MONEY MARKET INFORMATION

How To Find A Missing Person The Methods Investigators Use in Their Work

2011-11-18T17:47:00.000+05:30

It is not always necessary to hire a private investigator to search for a missing person. In fact, the time consuming task of investigating a missing person can be done by almost anyone.

As long as a person understands and follows the procedure provided herein, they can do the job of searching for a missing person as well as a hired detective.

Before beginning, realize that you must maintain a detailed record of your investigation. Keep this and copies of any correspondence in a file.

Begin your investigation at the point where the subject was last seen and radiate in ever-growing circles. When you come up with a solid lead, your search will then go only in one direction.

Contact the subject's immediate family very early in your investigation. See if they have any ideas. From there you should contact your subject's closest friends and then the neighbors.

Now widen your search further by questioning other associates of the subject, like the hairdresser, bartender, gas station attendant or newspaper boy. These people must not be overlooked as they are all sources of possible information.

More than likely, when you have completed the task of speaking to all these people, you will have some good leads. But if you wish to further the investigation, use as many of the ten following sources as you need.

POST OFFICE

Send an envelope to the last known address of the missing person, with your own in the upper left corner and write on the envelope, DO NOT FORWARD - ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. If a forwarding address has been left, you will be notified of it.

SUPERIOR COURT DOCKET

By writing to the Court Clerk in the county in which the subject was last known to reside, you can find out if the subject was involved in any legal proceedings. There will be a small fee for the search.

TELEPHONE RECORDS

You can check with the telephone company to find out if the missing person made any long distance calls just prior to departure. You can check with the people called for any leads.

DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES

Request that a search of the department's files be done for the missing person' driver's license as well as his/her address. There will be a fee for this service and the missing person's full name and date of birth are required to conduct the search.

CITY DIRECTORY

Your local public library has a city directory which lists people by name, address and occupation. They also have a cross reference for phone numbers. Check back for several years,.

VOTER REGISTRATION

Voter registration records are open to the public and these records show name, address and date of registration.

COUNTY RECORDER

This county recorder records all types of legal documents, like marriage certificates and wills. A letter to this office may open up some leads.

COUNTY ASSESSOR

This office is in charge of tax collection. If your subject owns any property, he will be listed with this office.

CITY BUSINESS LICENSE

If your subject owns a business he will have his license on file with this office. Run a check on the name of the business and the subject's name.

FRATERNAL ASSOCIATIONS

If the missing person is a member of any type of organization, a letter of inquiry to the local chapter can be helpful.

Under certain conditions, the Social Security Office will assist in locating a missing person. You must send a letter stating your reason for wanting to find a person to the Department of Health, Education & Welfare, Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland. They do not assist insurance companies or bill collectors.

By going through the right channels, you can conduct your own investigation for a missing person. Good luck and good hunting!

How To Cash In With Simple Formulas (Mostly 1 & 2 Ingredients Available in Drugstores)

2011-11-18T17:45:00.000+05:30

You can copy any of these Formulas and sell to other Agents, or put them together in packages - under your own name - and sell to Agents.

The specialty formulas presented within the pages of this report were carefully selected for the explicit purpose of placing the beginner with limited capital in a position to manufacture quick-sell products. Every one of them represents a popular product of wide appeal and genuine merit. No expensive equipment is needed to prepare these products. In most cases, you do the mixing, compounding and packaging from your kitchen table. If directions are adhered to faithfully, results are sure to be satisfactory.

Borated Talcum Powder - Gradually rub 1/2 part Perfume Oil into 5 parts Magnesium Carbonate. Add to this 90 parts Talc and 5 parts Boracic Acid. Mix thoroughly and sieve. Put up in 12-ounce shaker boxes and sell .

Solid Perfume - Melt together 33 parts Paraffin and 66 parts White Petrolatum. Stir until cool, and then add 1 part Perfume Oil. Allow to settle. Cut into 1-inch blocks, wrap in tin foil and sell.

Suntan Oil - Mix together thoroughly 25 parts Olive Oil with 24-1/2 parts Peanut Oil refined. If desired, 1/2 part Perfume Oil can be added for scent. Put up in 6-ounce bottles and sell.

Powder Fire Extinguisher - Mix together 5 parts Common Salt, 1/2 part Sulphate of Soda, 1/2 part Silicate of Soda, 1/4 part Chloride of Calcium,. 2 parts Baking Soda and 6 parts Ground Rice. Pack in one-pound long tin tubes with pull-off caps and sell. To use simply scatter the powder on the blaze.

Bath or Dusting Powder - Rub 1/2 part Perfume Oil into 75 parts Powdered Borax, then mix thoroughly with 25 parts Wheat or Corn Starch. Put in 4-ounce shaker boxes and sell.

Antiseptic Ointment (Astringent) - For soothing relief from bruises, cuts, bites, stings, etc. Dissolve 3.4 parts of Plienol and 6.8 parts Salicylic Acid in 38 parts of Melted Yellow Petrolatum. Let cool, then add 38 parts of Ilyrous Lanolin with which 6.8 parts Sulphonnated Bitumen has been thoroughly mixed. Put up in 3 ounce jars and sell.

Invisible Ink - Mix together 1 part Sulphuric Acid with 10 parts Water. Put up in ounce bottles and sell. To use, write with plain pen point. Writing can be read when paper is slightly heated.

Imitation Vanilla Flavor - Dissolve 30 ounces of Vanillin into 150 fl. ounces of Alcohol, add 180 fl. ounces of Glycerine. Then run in 40 fl. ounces of Caramel and 600 fl. ounces of Distilled Water. Filter to clarify. Put up in 4-ounce bottles, and sell.

Mothproofing Paper - Melt together 1 part Crude Haphthalene (inflammable) and 2 parts of Paraffin Wax. With this mixture paint unsized paper (ordinary brown wrapping paper will do fine). Use a broad brush. To use, wrap clothing in this treated paper before storing as a precaution against moths. Sell per sheet.

Bronze, Gold or Silver Ink - Fine Bronze Powder, or Gold or Silver Leaf is ground with a little Potash, and washed from the salt and mixed with water and a sufficient quantity of Gum Acacia. Put up in 1-ounce bottles and sell.

Auto Polish in Powder Form - Dissolve 2 ounces Paraffin Oil into 6 fl. ounces of Carbon Tetrachloride and mix with 16 ounces of Infusorial Earth. Pack this product in 8-1/2 ounce airtight cans and sell. To use, stir into 2 quarts of water.

Theatre Spray - Mix together 4 parts Water Soluble Perfume Oil and 124 parts Water. Sell this to theatres in gallon jugs.

Blackhead Cream - Rub 1-1/4 ounces of Preciditated Sulphur with 1 fl. ounce of Glycerine and incorporate this with 7-1/2 ounces of Ointment of Rose Water. Put up in 4-ounce jars and sell. To be used at bed-time.

Silver Polish that Replates with Silver - Mix together 3 parts Chloride of Silver, 2 parts Fine Whiting, 6 parts Cream of Tartar and 3 parts Common Salt. Put up in 6-ounce cans or bottles and sell.

Rubber Stamps - Set up the desired name and address in common type, oil the type and then put a guard about 1/2-inch high around the form. Next, pour in plaster of paris that has been mixed to the proper consistency. Allow to set. Now get long strips of vulcanized rubber about 3 inches wide and one-eighth of an inch thick, cut off the size of the intended stamp, then remove the plaster cast from the type, and place both the cast and the rubber in a screw press. Now apply sufficient heat to thoroughly soften the rubber, turn the screw hard and let it remain until the rubber receives the exact impression of the cast and becomes cold. Remove and trim neatly with a sharp knife and cement to handle. Sell for so much for 3 lines of type and so much for each additional line.

Window Defroster - This is a good seller to storekeepers who want to keep winter frosts from hiding their window displays. Dissolve 55 parts Glycerine into 1,000 parts 62% Alcohol. Add a few drops of amber. Sell to stores in gallon jugs.

Oil Orange Flavor - Orange Oil, 6 ounces; Edible Corn Oil, 1 gallon. Put up in 4-ounce bottles and sell.

Oil Lemon Flavor - Oil of Lemon, 6 ounces; Edible Corn Oil, 1 gallon. Put up same as above.

Pineapple Oil Flavor - Pineapple Extract, 2 quarts; Edible Corn Oil, 1 gallon. Put up same as above.

Polishing Cloth - Dissolve 5 ounces of Oxalic Acid in 5 gallons of water, stir into this 5 pounds of Whiting. Soft pieces of cloth, such as Canton Flannel, are saturated with this mixture, gently squeezed out and allowed to dry. While treating cloth with the preparation, the mixture should be kept well-stirred to prevent the whiting from settling. Pack the treated cloths in glassine envelopes and sell.

Deodorant Powder - 1-1/2 parts Bismuth Subnitrate, 1 part Powdered Salicylic Acid, 1 part zinc Oliostearate. Grind all together in a mortar. Put up in 3-ounce shaker boxes.

Permanent Ink (Cannot Be Erased; Will Not Fade) - Dissolve 10 fl. drams of Gum Copal into 10 fl. ounces of Oil of Lavender with the aid of gentle heat. Thoroughly mix into this solution 100 grains of Lampblack and 20 grains of Indigo that has been rubbed to an impalpable powder. Put up in 2-ounce bottles and sell.

Soapless Oil Shampoo - Mix 100 parts sulfonated Castor Oil into 1 part Perfume Oil. If lower concentration is desired, add water to suit. Put up in 8-ounce bottles and sell.

Foot Powder - Mix thoroughly together 10 parts Boric Acid with 0.7 parts Zinc Oxide and 2.7 parts Purified Talc. Put up in 5-ounce shaker boxes and sell.

Marble Cleaner (used extensively on tombstones) - To 1 part Powdered Pumice, 2 parts Dried Carbonate of Soda and 1 part Chalk add sufficient water to make a thick paste. Put up in 16-ounce cans and sell.

All Purpose Cleaner - Satisfactory for cleaning woodwork, floors, dishes, painted surfaces, porcelain, linoleum, glass, etc. This is simply Trisodium Phosphate. Put up in 1-ounce bags with instructions to mix with 1 gallon of water and sell.

Shoe Saver - Simply melt together 2 parts Tallow with 1 part Resin. To use, apply this mixture freely to the soles of shoes with a table knife. Makes them wear much longer. Put up in 2-ounce, airtight cans, and sell.

Typewriter Ribbon Renewer - Dissolve 1 part Aniline Black with 15 parts of Pure Grain Alcohol and then add 15 parts of Concentrated Glycerine. Put up in 1-ounce dropper bottles and sell. To use, put one drop on each 1/2 inch of ribbon, rewind and let set for 72 hours. Each bottle will re-ink from 30 to 40 ribbons.

Eczema Ointment - Mix together 31-1/2 ounces of Boric Acid Ointment and 31-1/2 ounces of Ointment of Ammoniated Mercury until a homogenous paste is formed. Then thoroughly incorporate into this mixture 2-1/2 fl. ounces of coal Tar Solution and 4-1/2 ounces of LiquifiedPhenol. Put up in 2-ounce jars and sell.

