Home Kitchen

4 questions to ask when buying an office desk

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Are you looking for an office desk? You need to buy the right one for you to have a great experience. To shop for the right desk, you need to ask yourself these questions:

As work?

Your work style largely determines the type of desk you should choose. If you spend a lot of time at the computer sending emails or making calls, you should get a desk with a smaller surface area. However, if your work involves a lot of papers, books, and files, you need to buy a large desk with plenty of space.

When making your purchase, it is always recommended that you overestimate the amount of space you need. As time goes by, you will always find a thing or two to do with the extra space.

What is the configuration of my room?

The layout of your room determines which form of desk you should choose. If your workstation is in a corner, you should opt for an L-shaped desk. If you have a large room, you should opt for a U-shaped desk. This desk will provide you with all the storage and work space you need.

How much storage space do I need?

Different office desks are designed to have different storage capacities. If you handle a lot of papers and files, you should opt for a multi-drawer desk. For ideal results, you should opt for a hanging file desk.

If you are going to use a desktop computer at your desk, you should choose a desk that has cutouts and holes to manage messy cables that can give your workspace an unsightly look.

What material am I interested in?

Office desks are made from different materials. Common materials are: metal, glass, marble and wood. Wooden office desks are the most common. They are often made of solid wood such as cherry and mahogany.

It is also common to find desks with glass or marble tops. While they are elegant, they require a lot of care to prevent breakage. You also need to clean them regularly.

conclusion

These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself when shopping for an office desk. To buy a high-quality unit, always make sure you buy it from a reputable store. This requires you to do a lot of research and identify a great store.

Digital Marketing

10 Mistakes Most Job Seekers Make on Their Resumes

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A well-written resume is the key to projecting your skills and highlighting your qualifications in front of the interview board. While it’s deceptively easier to make silly mistakes on a resume, it’s incredibly difficult to repair the damage done. As such, prevention is your only way out, whether you’re preparing your first career resume or just reviewing it. There are certain pitfalls in resume writing that can literally take away from you the job you’ve always wanted. Here’s how to avoid them:

#1: Beware the Beginning: The Career Goal Statement Is a Thing of the Past

A long time ago, resumes without a career goal statement were worthless. Students were forced to start their resume with a well-written statement describing their vision. However, times have changed and there is no scope for such statements anymore.

Hiring managers suggest that such statements are irrelevant to the preliminary selection. Initially, you have to go through the assessment, which will then take you to the next stage and you can work out your goals and objectives.

#2: Add job titles

It’s best to avoid adding quirky job titles to your resume. More often than not, these titles actually hurt your resume and leave you behind in the league of other applicants.

Job titles often lack context, making your resume unsuccessful. Since resumes are posted on job sites, being keyword specific or generic is a better way to present yourself. For example, a query for “associate editor” will get a better response than “writing guru.”

#3: Overwhelming work history

Recruiters, on average, spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume. Therefore, it’s best to keep your resume concise, crisp, and to the point, no longer than one page, especially for fresher ones. Including page after page dedicated to your work history can only get overwhelming.

#4: Unexplained employment gaps

The big gaps in the career should be pointed out in summary. If you had to take a break for personal or leisure reasons, describe it in one word.

#5: Details Gone Wrong

If your resume lacks details, it’s just ordinary writing. Emphasize your accomplishments, our roles and duties. Recruiters are not interested in menial duties and tasks. Specify the output.

#6: Grammatical errors and typos

Recruiters will simply ignore resumes with typos and grammatical errors. Use the spell check feature and grammar checkers to make sure it’s perfect. Also, have at least 2 people to review the document.

#7: Getting the format wrong

The format of your resume is a deciding factor. Shockingly, up to 75 percent of all qualified applicants are rejected due to incorrect resume formatting. Always use the .txt or .doc format for your resume, not .pdf files. Avoid the use of tables and graphs. Upload the resume as an attachment instead of typing it. Use relevant keywords to ensure that it is visible when searched.

