Flushing Out Frauds

March 9th, 2010 by admin

Flushing Out Frauds

ยฉ 2002 Elena Fawkner

“… ALWAYS carry out your own due diligence! Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Regular readers will recognize the above language. It comes from the “Caveat Emptor” section which appears towards the end of each issue of A Home-Based Business Online.

Good advice to be sure (even if I do say so myself). But what does “due diligence” mean and how do you do it? Basically, it means to be diligent in researching your proposed business opportunity so you can be as sure as you can be what you’re getting into and why.

All very well and good, but how do you actually do it effectively?

Stock-standard advice includes:

1. Check with the BBB about whether your opportunity has any complaints filed against it.

2. Do a Dun & Bradstreet search to find out about its credit history.

3. Check business references.

4. If practical, visit the place of business.

Only one problem with this approach. Although it’s a good start for researching a legitimate opportunity, it won’t flush out a fraudulent one.

A newly formed company won’t have any complaints filed against it with the BBB. D&B won’t be much help since scam artists will generally keep their trade creditors in good standing until immediately before they pull up stakes and vanish into the night. Business references are invariably nothing but shills (associates of the scammer paid for their recommendation services). And few potential purchasers living in New York are likely to travel to California just to lay eyes on the so-called corporate headquarters of their opportunity. Even if they do, a serviced office gives just the right professional impression.

So, how do you flush out a fraudulent business opportunity? Well, there’s a hard way and there’s an easy way. The hard way (which is oh so easy at the time) is to fork over your money and then watch as it flies away. The easy way (which is oh so difficult at the time, at least compared to just handing over your money) is to use your state’s and/or the FTC’s disclosure laws for business opportunities (if available) and then methodically work through the information available to you until you have enough information to make an intelligent decision.

There are 23 states in the United States with business opportunity laws on their books. Most prohibit sales of business opportunities unless the seller gives prospective purchasers disclosure documentation that has been filed with the state. The 23 states are: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. (See http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/franchise/netbusop.htm for links to more information.)

In addition, if the business opportunity falls within the definition of a franchise or is a vending machine or display rack opportunity, the FTC’s Franchise & Business Opportunity Rule mandates detailed disclosures such as identifying information about the franchisor (the person offering the business opportunity), the franchisor’s business experience, litigation history, bankruptcy history, initial funds required, recurring funds required, financial information about the franchisor and much more . A franchise is defined broadly and just because it’s not referred to as a franchise doesn’t mean it isn’t. See http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/franchise/16cfr436.htm for the full text of the Rule.

The point of all of this is that many, perhaps most, opportunities you’ll come across will either fall within the FTC’s definition of a franchise and thereby trigger the federal disclosure requirements (or, if the franchise offer is made in California, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington or Wisconsin, state franchise disclosure requirements) or, if not technically a franchise, the opportunity may very well fall within the scope of the state business opportunity disclosure laws of the 23 states listed earlier. So, when considering a particular business opportunity, take this approach:

1. Determine whether it is being offered in one of the 13 states with franchise disclosure laws. If so, determine whether the opportunity is a franchise as defined under the state’s law. If so, check whether the state requires the disclosure document to be filed with the state. If so, check whether it has been. If not, assume the opportunity’s a fraud until proven otherwise. If the state in question doesn’t require the disclosure document to be filed with the state and you’re not provided with such a document from the company when you ask for it, assume the opportunity is a fraud until proven otherwise.

2. If the opportunity is not being offered in one of these 13 states, determine whether it falls within the definition of a franchise under the FTC’s Franchise & Business Opportunity Rule. If so, check whether a disclosure document has been filed with the FTC. If not, assume the opportunity’s a fraud until proven otherwise.

3. If the opportunity doesn’t fall within the federal or state definitions of what constitutes a franchise, if it’s being offered in one of the states with business opportunity laws on its books which requires disclosure documents to be filed with the state, check that it has been. If not, assume the opportunity’s a fraud until proven otherwise. If the state doesn’t require filing, and the company doesn’t provide you with a disclosure document when you ask for one, again assume the opportunity’s a fraud until proven otherwise.

Also, bear in mind that just because your state may not have business opportunity disclosure laws, other states do. Many business opportunities are offered nationally. Where that’s the case, make enquiries of the states that do have business opportunity disclosure laws to see if the company has complied. If it has, that should provide some comfort (all other things being equal).

The above approach is kind of an initial disqualifying round. If the opportunity is required to provide some form of disclosure and fails to do so, that’s a big red flag.

Of course, just because you receive the disclosure document doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a good business opportunity for you. All it does is (theoretically) provide you with enough information from which you can make your determination. At the end of the day, you must still exercise your own good judgment.

There are still going to be situations where a disclosure document is not required to be provided though, simply because the opportunity is not a franchise and it’s not being offered in a state that has business opportunity disclosure laws.

So, here’s a 10-point checklist of things to do and check when you have nothing else to rely on. In fact, they’re a good idea even if you do have a disclosure document to review. Any inconsistency between the disclosure document and your own investigations gives you another question to ask.

1. Check with the BBB in the city in which the company is based. Although no complaints don’t necessarily mean anything, complaints that have been filed do.

2. Check with D&B. Again, although a good report doesn’t necessarily mean anything, a bad one does.

3. Check with the Chamber of Commerce in the city in which the company is based. Whether the company is a member or not doesn’t mean anything but you can still ask about their reputation or whether there’s any reason why someone shouldn’t do business with them.

