China Xinjiang geography most 64, may I ask, what is? « China tour …
Evaporation zone, China’s largest wool — Hami Angulinao Lake, from 1961 to 1980 an average of 4401.3 millimeters. Most permafrost regions of China: Bayinbuluke grassland, the greatest depth of 439 centimeters permafrost. … Xinjiang accounts for 54% of land area, oil reserves, predict more than 30 billion tons, accounting for 35% of the national total, the volume of natural gas 1.03 billion cubic meters, accounting for a national natural gas resources for 34% of the …  read more…

The Oil Drum | Canada's Oil Sands – Part 1
The bitumen that separates out during the separation process is upgraded to form Synthetic Crude Oil (SCO), a light sweet crude oil that sells for about the same price as the benchmark crude, West Texas Intermediate (WTI). … Of all of the oil sands operators, Syncrude has the only parcel of land that has been officially been certified as reclaimed. It also has 4600 hectares that would look to a passer-by as reclaimed, but has not passed the years-long process required …  read more…

The Oil Drum | Drumbeat: August 13, 2009
It would not be either easy or wise to grow arable crops on the stony and/or hilly land that has served us for so long as productive pasture. By comparison with my grass fed steer, the soybeans cultivated for a vegetarian’s dinner, if done with motorized …. sweet crude in recent months, bringing grades like Mexico’s Maya and U.S. Mars sour into close range with light-sweet crudes, such as West Texas Intermediate. Oil May Fall Below $10 in Next Decade, Prechter Says …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

Lake Garda – Garda Trentino, A Mediterranean Corner at the Foot of the Dolomites
The places

Villages, old townships, the beach and all the surrounding area stretch out on a wide, lush plain, making a splendid setting for all your holiday activities in this perfect location. If …  read more…

Louisiana.2020TRAVEL.Biz / I-N-F-O.cc http://www.2020TRAVEL.Biz 10 Largest Cities J-O-B-S.cc / Jobing.cc http://www.J-O-B-S.cc
Louisiana

Louisiana.2020TRAVEL.Biz

I-N-F-O.cc

http://www.2020TRAVEL.Biz

10 Largest Cities J-O-B-S.cc

Jobing.cc http://www.J-O-B-S.cc

Capital: Baton Rouge

State abbreviat…  read more…

The Devil You Say!
Leadership Science versus Political Science, Part IV Copyright 2008-08-07 by Dr. Henry Madison Jacobs

“The Devil You Say!” was first copyrighted in 1990, after the first Bush Big-Oil Petroleum…  read more…

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Uganda: Two Billion Barrels of Oil Confirmed in Uganda (AllAfrica.com)
Kampala — THE petroleum resources in the Lake Albertine Graben is about two billion barrels, the energy ministry has said. Dozith Abeinomugisha, a senior geologist in the petroleum exploration and production department, said 34 wells had been drilled of which only two were dry.  read more…

Analysis: Amusement parks, economic growth in La. (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
Considering the recent slew of economic development projects announced by Louisiana has bypassed New Orleans, it wasn’t surprising city officials were excited last week by the prospect of reopening an amusement park.  read more…

N.O. considering reopening amusement park (The Daily Reveille)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Considering the recent slew of economic development projects announced by the state has bypassed New Orleans, it wasn’t surprising city officials were excited last week by the prospect of reopening an amusement park.  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Resolved Question: What is the God’s purpose for mankind?
WHY do you enjoy walking in a park or strolling through a field of sweet-smelling flowers? Why is it that your spirits soar when you see a beautiful lake or towering mountains with their peaks in the clouds? Why do you stop to listen as birds sing their cheery songs in the treetops? And why is it so pleasant to watch a graceful deer bounding along or a flock of sheep grazing in a meadow?

There is one answer to all these questions. We were made to live in Paradise! That is where our first parents, Adam and Eve, began their life. We got our desire to live in Paradise from them, and they got it from their Creator, Jehovah God. He knew that we humans would be happy in Paradise because he created us with the qualities needed to enjoy such a wonderful earthly home.
A bird and a butterfly in Paradise

Why did Jehovah create the earth? He “formed it even to be inhabited” by humankind. (Isaiah 45:18) “The Maker of the earth” gave Adam and Eve a beautiful paradise home, the garden of Eden. (Jeremiah 10:12; Genesis 2:7-9, 15, 21, 22) How they must have enjoyed its streams, its flowers, its trees! Graceful birds could be seen in the sky, and animals of various kinds roamed the land—none of them a threat to humans. Fish and other creatures moved about in earth’s clear, clean waters. Best of all, Adam and Eve were together. They could bring forth their kind and expand their Paradise home in joyful association with their growing family.

Although the earth is not a paradise today, it can be compared to the fine home of a happy family. Our God-given global home has what we need—light, heat, water, and food. How we appreciate the sun’s light and heat and the moon’s soft glow at night! (Genesis 1:14-18) In earth’s cellar there are fuels, such as coal and oil, that we can use for heating. Because of the water cycle and earth’s system of rivers, lakes, and seas, we have water. And as a carpet, the earth has green grass.

Just as food may be stored in a home, there is plenty in earth’s pantry. By means of crops in the fields and fruit in the orchards, Jehovah ‘gives us fruitful seasons and fills our hearts with good cheer.’ (Acts 14:16, 17) Since the earth is already such a fine home, imagine what it will be like when “the happy God,” Jehovah, makes it a paradise!—1 Timothy 1:11.

  read more…

Resolved Question: I discovered there are very big sweet lack covering Sudan Chat Libya and Egypt this lake extended until Asia?
I f you looke for Nile rever you get something stranges the nile is too longe and Vectorian luke And Tana is not quiet enugh and I suposed that there some under land water in afric crossing the red sea to Asia and Europe. and the central of this Luke in Darfur westran sudan and because of highlist lower aria or big grove happend by the African grove Red see ther field of watrer that mens the desert of Libya and Sudan And Egypt fdloting over this luke. There for the Tana Luke and Vectoria Luke And Chat Laue Even Sudia Aribia “Zamzam” Is springs from this waters luke. The qution frome where this luke get there water from african of course by only some percentag but the bigist percentage came from the whit ice aria from or northern ice pole or soposed it from southern Ice pole or from the land store water and because of lower of this pleace you get almost the inside waters feeding it. P lease I want The biolgise do condansive reaserch abou this theory and this can giude use to oil same.