#8: Not giving the correct contact details

If you don’t provide your correct contact details, employers will never be able to find you. Always provide your contact number, email id and mailing address.

#9: Promising Reference On Demand

This is the most obvious thing that does not need to be declared. Do not add words to the resume by including such points.

#10: Sharing Personal Information

You cannot violate the confidentiality rule while writing your resume. It’s not impressive at all. Any personal information related to your previous job cannot bring you another.

Relationship

The 10 best mermaid movies of all time

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Most people have seen Disney’s animated movie “The Little Mermaid.” But there are several others that are absolutely excellent: classics. Are here:

1. My first choice for a mermaid movie is “Splash”. Not only is it fun and the plot is wonderful, but there are quite a few stunning shots of Daryl Hannah playing a mermaid in the ocean. We can’t get enough of that! Please note that this is not a children’s movie. It was made in the 80’s and for the most part it’s okay for the family to see. But there is a bit of nudity (as the mermaid walks into New York out of the ocean with nothing but her long hair to cover her) and there is some implication of what she and Tom Hanks’ character are doing in the elevator, though it’s not clear. shows nothing. The movie is wonderful, with a great story and incredible footage of mermaids and lots of laughs, as well as great romance.

2. My second top pick is “The Secret of Roan Inish.” This is a safe and calm movie that the whole family can enjoy. It was made in Ireland and as such is slower and quieter than most American movies. It is about a little Irish girl who moves to live with her grandparents. While she is there, she unknowingly stumbles upon the mystery surrounding the island the family used to live on, called “Roan Inish” (Seal Island). As she slowly solves the mystery, she brings healing and unity back to the family. In this movie the mythical creature is a selkie, not a mermaid. The selkie lives in the form of a seal. On occasion, she climbs onto a rock and removes her sealskin, revealing a beautiful woman. So this movie is a little bit different, and you’ll never look at a seal the same way again.

3. My third favorite mermaid movie is “Aquamarine”. This one is aimed at the teen crowd. It has nothing out of the blue, so the whole family can enjoy it. It’s a delightfully different take on the classic Little Mermaid story, with a wonderful surprise ending. The mermaid in this movie is different, more like a normal teenager. There are several good shots of her in the water. The messages in this film are of great quality, such as loyalty, friendship, self-confidence, selflessness and courage. And it’s also a lot of fun.

4. The fourth of my best mermaid movies is an old black and white classic called “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid.” It will be a challenge to find this movie to watch, but VHS versions are available for sale on Amazon.com. All of the underwater footage was shot at the famous Weeki Wachee Springs in Weeki Wachee, Florida, just one year after this underwater theater opened. Made in 1948, this film is about a married couple who go on vacation to the Caribbean. The man is nearly 50 years old and going through a midlife crisis. While he’s on vacation, he accidentally catches a live mermaid from the sea! Ann Blyth plays the enchanting mermaid and you will love this wonderful movie. The only objections a parent could have is the extramarital flirtation theme and some funny scenes with a guy trying to quit smoking.

5. One that is a bit different, and that came out recently, is a Japanese anime movie by Miyazaki called “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”, or simply “Ponyo”. In this one, the fish girl is depicted as a goldfish with a human face, which is quite strange. But in an unusual twist, this five-year-old fish-girl has to make the little five-year-old human boy love her faithfully, or she will turn to sea foam and be no more. It’s such a sweet performance, these little kids learning to love and trust each other in such an innocent way. It is a story of wonder and courage and should not be missed.

6. My pick for number six is ​​Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” It was the movie that brought Disney back into the popular movie business in the 1980s. The music and story are delightful. I remember how delighted I was when it came out: it’s a delightful mermaid movie, fun for the whole family.

7. Number seven for me is the Russian adaptation of “The Little Mermaid”. This 1976 film shows many wonderful images of mermaids under the sea. Back then, swimmers only had small fins, so they had to flap their legs in a very fast motion to move. The underwater scenes are only at the beginning of the movie, but they are wonderful! (I can’t understand how those swimmers could be in the water with all those jellyfish!). You can find this movie to rent on Netflix and it is directed by Vladimir Bychkov. Again, this version of Anderson’s famous story is a bit different, almost a completely new story. Note that there is nudity in one scene and depictions of a witch performing magic. Other than those, the whole family will enjoy this one.