4. Check with your state’s Attorney General’s office and Secretary of State for any complaints or pending investigations.

5. Ask for a list of references of previous local purchasers including name, address, telephone number and when they entered into the opportunity. Make it clear that you want a list of people you can meet face to face. If the company is reluctant to provide this, be suspicious.

6. If your opportunity is being presented on a web site, check to make sure there is a physical address (not just a post office box) and contact telephone numbers. And check them out.

7. Look carefully at the business experience of the management behind your opportunity. If they leave a trail of short-term ventures in their wake this could be a sign they’re either not particularly good at what they do or they have to move on frequently (if you get my drift). Also, look for specifics – names, dates, places. Vague statements like “10 years experience in the widget industry” are meaningless. Ask for details. Who, what, when, where and why (did you leave?).

8. Beware vague, generalized or evasive answers to due diligence questions that require simple factual answers. You want to hear “123 Main Street, Suite 405, Your Town” in response to the question, “What is your corporate address?”. If you get a “Why do you want to know?” instead, move on.

9. Beware policies that require payment for product and/or supplies by check or money order only. By not accepting credit cards, the ability dispute charges for defective or non-existent product is eliminated.

10. Most important of all, trust your gut instinct. If it all just sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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** Reprinting of this article is welcome! ** This article may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you include the following resource box; and (2) you only mail to a 100% opt-in list.

Here’s the resource box to use if reprinting this article:

——

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online … practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the work-from-home entrepreneur. http://www.ahbbo.com

Author: Elena Fawkner
Source: free-articles

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Former Correction’s Officer teaches personal protection seminar to law abiding citizens

March 8th, 2010 by admin

Miami, FL February 9 2004–In an effort to make law abiding citizen’s (mature teens and adults only) in the Miami area safer, Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense will be conducting a free, Reality Based Personal Protection Seminar to be held at Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense, 10721 NW 58 St. Miami (Doral), on Tuesday February 26 and Thursday February 28, from 8:15 to 9:15 PM. This seminar could help you survive a mugging, abduction or rape.

The training aims to give you a fighting chance against physical abuse and sexual predators by increasing your awareness in potentially dangerous situations. The session will feature role playing scenarios in which participants learn appropriate responses to danger, including setting verbal boundaries, running away and calling 911. The seminar will introduce participants to some of the physical resistance techniques they can use in the event they are confronted with unavoidable danger such as using every day common objects for protection and as a last resort Gutter Fighting (dirty street tactics). The seminar will also introduce participants to a fully padded (Red Man Padded Suit) aggressive assailant in a completely safe environment.

Kung Fu Instructor Julio Anta a former Prison Guard at a maximum security prison, a former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant and Florida Hall of Fame Instructor of the Year has put together what he considers the ultimate tag team of experts on reality based street defense. This diverse self defense tag team consists of martial arts experts Julio Anta, Tony Torre, Elena Anta and Olivier Elie. Mr. Torre a Combat Arnis instructor will bring to the table his expertise as Chief Instructor of OPS (Options for Personal Security) one of the nation’s premier tactical schools. He travels the nation giving OPS seminars to law enforcement and military personnel. Torre is also a certified licensed bail bondsman in Florida. Elena Anta is a woman’s self defense and EZ Defense instructor. She has trained thousands of women from South Florida to North Carolina. Elena has also appeared in numerous TV stations and magazines. Olivier Elie a college student and Black Belt in Shotokan Karate will bring you his expertise in the Japanese martial arts.

This seminar surfaced when Mr. Torre told Julio Anta how he was shocked when he saw the widely played news report surveillance tape video of the tragic Florida abduction of 11 year old Carlie Brusia. She was lured and abducted and by a predator without putting up a fight. If she would have used basic awareness tactics and reality based self defense she would have had a fighting chance. Anta says โ€œOur goal is that upon completion of this two day free seminar that law bidding citizens will be empowered to walk in peace. This I believe is the ultimate stage in home land security.โ€ Head Instructor Julio Anta strongly encourages every one including parents to attend the training. For more information and to reserve your space call 305 599-3649.

Author: Anonymous
Source: free-articles

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Posted in Sports & Recreation | No Comments »