  read more…

Resolved Question: Are you Bored?
474 Things To Do When You’re Bored
- Wax the ceiling
- Rearrange political campaign signs
- Sharpen your teeth
- Play Houdini with one of your siblings
- Braid your dog’s hair
- Clean and polish your belly button
- Water your dog…see if he grows
- Wash a tree
- Knight yourself
- Name your child Edsel
- Scare Stephen King
- Give your cat a mohawk
- Purr
- Mow your carpet
- Play Pat Boone records backwards
- Vacuum your lawn
- Sleep on a bed of nails
- DON’T toss and turn
- Boil ice cream
- Run around in squares
- Think of quadruple entendres
- Speak in acronyms
- Have your pillow X-rayed
- Drink straight shots…of water
- Calmly have a nervous breakdown
- Give your goldfish a perm
- Fly a brick
- Play tag…on West 35th Street
- Exorcise a ghost
- Exercise a ghost
- Be blue
- Be red
- But don’t be orange
- Plant a shoe
- Sweat
- Give a Rorschach test to your gerbil
- Turn
- Write a letter to Plato
- Mail it
- Take your sofa for a walk
- Start
- Stop
- Dial 911 and breathe heavily
- Go to a funeral…tell jokes
- Play the piano…with mittens on
- Scheme
- Sit
- Stay
- Water your family room
- Cause a power failure
- Roll over
- Play dead
- Find a witch
- Burn her
- Donate your brother’s body to science
- Ask why
- Wriggle
- Regress
- Sleepwalk without sleeping
- Try to join Hell’s Angels by mail
- Wonder
- Be a square root
- Ask stupid questions
- Weld your car doors shut
- Spew
- Vacation at Three-Mile Island
- Surf Ohio
- Teach your pet rock to play dead
- Go bowling for small game
- Be a monk…for a day
- Wear a sweatband to your wedding
- Staple
- Run away
- Intimidate a piece of chalk
- Abuse the plumbing
- Bend a florescent light
- Bend a brick
- Annoy total strangers
- Let the best man win
- Believe in Santa Claus
- Throw marshmallows against the wall
- Hold an ice cube as long as possible
- Adopt strange mannerisms
- Blow up a balloon until it pops
- Sing soft and sweet and clear
- Sing loud and sour and gravely
- Open everything
- Balance a pencil on your nose
- Pour milk in your shoes
- Write graffiti under the rug
- Embarrass yourself
- Grind your teeth
- Chew ice
- Count your belly button
- Sit in a row
- Stack crumbs
- Gesture
- Save your toenail clippings
- Make a pass at your blender
- Punt
- Make up words that start with X
- Make oatmeal in the bathtub
- Search for the Lost Chord
- Chew on a sofa cushion
- Sing a duet
- Balance a pillow on your head
- Hold your breath
- Faint
- Stretch
- Flash your mailman
- Teach your TA English
- Learn to speak Farsi
- Swear in Russian
- Use an eraser until it goes away
- Disassemble your car
- Put it together inside out
- Record your walls
- Interview your feet
- Make a list of your favorite fungi
- Sell formaldehyde
- Repeat
- Ad lib
- Fade
- File your teeth- Whine
- Rake your carpet
- Re-elect Richard Nixon
- Critique “Three’s Company”
- Listen to a painting
- Play with matches
- Buff your cat
- Race ferrets
- Paint your house…Day-Glow Orange
- Have a formal dinner at White Castle
- Read Homer in the original Greek
- Learn Greek
- Change your mind
- Change it back
- Watch the sun…see if it moves
- Build a pyramid
- Stand on your head
- Stand on someone else’s head
- Spit shine your Nikes
- See how long you can stay awake
- See how long you can sleep
- Paint your teeth
- Wear a salad
- Speak with a forked tongue
- Paint stripes on a lake
- Ski Kansas
- Sleep in freefall
- Kill a Joule
- Test thin ice…with a pogo stick
- Apply for a unicorn hunting license
- Do a good job
- Crawl
- Invite the Mansons over for dinner
- Paint your windows
- Watch a watch until it stops
- Flash your goldfish
- Paint
- Flirt with an evergreen
- Smile
- Rotate your garden…daily
- Paint a smile
- Shoot a fire hydrant
- Apologize to it
- Pretend you’re blind
- Annoy yourself
- Get mad at yourself
- Stop speaking to yourself
- Be a side effect
- Ride a bicycle…up Mt. McKinley
- Duck
- Redecorate…your garage
- Develop a complex
- Join the Army…be someone simple
- Try harder
- Hit the deck
- Put leg-warmers on your furniture
- Cut the deck
- Crumple
- Translate Shakespeare into English
- Skydive to church
- Cheer up a potato
- Do aerobic exercises…in your head
- Play cards with your swimming pool
- Pinstripe your driveway
- Play Kick the Fire Hydrant
- Harness chipmunk power
- Build a house with ice cubes
- Call London for a cab
- Mug a stop sign
- Change your name…daily
- Go for a walk in your attic
- Challenge your neighbor to a duel
- Build a house out of toothpicks
- Howl
- Wear a lampshade on your head
- Memorize the dictionary
- Stomp grapes in the bathtub
- Find a bug and chase it
- Make yourself a pair of wings
- Be immobile
- Dance ’til you drop
- Check under chairs for chewing gum
- Squish a loaf of bread
- Moo
- Bounce a potato
- Outmaneuver your shadow
- Climb the walls
- Appreciate everything
- Challenge yourself to a duel
- Make napalm
- Tattoo your dresser
- Watch a bowling ball
- Buy some diapers
- Eat everything
- Begin
- Pour milk in the sink
- Make cottage cheese
- Tie-dye your sheets
- Carpet your ceiling
- Hold your earlobes
- Fold your earlobes
- Flap
- Squawk
- Read tea leaves
- Analyze the Koran
- Be Buddha
- Award yourself a Nobel Peace Prize
- Plug in the cat
- Turn on everything
- Drop pebbles down the chimney
- Turn off your neighbor
- Kill a plant
- Buy a 1931 Almanac
- Memorize the weather section
- Think lewd thoughts about yourself
- Blow bubbles
- Send chills down your spine
- Peel grapes
- Make paper from the skins
- Bloat
- Catch them with your radiator
- Get run over by a train of thought
- Make up famous sayings
- Bite your pinkie- Get your dog braces
- Shave a shrub
- Have a proton fight
- Watch a car rust
- Quiver
- Rotate your carpet
- Learn to type…with your toes
- Set up your Christmas tree in April
- Be someone special
- Buy the Brooklyn Bridge
- Mail it to a friend
- Go back to square one
- Factor your social security number
- Take the fifth
- Memorize a series of random numbers
- Read the 1962 Des Moines white pages
- Join the Foreign Legion
- Learn Sanskrit
- Exist…existentially, of course
- Print counterfeit Confederate money
- Kick a cabbage
- Take a picture
- Put it back
- Sandpaper a mushroom
- Play solitaire…for cash
- Abuse your patio furniture
- Run for Pope
- Count to a million…fast
- Make a schematic drawing…of a rock
- Commit seppuku…with a paper knife
- Revert
- Think shallow thoughts
- Starch your shoes
- Polish your Calvin’s
- Contemplate a cockroach
- Get a dog to chase your car
- Let him catch it
- Investigate the Czar
- Form a political party
- Climb a sidewalk
- Have a political party
- Get diagonal…with a good friend
- Ride a loaf of bread
- Sharpen a carrot
