Marketing Recruiting!
blessings...doug
PassionFire Intl (c) 2005/ all rights reserved
http://www.passionfire.com
http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_8.html
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Boating Accident Lawyers Know Best
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a boating accident, you need an individual who basically understands what youre going through especially when you are considering to file a lawsuit against the person who is at fault of the incident. I am referring here to a boating accident lawyer who knows the legal implications of your trial and who will be your greatest support along the process.
Basically, you need an experienced and competent boating accident lawyer to back you up in your case. Who would want a lousy lawyer? No one. And so, if youre in this situation, youll want an attorney who has all the important set of skills and a winning professional background. What youre going through isnt easy so you really need somebody to support you, aside from your family and friends, in the persona of your boating accident attorney. Hell be the one to evaluate your possibility of having a case and the amount of compensation that you deserve.
There are lots of boating accident lawyers who can be found wither online or locally. You can ask your friends and co-workers for recommendations. Also, have a lawyer recommend a boating accident attorney whom he knows too. Remember that a lawyer only recommends lawyers whom they trust and whom they believe in. You can also try online referral services where previously-screened lawyers will be matched to your lawyer requirements. This is the most efficient way to locate a proficient legal specialist.
Boating accidents bring pain and suffering to its victims especially to those people who have lost their loved ones from such incidents. Therefore, it is really important to have outstanding legal care to depend on so that you can recover faster. And as expected, your lawyer will guide you all throughout the legal process and towards a successful lawsuit. In addition, an experienced lawyer will always prioritize your case above anything else.
When a boating accident lawyer has already been practicing this area of law for quite some time, you can expect him to become a better establisher of truth and justice. He can already view every angle of the situation and say what legal actions to be given consideration. And as a victim, you also need to be knowledgeable and confident on your lawyer that your case will soon end up successfully. This is indeed a benefit on the part of the victims of the accident as you work together in your case.
Basically, you need an experienced and competent boating accident lawyer to back you up in your case. Who would want a lousy lawyer? No one. And so, if youre in this situation, youll want an attorney who has all the important set of skills and a winning professional background. What youre going through isnt easy so you really need somebody to support you, aside from your family and friends, in the persona of your boating accident attorney. Hell be the one to evaluate your possibility of having a case and the amount of compensation that you deserve.
There are lots of boating accident lawyers who can be found wither online or locally. You can ask your friends and co-workers for recommendations. Also, have a lawyer recommend a boating accident attorney whom he knows too. Remember that a lawyer only recommends lawyers whom they trust and whom they believe in. You can also try online referral services where previously-screened lawyers will be matched to your lawyer requirements. This is the most efficient way to locate a proficient legal specialist.
Boating accidents bring pain and suffering to its victims especially to those people who have lost their loved ones from such incidents. Therefore, it is really important to have outstanding legal care to depend on so that you can recover faster. And as expected, your lawyer will guide you all throughout the legal process and towards a successful lawsuit. In addition, an experienced lawyer will always prioritize your case above anything else.
When a boating accident lawyer has already been practicing this area of law for quite some time, you can expect him to become a better establisher of truth and justice. He can already view every angle of the situation and say what legal actions to be given consideration. And as a victim, you also need to be knowledgeable and confident on your lawyer that your case will soon end up successfully. This is indeed a benefit on the part of the victims of the accident as you work together in your case.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Boating Accident Lawyers Know Best
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a boating accident, you need an individual who basically understands what youre going through especially when you are considering to file a lawsuit against the person who is at fault of the incident. I am referring here to a boating accident lawyer who knows the legal implications of your trial and who will be your greatest support along the process.
Basically, you need an experienced and competent boating accident lawyer to back you up in your case. Who would want a lousy lawyer? No one. And so, if youre in this situation, youll want an attorney who has all the important set of skills and a winning professional background. What youre going through isnt easy so you really need somebody to support you, aside from your family and friends, in the persona of your boating accident attorney. Hell be the one to evaluate your possibility of having a case and the amount of compensation that you deserve.
There are lots of boating accident lawyers who can be found wither online or locally. You can ask your friends and co-workers for recommendations. Also, have a lawyer recommend a boating accident attorney whom he knows too. Remember that a lawyer only recommends lawyers whom they trust and whom they believe in. You can also try online referral services where previously-screened lawyers will be matched to your lawyer requirements. This is the most efficient way to locate a proficient legal specialist.
Boating accidents bring pain and suffering to its victims especially to those people who have lost their loved ones from such incidents. Therefore, it is really important to have outstanding legal care to depend on so that you can recover faster. And as expected, your lawyer will guide you all throughout the legal process and towards a successful lawsuit. In addition, an experienced lawyer will always prioritize your case above anything else.
When a boating accident lawyer has already been practicing this area of law for quite some time, you can expect him to become a better establisher of truth and justice. He can already view every angle of the situation and say what legal actions to be given consideration. And as a victim, you also need to be knowledgeable and confident on your lawyer that your case will soon end up successfully. This is indeed a benefit on the part of the victims of the accident as you work together in your case.
Basically, you need an experienced and competent boating accident lawyer to back you up in your case. Who would want a lousy lawyer? No one. And so, if youre in this situation, youll want an attorney who has all the important set of skills and a winning professional background. What youre going through isnt easy so you really need somebody to support you, aside from your family and friends, in the persona of your boating accident attorney. Hell be the one to evaluate your possibility of having a case and the amount of compensation that you deserve.
There are lots of boating accident lawyers who can be found wither online or locally. You can ask your friends and co-workers for recommendations. Also, have a lawyer recommend a boating accident attorney whom he knows too. Remember that a lawyer only recommends lawyers whom they trust and whom they believe in. You can also try online referral services where previously-screened lawyers will be matched to your lawyer requirements. This is the most efficient way to locate a proficient legal specialist.
Boating accidents bring pain and suffering to its victims especially to those people who have lost their loved ones from such incidents. Therefore, it is really important to have outstanding legal care to depend on so that you can recover faster. And as expected, your lawyer will guide you all throughout the legal process and towards a successful lawsuit. In addition, an experienced lawyer will always prioritize your case above anything else.
When a boating accident lawyer has already been practicing this area of law for quite some time, you can expect him to become a better establisher of truth and justice. He can already view every angle of the situation and say what legal actions to be given consideration. And as a victim, you also need to be knowledgeable and confident on your lawyer that your case will soon end up successfully. This is indeed a benefit on the part of the victims of the accident as you work together in your case.
Hiring an Amateur Could Mean a Potential Lawsuit for Your Business
These days, everyone's looking to save a buck. But if you plan to cut corners by using a fledgling copywriter or marketer, expect to put the money you just saved towards a really good lawyer. Because you may just find yourself in court.
Lawsuits abound in today's world. Lots of people are more than willing to sue at the drop of a hat. No one wants to think that they "know" anyone like this, but the truth is, this planet is crawling with lawsuit-happy consumers who can make your life a living hell. You may think, "Oh, I'm just a small start-up; no one would bother trying to get money out of me!" But do you know this for a fact? Even if you're miniscule now, you want to grow your business. With any luck, one day you'll be earning more than just a comfortable living. The best way to ensure your legal protection in the future is to start practicing caution today.
How does this relate to your advertising, and who you hire to work for you? Every bit of written material put out by your company is a statement issued by you. If you hire someone who has little to no experience in the real world, you'd better be on top of them at all times. You'd better make sure that what they're creating for your company doesn't contain any legal "loopholes" or claims you can't fulfill. Because as soon as your advertising makes a statement about anything, someone will try and hold you responsible. They might even seek legal counsel on the matter. Yes, what you say can and will be held against you in a court of law.
I worked for the "R"Us family of stores for seven years, writing and editing everything from catalog copy to sales promotions to coupons to informative marketing mailers. Nearly everything said in our ads was supported by a legal disclaimer that prevented the company from being held responsible for any "unforseen events" that might occur as an indirect result of our statements. At the time, these legalities posed a great annoyance to our department, slowing down progress and hampering creativity. But today, I'm incredibly grateful for the "extensive legal training" I received while working there.
What are some examples of loose-lipped writing that can land you in legal hot water? What situations might you get yourself into in today's fast-paced, maximum-output world of marketers?
E-books are hot right now. Everyone wants one, and they want it yesterday. But beware the trouble of an untrained eye taking control of your e-book content! Last year, I worked for a small start-up company. They wanted an e-book written fast, so they hired an unpaid intern. Although the e-book served its purpose well, it was riddled with statements that could get us in trouble! Why? Our e-book was for children. In it, we had included a long list of ways kids could spread holiday cheer. One entry was something to the effect of, "Offer to help your neighbor carry in the groceries." Innocuous as it may seem, the end result of this remark could be some parent taking us to court because their child went out and tried to assist some unsavory character, and was abducted in the process! Heaven forbid, but nothing's impossible. In our e-book, we took care to state "Never do anything without first asking permission from your parents" - many times, and in many ways.
Article content: seems like everyone wants it in mass quantities. But how smart is it to hire a wet-behind-the-ears intern to write pages and pages of information and then publish it under your company name? One little slip-up, and guess who's getting a subpoena in the mail. Not the intern! I recently wrote an article on credit card debt elimination. As I was crafting my copy, I kept stumbling over "red flag" statements that could prove troublesome. "Some debt consolidation companies may even be able to erase the interest fees you've accrued." Was that true?? If it wasn't, somebody might be getting an earful down the road. It's difficult to know what information found on the internet is accurate, or just somebody's assertion. If you're not sure - disclaim! Or, simply avoid commenting.
Coupons and limited time offers that aren't properly disclaimed can cost you money. Say you run a sale on your website, but you forget to include start and end dates. If the sale prices are valid in January but you don't tell your customers, someone could very well come along and demand a discount in May! Or what if you post an ad for your business offering 50% off all design jobs but you forget to exclude the really high-end projects? You could find yourself working on an extensive web-design job that's only bringing in five hundred dollars when it could have made you a thousand!
What about your return policy? You want to be known as a company with its customers' best interest in mind - but what if your return policy is so open-ended, it leaves you vulnerable to excessive returns, when in fact there is really nothing wrong with what you offer? I worked for an e-greeting company this summer. How is an e-greeting company supposed to guarantee "customer satisfaction?" It's not possible! So, in such a case, a statement like this has to go. Would a newborn to the industry have the foresight to make such decisions? My guess is no.
Do you sell products via the web? Anything that poses a safety threat should be disclaimed to avoid future legal headaches and thousands of dollars lost. Everything from over-the-counter drugs to children's products to baby clothes to automobile parts to finances must be shielded from potential legal action. Never thought about legal ramifications? Best to get an expert's advice before going forward with your business plan.
Still thinking of hiring a novice to help you run your business? Think again. A little extra money spent now can mean a ton of money saved later. Hire a copywriter or marketer with corporate experience, who will exercise legal caution in your business writing and provide financial security for your future. Who knows... you may never even need that lawyer.
Lawsuits abound in today's world. Lots of people are more than willing to sue at the drop of a hat. No one wants to think that they "know" anyone like this, but the truth is, this planet is crawling with lawsuit-happy consumers who can make your life a living hell. You may think, "Oh, I'm just a small start-up; no one would bother trying to get money out of me!" But do you know this for a fact? Even if you're miniscule now, you want to grow your business. With any luck, one day you'll be earning more than just a comfortable living. The best way to ensure your legal protection in the future is to start practicing caution today.
How does this relate to your advertising, and who you hire to work for you? Every bit of written material put out by your company is a statement issued by you. If you hire someone who has little to no experience in the real world, you'd better be on top of them at all times. You'd better make sure that what they're creating for your company doesn't contain any legal "loopholes" or claims you can't fulfill. Because as soon as your advertising makes a statement about anything, someone will try and hold you responsible. They might even seek legal counsel on the matter. Yes, what you say can and will be held against you in a court of law.
I worked for the "R"Us family of stores for seven years, writing and editing everything from catalog copy to sales promotions to coupons to informative marketing mailers. Nearly everything said in our ads was supported by a legal disclaimer that prevented the company from being held responsible for any "unforseen events" that might occur as an indirect result of our statements. At the time, these legalities posed a great annoyance to our department, slowing down progress and hampering creativity. But today, I'm incredibly grateful for the "extensive legal training" I received while working there.
What are some examples of loose-lipped writing that can land you in legal hot water? What situations might you get yourself into in today's fast-paced, maximum-output world of marketers?
E-books are hot right now. Everyone wants one, and they want it yesterday. But beware the trouble of an untrained eye taking control of your e-book content! Last year, I worked for a small start-up company. They wanted an e-book written fast, so they hired an unpaid intern. Although the e-book served its purpose well, it was riddled with statements that could get us in trouble! Why? Our e-book was for children. In it, we had included a long list of ways kids could spread holiday cheer. One entry was something to the effect of, "Offer to help your neighbor carry in the groceries." Innocuous as it may seem, the end result of this remark could be some parent taking us to court because their child went out and tried to assist some unsavory character, and was abducted in the process! Heaven forbid, but nothing's impossible. In our e-book, we took care to state "Never do anything without first asking permission from your parents" - many times, and in many ways.
Article content: seems like everyone wants it in mass quantities. But how smart is it to hire a wet-behind-the-ears intern to write pages and pages of information and then publish it under your company name? One little slip-up, and guess who's getting a subpoena in the mail. Not the intern! I recently wrote an article on credit card debt elimination. As I was crafting my copy, I kept stumbling over "red flag" statements that could prove troublesome. "Some debt consolidation companies may even be able to erase the interest fees you've accrued." Was that true?? If it wasn't, somebody might be getting an earful down the road. It's difficult to know what information found on the internet is accurate, or just somebody's assertion. If you're not sure - disclaim! Or, simply avoid commenting.
Coupons and limited time offers that aren't properly disclaimed can cost you money. Say you run a sale on your website, but you forget to include start and end dates. If the sale prices are valid in January but you don't tell your customers, someone could very well come along and demand a discount in May! Or what if you post an ad for your business offering 50% off all design jobs but you forget to exclude the really high-end projects? You could find yourself working on an extensive web-design job that's only bringing in five hundred dollars when it could have made you a thousand!
What about your return policy? You want to be known as a company with its customers' best interest in mind - but what if your return policy is so open-ended, it leaves you vulnerable to excessive returns, when in fact there is really nothing wrong with what you offer? I worked for an e-greeting company this summer. How is an e-greeting company supposed to guarantee "customer satisfaction?" It's not possible! So, in such a case, a statement like this has to go. Would a newborn to the industry have the foresight to make such decisions? My guess is no.
Do you sell products via the web? Anything that poses a safety threat should be disclaimed to avoid future legal headaches and thousands of dollars lost. Everything from over-the-counter drugs to children's products to baby clothes to automobile parts to finances must be shielded from potential legal action. Never thought about legal ramifications? Best to get an expert's advice before going forward with your business plan.
Still thinking of hiring a novice to help you run your business? Think again. A little extra money spent now can mean a ton of money saved later. Hire a copywriter or marketer with corporate experience, who will exercise legal caution in your business writing and provide financial security for your future. Who knows... you may never even need that lawyer.
Electronic Frontier Foundation and Stanford Law Clinic Sue Electronic Voting Company
Student Publishers and ISP Aim to Stop Diebold's Abusive Copyright Claims
Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release
San Francisco - A nonprofit Internet Service Provider (ISP) and two Swarthmore College students are seeking a court order on Election Day tomorrow to stop electronic voting machine manufacturer Diebold Systems, Inc., from issuing specious legal threats. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Center for Internet and Society Cyberlaw Clinic at Stanford Law School are providing legal representation in this important case to prevent abusive copyright claims from silencing public debate about voting, the very foundation of our democratic process.
Diebold has delivered dozens of cease-and-desist notices to website publishers and ISPs demanding that they take down corporate documents revealing flaws in the company's electronic voting systems as well as difficulties with certifying the systems for actual elections.