Cheating Your Engine’s Planned Obsolence That Was Created By Its Manufacturer

March 8th, 2010 by admin

I’m sure by now you’ve heard the term “Extended Drain Interval” for your vehicle’s oil change. If you’ve ever been to a place like Jiffy Lube or other quick lube shop, you’ve probably seen some big sign outside telling you to come back every 3,000 miles for an oil change – quite the opposite of the “extended drain interval”. Jiffy Lube promotes the short, 3,000 mile oil drain interval. Did you know that according to Marc Graham, the president of Jiffy Lube, if they could convince you to change your oil at 2,900 miles instead of 3,000, Jiffy Lube could earn an extra $20 million dollars per year? And if they could get one more oil change per year out of every customer, that would pocket them a whopping $294 million per year?
All the quick lubes and dealers tell me to change it every 3,000.
Well, let’s look at some numbers. For example, let’s say a married couple with a coule kids have two vehicles in their family. Both of them drive an average of about 18,000 miles per year each commuting back and forth to work, running errands, taking their kids to events and all the normal stuff a family does.
For our example, let’s say each vehicle takes 5 quarts to fill, plus the oil filter. With 18,000 miles per year, that’s 6 oil changes per year per vehicle based on the 3,000 mile returns. So every year, both vehicles are going through 60 quarts of oil per year and 12 oil filters. In 5 years each vehicle has driven approximately 90,000 miles (which some of you probably know quite a few people who’ve driven this far in only 3 years!) That’s 60 quarts x 5 years = 300 quarts of oil and 60 oil filters for both vehicles. In 5 years, both cars have been to the quick lube about 60 times. I’ve seen the price of an oil change go anywhere between $19.00 and $28.50 at various Jiffy Lubes around the country. Let’s say an average of $25 per oil change. Over 5 years for this couple, they’ve spent about $1,500 or so in oil changes for average quality, NON-PREMIUM, NON-SYNTHETIC oil. For the $25 they are spending on each vehicle, they are getting plain old mineral oil or in other words, dead dinosoar juice taken from pertrolium, most likely imported from outside of the country.
What other choice do you have? Everyone has told you to change your oil at 3,000 miles. So paying all that money and taking all that time to drive down and have the oil changed is just part of life? Right?
Well, not really. You have a much better alternative. You have the option to perform extended drain intervals and save yourself a lot of money to boot!
So what’s the story with an extended drain interval?
Change your oil every 25,000 to 35,000 miles?
WHAT?! Are you crazy?
Well, if you tried doing this with the current oil you’re using now, yes, you would be crazy. The oil mineral oil you’re using is not designed to be driven that long. Not long after you start driving, the conventional mineral oil and it’s own low-cost additives break down fairly quickly. Remember, it’s in the Quick Lube’s best interest for it to break down so that way you can hurry up and GET BACK THERE FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE! Remember how much the oil companies make from your repeat business… especially if you come in an extra 100 miles earlier.
Okay, so what’s all of this information on extended drain intervals and how do you do it?
Well first, you cannot perform extended drain intervals on your current mineral oil. If you want to be able to SAFELY and RELIABLY drive up to 25,000 or 35,000 miles on the same oil without changing it, then you need an oil which is DESIGNED to be run for this extended period of time and distance. Just like they make tires which only last 20,000 miles and some last up to 80,000 miles depending on the rubber compounds, oil also works in a somewhat similar way.
For an oil to last for such a long period of time, it needs to be fully synthetic and only use the best base stocks in order for it to not break down. The first company to come out with fully synthetic oil for an automobile is the AMSOIL Corporation. They started making synthetic oil for cars way back in 1972, many, many years before Mobil, Castrol, Shell, Exxon, Havoline, Redline, Royal Purple or any other popular American oil company started doing it. Being that they were the first ones to start out with it, they obviously have the most experience with creating a quality synthetic oil.
Remember that same couple who used 300 quarts of oil on mineral oil and 60 filters over the 5 years, if they used AMSOIL instead they could have driven the exact same mileage on ONLY about 60 quarts of oil and 10 oil filters. That would have saved them about 240 quarts of oil and 50 oil filters. And on top of that, have a much cleaner engine with a lot less wear and tear and added anywhere between 3 and 8% on top of their fuel economy.
Wow! Drive 35,000 miles (or even more with oil analysis)… isn’t that a little far to go? You’ve got to be pulling my leg. Won’t that stuff cook my engine? I don’t want to void the warranty on my car!
Absolutely not! There are tons of testimonies of people driving beyond 35,000 miles on the same oil.
For example, read about a trucker who went over 400,000 miles on the SAME OIL – YES! He drove with NO OIL CHANGES on the SAME OIL in the crankcase:
http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_testimonies/
satisfied_customers_trucks/amsoil-diesel-oil-going-409000-miles-without-oil-change.html
How was this accomplished? Is this some kind of magic trick? Can you just put this oil in and forget about it? No! Absolutely not! You cannot do that or you would certainly have engine problems. The AMSOIL oil stays in, but in order to go as far as the trucker did with 400,000 miles, he had to use an optional dual-filtration kit. The dual-filters are so powerful, they can filter out dirt at about the size of 1 micron (that’s about the size of a blood cell in your body… very, very tiny!)
And not only can you drive farther on the same oil, you also get much, much less wear and tear on your engine’s internal components due to the high performing PAO base stocks, anti-foaming and anti-sludge and other incredible properties. It keeps your oil almost like new. To see this a diagram of how this dual-oil filter connects on your car, look at this web site: http://www.searchforparts.com/filtration_products.html
Worried about my vehicle manufacturer’s warranty? Not to fret! It’s been covered! http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_articles/warranty-information/
Does this mean I have to install these special dual-filters if I want to drive that 25,000 or 35,000 miles?
No. AMSOIL also makes a filter called a “SUPER DUTY FILTER” which is designed to last up to 12,500 miles before needing changing (and lasts about 4 times longer than what you find at the auto parts store.). From the outside, it looks just like the oil filter you’re using now. So if you used AMSOIL 10W30 oil and drove 25,000 miles in one year, you only have to use 2 of these regular-looking screw on filters for the entire year. If you used conventional oil and filters, you’d have to change the filter 8 times for the same amount of miles, easily costing MUCH MORE than using AMSOIL’s products, not to mention the poorer fuel economy you’d be getting from not having that reduced friction from an AMSOIL synthetic.
You’re probably in disbelief. This AMSOIL stuff almost sounds too good to be true.
Okay… Let’s say Amsoil didn’t deliver as promised. Let’s also assume for one minute that it’s crazy, a lie… false and deceptive advertising… whatever you want to call it. You’ve already heard and seen every scam on the Internet.
Think about it. Don’t you imagine for a minute that Mobil, Royal Purple, Redline, Castrol, Shell Oil or Exxon wouldn’t be all over AMSOIL in a court of law sueing for FALSE ADVERTISING if this stuff didn’t really work? All of them would love to see their competition go out of business. Wouldn’t you, if you were an competing oil manufacturer?
If the back of the bottle of Amsoil 0W-30 says, “extended drain intervals for up to 35,000 miles or one-year” don’t you really think that the oil should be GUARANTEED to last that long? And if not, wouldn’t there be a class action law suit against AMSOIL after thousands of people from all over the USA and Canada would complain about problems?
The 0W-30 oil that’s capable of such long, 35,000 mile drain intervals is here:

http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_products/

amsoil_series_2000_synthetic-0W-30_motor_oil-product-code-tso.html
For certain, one could visit http://www.ftc.gov/ (Federal Trade Commission for Consumer Protection) and type in: AMSOIL
If AMSOIL didn’t work as stated, you would see law suits from the FTC for false advertising and AMSOIL would be fined some big hefty fines for making such claims and pretty much go out of business.
Don’t believe me? Visit the FTC’s web site right now and search on these WELL-KNOWN companies that you’ve probably heard of or used yourself (or may be using right now) over the last several years and see the kinds of trouble you can get into:

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/02/zmax1.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/07/slick.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/09/shellcastrol.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1995/12/stp.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2000/01/shellcmp.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/05/duralub2.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/09/prolong.htm

http://search.ftc.gov/query.html?qt=mobil&col=hsr&col=news&col=full

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/04/motorup5.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/09/exxon1.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/02/amoco.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1997/10/valve.htm

Now search on Federal Trade Commission’s web site for AMSOIL and see what comes up: http://search.ftc.gov/query.html?qt=Amsoil&col=hsr&col=news&col=full
Wow… funny how there is not ONE single FTC charge for deceptive or misleading advertising for AMSOIL.
See… if you print a claim on the back of a bottle or package of a product, IT BETTER PERFORM AS DESCRIBED or the whole world will know you are a deceiving the public and class action law suits will clearly be found on the Internet.
Remember, AMSOIL has been making synthetic oil since 1972 for automobiles, LONG BEFORE any other major competing oil company, hence their trademark, “FIRST IN SYNTHETICS”.
Pick up any bottle of any competing brand of oil and read the back. Notice that they don’t make any claims that can’t be verified. If Mobil was formulated that good where it could last up to 35,000 miles, don’t you think for a minute that they would advertise that all over the place? Of course it doesn’t last that long, so they can’t make that kind of claim, otherwise AMSOIL, some other motor oil competitor, or consumers would be putting them in court for false, deceptive advertising.
More than likely you’ve been surfing the web and looking at all kinds of competing brands of oil for your car, motorcycle, RV, snowmobile or what have you. You’ve probably read all kinds of hype about different oils or additives. One thing you’ll notice different about AMSOIL is that the TECHNICAL PROPERTIES are CLEARLY and PROUDLY listed so you can see how well the oil performs.
Don’t you find it strange that the competing oil companies don’t proudly post their performance information on their own motor oil in the same fashion that AMSOIL does? What are they hiding? What do they seem to be embarassed about? Are they are hoping that maybe by spending millions of dollars on repetative advertising so you hear their name over and over, you’ll buy it just on being familiar with the name, not necessary for how well it performs.
You’ll notice that AMSOIL doesn’t spend millions of dollars on advertising. Instead, all of the money is put into the quality of the oil. Their advertising is free when people win championships in racing and AMSOIL’s logo is put in color pictures in various magazines. That’s one of the reasons you haven’t seen full page ads wasted on advertising.
When is the last time you saw Ferrari or Lamborghini running huge campaigns to try to sell their cars? Yet you see full page advertisements for Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Chrysler, Mazda and many other manufacturers in magazines all the time.
Does that mean Toyota, Honda or Hyundai are inferior or low quality just because they spend millions on advertising? Of course not. But on the flip side, that mean Ferrari or Lamborghini are a peace of junk for not advertising or maybe the chance that many people may have never heard or seen a Ferrari or Lamborghini? Do you see my point?
AMSOIL is sort of like Ferrari and Lamborghini. People who know Ferrari or Lamborghini know that they are some of the best performing sports cars in the world and do not need to spend millions on advertising to get the word out. AMSOIL works on a similar philosphy. When you see cars breaking world’s records and snowmobiles winning races with AMSOIL logos on them, that’s the best advertising money can buy.
http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_testimonies/