- Interrogate a gerbil
- Go bow hunting for Toyotas
- Kidnap Cabbage Patch Kids
- Jump back
- Play to lose
- Scalp a street light
- Have your car painted…plaid
- Read a tomato
- Sharpen your sleeping skills
- Watch a game show…take notes
- Put out a fire
- If you can’t find a fire, make one
- Interview a cloud
- Play tiddlywinks…go for blood
- Play basketball…in a minefield
- Don’t talk to things
- Draw Lewis structures on your ceiling
- Have your cat bronzed
- Have your gerbil gilded
- Write books about writing books
- Create random equations
- Mispell words
- Tell your feet a joke
- Throw a tomato into a fan
- Sing the ABC song backwards
- Pretend you’re a dog
- Dial-a-prayer and argue with it
- Grease the doorknobs
- String up a room
- Stack furniture
- Relive fond memories
- Tie your shoelaces together
- Gargle
- Count your teeth with your tongue
- Decay
- Find your half-life
- Design a better toilet seat
- Shred a newspaper
- Have a headache
- Scratch
- Sniff
- Hatch an egg
- Play air guitar
- Act profound
- Spill
- Spell
- Stare
- Truncate
- Slouch
- Develop hearing problems
- Put your feet behind your head
- Tie bows in everything
- Hold your hand
- Watch the minute hand move
- Grow your fingernails
- Pretend you’re a telephone
- Ring
- Radiate
- Skip
- Play hopscotch…with real scotch
- Clock the velocity of your REMs
- Put your shoes on the opposite feet
- Cross your toes
- Roll your tongue
- Crystallize
- Baby oil the floor
- Hide
- Attack innocent bunnies
- Declare war
- Destroy a tree
- Hide the scrabble bag
- Seduce your stick shift
- Wink
- Memorize the periodic table
- Mummify
- Pretend you’re a roadie
- Buy a Ginsu knife
- Collect electrons
- Correct typos that aren’t there
- Polish your neck…use Pledge
- Recopy the Bible substituting your name for God
- Loosen the lug nuts on your dad’s new car
- Drop your cat off the roof to see if it lands on all four feet
- Count the bags under Walter Mondale’s eyes
- Unscrew all the lightbulbs and rearrange the furniture
- Found the Jim Jones School of Bartending
- Listen for non-satanic messages (i.e. “Drink milk”)
- Dress like Motley Crue…surprise your grandmother
- Dial-a-Prayer and tell them they’re wrong
- Go into a bar and ask for a Molotov Cocktail
- Learn everything there is to know about the Holy Roman Empire
- Make a drive-in window at your local bank where there wasn’t one before
- Walk on water…but don’t get caught
- Confess to a crime…that didn’t happen
- Be in the wrong place at the right time
- Plot the overthrow of your local School Board
- Request covert assistance from the CIA
- Discover the source of the Mississippi
- Search for buried treasure…in Nebraska
- Hot wax the bottom of your brother’s dress shoes
- Preach the philosophy of Marx…Groucho, that is
- Drink as much prune juice as you can
- Write a book about your previous life
- Serve ping-pong balls…as hors d’oeuvres
- Jump up and down…on your alarm clock
- Make a quilt out of used cocktail napkins
- Sterilize your stereo…with Jack Daniels
- Carve you and your girlfriend’s initials…in a marshmallow
- Drive the speed limit…in your garage
- Sing the national anthem…during your calculus final
- Wear a three-piece suit…in a sauna
- Pay off the national debt…with a bad check
- Go to a cemetary and verbally abuse dead people
- Give yourself a hernia…for Christmas
- Defend your neighborhood from roving Mongol hordes
- Recite romantic poetry…to your toaster
- See if you really can build a nuclear device in your own basement
- Go to McDonald’s and pretend you can’t speak English
- Write to your congressmen, senators, President, etc. to tell them what a good
- job they’re doing…On April 1st
- Find the heat capacity of your chemistry professor
- Take apart all your major kitchen appliances…mix and match them
- Turn your TV picture tube upside down
- Phone in a death threat on President Kennedy
- Put lighted EXIT signs on all your closets
- Carry a tune…drop it, see if it breaks
- Be planar…but don’t tell your parents
- Play hockey with your little cousin…as the puck
- Make a deal with the devil…but keep your fingers crossed
- Put instant concrete in your big brother’s waterbed
- Give a lecture on the historical significance of cream cheese
- Debate politics with a fern
- See how small you can scrunch your face- Sell firewood door to door…in Atlantis
- Found the TLO (Toledo Liberation Organization)
- Play nuclear chicken with a small third world nation
- Raise professional certified racing turnips
- Give your grandmother a raise and another day of paid vacation
- Lead an aerobics class…for patients of the I.C.U.
- Go to a drive-in movie in a tank
- Go to a non-drive-in movie in a tank and drive in anyway
- Send President Reagan an alarm clock…wind it up first
- Found a cockroach stable and stud ranch
- Send your goldfish to obedience school
- Free the oppressed toasters of America
- Weave a tablecloth out of copper tubing
- Give your cat a suntan…in the microwave
- Park your car…with a friend
- Park your car…with a group of friends
- Frame your first statement of bankruptcy
- Place it on the wall of your office
- Solve the population problem (x^2 + y^2 = population…solve for x)
- Contribute to the population problem
- Wear a T-shirt that says “I’ll walk on you to see The Who” and a peace sign
- Practice the Aztec method of heart removal on your professor
- Find out who made the super glue commercials and give them your Ginsu knife
- Get Ronco and K-tel to merge…they sell the same stuff anyway
- Sneak into a nuclear physics lab and stay the night
- Play with anything that looks interesting
- Drop piston engines on two people and see who squishes first
- See if your goldfish can live in Coors rather than water
- Try to ignite water…the Mississippi might work
- Draw Venn diagrams…screw them up
- State fallacies as fact (like, “peanuts grow on bushes”)
- Visit the Architecture building…loudly criticize its design
- Make a schematic drawing…of a rock
- Wallpaper your laundry room…with pages from books you don’t like
- See if diamonds really do cut glass…on everything in your neighbor’s house
- Tenderize your tongue…chew on it for a while
- See how long you can stare at a fluorescent light…try green
- Bronze your sister’s turtle
- See how long it takes for her to notice
- See what she does when she notices
- Bronze your sister- If you lose, stop watering it and try again.
- Increase your territorial holdings by force
- Find out how many ways there really are to skin a cat
- Boldly go where no man has gone before
- Be a threat to the American way of life
- Do research into the cause of World War III
- Be a threat to the Northwestern Tibetan way of life
- Re-establish the Roman Empire…in Pittsburgh