Swarthmore students Nelson Pavlosky and Luke Smith have published an email archive of the Diebold documents, which contain descriptions of these flaws written by the company's own employees.
"Diebold's blanket cease-and-desist notices are a blatant abuse of copyright law," said EFF Staff Attorney Wendy Seltzer. "Publication of the Diebold documents is clear fair use because of their importance to the public debate over the accuracy of electronic voting machines."
Diebold threatened not only the ISPs of direct publishers of the corporate documents, but also the ISPs of those who merely publish links to the documents. In one such instance, the ISP Online Policy Group (OPG) refused to comply with Diebold's demand that it prohibit Independent Media Network (IndyMedia) from linking to Diebold documents. Neither IndyMedia nor any other publisher hosted by OPG has yet published the Diebold documents directly.
"As an ISP committed to free speech, we are defending our users' right to link to information that's critical to the debate on the reliability of electronic voting machines," said OPG's Colocation Director David Weekly. "This case is an important step in defending free speech by helping protect small publishers and ISPs from frivolous legal threats by large corporations."
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), passed by Congress in 1998, provides a "safe harbor" provision as an incentive for ISPs to take down user-posted content when they receive cease-and-desist letters such as the ones sent by Diebold. By removing the content, or forcing the user to do so, for a minimum of 10 days, an ISP can take itself out of the middle of any copyright claim. As a result, few ISPs have tested whether they would face liability for such user activity in a court of law. EFF has been exposing some of the ways that the safe harbor provision can be used to silence legitimate online speech through the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse.
"Instead of paying lawyers to threaten its critics, Diebold should invest in creating electronic voting machines that include voter-verified paper ballots and other security protections," said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn.
Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release
San Francisco - A nonprofit Internet Service Provider (ISP) and two Swarthmore College students are seeking a court order on Election Day tomorrow to stop electronic voting machine manufacturer Diebold Systems, Inc., from issuing specious legal threats. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Center for Internet and Society Cyberlaw Clinic at Stanford Law School are providing legal representation in this important case to prevent abusive copyright claims from silencing public debate about voting, the very foundation of our democratic process.
Diebold has delivered dozens of cease-and-desist notices to website publishers and ISPs demanding that they take down corporate documents revealing flaws in the company's electronic voting systems as well as difficulties with certifying the systems for actual elections.
Swarthmore students Nelson Pavlosky and Luke Smith have published an email archive of the Diebold documents, which contain descriptions of these flaws written by the company's own employees.
"Diebold's blanket cease-and-desist notices are a blatant abuse of copyright law," said EFF Staff Attorney Wendy Seltzer. "Publication of the Diebold documents is clear fair use because of their importance to the public debate over the accuracy of electronic voting machines."
Diebold threatened not only the ISPs of direct publishers of the corporate documents, but also the ISPs of those who merely publish links to the documents. In one such instance, the ISP Online Policy Group (OPG) refused to comply with Diebold's demand that it prohibit Independent Media Network (IndyMedia) from linking to Diebold documents. Neither IndyMedia nor any other publisher hosted by OPG has yet published the Diebold documents directly.
"As an ISP committed to free speech, we are defending our users' right to link to information that's critical to the debate on the reliability of electronic voting machines," said OPG's Colocation Director David Weekly. "This case is an important step in defending free speech by helping protect small publishers and ISPs from frivolous legal threats by large corporations."
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), passed by Congress in 1998, provides a "safe harbor" provision as an incentive for ISPs to take down user-posted content when they receive cease-and-desist letters such as the ones sent by Diebold. By removing the content, or forcing the user to do so, for a minimum of 10 days, an ISP can take itself out of the middle of any copyright claim. As a result, few ISPs have tested whether they would face liability for such user activity in a court of law. EFF has been exposing some of the ways that the safe harbor provision can be used to silence legitimate online speech through the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse.
"Instead of paying lawyers to threaten its critics, Diebold should invest in creating electronic voting machines that include voter-verified paper ballots and other security protections," said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn.
7 Common Misconceptions About Law Firm Websites
Many website design firms have courted the legal market to create website for law firms. The problem is, most designers dont understand the unique needs of a lawyer, how the firms operate and how to create a website that makes money for the lawyer.
Following are seven common misconceptions about law firm websites.
MISCONCEPTION 1: I can create my own website.
If you're happy with a website that gives visitors basic information about you, then you're right. You don't need to have a website that works.
However, if you want a website that will consistently bring in cases, it has to be different from the websites of other lawyers in your area.
Further, it has to give the visitor a reason to contact you. Simply offering a free consultation or free report is not enough. You have to have a sticky website, one that has lots of information that people find useful, one that they come back to for reference and a website that develops a relationship with the visitor.
MISCONCEPTION 2: If I put my website on the Internet, people will automatically find me.
They old saying, build it and they will come, couldnt be further from the truth. Just because you have a site on the web, doesnt mean people can find it.
Today, SEOs (search engine optimizers) are getting big money (two to five thousand a month) to get websites listed in the top of the search engines.
Once you have a website, you have to have a systematic way to drive traffic to your site. There are many ways to drive traffic, but just putting the site up is the first step in having a website.
MISCONCEPTION 3: If I put my website on the Internet, people will automatically hire me.
Usually not. Most law firm websites are nothing more than a few fluffy paragraphs about the law firm. If your website says:
At Smith Law Office, we believe putting the needs of the client comes first. With the use of technology and competent legal research, our attorneys are able to advise our clients, giving the client an advantage in each matter.
Or something similar, no doubt your message is ignored by the visitor.
The fact is, consumers are smart today, than ever before. With the amount of information available to people and those lawyers willing to give it out in mass quantities, people expect more than lop service. They want solid information in a format thats easily accessible.
The visitor has to be compelled to contact the firm, or they wont turn into a client.
MISCONCEPTION 4: Law firm websites dont make real money.
This is actually true of nearly all law firm sites. However, it doesnt have to be that way.
The fact is, there are solutions available to lawyers today, that can replace part or all of a marketing program. In fact, several of my lawyers have massively reduced the amount of yellow pages advertising due to the results and income they get from their website.
Since websites are cheaper than yellow page ads, it makes sense to work to get clients from a lower cost solution.
MISCONCEPTION 5: Putting up my areas of practice, contact information and mission statement is a good website.
Not true. Often times, a lawyers website is so poorly done, that it actually causes people to look for another attorney.
And, those attorneys who pay big bucks for snazzy flash presentations, and lots of bells and whistles end up looking too polished. People want a lawyer thats a person, not a lawyer that hides behind his law firm name.
A site with all sorts of clever plugins is usually a waste of money. It makes the lawyer feel good about his or her website, but it doesnt actually make money.
Should an attorney spend five or six thousand dollars on a website that looks great but doesnt make money? Thats not an asset. Its a waste.
MISCONCEPTION 6: Websites created by web designers are usually good websites.
Just because someone knows how to code a website, doesnt mean they know what will make a person pick up the phone and call you.
Look at it like this: A paralegal can draft a demur, but what kind of success would they have going into court to argue that demur?
MISCONCEPTION 7: Buying a website from I lawyer directory is a safe and easy way to get my firm a website.
Not true. A website that has lawdomain.com/SmithLaw is a website that will rarely be looked at. Sure, there are some big companies around selling these sites to lawyers who know they have to have a website to look official yet, all the sites are bases off of a brochure type idea.
Again, putting up your mission statement, a few areas of practice and your bio doesnt mean you have a website that will make you money.
The most likely scenario is that very few people will actually find your site if its created by one of these companies.
Following are seven common misconceptions about law firm websites.
MISCONCEPTION 1: I can create my own website.
If you're happy with a website that gives visitors basic information about you, then you're right. You don't need to have a website that works.
However, if you want a website that will consistently bring in cases, it has to be different from the websites of other lawyers in your area.
Further, it has to give the visitor a reason to contact you. Simply offering a free consultation or free report is not enough. You have to have a sticky website, one that has lots of information that people find useful, one that they come back to for reference and a website that develops a relationship with the visitor.
MISCONCEPTION 2: If I put my website on the Internet, people will automatically find me.
They old saying, build it and they will come, couldnt be further from the truth. Just because you have a site on the web, doesnt mean people can find it.
Today, SEOs (search engine optimizers) are getting big money (two to five thousand a month) to get websites listed in the top of the search engines.
Once you have a website, you have to have a systematic way to drive traffic to your site. There are many ways to drive traffic, but just putting the site up is the first step in having a website.
MISCONCEPTION 3: If I put my website on the Internet, people will automatically hire me.
Usually not. Most law firm websites are nothing more than a few fluffy paragraphs about the law firm. If your website says:
At Smith Law Office, we believe putting the needs of the client comes first. With the use of technology and competent legal research, our attorneys are able to advise our clients, giving the client an advantage in each matter.
Or something similar, no doubt your message is ignored by the visitor.
The fact is, consumers are smart today, than ever before. With the amount of information available to people and those lawyers willing to give it out in mass quantities, people expect more than lop service. They want solid information in a format thats easily accessible.
The visitor has to be compelled to contact the firm, or they wont turn into a client.
MISCONCEPTION 4: Law firm websites dont make real money.
This is actually true of nearly all law firm sites. However, it doesnt have to be that way.
The fact is, there are solutions available to lawyers today, that can replace part or all of a marketing program. In fact, several of my lawyers have massively reduced the amount of yellow pages advertising due to the results and income they get from their website.
Since websites are cheaper than yellow page ads, it makes sense to work to get clients from a lower cost solution.
MISCONCEPTION 5: Putting up my areas of practice, contact information and mission statement is a good website.
Not true. Often times, a lawyers website is so poorly done, that it actually causes people to look for another attorney.
And, those attorneys who pay big bucks for snazzy flash presentations, and lots of bells and whistles end up looking too polished. People want a lawyer thats a person, not a lawyer that hides behind his law firm name.
A site with all sorts of clever plugins is usually a waste of money. It makes the lawyer feel good about his or her website, but it doesnt actually make money.
Should an attorney spend five or six thousand dollars on a website that looks great but doesnt make money? Thats not an asset. Its a waste.
MISCONCEPTION 6: Websites created by web designers are usually good websites.
Just because someone knows how to code a website, doesnt mean they know what will make a person pick up the phone and call you.
Look at it like this: A paralegal can draft a demur, but what kind of success would they have going into court to argue that demur?
MISCONCEPTION 7: Buying a website from I lawyer directory is a safe and easy way to get my firm a website.
Not true. A website that has lawdomain.com/SmithLaw is a website that will rarely be looked at. Sure, there are some big companies around selling these sites to lawyers who know they have to have a website to look official yet, all the sites are bases off of a brochure type idea.
Again, putting up your mission statement, a few areas of practice and your bio doesnt mean you have a website that will make you money.
The most likely scenario is that very few people will actually find your site if its created by one of these companies.
Filing a Zyprexa Lawsuit
If your health has ever been negatively affected by a drug makers negligence, you have the right to hold that company responsible and be rightfully compensated. This is especially in true in the case of drug manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co. downplaying important information about harmful or deadly side effects from their drug Zyprexa. Some of the dangers of using Zyprexa include developing diabetes, hyperglycemia, pancreatits and even death from a diabetes-induced heart attack.
For over five years the warning signs for Zyprexa have been surfacing but Eli Lily didnt begin to acknowledge the problems until the FDA intervened. The FDA finally ordered Eli Lily to change the label to warn patients of dire complications after hundreds of users reported complaints of diabetes, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, pancreatitis and other symptoms.
So far there have been 288 cases of diabetes reported in Zyprexa patients, 23 which resulted in death. Although Eli Lilly has acknowledged the dangerous side effects associated with the drug, consumer advocates point out that the warning references continue to be hidden deep within the drugs adverse reactions label.
For over five years the warning signs for Zyprexa have been surfacing but Eli Lily didnt begin to acknowledge the problems until the FDA intervened. The FDA finally ordered Eli Lily to change the label to warn patients of dire complications after hundreds of users reported complaints of diabetes, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, pancreatitis and other symptoms.
So far there have been 288 cases of diabetes reported in Zyprexa patients, 23 which resulted in death. Although Eli Lilly has acknowledged the dangerous side effects associated with the drug, consumer advocates point out that the warning references continue to be hidden deep within the drugs adverse reactions label.
For an inexpensive lawnmower, check out a Murray Lawn Mower!
Many lawn mowers are so expensive that most people just cant afford one. However, if you are looking for an inexpensive lawn mower that might not have all of the bells and whistles of other more expensive lawnmowers, but will get the job done, try a Murray lawn mower. Murray lawnmowers have been known for over a decade for their low prices. In fact, Murray lawn mowers are owned by more people than any other brand of lawnmower. This is because Murray lawn mowers cost significantly less than other brands of lawnmowers. Also, there are many different types of Murray lawn mowers, so there will be sure to one that is exactly what you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for a cheap lawnmower to produce mulch, check out the Murray 22-inch Convertible Mulcher, which costs less than $200 dollars.
If your Murray lawn mower does break down, be sure to get only Murray replacement parts. For example, if a your belt breaks, be sure to get only Murray belts, as only Murray belts are made to fit in your Murray lawn mower. However, with a Murray lawnmower, that should no be a worry, as most Murray lawnmowers last quite a long time. If you are looking for a riding lawn mower, be aware that a Murray riding lawn mower is available, and will almost certainly be less expensive than any other brand. As with all lawn mowers, be sure to mow safely with your Murray lawn mower.
To keep your mower working, get the right lawn mower part.Mike YeagerFor the most part, lawn mowers are durable machines that will last a long time. Unfortunately, all lawn mowers will eventually break down. Because of that, you should always be sure to stock spare lawn mower parts. If you dont, you may just have to watch the grass grow this spring. Fortunately, if your mower does need a new part it usually is not that hard to replace it. One of the most common replacement part needed are lawnmower blades. Don't worry if you need a new blade as most cost around just a little over 10 dollars and are an inexpensive way to cut down on your mowing time and improve the look of your lawn.
Once you or a repair service has completed your sharpening, you can easily reattach the blade and tighten-up the bolt. Always be sure to remember when re-applying the blade that the sharp cutting end of the blade should be facing down, not up. Many mulching blades are convolute, so make sure that the sharp end is always facing toward the ground.
While the lawnmower blades are usually the first lawnmower parts to be replaced, they are by no means the last. In fact, your lawn mower's spark plug, air filter, fuel filter all will eventually need to be replaced. If you need to replace these lawnmower parts, be sure to take them to a local service dealer, so they can help you find exactly the right part you are looking for. Also, most air filters and spark plugs have a part number written on them so you can identify which replacement part you will need.
Get your Lawn Mower prepared for winter.Mike YeagerThe days are getting shorter. The nights cooler. And finally, your grass has stopped growing. Looks like it's time to store your lawn tractor or lawn mowers for the winter.
The key thing to know about outdoor power equipment is that their number one enemy is dirt. And their number two enemy is condensation. So start off by cleaning that lawn tractor or riding lawn mowers. Remove any surface grunge with a hose, then get underneath and scrape out any matted grass or cuttings with a paint scraper and screwdriver. Then clean the exterior with soapy water or a quality cleaner like Castrol Super clean. Now you are ready to replace or clean the air filter and grease any cables or fittings that need attention. Next, either fill it right up, or drain it completely of gas, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Finally, and most important, change the engine oil, always using a quality product from a well known company like Castrol.
Remove the wheels and store your tractor off the ground on blocks if possible, preventing any air filled tires from going square. Finishing off, protect the tractor or mower with a covering that breathes. Something like a painter's drop sheet or heavy burlap is good. This allows any condensation to evaporate naturally, minimizing the possibility of rust. And always try to store your lawn mowers in a clean and dry place. Be aware that some riding lawn mowers handle winter storage better than others do. If you are concerned about how well your lawn mower is going to handle the winter, contact the maker of your lawn mower for specific maintenance tips.