satisfied_customers_racing/worlds-fastest-four-cylinder-using-amsoil.html
Another question… If AMSOIL is so great, then why doesn’t GM use it instead of Mobil 1 as a factory fill in their Corvettes and other high performing sports cars?
That’s an excellent question. Think about it… If you were General Motors, would it be in your BEST INTEREST to have the cars you sold lasting for hundreds of thousands of miles because of some super, high quality oil you told everyone to use? Wouldn’t you be shooting yourself in the foot? As an auto manufacturer, YOU WANT REPEAT CUSTOMERS to come back every few years, not people who will keep cars for hundreds of thousands of miles because their engines run too well.
We can’t go out and say that Mobil or other oil companies make bad oil, but if you look at the comparisons and see the bigger wear scars that Mobil and others put out vs. AMSOIL, you can clearly see that over a long period of time, that Mobil and the rest can wear out your engine quicker than AMSOIL would. Just look at the Four-Ball wear test comparisons to see what I’m talking about. So wouldn’t it be in GM’s best interest (or any automobile manufacturer for that matter) to put a lesser quality oil in their vehicles and not recommend the absolute, best oil in the world? Once your engine gets high mileage and you hear the “Clack clack clack” sound of the lifters making noise and other strange sounds, that’s usually the BIG RED FLAG that says, “Well, this engine is old, about ready to die… time to trade the car in on a new one before it totally blows and then I only get $300-500 for my car as a trade-in.” And believe me, THIS IS EXACTLY what ALL OF THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS WANT It’s a little thing they call PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE.
And when you use AMSOIL in your engine, transmission and/or rear-end differential, you are essentially CHEATING the manufacturers’ planned obsolecense. This is why automobile manufacturers would prefer that you do NOT LEARN ABOUT AMSOIL. For every person who drives their car an extra 5 to 10 years, that could cost an automobile manufacturer maybe $20,000 to $40,000. Looking on page 72 in the January 2004 copy of “Popular Mechanics” magazine they have pickup trucks selling for a whopping $28,000 to $42,000. Wow! And you want to spend this kind of outrageous money on a vehicle and then put the cheapest oil you can find in it? Just so you can spend another $40,000+ on another vehicle a few short years later?
So, once again, if you were an auto manufacturer and knew how good AMSOIL performed, would you want people learning about it if you stood to not be selling those $20,000 to $40,000 vehicles every year?
See… it’s all about the big picture that most people never think about… but the bean counters at the automanufacturers certainly thing about it! Believe me, they smile all the way to the bank everytime you hand out your hard earned dollars on a depreciating asset only to replace it in a short time period later.
And after seeing the law suits above with the FTC against all of the well-known oil companies, why would you NOT BE SKEPTICAL OF THEM instead of AMSOIL? People should be FLOCKING to put AMSOIL in their vehicles, especially with the OUTRAGEOUS price tags of new cars today. What happened to the day of buying a brand new Ford F-150 for $13,000-16,000? Wow… that’s a pipe dream now. AMSOIL is an oil that’s proven time and time again that beats all of the competition, hands down, with tons of testimonies to back it up.
When you’re using a competing oil, not only are you putting an inferior oil in your car, you are paying MORE MONEY TO DO SO than you would to use AMSOIL since you have to change it more frequently (remember the couple above who used 300 quarts of dino oil vs. 60 quarts of AMSOIL.) So why on earth would you pay MORE MONEY to have a LESSER PRODUCT? That clearly does not make sense at all. Especially in something expensive as $36,000 Nissan Titan or GMC Sierra Denali! The benefits of AMSOIL far out weigh anything that you can get at the Discount Auto Parts store or from the regular Quick Lube shop. In the long run AMSOIL is cheaper to use, your vehicle’s engine life gets drastically extended, your fuel economy gets improved, your vehicle’s performance increases, and your starter and spark plugs last longer from running at cooler temperatures due to less friction. After reading and learning everything on this site, EVERYONE SHOULD BE USING AMSOIL. It just makes sense and costs you MORE MONEY *NOT* TO USE IT! The only time you WOULD NOT use this kind of oil is in a brand new vehicle than has less than 2,000 to 5,000 miles on it. The engine should have adequate time to break in using the dino oil to give time for the parts to settle in.
Imagine the millions taxpayers could save if all our local government branches implemented AMSOIL into all of the motor vehicles that they have… police cars, fire engines, maintenance trucks, generators, lawn care equipment… you name it. And as far as privately owned companies, think of the savings the owners and operators of limosines, taxi cabs, diesel trucks or even jitney’s could pocket! A lot of taxi cabs drive 1,000 miles per week! That’s 52,000 miles per year or about 17 oil and filter changes using some inferior oil when they could use AMSOIL and maybe change the oil only once or twice per year and on top of that, have their engines last a few hundred thousand extra miles more than they expected which enables them to get more PROFIT out of their vehicles transporting passengers. Just imagine if you owned a taxi cab and was able to put 750,000 miles on it WITHOUT AN ENGINE REBUILD! This is not unusual for people using AMSOIL to do!
If they can fly a man to the moon, don’t you think they can make an oil that will last more than a measly 3,000 miles? OF COURSE THEY CAN AND DO!
Visit www.HighTechOil.com for more important information about cheating your engine’s planned obsolence and dealership opportunities.

Author: Robert Riley
Source: articleage.com

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Mother in law suites

March 7th, 2010 by admin

Like many Americans today who face the difficult choices of caring for an aging parent, you may be considering the popular option of adding or remodeling your home to include a mother in-law suite. This option is fast becoming an alternative to a nursing home, and one that may offer a little more independence to your parent or loved one. Many people are also frightened by the rising number of abuse and theft statistics that have been happening in nursing homes, and are looking for a way to care for their parent without using a nursing home. A mother in law suite can be the perfect option for you. A mother in law suite will provide you an opportunity to keep a watchful eye on your aging parent but also provide you with a little freedom as well. For most people though, the hardest issue to overcome is the time commitment involved in having your loved under your care and in your home. Wile you may sincerely want to keep them safe and secure, and out of a nursing home, you may be forced to ask yourself whether or not you will be able to give them the time and attention they will require, especially if their health is in question. Once you have made the decision to either shop for a home with a mother in law suite, or remodel your existing home tin include one, you may find that this option is a wonderful way to include your loved one in many decision making projects that have not been involved in for many years. The mother-in-law suite gives you the assurance that your loved one is safe and well cared for in your own home, and at the same time allows you a little freedom to go about your business as well. There are also other benefits of an in-law suite. Some of these benefits can include, no daily trips to nursing homes or facilities, in law suites can add to the value of your home, enables senior to be included in family activities, ensures their safety from abuse or neglect, and it can cost less to build an in-law suite than only one year of nursing home care. If you have an aging parent, looking at mother-in-law suites can give you peace of mind as well as provide a safe place for them to rest and feel at home without the sterility of a nursing home.