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Technorati Tags: sweet lake land and oil

Xm – Standard Chair Rail Height, Cutting Chair Rail, Chair Rail …
… Navigation, Mixer Attachment Pack, Care Lakeland, Hook Akg, Gb, Pv Dv900, With Wall Men Steam Player Stand Sharp Microwave Hospital, Removable, Lakeland, Cards, Kits Pink Insulation 608 Convection, Hz-515 Amish Lakeland Manual, …  read more…

Dara Khmer News » Blog Archive » RIGHTS-CAMBODIA: Newest …
His firm received a 99-year lease from the government last year in a typically opaque land deal. Since then, it has been pumping huge amounts of sand into the lake in order to fill it and create more land on which to build. … ”It is a long way to the nearest hospital. We can’t afford to pay for transportation for our children.” LICADHO’s Naly Pilorge said conditions at some relocation sites outside Phnom Penh are dire, with practically no health care, no schools, …  read more…

Montana GOP Congressman Hospitalized After "Serious" Boating …
So this bears watching… Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) is in stable condition in hospital, after a motor boat in which he and four other people were riding crashed into rocks on a Montana lake…. … Having lived on a lake for 35 years, anyone who is going fast enough in any kind of boat (most especially after 10 at night) to land up on the rocks like that is seriously reckless and worse than inexperienced. My guess, as always was the case in late night accidents on our …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

Buying Land
Considerations for finding and buying land for a new home are mind boggling. That’s why 80% of the people wanting to build a new home, buy from a developer or builder. But if you have adventure in y…  read more…

Fermont, PQ-The City in a Wall
Fermont is a unique company mining town. The company built a five to six story wall, over two – thirds of a mile in length to reduce the winds from the North. In this wall are apartments for over 6…  read more…

Newfoundland Travels-Labrador
On Wednesday, August 27, 2003 we have a beautiful day for traveling in Labrador. We are traveling on the Trans Labrador Highway. Our first stop was L’Anse Amour, the site of a grave 7,500 years old. T…  read more…

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Department of Mental Health and developer close to deal (The State)
The state Department of Mental Health is close to an agreement with Greenville developer Bob Hughes Jr. on the sale of its 181 acres on Bull Street — downtown Columbia’s largest tract of land to come on the market in more than a century.  read more…

Sheriff’s Log (Big Bear Grizzly)
Aug. 17 • Petty theft, 42000 block of Big Bear Boulevard, Big Bear Lake. No details available.  read more…

Lower Makefield residents speak out at Frankford Hospital hearing (The Advance)
Lower Makefield Township residents were given a second chance to get their comments about Frankford Health Care System’s — now officially known as Aria — special exception request on the official record of the hearing process.  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Resolved Question: When Obama and Rahm Emanuel Bring back the Military Draft, Who Will be dodging with me?
I will be dodging, because I am not a sucker or moron. I know the wars are a joke.

While the brainwashed uniformed morons insult me, I will be swimming in the lakes and enjoying the scenery in the middle of no where.

While the morons who do go, have there friends brains blown out and land right in there face, and they are in a mental hospital with no legs, cutting themselves on suicide watch.

I will be having the time of my life!

  read more…

Resolved Question: Social Studies… please help!!?
I know you guys are going to say I should do this myself because it looks like homework, but its just a review, and I’ve been in the hospital for 2 weeks from a really bad allergic reaction and I’m kind of behind and I need to catch up before the end of the year and I’m having trouble, so if you could help that would be great. Also, thanks in advance to anyone who helps me. (:

1. What is the main reason many people stop working on farms in Mexico?
poor health
not enough farm work
new labor laws
land is too valuable

2. A problem facing all people living in Mexico City is
increased pollution.
having only a few farms.
a lack of education.
no place to buy food.

3. During the Civil War that began in Guatemala about 1960, _________________.
the Mayas gained political power.
the Mayas benefitted from land reform.
many Mayas lost all of their belongings.
the Mayas agreed to share political power.

4. Most of the land in Guatemala belongs to
indigenous people.
foreign investors.
a few rich families.
the government.

5. The Panama Canal is the only way to sail from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without going around
Cuba.
North America.
Hispaniola.
South America.

6. Which statement best describes the Panama Canal?
Its entire length is at sea level.
The workers who built the canal were mostly from Panama.
It is thousands of miles long.
Ships pass through the Panama Canal at all hours all year long.

7. What event in 1959 changed the relationship between Cuba and the United States?
Cuba’s sugar production dropped.
Cuba became popular as a tourist resort.
Fulgencio Batista came to power.
Fidel Castro came to power.

8. Which of the following statements about modern Cuba is true?
Most Cubans are rich.
The majority of Cubans cannot read.
The economy is near collapse.
Some businesses are now privately owned and run.

9. Haiti is the only nation in the Americas formed
when it fought the Dominican Republic for independence.
from a successful revolt of enslaved Africans.
when Spain granted the country independence.
by democratic means.

10. Why is it hard for farmers to grow crops in Haiti?
Jean-Bertrand Aristide does not support farming in Haiti.
It is illegal to grow most crops.
The land has been overused and the topsoil washed away.
Most of the farmers left.

11. The ancestry of most Puerto Rican people is a combination of
African and Spanish.
American and French.
Italian and Portuguese.
Mexican and Spanish.

12. Why did the government of Brazil move the country’s capital?
Portugal took over the old capital.
Brazil wanted to encourage people to move to the coast of the country.
Brazil wanted to encourage people to move to the interior parts of the country.
There was too much pollution in the old capital.

13. Which expression best describes the climate of the selva?
cold and dry
cold and wet
hot and dry
hot and wet

14. What is unusual about the islands of Lake Titicaca?
The islands sink and then reappear every one to two weeks.
The islands contain some of the richest farmland in Peru.
The islands were made by Native Americans from totora reeds.
The islands are home to a rare species of tropical lizard.

15. Farmers in Chile raise
a variety of fruits and vegetables.
only coffee beans.
only potatoes.
grass and small shrubs.

16. Until recently, Chile’s economy depended heavily upon
mineral exports.
fishing.
farming.
manufacturing products for export.