If your Murray lawn mower does break down, be sure to get only Murray replacement parts. For example, if a your belt breaks, be sure to get only Murray belts, as only Murray belts are made to fit in your Murray lawn mower. However, with a Murray lawnmower, that should no be a worry, as most Murray lawnmowers last quite a long time. If you are looking for a riding lawn mower, be aware that a Murray riding lawn mower is available, and will almost certainly be less expensive than any other brand. As with all lawn mowers, be sure to mow safely with your Murray lawn mower.
To keep your mower working, get the right lawn mower part.Mike YeagerFor the most part, lawn mowers are durable machines that will last a long time. Unfortunately, all lawn mowers will eventually break down. Because of that, you should always be sure to stock spare lawn mower parts. If you dont, you may just have to watch the grass grow this spring. Fortunately, if your mower does need a new part it usually is not that hard to replace it. One of the most common replacement part needed are lawnmower blades. Don't worry if you need a new blade as most cost around just a little over 10 dollars and are an inexpensive way to cut down on your mowing time and improve the look of your lawn.
Once you or a repair service has completed your sharpening, you can easily reattach the blade and tighten-up the bolt. Always be sure to remember when re-applying the blade that the sharp cutting end of the blade should be facing down, not up. Many mulching blades are convolute, so make sure that the sharp end is always facing toward the ground.
While the lawnmower blades are usually the first lawnmower parts to be replaced, they are by no means the last. In fact, your lawn mower's spark plug, air filter, fuel filter all will eventually need to be replaced. If you need to replace these lawnmower parts, be sure to take them to a local service dealer, so they can help you find exactly the right part you are looking for. Also, most air filters and spark plugs have a part number written on them so you can identify which replacement part you will need.
Get your Lawn Mower prepared for winter.Mike YeagerThe days are getting shorter. The nights cooler. And finally, your grass has stopped growing. Looks like it's time to store your lawn tractor or lawn mowers for the winter.
The key thing to know about outdoor power equipment is that their number one enemy is dirt. And their number two enemy is condensation. So start off by cleaning that lawn tractor or riding lawn mowers. Remove any surface grunge with a hose, then get underneath and scrape out any matted grass or cuttings with a paint scraper and screwdriver. Then clean the exterior with soapy water or a quality cleaner like Castrol Super clean. Now you are ready to replace or clean the air filter and grease any cables or fittings that need attention. Next, either fill it right up, or drain it completely of gas, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Finally, and most important, change the engine oil, always using a quality product from a well known company like Castrol.
Remove the wheels and store your tractor off the ground on blocks if possible, preventing any air filled tires from going square. Finishing off, protect the tractor or mower with a covering that breathes. Something like a painter's drop sheet or heavy burlap is good. This allows any condensation to evaporate naturally, minimizing the possibility of rust. And always try to store your lawn mowers in a clean and dry place. Be aware that some riding lawn mowers handle winter storage better than others do. If you are concerned about how well your lawn mower is going to handle the winter, contact the maker of your lawn mower for specific maintenance tips.
Safety tips for a Riding Lawn Mower!
Riding lawn mowers are certainly an easy and efficient way to mow your lawn. However, more so with riding lawn mowers than ordinary lawn mowers, you must take steps to learn the safe and proper way to use your riding lawn mowers. In fact, over 75,000 Americans were injured in riding lawn mower accidents last year. Riding lawn mowers cause some of the most serious injuries for both adults and children.
Unfortunately, adults frequently permit young children to ride on their lap while they cut the lawn, which is never a good idea. With young passengers riding aboard the mowers, there is always the potential that they could fall off the machine while it's running. However, adults also need to use care when using a used riding mower to protect themselves from personal injury. Recent studies have shown that riding mowers have the potential to tip over onto the driver when going up slopes, often resulting in serious injury to the hands and feet. Also, with both riding mower and traditional power mowers, it's important to make sure the yard is free of loose objects, like sticks or rocks, that can project out of the mower during use and cause injury to the face or eyes.
Some riding lawn mowers have proven themselves to be safer than others. Murray riding lawn mowers have been generally accepted as the safest in the industry. If you are buying a used riding lawn mower, be sure to have it completely checked out by a qualified mechanic to make sure that it is completely safe.
Unfortunately, adults frequently permit young children to ride on their lap while they cut the lawn, which is never a good idea. With young passengers riding aboard the mowers, there is always the potential that they could fall off the machine while it's running. However, adults also need to use care when using a used riding mower to protect themselves from personal injury. Recent studies have shown that riding mowers have the potential to tip over onto the driver when going up slopes, often resulting in serious injury to the hands and feet. Also, with both riding mower and traditional power mowers, it's important to make sure the yard is free of loose objects, like sticks or rocks, that can project out of the mower during use and cause injury to the face or eyes.
Some riding lawn mowers have proven themselves to be safer than others. Murray riding lawn mowers have been generally accepted as the safest in the industry. If you are buying a used riding lawn mower, be sure to have it completely checked out by a qualified mechanic to make sure that it is completely safe.
Stay a cut above the rest with lawnmowers
If you are chasing the best sourced help relating to lawnmowers.
Sometimes when you're trying to find better information about lawnmowers, you will find it hard sorting out the best information from ill-equiped lawnmowers submissions and help so it is important to know how to moderate the advice you are presented with.
Northern Tool: Lawnmowers
Shop NorthernTool.com today - your unlimited resource for tools and equipment. Find lawn mowers, generators and more - over 14,000 products online.
What follows next are a few tips which we believe you should use when you're searching for information about lawnmowers. It is important to remember that the guidance we offer you is only applicable to internet based information regarding lawnmowers. We can't offer you any direction or assistance for conducting research offline.
Hoovers: Deere & Company Research
Find information on Deere & with operations and products, financials, officers, competitors and more at Hoovers Online.
An excellent tip to follow when offered information and advice about a lawnmowers website would be to determine who owns the site. This may divulge who is behind the site lawnmowers authorizations The easiest way to reveal who owns the lawnmowers website is to look on the 'about' page or 'contact' page.
All decent sites providing information on lawnmowers, will nearly always have a 'contact', or an 'about', page which will list the site owner's details. The details should let you know some indication regarding the owner's proficency and credentials. This means you can conduct an appraisal about the vendor's qualifications and experience to offer recommendations concerning lawnmowers.
Sometimes when you're trying to find better information about lawnmowers, you will find it hard sorting out the best information from ill-equiped lawnmowers submissions and help so it is important to know how to moderate the advice you are presented with.
Northern Tool: Lawnmowers
Shop NorthernTool.com today - your unlimited resource for tools and equipment. Find lawn mowers, generators and more - over 14,000 products online.
What follows next are a few tips which we believe you should use when you're searching for information about lawnmowers. It is important to remember that the guidance we offer you is only applicable to internet based information regarding lawnmowers. We can't offer you any direction or assistance for conducting research offline.
Hoovers: Deere & Company Research
Find information on Deere & with operations and products, financials, officers, competitors and more at Hoovers Online.
An excellent tip to follow when offered information and advice about a lawnmowers website would be to determine who owns the site. This may divulge who is behind the site lawnmowers authorizations The easiest way to reveal who owns the lawnmowers website is to look on the 'about' page or 'contact' page.
All decent sites providing information on lawnmowers, will nearly always have a 'contact', or an 'about', page which will list the site owner's details. The details should let you know some indication regarding the owner's proficency and credentials. This means you can conduct an appraisal about the vendor's qualifications and experience to offer recommendations concerning lawnmowers.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Filing a Zyprexa Lawsuit
If your health has ever been negatively affected by a drug makers negligence, you have the right to hold that company responsible and be rightfully compensated. This is especially in true in the case of drug manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co. downplaying important information about harmful or deadly side effects from their drug Zyprexa. Some of the dangers of using Zyprexa include developing diabetes, hyperglycemia, pancreatits and even death from a diabetes-induced heart attack.
For over five years the warning signs for Zyprexa have been surfacing but Eli Lily didnt begin to acknowledge the problems until the FDA intervened. The FDA finally ordered Eli Lily to change the label to warn patients of dire complications after hundreds of users reported complaints of diabetes, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, pancreatitis and other symptoms.
So far there have been 288 cases of diabetes reported in Zyprexa patients, 23 which resulted in death. Although Eli Lilly has acknowledged the dangerous side effects associated with the drug, consumer advocates point out that the warning references continue to be hidden deep within the drugs adverse reactions label.
For over five years the warning signs for Zyprexa have been surfacing but Eli Lily didnt begin to acknowledge the problems until the FDA intervened. The FDA finally ordered Eli Lily to change the label to warn patients of dire complications after hundreds of users reported complaints of diabetes, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, pancreatitis and other symptoms.
So far there have been 288 cases of diabetes reported in Zyprexa patients, 23 which resulted in death. Although Eli Lilly has acknowledged the dangerous side effects associated with the drug, consumer advocates point out that the warning references continue to be hidden deep within the drugs adverse reactions label.
Summer Lawn Care Tips
Summer is just around the corner, and your lawn could probably use a little maintenance before the summer season of backyard BBQs and swimming in the pool. So what are you doing now to get your lawn ready? Lawn care is often feared as a difficult and time intensive process, but with a few guidelines and tips, you can easily have a healthy green lawn in time for the first backyard party of the season.
First of all, if you can spare a minute of your time, dont hire a lawn care specialist or professional landscaper. Buying your own lawn care products is cheap and easy, with hundreds of vendors offering products online and in Do-It-Yourself stores. A wide variety of products such as weed controllers to fertilizers can be found online, and usually can be found at reasonable prices, especially when you do a little online coupon searching.
Starting off on the right foot is important to reviving your lawn after winter. Fertilizer is the key to ensuring strong healthy growth of the grass in your yard. Fertilizing the grass does more than just make it green. Of course it will make it grow too, but lot's of things happen when you fertilize. Fertilizer makes the seed germinate faster, and get started out of the ground. After the grass has a good start fertilizer will make the grass get thicker and send off beneficial chemicals like Rhizomes, Stolons, and Tillers all making the grass thicker and healthier.
What most people want to know about fertilizing is - how much and when? Typically, you want to fertilize 4 times each season, spread 60 days apart. Start in early spring approximately 30 days before the growing season begins in your area, continuing through the growing season until fall. Spring fertilizing gets the grass off to a fast start giving you that rich green color everyone wants. A word of warning though, don't use too much fertilizer, follow the listed guidelines on the bag.
Mowing is the most misunderstood part of lawn care, and the most often incorrectly performed part of lawn care. Far too many people will set their mowers too low or "scalp" the lawn. How many times have you spent time mowing your grass in hopes of a beautiful result only to end up with brown spots? Cutting too much off the top leads to thinned out grass, and shallow root systems.
Now once you have achieved the perfect lawn, you must do regular maintenance to prevent it from going back to being a pasture. Spend a little time and money and keep it watered and you will keep the lush grass you spent your hard earned money and time on. The ideal way to water your lawn is with an Automatic Underground Sprinkler System. This way the watering is done every day that it needs it, you don't have to drag hoses, you don't waste water from over watering, and you get all of the lawn watered, not just where you happen to set the sprinkler. If you implement this type of sprinkler system, make sure to water shrubbery and annuals separate from the lawn. If you applied the same amount of water on your landscape as gets put on the lawn you would surely kill some plants from over watering.
Now that youre ready to care for your lawn, youll need to get your supplies. Lawn care products can be found at many local gardening centers, or through many online merchants. Buying gardening supplies online is growing in popularity, and made even more economical by online coupons and discounts. For coupons on everything from fertilizers to lawn tools and equipment, check out www.CouponChief.com and easily save yourself some big bucks. Spend the extra cash on your first big BBQ of the summer and invite all your neighbors over to drool over your well manicured, lush green lawn.
First of all, if you can spare a minute of your time, dont hire a lawn care specialist or professional landscaper. Buying your own lawn care products is cheap and easy, with hundreds of vendors offering products online and in Do-It-Yourself stores. A wide variety of products such as weed controllers to fertilizers can be found online, and usually can be found at reasonable prices, especially when you do a little online coupon searching.
Starting off on the right foot is important to reviving your lawn after winter. Fertilizer is the key to ensuring strong healthy growth of the grass in your yard. Fertilizing the grass does more than just make it green. Of course it will make it grow too, but lot's of things happen when you fertilize. Fertilizer makes the seed germinate faster, and get started out of the ground. After the grass has a good start fertilizer will make the grass get thicker and send off beneficial chemicals like Rhizomes, Stolons, and Tillers all making the grass thicker and healthier.
What most people want to know about fertilizing is - how much and when? Typically, you want to fertilize 4 times each season, spread 60 days apart. Start in early spring approximately 30 days before the growing season begins in your area, continuing through the growing season until fall. Spring fertilizing gets the grass off to a fast start giving you that rich green color everyone wants. A word of warning though, don't use too much fertilizer, follow the listed guidelines on the bag.
Mowing is the most misunderstood part of lawn care, and the most often incorrectly performed part of lawn care. Far too many people will set their mowers too low or "scalp" the lawn. How many times have you spent time mowing your grass in hopes of a beautiful result only to end up with brown spots? Cutting too much off the top leads to thinned out grass, and shallow root systems.
Now once you have achieved the perfect lawn, you must do regular maintenance to prevent it from going back to being a pasture. Spend a little time and money and keep it watered and you will keep the lush grass you spent your hard earned money and time on. The ideal way to water your lawn is with an Automatic Underground Sprinkler System. This way the watering is done every day that it needs it, you don't have to drag hoses, you don't waste water from over watering, and you get all of the lawn watered, not just where you happen to set the sprinkler. If you implement this type of sprinkler system, make sure to water shrubbery and annuals separate from the lawn. If you applied the same amount of water on your landscape as gets put on the lawn you would surely kill some plants from over watering.
Now that youre ready to care for your lawn, youll need to get your supplies. Lawn care products can be found at many local gardening centers, or through many online merchants. Buying gardening supplies online is growing in popularity, and made even more economical by online coupons and discounts. For coupons on everything from fertilizers to lawn tools and equipment, check out www.CouponChief.com and easily save yourself some big bucks. Spend the extra cash on your first big BBQ of the summer and invite all your neighbors over to drool over your well manicured, lush green lawn.
Knowing Me, Knowing You: Why ID Protection Plans Are Flawed For Fraud
ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is apparently much confusion about proactive protection initiatives and apparently safe and unsafe spending behaviour. For example, many consumers remain reluctant about shopping online, but they may still give out personal details over the phone in a cold call, or they may have redundant or dormant accounts and financial products which are susceptible to fraud.
If reducing fraud vulnerability wasnt sufficiently difficult already, consumers are now being offered anti-ID theft services and ID protection insurance by banks, insurance companies and credit reference agencies. There is also considerable debate around such policies however, as they do not offer full financial compensation. In The Observer last week, Richard Brown, Chief Executive of consumer finance site moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ ) stated that:
Few, if any, of them appear to offer insurance protection against actual financial loss in the event that a credit company, for example, refuses to cover the loss and this is what consumers really need. While ID protection services may have a degree of value, they shouldnt be used as a reason to take an otherwise uncompetitive product.
