July 2022

Real Estate Investing: Find Out How To Succeed In The Online Real Estate Market

If you are planning on indulging in real estate investing you should also consider the online real estate market that provides a novel means of buying and selling properties. To begin with, online real estate marketing will involve listing as well as advertising properties over the Internet and it also means getting maximum exposure. Best of all, it also means not having to pay any commissions to real estate brokers. And online real estate is a more convenient way of transacting business and is also a lot quicker than traditional ways of real estate investing.

Evaluate Your Property’s Value

However, before you jump into real estate investing and more particularly into the online real estate market, you would need to first evaluate the true value of your property. For this evaluation you can go online or ask a real estate agent to do the evaluation for you. Next, you need to try and use online videos, which are a wonderful way of advertising your property and a whole lot better than the traditional means of advertising.

There are two ways that you can categorize online real estate videos and these are promotional content and pod cast content with each category catering to different types of buyers and sellers.

In any case, by listing your property online you will get a wider audience for your property and so you must be prepared to get queries from many different places. There is no doubt that real estate investing in the online real estate market can be hugely profitable though at the same time it also has its fair share of associated risks, especially if you are not well conversant with online real estate.

You need to be very careful about each aspect of the online real estate deal and this means learning about the proper financing, decide whether you wish to rehab or not and also know how to hire a landlord. Fortunately, there are some websites that deal with these aspects and which allow you to take part in online discussions with others who are interested in real estate investing. In fact, you should also check out articles written on online real estate sites and even sign up for free e-newsletters pertaining to investing so that you are on top of the subject of real estate investing in the online real estate market.

One of the better resources that deal with real estate investing and more particularly online real estate is REI Club Freebies where you will find tons of information as well as numerous resources regarding online real estate. You can read e-books on real estate investing and it is even possible to download these e-books for reading at a later time on your computer monitor. There are also many other resources such as software to analyze properties and information on how to indulge in real estate investing in the online real estate market.

You must also remember that real estate investing and online real estate involves hard work and there are no short cuts that will help you make quick money. Furthermore, because you will be dealing with people who you can’t see (at least in the beginning) you need to be very careful about divulging information without first verifying the credentials of prospective buyers and sellers. Once you get past this hurdle, you should then try and buy properties that are in a rundown condition and then repair and upgrade until it looks attractive to buyers. Also, you should look for properties that are located in places where the rentals are on the high side because in this way you can be sure that your real estate investing endeavours will pay you back good returns.

There are many online foreclosed properties’ lists that you should tap into because you can buy these properties for less money and then sell them at a higher price and thus profit from your real estate investing actions.

The online real estate market abounds with many profitable opportunities, and if you use things such as online videos and perhaps even take a course in online real estate, you will be able to profit from your real estate investing activities.

Business Plan Software: Do You Need It?

Business plan software is something that often gets overlooked and isn’t considered to be a necessity for some reason. In my opinion, business plan software is essential, it is not a luxury. I am a huge advocate of business planning. When people ask me if they need a business plan, my response is, “Absolutely!” You see, starting a business without a business plan is akin to starting college without a degree plan. If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know how to get there. You will waste your time and your money if you are not following a plan. It’s really that simple!

So, you know you need a business plan, but what about business plan software? For business planning, there are really three alternatives: 1) crafting your own business plan from scratch; 2) hiring a business plan writer or business planning consultant; or 3) using business plan software to write your own business plan. Each of these alternatives has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Writing your own business plan from scratch is certainly a possibility. Doing so gives you the freedom to format and arrange the plan in any way that you see fit. On the other hand, doing financial projections, which are necessary for the purpose of budgeting and financial planning, can be difficult to do without a business plan program, or at least financial projection software or spreadsheets.

Hiring a business plan writer makes sense for some people. A business plan writer is generally well-versed in business planning and will have insight that will assist you in preparing a comprehensive business plan that takes everything into account. The disadvantages to having your business plan professionally written are the expense associated with the initial plan, and the limitations that exist in regard to changing it as your business evolves, which is something that business plan software empowers you to do.