17. What caused many Venezuelans to lose their jobs in the mid–1980s?
several years of violence
a military takeover of the government
poor weather for growing crops
a drop in the price of oil

  read more…

Voting Question: What do you think of this? I need some constructive criticism!?
((SORRY ABOUT ANY TYPOS))
“Claire, are you sure this is what you want?” My mother asked for the millionth time as we drove to the airport.
I sighed. My mother worried too much. “Yes, this is what I want.” I repeated.
My mother frowned, but said nothing. I could see how she would doubt this is what I wanted. Going to spend my last summer before senior year with my father out in the middle of no where was not exactly something a normal teenage girl like myself would want. But, I actually did want it. I wanted to spend time with my father. That was only the first reason though. Every night I dreamt of a boy in weird clothes calling me. He would only say my name over and over. I recognized the woods he was standing in from my childhood. I had often ventured there with the local boys to play. I wanted to go to that place and prove to myself that the dreams are nothing special or worrisome; that there is no such boy in existence.
I finally arrived at the airport.
“Alright.” My mother said, turning to me before I could escape on to the plane. “Make sure you behave for your father and don’t get into any trouble.”
“I will. See you, mom.”
My mother gave me a big hug before releasing me. She waved as I walked to board my plane. The plane ride was short, so I just slept the whole way. I was jolted awake by the flight attendants nasally voice through the intercom. I gathered my things quickly after the plane landed and hurried off. My father-Michael, Mike for short-was waiting for me by his pick up truck. He smiled when he caught sight of me.
“Claire bear!” He called.
I groaned internally. What, was I five?
“Hey dad!” I called back, smiling. He gave me a hug when I was in reach.
“How ya doin’ sweetie?”
“I’m just fine. How about you?” My father grabbed my two bas and tossed them into the bed of the truck.
“Oh, same old, same old.” He replied, smiling.
That meant he was working double shifts at the hospital again. Now that I looked closely he had slight purple spots under his eyes. They shouldn’t be working him so much; even if he is the best doctor in Hinkley.
I got into the truck and snapped on my seat belt, getting comfortable for the ride.
My father wanted to know all about school and my friends and how I was doing. He was clearly excited that I was spending the summer with him. I hadn’t spent a whole summer with him since I was nine. The age I realized Hinkley is very lame and there was absolutely nothing in it that was interesting. Hinkley is made up mostly of woods, lakes, and farms. Only a couple thousand people. How horrible and boring this summer will be!
I was not the country type. I am a full blown city girl; even if my wardrobe or looks didn’t prove it. Once we arrived at my father’s small farm house I jumped out of the truck and was about to call lucky-my golden retriever I got when I was eleven-when I heard something. It sounded like a bunch of children whispering.
“Claire!”
“Claire has arrived!”
I looked around wildly, but the voices weren’t coming from any particular area. More voices floated across the night.
“Call William at once!
“The girl has arrived!”
“She is finally here!”
What the hell? I was about to call out when the voices abruptly stopped. I stood there, stiff as a board, straining my ears for anymore voices.
“Claire, what’s the hold up?” My father called form the front porch.
I jumped at the sound of my father’s voice. “I’m coming!” I called back, willing my feet to move. Were those voices just my imagination? I had the strange feeling that someone was watching me, so I ran to the house; my heart pumping double time. Something strange was definitely going on. I groaned. I knew I had no choice but to find out what that something was.

I slept dreamless for the first time in months that night, awaking to the sun shining in through my small window. I pushed Lucky out of the way and got out of bed. I stretched and then walked to the window, opening it. I was surprised it had no trouble opening. I looked over my father’s small farm and then out to the endless green fields and woods. I sighed. The realization that I was really stuck here for the summer had finally sunk in. I suppressed another sigh and went to get dressed. I threw on cut off shorts and a tank top, not bothering to do anything with my hair except throw it up in a messy bun. No one was going to be around anyway. I padded down the stairs in my bare feet and then headed to the kitchen. There was a note next to a box of Cheerios on the table. My father had left for the hospital early. I ignored the cereal on the table and just drank a quick glass of orange juice before heading outside. My father only had two animals, Lucky and Patch. Patch was my black and white horse my father had given me when I was eight. I had made sure to grab sugar cubes and an apple for him before heading out of the house. I walked slowly over to the stable where patch was, humming. When I entered the stable Patch whin
When I entered the stable Patch whinnied. I smiled and walked over, petting him.
“Hey boy.” I murmured. “How are you?” Patch whinnied again and nudged me with his nose, eyeing the apple.
“Okay, okay!” I laughed, giving him the apple. Even if I didn’t want to be here for the summer I was still happy to have Patch and Lucky around. I had always loved animals, and for some odd reason they always loved me. Stray animals always came to me and even pets that had good owners followed me around often. After Patch was finished with his sugar cubes I started getting him ready for a ride. I hadn’t been on him for a while and I couldn’t help but be excited. Riding him always made me feel like I was flying. I was putting his saddle on when a rough voice made me jump.
“Who are you?”
I whirled around, almost dropping the saddle. A man around his mid thirties was standing in the doorway. The hairs on my neck stood up.
“I could ask the same to you.” I retorted; glancing at Lucky. He was growling.
“I could ask the same to you.” I retorted; glancing at Lucky. He was growling.
“I asked you first young lady.” He said, taking a step forward. Lucky growled louder.
My eyes narrowed. “If you must know, my father owns this farm. So I suggest you get out of here before I release lucky on you.”
Lucky’s growl grew loader still; his lips pulling back from his teeth as if he anticipated the attack.
“You’re Claire?” He asked, surprised.
I hesitated before answering. “Yes.”
His face flickered with happiness and then instantly went blank.
“Oh. I’m sorry then. My name is Bill. I come here everyday to take care of Patch for your father when he can’t. He never said anything about you coming to visit though.” He eyed me and then glanced at lucky nervously. “He has never liked me much.”
I didn’t say anything. Something wasn’t right about him. A part of me was screaming to get away. I didn’t see any danger though. Lucky clearly felt what I felt, since he was still growling at Bill. Bill stood
stood in the doorway; feeling awkward by my silence.
“Hi.” I finally said, staying guarded. “I will be here the whole summer, so you don’t need to take care of him for a while.”
Lucky growled again.
“Oh.” Bill replied. I wanted him gone, quickly. All of my senses were on high alert.
“Well, that’s okay. I can pay more attention to my other job for the summer then.”
I said nothing and he shifted uncomfortably. “Let me just say bye to Patch. I have grown quite fond of him.”
I thought it over and nodded once, moving over so he could come see Patch.
Bill took each step carefully, keeping his eyes on Lucky. As he walked nearer, I knew something was wrong. I had no time to do anything, because Bill was now next to me.
He turned to me and his facial features changed drastically. A menacing smile shaped his lips.
“Stupid Witch!” He hissed, grabbing the front of my shirt.
Everything broke into a frenzy of voices and movement. Lucky lunged at Bill, grabbing his arm and locking his teeth in
teeth into a death grip. Bill howled with pain and rage before shaking Lucky of his arm. Lucky hit the far wall and landed on the ground, motionless. Patch was whinnying and up on his hind legs. The voices I had heard last night were a loud buzz in my ears.
“Claire is in trouble!”
“Claire!”
‘Get William! Someone call William and his guards.”
“What shall we do!?
“A troll is attacking Claire!”
A troll? As I thought the word Bill began to transform. I watched, horrified. His whole body bubbled and shifter, turning into a large, green monster about eight feet tall. Blisters and oozing sores covered his green skin. His teeth were sharp and yellow and his eyes were bright red. In his left hand he held a large club as long as my short body with sharp, metal spikes sticking out of it.
“I’ve got you now, you stupid, filthy little girl.” He growled.
He had me by my shirt, about five feet off the ground. My feet were dangling, so I swung my body and kicked with all my strength straight into hi
opinions would be very helpful!
his gut. I knew I was small, but I packed a large kick. A small “oof” escaped his lips and he released me. I fell to the ground and landed on my wrist awkwardly. I heard a loud snap as I landed. I cried out in pain and tears swam before my eyes. I blinked them back, telling myself I needed to focus. I looked up at Bill and he had already recovered from my kick.
“You little witch.” He growled, reaching for me. Before he could grab me I was on my feet, dodging his meaty hand and running past him. He turned quickly and swung at me again. I dodged and his club punched through the stable wall, sending shards of wood everywhere. I covered myself from the flying wood. Shards of wood stopped flying after a short moment and Bill was charging me again. At my feet lay a long piece of splintered wood. Its end was very sharp. Perfect. I grabbed it and stood up, getting ready to use it. I had no idea how to use it, but I knew I needed to do something.
Once Bill was close enough his large hand swiped at me, trying to grab me. I dodged it and charged his stomach. He didn’t expect it, so he hesitated for a second. That second was all I needed. I held up the wood and shoved it into his stomach with all my strength. As much strength as a five foot two girl had, anyway. Bill howled and reeled back, grabbing at his stomach. I stepped back and watched in disgusted horror as black liquid shot from his wound. Black liquid trickled down his mouth as he wobbled in place. For a few short seconds he stopped moving, and then fell backwards; landing on the ground with a large crash that shook the ground. He was dead. The voices that I had been ignoring erupted into euphoric shouts.
“Claire defeated the Troll!”
“Claire is injured, we must go and help!”
“Claire truly is out savior!”
“She will save us all!”
I had no time to process what the voices were saying. I was suddenly exhausted. I fell to my knees and cradled my wrist. It was an angry red and swollen. The tears I had been holding back spilled down my cheeks. What the hell was this? I just fought off a . . . troll! Trolls do not exist!
“This is not real!” I sobbed, letting my tears flow.
“Unfortunately, it is as real as it gets.” A gentle voice called from the doorway of the stable. I jumped and looked over at the door, startled. I found myself staring into the face of the boy from my dreams.
es, I was afraid it was a bit twilightish, I will probably change it up a bit. hmmm, I have never heard of “Wings”
I’ll have to check itout and make sure I don’t make my story too much like it.
Thank you for your comment!