Brown continued that consumers could actually take out simple, cost effective measures against ID theft such as buying a shredder and checking credit reports regularly. The National Consumer Council ( http://www.ncc.org.uk/ ) takes a similar approach, advising consumers to avoid becoming a victim of credit card and identity fraud by:
- Not giving personal information away too easily
- When passing details over the phone, do ensure its to a legitimate business. Ask friends and family for recommendations
- Shred all documents with sensitive personal data
- Choose your bank security details carefully and avoid obvious passwords
- Avoid carrying around details of your address with your credit cards
- Close any accounts you no longer need
- Check your credit file at the credit reference agencies on an annual basis
Callcredit states warning signs of identity theft and identity fraud could include:
- Bank or credit card statements start disappearing or fail to appear in the first place
- Some of your mail goes missing
- Items on your credit card bill which you did not purchase
- A debt collection agency contacts you about goods you did not order or even an account you did not open
- You receive phone calls for accounts you know nothing about
- Royal Mail writes to your address about a mail redirection order you did not request
However, by just incorporating some of the measures above and keeping a regular check on your finances (e.g. dont activate that second credit card and then put in a box for a year!), a great deal of financial protection is already set in place and you dont have to pay a penny.
Examples of standard protection within English law encompass:
- Protection from forged signatures on cheques
- Protection from forged signatures in documents which enforce an action (the prosecution has to prove that you made the signature, rather than you prove that you didnt)
If your credit card is stolen (or lost), you should be fully protected providing you report the missing credit card within 24 hours of the loss or theft.
If you have never had your credit record checked why not give it a go?
- Callcredit offers a service from http://www.mycallcredit.com/home.asp starting from 7.50
- Experian offers a service from https://www.creditexpert.co.uk/ with a membership fee of 49.99
- Equifax provides a credit report for 9.95 from https://www.econsumer.equifax.co.uk/
Getting The Most Juice In Your California Lemon Law
It is a consumer's right to return a defective product that he has purchased. The US legislative and justice system through the California Lemon Law recognizes this right in auto buyers, who may risk life and limb for one defect in their car.
The California Lemon Law allows new and used car buyers to demand for refund or replacement when the cars that they have purchased have been proven to be defective. Here are some tips that will help you get the most "juice" from your "lemon."
1.Never let the manufacturer or dealer discourage you
The California Lemon Law provides guidelines by which you can determine if your car qualifies. A car is considered a "lemon" under the California Lemon Law if it has been repaired four times and the defect has not been fixed within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles whichever comes first. Two repair attempts are given to defects that may cause injury or death.
2.Know your rights
Research the guidelines provided by the California Lemon Law and decide for yourself if what you have is a "lemon. Don't let some scrupulous salespersons fool you into not filing a complaint or selling your car to them at a loss. There are a lot of websites in the Internet that could provide you with relevant information on California Lemon Law.
3.Read your manual
Don't let that manual gather dust in one of your drawers. Know everything about your car especially the things that you cannot do with or to it. Take care of your car and follow the manual to the letter. Otherwise the manufacturer could blame the problem on your poor use. Remember that though the California Lemon Law protects your right, you have to prove that the defect has not been caused by you.
4.Don't waste time
Remember that the California Lemon Law provides a deadline for complaints. Don't wait for the last minute to file yours.
5.Take it to authorized service center
In having your car repaired, make sure that you go only to authorized service centers to ensure that the car is repaired properly. Under the California Lemon Law, buyers should have the defect repaired by the manufacturer through its service centers and at least inform the manufacturer of the need for repair.
6.Keep records
Never fail to ask for proper documentations, even if the center has not seen anything wrong with your car. Those are needed when you file a complaint under the California Lemon Law. So, it is important that your complaints be documented from the onset. Make sure also that when they do give you a receipt or record, the information is complete and accurate.
7.Put it in black and white
Send a letter of complaint. This is one way to legally give notice to your problem under the California Lemon Law. Inform them of the problem and outline the number of repairs that you have done. If possible, send it over through certified mail to make sure that they did receive it.
8.Know your options and seek advice
Most car companies have arbitration program that take care of Lemon Law complaints in California. If arbitration does not work, you can always seek legal counsel. Remember that arbitration decisions are not final and some companies even give a quick refund when a lawyer gets involve.
About The Author:
Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.Lemon-Law-Explained.com - an informational resource that explains what Lemon Laws are and how they can help you.
Copyright Terry Dunn - http://www.Lemon-Law-Explained.com
Tougher Bankruptcy Laws Take Effect October 2005James Dimmitt In just a few short weeks, President Bush's Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act will take effect. In a nutshell, the new law, which goes into effect on October 17, 2005, makes it more difficult to cancel your debts under Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection. Instead, consumers will find themselves having to file for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy protection and paying back their creditors over a five year period.
Here's a look into some of the major changes that will affect consumers choosing to file for bankruptcy after the new law goes into effect -
Qualifying - Chapter 7 or Chapter 13?
To be able to qualify for protection under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, consumers will have to face a means test. The means test determines if your household falls above or below the median income in the state where you reside. Those whose total is greater than the state median income will not qualify to cancel debts under Chapter 7 protection and will alternately have to file under Chapter 13 and pay back your creditors.
The major intent of bankruptcy reform is to require people, who can afford to make some payments towards their debt, to make these payments, while still affording them the right to have the rest of their debt erased.
The amount you have to pay back under Chapter 13 protection will be greater because instead of a 3-year pay back period, that time frame is now extended to five years - to ensure your creditors get paid.
Credit Counseling
Anyone filing for bankruptcy under the new law will be required to go through mandatory credit counseling. Be careful before choosing a credit counselor as this field is filled with people looking to line their pockets while emptying yours.
To find a trustworthy counselor, check to see if there are any complaints against them or their organization filed with your local Better Business Bureau. Secondly, find out if they are certified by the National Foundation of Credit Counselors or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Finally, find out if they have not-for-profit status. Personally I recommend Consumer Credit Counseling Services as they meet all three of the above criteria. They can be reached at 1-800-888-2227 and can connect you with a local office.
The Cost Factor
Filing for Chapter 7 protection under the old laws normally cost under $1,000. You should expect to pay more under the new laws as filing fees have been increased by $60. Additionally, your attorney will be required to double check all your financial information which will take more of his or her time. Also there is greater liability imposed on the lawyer which may cause their liability insurance to increase, which gets passed on to their clients in the form of higher fees. Under the new law, many are expecting fees to increase between 25-50%.
Why Were the Laws Changed?
The bottom line is that major commercial creditors lobbied hard for reform. Companies like CitiBank, MBNA, and other credit card issuers actively contributed proposed amendments along with generous financial support to reforming the bankruptcy laws - and in their favor, according to many consumer protection groups.
The California Lemon Law allows new and used car buyers to demand for refund or replacement when the cars that they have purchased have been proven to be defective. Here are some tips that will help you get the most "juice" from your "lemon."
1.Never let the manufacturer or dealer discourage you
The California Lemon Law provides guidelines by which you can determine if your car qualifies. A car is considered a "lemon" under the California Lemon Law if it has been repaired four times and the defect has not been fixed within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles whichever comes first. Two repair attempts are given to defects that may cause injury or death.
2.Know your rights
Research the guidelines provided by the California Lemon Law and decide for yourself if what you have is a "lemon. Don't let some scrupulous salespersons fool you into not filing a complaint or selling your car to them at a loss. There are a lot of websites in the Internet that could provide you with relevant information on California Lemon Law.
3.Read your manual
Don't let that manual gather dust in one of your drawers. Know everything about your car especially the things that you cannot do with or to it. Take care of your car and follow the manual to the letter. Otherwise the manufacturer could blame the problem on your poor use. Remember that though the California Lemon Law protects your right, you have to prove that the defect has not been caused by you.
4.Don't waste time
Remember that the California Lemon Law provides a deadline for complaints. Don't wait for the last minute to file yours.
5.Take it to authorized service center
In having your car repaired, make sure that you go only to authorized service centers to ensure that the car is repaired properly. Under the California Lemon Law, buyers should have the defect repaired by the manufacturer through its service centers and at least inform the manufacturer of the need for repair.
6.Keep records
Never fail to ask for proper documentations, even if the center has not seen anything wrong with your car. Those are needed when you file a complaint under the California Lemon Law. So, it is important that your complaints be documented from the onset. Make sure also that when they do give you a receipt or record, the information is complete and accurate.
7.Put it in black and white
Send a letter of complaint. This is one way to legally give notice to your problem under the California Lemon Law. Inform them of the problem and outline the number of repairs that you have done. If possible, send it over through certified mail to make sure that they did receive it.
8.Know your options and seek advice
Most car companies have arbitration program that take care of Lemon Law complaints in California. If arbitration does not work, you can always seek legal counsel. Remember that arbitration decisions are not final and some companies even give a quick refund when a lawyer gets involve.
About The Author:
Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.Lemon-Law-Explained.com - an informational resource that explains what Lemon Laws are and how they can help you.
Copyright Terry Dunn - http://www.Lemon-Law-Explained.com
Tougher Bankruptcy Laws Take Effect October 2005James Dimmitt In just a few short weeks, President Bush's Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act will take effect. In a nutshell, the new law, which goes into effect on October 17, 2005, makes it more difficult to cancel your debts under Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection. Instead, consumers will find themselves having to file for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy protection and paying back their creditors over a five year period.
Here's a look into some of the major changes that will affect consumers choosing to file for bankruptcy after the new law goes into effect -
Qualifying - Chapter 7 or Chapter 13?
To be able to qualify for protection under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, consumers will have to face a means test. The means test determines if your household falls above or below the median income in the state where you reside. Those whose total is greater than the state median income will not qualify to cancel debts under Chapter 7 protection and will alternately have to file under Chapter 13 and pay back your creditors.
The major intent of bankruptcy reform is to require people, who can afford to make some payments towards their debt, to make these payments, while still affording them the right to have the rest of their debt erased.
The amount you have to pay back under Chapter 13 protection will be greater because instead of a 3-year pay back period, that time frame is now extended to five years - to ensure your creditors get paid.
Credit Counseling
Anyone filing for bankruptcy under the new law will be required to go through mandatory credit counseling. Be careful before choosing a credit counselor as this field is filled with people looking to line their pockets while emptying yours.
To find a trustworthy counselor, check to see if there are any complaints against them or their organization filed with your local Better Business Bureau. Secondly, find out if they are certified by the National Foundation of Credit Counselors or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Finally, find out if they have not-for-profit status. Personally I recommend Consumer Credit Counseling Services as they meet all three of the above criteria. They can be reached at 1-800-888-2227 and can connect you with a local office.
The Cost Factor
Filing for Chapter 7 protection under the old laws normally cost under $1,000. You should expect to pay more under the new laws as filing fees have been increased by $60. Additionally, your attorney will be required to double check all your financial information which will take more of his or her time. Also there is greater liability imposed on the lawyer which may cause their liability insurance to increase, which gets passed on to their clients in the form of higher fees. Under the new law, many are expecting fees to increase between 25-50%.
Why Were the Laws Changed?
The bottom line is that major commercial creditors lobbied hard for reform. Companies like CitiBank, MBNA, and other credit card issuers actively contributed proposed amendments along with generous financial support to reforming the bankruptcy laws - and in their favor, according to many consumer protection groups.
Universal Law Series - The Law Of Cause
This is the third of seven articles in our continuing series on Universal Law. The focus of this article is the Law of Cause & Effect. Based on the Socratic law of causality, this Law is so profound and powerful that it has been referred to as the "Iron Law of Human Destiny".
Law of Cause & Effect:
The Law of Cause & Effect states that absolutely everything happens for a reason. All actions have consequences and produce specific results, as do all inactions. The choices we make are causes, whether they are conscious or unconscious, and will produce corresponding outcomes or effects. The Law works the same for everyone at all times.
Distilled down to the simplest possible terms, this Law states that for every outcome or effect in one's life, there is a specific cause; poor diet and exercise habits result in poor health, constant and uncontrolled spending results in debt and money worries, not putting effort into your key relationships results in poor relationships and all of the associated issues.
The law can also be applied in the physical sense through examination of Sir Isaac Newton's third Law of Motion, which states that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." If, for example, you were to hold your hand over a candle's flame (the cause) the effect would be that your hand would burn and it would hurt! While this is an extreme example, it serves to illustrate the point very well.
Consider another situation which is specific to business. Imagine that your business is so successful you cannot keep up with the demand a nice problem to have! Eventually, the levels of customer service deteriorate as your staff attempts to cope with the problem. You receive complaints and employee morale begins to suffer.
At this point, you have a choice to make try to muddle through with the existing situation or hire more people. This is a difficult decision as there are many unknowns when hiring will you get the right person, will he / she be part of the solution or part of the problem, what will happen to your cash flow etc.
Whichever decision you make becomes the cause either you hire or don't. The effect is the result of the decision. If you hired someone, there should be some relief for your existing staff, and customers should become happier with your service (providing of course, you hired the right person and then invested to train them properly). If the decision was to not hire, the effect would likely be dissatisfied, and eventually, lost customers and potentially lost employees as well unless you can find another solution (cause) to implement (process re-engineering etc.). This is a recipe for disaster which could easily see the business fail altogether the ultimate effect.
The same holds true with your personal relationships. If you treat the important people in your life with respect, love, compassion, dignity and honesty (cause), you will experience loving, solid relationships which lead to happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind (effect).
Making It Work For You:
The truly wonderful thing about this law is that by definition then, we should be able to manifest that which we truly want (the effect) simply by exerting the same causes that others before us have exerted and been successful. Let me explain:
If you have a desire to be a successful and highly paid businessperson in your chosen field, then you should be able to look back and study what made others, before you, successful. What books did they read, courses did they study, beliefs did they hold, actions did they take?
If you were to emulate the things they did to be successful, you would achieve the same results over a period of time. If, over time, this does not occur, it is likely because there is something different in what you were doing some vital piece of information that is missing.
What You Can Do:
There are three action exercises, which you can put in place immediately, to help you get more of what you want:
1. Determine the Cause & Effect relationships in the areas in which you want improvement or success. Identify the specific things you will need to do in order to get the results that you desire.
2. Take action! Make the decision to focus on, and do, the things that other successful people have done in those areas. Half the battle is taking action. It is your ability to actually begin that will set you apart from the majority of the population.
3. Persevere. If you take action and do the things that others have done, you will eventually get the desired results. Rome was not built in a day and it has taken you a lifetime to get into the position in which you now find yourself. Success takes time, so if it doesn't seem to be working immediately, don't give up! Stay focused, analyze your causes to ensure you are doing the right things; tweak your approach if necessary you will get the desired results!
There is no mystery to achieving success - it is available to all of us. One need only be aware of, understand and live in accordance with Universal Law!
Law of Cause & Effect:
The Law of Cause & Effect states that absolutely everything happens for a reason. All actions have consequences and produce specific results, as do all inactions. The choices we make are causes, whether they are conscious or unconscious, and will produce corresponding outcomes or effects. The Law works the same for everyone at all times.
Distilled down to the simplest possible terms, this Law states that for every outcome or effect in one's life, there is a specific cause; poor diet and exercise habits result in poor health, constant and uncontrolled spending results in debt and money worries, not putting effort into your key relationships results in poor relationships and all of the associated issues.
The law can also be applied in the physical sense through examination of Sir Isaac Newton's third Law of Motion, which states that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." If, for example, you were to hold your hand over a candle's flame (the cause) the effect would be that your hand would burn and it would hurt! While this is an extreme example, it serves to illustrate the point very well.
Consider another situation which is specific to business. Imagine that your business is so successful you cannot keep up with the demand a nice problem to have! Eventually, the levels of customer service deteriorate as your staff attempts to cope with the problem. You receive complaints and employee morale begins to suffer.
At this point, you have a choice to make try to muddle through with the existing situation or hire more people. This is a difficult decision as there are many unknowns when hiring will you get the right person, will he / she be part of the solution or part of the problem, what will happen to your cash flow etc.
Whichever decision you make becomes the cause either you hire or don't. The effect is the result of the decision. If you hired someone, there should be some relief for your existing staff, and customers should become happier with your service (providing of course, you hired the right person and then invested to train them properly). If the decision was to not hire, the effect would likely be dissatisfied, and eventually, lost customers and potentially lost employees as well unless you can find another solution (cause) to implement (process re-engineering etc.). This is a recipe for disaster which could easily see the business fail altogether the ultimate effect.