Business plan software is relatively inexpensive when compared to hiring a professional business plan writer or consultant. However, when compared to doing your own plan from scratch, it may seem like an unnecessary expense. Business plan software does have many advantages. A good business plan software package, like Business Plan Pro by Palo Alto, has the headings and categories for a business plan already set up for you. It also has guidance throughout the business planning process that explains what to include in each part of your business plan.

What I really love about Business Plan Pro is that it is so easy to do financial projections using the business plan software, whether or not you understand accounting. The main financial sections include a section for start-up costs, one for income projections, one for a proforma balance sheet, and one for a projected cash flow statement. Information that input into one of the financial forms automatically transfers calculations to the other financial statement forms making the process of projecting your financial plan a breeze.

Another huge advantage I see in regard to business plan software is that when you use business plan software to create your own business plan, you can make changes to it anytime you need to. It doesn’t become a stale document that sits on the shelf and collects dust. A business plan should be always evolving. You should update your business plan frequently including new goals, objectives and milestones. You should also adjust your financial projections regularly for the purpose of budgeting. Business plan software makes it easy to do.

If you choose not to use business software, and to create your own business plan from scratch, you will need some guidance unless you are a professional business planner yourself. The Small Business Administration at sba.gov has some excellent resources and guides about business planning. If you choose to hire a professional business plan writer, do review their qualifications and references and make certain that you understand exactly what is included in the business planning services they are offering.

How To Compare Low Cost Automobile Insurance In South Carolina

If you drive a vehicle on any public roadway in South Carolina you simply must buy automobile insurance. South Carolina has a system set up with the insurance companies so that it is informed the minute an insurance policy is canceled or lapses – and if that policy isn’t replaced within 20 days the penalties for the registered owner of that vehicle can be severe.

A much better way to beat the high cost of automobile insurance here in South Carolina is to find safe and legal ways to lower your monthly premium – and once we’ve done that, to get online and compare the price of your “super-low-priced-policy” on several of the automobile insurance price comparison websites.

But before we start making “comparisons” online, let’s try to create a low-priced policy that we can compare in order to really save some serious money.

Let’s start with you. Did you know that the way you drive affects the price you pay for your insurance more than any other single factor? If you have speeding tickets or any moving violations on your driving record you simply are not going to get the lowest cost automobile insurance available in South Carolina.

If you have a DUI or a DWI on your record then you can kiss any chance for low cost automobile insurance good-bye for at least 3 years. Possibly longer.

Keeping your car in a garage at night will save you money on your automobile insurance every month.

Find ways to drive less. Many people are now using public transportation as their “second car” and leaving their vehicle parked as much as possible. If you can reduce your driving to below 500 miles per month you may be in for a rather nice Low Mileage Discount.

If you are married sign the wife up as the primary driver and the husband as the secondary driver. Women pay less for automobile insurance and this trick will save both of you money.

Don’t bother your insurance company with small, unimportant claims. Save your insurance for major claims. The longer you go without filing a claim the less your insurance will cost you. Some companies begin handing out bonuses after only six months of accident-free driving – other companies may make you wait a year, but not filing claims often can save you money.

Pay your premiums automatically from your bank account. Automatic payments save you money month after month.

Driver’s under 25 can save at least 5% a month simply by remaining in school and maintaining a “B” grade average or better.

Drivers over 55 may get a 10% break on their insurance rates by passing a special driver’s refresher course. Not all companies make this discount available so ask your agent if you can qualify.

See if your place of employment or any clubs or organizations or groups that you belong to offer group car insurance. Group rates are almost always a savings over individual rates.

Often adding an anti-theft device as simple as a steering wheel lock or an electronic device that shuts off your fuel pump until it receives a hidden command can save you big bucks each month on your car insurance. Ask your agent.

Carpool to work. Driving your car back and forth to work less often will reduce your auto insurance rates. If you stop working and are no longer making the trip back and forth to work at all, be sure to let your agent know as this will lower your monthly premium.