Ink in Powdered Form - Pulverize and mix 16 parts of Nut Gals with 7 parts of Gum Arabic. Put up in 2-ounce drug envelopes with instructions to mix into one pint of warm water. This makes a good grade black ink.

Insect Repellant Pads - These are made by dipping fabric remnants, paper toweling, paper napkin stock, etc., in a simple solution made of: 1 part methyl (di-methyl) phthalate, 1 part isopropyl alcohol - 95% alcohol, 190 proof (approx.). NOTE: This is not the isopropyl rubbing compound. The alcohol serves no active purpose beyond carrying the potent ingredient, Methyl Phthalate, into the fibres of the pads. The alcohol then evaporates. Directions for Use: If the skin is heavy with perspiration, fist dry, then use the pad just like cleaning tissue, for protection against gnats, mosquitoes, chiggers, flies and other insects. Do not apply close to the eyes. Perfectly safe elsewhere. For sale, a dozen or 20 small pads in a polyethylene bag makes an effective retail unit.

Kitchen Wall Cleaner - This is a syrupy, water-like liquid, until recently patented, but now produced by a number of manufacturers who wholesale it through jobbers. "Triethanolamine", pronounced Try-ethan-all-a-meen. It would be difficult to find a chemical wholesaler who does not sell it, but may not know its value as a cleaner-polish for smoked-up kitchen walls. Directions: To make an amazing kitchen wall-cleaner, add about an ounce to a quart of water. Add a trace of blue dye for eye-appeal, if you wish. Or, sell "as is" as a concentrate, for the user to dilute with water, himself. The kitchen walls, of course, must be "washable". Moisten a cloth or sponge with the solution, and wipe the soiled surfaces. Rinsing is not necessary. The solution converts kitchen grease deposits into soap, and leaves the walls gleaming like new. Never dull or powdery as do many other, more expensive wall cleaners.

Spray-On, Wipe-Off Glass Cleaner - Obviously, the base necessary for all glass cleaners is water. But to make water much more effective as a cleaner, other ingredients must be added. One of the simplest and best is a solution of 3 or 4 parts of water and 1 part of Methanol, which is also known as denatured alcohol, wood alcohol or methyl alcohol. It's inexpensive, too . This simple formula makes a quick-drying glass cleaner that will amaze you. If you want to improve it slightly, add not more than 1/2 of 1% of any synthetic detergent like Vel, Tide, Rinso Blue, and/or even less than 1/2 of 1% of trisodium phosphate, better known as TSP. This is so cheap that you may be well-advised to buy your first or experimental needs at retail. A trace of blue or red dye may be added to your product, for eye appeal. If you want a very effective solution and are impressed by instant-drying properties, just use TSP and water. The ready-to-use liquid cost about the same as plain water - but it does the job! And it leaves no chalky deposits. Few products for home use provide such a high margin of profit as this one. (Note: The above analysis is sold as information only. we cannot be held liable for any accidents that may result from your using the solution improperly.)

Liquid Dishwashing Detergent - Unlike many detergents and surfactants, this is non-corrosive, non-rusting. To this extent, at least, it is superior for cleaning car bodies, milk cans and other metal objects. Formula: "Nimex 21" from Stephan Chemical Company, one of the largest producers of Lasic synthetic detergents in the United States. It has a number of factories, which we list below. Any of these firms can and will answer your inquiries as to the distributor of their products who is located nearest to you.

Dissolve Nimex 21 (any quantity) in an equal amount of water. As you stir, the liquid becomes thicker, not thinner, as you might normally expect. A trace of perfume oil, such as any chemical house can supply, may be added if desired. The perfume should be dissolved in the Nimex before adding water. Directions: For dishwashing, add a tablespoonful or so to the dishpan, the amount depending on the number of dishes and the grease deposits, etc. For car washing and the like, 2 tablespoonfuls (one ounce) to 3 to 4 gallons of water is usually ample. When hosed down, the body will dry without streaking.

Liquid Vitamin - Simply made from one product of the field. Gives you quick energy and vitality. Author claims that after one week, you'll be kicking up your heels and raring to go. Ideal for men and women past 40. In a porcelain or enamelware vessel, put 2-1/2 lbs. of clean Oats. Add 2 gallons of distilled or unmineralized rainwater. Set in a cool place for 48 hours. Bring to boil slowly. Strain through cloth. You will have about one gallon of liquid. Put in a jug, keep in refrigerator. Dose: A 2 oz. glass , 3 or 4 times a day. If larger quantities are made, add 1/10 of 1% of Benzoate-Soda to the gallon to act as a preservative.

Transferix for Transferring Pictures - Common yellow soap, 1-1/2 oz., 3-1/2 oz. of fl. spirits of turpentine, 1 pint of soft water (made soft by boiling, then cooled). Dissolve the soap by boiling in the water, and when nearly cool add the turpentine, then shake the ingredients together thoroughly. Put up in 1-ounce bottles. Paste a small label on the front of the bottle, and on another small separate sheet (about 3x6) have the following directions printed: Directions for Using Fluid: Apply liberally to the surface of the printed matter with a soft brush or sponge (being very careful that you do not smear the ink, which becomes soft when the fluid is applied), and allow to soak for a few minutes. Then place the plain cloth or paper over wet side of printed matter and subject it to moderate pressure - one minute - using bowl of spoon or small roller. Upon separating them you will find the picture has been transferred to the other surface.

Marvel-O Eight-in-One Product - Orthodichlorobenzene, 1 part; Carbon Tetrachloride, 2 parts: by weight. Mix. Put up in 6-ounce cans, or in such sizes are best suited to your purposes. This is truly a marvelous product on which the profit is large. It does work, too. Insect Exterminator: Used as a spray, it kills moths, their eggs and larvae, as well as bedbugs, roaches, silverfish, ants, mosquitoes, flies and other insects. Powerful Disinfectant: Adding two tablespoonsful to warm water or soap suds, it serves as a powerful disinfectant when applied to mattresses, springs, upholstery, walls, floors, wash bowls, etc. Leaves a pleasant, clean odor and guards health. Paint Remover: This wonderful product is amazingly efficient in removing lacquer, shellac and paint of all kinds. Hand Cleaner: Excellent for the workman or mechanic, removes dirt, grime, grease and leaves the hands clean and soft. Used full strength it will not harm the hands. Spot Cleaner: Takes out dirt, grease, grime, spots and stains from any material. Leaves no ring and is non-injurious. Deodorant: Used as a spray, it becomes an effective and pleasant deodorant that kills unpleasant odors and purifies the air. Easy to use. Quick-Action Cleaner: An effective cleaner when added to soap suds, cuts the grease and makes clothes washing easier. Also speeds cleaning action on floors, walls, linoleum, tiling, wash bowls, bath tubs, etc. A wonderful window cleaner. Metal Polish and Cleaner: Apply full strength on a soft cloth, cuts the surface dirt film with just a few easy rubs, and will not injure any metal surface. Produces a brilliant finish or restores original lustre. Renews and Cleans Typewriter Platens, Ribbons and Printers' Rollers: Wash rollers with this solution. Dip ribbons in this cleaner and roll out, wait 24 hours to use.

NOTE: Above is suggested for label and advertising copy. All claims made above can be depended upon in this fantastic product. Simply and easy to prepare and very profitable. It makes a wonderful demonstrator item and is great for house-to-house canvassing.

To Improve Odor: The odor of Orthodichlorobenzene will probably have to be masked with a scenting oil, such as Oil of Myrbanc or Citronella, by dissolving the scenting oil in a small amount of rubbing alcohol and adding to the mixture. The Orthodichlorbenzene and Carbon Tetrachloride may be obtained from any wholesale drug company or chemical firm.

Attention

All container sizes given in this report are merely suggestions, and do not necessarily convey any prevailing specifications.

You become a manufacturer when you label and package any product yourself. In many localities, when you sell the goods directly, a license will be required. However, often no local license is necessary when interstate commerce is involved. City, county and state authorities should be consulted for guidance on these matters. No license is required by the federal government.

Some of the preparations outlined in this report are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and cosmetic act of 1938. Briefly, this act: 1. Authorized establishment of standards of strength, quality and purity. 2. Forbids adulteration, misbranding, deceptive containers. 3. requires clinical testing before general sales of new drugs, including new combinations of existing drugs and existing drugs recommended for new uses. You can obtain more detailed information by securing a copy of "Digest of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act". It will be sent free on request from The Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC.

A government permit is required when alcohol is used in any preparation. For full particulars write the nearest Bureau of Industrial Alcohol.

The federal government imposes a Retailers' Excise Tax on the retail price of cosmetics. This luxury tax must be paid by the customer regardless of how the sale is made. A Treasury Department pamphlet titled "Regulations 51" lists what specific items are covered and also gives other information. You can obtain a copy from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington. DC. Also, write to your state authorities for details on local taxes, if any.

The use of an trademark indicates that the identifying sign under which a product is sold has been registered as a trademark, and that a similar product cannot be sold under the same identifying sign. A trademark can be a word, a group of words, symbol, picture, design, or combination of these. For full details write to the Department of Commerce, U.S. Patent Office, Washington, DC and ask for a copy of "Protection of Trademarks".

How To Analyze A Rip-Off Scheme

2011-11-18T17:40:00.000+05:30

This review is taken DIRECTLY from a piece of "junk mail." It is or the program that starts out with the heading: "Before You Decide To Throw This Away, Please Read The Enclosed At Least Once - Then Decide. This is Not a Chain Letter! I Threw The Program in The Trash."

The first paragraph reads: "I had received this program before and threw it away, but later I wondered if I shouldn't have given it a try. Of course, I had no idea who to contact to get a copy, so I had to wait until I was mailed another copy of the program - eleven months passed, then it came. I DIDN'T throw this one away. I made $41,000 on the first try!!" Signed by D. Wilburn, Muncie IN.

In order to get your attention quick, Mr. or Ms Wilburn shares their experience of making the mistake of throwing the letter away. A normal person will say to themselves: "I don't want to make the same mistake Wilburn did. He had to wait another 11 months before he had the chance, so I better really read this thing." But in reality you'll find out that this piece of garbage has been floating around for years and if you miss this copy, you'll get another one tomorrow or the day after.

The next thing you see is a bold headline reading: "You are about to make at least $50,000 in less than 90 days - in the comfort of your own home. Read the enclosed program, then read it again." The average person is skeptical but the idea of money has been planted in your mind right up front. This will cause you to read a little while longer.

The rest of the page is completely filled with hype - informing you everything is LEGITIMATE and LEGAL. (We all want to be legitimate and legal don't we?) Claims are made that the program works 100% every time and how thousands have used the program to raise capital to start their own business, pay off debts, homes, cars, etc., and even retire. You can ALWAYS recognize a scam because your emotions are appealed to in a big way. Think about it - doesn't everyone on the planet earth want money to start a business? Pay off debts? Have homes, cars, etc.? Would anyone turn this offer away? NO! That's what makes it so easy to recognize these scams - they appeal to everybody and do nothing! Your emotions are cruelly played with!