8. “Barbie Mermaidia” is a movie for young children, but the plot is good and the scenes are beautiful. I particularly enjoyed the unusual design of Barbie’s mermaid tail. In this story, the main character has to make a big sacrifice and learns some good lessons. I like this one better than the last Barbie mermaid movie because of its great message.

9. There was a lot of excitement this year for the new “Barbie in a Mermaid Tail” release. This one has wonderfully funny surf scenes. The mermaid world of Oceana was a bit strange, basically an imitation of our materialistic society. This made it fun, but the mystery and magic of the legendary sirens is lost in this setting. This is what I call a “fluff” movie: nothing deep, just funny visuals and a nice little story.

10. My least favorite mermaid movie is a children’s movie called “Roxy Hunter and the Myth of the Mermaid.” It’s about a young small-town journalist named Roxy who slowly discovers that her new homeless friend of hers (a beautiful blonde) is actually a mermaid. The movie is okay, but throughout the entire movie there are no underwater scenes or scenes with a mermaid on the tail, none, until after the end. Then finally you see about 10 seconds of the blonde mermaid swimming underwater with a beautiful tail. However, the story is interesting enough and kids will surely enjoy this movie.

Health Fitness

How to lose weight in a week: 3 tips to gain

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When you want to know how to lose weight in a week, it helps to start by understanding how your body works on a diet.

Some believe that starving yourself is a great way to lose weight. It helps, but it has limitations. Once your body is deprived of nutrients for some time, it reacts by going into starvation mode.

Under these conditions, uncertain about future nutrient availability, your body attempts to conserve energy sources. You protect every bit of fat stored in your body, preferring to sacrifice protein for energy. This interferes with your plans on how to lose weight in a week.

This is also why carbohydrate depletion has a limited effect on maintaining weight loss. In the long term, protective defense mechanisms will conspire to conserve fat in the face of prolonged caloric restriction, preventing weight loss.

Crash diets are not very successful for this reason. Deprived of vital nutrients like minerals and vitamins along with calories, the body’s metabolism crashes in a concerted effort to preserve energy resources in the form of fat.

How to lose weight in a week? You must do three things.

Eat healthy

It is important to follow a healthy and balanced diet, even when you plan to lose weight quickly.

This is because when you blindly try to cut calories, you’ll not only cause your body to take defensive action to store fat, but you’ll also throw other things out of balance, like your hormones and metabolism.

Using a weight loss calculator, estimate the number of calories you’ll need daily to meet your energy demands. This will vary depending on how old you are, whether you’re male or female, how much you weigh, and how active you are.

Aim to achieve a calorie deficit. This does not mean that you should starve yourself completely. That is counterproductive. Instead, consume fewer calories than your ideal requirement so that your body is forced to find remaining energy by burning stored fat.

muscle development

Muscles are like a furnace inside your body. They constantly burn calories for energy. The more muscular you are, the more energy your body will burn.

5 kilograms of muscle requires 350 to 500 calories daily to maintain. This means that your muscles are burning the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of fat each week, even if you are resting, doing nothing!

Muscle development requires resistance training and isometric exercise. You can do this at home or at a gym, and by lifting weights or doing other weight loss workouts using exercise equipment. This helps build muscle while you lose weight fast.

Include more protein in the diet

Proteins are harder to digest and take more energy to break down. They also prompt your body to use fat for energy, which helps you lose weight.

Adding one gram per pound of your body weight to your daily intake is a good measure. If you weigh 100 pounds, add 100 grams of protein to your intake every day. This is enough to build and repair muscles.

By combining these 3 approaches, you will quickly discover how to lose weight in a week.