The same holds true with your personal relationships. If you treat the important people in your life with respect, love, compassion, dignity and honesty (cause), you will experience loving, solid relationships which lead to happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind (effect).
Making It Work For You:
The truly wonderful thing about this law is that by definition then, we should be able to manifest that which we truly want (the effect) simply by exerting the same causes that others before us have exerted and been successful. Let me explain:
If you have a desire to be a successful and highly paid businessperson in your chosen field, then you should be able to look back and study what made others, before you, successful. What books did they read, courses did they study, beliefs did they hold, actions did they take?
If you were to emulate the things they did to be successful, you would achieve the same results over a period of time. If, over time, this does not occur, it is likely because there is something different in what you were doing some vital piece of information that is missing.
What You Can Do:
There are three action exercises, which you can put in place immediately, to help you get more of what you want:
1. Determine the Cause & Effect relationships in the areas in which you want improvement or success. Identify the specific things you will need to do in order to get the results that you desire.
2. Take action! Make the decision to focus on, and do, the things that other successful people have done in those areas. Half the battle is taking action. It is your ability to actually begin that will set you apart from the majority of the population.
3. Persevere. If you take action and do the things that others have done, you will eventually get the desired results. Rome was not built in a day and it has taken you a lifetime to get into the position in which you now find yourself. Success takes time, so if it doesn't seem to be working immediately, don't give up! Stay focused, analyze your causes to ensure you are doing the right things; tweak your approach if necessary you will get the desired results!
There is no mystery to achieving success - it is available to all of us. One need only be aware of, understand and live in accordance with Universal Law!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A New Lawsuit Filed Every 3 Seconds! Protect Yourself
It's true. According to a recent survey, one out of every 2
Americans will need a lawyer's advice in the next twelve months.
Most of these people will try to handle it on their own, because
they think they can't afford a lawyer. But, if you needed an
operation, would you do it yourself because you couldn't afford
a surgeon? Of course not. You're not qualified, and you know it.
That's why people are so desperate to find affordable health
insurance.
The law is just as complex as surgery, and just as dangerous.
When you go into court, it isn't about right and wrong, it's
about winning, and your opponent knows it.
If they have a lawyer, that lawyer will do everything legally
possible to win for his/her client. Are you willing to risk
your financial health? Your home, car and all your possessions
plus your future paychecks? Of course not. But lawyers are
expensive, good ones can cost hundreds of dollars an hour.
You just can't afford one for every little problem, can you?
Yes, you can, with a legal protection plan.
Very much like health insurance, a legal protection plan offers
you a court room HMO--protection from devastating legal fees,
phone consultations, document review and standard will preparation
by providing attorney services at an affordable monthly rate.
This group rate gives you the same protection at a fraction
of what you might spend on your own, provided by a network
of skilled and experienced attorneys-at-law, not students
or junior associates fresh out of school.
It's just begun to catch on in America, but it's a proven
commodity in Europe, where some 40% of the population has
some type of protection. In fact, Germany boasts fewer
lawsuits than almost any country in the world. Why? Partly
because some 80% of Germans have a legal protection plan!
Where there's easy access to good legal advice, people tend
to settle their problems without going to court. You, too,
can have that peace of mind, because you'll know your rights
will be protected, whether it's an unfulfilled contract, a
defective product, an unfair traffic ticket, an incorrect
credit report, preparing your will or facing the dreaded
IRS audit!
Now, as a bonus, imagine that you could provide that peace
of mind to others. Wouldn't that make getting out of bed
every day worthwhile? It's possible because prepaid legal
services is a fast growing industry that needs quality
representatives who want to make a difference -- a positive
difference -- in the lives of family, friends, neighbors and
others. There are thousands of internet businesses out there,
selling everything from herbal supplements to stock info.
Hot Engines Lawnmower Starting Tips
Common Mower Engines Problems
The most typical known problem relating lawnmowers starting difficulties is cold temperatures. The mower might cause problems as well when the engine is hot. Most home owners as well as gardeners using traditional gas mowers realize that they power tools don't start as easy as it should be, when the engine is hot. What to do when it happens? In the following article we describe how to overcome this problem and what to do about it.
What are the main reasons by which hot engines don't start as they should be? Typically starting engine problems are based on the fuel. If the engine has been working longer than it does normally, it becomes too hot and the fuel can't circulate correctly. That is caused by the way in which vapor blocks it, and then the engine won't start as it should. Sometimes, engines don't start at all forcing some lawn mower parts work much harder than they use to do it, increasing the chance to break them down.
Once the a mower engine has started, it will gain temperature until it was shut off. While a mower or lawn tractor engine is working, is when the highest volume of vapor circulates around. Therefore, this is the time during more chances to obstruct the engine are bigger too. We would suggest in not working during extremely hot temperatures. If you have been working in a hot weather, and have turned off the engine, you might experience a starting problem, please wait a few minutes until the engine is totally cold, then try to start it back again.
Other known problems
Mower starting problem might be for many reasons. The most known is due to hot temperatures, which has been detailed above. However, other facts would affect to the engine, avoiding it to start as it should be. It's well known when summer approaches that gas refiners choose other fuel blends. Usually, they use offer lower volatility fuels instead of higher ones. It is caused by the way in which hot temperatures carries fuel to evaporate easier. The higher volatility fuel the more vapour is created, and therefore much more engine blocking chances exist.
Robot lawnmower designs
Gas mowers have been around for a while. It's time for modern garden tools. Let robot mowers do the hard job. These automatic lawnmowers are battery powered without any of the necessities for control by an operator with a control system. You won't need to handle anything; just set up once an inbuilt controlling device and that's all, let others do the work while you are reading your favorite magazine.
The most typical known problem relating lawnmowers starting difficulties is cold temperatures. The mower might cause problems as well when the engine is hot. Most home owners as well as gardeners using traditional gas mowers realize that they power tools don't start as easy as it should be, when the engine is hot. What to do when it happens? In the following article we describe how to overcome this problem and what to do about it.
What are the main reasons by which hot engines don't start as they should be? Typically starting engine problems are based on the fuel. If the engine has been working longer than it does normally, it becomes too hot and the fuel can't circulate correctly. That is caused by the way in which vapor blocks it, and then the engine won't start as it should. Sometimes, engines don't start at all forcing some lawn mower parts work much harder than they use to do it, increasing the chance to break them down.
Once the a mower engine has started, it will gain temperature until it was shut off. While a mower or lawn tractor engine is working, is when the highest volume of vapor circulates around. Therefore, this is the time during more chances to obstruct the engine are bigger too. We would suggest in not working during extremely hot temperatures. If you have been working in a hot weather, and have turned off the engine, you might experience a starting problem, please wait a few minutes until the engine is totally cold, then try to start it back again.
Other known problems
Mower starting problem might be for many reasons. The most known is due to hot temperatures, which has been detailed above. However, other facts would affect to the engine, avoiding it to start as it should be. It's well known when summer approaches that gas refiners choose other fuel blends. Usually, they use offer lower volatility fuels instead of higher ones. It is caused by the way in which hot temperatures carries fuel to evaporate easier. The higher volatility fuel the more vapour is created, and therefore much more engine blocking chances exist.
Robot lawnmower designs
Gas mowers have been around for a while. It's time for modern garden tools. Let robot mowers do the hard job. These automatic lawnmowers are battery powered without any of the necessities for control by an operator with a control system. You won't need to handle anything; just set up once an inbuilt controlling device and that's all, let others do the work while you are reading your favorite magazine.
Top Lawn Mower Accessories
You can find lawn mower accessories in different sizes and shapes. Most of these accessories are additions to the usual mower rider. Usually, lawnmowers comes without any safety supplement for the operator. They must be bought by the customer. A good example is the canopy that will protect the operator from the sun. These gardening additions use to be quite expensive, because they actually need to be attached to the mower's deck or push bar. In order to secure them it might require any extra mower's modification, increasing then the price of the supplement itself.
The engine and deck are basically the most important parts of a lawn mower. Keep in mind that your machine won't work at all without either of these parts. From the engine and deck on, you can modify as many parts as you want to make your mower working smoother and more efficiently. You can attach, modify or replace as many parts or accessories as you require. Most of these accessories can be bought at your local store or usual provider. You can feel a big difference on you mower once you have replaced a piece or attached a new accessory. Your lawnmower will reward you with a substantial better performance as well as you will enjoy like you never though mowing the lawn.
There are many accessories out there to improve a lawn mower. Most of them are just improvements of the standard or current parts. As an example on what homeowners use to do is to replace the tires, and the lawnmower will become extremely stable while turns on any direction. On the other hand, if you already have a riding lawn mower, you can replace your current seat, if you haven't done it yet. Standard riding lawn mower seats are not comfortable enough to spend long rides. Therefore, what operators use to do is to replace the standard seat by another, much more comfortable.
In general, mower accessories can be obtained at affordable prices. All in all, if you want simply to replace a damaged or broken part of your current machine, a similar component won't be too expensive to afford. Higher prices will come when you want to improve you mower by adding new features or accessories. Typical additions are chain trippers, soil aerators, water rollers or seed spreaders amongst others.
Often, a part replacement or just to attach a new add-on shouldn't be too difficult. They use to come with a step-by-step instructions manual for the installation. Modifications might be more difficult when a mower body or deck is involved in. If not, you don't have to worry about. Most lawnmowers accessories are separate items that just need to get hooked to the back of the mower. Some of them need to be powered by the motion of the wheels and suit with most mower models.
The engine and deck are basically the most important parts of a lawn mower. Keep in mind that your machine won't work at all without either of these parts. From the engine and deck on, you can modify as many parts as you want to make your mower working smoother and more efficiently. You can attach, modify or replace as many parts or accessories as you require. Most of these accessories can be bought at your local store or usual provider. You can feel a big difference on you mower once you have replaced a piece or attached a new accessory. Your lawnmower will reward you with a substantial better performance as well as you will enjoy like you never though mowing the lawn.
There are many accessories out there to improve a lawn mower. Most of them are just improvements of the standard or current parts. As an example on what homeowners use to do is to replace the tires, and the lawnmower will become extremely stable while turns on any direction. On the other hand, if you already have a riding lawn mower, you can replace your current seat, if you haven't done it yet. Standard riding lawn mower seats are not comfortable enough to spend long rides. Therefore, what operators use to do is to replace the standard seat by another, much more comfortable.
In general, mower accessories can be obtained at affordable prices. All in all, if you want simply to replace a damaged or broken part of your current machine, a similar component won't be too expensive to afford. Higher prices will come when you want to improve you mower by adding new features or accessories. Typical additions are chain trippers, soil aerators, water rollers or seed spreaders amongst others.
Often, a part replacement or just to attach a new add-on shouldn't be too difficult. They use to come with a step-by-step instructions manual for the installation. Modifications might be more difficult when a mower body or deck is involved in. If not, you don't have to worry about. Most lawnmowers accessories are separate items that just need to get hooked to the back of the mower. Some of them need to be powered by the motion of the wheels and suit with most mower models.
What You Need to Know about a Mesothelioma Law Suit, Mesothelioma Law and a Mesothelioma Law Firm
There is some important information you should be aware of if you are considering pursuing a Mesothelioma Law Suit. Prior to pursuing a Mesothelioma Law Suit you should seek advice from a reputable Mesothelioma Law Firm and gain an understanding of Mesothelioma Law.
A Mesothelioma Law suit can be costly, but it can also provide you with adequate compensation that will help cover your legal, medical and ongoing expenses, related to your Mesothelioma Cancer.
Previously, there have been cases in which the Mesothelioma Cancer sufferers have received thousands of dollars in compensation for their diagnosis of Mesothelioma Cancer, due to exposure to an Asbestos related substance.
Currently, Mesothelioma Law is favorable towards Mesothelioma Cancer sufferers, who have been exposed to an Asbestos related substance through their work environment and companies are required to compensate their present, or previous employees for non-disclosure of the risks involved with handling an Asbestos related substance.
Mesothelioma Law works on the premise that this exposure to an asbestos related substance without prior knowledge has lead to the injury, or sometimes death of the Mesothelioma sufferer.
In almost all cases, whether indicated as injury, or death, the sufferer of Mesothelioma Cancer has had their life span considerable shortened, due to this exposure to an asbestos related substance.
Due to the legal processes of conducting a Mesothelioma Law suit, anyone who has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer and suspect, or know, that they were exposed to an asbestos related substance in the past, during their working life, should seek legal advice immediately.
Beginning your Mesothelioma Law suit early will ensure that you acquire adequate compensation in time to help with your medical expenses and ongoing support and treatment.
In order to begin a Mesothelioma Law suit you will need to find an experienced Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer, that can usually be found at a reputable Mesothelioma Law Firm.
It is important that you disclose all information surrounding your Mesothelioma Cancer, including your diagnosis and prognosis, to your Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer, as this will help them to form a solid Mesothelioma Law suit for your case.
You should also try to provide your Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer with details pertaining to the period in which your exposure occurred, who you where working for at the time and any details regarding whether you had prior knowledge of your exposure.
All information surrounding your Mesothelioma Cancer is important and will ensure that your Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer, will be successful in your Mesothelioma Law suit. So, if you, or someone you know, have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer, seek appropriate legal advice.
A Mesothelioma Law suit can be costly, but it can also provide you with adequate compensation that will help cover your legal, medical and ongoing expenses, related to your Mesothelioma Cancer.
Previously, there have been cases in which the Mesothelioma Cancer sufferers have received thousands of dollars in compensation for their diagnosis of Mesothelioma Cancer, due to exposure to an Asbestos related substance.
Currently, Mesothelioma Law is favorable towards Mesothelioma Cancer sufferers, who have been exposed to an Asbestos related substance through their work environment and companies are required to compensate their present, or previous employees for non-disclosure of the risks involved with handling an Asbestos related substance.
Mesothelioma Law works on the premise that this exposure to an asbestos related substance without prior knowledge has lead to the injury, or sometimes death of the Mesothelioma sufferer.
In almost all cases, whether indicated as injury, or death, the sufferer of Mesothelioma Cancer has had their life span considerable shortened, due to this exposure to an asbestos related substance.
Due to the legal processes of conducting a Mesothelioma Law suit, anyone who has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer and suspect, or know, that they were exposed to an asbestos related substance in the past, during their working life, should seek legal advice immediately.
Beginning your Mesothelioma Law suit early will ensure that you acquire adequate compensation in time to help with your medical expenses and ongoing support and treatment.
In order to begin a Mesothelioma Law suit you will need to find an experienced Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer, that can usually be found at a reputable Mesothelioma Law Firm.
It is important that you disclose all information surrounding your Mesothelioma Cancer, including your diagnosis and prognosis, to your Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer, as this will help them to form a solid Mesothelioma Law suit for your case.
You should also try to provide your Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer with details pertaining to the period in which your exposure occurred, who you where working for at the time and any details regarding whether you had prior knowledge of your exposure.
All information surrounding your Mesothelioma Cancer is important and will ensure that your Mesothelioma Attorney, or Lawyer, will be successful in your Mesothelioma Law suit. So, if you, or someone you know, have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer, seek appropriate legal advice.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lemon Laws Dont Protect Used Car Buyers
Most buyers of new cars are probably familiar with lemon laws, which allow consumers a refund or replacement when their car turns out to be defective. These laws generally cover leased cars as well as purchased ones, and they have worked well as a consumer protection tool. Unfortunately, no such laws exist for used cars, and buyers should be careful when purchasing them.
Most buyers of new cars are probably familiar with lemon laws, which allow consumers a refund or replacement when their car turns out to be defective. These laws generally cover leased cars as well as purchased ones, and they have worked well as a consumer protection tool. Unfortunately, no such laws exist for used cars, and buyers should be careful when purchasing them.