Okay, let's move on. Frank T of Bel Air MD relates his personal testimonial at the top of Page 2. Try to look in the phone book and find either D Wilburn or Frank T. Notice how only a partial part of their names and addresses are ALWAYS presented. This is so nobody can find them. But why bother? They don't exist!

The instructions are presented on the rest of Page 2. They consist of precise directions for ordering four reports, paying $5 cash for each one and moving the names around on the list. This is a typical chain letter and they don't work because 99.9% of everyone receiving it replaces their name and members of their family with the people listed.

These instructions are completely stupid. They make you go through a bunch of bull just to make you believe you are doing something worthwhile. Actually - all they're doing is selling you some worthless reports - which you may or may not ever receive.

Page 3 instructs you to get a mailing list to mail the letter you are reading to. Of course, when you order the reports, you will get information on where to purchase this mailing list. Don't you see that these people only care about selling you a mailing list? They could care less if you get a response or not because they made their money from you purchasing their bunch of worthless names and addresses. In fact, you are even told to get names and addresses from your phone book. Come on! This is the ABSOLUTE WORST way to sell anything simply because you have no idea what these people are interested in. Even if you sold a real product, let's say: baby-sitting services - you wouldn't sit down and advertise it by writing letters to everyone in the phone book. Instead, you'd place an ad in the paper and have people only interested in baby-sitting contact you.

Now comes the guarantee. It says: "The check point which guarantees your success is simply this: you must receive 15-20 orders for Report 1. This is a must. If you don't within 2 weeks, send out more programs until you do. Then, a couple weeks later, you should receive at least 100 orders for Report 2." Notice the word "should." The fact is, you could mail until the day the Lord comes back and you'll NEVER get 15-20 orders. You'd be lucky to get even one. Believe me - 1,000's of people have put the chain letter theory to a variety of tests and actually given it every chance in the world to make money. None have ever worked.

Now, here's the hype that really gets most people. Here it is reprinted in it's entirety: "Let's say you decide to start small, just to see how it goes, and we will assume you and all those involved send out only 200 programs each. Let's also assume that the mailing receives a 5% response. Using a good list, the response could be much better. Also, many people will send out thousands of programs instead of 200! But, continuing with this example, you send out 200 programs. With a 5% response, that is, 10 orders for Report 1 (ten people responded by sending out 200 programs each) for a total of 2,000. The 5% response that brings 100 orders for report 2. Those mail out 200 programs for a total of 20,000. The 5% response to those is 1,000 orders for Report 3. The 1,000 send out 200,000 total and the 5% response to that is 10,000 orders for Report 4 (10,000 $5 for you.) Your total income in this example is $50 + $550 + $5,000 + $50,000 + $55,550. Remember friend, this is assuming that 95 out of 100 people you mail to will do absolutely nothing and trash this program. Dare to think what would happen if everyone sent out 1,000 programs instead of only 200. Believe it, many people will do that and more. By the way, at current prices, your cost to send out 200 programs is less than $100. The participation fee is ridiculously low when you consider what you stand to gain! Consider yourself fortunate to be invited to participate in an exclusive program that really works. Have faith. Think positively, Keep in mind that your investment is minimal and it's easy money invested in you."

Give me a break! What a bunch of lies. Anybody that reads this and really believes it can work must also believe that Snow White really lives in the forest with the 7 dwarfs.

The truth of the matter is that it really would work if everyone did what they were supposed to do - but they won't. I'll prove it. Go to a place where there are a lot of people (like a mall). Walk up to the first person you meet and ask them to give you a $5 bill. In return for their $5, they will get $50,000 if they will just find 10,000 other people to give them $5 by promising them the same thing. How many people do you think will take you up on your offer? If you do find one person to do it they will either be mentally retarded or hard of hearing. So if you couldn't work the program in person, what makes you think it will work through the mail with people who have no idea who you are? The truth is - it doesn't work. It NEVER will!

Page 4 tells you all about these four wonderful reports you will be purchasing. Their titles are beautiful: "How to Make $250,000 Through Multi-Level Order Sales" and "Sources For The Best Mailing Lists." I'm sure we all can't wait to order them right away.

Page 5 is a personal note from the originator of the program - Edward L. Green. He doesn't have a city and state beside his name. Why? Because his full name is used. (Remember, they don't want you to try and find these people.) A real testimonial would be proud to give you the full name, full address and phone number of the individual so you could get in touch with them to find out more about the program. Anyone hiding so that you can't call them up or write to them directly is a scam artist. No doubt about it!

Edward L Green tells you about how poor he was in 1979. He also says that he will never see a penny of your money. He has already made $4 million and wants to retire. Give me a break. If you made $4 million wouldn't you want $5 million or $10 million or $20 million. Why stop at a measly $4 million when you could star on the Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous and be interviewed by Robin Leach? $4 million is chicken feed if something really worked to bring in this amount of money!

How Pawn Shops Work

2011-11-18T17:38:00.000+05:30

A pawnbroker makes loans on personal property left as collateral. The property can be redeemed when the loan plus interest is repaid.

The interest rates for pawnshops, which may be regulated by state or local laws, may range from 5% to 6% a month. Loans can usually be renewed, but only if the interest for the original period has been paid.

Pawnbrokers will accept a variety of personal property as collateral. Usually, items that are small or of modest value (jewelry, clocks, computers, camcorders, silverware, etc.) Brokers won't lend more money than they think they can get if the pledged item is not redeemed and has to be sold.

When a pledged item is not redeemed, brokers are required to notify pawners that the loan period has expired and to give them a final opportunity to redeem their personal property before the broker has the right to sell the item. In some jurisdictions, brokers may keep all the money received from the sale of the unredeemed pledge. In other cases, the broker may only keep the original loan and any interest due, but must turn any excess over to the pawner.

In many states, pawnbrokers are required by law to file with the local police a daily list of items that have been pledged. They must report and give a description of the object along with serial number and other points of identification.

This gives the police an opportunity to check these pledge items against any list of reported stolen items. In somebody buys a stolen item from a pawnbroker, it must be returned, and the broker must refund the purchase price to the customer.

DEBT LIMIT. Installment debt should not exceed 10% of take-home pay. A debt ratio of 20% indicates trouble ahead. However, when computing for your debt ratio, you must not include mortgage payments in the amount of debt.

HOW INFORMATION OVERLOADING WORKS

2011-11-18T17:37:00.000+05:30

There are many schools of thought on how to write a successful direct-response ad, letter or brochure. Some say you need to be subtle, some say be harsh, some say be round-about, some say be direct. There is one technique, though, that is coming to the forefront as one of the most successful to employ.

Info-Loading is the style of overloading an advertsement with information about your product or service. The theory is, you give the customer more information than they'd ever want on your product/service, and they'll feel more confident about you and what you offer. Also, the customer that actually reads through it all is the one who's interested enough to buy what you offer. The good news is, it works!

Here's how to do it. Say you're planning a quarter-page display ad in a magazine. Instead of leaving a lot of white space, so it looks open, and instead of putting pictures in to catch the eye, fill the whole space with text! Load it with as much information as you can fit in, without making it unreadable. To prevent it from looking like a grey blur when the reader's eyes scan through the page, put a bold, black box around the ad, a bold headline, and emphasize important words and phrases with bold print.

You can do the same thing with a mailing. Put together a four-page sales letter loaded with copy, then add a brochure/flyer that re-emphasizes the important points in even greater detail.

A few cautions with this technique. First, make sure you actually have something to say! We are so conditioned to being economical with our words in advertising that it'll be hard to info-load without feeling repetitious. Instead of rambling on about features, tell customers every single benefit they'll get from your product/service. BENEFIT is the important word.

Give Info-Loading a try. Depending on your audience and what you're trying to sell, you may find that info-loading can load more sales into your bank account!

HOW DO DIRECTORIES AND SUBDIRECTORIES WORK ON MY COMPUTER?

2011-11-18T17:36:00.000+05:30

The subject of directories and subdirectories is one of the hardest concepts for people to understand but a very necessary part of automating your day-to-day business operations with your computer.

Regardless of whether you work in DOS or Windows - you need to group similar files together so you can find them easier and for your computer to function more properly. It's kind of like moving into a new neighborhood only to find your favorite supermarket on the east side of town, your barber shop on the west side, your post office in the north end and your babysitter in the south end. You would be spending more time commuting back and forth between all these places than if they were all grouped together just a few miles from your house.

The easiest way to help you understand how subdirectories and directories work, is best understood by anyone who has worked in an office environment before. Every office contained a file cabinet with separate folders for letters of the alphabet. Normally, each letter of the alphabet was also separated into manila folders, each continuing information on a certain person or company. Your telephone directory is even organized in this similar manner.

Directories and subdirectories on a computer system is EXACTLY the same thing. Your computer hard drive is the main file cabinet. A directory is similar to every letter of the alphabet. A subdirectory is similar to the separate manila folders that go inside the particular directory. But the great thing about a computer system is that there is NO LIMIT to the subdirectories you can make. Your file cabinet would get too big if you did this.

That's why, when you purchase a new software program, you make one directory for it - then copy the files to make the program work "into" it. (If your software comes with a self-installing program, it will automatically do this for you.) For example, I have a main directory called "Graphics" on my hard drive. Then I have several subdirectories "inside" this main "Graphics" directory called "People," "Animals," "Office," etc. This way, when I want a graphic of a person, I will know to look for it in the main "Graphics" directory, inside the "People" subdirectory.

Perhaps the reason that some people get confused is because the words "directory" and "subdirectory" sound alike. I wish the computer gurus would have named them something like "Main File" and "Manila Folder." Perhaps we could have identified with them easier. Maybe it was even a scare tactic to make them sound more intelligent than us?

If you have a PC-compatible computer, making a directory and subdirectory are easy. Let's try it out and you'll see what I mean. Go to your computer now and make sure you are at the root directly (the beginning). To check and make sure you are at the beginning just look at your screen. It will say "C:\" meaning that you are at the "C prompt." Now - let's make a directory so you can copy information from your floppy drive onto your hard drive by typing: MD/BDISK and press the ENTER key. "MD" stands for "make directory." Wow - you just learned a little about the DOS computer language. Simple huh?

Now, if you type in "DIR" (which stands for directory listing) you will see your new directory file called "BDISK". To open up the BDISK directory, type: CD\BDISK and press the ENTER key. "CD" stands for "change directory." See how easy this is?

Now stick a floppy disk into your "B" drive. It doesn't matter what it is because we are only going to use it as a demonstration now. Type in: COPY B*.*C:\BDISK and press the ENTER key. This language translated is telling your computer to copy all the information from the "B" disk to your directory called BDISK. To DOS, *.* means everything.