Can you afford to increase your deductible? Don’t promise to pay more than you can afford, but the higher your deductible the lower your monthly automobile insurance payment.

Finally, take what you’ve learned in this article and fill out the form on a minimum of 3 websites that make price comparisons of automobile insurance policies from different companies. The trick is to put the exact same information on the form on all three comparison websites so that you are comparing the same insurance policy on all sites.

Then simply choose the lowest price from among all of the insurance companies operating in the state of South Carolina and you’ll have found the best deal possible on automobile insurance. It’s that simple.

Common Herbal Remedies

People have been collecting herbs to use as medicine for centuries. Many doctors claim however that taking herbs in place of your prescribed medication is not recommended.

There has been a vast amount of information and testing with regard to herbal remedies. Herbs like vitamins are good for your body and overall health. Although the exact cause of why herbs have a positive effect on the body is not always known. Usually, herbs need to be taken over a long period to receive the benefits to you health.

Listed below is information about some common herbal remedies.

Alfalfa has been known to be effective in healing ailments such as gas pains, pain and stiffness from arthritis and ulcers. Alfalfa herb tea possesses no adverse components and is safe for all people including children.

For relief from upset stomachs, colds, bronchitis, bladder troubles, and jaundice, Chamomile is recommended. This herb is also helpful in the regulating menstrual cycle’s rheumatic pains, and headaches. Chamomile has also been effective for babies with colic. In addition, it can act as an insect repellent when used properly.

Dandelion increases activity in the pancreas, liver, and spleen and contains insulin substitutes. Dandelion has a high vitamin and mineral content that is used for treating kidney and liver disorders, along with skin disease and loss of appetite.

Eucalyptus is a major ingredient in many commercial medicines such as cough and sore throat medications. These plants also contain oils that are extremely potent antiseptics. The oil may be applied locally on wounds, sores, and burns. Eucalyptus can also be used as an insect repellent.

Ginseng has been used for more than 5000 years in the Chinese culture. This herb strengthens the heart and nervous system. In addition, it builds up a general mental and physical vitality and may be effective for treating colds, coughs, gout, diabetes, headache, and backache.

Hawthorn is known to cause the dilation of the coronary vessels. An improvement has been shown in patients and is helpful in insomnia. It has been used to treat high blood pressure when taken over a period of time.

A strengthening tonic for the entire system is Strawberry. It is helpful with diarrhea, night sweats, liver complaints, gout, and jaundice. Strawberry is used internally for weak intestines and is also used for enema.

The above herbal remedies listed above are general guidelines. If an herb does not agree with you or if you feel adverse effects, discontinue using the herb. The information contained in this article is not intended to replace the services of a physician.

Commercial Real Estate – A Primer

When speaking with a group of real estate investors recently in Philadelphia, the question arose as to how many of them have completed a commercial real estate deal in the last year, and surprisingly, the answer was none. It seems that many of them were either happy with the currently market conditions or they didn’t really have the aptitude to go about buying a commercial property.

Market specialization? No. It seems that the majority of real estate transactions go something like this:

1. Residential real estate is the sweet spot of the small real estate investor.

2. Commercial real estate is typically left for the small business owner, who has decided to stop renting.

3. Both of these sectors of the real estate industry do have some crossover, but the previous two statements are typically the norm.

So how exactly are commercial properties being bought, sold, being rented? What’s the best way to acquire commercial real estate, and who you need to help you in doing an acquisition?

Here are five key points to consider:

1. By far the most popular business entity for owning commercial real estate is now the limited liability company (LLC).

2. Commercial real estate is a much less popular subject, in part, because it isn’t as personal and doesn’t tug at our own financial purse strings.

3. Commercial real estate is a term to describe a property with 5 or more units. Commercial Real Estate is a critical component of any well-run business.

4. Investing in commercial real estate is riskier and more costly than investing in residential property – but ultimately it can be far more profitable.