Author: Amber Scott
Source: articlesbase.com

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Wipe Out Illicit Images in the Workplace

March 6th, 2010 by admin

With the latest version of The Irish company Auditor, which will be released on 20 Jan 2006, it is now even faster and easier to detect, manage and eliminate illegal and inappropriate images in the workplace. Built on a .NET framework and using a high-speed image analysis engine, The Irish company Auditor 3.2 will rapidly identify illicit images in 80 different file types including Microsoft Office documents. The Irish company Auditor 3.2 now integrates directly with Microsoft Active Directory.

The Irish company Auditor now boasts simultaneous scanning of multiple projects across all corporate IT resources – from desktop PCs and notebooks to network servers and mass storage devices. The Irish company has also added a new wizard-based user interface, enhanced workflow features, auto detection of drives on target desktops and useful ‘Tool Tips’ to get users up and running in less time and to speed up the audit process.

It can take months to carry out a full audit manually for inappropriate and illegal images across a large organisation. With The Irish company Auditor, it is now possible to complete an audit in days and also provide secure case files, a detailed audit trail and comprehensive management reports.

The need to protect employees from exposure to illicit images is being driven by the threat of legislation that puts companies and their directors at risk from prosecution if they do not take steps to manage illegal or inappropriate images in the workplace. Results of a recent survey of 400 public sector organisations by the UK Audit Commission, found a 16% increase in cases of staff accessing pornography and that inappropriate material now accounts for almost half of all incidents of computer misuse.

The Irish company Auditor can scan and assess images stored in file formats from JPEG, GIF and BMP to Word, PowerPoint, email (PST) and ZIP files. Suspect images that go over a pre-defined threshold are automatically presented to an administrator in a user-friendly gallery along with the machine and user name, date, time and program.

Improve your corporate image with a FREE The Irish company Discovery Audit

31 March 2006: Staff misusing the Internet by accessing inappropriate websites remains the second largest cause of reported security incidents after viruses for large UK companies, according to findings from the 2006 Department of Trade and Industry’s biennial Information Security Breaches Survey.

The survey went on to say that some 90% of all companies said protecting their reputation was one of the most important drivers for information security. Yet despite this, the majority of organisations still do nothing to audit or monitor for staff accessing digital pornography.

In order to assess their level of risk, companies need to understand the Severity, Likelihood and Visibility of the risk.

Severity: the severity of an illicit incident is typically high and can range from criminalisation through civil law suits to breach of corporate compliance.

Likelihood: The ICT fraud and abuse 2004 study by the UK Audit Commission said that “ICT abuse continues to rise and survey respondents generally felt more vulnerable in their use of ICTs”. According to the Audit Commission’s findings the highest growth of ICT incidents in the workplace is access of inappropriate material.

Visibility: According to the 2006 Department of Trade and Industry’s biennial Information Security Breaches Survey, Only 1 in 6 companies scan for illicit content in emails. The worry for the others is what is slipping through the net via email, internet and other routes such as USB key, digital camera or mobile phone.

How can The Irish company Help?

In just one day, The Irish company can undertake a ‘Discovery Audit in which The Irish company will scan a subset of your corporate network desktops, servers and email files for illicit image content in order to provide you with Visibility of the scale of digital pornography on your network. The Irish company will also provide you with a report assessing the Likelihood and Severity of inappropriate image material on your network based upon the image material found.

Author: Colm Doherty
Source: ezinearticles.com

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Professional Liability Insurance For Your Medical Business

March 5th, 2010 by admin

Congratulations doctors, nurses, therapists, and pharmacists! You have studied hard, spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to attend school for what probably felt like thousands upon thousands of years, and now you are ready to enter the medical workforce. You are ready to start working for a medical business, or to open your own medical business. With a scalpel in one hand, a prescription pad in the other, and a stethoscope swinging around your neck, you are ready to cure the sick and save the dying.

However, before you start working, or open your own medical business, you must purchase professional liability insurance. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying out thousands upon thousands of dollars – again.

Remember, professional liability insurance isn’t just for doctors and hospitals. Anyone working in the medical field should purchase professional liability insurance.

There are different kinds of professional liability insurance policies for you and your medical business, most of which cover allegations of malpractice. As a medical professional, you are familiar with professional liability insurance by now, and now that you are ready to start working or to open the doors of your own medical business, it is time to purchase your own professional liability insurance.

The kind of professional liability insurance you purchase for yourself and your medical business will usually depend on your specialty, the location of your medical business, and the demographics of your clientele. Along with your claims experiences and limits of liability you choose, these factors will also go into determining the cost of the professional liability insurance for yourself and your medical business, as well.

Search for professional liability insurance for yourself and your medical business based on the factors, and you can start by calling your state’s insurance bureau and asking for information about professional liability insurance for medical professionals and medical businesses. They will be able to walk you through the steps of purchasing professional liability insurance.