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 Want to purchase 1½ – 2 katha land/ old building for residence in lake gardens/ near peerless hospital/ south kolkata. no
Posted by intellibitz via Free Indian Classifieds  

 Equipment, Tools and Collectables (Two Harbors, MN )
Posted by sameerb via “4 Sale ALL” via drsameerb in Google Reader  

 Land Speed Racer Dies In 200 MPH Bonneville Speed Week Crash [Speed Week]
Posted by petrbuben via Jalopnik  

 Strange Robots amazing robot designs |What’s Up??
Posted by abhid via FriendFeed  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Technorati Tags: lake land hospital

Brazil will be one of the first economies to recover from the economic slump. The OECD predicts 4% economic growth for the emerging giant in 2010. The confidence of the countrys President Lula da Silva, who during his two terms of office has transformed the countrys economy, has barely taken a denting. Brazil is emerging from the crisis, and next year we are going to have surprising growth, he announced in July.

The oil industry is booming. Brazils target is to double production by 2012 to 3.5 million barrels a day, placing it high amongst many Middle Eastern rivals such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Petrobras, the State-owned oil company, is developing its recently found deepwater reserves with a $174 billion investment program over 5 years and the US has agreed to provide up to $10 billion in finance to further development. Having diversified and industrialized its economy prior to many of its major finds, Brazil should avoid over-reliance on oil and increase domestic wealth significantly.

The growing middle classes and consequent increasing domestic consumption of the BRIC nations is creating greater demand for exports. While US consumers continue to tighten their purse strings, Brazil, Russia, India and China will be responsible for around 50% of worldwide export demand.

The 2014 World Cup has resulted in a Government programme of expenditure, in excess of $250 million on roads, airports, power generation and sanitation coupled with a huge spend on tourism that has resulted in international tourists increasing year on year from 1.9 million in 1995, to in excess of 5.2 million in 2008.

The Brazilian property market has huge room for growth. Residential mortgages only represent 2.5 percent of the Brazils GDP according to Banco Central do Brasil, the Central Bank. Comparisons with other countries reveal a huge growth potential for Brazil as Mexico is 11%, Chile 20%, Spain 45% and 68% in the US. Even with the worldwide economic crisis, mortgage lending in Brazil rose 41%, twice as fast as consumer credit. The state-owned Caixa Economica Federal has lent around 19 billion Reais so far in 2009, compared to an average of five billion Reais four years ago. It expects to lend 26 billion Reais worth of loans for Brazil real estate purchase in 2009.

Brazil has a huge domestic market resulting in its huge export industry only representing 12% of its $1.5 trillion economy. This is due to its population of 190 million people and a growing middle class making up more than half of the population. This has resulted in Brazilians buying more food, clothing, and household goods. Whirlpool (WHR), which has a 40% share of Brazil’s appliance market, has benefited, too. Sales jumped 20% in May and June compared with a year earlier. Even when the tax cut ends in October, sales should remain strong, says Jos A. Drummond Jr., president of Whirlpool Latin America. This has also fueled retail spending at supermarkets such as Grupo Po de Acar, which had a revenue of $8.9 billion in 2008. To cash in on booming sales of fridges, washers, and the like, the company in June paid $422 million for Ponto Frio, an appliance retailer with 458 outlets. “Over the next five years, we’ll see a doubling of sales of durable goods in Brazil,” says Jos Roberto Tambasco, vice-president for operations at Po de Acar.

Technorati Tags: 2014, brazil, china, export, finance, india, infrastructure, investment, oil, Real Estate, tourism, world cup

Presently a home is more than a place to live or a shelter from a harsh weather because it also reflects the personality of the people who are currently staying there. Even so the home is now an investment and many people invest their money in the form of their own home and they invest a huge amount of money in it.

Before we start with how to sell your home plan, let’s discuss the home plan. The home plan being the thing people need to build their home and can seem as a complicated thing because you have to consider many different factors and try to sort them one-by-one by making a detailed list of things that need to be incorporated into your home plan. You probably have a lot of things that you want in it but you need to be very careful in deciding on a good combination if you want to have a very lovely home.

You can also make a list of the pluses or minuses of your old home and you might also ask your friends for for their advice, to make a good home. Make sure it’s attractive to possible buyers so throw in something different that to your knowledge has not been included before such as an energy efficient layout. You also need to take into account how big the house is, is it going to be a one story or two story home, how many rooms are there, how many bathrooms, etc. following that you can start to calculate the estimate price of your home, but this can be done later.

Among other thing you’ll also need to take into account the build location’ where you want to start building, so build a home that fits well with the area it’s situated in. Never make a home plan that is not suitable for the surroundings environment as this will make potential homebuyers before they buy into your plan.