Legal Law

GOMBS: The Cancer Diet by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

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Family physician and popular diet book author, eat to liveDr. Joel Furman is the creator of one of the most popular eating principles, the GOMBS diet.

According to Dr. Furman, his GOMBS diet has anti-cancer properties. However, regardless of whether or not this diet can cure or prevent cancer, it is a good regimen to follow for anyone looking to improve their overall health through the use of a remedy from Mother Nature, food.

GOMBS is an acronym that stands for Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds. The diet encourages you to integrate one or more of these foods into your daily meal. Actually, it’s terribly simple; this article will show you how to do it. However, first of all we will explore the benefits of the GOMBS diet.

Advantages of the GOMBS Diet

Beyond the statements made by Dr. Furman in which he discussed his belief that his GOMBS diet has cancer-preventing properties, there are a number of other reasons why you should consider adding these types of foods to your diet . . Vegetables, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds are types of foods that are surprisingly rich in antioxidants, and they are all very powerful.

Below is an individual look at each of these amazing foods:

Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables contain a variety of systems and nutrients that place a slippery, silicone-like coating inside your blood vessels, where they activate the Nrf2 mechanism that prevents plaque and speeds up the rate at which fat will melt from inside your blood vessel. blood vessel. .

Onions

The Medical Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study from Europe that indicated that people who ate onions regularly had a 60-70% decrease in all major cancers.

Mushrooms

A study recently published in the International Journal of Cancer indicated that women who regularly ate mushrooms are 64% less likely to develop breast cancer; that’s about 10 grams of mushrooms a day.

Berries and Beans

Berries and beans contain high levels of antioxidants that prevent cancer and promote healthy brain function.

Seeds

Raw nuts and seeds contain fats and phytochemicals that help reduce inflammation, help lower cholesterol, and aid in the absorption of additional essential micronutrients. As Dr. Fuhrman suggested, eating walnuts as an ingredient in your salad or making salad dressings with them will be very beneficial for your health.

Lifestyle Fashion

Best Breweries in the Milwaukee Area

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Milwaukee’s craft beer scene is booming, with ten new breweries opening in the area in 2016. With so many to visit, it’s hard to pick the best. Here are some favorites… two old and two new:

Lakefront Brewery / Brewery
According to brewery president Russ Klisch, the business began when his brother, Jim, expressed an interest in brewing, and Russ obliged by giving him a book on homebrewing. Impressed with Jim’s beer, Russ decided he could brew a better one. In short, sibling rivalry and common interest led both brothers to start entering homebrew contests and win prizes. It wasn’t long before family and friends encouraged them to turn their hobby into a business.

They started brewing with 55 gallon stainless steel drums and used dairy equipment. On December 2, 1987 they sold their first keg of beer at the Gordon Park Pub. With the brewery up and running, the infamous tour began soon after! As Lakefront’s popularity grew, so did its production: in 1988, sales increased to 72 barrels; for 1989, 125 barrels; and sales began to double after that.

The tour is one of the best in the city. The guides are extremely enthusiastic, especially when the tour is led by one of the Klisch brothers. It was one of the first brewery tours where you were allowed to drink beer before, during and after the tour. One of the fun parts is listening to Laverne and Shirley’s theme song as they demonstrate the bottling line.

The brewery is located in a large brewery space, with high ceilings, brick walls, and communal tables. It’s right on the river bank, with a patio in the back. The brewery was transformed from a basic brewery, where beer was only available with the tokens you would receive on a tour. They then became popular for their fried fish on Friday nights. They now serve a variety of basic bar food all the time (counter service) and all beer is available for purchase at the bar.

Some options are salads, sandwiches, tacos, pretzels, cheese and sausage boards, as well as desserts. On a recent visit, they had 12 beers on tap. They are also one of the first breweries in the country to offer organic and gluten-free beers.

Favorite Beers:
• Eastside Dark Munich Dunkel – Sweet and toasty taste, wonderfully smooth and drinkable, not at all intimidating.
• Fuel Cafe Organic Stout: excellent and attractive aroma, full-bodied, roasted malt in all its evidence.