Now, if you look in the BDISK directory, you will find all the information on your B disk has been copied into this file. But don't leave it there. This was only a test. To delete the information, make sure you are in the BDISK directory by typing in: CD\BDISK and press the ENTER key. Now type in: DEL*.* and press the ENTER key. Miraculously all the information you just copied is deleted and erased!

Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Winter

2011-11-18T17:31:00.003+05:30

Mechanical failure--an inconvenience any time it occurs--can be deadly in the winter. Preventive maintenance is a must. Besides, a well maintained vehicle is more enjoyable to drive, will last longer, and could command a higher resale price.

Some of the following tips can be performed by any do-it-yourselfer; others require the skilled hands of an auto technician.

First things first. Read your owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's recommended service schedules.

Engine Performance--Get engine driveability problems (hard starts, rough idling, stalling, diminished power, etc.) corrected at a good repairshop. Cold weather makes existing problems worse. Replace dirty filters--air, fuel, PCV, etc.

Fuel--Put a bottle of fuel de-icer in your tank once a month to help keep moisture from freezing in the fuel line. Note that a gas tank which is kept filled helps keep moisture from forming.

Oil--Change your oil and oil filter as specified in your manual--more often (every 3,000 miles) if your driving is mostly stop-and-go or consists of frequent short trips.

Cooling Systems--The cooling system should be completely flushed and refilled about every 24 months. The level, condition, and concentration of the coolant should be checked periodically. (A 50/50 mix of anti- freeze and water is usually recommended.)

DIYers, never remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled!

The tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses should be checked by a pro.

Windshield Wipers--Replace old blades. If your climate is harsh, purchase rubber-clad (winter) blades to fight ice build-up. Stock up on windshield washer solvent--you'll be surprised how much you use. Carry an ice-scraper.

Heater/Defroster The heater and defroster must be in good working condition for passenger comfort and driver visibility.

Battery--The only accurate way to detect a weak battery is with professional equipment. Routine care: Scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections; clean all surfaces; re-tighten all connections. If battery caps are removable, check fluid level monthly.

Avoid contact with corrosive deposits and battery acid. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves.

Lights--Inspect all lights and bulbs; replace burned out bulbs; periodically clean road grime from all lenses.

To prevent scratching, never use a dry rag.

Exhaust System--Your vehicle should be placed on a lift and the exhaust system examined for leaks. The trunk and floor boards should be inspected for small holes. Exhaust fumes can be deadly.

Cold weather will only make existing problems worse. A breakdown--never pleasant--can be deadly in the winter.

Tires Worn tires will be of little use in winter weather. Examine tires for remaining tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping; check the sidewalls for cuts and nicks. Check tire pressures once a month. Let the tires "cool down" before checking the pressure. Rotate as recommended.

Don't forget your spare, and be sure the jack is in good condition.

Carry emergency gear: gloves, boots, blankets, flares, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter, tire chains, and a flash light. Put a few "high-energy" snacks in your glove box.

Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Summer

2011-11-18T17:30:00.000+05:30

Summer's heat, dust, and stop-and-go traffic will take their toll on your vehicle. Add the effects of last winter, and you could be poised for a breakdown. You can lessen the odds of mechanical failure through periodic maintenance...Your vehicle should last longer and command a higher resale price, too!

Some of the following tips are easy to do; others require a skilled auto technician.

Getting Started--The best planninG guide is your owner's manual. Read it; and follow the manufacturer's recommended service schedules.

Air Conditioning--A Marginally operating system will fail in hot weather. Have the system examined by a qualified technician.

Cooling System--The greatest cause of summer breakdowns is overheating. The cooling system should be completely flushed and refilled about every 24 months. The level, condition, and concentration of the coolant should be checked periodically. (A 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water is usually recommended.)

DIYers, Never remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled! The tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses should be checked by a pro.

OIL--Change your oil and oil filter as specified in your manual--more often (every 3,000 miles) if you make frequent short jaunts, extended trips with lots of luggage, or tow a trailer.

Engine Performance--Replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV, etc.) as recommended--more often in dusty conditions. Get engine driveability problems (hard starts, rough idling, smiling, diminished power, etc.) corrected at a good shop.

Windshield Wipers--A dirty windshield causes eye fatigue and can pose a safety hazard. Replace worn blades and get plenty of windshield washer solvent.

Tires--Have your tires rotated about every 5,000 miles. Check tire pressures once a month; let the tires "cool down" first.

Don't forget your spare, and be sure the jack is in good condition. Examine tires for tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping; check the sidewalls for cuts and nicks. An alignment is warranted if there's uneven tread wear or if your vehicle pulls to one side.

Brakes--Brakes should be inspected as recommended in your manual, or sooner if you notice pulsations, grabbing, noises, or longer stopping distance. Minor brake problems should be corrected promptly.

Battery--Batteries can fail any time of year. The only accurate way to detect a weak battery is with professional equipment. Routine care: Scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections; clean all surfaces; re-tighten all connections. If battery. caps are removable, check the fluid level monthly.

Avoid contact with corrosive deposits and battery acid. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves.

Lights--Inspect all lights and bulbs; replace burned out bulbs; periodically clean dirt and insects from all lenses.

To prevent scratching, never use a dry rag.

Emergencies--Carry some basic tools--ask a technician for suggestions. Also include a first aid kit, flares, and a flashlight. Consider buying a CB radio.

FREE ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

2011-11-18T17:29:00.000+05:30

There are many legitimate ways to get discount advertising, and many ways to get so-called "free" advertising.

This report is about a way to get the cost of your ADS 100% covered, so that your advertising costs you nothing. If done right, you'll even profit from it. There is some work involved, but it's easy, enjoyable work.

First, you need to have your own display ads ready to use. These can be one column inch, two column inch, 3" x 6" or whatever size. What you are going to do is to create your own ad sheet. In other words, you will put your ads on a page, then sell the rest of the space to other advertisers who want to reach the same market as you. Their payments will cover the cost of YOUR ads reaching that market.

Ideally, you will have some small ads on one side of the page, with other advertisers taking the rest of that side, then you can have either more ads or a full page flyer on the back side, with all costs covered, INCLUDING your mailing expenses.

Here's a short course in creating an ad sheet. First, create a heading on a piece of paper. Don't make it too big, because you'll take up valuable ad space. Try to keep it to one inch tall. Leave room for your ad rates, which we'll figure out later. Next, divide the rest of the page the long way into three columns.

If you use a one inch heading, and leave a quarter-inch margin on the top and bottom, you'll have three columns that are seven inches tall, or 21 column inches (3 columns x 7 inches). If you figure your ad rates at $5 per inch, going to 1,000 opportunity seekers, you can get a maximum of $105 from a one-sided ad sheet. If you use both sides, you can get a maximum of $225 (you get an extra inch of advertising per column on the back side, since you don't need the heading).

How do you get other advertisers? Buy inexpensive ads in the ad sheets you receive in the mail. You can use the least expensive, one column inch ads. Tell the name of your ad sheet, the circulation, the ad rates, and, of course, your name and address. This is all you have to do.

If your rates are competitive with the other ad sheets, you'll get the advertisers. Don't worry. When you receive their to reach 1,000 people. Printing them will be $20 - $30. First class postage, which costs $.29 at this time, would be $290 alone. How can you cover that, along with printing expenses, with only $225 or less? There are a few different ways. First, you can advertise a "big mail."

Do this with one inch ad sheet ads. Tell people they can receive a collection of your best offers free by sending postage. Put together a selection of your advertising flyers, along with your ad sheet, and the envelope you will be sending them in. Weigh them to get the number of ounces, and find out the required postage. Put that amount in your ad ("send three first class stamps to:"). You will get a lot of orders that way.

Another way is to use a circular mailing service. These are usually run by people who have their own offers that they want to mail for a lower cost. They will charge by the flyer, usually three to five cents, to include it in their mailing. Thus, you can mail 1,000 of your flyers for $30 - $50. This is actually a good service you can run yourself.

Finally, if you don't want to deal with the mailing OR printing, you can use a print & mail dealer. This dealer will print your circulars and mail them by the thousand in their own bulk mailings. This is the least expensive way to go. You can usually get 1,000 flyers printed and mailed for under $50. That's only ten ads you'd need to sell, at $5 per inch. That's pretty easy to do. You can then fill up the empty spaces with your own ads, for extra exposure. Any ads you sell over ten is shear profit!

This method of covering your advertising costs is being used by shrewd mail order dealers every day. You can start one ad sheet, then when it's to the point where you're mailing a few thousand monthly, start another going to a different market, for added effectiveness. The work is not hard, and it's fun!

Delta Galil CEO Isaac Dabah uses personal Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts to freely promote his business in an informal way.

EVALUATING HIGH-TECH STOCKS

2011-11-18T17:28:00.000+05:30

High technology is the last frontier in American business. Many of the new businesses revolve around some type of technology, whether it is direclty computer-related, communications-related or somehow tied in with the "Information Superhighway", whose arrival we all eagerly anticipate. Although tech stocks have declined sharply in during bear markets, they have proven to have outperform other stocks, re-bounding more sharply in subsequent recoveries.

There are three major advantages that point to small companies: 1.) They are generally free from government regulation because their earnings are often in a new field.

2.) The company stands to gain a lot of ground if the come up with a unique idea. The growing market will be theirs to dominate.

3.) The impact their earnings will have on their financial status will be considerable... therefore a success can increase their profitability greatly.

There are several rules to follow if you choose to be an investor in this high risk market. Firstly, do not be fooled by the size of the company. It is important to investigate the high-technology expertise of the firm and secure that it is a meaningful part of the firm's business. Secondly, it is vital that the company is serving a current social need in the marketplace.

For example, cable was first intro-duced in the 1960's and interested investors long before it could draw subscibers.

Look for companies that are operating in the black. Companies that offer teriffic scientific break-throughs but operate at a deficit are just too risky. It is also important that you ignore market indexes. Companies with technological superiority are not tied to a stock market environment over time.

Lastly, keep current on all technological innovations. Buy trade magazines and read scientific papers and investment guides that deal with technology and technology-related fields.

Egg Writing

2011-11-18T17:27:00.000+05:30

Dissolve 1/2 ounce of alum into 1/2 pint of vinegar. Dip a fine tipped brush into the solution and write your message on the shell of an egg. Let dry completely; then boil for 15 minutes.

Writing cannot be seen on the shell, but is on the inside of the egg.

DO NOT EAT THIS EGG . . . .

EASY MAIL ORDER RICHES CAN BE YOURS

2011-11-18T17:26:00.000+05:30

Selling products and/or services through the mail is one of the fastest growing methods of doing business in the world today. It's estimated that sales for 1991 will top the 100 billion dollar mark!

Millions of people from all walks of life, and in all parts of the world are "into" mail order, with more coming in every day. Some of them are grossing in the millions, others are chalking up sales figures of several hundred per month, and there are others who only give it a quick try, make a few dollars and drop out.

Mail order selling appeals to almost everybody with a desire to get rich. Generally, it doesn't require complicated equipment, a lot of start-up capital, or an expensive office. Mail order is a kind of business that can be run by anyone from the comfort of his or her own home.