These days, it’s pretty easy to make a home plan as there are a lot of available tools that make it extremely easy. On the world wide web we can also find many good plans and get a lot of ideas there and have an idea what kind of house most people want. Also, you can upload and list your plans there which is the easiest and the fastest way to sell your home plan.

As we see now, some people invest their money to their home and many other people will simple hand over tons of money for a good plan that complements their dreams. Now it’s your chance to plan ahead and get the best return for your home designs.

Technorati Tags: business, home, Real Estate

Metal structures are very economical as they are lower in cost than general constructed buildings, which is why you should select metal if you are extending your present company’s location. There are numerous designs and styles to pick from, and they are also more secure after construction is finished.

It is for these very reasons that steel buildings now are more common than the one and two story buildings often found in commercial areas. Look for yourself at this interesting information and understand why utilizing metal to build is an excellent decision. As a result many people are turning to steel building kits for their next construction plans.

Most metal companies comply with customers design requests presenting you with many options such as the exterior of the property may be enhanced using a variety of finishing materials. Some of these features include enhancing glass, wood, brick, stucco, and cumulative panels to accommodate local zoning demands, equal the appearance of existing buildings, and appeal to customers by fascinating them. Metal buildings propose an array of configurations and optional arrangements for the inside of the building, with vaulted ceilings and open accessibility.

You will be able to construct a good looking building within your intended budget if you utilize metal while assembling it. Because of this, metal building kits will help you avoid countless headaches and maintenance problems linked with shabby buildings. Many types of retail buildings begin to deteriorate over time but since metal is highly resistant to water, mold, mildew, termites and other wood destroying insects, a metal retail building will last longer and require less maintenance than many other types of retail buildings which saves you money!

Metal buildings can arrive pre-drilled, pre-welded, and pre-punched at the plant, providing you with a design that is conveniently raised so that your tenants can move in, begin business, and quickly cause your profits to increase. There is proof that working with a retail metal building method can save up to half the cost of identical buildings created with traditional construction approaches, since creating a new building can be fairly expensive.

Three reasons why a metal building is the most functional and cost-effective way to go is that it will furnish a solid structure, it will save you money, and with it you will increase your options for the interior and exterior designs. Why take chances with your real estate investment – choose the design that gives a lifetime of benefits.

Technorati Tags: business, commercial building, commercial property, commercial real estate, factory, metal building, metal kits, property development, Real Estate, warehouse

The best thing that an individual could have to get a loan is their home. Over the recent years there have been many people using the value of their house to get big loans, and if done right will benefit you greatly. This type of loan is known as a second mortgage, or a home equity loan.

What factors how much of a loan you can get through a home equity loan, is the amount of equity that the borrower has in their home. The process to get a home equity loan though, is much more easier than getting the initial mortgage. This is because the borrower has already been approved for a loan before.

When a borrower goes to apply for the loan for the second time, the transactions that are involved will be cheaper. This usually occurs because the rate of interest on the home equity loan are a little higher than the initial loan.

But then, there are some constructive points too. For example, the fact that the interest paid on the loan may be tax deductible. In most cases the interest is 100% fully deductible as long as the combined loan to value of the 1st and 2nd mortgage does not exceed the value of the home.

When it comes to a home equity loan, lender will give you a fixed amount of cash against the equity, and have a certain time period to pay it back. The amount that you are borrowing will be added to what that individual still owes on the first loan.

There are some precautions that must be taken before you apply for a second mortgage. You must have excellent credit, and it would benefit you greatly if you have a good chunk of your mortgage paid off. Although you can get a home equity loan if you do not have a good chunk of your original loan paid off, it might not be worth it considering the interest will be through the roof.

The money that you are getting from a home equity loan can be used for almost anything that you want. If you need to make home repairs, buy a boat or a car, or pay off consolidate debt, just about anything you can think of. Be careful when applying and make sure that you can afford the monthly payments or you could jeopardize the ownership of your home.

So you will want to make sure that you are getting a second mortgage for a very important cause. Do not bury yourself in more debt than you can handle by getting a second mortgage, it must be carefully planned.

Technorati Tags: banks, home equity loans, Real Estate, second mortgage

Are you ready to look into the buying and selling of apartment buildings? Have you ever thought of putting your money to work for you instead of letting it sit to moulder away? This is where you are going to need to get a hold of the property investment advice that can make all the difference! Property investment has never been the most straightforward process, and with the economy in the shape that it is in, this has gotten even more complicated. Take a moment and make sure that you consider what kind of property investment advice that you need to internalize before you move forward.

When you are thinking about buying and selling apartment buildings, remember that you should always take the long view of things. For instance, many experts believe that the housing markets tend to move in seven to ten year cycles. There are highs, there are lows and there are places where it seems as though an equilibrium has been reached, but it is important to remember that thins will always change. Are you okay with how much you are borrowing and have you made sure that your ultimate financial goals are still in mind? Remember that you should always plan as well as you can and that you should always take new information into account.

Another important piece of property investment advice is going to relate to how you can look at expenses like interest on the property and the repairs that you need to do are tax deductible. Make sure that you account for how you are going to deal with things like this and what kind of money you need to keep coming in. There are so many different things that you need to consider that it can seem a little overwhelming, and this is where looking for professional advice might be precisely what you need to do. There are many people who think that it is inadvisable for people to go into the property game as amateurs, and this is where making sure that you have professionals helping you out.

If you want to be invested in the buying and selling of apartment buildings, take a moment to think about how to learn about the areas that you are thinking about working in. Make sure that you tour the area extensively and that you know who lives there and who is likely to rent from you. Read up on investment publications about that area in specific and that you know what kind of services infrastructure is present and what will be going up in the future. The more time that you spend understanding the area, the better off you will be.

This might be the best time for you to get involved in investing, so don’t move forward without the right property investment advice!

Technorati Tags: Apartment, apartment investing, apartment investment, business, family, finance, home, investing in apartments, investment, mortgage, property investment advice, Real Estate

Your credit score is a key factor taken into account when a lender is reviewing a loan application. These scores are formulated by analyzing your past credit performance, but the information gathered and included on your credit report may not be accurate. Having inaccurate data on your report can lead to lower scores and less favorable loan terms.

To make sure that the information on your credit report is correct start by requesting copies of your file from the three main credit agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each of these agencies collect and report information separately, so while one of them may have wrong data, correct information might be on a different one. It is still a good idea to make sure they all have the same data because creditors will look at all three scores in making a decision.

After receiving the free credit reports from the three agencies, a line item review is required. Look at every reported incident, especially those that negatively impact the rating. These obviously include reported defaults and late payments, but also look to make sure all outstanding loans and credit accounts are listed, that the available credit listed is correct and so on. All these factors play a role in the overall scoring.

