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Pull the Plug

Want to put a thousand bucks back into your wallet in 2014? If you’re paying around $100 per month now for cable or satellite TV, pulling that plug would more than do it – and without leaving you high and dry for TV entertainment.

To many, pulling the plug might feel extreme and seem out of the realm of possibility, but it’s truly liberating and actually exciting to get TV for FREE…the way it used to be. Box up that DVR and the remotes and return it to sender. Call your programming provider and say “Asta la vista baby!”

You can still get all the local free broadcast channels, access to movies, TV and sports (live and otherwise), online content as well as an audio feed for cable news channels.

If this idea intrigues you, here are the steps for pulling the plug!

STEP 1: GET AN ANTENNA

In today’s digital world with the […]

By |December 13th, 2013|Personal Development, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Pull the Plug

Do the stately domes in our capitols have REAL gold on them?

Do the stately domes in our capitols have REAL gold on them?Buildings represent the ability of people to create their own space separate from the outer environment and represent security, safety and permanence. Domes within buildings are often used to demonstrate freedom, pursuit of higher ideals, and equity. The structures are free from apparent support, lift the eye upward, and appear equally pleasing from all points below. Tie in gold plating on the exterior bringing value and beauty, and the perfect symbolism for government structures results.

The most influential dome in Western architecture dates back to the Ancient Romans. The Pantheon, completed in 126 AD, is the oldest public building in continuous use. Since the 7th century it has been a Catholic Church. Domes have continued to be an architectural favorite for much of the world with variations from the perfect half sphere to […]

By |January 14th, 2013|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Do the stately domes in our capitols have REAL gold on them?

3 Reasons Why Diamonds Are So Expensive

3 Reasons Why Diamonds Are So ExpensiveWhy not offer synthetic diamonds for the same size, but half the price? Will the average Joe know the difference? Probably not. It is safe to say that the De Beers marketing campaign has got to be what the most persuasive marketing scheme ever!

There are three main reasons diamonds are so expensive:

1. Diamonds are historical

Diamonds have been used by many people worldwide to store and transport wealth across geographies and generations, especially people who have been persecuted throughout history and forced to migrate against their will. For instance, there are many stories in pre-WWII Nazi Germany of Jewish families trading family assets through diamonds because they were easy to conceal. (There’s actually a scene in Schindler’s List that shows some family members hiding diamonds in a loaf of bread.)

2. Diamonds are emotional, and closely tied to marketing

The […]

By |January 14th, 2013|Uncategorized|Comments Off on 3 Reasons Why Diamonds Are So Expensive

Thanksgiving Gold

The young woman was restless as she lay down to sleep. The wind was blowing the snow through the cracks of her cabin while the high pitched cries of some wild animal bounced off the walls. She had lost ten pounds since moving to this lonely place and never felt quite warm. She listened to the sound of her young husband snoring and wondered that the children could sleep so peacefully.

What was that sound now? It almost sounded like someone knocking. Who could that be?

The woman crept out of her bed and tried to peer through the chinks in the door. It was the woman, a girl really – a native. They had bumped into each other that afternoon, while each was getting water from the creek. They both were startled but soon realized that neither one meant the other harm. They had smiled […]

By |November 12th, 2012|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Thanksgiving Gold

When All That Glitters…is NOT Gold

There are many terms thrown around the jewelry industry. One you see often when shopping for jewelry is “gold plated.” As a consumer, you should know what, exactly, you are buying. There are many types of plating, but no matter which way you look at it, anything that’s gold plated (or sometimes called “gold filled”)…is not worth anything.  Depending upon the type of jewelry (and the price), plating may be heavy or micro thin, but with the advanced state of technology, there’s never much gold on these pieces. They are practically worthless, and here’s why.