Sprecher Brewing Company
Sprecher Brewing Co. was founded in 1985 by Randal Sprecher, a former brewing supervisor at Pabst Brewing Company. From 1985 to 1994, the brewery was located at 730 W. Oregon Street in the Walker’s Point area of ​​Milwaukee. During the first ten years, the company grew steadily, as more and more people became aware of Sprecher’s high-quality beers and soft drinks. Finally, the company had outgrown its original facility and began looking for a new location to continue its growth. In 1994, Sprecher purchased its current building, located at 701 W. Glendale Ave., a former elevator car factory. The new, larger brewery allowed the company to continue to grow.

The gift shop/tasting room is open Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm Tours are available daily for $6; check website for hours. You must call ahead to reserve.

In the past, Randal Sprecher would host tours of the brewery, made memorable by his obvious passion for the craft. For a slightly different experience, he tries one of Reserve’s tastings offered on weekends for $20. Reserve tastings are conducted in smaller groups than regular tours/tastings and feature the company’s premium and limited edition products. Each guest will receive ten samples of Sprecher beers, each paired with a different craft cheese.

They offer five beers all year round, five premium reserves, as well as seasonal beers, as well as a wide variety of soft drinks. They are well known for their root beer.

Although they don’t serve food at the brewery (other than cheese), they have opened four pubs, located in Glendale, Lake Geneva, Madison, and Wisconsin Dells. The Lake Geneva location is a favorite, right on the lake shore with a nice outdoor terrace. The Glendale pub is also nice, located in the Bayshore Town Center mall. They have a very good menu with German and American options, happy hour Monday through Friday, as well as assorted daily specials.

Favorite beer:
Black Bavarian – the best Schwarzbier brewed in the US; Huge roast character, full malt body.

The Fermentary
Located just outside of Cedarburg, The Fermentorium opened in early 2016. Founder and President, Kristopher Volkman is a locally bred homebrewer.

Currently offering ten beers on tap with plans to expand, the brewery also distributes to restaurants and bars throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

The tap room is currently open Tuesday through Friday from 4 pm to 10 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm to 10 pm It is a modern, very open, comfortable space to hang out and drink beer. The preparation area is in the right half of the room, separated by a wall of windows, so you can see the process.

For a newly opened establishment, they are already brewing several outstanding beers, so it was difficult to narrow down the favorites.

Favorite Beers:
• Strawberry Shortcake – Berliner Weisse; great combination to balance acidity and strawberry.
• Salvo Paso – Carrier; Great roasted malt flavor, pungent malt aroma, excellent example of style.

good beer town
His motto is “Seek the good”. The first brewery on Milwaukee’s east side, Good City, opened in June. The three founders connected in 2015 and immediately hit it off, sharing a love of craft beer and Milwaukee’s untapped potential. Andy Jones is a brewmaster who left Goose Island Brewing in Chicago to move to Milwaukee and work for Lakefront Brewery as plant manager for six years. David Dupee is an entrepreneur with a background in securities and regulatory compliance, founder of the crowdfunding platform CraftFund, which was formed to help food and beverage companies raise capital from passionate customers and local residents. Dan Katt is a real estate developer from Milwaukee.

Good City has a modern, airy tap room with a large bar area, outdoor seating, and shiny fermenters fresh out of the wrapper. The menu offers a good variety of sandwiches, cheeses and meats, salads, prepared food and dinner entrees. No more than seven options in each category, so the choices aren’t overwhelming (a good thing). There are several vegetarian items. There are ten beers on tap.

Favorite Beers:
• Pils: medium body, hoppy Czech style, silky smooth.
• Detail Porter – Roasted coffee and deep, dark chocolate flavors dominate; excellent example of style.

Pets

Redbone Coonhound – Facts to Know Before Adopting Redbone Coonhound

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Breed Description

Built to run at high speeds over rocky hills, thick forests, and swamps, the Redbone Coonhound is streamlined yet strong. A little taller at the withers than at the hips, this breed is slightly arched. This breed is medium to large in size, with males being 22 to 27 inches tall, while females are 21 to 25 inches tall. They usually weigh around 45-70 pounds.