The process of retrieving credit data and entering it into the agencys database is prone to mistakes, especially on reports that are not monitored frequently or for people that have common names. In view of the enormous amount of data received and the massive task of sorting it and then entering it into the agencys database, mistakes are virtually inevitable. This means it should come as no surprise to find at least some mistakes on a credit report.

Count yourself lucky if there are no mistakes, but if there are be sure to go straight to the reporting agencies website where you can find a claim form to start the appeal process. When you fill this out make sure you explain why the data is incorrect and include any other documentation that can support your position. Remember that old information will be easier to correct than new records.

Once the claim is initiated, it usually takes 30 days for the agency to investigate the matter. Depending on the results of the investigation, the item may or may not be removed. It is not uncommon for lenders to fail to respond after a claim has been initiated. If this happens, the bureaus are required to remove the information from your credit file.

Technorati Tags: credit, credit repair, credit report disputing, credit tips, finance, mortgage, personal finance, Real Estate

I watched a web seminar this afternoon the subject of mobile phone messaging. The reason for joining the meeting was to find ways to create visibility our expired listing lead service from RedX. The information presented was very useful; especially if you have a number of prospective clients that you are finding difficult to contact. The technology has evolved where you can now provide your prospects a way to stay constantly in contact with your product offering. This type of approach is not new. There are online corporations that provide information on homes for sale in response to a certain cell phone text numbers that you can place on your listing. Unfortunately, these systems regularly provide a single interaction with your prospective client, and some simple contact information from which to follow up.

Most real estate agents are aware of this approach which is different than what was presented at the webinar. The model that was provided was a message that was sent out from during a concert to those who had registered to receive mobile updates. The communication included a voucher code and a request to send that coupon on to each of the recipient’s contacts which effectively made the message viral. Now I understand that you are not putting on large rock concerts, and likely do not have that large of a budget; also, real estate is a completely distinct animal. However, the strategy remains the same.

This is the way I would personally recommend use of this technology:

1) Attracting leads: Establish a relationship with a SMS text service supplier so that you may put various text codes on discrete listing signs and promotions that you place. There are a number that assist the real estate industry, but make certain that they have an autoresponder system so that after the initial text is sent, the textee is provided a follow up requesting permission to provide additional updates. You want your list of leads to opt in to the communication.

2) Sending a list of listings may be trite, let’s face it, we all do it as a standard of practice with little differentiation. To differentiate yourself, choose to send out information or reports that are unique to the services that you offer. If you link the text digits to an individual promotion, you can at least assume some things about the individual who requested the data. From there, you can create follow-on texts that may suite the prospect’s interest. These can incorporate new listings that are similar to what originally prompted the text. For differentiation and the viral spin, you may want to send local updated on local events. You may also go as far as approaching some of the advertisers in the local clipper magazines and mailers and request permission to forward their offer to your target list. Let’s face it, when was the last time you received a free pizza or 20% off dinner at your local Chinese restaurant from your Realtor?

Technorati Tags: home sales, listing, lockbox, mobile marketing, Real Estate, real estate marketing, realtor, realty, sms, text

If you are tired of self-managing your property and have decided to hire the services of a professional property management company then you need to be careful and take your time finding a good company to hire.

Hire the right management company and you will have a lucrative rental. Hire the wrong management company and you will lose thousands of dollars.

A big mistake owners make is that they just randomly pick a property management company from the phone book without doing research on the company first.

Don’t hire one of those big nationwide corporations that sell property. They do property management because they want to be the first company you think of when you want to sell your property. They lose money on property management, but make money when you are ready to sell your home. It’s never a good idea to go with a property management company that is trying to get you to sell your home because that’s where they make the big money. You want a company that specializes only in property management and nothing else. You don’t want a big corporation either. You want a small, local expert that has lived in your city for at least 20 years. You want a property management company that specializes in your local market only.

Check references, particularly the management companys other clients. Make a few phone calls to check references. Do not sign any agreement with the property management company until you know they have a good track record. Now here’s where owners blow it. They contact a property management company on their high up pedastool and they demand to see a list of all the property management’s clients so they can call them for a reference. Don’t do that. Humble yourself. Your home will only make about $50 a month for the property management company. If you are a pain, they will simply tell you to take your business elsewhere. The property management company will not release a list of “all” their clients. Not to you. Not to anyone. That is confidential and internal information. Think about it. Anyone could get a list of clients and then contact those clients and offer a slightly lower management fee and take all their business away. You would be hard pressed to find any business that would be willing to give you a list of “all” their clients. Just chill out. Ask for three references that you can call. Call the references and ask if they work for the property management company or know someone who does. Ask the references how long they have had their properties managed by this company, and just go from there.

Get on the web and do a check on the property management company to make sure they have all the legal licenses to do business in your area. Most states mandate that a company have a business license, a real estate license, and a property manager’s license. A good example is in California where property managers are required to have a real estate license.

Ask about the company’s insurance. They need to be insured. The firm should have professional liability insurance and general liability insurance on its employees. Also, the firm should have a bond on the employee in case of employee theft, after all, you have a right to know this because it is the employees who will be handling your deposit and monthly rent money and if they commit fraud, you want full reimbursement.

The second biggest goof that owners is make is that they don’t ask the property management company the right questions before signing a management agreement.

Ask the management company the following questions when you are interviewing them:

1 – Can you list the exact management services you will be providing me?

2 – Do you sell homes?

3 – Can you tell me exactly when I should expect a monthly check or deposit into my bank account for the rent you collected?

4 – How do you market properties?

5 – How quickly do you, and what is your procedure for, handling maintenance requests from renters?

6 – Who will manage my property? What are his qualifications? Does he have all the necessary legal licenses? How many homes does he currently manage?

7 – Can you give me three references that I can call? I would like three people to contact that are clients of yours and that are managed by the same person will be managing my property.

8 – If you have your own in-house maintenance division, do you only charge the cost of labor and materials or do you markup the labor or have other surcharges?

9 – Are you able to get discounts with vendors and if so, do you pass on those savings to me?

10 – Who gets to keep the late charges? Also, if I keep the late charges, are you charging me a higher monthly management fee? If you keep the late charges, are you charging me a lower monthly management fee?

11 – Do you have insurance on employee errors and theft? Specifically do you have an Errors and Omissions policy that covers at least $500,000? On your general liability policy does it cover at least $2,000,000?

12 – Do you have a $500,000 Fidelity bond and a Forgery and Alterations policy of at least $25,000 for all employees?

13 – Do you meet all DRE standards for what is considered acceptable and not acceptable regarding the co-mingling of owners’ funds? How do you keep my rental income separate from John Doe’s rental income? If money is not in my account to pay for a repair, do you contact me and ask that I send you the money or is the money taken from another owner to pay for my repairs until I can pay you. (The answer you want to hear is that the repair is not made until the money is in your account to pay for the repair).

Technorati Tags: business, business and finance, Education, home, investments, property management, Real Estate, rentals