About all that's required for success in mail order selling is an understanding of what you're doing - it's not a game or a kind of thing you want to just give a quick try. It's a way of doing business, and requires a good understanding of what people buy, why the buy, and an operational plan that will lead you to success.

In order to make it big in mail order, you must understand that it's a selling business. Thus, you've got to decide on what you want to sell - who your buyers will be - and know why they buy and then, program your selling efforts in such a way that these people will buy from you.

The best, and the easiest selling product or service - because it has the greatest appeal to the most number of people - is information that gives people knowledge or instructions that will enable then to get rich. The bottom line is simply that everybody in the world wants to know how they can get rich - without putting forth too much of an investment in either money, time or effort.

So, the first thing that you should do is some marketing research: Look in all the publications running mail order advertisements and opportunities - get a good understanding of why they are doing - how they are doing ti - and then formulate a business plan of your own that will allow you to duplicate what they're doing.

With get rich information or instructions - and knowing that to make the really big money you have to be the author or a prime distributor - there are two ways to go. You can become the author with all the involved headaches and demands upon your time, or you can buy the reproduction rights and re-sell or distribute them as your own.

As the author, you'll have to do the research, the writing, the printing, advertising, and order fulfillment.

As a prime source distributor, you can pay a one-time fee for the reproduction rights - then spend your time and money on selling efforts. You still have to handle the printing, the advertising, and order fulfillments - but you have the advantage of -choosing and picking" only what you feel will make money for you. With most writers, only about 10% of what they spend hours, weeks, even months researching and writing, ever sells for them. Writers are just not geared to the profitable marketing or their materials.

Your initial marketing research should give you a good idea of what is selling - what the people are buying - and which titles of any particular author you want to promote, and sell for your own profits.

The next thing is to look through all the publications you can find that carry mail order ads - those that run issue after issue (but not those run as fillers by the publisher) are usually the ones that are making money for the people selling them (or you can bet they wouldn't keep running them)!

Decide which kind of program you want to run, and how you want to make money. The best ad to run is one that offers a free report relative to a money making plan. Your ad might read: FREE REPORT! Insider's Secrets To Your Own Million Dollar Multi-Level Empire. Send SASE to (your name and address).

In reply to each of the responses you get to this ad, you send them a one page report that briefly explains your multi-level secrets, with an invitation at the bottom for those really interested in multi-level marketing, to send in another $15 or $20 for your complete multi-level marketing "how-to" manual. You can then fill up their SASE with other offers, such as the availability of mailing lists for rent, a multi-level program of your own, and a listing of other business success reports you're offering.

At the same time, you compile the names and addresses of all the people sending for either your free report of their own materials, and you have the beginnings of a mailing list of your own that you can rent out over and over again at huge profits to yourself. Clip the stamps off the envelopes as you receive them, and save them in an old shoe box. When you have a box full, you can sell them to any number of stamp collectors, and pocket an easy $10 or $15.

Save all the envelopes with return address, and when you've accumulated a thousand or two of these, you can send them in to list compilers and pocket another $50 to $100.

The other way of advertising is the offering of your report or book for sale from the ad. Such an ad would read about like this: Insider's Secrets To Your Own Million Dollar Multi-Level Empire. Dynamic new report shows the easy way. Send $3 to (your name address).

It's very difficult to sell anything directly from a classified ad because there just isn't space enough in which to do a complete job of selling. Thus, if you do try to sell from a classified ad, be sure to keep your selling price under $5.

A $3 item should pull well with a classified ad - A $5 item will take a least a one inch display ad - A $20 item will take a well written full page ad, and anything more than $40 will require a professionally written sales letter.

When you're just getting started in mail order selling, stick to small classified ads - test the pulling power of your ad, and your product, as well as the publication you ad runs in.

Analyze and practice rewriting some of the ads other people are running - experiment, and run a few ads in only one or two publications - and then build upon your success. In other words, if your first ad costs you $30, and you take in $90 - take that $90 and run the same ad again, not only in the same publication, but in a couple of other publications as well. Use your profits to expand the exposure of your offer - let as many people as possible see it.

It's important to note that you cannot expect to "live off" the income from your beginning business efforts. You have to have "other" money to pay your lights, water, and gas bills.

Mail order success is built upon the wise investment of your advertising dollars. Take $100 and run a classified ad for your reports in one of the big national publications. Figuring that from that first $100, you take in $300, run the same ad again in that publication, and at the same time in two other publications. Thus, your real profits should triple - and if you keep on reinvesting your profits in additional advertising exposure - conceivably within six months or less you should be hauling in several thousand dollars per month in profits.

Early Research

2011-11-18T17:24:00.002+05:30

On October 3, 1967, the North American X-15A-2, piloted by USAF Major William J. "Pete" Knight, was released from its NB-52 mother plane at 35,000 feet above the Mojave Desert to begin its dash for an absolute speed record of 4,520 miles per hour, a record which stood unbroken until exceeded by the Space Shuttle.

Because of the lack of oxygen at the altitudes at which the X-15 flew, the XLR99 rocket engine used anhydrous ammonia as fuel and liquid oxygen as the oxidizer. Fitted with external fuel tanks to prolong engine burn up to 70%, the A-2 climbed to 102,000 feet and reached a speed of Mach 6.7.

A-2 differed from previous Marks in that it had an ablative coating to protect it from the high temperatures encountered at the high Mach velocities. It also had a dummy scram-jet engine fitted to the stub ventral fin to test the feasibility of the engines for sustained high-Mach flight.

The X-15 expanded the envelope of manned, winged flight to the very limits of the atmosphere and opened aviation to horizons only dreamed of previously. In all its variants, X-15 will be remembered as one of the most successful X-planes.

As a direct result of test data obtained by early X-plane flights, and advances in stealth technology, super fighters have been developed that will carry America and her Allies well into the 21st Century. Using exotic fuels and oxidizers, these aircraft will operate at extreme altitudes and be capable of speeds approaching Mach 30, or 17,500 miles per hour, which speed will allow these aircraft to be placed into orbit after unassisted lift-off from their desert bases.

As aircraft technology advances, airplanes are beginning to look more and more like ovate ellipsoids, or 'Flying Saucers." The newest stealth fighters will most certainly be capable of vertical takeoff and landing and may, until the orbital goal is met, operate at speeds approaching Mach 8 or even Mach 10 with ease.

Because of the constraints inherent in protecting the pilot from death during severe maneuvers, many of these aircraft will be capable of only straight and level flight or shallow dives and climbs when operating at their Mach limits. As new data is evaluated, this problem may be solved by designing the aircraft to stop in mid-air, hover, or change directions quickly (but not instantly), or they may be flown remotely from simulators on the ground thousands of miles away.

But while we occasionally see glimpses of these new aircraft or hear rumors of their development, even more remarkable aircraft and devices are being tested in complete secrecy in underground facilities in the American Southwest deserts. If the rumors are correct (and there is no reason at this time to doubt them), galactic travel and even time-travel may be only weeks away!

DIVERSIFY YOUR ASSETS OFFSHORE

2011-11-18T17:23:00.000+05:30

The number one rule in investing is NEVER PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET. To rich people, this means, do not keep all your money in one economy. If that economy goes bust, so does your money. Therefore, keeping their money (even if not all of it) offshore gives rich people the opportunity to diversify their assets and spread any risk.

On the other end of spectrum, for the average American the idea of having a bank account in a foreign country may sound like a fantasy gone mad. If ever, this dream that may never be achievable, or even ridiculous. Afterall, to the average American, a foreign bank account is only for the extremely wealthy or the extremely criminal.

It is without question that Americans have an extremely parochial attitude when it comes to their money. In fact, with older Americans, there is even a distinct sense of suspicion of foreign banking activities. Many Americans believe that we have the best and the safest banking system in the world, so why even consider going anywhere else with your money.

Regardless of whatever reasons, the average Americans could not identify one single advantage for owning a foreign bank account. The word "foreign banking" or "offshore banking" carries with it a stigma that is largely associated with our own misconceptions of the other countries.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, there is a growing segment of Americans who have embraced the merits of offshore banking. To these thousands of legitimate and highly successful businesses and individuals, the word "offshore banking" has become an important tool for accumulating, enhancing, and protecting wealth.

A foreign bank account gives the learned investor the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits of various banking activities and blend them into a unique profit-making and tax-saving financial strategy. For the careful and conscientious investor, this very feature of offshore banking is one of the most practical ways of expanding the realm of financial opportunity, because it is one of the most creative ways to diversify your assets.

Accounts held in offshore banks are rarely subject to U.S. state and federal laws and regulations. Offshore banks can also offer a wide range of services well beyond the legal ability of U.S. banks. Through aggressive use of these services, investors can increase their profits, reduce their tax burdens, and raise capital at lower interest rates -- all without the restrictive maze of red tape often required by banks in the United States.

HOW TO OPEN A FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT

If you plan to visit a country in which you may be banking, you should consider a number of banks. Before you actually travel to visit the bank, it will be to your advantage to first correspond by post or by email. Here are some of the more salient points you should consider when selecting a bank:

>> Does it provide the banking services you require? See our section on types of account for more information about different types of services you can have.

>> How large is the bank? Is it a multi-national operating offshore, or is it an independent bank that is local to the country where it operates.

>> How secure is your investment? Does the government under which the offshore bank operates offer Deposit insurance?

>> Communications capabilities. Does the bank have internet service. Can you communicate by phone, fax, and email?

CREATING A NEW PERSONAL IDENTITY

2011-11-18T17:22:00.000+05:30

Almost everybody undergoes a certain type of investigation in their lifetime. Whether it involves credit, a job, or a business transaction. One time or another to a greater or lesser degree, everybody has experienced being scrutinized, sometimes even unknown to them.

Although most investigations are not very rigorous, it is fairly easy to turn up enough information (or the lack thereof) to spot a completely fictitious identity. For example, a prospective father-in-law runs a check on his daughter's suitor, and turns up with no records of the person's past. That would be quite alarming.

This is why although it is possible to fabricate an identity from scratch, and many people have done it successfully, it is extremely more difficult. In many cases, manufactured identities have lots of holes and may easily fail any investigation compared to a genuine identity used by an imposter. This is why people who want to change their identity, do so by looking for a good one to assume.

ASSUMING A LIVING IDENTITY

While it is important to build your documentation on a genuine identity, it is a mistake to assume the identity of another living person. Many small time criminals have made this mistake and it has cost them a trip back to jail. They lift a guy's wallet or find some credit cards while engaged in a robbery and go on a coast-to-coast spending spree. Maybe they just use the guy's ID and don't try to spend his money. But what they seem to forget is someone out there has an interest in locating them and putting a halt to their charade: the guy whose identity they copped. And if the theft is reported the police may be looking for someone using the victim's identity.