Coat

The Redbone Coonhound has a short, shiny coat that is soft to the touch. Their fur is coarse enough to protect their skin while hunting. This breed has a remarkable deep red color.

Exercise

Redbone Coonhounds require plenty of daily exercise. They love to be taken on nice long walks, or run alongside a bike or with their owners when jogging. With great vigor and resistance, these natural hunters have a great sense of smell. They have been known to take off if an interesting scent is detected. Although quiet indoors, this breed is not ideal for apartment living. They should at least have access to a large backyard.

Temper

The energetic and even-tempered Redbone Coonhound is a natural hunter. They are always eager to please their owners, maintaining their cheerful, loyal and alert disposition at all times. This breed is great with children. But their hunting instinct, however, may not go well with other household pets, such as rabbits or cats. These coonhounds make excellent watchdogs and willingly alert their owners if strangers are approaching. Obedience training and socialization is very important for these hunters. They are highly adaptable to all their possible roles, be it a hunting dog or an indoor companion.

Overview

The Redbone Coonhound has been widely used as a hunter of raccoons, cougars, and bears. The agility of this breed allows them to hunt and can sometimes be used as water dogs.

Watch out

The Redbone Coonhound is relatively easy to care for. They will only require occasional brushing. With a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, these dogs are generally healthy. But like most other dog breeds, they are prone to obesity and hip dysplasia. Therefore, balanced nutrition and proper exercise are always important.

Training

The Redbone Coonhound is known to mature slowly both mentally and physically. Although it can take time to train these dogs, their willingness to please will make it less of a challenge on the face of it. This breed has a natural woodland, with a keen hunting instinct. It is recommended that this breed be well socialized at a very young age and taught basic obedience.

character

Like many hunting dogs, these Redbone Coonhounds have an independent intelligence particularly suited to problem solving. But this can become a problem if your problem is at home or in the backyard. They will want to solve it in another way. But, these dogs are generally unflappable and highly adaptable, willing to take on whatever comes their way.

Real Estate

Banks selling real estate: a bad idea

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Is it my imagination or did I hear someone complain about real estate commissions?

Anyone complaining about real estate commissions now won’t be thrilled if banks get away with it and are allowed to sell real estate, something the American Bankers Association (ABA) has tried to do. lobbying, pressuring Congress and paying millions of dollars in the process through special contributions – over the past seven years. And it doesn’t matter if banks aren’t allowed to share commissions. All the banks have to do, once they’re allowed to go into real estate, is buy brokerage firms and they can share all the commissions in the world without ever breaking the law. They don’t even need real estate licenses.

In fact, while we’re on the topic of shared fees, let’s do a little math to find out the ‘fees’ that banks are charging consumers today. They don’t call them ‘commissions’, they call them ‘interest charges’, but the fact is that a fee calculated as a percentage of the payment for a service it is a commission. So, therefore, the user fee that a bank charges a borrower in percentage for the use of a given sum of capital is nothing other than… in commission.

Banks base mortgage rates on a variety of indices. Among the most common indices are rates on one-, three-, or five-year Treasury securities. Another common index is the national or regional average cost of funds for savings and loan associations. Some lenders use their own cost of funds as the index, which gives them more control than using other indexes. To determine the interest rate on a mortgage, bankers add a few percentage points to the index rate, cumulatively called “margin.” The margin amount may differ from lender to lender, but is generally constant over the life of the loan. The formula therefore is: Index Rate + Margin = Mortgage Interest Rate. Most banks use a minimum margin of 2 percent. When they offer “special packages” to consumers, they typically apply a 3 percent markup and then offer a “special” 1 percent discount or rebate.