Author: Elizabeth Newberry -
Source: articledashboard.com

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What to Expect from your Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyer

March 4th, 2010 by admin

Finding an Albuquerque personal injury lawyer can be a complicated process. When you go in with the right expectations you should have a much better time finding the one who is going to fight hardest to win your case. There are certain traits you can expect from a top notch personal injury attorney. But, what are those and how do you find them in the lawyer you wish to hire? The first thing you need to make absolute certain of is that you choose a lawyer who is going to prepare you for what lies ahead. Personal injury cases can be difficult and open you up to closer scrutiny than you may be used to dealing with. You do not want a lawyer who is going to throw you to the wolves. Your lawyer needs to let you know what is coming and what you can do to make the process easier to handle. Next, you need to find someone who is going to be honest and upfront about the expectations you should have about your case. While there are no certainties when dealing with the law, especially when facing a jury trial, there are some things you can expect. You want a lawyer who isn’t promising life on easy street but is helping you establish realistic expectations. Finally, you should look for an attorney who not only listens to you, but also addresses your questions and concerns. It is important to feel as though you, the person behind the case, matter to the Rio Rancho personal injury lawyer and not just the fee he might collect if he wins the case for you. One way your lawyer can do this is by answering your questions, giving you peace of mind, and making your concerns his own. When you find a lawyer who embodies all these traits, you will have found an excellent attorney for your personal injury needs.

Author: domnik
Source: articlesbase.com

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Best Laguna Niguel Romantic Restaurants and Places for Romance by Laguna Niguel Bicycle Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson

March 4th, 2010 by admin

The right Laguna Niguel bicycle accident lawyer makes all the difference, and so too can the right bar or restaurant. It matters more than you think who you call for your bicycle accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson. We hope this list of top romantic places and places for romance and our other lists of places to go also lets you make the most of your time in Laguna Niguel and the surrounding area. For more information about the best events, top festivals, great food and wine tastings and more in California and around the world, visit SebastianGibsonLaw.com and click the links below the picture of food on the front page. We know that when you spend your hard earned money when you go out on the town or even when you simply want to have fun without spending much money, you don’t want to spend your limited time or money and have a bad time. To help ensure your enjoyment when you go out in Laguna Niguel, we’ve compiled this list. Remember though, even the best bar or restaurant can have a bad day. The server you have may be having a bad day, the bartender you have may even make the wrong drink. The trick to having fun when you go out on the town is to make the best of any situation. Life is too short to be annoyed by common things that go wrong. It’s the same thing when you have an accident. A bicycle accident can ruin your whole year. As a bicycle accident attorney for Laguna Niguel, however, we know how to remedy a bad situation and make it better. We know how to obtain a bicycle accident settlement that includes compensation for your medical bills, wage loss, and pain and suffering. If you’ve been the victim of a bicycle accident in Laguna Niguel and suffered an injury requiring medical treatment, visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com for more information and call us at any of the numbers easily found on our website. This is the first annual list of the top ten romantic places and places for romance in or near Laguna Niguel chosen by Laguna Niguel Bicycle Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson for 2010, Even if this list doesn’t include your favorite romantic place, we hope it will at least provide you with a few more choices of where to go for romance in the Laguna Niguel area. At the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson, we’ve obtained outstanding results in cases other attorneys haven’t even been interested in. Not every case is a big one but it takes experience to recognize what makes a good one. Find out what makes our law firm so exceptional and why our website is graded so highly by websitegrader.com. It says a lot that other law firms refer their big cases to us. Other attorneys refer all types of matters to us and for good reason. Our record of obtaining extraordinary results for decades speaks volumes. More than once, when other lawyers haven’t been interested in a case, we’ve persevered and had extraordinary success. We can’t guarantee results but we can guarantee that we will represent your best interests and that we will do so to the very best of our abilities. Remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the law firm of Sebastian Gibson. The right lawyer can make all the difference in a bicycle accident claim. Visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com and call us if you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident in Laguna Niguel. Don’t let a bicycle accident ruin your year and prevent you from enjoying life and taking the chance to have some good times with friends and family at romantic places and places for romance such as these. So here are our top ten romantic places and places for romance in Laguna Niguel for 2010. We’ve purposely chosen romantic places and places for romance that are popular and known for fun, instead of romantic places and places for romance that have the most expensive cost. If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident, we think that going somewhere and having a good time at a reasonable price is more important than overpaying for the experience. Here are our top choices. 1. Cellar, Fullerton 2. Montage Resort, Laguna Beach 3. La Vie En Rose, Brea 4. Doryman’s, Newport Beach 5. La Fondue, San Juan Capistrano 6. Las Brisas, Laguna Beach 7. Quiet Woman, Corona del Mar 8. Cat & Custard Cup, La Habra 9. Ambrosia, Santa Ana 10. Ti Amo, Laguna Beach Enjoy your time in Laguna Niguel but remember to watch how much you drink or to use a designated driver. And if by some unfortunate circumstance, you’re involved in an accident on your way home, remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your accident. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

Author: R. Sebastian Gibson
Source: articlesbase.com

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Incorporating Your Business Using Three Simple Steps

March 3rd, 2010 by admin

Incorporating your business today is much easier than it was 10 or even 20 years ago. Here’s three steps; securing your corporate name, filing the necessary documentation and paying the necessary filing fees. You can complete these steps yourself, use an incorporation service provider or have an attorney complete them for you.

When incorporating, you must first ensure that your corporate name is available in the state in which you want to incorporate. Your corporate name must not be deceptively similar to a name that is already in use in that state. A name check must be performed in the state of incorporation.