Of course, there are imposters who have a definite need to appropriate a specific person's identity. Even then, it is very tricky to collect documentation to support the hoax. The imposter might find himself explaining to the authorities how he managed to get a duplicate drivers license after the speeding ticket he received was traced to a man who wasn't even in town that day. The imposter's request for a copy of "his" birth certificate will leave a paper trail that's easy enough to follow. And a duplicate passport, if discovered, could lead to serious trouble.

When the State Department realizes it has issued passports to two different people with the same exact name and vital statistics, the shit is going to hit the fan! One passport is going to be revoked, and there are lots of places in the world where being without that litle blue book could literally be a fate worse than death. Of course, it would be difficult for the State Department to cause a traveler much trouble because there are no records kept of the exact whereabouts of U.S. passport holders. The real trouble would come when the imposter tried to enter the U.S. again or renew the passport.

Then there is the danger of crossing trails with the rightful holder of your assumed identity. The chances of this are not as slight as they may seem when you include all the people who know the original person well and might take more than passing notice of the "coincidence" of names. We've all heard of the "doctor" who finds himself behind bars after the "real thing" discovers the impersonation and blows the whistle. While there may be persons who have a need to appropriate the identity of a living individual, it is decidedly a mistake for a disappearee.

In the unlikely and unwise event that the identity of another living person is assumed, it should be that of someone who is totally undistinguished and unremarkable. Doctors, lawyers, or any other professional or official persons are so thoroughly documented that the likelihood of an imposter being spotted increases dramatically. It would be much better to assume the identity of an ordinary Joe Doakes who makes his living taking the hides off dead cows or repairing golf carts.

A BUILT-IN SECOND IDENTITY

Oddly enough, some people don't have to look any further than themselves to find a suitable new identity. Millions of people in the United States are inadvertent phantoms"; that is, their current documented identity is not the one they started out in life with. This group includes foundlings who were "given" by their parents to another couple who raised the child as their bonafide offspring, adoptees who took the name of their adopting parents without voiding their original birth records, people raised under false names so their false parents could collect more welfare benefits, etc. Many children of single mothers take the name of their "father" when mom marries or remarries.

Often the first knowledge the individual in question has of his identity situation is when he applies for a passport, or to collect Social Security or something of that nature, and discovers to his horror that there is no record whatsoever of his having been born. At least not in the place or on the date or under the name he has always regarded as his own.

Each and every one of these inadvertent identity changers has a second identity readily available. It will usually be a simple matter to document the identity he has lived with all his life, and it will also be easy to document the identity under which his birth was actually registered. For the disappearee, the only disadvantage in using his original identity is that it is a rather obvious ploy if the disappearance is thoroughly investigated by people with lots of time and money at their disposal. Of course, it is very rare for such an investigation to be conducted, so this method shouldn't be overlooked.

RESURRECTING THE DEAD

If you aren't fortunate enough to have a built-in second identity, the best way to get an identity is to use one that no one needs anymore: the identity of someone that's died. One of the beautiful things about the United States is that there's very little correlation between birth and death records. The official papers on births and deaths are kept in the smallest political subdivisions, such as towns, cities and counties. There is no central federal agency that keeps tabs on all this information. And the rules and regulations on recording births and deaths differ from state to state.

Because a great many people die without enough documentation on them to establish their place of birth, there are a huge number of identities that can be appropriated simply by finding their birth place and getting a copy of their birth certificate. Chances are that you will be able and willing to do a more thorough job of researching the deceased's identity than the bureaucrats who handled the official paperwork when he died. Let's look at some of the ways to find the right corpse.

War Buddies

A friend that you went through the service with, and that either died in combat or is "missing in action" is an excellent choice. You probably know a fair amount about his life to help you back up your new identity. Since he died outside the United States, there is a good chance his death was not officially registered in the town where he was born. This method is even better if your buddy never got around to getting a Social Security card, but there are ways to resolve that problem.

Childhood Friend

For many of the same reasons, the friend who died as a child is as good a choice as the war buddy. You may know a great deal about your childhood friend's early life that will help support your ruse. If he died in a city other than the one he was born in, chances are there are no records of his death in his hometown.

Headstones

If you can't think of someone you know personally that died in youth, you can cruise the graveyards in any town looking at the tombstones. These usually give the deceased's original name, date of birth and date of death. Sometimes they include the names of the parents and the place of death, which only make it easier to then get the ID you need.

Newspapers

A logical place to look for an identity is the obituary columns of newspapers. These are particularly good sources in small towns and rural areas because there are fewer obits to wade through, and because they usually give much more detail about the deceased's family, age, place of birth and death, and reason for death. You can then investigate anyone of the proper age who was born in a distant city.

Another item to look for is newspaper accounts of disasters like plane crashes, train derailments, volcanoes, tidal waves, fires, etc. Many times the papers will give a list of those who died in such accidents. If the death happened outside of U.S. territory then there is almost no chance that the individual's birth records have been connected with the death.

Personnel Records

If you have access to the personnel records of a large company, an employment agency or a government agency, you're In Like Flynn. In the records you'll find complete dossiers of dozens of employees, ex-employees, deceased employees, and all their families. The information will likely include background, education, and the name, place and date of birth all neatly spelled out. The names of relatives, friends, past employers and where they live may also be in the files - all grist for the mill of the identity changer. Sometimes there are separate files for deceased employees, which makes the job easier; while most companies are very protective of their personnel files, they don't worry that much about the silent majority.

The Right Fit

It is easy enough to find the identity of a dead person to acquire - someone whose birth and death records never crossed - and you can therefore be a little bit choosey about exactly which identity you take. You want an identity that suits your purposes well, so it is best to consider some of the secondary characteristics of the identity you are going to appropriate.

There are advantages and disadvantages to certain surnames. Don't choose a name like "John Smith" or "John Doe", because such a name cries out to be investigated if you ever get stopped by a police officer. The best names seem to be those from the British Isles or Northern Europe because they are fairly common all over the U.S. One name may fit great in Flint, Michigan but go over like a lead balloon in Flippin, Arkansas.

Spanish or Spanish-sounding surnames should be avoided. This is due to the immigration difficulties between the U.S. and its neighbors to the South. Anyone with a Spanish-sounding surname is checked much more thoroughly at the border with Mexico. In fact, I've seen immigration officers interrogating Hispanics in bus stations as far north as Albuquerque, New Mexico. While the name is really a small detail, it is the details that often trip up identity changers.

You also want to look at the education of the person whose identity you're taking. Hopefully, they already have a good college degree that will help you get a job. If not, you may have to go back to school, which is not as bad as it sounds. Universities are excellent places to spend time while you are getting used to your new identity. Students come under less scrutiny than your average working stiff. Also, employers and/or neighbors don't seem to ask as many questions about your past if you've only recently graduated from college.

You may want to avoid any identities that have very specialized training in their backgrounds. You would probably be foolish to acquire the ID of a doctor, not only because you will have to assemble an enormous amount of documentation to support this identity but also because you may be called on to use your professional skills - which you don't really have. Taking the identity of a demolitions expert would also be a foolish choice, because you never know when some arsonist is going to trigger a police search for people with "your" documented skills.

It would be nice if you could find the identity of someone who was engaged in work that you, yourself, can perform. Or perhaps the person whose identity you assume will have experience in an area of interest to you. If you can't find a good occupational match, the next best thing is a general kind of background that could be adapted to a variety of different jobs.

As a final note, you don't even want to think about assuming the identity of someone who left a family behind when they went. Chances are their ex-wife or kids are collecting Social Security or some other benefit as a result of the death. When you appropriate such an identity there are excellent chances that you will trigger a connection to the dead man's family. If someone's monthly check disappears because of you, it won't be long before the matter is cleared up - to your detriment.

DOCUMENTING YOUR NEW IDENTITY

As we have seen, the best way to build a new identity is to assume the identity of someone who's died without having their death officially noted in the place they were born. If you believe you have found the right identity to assume you may still have difficulty locating that person's place of birth, which is essential. Let's take a look at a few ways to uncover this information.

Several of the methods used to find a good identity will also provide the details you will need to document it. Obituaries, gravestones and newspaper accounts of disasters are all likely to contain information about the place of birth, the date of birth and the parents' names. The obituary of a person may provide the name of his former employer. Using a ruse you may be able to obtain the information you need from his employer's personnel file. If the person was a childhood friend or relative, you probably know some people to contact that would know their date and place of birth.

I know of one instance where a person knew the name and place of residence of someone who'd died that he thought would be a good identity to assume. Using a mail drop and letterhead run off in the deceased person's name, he wrote off to the U.S. Census Bureau to see if they had any information that might help him. The Census Bureau wrote back requesting $7.50. He sent them a money order through the mail drop. The information he received in return was not only enough to get the birth certificate he needed but was in and of itself official enough to get a passport.

If you are having a difficult time of the research or live in a distant town where records aren't handy, you can pay someone to do the research for you. Law school students or moonlighting legal researchers are the best types to hire. They don't ask too many questions and they like the color of your money. Most of them are fairly sharp, and locating birth records is child's play for them.

Birth Certificates

All identification in all countries comes back to the original registration of birth. So the first thing an identity changer needs to do is acquire the birth certificate of the original holder of the identity being assumed. To do this, you will need to know where and when the person was born and, ideally, the parents' names and the mother's maiden name.

Other than the sources already mentioned, one place to get this information is from birth notices in the newspapers. You will find that many births are never announced in the papers. This is because many of us are bastards, in more ways than one, and newspaper editors are very tactful about such matters. In fact, the birth may not be announced if the parents had a big society wedding five or six months prior to the birth. In these cases hospital records and church baptismal records may come in handy.

Once you have the proper identification, you need to then request a copy of the birth certificate. You needn't be worried about arousing suspicion. Lots of people do not have either their original birth certificate or a copy. They get lost, their parents never gave it to them, they get destroyed in fires or floods, etc. In fact, the lack of an original birth certificate is so common that the U.S. Passport Office provides information on how to go about requesting a certified copy. Contact your nearest Passport Office to get this information.

There will usually be a small fee for the duplicate birth certificate. When requesting one, you should use a letterhead run off in the name of the person whose ID you are after. You should use money orders for all payments required, and conduct your communications through a mail drop. That will make it harder for anyone looking for you to trace you, should something unexpected come up.

If you counter resistance to your request, there are ways of getting around it. I know of one stuffy county clerk who would not provide a birth certificate to a friend of mine who wanted to acquire a specific identity. My friend simply found a lawyer who had just hung out his shingle in the town where the deceased was born. My friend told the attorney that he was looking for a missing heir and needed to see the potential heir's birth certificate.

The lawyer didn't even raise an eyebrow. He said that his fee would be fifty dollars, payable in advance. My friend laid out a U.S. Grant, the lawyer deposited it in his vest pocket, then told my friend to make himself comfortable in the waiting room. The attorney then headed across town to the courthouse. A half hour later my friend had not only a certified copy of the birth certificate he wanted, but copies of both the individual's parents' birth certificates too.

Once you have the birth certificate, getting the rest of the documents you need is a piece of cake. We'll take a look at a few of the more important pieces of ID you will want to acquire.