5. Commercial real estate is a business investment driven by economic factors, not so much the property itself.

Investing in commercial real estate can be a good way to invest but you should make sure you are well represented by an attorney and accountant before moving forward since buying commercial real estate can have significant tax consequences and if you’re buying or developing commercial real estate, it’s important to protect your financial interests with legal support. It may sound redundant, but the axiom location, location, location, is an important factor in buying commercial real estate too. Here is the key to buying commercial real estate: the one with the most information wins.

The winners are the people that recognize that the world of commercial real estate is constantly changing and understanding the nature of commercial real estate is a precondition to the timing question. They also understand the data and realize that information is the most critical aspect of any transaction. In other words, the most valuable commodity you can have in the commercial real estate market is information.

Does Your Company Need More Marketing? Or Just Better Marketing?

Many sales problems can be solved by improved marketing. Selling harder is often not the solution. More . . . or just better . . . marketing may be what’s needed. Marketing presents a special problem for any company that has not yet developed a professionally staffed marketing department. This article looks at the various marketing functions. It describes some successful approaches to determining when to add “more” marketing to your company.
In The Beginning
Most successful companies grow from a small enterprise based on the founder’s idea or vision. In the early stages, the founder usually plays many roles. It’s common to see a founder handling engineering and/or sales roles. As the company succeeds and grows, many of these tasks are delegated to others.
The one area most often key to the long term success of the company is the function of marketing. This article covers:
The marketing functions
The problems they can prevent or solve
The contributions you can expect from marketing
Marketing: The Difference Between Buying And Selling
The definition of marketing has been attempted by many authors. It is commonly referred to as the process of relating the potential customers’ needs and wants to the company, and then addressing the company’s solutions to meet those needs and wants back to the marketplace.
We have described marketing as the process of focusing on Who the customer really is, and What the customer is actually buying from you . . . rather than what you’re selling. What customers can buy from your firm . . . that they cannot buy from another . . . is the real reason they do business with you.
The marketing functions within your company that support this work can be divided into product marketing and marketing services to support demand creation and sales. Both functions are necessary to have an effective marketing effort. However, they are distinct. How much of each you need . . . and who should perform these duties . . . are important issues.
What Is Product Marketing?
The classic definition of product marketing includes the issues of product, price, promotion, and sales channel (place). The concept of product marketing holds true whether your company is a “product” or a “service” company. In the case of a service company, your “product” is the service provided.
To succeed, these product marketing issues (product, price, promotion, and place) must be handled so they are effective from the customer’s point of view. In the beginning, these issues are usually a key part of the founder’s vision. When the company succeeds, they often become too complex . . . and too important . . . to be handled part-time, by the chief executive.
Product marketing works over two different frameworks, each important, and fundamentally very different. These two areas are strategic and tactical.
Strategic Marketing
Strategic product marketing is the future component of the marketing problem. Strategic issues include:
What business is your company in?
What business should you be in?
What products or services should be designed and offered?
What technical capabilities need to be developed within the company or acquired from outside the company?
Other related strategic issues include:
Marketing channel strategies (How do you reach your customers, then sell and deliver the goods?)
Competitive positioning (What sets your company apart in the minds of your customers?)
A complete understanding of, and ability to communicate to customers, What they can buy from your company that they cannot buy from any other company.
The strategic role requires a person who is a generalist, with a broad view of the market, the industry, and the company. This is the role most usually maintained by the founder/CEO. Portions of this strategic function may be provided by a senior marketing manager or by outside consultants.
Tactical Marketing
Tactical product marketing deals with issues that relate to the success of current products or services. These include:
New products or services introductions
Promotion of existing products
Development of marketing programs and literature that are effective in reaching the customer
Communicating the unique position that separates your company from your competitors
Ensuring that the sales channels are being used effectively to reach customers
The development of tactical plans is a product marketing function. The execution of some of these tactical items may be accomplished by marketing services, as described next.