Many car dealers offer certified used cars that come with some sort of warranty, but most independent used car dealers do not. In most states, the law permits used car dealers to sell cars as is, and in that case, anything that goes wrong, even if it happens five minutes after purchase, becomes the buyers problem. Dealers selling cars on an as is basis often arent even required to disclose any problems a vehicle might have to potential buyers. Most independent car dealers sell older, less expensive cars than those sold at major auto dealerships. A lot of the profits that independent used car dealers make come from financing, particularly from financing those with bad or poor credit. Those with problem credit often find that such dealerships, which self-finance, are their only chance at obtaining a car loan. These loans, with their resulting high payments, often leave buyers without any extra cash to pay for repairs of undisclosed problems. Legislators in several states are considering laws that will require used car dealers to have their cars inspected by certified mechanics prior to their being offered for sale. This will help, in time, but what can a potential buyer do now?
# Ask to have a certified mechanic examine the car before purchase. Any reasonable dealer should allow you to take the car to a mechanic; if not, you should probably shop elsewhere.
# Get a list of the cars known problems in writing prior to purchase. Inquire as to whether you have any recourse should something go wrong after the sale.
# Ask the salesperson if the car has any sort of warranty, and if so, get it in writing. If they tell you the car is sold as is, ask them to define those terms exactly.
# Contact your local Better Business Bureau to see if they have had any complaints about that particular dealer.
# If possible, purchase a used car from a dealership that offers certified used cars with a written warranty.
Buying a used car is more problematic than buying a new one. After all, a used car is one that someone else didnt want anymore. Buyers who are considering a purchase of a used car should be aware that their protection under the laws of most states is quite limited. Asking a few questions and doing some investigation prior to making the purchase may save buyers thousands of dollars down the road.
About the Author: Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing. Retro Marketing, established in 1978, is a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.lemonlawhelp.net/, a site devoted to automobile lemon laws and http://www.end-your-debt.com/, a Website devoted to information about debt consolidation and credit counseling.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The ONE Law You Should Be Breaking
There is a law all smart people break.
Parkinson's law.
Parkinson's law states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." It was first coined by C. Northcote Parkinson in the book Parkinson's Law: The Pursuit of Progress.
A common derivation of that is "expenses rise to meet your level of income." Has that happened to you? It happened to me in 1991 and I'm particularly aware that it could happen to me again in 2005.
In 1991 I took my BS in finance and started a carpet cleaning business...like most finance majors, of course! I learned the business for a couple months and was earning a whopping $200-$300 per week working for someone else.
When I left that company and went out on my own, the ad I used FLOODED me with business. I had 15 calls by 10:30AM the day the small ad first ran. The answering service told me every "little old lady in Saratoga was calling".
So almost immediately I went from making $200-$300 a week to making upwards of $1000 per week.
WOW...23 years old and making that much money WORKING FOR MYSELF was great fun...had a great boss!
I don't remember what I spent all the money on other than one of those nationwide pagers but my spending rose dramatically. But guess what? At $7.95 per room for carpet cleaning it doesn't take a math major to figure out I was working very hard to earn $1000 a week. So, of course I got tired and lazy and slowed down.
My income level dropped to some level probably near $500 per week but my lifestyle didn't and you can figure out the rest.
If, while earning $1000 per week I was living like I made $400-$500 per week I would have been sitting pretty...
or whatever the male equivalent of sitting pretty is! :>)
Recently in a workshop I had a woman relate her story. Her husband had been out of work because of injury for about a year. They had been living on only her income for that time. Before his injury they had been living on two incomes and usually had just enough money to meet all their expenses.
The injury had her worried. How could they do it on one income?
Somehow, THEY MADE IT. All the bills were paid on time. They didn't take any drastic measures like canceling the cable or pulling apart the 2-ply toilet tissue to get 2 rolls out of every one.
This gal was amazed and tremendously EXCITED because her husband was going back to work soon and she was going to be able to put a large chunk of one entire income toward eliminating all their debt using my program. (Do you have it yet?) Two thousand dollars a month put under your mattress or towards paying off a debt is $24,000 per year or $120,000 after 5 years.
This family was forced to break Parkinson's law and you see how it dramatically improved their lives. The silver lining in the cloud.
Don't be forced to break the law...do it voluntarily starting today. If you are a two-income household pretend that one of the incomes is now gone. If you are a one-income household advertise for a wealthy widow or widower and then pretend that your income was slashed in half.
Keep track of every penny you spend...write it down...put it in your Quicken, Microsoft Money or any spreadsheet program...just get it on paper so you can see it.
Be brutal about it and I'll bet you can live on half of what you now make. Take the "missing" half and pile it on your debt. (you know which debt don't you?)
Break Parkinson's law and you'll never be sorry!
About the author:
Leo J. Quinn, Jr. owner of www.LeoQuinn.com is a financial educator from the Albany, NY area. For over eight years he has been helping thousands of people get control of their finances and get out of debt in a fraction of the normal time.
Parkinson's law.
Parkinson's law states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." It was first coined by C. Northcote Parkinson in the book Parkinson's Law: The Pursuit of Progress.
A common derivation of that is "expenses rise to meet your level of income." Has that happened to you? It happened to me in 1991 and I'm particularly aware that it could happen to me again in 2005.
In 1991 I took my BS in finance and started a carpet cleaning business...like most finance majors, of course! I learned the business for a couple months and was earning a whopping $200-$300 per week working for someone else.
When I left that company and went out on my own, the ad I used FLOODED me with business. I had 15 calls by 10:30AM the day the small ad first ran. The answering service told me every "little old lady in Saratoga was calling".
So almost immediately I went from making $200-$300 a week to making upwards of $1000 per week.
WOW...23 years old and making that much money WORKING FOR MYSELF was great fun...had a great boss!
I don't remember what I spent all the money on other than one of those nationwide pagers but my spending rose dramatically. But guess what? At $7.95 per room for carpet cleaning it doesn't take a math major to figure out I was working very hard to earn $1000 a week. So, of course I got tired and lazy and slowed down.
My income level dropped to some level probably near $500 per week but my lifestyle didn't and you can figure out the rest.
If, while earning $1000 per week I was living like I made $400-$500 per week I would have been sitting pretty...
or whatever the male equivalent of sitting pretty is! :>)
Recently in a workshop I had a woman relate her story. Her husband had been out of work because of injury for about a year. They had been living on only her income for that time. Before his injury they had been living on two incomes and usually had just enough money to meet all their expenses.
The injury had her worried. How could they do it on one income?
Somehow, THEY MADE IT. All the bills were paid on time. They didn't take any drastic measures like canceling the cable or pulling apart the 2-ply toilet tissue to get 2 rolls out of every one.
This gal was amazed and tremendously EXCITED because her husband was going back to work soon and she was going to be able to put a large chunk of one entire income toward eliminating all their debt using my program. (Do you have it yet?) Two thousand dollars a month put under your mattress or towards paying off a debt is $24,000 per year or $120,000 after 5 years.
This family was forced to break Parkinson's law and you see how it dramatically improved their lives. The silver lining in the cloud.
Don't be forced to break the law...do it voluntarily starting today. If you are a two-income household pretend that one of the incomes is now gone. If you are a one-income household advertise for a wealthy widow or widower and then pretend that your income was slashed in half.
Keep track of every penny you spend...write it down...put it in your Quicken, Microsoft Money or any spreadsheet program...just get it on paper so you can see it.
Be brutal about it and I'll bet you can live on half of what you now make. Take the "missing" half and pile it on your debt. (you know which debt don't you?)
Break Parkinson's law and you'll never be sorry!
About the author:
Leo J. Quinn, Jr. owner of www.LeoQuinn.com is a financial educator from the Albany, NY area. For over eight years he has been helping thousands of people get control of their finances and get out of debt in a fraction of the normal time.
The Law of Abundance
This universe that we live in is a place of abundance. Look around you and you will see abundance everywhere. I planted a couple little cherry trees last year, this year they are bent over with cherries. The Grass in my yard grows faster than I can keep up with it. It grows thick in places I don't want it and little fruit trees are coming up all over the lawn. We too are abundant creatures we have been created with a multitude of ideas and talents to carry them out. There is a spiritual law that we must give to receive. It is in giving that things come back to us. So whatever you would increase in your life first give away.
Yet when many people try to manifest prosperity, they don't achieve their goals. What happens?
Now we can't give away what we do not have. So say you want to give love you must first love yourself. This sounds like a paradox it is not. We must be the very thing we would give so to give love we must be loved and loving. This law works in reverse for us too. Say you are fearful that is just what you will give away and what you will receive back from the universe. So we want to monitor our thoughts and see what we are sending out.
If we are going to manifest true prosperity, we must first bring our consciousness into attunement with the Higher Power. When we are aligned with our Higher Power we are at peace knowing that all our needs will be taken care of in Divine Order. When we reach this point we then are at a place to ask for guidance in the silence. It then becomes easier to brings specific goals into manifestation. It is not uncommon for us to change our minds several times as we learn to listen to our Higher Power and begin to ask for our highest good and find it is not what we started out desiring.
We create our own reality. We attract those things in our life (money, relationships, employment) that we focus on. I wish I could tell you that it is as simple as stating an affirmation, but no affirmation is going to work if your mind/thought is negating the positive.
When we focus on "the fear of scarcity" then we create that experience for ourselves. When we focus on "I hate my job" then we will never notice the aspects of our employment that might be satisfying. Basically, just wanting something isn't going to bring that to us when we continue to obsess on the not having of that something. We negate the very thing we are trying to manifest.
Agree with the Law and accept the truth that you have been given everything.When we do this, our consciousness becomes the Law of Abundance. We take on the energy, power, and force of the Higher Power and become an open channel for our desires to manifest through us. What takes place when our minds agree with the law of abundance is an acceptance Which is similar to a light being turned on in consciousness, and ideas begin to fill our minds. These ideas are in the form of helpful solutions, actions to take to bring manifestation of our desires. Then once the fear has been quieted through purposeful activity, the Higher Power takes the next step and begins to connect you, with the people, places, situations, and conditions to bring more of the already-present abundance into your life. From there you continue your upward climb until the gifts of the Law are fully recognized. Gratefulness speeds up this process.
About the Author: Judi Singleton publishes both the free edtion and the paid edition of Jassmine's Journal
The Hidden Law
When you were at school your teachers, unknowingly, did you a disservice by only revealing half the truth about the world. The consequences of imperfect knowledge are truly devastating, as you will learn.
Welcome to a different type of lesson. An orthodox school curriculum assumes that the world is explainable. To be understandable, the world has to be comprised of chains of causes and effects. You know the kind of thing: this causes that, that causes the other, the other causes something else and something else causes the final outcome. If we have infinitely accurate information about each stage in the chain we can predict an outcome and this outcome is really a jumping off point for further stages in the chain. Tracing chains of causes and effects increases our sense of security and makes the world appear predictable and understandable.
Foreseeable chains of causes and effects are not the only way things happen in this world. There are also LIVING TRENDS. Living trends differ from chains of causes and effects in that they are inherently surprising that is to say, they have outcomes that can only be experienced as surprises. It is very difficult to become an expert on such will-o-the-wisp phenomena. Therefore, the knowledge of living trends is not on the school curriculum. In fact there tends to be no interest in them or even an emotional denial that they exist at all. But they do exist and we are all in the grip of them.
So what is a living trend? It is a pattern of development that spontaneously emerges, apparently without a cause, from the natural world. There is a rapid inflationary phase, a plateau phase of unpredictable length and a sudden surprising reversal of the trend. Participating in a living trend gives a feeling of being in a comfortable routine leading to a secure outcome. However, all the time you are heading for an unpleasant surprise. Lets have an example. Consider investors in the stock market. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, confidence appears. This is reflected in rising prices. There is a rapid inflationary phase wherein stock prices rise to unrealistic levels. Then the acceleration of confidence tails off and remains at a given high level, as the plateau phase is entered. An unpredictable moment arrives when all confidence drains away, prices plunge and there is a big shakeout of the market.
The thing that makes people available to living trends is IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE. All of the investors have only a partial understanding of the economic realities behind the share prices. Their individual notions of what is true increase the sum total of chaos and disorganization within the overall scenario and it is out of the principle of chaos that living trends make their impromptu emergence. We are told that the Truth will set us free. What is meant is that the Truth will set us free from participation in living trends. This is why successful market speculators and entrepreneurs often come from the ranks of those who performed rather badly at school. They know they dont know anything and that insight makes them more likely to intuit the truth of beguiling living trends in the market.
Another classic example of a living trend is one that is described in the New Testament Gospels and which gripped the life of Jesus. He, unlike the ordinary person, appeared to be fully aware of the 'power' in which he was caught up and did nothing to save himself from the negative surprise to come.
To possess a mind programmed with half the truth makes you available to living trends without your being aware of it. Your days at school furnished you with imperfect knowledge of how the world of everyday life functions and you naturally became a sitting duck for passing living trends. These living trends are powers, forces or vortexes of disembodied intent. Science knows nothing of them and yet they most definitely operate a blind conspiracy against the whole human race, causing individuals and nations to fall from grace.
Living trends are just waiting for us to stray across inner thresholds within ourselves. A threshold is crossed when we stray: from preference into desire; from love into lust; from caution into fear; from courage into recklessness; from gentleness into weakness; from freedom into anarchy; from thrift into greed; from respect into servility; from ambition into ruthlessness; from friendship into infatuation; from confidence into ego mania etc. We dont choose to cross these invisible lines. Instead, we have diminished responsibility because we do not understand the threat posed by living trends. There are limits to all development and as soon as we cross a given threshold we expose ourselves to being drafted by a living trend into a madcap excursion whose destination is a negative surprise. Individuals, nations and species have been driven to extinction because they did not understand this one thing.
There is however a single hope and that is the putting into practice of an unwritten law that hides behind the visible appearance of the world. That law says 'Tap the world lightly. It is a hidden law that I personally would like to write across the sky in great big letters: DO NOT GO BEYOND WHAT IS JUST ENOUGH. Here endeth the lesson.
For information on a
Strategy for Getting Nice Surprises
visit Tom Horn's website at:
http://www.angelfire.com/ab4/goldenflower/
Are There Laws For Running A Homebased Business? October 2001
By Bob Brolhorst
The answer is no, but there are some things that you need to know before
you get started.
1) Check with the city in which you will be starting your business. If your
business will be home-based, you may not need a license, but only a permit
or a home occupation permit. In some cities, you don't even need a permit.
2) Then check with your county, as the county requirements generally over rule
that of the city.
3) Finally check with your state. If you hire anyone or give yourself a paycheck,
you need a Federal Employer ID number (FEIN).
4) Always start with the zoning department. If you live in a residential area,
a home-based business may not even be allowed, or only certain types of
home-based businesses may be allowed.
5) Ask the experts by making a few phone calls. Don't rely on answers from
others in your area who have businesses. Ignorance of the law doesn't hold up
in court. And the fines can be pretty large.
6) Another piece of advice, even if your city doesn't require a permit or license,
your insurance company may require registration of some sort before issuing a
liability policy for you. Liablility insurance is something you can not be without.
7) Obtain the services of a good attorney. They will be able to advise you on
such issuses as whether to incorporate or not, or whether being a sole propriotor
would be better. Also you may need to have legal contracts drawn up so keep a
lawyer on retainer, it will be money well spent.
8) Trademarks for your business may also be necessary, but this is something
that your attorney can help you with.
Bob Brolhorst
Wave 5 Marketing
bbrolhorst@wave5marketing.com
http://www.wave5marketing.com
Lawn Care Tips
What type of lawn care tips work best for you depends on the time and money you decide to put into your lawn. If your lawn is your hobby, you can spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of time on it. On the other side of the fence, if what you want is a low-maintenance green expanse that you can enjoy with family and friends, youve come to the right page!