Social Security Number

One of the trickier pieces of ID to get will be a new Social Security number. As we stated before, it is extremely inadvisable to use the number that came with your new identity because you may cause all sorts of bells and whistles to go off at the Social Security Administration. And it is even more important not to use the number you had in your former identity, again because the inconsistency between names and numbers is going to catch up with you. The SSA may not say anything as long as you keep paying into the system, but when your turn comes to be on the receiving end, look out.

The tricky part about getting a Social Security number is making up a clever ruse to satisfy a snoopy clerk who wants to know why you're applying so late in life. First of all, it's none of their business. No one says you have to tell them anything. Their job is to take names and issue numbers. And most clerks will do just that. They don't get paid a fortune to fill out those forms, so chances are they aren't too sophisticated and probably don't give a damn. But if you don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to yourself, it could be handy to have a ruse at the ready.

There are a lot of logical reasons for a person not to get a Social Security number until late in life. A person just released from an institution like a prison or a mental hospital may never have had a card. Someone who's been a "perpetual student" spending years accumulating degrees may not have one. Probably the best ruse is that you've been living abroad since your parents moved to Canada when you were a teenager. Any of these ruses should be enough to bore the clerk into issuing the number.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE REVIEWS

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Learn to Type... If you are trying to learn how to type, you'll love the software program - Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. It's available for $34.95 from Global Software (1-800-8-GLOBAL).

This program is well worth the money because it actually makes typing fun. I tried this out on my friend Laurie, who had never sat down at a computer in her life. She was labeled as the "typical" hunt-and-peck typist. However, she even loved this program.

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is menu driven and the more you use it the more it adapts to your particular strengths and weaknesses. (Aren't computers smarter than ever now?) It also entertains you while you learn by providing 2D and 3D graphics, lifelike keyboard and "guide hands" to show you the perfect technique for added convenience. We especially liked the Racing Game, where the faster you type the faster your race car travels.

Can You Run a Company?

Capitalist Pig, exclusively available from DataCal (800)336-5988 (Stock NO: M37001) for $29.95 is worth every penny! It's the best thing I've seen - especially if you are just starting a home-based business.

Capitalist Pig simulates a real business environment to test your entrepreneurial skills to the limit. To play, you set your plan, fill an empty building with employees and product, and then what you say, goes. Of course, like real life and real business, things don't always go as planned. Like that break-in the other night (uh-oh, did you buy insurance?), embezzlements (the accountant seemed trustworthy), tax audits, even terrorist attacks. The game is economically accurate too, with actual statistics and world events built into the model for all businesses created between 1901 and 1991. Adding to the fun are colorful animation and realistic sound effects. Try your hand at business building. Go boom or bust. All you need to invest is a little of your spare time!

Thumbs Down on This One

"cardsNOW" is a software program for designing business cards. It's available from Global Software (1-800-8-GLOBAL) for $39.95.

First of all, business cards are normally printed with a raised print. Anything less makes you look unprofessional and amateurish. In addition, people will normally use a color ink for their logo or company name. Both of these options are NOT available with this program, which degrades the quality look of your business cards considerably.

So why spend $39.95 for a program and $10.95 for 25 sheets of perforated business card paper, when you can send a camera-ready master to any mail order printer and have 1,000 professional business cards printed in RAISED lettering as well as 2-color for around $30? How long does 1,000 business cards last you? That's about a 6-month supply for us, which would not warrant the extra money to spend on this software program.

A Low-Cost Graphics Library

"Lotus SmartPics", exclusively available from TPC Connection (800)800-5555 for $75. Over 2,000 high-quality and professional graphics to enhance all your documents, flyers, memos, reports, bulletins, presentations and other business communications.

And as an ADDED BONUS, when you order "Lotus SmartPics" you get FREE Bitstream L'il Bits Winter Holiday Font Pack. These fonts are also a designer's dream. You get unique ones like SnowCap, the ornate Cloister Black, the elegant Shelly, Allegro, or the ghostly FreeForm 721. Now all you have to add are turkeys, snowflakes, bells, sleds and candy canes to name a few.

Graphico's Mail Order Private Collection is available for $15 from Graphico's Clipart, P.O. Box 488, Bluff City, TN 37618 and contains 2 high-density 3 1/2" diskettes full of mailboxes, borders, money and enhancements any mail order dealer will use over and over again. It's perfect for "beginners" as well as "pros."

COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE

2011-11-18T17:17:00.000+05:30

When first introduced, it was a hard task just to get the communication software to talk to the modem and get everything worked out just right.

As with all computer programs and software, over the years, communication software has leaped forward dramatically in the last couple of years. There have been several things added to the features available with communication software; but, fortunately, the price has remained stable.

Features-- There are a lot of features that you should look for in software for communications. You should try to get auto-dial, screen capture, phone directories, and macros. In this section, I will tell you a little about each of them and how they work.

NOTE: Do not go out right now and try to get your hands on the most fascinating piece of software you can find. You will be wasting your money. There are several programs out there that will do just as well, and will cost you half as much.

You will find that a lot of the programs that come with your computer will already have communication software installed in them. Microsoft Windows has a program that comes with it called Terminal. GeoWorks has a program that comes with it called GeoComm. And there are many others.

The first thing you should look for in software is compatibility. You need to make sure that the software you buy is able to run with both your computer and your modem. If your computer has a built-in communications program, then all you will have to do is make sure that the modem is compatible. It probably will be.

You will also want to make sure that your software is compatible with different BBSes and on-line services. Some software will only run with one kind of on-line service such as CompuServe. It will do you some good to look for a broad-based, general-purpose communications program. If you wish, you may have as many communications programs as you have room for on your computer; there is no limit.

Choosing Your Software

Shareware

You will want to look over a lot of different programs that are available. You will definitely want to look at shareware. Shareware is a program where you can use the program, and then pay for it later it you like it. You should check with people who use BBSes and find out what kind of software they use and why they use it. If you can't figure out what software to use, go with shareware.

Windows3X or Windows'95 In the past, if you wanted a high quality and fast program, you bought Win3X. Now, new Windows programs are appearing that have all the features of their Win3X counterparts but are easier to learn. Windows programs also boast an ability to take directly from the modem and into your word processor--without even saving it first. Keep in mind,though, that by design Windows'95 programs require a faster machine than Win3X programs do.

Choosing the Right Repair Shop

2011-11-18T17:15:00.000+05:30

No matter what you drive--sports car, family sedan, pick-up, or mini-van, when you go in for repairs or service, you want the job done right. The following advice should take much of the guesswork out of finding a good repair establishment.

I. Preliminaries

Don't just drop your vehicle off at the nearest establishment and hope for the best. That's not choosing a shop, that's merely gambling.

Read your owner's manual to become familiar with your vehicle and follow the manufacturer's suggested service schedule.

Start shopping for a repair facility before you need one; you can make better decisions when you are not rushed or in a panic.

Ask friends and associates for their recommendations. Even in this high-tech era, old-fashioned word-of- mouth reputation is still valuable.

Check with your local consumer organization regarding the reputation of the shop in question.

If possible, arrange for alternate transportation in advance so you will not feel forced to choose a facility solely on the basis of location.

Once you choose a repair shop, start off with a minor job; if you are pleased, trust them with more complicated repairs later

II. At the Shop

Look for a neat, well-organized facility, with vehicles in the parking lot equal in value to your own and modern equipment in the service bays.

Professionally run establishments will have a courteous, helpful staff. The service writer should be willing to answer all of your questions.

Feel free to ask for the names of a few customers. Call them.

All policies (labor rates, guarantees, methods of payment, etc.) should be posted and/or explained to your satisfaction.

Ask if the shop customarily handles your vehicle make and model. Some facilities specialize.

Ask if the shop usually does your type of repair, especially if you need major work.

Look for signs of professionalism in the customer service area: civic and community service awards, membership in the Better Business Bureau, AAA-Approved Auto Repair status, customer service awards.

The backbone of any shop is the competence of the technicians.

Look for evidence of qualified technicians, such as trade school diplomas, certificates of advanced course work, and ASE certifications--a national standard of technician competence.

III. Follow-Up

Keep good records; keep all paperwork.

Reward good service with repeat business. It is mutually beneficial to you and the shop owner to establish a relationship.

If the service was not all you expected, don't rush to another shop. Discuss the problem with the service manager or owner. Give the business a chance to resolve the problem. Reputable shops value customer feedback and will make a sincere effort to keep your business.

A Word about ASE

Perhaps years ago, a shade-tree mechanic whose only credentials were a tool box and busted knuckles was enough. But today's quality-conscious consumers demand more.

The independent, non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) conducts the only industry-wide, national certification program for automotive technicians.

Consumers benefit from ASE's certification program since it takes much of the guesswork out of finding a competent technicians.

ASE certifies the competency of individual technicians through a series of standardized specialty exams (brakes, transmissions, engine repair, ect.)

ASE CERTIFIED

We employ technicians certified by the National institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE. Let us show you their credentials

Certified technicians are issued pocket credentials listing their area(s) of expertise and usually wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia, while employers often post the ASE sign on the premises. There are over a quarter million ASE technicians at work in every type of repair facility.

CHANGING YOUR NAME

2011-11-18T17:14:00.000+05:30

After you were born, you did not have a choice as to what your parents named you. Fortunately, as an adult citizen of the United States, you have the right to use any name you choose, provided you do so without any intent of defrauding or harming others. For example, you may not adopt the name of a famous personality or even the brand name of a popular product. Wanting to change your name for that purpose can be considered as one with malicious intent.

Every state has at least one method to change an individual's name, but some states have two methods. These are commonly known as court petition and usage. Depending on the state in which you live, both are legal and valid methods. For example, California residents have the right to be known by whatever first and last name they choose.

BY COURT PETITION

The most popular way an individual can legally change his or her name is bythrough what is called Court Petition Method. A name change by this method is accomplished by simply completing Name Change Form and by filing it with the county clerk's office.

This method is quite similar to the process involved when you register the name of a business, called DBA (Doing Business As). You fill out the proper forms, file it with the county clerk, and then publish a notice of filing in a local newspaper.

The objective of this notice is to publicly announce your intention to change your name. This notice also allows any person who may have any good reason to object, to file a motion against your name change. However, if your notice is properly published and has served its term (usually 4 weeks or 30 days), the court will grant your request for name change.

ADOPTED USE METHOD

As its name suggests, changing your name using the Adopted Use Method means simply that you adopt a new name and use that name in all aspects of your personal, social and business life.

Unfortunately, this method is not acceptable in most states. Therefore, if the state in which you presently reside does not recognize the Adopted Use Method, simply set up a residence in a state that has the usage provision and change your name there.

This method is equally valid and legal as a name changed via the Court Petition Method. Unlike court petition, however, the Adopted Use Method requires no formal court filings. Most of the forms you will need to fill out will be with governemnt agencies like the Motor Vehicle and SSA.