You must also prepare and file all the necessary documentation. the Articles of Incorporation, with the appropriate state agency in the state of incorporation.

Additionally, you must pay all state filing fees, initial franchise taxes and any other initial fees. Each state charges a filing fee to form your corporation in that state. These state filing fees vary greatly by state. They range from under $100 to over $400.

Do It Yourself. Use An Incorporation Service Provider Or Use An Attorney. If you decide to incorporate on your own, you need to be well versed in the laws of the state of incorporation. You will need to prepare and file your own documentation and undertake all communications with the necessary state agencies.

If you use an incorporation service company, you submit the necessary information, and the company checks your name, prepares and files your documents and pays the initial state filing fees on your behalf.

Incorporation service companies charge a nominal service fee on top of the state filing fees, and you can submit all the necessary information to them over the Internet. Attorneys will also undertake all of the necessary steps for you. If you use an attorney to incorporate, you can expect to pay their hourly fee on top of the state filing fees.

How long this will take depends on the time the state requires to approve and return your completed Articles of Incorporation varies by state. On average, it takes 4-6 weeks to become incorporated.

Most states will allow you to expedite the filing process for an additional charge. Expediting filings typically take about 1 week. Those charges also vary by state.

After your corporation is formed, an organizational meeting of directors must be held. At this meeting bylaws are adopted, stock is issued and the incorporation process is completed. Minutes of the organizational meeting should be kept in a corporate record book.

Incorporation is an important step in the life of a business, but unfortunately the true value of incorporating a business is often not seen until the business faces a negative situation such as a law suit or bankruptcy. A primary advantage of incorporation is the limited liability the corporate entity affords its shareholders “The Owners”.

Typically, shareholders are not liable for the debts and obligations of the corporation. Creditors will not come knocking at the door of a shareholder to pay debts of the corporation. In a partnership or sole proprietorship the owner’s personal assets may be used to pay debts of the business.

Other Advantages include

ก่ A corporation’s life is not dependent upon its members. A corporation possesses the feature of unlimited life. If an owner dies or wishes to sell their interest the corporation will continue to exist and do business.

ก่ Retirement funds and qualified retirement plans “like 401k” may be set up more easily with a corporation.

ก่ Ownership of a corporation is easily transferable.

ก่ Capital can be raised more easily through the sale of stock.

ก่ A corporation possesses centralized management.

Corporations are not without disadvantages. The primary disadvantage to a corporation is double taxation. Profits of a corporation are taxed twice when the profits are distributed to shareholders as dividends. They are taxed first as income to the corporation, then as income to the shareholder.

All reasonable business expenses such as salaries are deductions against corporate income and can minimize the double tax. Further, the double tax can be eliminated by making the S corporation election with the Internal Revenue Service.

Other Disadvantages Include

ก่ There is a certain level of complexity and expense of forming a corporation.

ก่ Corporations have extensive record keeping requirements.

ก่ Operating a corporation across state lines requires the corporation to qualify to do business in the other state.

Both the Limited Liability Company “LLC” and “S” corporation also provide the limited liability to the owners/shareholders of the company, without the potential disadvantage of double taxation. While like corporations these two entities also have advantages and disadvantages, it is a good idea to learn about all three when deciding what form your business should take.

Author: Abe Cherian
Source: isnare.com

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Consult with a Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer If Injured

March 1st, 2010 by admin

Many of the dog bites and dog attacks that happen in Los Angeles every year are the result of negligent and careless pet owners. It is unfortunate that because of these inattentive pet lovers, many are injured during dog encounters. The increasing amount of dog bite victims in residential and commercial areas alike make it essential for you to be aware of where you can find the finest legal consultation in case you receive an injury. As you prepare to look for a trustworthy and exemplary Los Angeles lawyer to win your injury settlement, you should start by determining the best qualifications your lawyer can possess. Ask yourself: What characteristics should I be looking for in a dog bite and dog attack attorney? It is definitely most important to your case to get an attorney in whom you can have the utmost confidence in someone who will be concerned with your individual case. No one wants to be treated as if their claim is merely an aim to be reached, rather than the concern of a real person in need. It would also be wise to avoid the representation of an attorney who isn’t certain of his or her capacity to win your case and a fair settlement. Resilience and persistence are important traits to look for in the lawyer that will represent you. Experience is another significant prerequisite that you should look for in your dog bite attorney. The most competent and able law firms have a vast amount of practical experience defending those who have been injured by a dog bite, inside and outside of court. It is true that there are some Los Angeles dog bite injury victims who can get a fair settlement without going to court, but there are still many who cannot reach an agreement in this manner. Because of this, it’s very important for you to enlist an insistent and self-assured attorney who is willing to do whatever it takes to help you receive your settlement.As a final qualification for your attorney, it is imperative that you find a Los Angeles law firm that specializes in dog bite and dog attack cases. This area of the law, as most others are, is very specific in itself. Therefore, lawyers that focus in these types of cases will likely have a greater probability of helping you get the most reasonable amount for your claim because they have won cases similar yours in the past. If you have become the victim of a dog bite or dog attack in Los Angeles, California, you need to know the fundamental qualifications of the best lawyers that are able to defend your case. Confidence, experience, and specialization are perhaps the most basic and important qualifications you should be searching for. After you have received the medical help you may need for your dog bite injuries, make sure you get a knowledgeable and cultivated Los Angeles dog bite lawyer who will be persistent and resilient in representing your claim.

Author: Joel Mclaughlin
Source: articlesbase.com

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