The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.
1.Do you need to plant grass? Do some research on the best seed for your area, where to buy it cheap, and when its available. Depending on where you live, youll plant either cool season or warm season grass.Cool season grass, planted in northern areas, is usually best planted in early fall, but if you missed planting then, plant it in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50 F.Warm season grass needs soil temps of 70F to thrive and is the choice for southern plantings. Dont make the mistake of thinking you can plant warm season grass in the upper Midwest. Warm season grasses are bred to thrive in southern climates and are not winter hardy in the north.
2.Of course, youll keep new grass plantings moist, but once grass reaches a height of three inches, water it deeply once a week. A healthy lawn needs about an inch of water a week. When watering, remember to consider recent rainfalls. Shallow watering techniques keep grass from sinking the deep roots that your lawn needs to compete with deep-rooted weeds.
3.Do you already have a lawn? Aerate it in the spring while its still moist and before the spring rains are done. Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.
4.A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth! Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn.
5.Mow your grass high. A 2 to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.
6.Enjoy your lawn. After all, isnt that your main reason for having a yard?
The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.
1.Do you need to plant grass? Do some research on the best seed for your area, where to buy it cheap, and when its available. Depending on where you live, youll plant either cool season or warm season grass.Cool season grass, planted in northern areas, is usually best planted in early fall, but if you missed planting then, plant it in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50 F.Warm season grass needs soil temps of 70F to thrive and is the choice for southern plantings. Dont make the mistake of thinking you can plant warm season grass in the upper Midwest. Warm season grasses are bred to thrive in southern climates and are not winter hardy in the north.
2.Of course, youll keep new grass plantings moist, but once grass reaches a height of three inches, water it deeply once a week. A healthy lawn needs about an inch of water a week. When watering, remember to consider recent rainfalls. Shallow watering techniques keep grass from sinking the deep roots that your lawn needs to compete with deep-rooted weeds.
3.Do you already have a lawn? Aerate it in the spring while its still moist and before the spring rains are done. Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.
4.A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth! Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn.
5.Mow your grass high. A 2 to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.6.Enjoy your lawn. After all, isnt that your main reason for having a yard?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hans is the owner and one of the editors ofLawn Mower Guide a Collection ofArticles about Lawn Mowers and Lawn Care
The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.
1.Do you need to plant grass? Do some research on the best seed for your area, where to buy it cheap, and when its available. Depending on where you live, youll plant either cool season or warm season grass.Cool season grass, planted in northern areas, is usually best planted in early fall, but if you missed planting then, plant it in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50 F.Warm season grass needs soil temps of 70F to thrive and is the choice for southern plantings. Dont make the mistake of thinking you can plant warm season grass in the upper Midwest. Warm season grasses are bred to thrive in southern climates and are not winter hardy in the north.
2.Of course, youll keep new grass plantings moist, but once grass reaches a height of three inches, water it deeply once a week. A healthy lawn needs about an inch of water a week. When watering, remember to consider recent rainfalls. Shallow watering techniques keep grass from sinking the deep roots that your lawn needs to compete with deep-rooted weeds.
3.Do you already have a lawn? Aerate it in the spring while its still moist and before the spring rains are done. Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.
4.A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth! Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn.
5.Mow your grass high. A 2 to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.
6.Enjoy your lawn. After all, isnt that your main reason for having a yard?
The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.
1.Do you need to plant grass? Do some research on the best seed for your area, where to buy it cheap, and when its available. Depending on where you live, youll plant either cool season or warm season grass.Cool season grass, planted in northern areas, is usually best planted in early fall, but if you missed planting then, plant it in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50 F.Warm season grass needs soil temps of 70F to thrive and is the choice for southern plantings. Dont make the mistake of thinking you can plant warm season grass in the upper Midwest. Warm season grasses are bred to thrive in southern climates and are not winter hardy in the north.
2.Of course, youll keep new grass plantings moist, but once grass reaches a height of three inches, water it deeply once a week. A healthy lawn needs about an inch of water a week. When watering, remember to consider recent rainfalls. Shallow watering techniques keep grass from sinking the deep roots that your lawn needs to compete with deep-rooted weeds.
3.Do you already have a lawn? Aerate it in the spring while its still moist and before the spring rains are done. Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.
4.A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth! Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn.
5.Mow your grass high. A 2 to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.6.Enjoy your lawn. After all, isnt that your main reason for having a yard?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hans is the owner and one of the editors ofLawn Mower Guide a Collection ofArticles about Lawn Mowers and Lawn Care
Of Regulatory Law
I imagine that most of my readership will be familiar with the term "regulatory law," or at least its definitions, and if not that, then at least its currently existing examples. When I speak of regulatory law, I am speaking of laws imposed (either by a collective will or by coercion of a ruler) on the public, which seek to regulate certain activities in order to prevent certain corruption, excesses, and other undesirable effects. A regulation is not a prohibition -- it doesn't cut off the stream, so much as it narrows the channel. The idea behind a regulatory law is that to cut it off completely, or to let it flow unhindered, that both of these extreme policies are either impractical, impossible, or produce more harm than good.
A good example of regulatory law would be an act proposed by congress that limits the amount of forests logging companies are allowed to cut down. If they allowed loggers to cut down as many trees as they want, the result would be heavy and damaging deforestation; whereas if they didn't allow any loggers to cut down any trees, the result would be a lack of available timber. One option damages the ecology, the other damages economy. Some may say that the law being passed is a compromise between environmentalists and business executives, but this isn't exactly accurate. A congressman or senator might look at the situation and feel both the needs of environment and economy, and feel that such an act regulating the lumber economy would produce the greatest benefit for the nation.
An example of a restriction, or a "prohibitory law," would be nearly any form of crime that has existed for the past millenium: threatening someone's life, attacking someone unprovoked and without cause, killing someone, stealing someone's property, etc., etc.. There is no leeway with any of these crimes. As far as the law is concerned, there is just cause in completely cutting off the flow of any of these actions from happening. And the legislators have just cause to believe their decision is right. Here, I hope I have clarified the difference between a regulation and a prohibition, and the importance of recognizing the difference. As my readership should be well aware: I have written at length elsewhere about basic functions, mechanics, and behaviors of the economy, responses and reactions to certain stimuli by economic agents, etc., etc.. And, as well, I have also proposed certain ideas and thoughts that could be manipulated by statesmen to enact a much more just form of political economy. By the term "a just political economy," I am implying an economic system where wealth distribution aims closer towards those who produce the wealth (the real meaning of justice), while mainting a higher, more dignified regard for personal rights of the individual. I am not going to describe any of these suggested reforms right here, because they are available to my readers and I have succinctly made my point about the difference of regulation and prohibition.
Regulatory law is where Socialism meets Liberalism; or what might be called the highest form of Liberalism, the lowest form of Socialism.
Human society and its laws may accurately be called a translation of personal society and ethics. The rulings of a society's high courts and congresses usually reflect some degree the opinion of the people in that society. Humans have used regulation as a personal ethic in countless cases. There is the often-quoted, ill-practiced "all things in moderation" -- what some have mistaken as an equivalent for "abstinance." As a very simple example, take a man who will drink only six beers every night, and not allow himself to drink more than this. His reasons might be plenty and quite justified. Perhaps the desire to intoxicate is still present after six beers, but after six beers, the intoxication obtained is displeasurable or overly-impacting. Or, perhaps, the desire to intoxicate is even more present, and the pleasure obtained from drinking more than six beers is even greater, but this man knows that it will only bring him pain, misery, and a hell of a hangover in the morning -- so, he makes a logical decision and decides to set a limit for himself; he refuses to drink more than six beers. Maybe this is an incredible person, and he is capable of restricting himself to only six beers even in social situations where everyone else drinks three times as much as he does. Whatever the reason or desire, it is quite clear that this man has put a regulation on himself: he has decided that to let some of the water flow in the riverbed is better than either no water or all the way. Essentially, regulatory law operates as a restriction to a desire that would otherwise cause greater harm than good. From man's ability to tame, conquer, and regulate his own desires so as to create the greater good for himself and his conscience, there arrose laws from man's society on restricting certain behaviors. And this, my dear reader, is regulatory law.
Now, an obvious question right now might be: why? Why should we study regulatory law? What purpose and, effectively, what use could it possibly offer us? To answer these questions, allow me to say this much. It is quite clear to all of us that we live in a changing world that has been evolving since the dawn of time. Cultures, customs, sciences, and practices have been adaptating to new environments, assimilating to new people, and reaching exitinction when the will to evolve was as weak as the will to survive. For as long as mankind has been around, we have striven to improve ourselves, and for as long as mankind has been a collective, we have striven to improve ourselves and those around us. At least, this can be honestly said of all individuals who have been honest, thoughtful, and humane. As we have each personally evolved to regulate our own behaviors and to control our habits in a way that is most beneficial to us, so too has society created regulations and restrictions and prohibitions. However, these regulations are not as simple or as complete as a few sentences can make them seem to be. There are many implications, many unseen effects, many subtle variations to the overall mechanics of the Beast. It is the purpose of this essay to study these often overlooked effects that regulatory law can have.
The reason why regulatory law exists, obviously, is to create an overall positive impact upon society. For example, the Minimum Wage Law as it exists is there for the sole purpose of putting more money in to the pockets of the laborers. This has been viewed in the eyes of many liberal and progressive reformers as an overall good. (Needless to say, there are Conservatives and Right-Wingers who believe that the laborers are undeserving of the wealth they create -- but, I have spitted them plenty elsewhere.) There is also the Usury Law, a law that regulates the interest rate of loans. It is common that the Usury Law prevents an interest rate being higher than 50%. So, if you borrowed $500, depending on the state you lived in, for the loan you could only be charged $250, or a total of $750 once you pay it all back. There are Libertarians who attack the Usury Law, arguing that it is an unnecessary interference in the economy by the government, but it is viewed by the majority as an acceptable, agreeable regulation that creates an overall positive impact on society. There are environmental regulations, such as how many trees may be cut down per year, protecting the world's natural habitat. However, as it so happens, most regulatory laws are found in effecting the economy, but their principle is just as strong in any other field.
The positive impact of regulation can easily be seen. However, there are many unforeseen negative effects that can be caused by regulation. For example, as a pure hypothetical, perhaps the higher the minimum wage is increased, the more businesses will fire employees. I imagine that many hired hands perform very simple, very basic functions (the integrity that is Capitalism) from everything from busting tables to handing out free candy samples to obnoxious children from consumerist parents. These employees would have their jobs at staket he most, because the actions they perform at their job are much more dispensible than those of the clerk, the manager, and the many other occupations responsible for production and distribution. And, in a world economy where every corporation is trying to maximize profits and minimize costs, of course those employees with near-useless job status will be at risk for losing employment with an increase in minimum wage. Or, perhaps, if the American government decides to enact a law requiring every manufacturing plant to have safe and clean working conditions, then companies will move overseas, forcing children to work for pennies an hour in hazardous work -- as we currently see happening in our world today. Perhaps a local government will enact a law requiring every employee of every trade to be provided with a full medical plan and a full dental plan. And, while the intentions of this law may be to help the downtrodden, the effect could be an increased unemployment. With unemployment on the rise, workers who have a job are more willing to hang on to their employment. They would willingly take pay cuts, or work extra hours, if it meant they can keep their job. Essentially, the effect of the law would lower pay and jobs. While the laws of the collective will of the people can regulate certain actions and try as hard as possible to create a more just society, it must be understood that every person is an individual, operating according to their own interests. To the Capitalist class, their interest is a maximization of profit and a minimization of cost; they will constantly strive towards these two things (which are interchangeable almost). While the law can restrict how far the Capitalist class attempt to pursue their interests, the law cannot change their interests -- unless, of course, a system of Communism were adopted.
We must understand and accept that the law, or at least regulatory law, is incapable of determining the conscience for each person. If, for example, we increase the minimum wage, then the response of the Capitalist class could be to lay off their employees. Or, if we restrict how many trees the lumber companies can cut down, they might simply expand their business to other industries that exploit the environment. It's simply a possibility. The reason why any of these things might very well be true in practice is because of the interests of those the law is trying to control -- interests that cannot be eliminated by the word of any law. (Again, except the law of a true Communism -- turning every person in to an employee and an employer.) So, we see, the intentions of the regulatory laws might very well be misguided. The result of these regulations could very well be a reverse impact. I imagine, for example, that if the minimum wage were raised to $100 an hour, unemployment would skyrocket and the economy would be reduced to shambles. While the intention of this law was to help the poor man, its result would be harm towards the poor as well as an obstacle in front of the rich. Needless to say, a minimum wage of only $6 or $7 an hour is considered by many to have a positive impact on the economy and the lifestyle of the working class. However, there are those Conservatives who would argue with us that the minimum wage has done nothing but harm to the American working man, that it is the enemy of everything good and honest. To those Conservatives who criticize the labor laws directed towards protecting the Proletariat, I must say this...
Among the Conservative vote, we hear a non-stop cry that the Laissez Faire system has always been strong, effective, making proud nations, making proud people. They will tell us over and over, that the only system of economy that can work is a system where the right to private property is completely respected. These regulatory laws that try to control the economy and help the worker only hinder him. But, my dear readers, these Conservatives are lying to you, and you should never forget that if there are enemies of progress, they are allies with such creatures. Never forget that your ancestors broke their bones and shed their blood working 16 hour shifts as carriage drivers, factory workers, personal servants. Do not forget that it was among your grandfather and your great grandfather's kind that children were sent to work in mills, losing arms to sawblades and losing spirit to the whip of a floorman. As an American, you can never forget that your ancestors were once immigrants, speaking an unfamiliar tongue, practicing unfamiliar religions, alone and afraid. And never forget, that it was under these conditions that every person in poverty was turned in to a virtual slave. To be a good economist, one must also be a good historian. Those of the Conservative ilk are incapable of operating as either. They were quick to forget the sufferings of their own blood when it meant satisfying their desires at a cost to others.
Yes, there was once a time when men and women had to work upwards of 12 hours a day, in total darkness, loud machinery deafening them, and dangerous equipment threating their life and limb. We are out of those dark ages, but the Capitalist class has simply brought those crimes to foregin lands where it is permitted. Perhaps the Conservative would have us believe that it took 300 years for the human heart to actually develop to the point where Capitalists wouldn't prey on their workers? Perhaps they would truly have us believe, that all these regulatory laws, banning child labor and abetting the downtrodden, that all of these laws had absolutely no effect in stopping a dehumanizing economy? Perhaps it was simply a random growth spurt in conscience that brought it all to an end, not completely unlike waking up to a wetdream. These Conservative "economists" are liars and friends of thieves. Few of their words can be trusted.
There are positive impacts and potentially bad impacts of regulatory law. Restricting yearly lumber harvest might force consumers to get their lumber overseas, harming our own economy. Increasing minimum wage could cost jobs. Etc., etc.. However, just because there is a could in there does not mean that it most certainly does, or that it most certainly does not. With as much knowledge and wisdom as history has provided us, we are more apt to believe that these regulatory laws are more likely to improve the place of society than they are to harm it. However, this does not mean that certain regulations don't harm the economy and the general welfare. I imagine that there are plenty of laws out there that restrict and regulate, and their only impact is a negative one for everyone in society. The argument intrinsically boils down to this: what is the deference between impact of regulatory law? How do we know that the regulation is either too high, or too low, in regards to society? How is it with every regulation? Is there a point at which the intended positive effect of a regulation is maximized and the unintended negative effect of a regulation is minimized? That is what the study of regulatory law is now reduced to.