But let’s take the typical 2 percent margin. For all those readers who think that 2 percent sounds better than the 6 percent commission commonly charged by real estate brokerage firms, let me point out that the 2 percent markup charged by banks is by year! So if it is true that the average consumer retains ownership of it for seven years, the ‘fee’ charged by the banks is really 14 percent. The only difference is that the margin is applied to the principal of the mortgage, that is, the amount borrowed against the real estate brokerage commission, which is applied to the total sale price. But this doesn’t help much when you consider that almost fifty percent of all mortgage transactions involve 95 percent financing.

Banks have realized that the US real estate brokerage market amounts to about $61 billion, a sum that, if tied to a single company, would rank 19th in the Fortune 500, ahead Boeing, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase. Paraphrasing Scarlet O’Hara in gone With the Wind, this is a market that is ‘worth fighting for and worth dying for’. Without a doubt, the tactic adopted by ABA is that of indifference. The ABA is trying to convince Congress that banks aren’t really interested in pursuing this line of business, even if they could do so legally, but would like to be able to pursue it… just in case.

The truth, of course, is very different and is deeply ingrained in the economics of real estate. Brokerage houses charge commissions to Sellers, the recipients of the proceeds of money in a real estate transaction, and only when the Sellers have received that proceeds. Banks, on the other hand, charge interest rates to Buyers. What ABA intends and tries to do now is collect both Buyers and Sellers. Kind of like eating from two plates at the same time, so to speak. Give the money to the Buyer to complete the transaction and charge the Seller for completing it.

So, again, how much would you like your members to charge the ABA real estate commission, if they were allowed to go into real estate? Let’s see: there’s the Buyer’s 14 percent for seven years, there’s the Seller’s 6 percent at closing, and then of course there are ‘minor’ commissions like appraisal fees, installation fees, administrative fees, loan origination, loan cancellation fees, initial fees and then, of course, there is the loan insurance.

Wow, that’s a lot of commissions!

It’s no wonder that Consumers Union (http://www.consumersunion.org/), publisher of Consumer Reports, the independent, nonprofit information and testing organization serving only consumers, is pressing hard on Congress to to conduct more studies on this subject.

But aside from the added cost to consumers, letting banks go into real estate would not only be bad for the industry and consumers, it would also be bad for the economy as a whole. Indeed, the notion of a ‘free market’ in which all economic decisions regarding transfers of money, goods and services are made voluntarily, free from coercive influence, is commonly regarded as an essential feature of capitalism. But in the event that banks dominate the real estate industry, how free would consumers really be to choose, for example, how to sell their homes, or negotiate a commission, or counter an offer to buy, or change agents? if they don’t like one, or even try to sell their properties themselves?

Has anyone ever tried to negotiate something, anything, with a bank? I have several times. And I have personally witnessed and can report first-hand a variety of bankers’ responses, ranging from the friendly “no…no…no”, to the tap on the shoulder and the nod, to the smile sarcastic, even the glacial gaze and the silence from beyond the grave. However, I still cannot report a single ‘Yes’ from a bank, after nineteen years in business. Banks understand trading not as a two-way give-and-take process, but rather as a one-way street: go their way, that is, only their way. And this is today, when consumers still have the option to leave. What will happen to consumers when that choice is taken away?

Are banks entering the real estate sector? Don’t let that happen to you.

Louis Frascati

Shopping Product Reviews

Garage Sale Checklist: Your Guide to Hassle-Free Sales

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Garage sales should be fun and hassle-free, with the goal of making good money and getting rid of unwanted items – our garage sale checklist is your hassle-free, step-by-step planner to get there.