Once you have decided to adopt and use a new name, you have to inform your employer, friends, family members, etc. Inform them that you now want them to call you and use only your new name. If applying for a new job, or securing for credit you have to use your new name. You may not use your old name and new name simultaneously.

CREATING A NEW IDENTITY

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Although most investigations are not very rigorous, it is fairly easy to turn up enough information (or the lack thereof) to spot a completely fictitious identity. For example, a prospective father-in-law runs a check on a his daughter's suitor, and turns up with no records of the person's past. That would be quite alarming.

ASSUMING A LIVING IDENTITY

RESURRECTING THE DEAD

War Buddies

Childhood Friend

Headstones

Newspapers

CHANGING YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE

2011-11-18T17:08:00.003+05:30

The respect given to a drivers license as positive identification is quite surprising, even though to a large extent, it is not warranted. As an evidence of identity, a driver's license is as solid as water balloon. Yet, everyone continues to use and accept it as proof of positive identification.

The drivers license is almost universally demanded when cashing checks, which is why check artists always have a drivers license ready at all times. If you walk to a liquor store with a passport to purchase with a check, chances are you will be turned down in favor of the drivers license, even though passports contain more thorough information and are more expensive and harder to obtain than a drivers license.

It is with good reason why drivers licenses carry so much weight as proof of positive identification. In most states a drivers license is the only thing a person carries in the way of identification that has his photograph on it. In fact with some states, DLs also use thumb print, although the average store clerk cannot really verify that it is that of the user.

Although a thumb print is a far better method of establishing an identity than a photograph, for the shopkeeper who doesn't have the expertise to compare prints, the photograph is the best basis for accepting check payments. In fact, the drivers license is such a popular piece of ID that many states issue licenses even to people who do not drive. While it really isn't a "license" at all, since it doesn't permit the holder to do anything, it is useful and readily accepted as a form of personal identification.

Getting a drivers license late in life is quite common, it is not unusual for someone to walk into a DMV office and get a license for the first time. This is why a DL is something people get when they want to change the identity.

When asked why someone is getting a DL so late in life, a person changing identity can come up with a number of excuses. Many people don't have the money to buy a car until they've saved enough over the years. Another very rational explanation is that you've been living in a city with excellent mass transit and you did not have to drive.

When applying for your DL, bring your birth certificate or passport. Along with your other identifications, you will want to bring a few letters addressed to you as proof of your residence. It should be easy enough to arrange for them to show your mail drop address rather than your actual residence.

Car Problems

2011-11-18T17:08:00.000+05:30

WHAT IS THE CAUSE AND THE CURE FOR: STRANGE NOISES; CAR STARTS, BUT STALLS; CAR DOESN'T START

Anyone who owns a car knows they're not foolproof mechanisms; they sometimes break down. Being able to diagnose a problem and to cure it can make your life a lot easier.

If your car is making strange noises, this could originate in several different parts. There may be a problem with your valves; check all parts relating to oil and check the valves. You may have a problem with the connecting rods; check all parts relating to oil, check the bearings, crankshaft and connecting rods. Or the strange noises may be caused by the main bearing; in this case check all parts relating to oil and check the bearing and crankshaft.

If your problem is that your car starts and then stalls, you car may be suffering from one of a few problems. Check the carburetor to make sure it is getting an adequate fuel supply. Clean your spark plugs; dirty ones may be causing the problem. And perhaps you need to replace a worn distributor wire or worn distributor rotor. A faulty coil can stop your vehicle engine from turning over. Also, faulty ignition wiring should be replaced.

If your car just won't start, your problem may be with a faulty battery. Test your battery and either recharge or replace it. Remember that loose or corroded battery connections may also be keeping your car from starting properly. Clean and tighten them.

Knowing how to diagnose these problems may save you some time, concern and money in the long run. Taking the mystery out of your car's engine, knowing how to handle little problems, can make motoring much more of a pleasure.

Car Care And The Environment

2011-11-18T17:07:00.000+05:30

Car care is definitely a win-win situation. Besides helping the environment, a properly maintained and operated vehicle will run more efficiently, will be safer, and will last longer--up to 50% longer, according to a survey of ASE-certified Master Auto Technicians. The following tips should put you on the road to environmentally conscious car care.

Keep your engine tuned up. A misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30%. Follow the service schedules listed in your owner's manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended.

Check your tires for proper inflation. Underinflation wastes fuel--your engine has to work harder to push the vehicle. Wheels that are out-of-line (as evidenced by uneven tread wear or vehicle pulling) make the engine work harder, too. Properly maintained tires will last longer, meaning fewer scrap tires have to be disposed.

Every ten days, motorists who drive with under-inflated tires and poorly maintained engines waste 70 million gallons of gasoline.

Car Care Council

Keep your air conditioner in top condition and have it serviced only by a technician certified competent to handle/recycle refrigerants. Air conditioners contain CFCs--gases that have been implicated in the depletion of the ozone layer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, almost one third of the CFCs released into the atmosphere come from mobile air conditioners; some simply leaks out, but the majority escapes during service and repair--so it's important to choose a qualified technician.

Do-it-yourselfers: dispose of used motor oil, anti-freeze/coolant, tires, and old batteries properly. Many repair facilities accept these items. Or call your local municipal or county government for recycling sites. Never dump used oil or anti-freeze on the ground or in open streams.

Each year twenty times the amount of oil spilled by the tanker Exxon Valdez in Alaska is improperly dumped into America's environment by do-it-yourselfers.

Automotive Information Council

Observe speed limits. Mileage decreases sharply above 55 mph.

Drive gently. Avoid sudden accelerations and jerky stop-and-go's. Use cruise-control on open highways to keep your speed as steady as possible.

Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends and family. Today's vehicles are designed to "warm up" fast, so forget about those five-minute warm ups on cold winter mornings.

Remove excess items from the vehicle. Less weight means better mileage. Store luggage/ cargo in the trunk rather than on the roof to reduce air drag.

Plan trips. Consolidate your daily errands to eliminate unnecessary driving. Try to travel when traffic is light to avoid stop-and-go conditions. Join a car pool.

Remember, how your car runs, how you drive it, and how its fluids, old parts, and tires are disposed of all have serious consequences on the environment.

Buying A Used Car

2011-11-18T17:06:00.002+05:30

Because new cars are expensive, most people find themselves in the market for a used vehicle when they need wheels. And buying a used car isn't easy; you want to get the best car you can for the best deal you can. Read on to find out how you can handle your used car purchase.

CHECKLIST OF QUESTIONS TO ASK ON THE TELEPHONE:

Why are you selling the car?
How long have you owned it?
Does it need any repairs?
Is there any rust on the car?

CHECKLIST OF ITEMS TO LOOK FOR BEFORE YOU TEST DRIVE:

Rust, holes, gunk in tailpipe
Mismatches in paint (may indicate a past accident)
Tires in poor condition, uneven tread wear
Door locks work without sticking
All headlights and other lights work
Upholstery not sagging
Suspension doesn't sag

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO WATCH FOR ON THE ROAD:

Clutch doesn't slip or make any noise
Exhaust pumping out black or blue smoke
Emergency brake holds on hill
Make sure the car doesn't pull to one side, i.e., that the wheels are properly aligned
Make sure steering doesn't wander or make noises
Accelerate on a hill to determine engine strength

CHECKLIST FOR THE MECHANICAL TEST

Engine system, compression, spark plug reading, fuel pump, ignition, oil condition
Electrical system, wiring, alternator, regulator, air conditioner
Brakes, lining, pads, drums
Driveline, transmission, universal joints
Suspension, shocks, springs, ball joints, wheel balance o Frame and body, check for rust and evidence of structural damage.

BEWARE OF FREE CREDIT CARD OFFERS

2011-11-18T17:01:00.000+05:30

They arrive in your mail - a conspicuous looking mail piece from some "official looking" bank claiming that you have been Pre-Approved for a Mastercard or VISA credit card.

Of course, you don't have to have any credit. You can even have bad credit or have just filed bankruptcy or even be rated as a "slow payer." It doesn't matter because these companies want to give you a second chance! These companies want to make it easy for you to obtain a credit card because they only want your money!

How the thing works is that you must send $35 to receive an application that provides you with a name and address listing of banks willing to give you a VISA and/or Mastercard without any credit approval. That's a stiff price to pay for a sheet of paper, don't you think? The instructions that come with the application will let you know how the scheme works. You must open up a bank account with the bank once that bank approves you. Big deal! They make it appear that you have won some contest or something and people will feel "good inside" that someone has approved them.

But that's not all. The minimum amount you must deposit is $200 but you can deposit as much as you want. In return, you get a Mastercard or VISA credit card with a credit limit up to the amount you deposit. Wow! What a great honor! This is no break! Think about it. If a stranger gave you $200 to hold for him until Friday wouldn't you feel safe in granting them a $200 loan? I mean, it's their own money you've got. If they default, you've got the full amount to pay off the loan. It takes a twisted mind to take $200 from you, grant you $200 credit with your own money plus charge you astronomical interest rates just to take the money from your hand and give it back to you. That's insane!

Of course, to combat this insanity, the great and wonderful banks claim to help fix your credit report. They say that if you maintain payments in a correct fashion, this information will be reported to the credit bureau. Yea, right! When Shell calls the credit bureau to check your credit for a gas credit card, your report shows 47 defaulted loans and a bankruptcy. However, there is one company that you make payments to on-time. Big deal. Don't you think the rest of your bad credit will still be the deciding factor in Shell's final decision. You bet you bottom dollar!

Look at this: the bank makes money from the interest of your deposit. The bank also makes money by charging you 18% to 22% interest for the right to use their Mastercard or VISA. Plus the bank is guaranteed their money because if you don't pay on time, they take the money out of the bank account you opened with them along with any interest you have accumulated.

Why would anyone with $200 to deposit want a credit card with a $200 limit? If you have $200 and want to buy an item for $200 - go out and purchase it. That way, you'll own it lock, stock and barrel. No interest, no payments, no hassle! Plus, you won't owe your soul to the company store, so-to-speak.

Credit is a wonderful thing if you use it intelligently. I know people who charge $100 at the beginning of the month and use that $100 to make $300. It's free money for 30 days. Then, when the bill comes, they immediately pay the entire balance and come out smelling like a rose with $200 to the good. Credit is also needed in certain circumstances for establishing clout. You can't call in a telephone order unless you can charge the purchase to your credit card. This delays you getting items you want now.

In fact, some companies will try and make you feel "low class" if you don't own a credit card. I am proud to say that I DON'T OWN one. When I'm in a store and they say "Would you like to put this on your charge?" I promptly say, "No, I pay for everything I buy!" They immediately shut up. And if they would snap back with a rude answer, I'd leave the stuff sitting on the counter, walk out of the store and get what I needed somewhere else. You don't have to take abuse just because you don't choose to line the pockets of the rich credit card companies! It's insane!

If you've ever had a credit card and charged $200, you know you end up paying back $400 or more (unless you pay the balance within 30 days.) Stop allowing these so called banks to rip you off.