The question now at hand is the matter of the deference of the impact. When questioning the validity of new regulatory law, what is it that we will ask? First, we want to know how much society will be offset from its current rule mechanics. For example, in the late eighteen hundreds, to fend off a cut in the profits by unions, many businesses refused to hire anyone who was part of a union. Through this technique, many companies and businesses managed to keep costs down by paying their employees less and keep profits up by alternating workers in sixteen hour shifts. When congressman gathered to debate a ban on this blacklisting of union workers ("yellow-dogging"), the first thing they would want to know (besides who is influencing them through bribes and political tactics), is what effect this ban would have on the majority of the population -- what effect it would have on the greater good. From any position that takes reason and logic as their basis for decisions, we would deduct that such a ban on yellow-dogging would hamper the way in which businesses operated, but once the changes were accepted, the living and working conditions of the workers (and that would also be the general population) would increase dramatically. What is it that made us accept such a proposition? That the results of it passing would create a greater good than any other proposed legislation at that time, as far as the matters of economics and regulatory law went.
However, consider another regulation that one might propose. Consider this: all food producing, processing, and distributing businesses are required to pass a new series of cleanliness tests. The aim of the regulatory law is clear: it wants to protect consumers (and thereby protecting the general public) from being sold harmful or potentially hazardous products. Concerns about the presence of mercury in fish sold for consumption, the presence of lead in paint, the presence of waste product in meat and other foods -- all of these concerns brought about reforms to protect the consumers from purchasing something that might seriously harm them. By passing a regulation that demands extreme cleanliness, the aim is not indifferent: it is to protect the consumer, and thereby protecting the average citizen. However, if the new, proposed legislation is so strict that it seriously inhibits production of food, then its effect will be overall harm. Perhaps it requires a degree of clean in foods that few food producers or processors will be able to uncover. Perhaps the managers of those factories don't know what technology is necessary to implement to keep the degree of clean that the law requires. Perhaps producers will respond by relocating for countries with more reasonable legislation. Perhaps producers will lay off their employees, harming the working class. Perhaps distributors will raise their prices, harming the working class in another way. Perhaps the time to adaptate and conform to the new standard will take such a long time that the variety of food and available products will be strictly limited for years. Perhaps all this and more could happen with legislation that is as strict as this.
The most unreasonable of right wing ideologists will claim that all regulation leads towards waste and unnecessary hindrances in the economy, while the most unreasonable of left wing ideologists will claim that regulations never cause any disturbance to the economic flow. A thoughtful position in the middleground is the most effective stance here. Not simply because compromises can be healthy or useful, but because all of the available evidence shows to us how regulatory law protects the public (minimum wage law, etc.) as much as it can harm the public (restrictions on the availability of medicines/drugs, etc.). The recurring theme of this paper, between the historical examples and the hypothetical scenarios, is that some regulations are helpful while others are harmful -- and, as far as an understanding of political economy goes, there is a way to predict or foretell which regulatory law will be beneficial or harmful to the overall well-being of a population.
Assume then, for a hypothetical example, that there is not an absurdly strict standard applied to the producers of food. Perhaps they are restricted in creating food in an atmosphere that requires bleach water, and not an autoclav -- perhaps this small hindrance to the food-processing sector creates an enormous relief to the entire working population. Then, as a political theorist might say, the legislation was a complete success in its intentions. The question we want the answer to is this: how do you know when a regulation is excessive or light -- when it is overdone or underdone? Whatever answer anyone is willing to give, no matter how educated they are, I doubt that it will be a short time before the results of this question can be reduced to a theorem, or even an experimental and partially accurate formula. There are other questions we can ask, other investigations we can pursue, that will help us answer the question of whether a regulatory law will satisfy its intended purpose. For example, we can ask: would the financial requirements put on the Capitalist class be too demanding? (i.e. Does the manufacturing industry make enough profit to spend some of its revenues on machine guards, to protect the bodies of their workers from serious injury? Will car producers simply lay off workers and increase prices if we demand they sell safe cars?) We can ask: is this action we take something that will satisfy the needs of the people? (i.e. Is a $50 business fine enough for failure to pay employees on time? Is a restricted mercury level in fish of only 2% and below safe enough for consumers?) We can ask: what period of time are we looking at before the economy stabilizes again after we pass this legislation? (i.e. Will there be an unreasonable burden on factory workers, when 50% of them will be temporarily out of work for only six months, while factories begin using safe methods of production? Will the economy become stagnant for several years while a system for recording and viewing corporate accounting processes is developed?)
The essential questions we have for any regulation bill are as follows: (1) Can the group being regulated still act and operate with the new regulation? (2) Will the regulation simply have a reverse impact as opposed to the intended one? (3) Is the regulation fitting to the problem that the legislature is trying to cure? And, finally, (4) How long will it take for the regulated group to catch up to the new standards -- and are the new standards so high that they put an unreasonable burden on the regulated class, in a way that directly harms the class the regulation is attempting to protect? These are simply some of the questions that can be asked, and some of the areas that should be researched, when a new regulation bill is up for proposal. I think the basic purpose of regulatory law is a practical one. It does not intend to create utopian dreams or offer that "pie in the sky" to the people. Rather, it works with what the world already is, and offers the next step in reform. The desired ends of regulatory law are the same as the ends of any good-intended law: to improve the current social system, so that the rights of all are better protected, and the happiness of the majority increased.
One of the primary arguments against any regulatory law, particularly from the conservative viewpoint, is that the reverse impact is the only thing that will ever happen. Or, at least they propose, the reverse impact is the result only most of the time. Needless to say, this argument is false. However, the conservatives do bring up a valid point -- there are cases where the reverse impact is the only one ever seen. (However, very rarely does congress consider the kind of radical legislation that would ever throw our economy into chaos and disorder. A person working full-time on minimum wage, for example, is still living below the poverty level. And yet, right-wing ideologists will profess "the system is working," based solely on the evidence that we have what might rightly be called "self-perpetuating misery.") In those cases where there is legitimate fear that a regulatory law only partly satisfies the above questions with positive answers, there are ways to prevent a reverse impact. For example, a check could be included the bill. Perhaps it is a minimum wage increase, and perhaps the fear is that it will take longer than six months for the economy to adaptate to the new increase. Until that time, there is a suspicion that unemployment will dramatically rise, putting unbareable constraints on the working class. The bill could include a check for this. For example, this might be included: "If, after the period of six months, unemployment has gained 2% from the initial introduction of this bill, then the minimum wage will be brought back down to the previous level." Or, if there is serious doubt about the legislation, one might include: "If, at any time after the passage of this bill, unemployment rises an addition 6%, the minimum wage will be brought back down to the previous rate."
Of course, even with our anti-reverse impact checks, there is still cause for worry. There might be a reverse, reverse impact. That is to say, billion-dollar corporations might look at this legislation and purposely create the condition that ends it. They might try to raise unemployment by laying off all their workers, simply for the law to revert back to the previous minimum wage -- and increase their profits once again. However, this scenario is very unlikely. There are always rules that govern a Capitalist economy. Among those rules, there is this one stern law: your business must grow, develop, and evolve today, because if it does not, the competition will have your income. No matter how big or powerful or mighty a business might believe itself to be, if it ever takes the road of dying, decay, and stagnation, simply to overthrow domestic policy, I assume it will soon find itself filing for bankruptcy. Still, though, Capitalist entities have managed to artificially create so many conditions. Coal tycoons in the 1800's managed to create an artificial winter, by cutting the production of coal down considerably, just to raise the price. Whether thousands of people would freeze to death was not something ever brought up at their corporate meetings. They would analyze a million reports, receipts, and progress charts -- but between the numbers, they never would look for the toll of misery they created.
So, by including anti-reverse impact checks, legislaters can feel more confident that the regulatory laws they pass have the intended and not the reversed and unintended impact. But, then again, capitalists could respond to the legislation by trying to create the condition that would end the regulatory laws. Perhaps one of the ways to create the best regulatory law checks, is to have the condition that ends the law be based on several variables. For a minimum wage increase bill, for example, it could take into consideration unemployment, gross national product, average income of the working class, among others. It might say, for example, that every 1% of unemployment will ad two points to the condition of ending the law, every $1 increase in the average workers income will deduct two points to that condition, and every additional so much money to the gross national product will deduct one point from the condition. Once the condition reaches 15 or 20 points, the minimum wage is set back to the original. Or, perhaps congress could appoint a council to examine certain aspects of the economy, and then publish a biweekly report on the situation. And after each report comes out, congress can then decide to cancel the legislation and go back to the original situation in the economy. These are just tactics and ideas for implementing regulatory laws in the most practical and useful manner, anyway. It is up to congressmen, senators, and statesmen to honestly look at their people, their county, and make decisions that will improve the lives of all.
Before ending this piece, there are some arguments from opponents that I'd like to address. First and foremost, there is the Capitalist argument. Obscure philosophers and billionaire semi-philanthropists will offer this argument: "Property is sacred. It must be kept private and always private. What a man wishes to do with his wealth is his own business, and every regulation put on his wealth is just another unjust invasion to his property." Honestly, I believed this argument for a very long time. After much consideration, much research, and many thoughtful processes, I changed my stance on the issue. Before private property existed (at least, in the modern sense of the term "private property"), there was a system in effect known as Feudalism, or what historians call Manorialism. In this system, the average workers were serfs. They did not have the right to marry whom they wished, nor did they have the right to leave their homes, nor did they have a right to the wealth they created. In effect, they were slaves to a system that they never gave their consent to. Their lives were governed by vassals, lords, and kings. Political theorists of both the Capitalist and Socialist camp will agree wholeheartedly that the Feudal system was a menace to the people. It stripped them of all rights and burdened them with all responsibilities. Time would wear on, and change through revolution and insurrection occured.
For the longest time, during the entire lifespan of all these serfs, people were brought up to believe and defend to the death the idea that god gave mandate to the kings to operate this way -- that the tradition and heritage people have in this system should be undying. Whether another system of social organization would improve the happiness and lives of the people was not the question they faced. To them, it was a matter of justice, of what is right and what is wrong, of what god has intended for his creation. "Perhaps," these masters of the feudal age would argue, "Perhaps it is true that another system would make more people happy, and would create a better sense of peace and togetherness and brotherhood. Whether there is another system out there that would eliminate human suffering is of no consequence to me. For the way things are is the most just order; it is the means of existence and organization that the lord has intended, and to disagree with what god intended would only be the most severe blasphemy." We look to the past, we see these men stuck in their ways, clinging to their system of slavery, and it almost feels like we are looking in to the eyes of the Capitalist class and their defenders. The Capitalist's words are almost identical to those of the Feudal lord: "It is not a matter of happiness or social equity. It is a matter of what belongs to me and not to anyone else. It is a matter of my right to property, and the fact that nobody else has any right to my property." As a Communist, my argument has always been clear: Private property is theft.
To both the Capitalist and the Feudalist, I must say this: "What is right and what is wrong are ideas that have changed with every generation, with every culture, with every people. What is just and unjust, what is ethical and unethical, what is moral and immoral, all words to implicate the 'should' and the 'should not' -- these are all things that have always changed. Today, we are standing on the dawn of a new era, a new world, and if we are smart and determined enough, a new way of social organization. If we are masters of our own fate and our own destiny, let us choose for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. These are words you will find in the heart of every thoughtful observer: what is right is what creates happiness, and what is wrong is what creates suffering. The greatest right is the right that causes the greatest happiness; the greatest wrong is the injustice that causes the greatest misery. Capitalist economics then, must be among the greatest wrongs, and any reform to this system must be considered one of the greatest rights. These are the rights of the people, determined by what will satisfy their cravings for happiness, for peace, for equity, for justice. Yes, the old way must be done away with, the way so many older ways have been done away with. And it must be done away with on the sole argument that the happiness, the independence, and the justice of the people will be maximized."
There is another argument from the Capitalist arena that comes from more sophisticated bunch: the economists. Their argument has been that free trade can only improve a nation. Therefore, in following that logic, many economists and members of the Capitalist group have argued that the trade that is freest is also the most effective. Free Trade, they argue, allows nations producing different goods to exchange these goods with countries that cannot produce such commodities. To quote Nicholas Barbon...
Both these Sorts of Wares are called the Staple Commoditys of those Countreys where they chiefly abound, or are made. There are Different Climates of the Heavens, some very Hot, some very Cold, other Temperate; these Different Climates produce Different Animals, Vegitables, & Minerals. The Staples of the hot Country are Spices; the Staples of the Cold, Furrs; but the more Temperate Climates produce much the same sorts of Commoditys; but by difference of the Quality or Conveniency of place where they abound, the become the Staple of each Country, whre they are either best or easier acquired or exchanged: Thus, Herrings, and other Fish are the Staples of Holland; the Dutch living amongst the Water, are most naturally inclined to Fishing: English Wool being the best in the World, is the Staple of England, for the same reason. Oyles of Italy, Fruits of Spain, Wine of France, with several other sorts of Commoditys, are the Staples of their several Countrys. ["A Discourse of Trade," 1690, Nicholas Barbon, section: "Of Trade and the Stock, or Wares of Trade."]
To quote David Hume, "The temptation is stronger to make use of foreign commodities, which are ready for use, and which are entirely new to us, than to make improvements on any domestic commodity, which always advance by slow degrees, and never affect us by their novelty." ["Of Commerce," David Hume.] The argument can be discovered in just about any economic treatise and dissertation written over one hundred years ago. The argument simply offers this: foreign countries produce different commodities than does our own domestic economy. Thus, we ought to trade, that we might obtain what we otherwise would be unable to get. The argument has slightly evolved. With the technology that is presently available to us, production of any type of commodity is never limited. Wool can be produced in Holland, just as much as oils can be produced in Spain, Fruits in Italy, and Wines in England. Each nation still does have its own unique climate and wildlife. However, those unique attributes do not put such a great limit on what that country's domestic economy can produce. In our modern world, what a nation can produce is not based on its climate, but much more on the ingenuinity of its people. Its inventors, artists, creators of word and music, the trades of thought and expression -- these are the things that separate nations now. It is the ingenious method of manufacturing and production cooperation that will make one nation produce high quality and low cost goods. It is the liberal schooling and colleges of one nation that will produce adults, wanting to learn by expressing themselves with books, music, and other forms of media. Yes, every nation definitely can produce for themselves what any other nation can produce; climate no longer restricts production of anything, but can only offer some burden to its operation.
To those who believe in Free Trade being the greatest trade, there are still some discrepancies to be spelled out. The regulations that most Socialist and Leftists argue for are not necessarily anti-Free Trade. There are some situations where they limit or regulate certain trade. The intent of these regulations is to improve the condition of the working poor, to create a more just social order. One might now ask: in what cases are anti-Free Trade laws effective in this intent and in what case would they simply create a reverse impact? I imagine that, as far as matters of Free Trade go and regulations that would limit it, the questions I posed in the previous paragraphs should be sufficient. Socialism is not about eliminating the inherent value of Free Trade, because to do that in our modern world would simply be to eliminate the inherent value of free flowing ideas. In the form of poetry and paintings, in the form of music and literature, the art of the world's people has meaning everywhere.
Why is the science of politics, society, and economics so difficult, so thick with rules and exceptions? Sure, it is not a clear cut science. It takes a great love of truth and the ambition to act, to research these matters, consider opinions, think about the other positions available, compare data, etc., etc. -- everything necessary for you to make an informed decision on any matter. While it may not be a clear cut science, at least there are general trends that allow us to make thoughtful decisions about the matter. Whether it's deciding questions concerning minimum wage, or the impacts of tarriffs, or the value of the working class ideals, at first, it may always seem like the answer is a great distance away. However, as we make progress and learn, as we grow and develop, the answers to these difficult questions cease to loom in the darkness; and we become a little bit more aware about ourselves and those around us in the world. With all of this said, I bid my readership fairwell and good tidings.
http://www.punkerslut.com/
For Life,
Punkerslut
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website http://www.punkerslut.com/ provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for "subversive activities," and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.
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