2-3 weeks before sale

-Start sorting your home for unwanted items

have the mindset that almost anything will sell if it’s a bargain

– Price your items

value items 25-35% of new (clothing is an exception: 5-15% here)

– Choose a date and time for your sale

weekends are the best; avoid holidays or special events

– Write your ad

give the address and time of the sale; mention items that are of particular interest

– Place your ad in local newspapers and use free garage sale advertising sites

post flyers at local community meetings; inform the neighbors as they might want to have a joint sale

1 week before sale

– Make sure items are cleaned and repaired

the better condition it is, the higher price you will get

– Determine where the signs will go.

in and around your neighborhood is the best; one in front of your house is smart too

– Make your posters

use arrows, write direction, start and end times, use big letters (free printable signs)

1-2 days before sale

– Configure your sales area

use tables to place items, display hanging clothes; you want to create an area for people to comfortably browse and shop

– Prepare the checkout area

have a lot of change; replacement bags; calculator; newspaper (for wrapping fragile items); paper and pens

night before sale

– put up signs

– Pack some snacks and have a radio ready to play soft music in the background

music will create a nice atmosphere for shoppers to buy (always works for me!)

morning sale

– Make sure your house is locked and completely secure

I don’t want to give buyers the opportunity to snoop

– Open the doors/doors of your sale

greet all customers with a friendly smile and “hello!”; be prepared to negotiate with buyers

right after sale

– Remove signs

not only is this kind to the environment, but you could incur a fine or penalty if you don’t

– Count your money and join!

Sports

Tips from image consultants for middle-aged women

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THE BEST ADVICE

This article explains what middle-aged women need to know about modern style. The relevant tips for hair, wardrobe and shoes.

MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN

Middle-aged women, ages 35 to 65, can learn a lot about style from a trained image consultant. This is especially important for this age group because at this point in their lives they have ingrained dressing habits and are usually more or less resistant to change. What a pity! Because an image consultant, in the space of three hours, can change her appearance and give her new glamour, dynamism and style.

Now, you wouldn’t know it, the three areas where a consultant can help you the most are the three areas where you already have your strongest opinions. Without worries. Just sit back, relax, and let us introduce you to a few secrets that can make things 100 percent better. The fact is, if you’re like most girls this age, your hair needs help, your wardrobe is boring, and your shoes… oh, we’ve got work to do!

SECRETS FOR HAIR

Your greatest asset is your hair. Believe it or not, people see it first and remember it the longest. If you want beautiful hair, study a married woman in her mid-twenties. They usually have the most beautiful hair because they work on it. They really care about it, and they keep it up. If you want beautiful hair, and who doesn’t! – You have to try a little. We image consultants insist on this all the time because it’s so true.

One secret is to use a conditioner with dimethicone. Another is to get a haircut every six weeks to fix frayed ends. Yet another secret is to get a new hairstyle from time to time. Finally, she carries a small mirror to check her appearance and make sure she doesn’t have loose hair before meeting with friends and family.

Our latest hair secret will blow your mind, but that’s what we’re here for, right? You have to try some retro styles like a beehive or bouffant look. Men will go crazy for you if you have the nerve to do something so different.

CLOSET SECRETS

The biggest mistake women make as they get older is that they tend to wear more patterns. Women become more artistic as they get older and think that they need to have art on their clothes, in the form of prints. Please resist the temptation. Solids are sexy, prints are not. And if you don’t think a woman your age can be sexy, check out Suzanne Somers.

“Oh, but friends and family compliment me when I wear patterns,” you say? I hate to break your illusions, but the people close to you probably want to avoid hurting your feelings because they love you. You’re better off talking to an objective image consultant who has no ulterior motives. Unlike friends and family, a consultant will tell you the honest truth.

So now the solids are starting to look a little better?… We hope so!

SHOE SECRETS

If you’re like most middle-aged women, your shoes are a problem because you wear heels that are too high or slip-ons that are too old. This season, a very cute shoe is the ankle boot. In casual situations, if you want to appeal to men, this is the shoe to die for. Another good option is unisex sneakers with white laces. Even better than that, wear open toes and heels for cocktail parties and nights out on the town. You will attract attention.

Keep in mind that if you’re a lawyer, banker, or white-collar worker, shoe tips will be totally different for your work environment. For business, never wear ankle boots. (But you knew that, right?) At work, opt for dark shoes, not shoes that match your lighter outfits.

We want you to look your best and make a good impression, and following these simple guidelines will help you do just that.

Copyright (c) 2010 William Cane