Gold wash – This type of plating is…well, cheap. It’s super thin, ½ micron at best. For comparison, a micron is 1 millionth of an inch. In other words, REALLY thin.  In fact, this plating is so thin that the gold wears off easily. Usually only found on costume jewelry, there aren’t any […]

By |November 9th, 2012|Uncategorized|Comments Off on When All That Glitters…is NOT Gold

Small Business is the Right Business

Have you ever heard of “Small Business Saturday”?  I never did before a couple of years ago, but I’ve been a fan ever since.  It’s a national day created by American Express to encourage people to support their local small businesses instead of the big guys – the mega giants such as Best Buy, Staples, Denny’s, Ralphs Supermarket, Macy’s and the like.  And we certainly can’t leave out Wal-Mart.  Their international empire has wiped out many a small business because the little guys just can’t compete.

Whenever possible, I try to shop from the small businesses in my community.  It is important to me because I AM a small business.  I know firsthand how hard and expensive it is to keep a small business going.  The costs are all outrageous, and everything adds up quickly, especially here in California.  The list of products & […]

By |November 9th, 2012|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Small Business is the Right Business

Why India Loves Gold

Why India Loves GoldIndia has a love affair with gold, and it goes beyond buying small “pretties” to adorn the body. In India, the dream is to acquire gold – and as much of it – as you can afford. For there, gold isn’t merely a component of jewelry, it’s a wearable display of riches.

Gold has always played a role in Indian society; there is even a Hindu God dedicated to wealth and prosperity (among other things) called Lakshmi. One day each year is dedicated to Lakshmi. Hindus are taught that buying gold on that day will result in prosperity for the buyer. Gold buying one day before or one day after won’t have the same outcome.

Effect on World Gold Market

India’s demand for gold is so high that they represent 32 percent of the total world gold market. That’s a lot of jewelry […]

By |August 10th, 2012|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Why India Loves Gold

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…

Its official – summer is here. I don’t know about where you live, but here in Southern California, it’s hot, hot, hot!  The summer months are a different time of the year; schedules shift, daylight seems endless and the outdoors beckons. The way you live during the rest of the year might not apply during summer. Now I love singing the blues (because I love to sing), but doing a little advance planning can have you singing summer’s praises instead of the blues.

For those activities you know you’ll be doing a lot (baseball/softball games, trips to the pool, concerts in the park, etc) designate a place in your home to keep any equipment together. This will not only prevent things from being strewn about the house, but makes it a snap to get ready and less stressful, too. We try to practice this at our house, but it’s […]

By |July 9th, 2011|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…

The Great STUFF Dilemma – Part 2

How did this happen? 

In its infancy, the storage unit industry was mainly used for households in between homes or under renovation. In other words, short-term storage solutions. But as the industry matured, and the cost of goods went down while incomes went up, the lowly storage unit suddenly had a new purpose: storing Stuff that households just couldn’t bear to throw away.

Admittedly, some of the Stuff came from the homes of aging parents who, for whatever reason, couldn’t bear to part with their Stuff. Adult children acquiesced and did as they were told; they kept their parents Stuff – but not in their homes where there was no room. Thus begins the long slide into having Stuff in storage for years, not months.

So, I suppose you could blame some of this storage unit use on sentiment. Storing furniture you grew up with still provides a link to that bygone […]

By |July 1st, 2011|All About April, Personal Development, Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Great STUFF Dilemma – Part 2

The Great STUFF Dilemma – Part 1

So What IS Behind Door #3?

If there’s one thing that can be said for Americans, we like our Stuff. Yes, that’s Stuff with a capital “S.”

In fact, some of us have so much Stuff that we can’t even keep in it our own home. So we rent a storage unit for our Stuff. Think about this for a minute. If you have things you’re not using, things that have outlived their usefulness for you, things that you might use “someday” (but someday never comes), does it really make sense to, essentially, go rent it a home to live in while you decide what to do with it?

I think not. And yet that’s what nearly 10 percent of Americans do these days. That’s a lot of extraneous Stuff taking up valuable space, not to mention dollars.

I have to admit that although I don’t have to rent a storage […]

By |June 30th, 2011|Personal Development, Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Great STUFF Dilemma – Part 1