The tactical role requires a person with the desire and skills to “get it done.” Both tactical and strategic roles require great communications skills, and the ability to deal successfully with a wide range of peo-ple, both inside and outside your company.
What Are Marketing Services?
Marketing Services executes tactical marketing programs. This may include sales contests, public relations, advertising, trade shows, dealer programs, direct mail campaigns, etc. This function manages or provides the creative, and produces items such as brochures, advertisements, press releases, trade shows, etc.
There is obviously an overlap between tactical marketing and marketing services in the area of defining and planning these programs. A senior, experienced, marketing services professional may be able to perform some of the functions of tactical marketing. Unfortunately, many times we place an excellent marketing services person in a position which really is tactical marketing . . . and the results are not satisfactory.
Marketing Services’ function is to create and manage the tools, support materials, and collateral that tactical marketing has determined necessary to effectively implement the programs designed to achieve the strategy.
Skilled marketing services professionals have excellent input regarding these tools and materials to assure effective results. Asking them to perform the tactical product marketing function is quite another thing!
What Do Marketing Problems Look Like?
Sometimes it’s easy to see a marketing problem. One example of this is a stalled product.
You’ve spent many months developing a new product and feel sure of its merits in the marketplace. You’ve introduced the product, but it seems to be going nowhere. What do you need to do to take advantage of your investment and ensure the success of the new product (and perhaps your company)?
Should you lower the price?
Should you raise the price?
Do you need to spend money on advertising?
Do you need to kick off a public relations campaign?
Do you need new sales channels, or do you need a program to “kick start” your existing channels?
Obviously some of these issues are tactical product marketing. Some may involve marketing services, or the problem may be fundamentally strategic.
Possibly, you have an unneeded or unwanted product or service. Maybe you have not fully determined what the differences are your product or service provides which are valuable to potential customers.
Another example of a potential marketing challenge is an important new product introduction.
How do you ensure that you get the best press coverage?
Should you introduce the product at a trade show? Or with a press conference? Or with a press tour?
What literature and sales tools will you need?
Does this new product (or service) fit your existing sales channel?
What is the competitive environment in which this product will be introduced?
How should the product be priced and positioned to take maximum advantage of the competitive situation
What do your prospective customers think of the new product?
Again, some of these problems are tactical and some are Marketing Services. Executing an effective new product launch by relegating the planning and execution to Marketing Services, or worse, to your advertising agency, is a mistake. Given that 90% of new product introductions fail to achieve their sales goals, perhaps it’s time to consider that the execution may not be the problem. Perhaps there was never a viable plan.
Sometimes it’s more difficult to recognize the problem as belonging to marketing. It can still clearly be rooted there however. An example of this is the conflict between sales and the factory. Often the conflict looks like this:
The salespeople are frustrated. They see opportunity they can’t turn into business, and they blame the factory for not listening to them, and for being unresponsive.
The sales person says, “Why don’t they hear what I am telling them?” The factory staff in this case is often frustrated with field sales. “Why can’t they just sell what we have?”, is a common question from the factory.
Are the salespeople just complaining, so you should disregard them? Are the factory people being too “hardheaded?” Or is it possible that a marketing job, clearly defining the position of the product and communication of this to sales, has not been done?
If sales does not know the positioning, you will be getting inconsistent results and information from them. Has this happened to you?
Some marketing problems are easier to identify. You have an idea for a wonderful new product. But,
What features should it have?
What is the importance to your customers of each feature?
Is there something else even more important about which you are unaware?
How do you tell the story of the product so that you can get your sales people excited, and your customers to buy?
To answer these questions, what do you do? Do you conduct a focus group? Or a user survey? By phone, or letter, or face-to-face interviews? Or just design it, release it, and hope you were right?
The bottomline is that all of the above scenarios describe marketing problems which can be solved with the right marketing talent. Whether that expertise is full-time or a part-time, on-staff or from outside services are trade-offs you make to get the best solution your budget can afford.
Final Thoughts
The key to marketing is to see your company as you are seen by your customers. If you’re satisfied with your company’s results and feel that the future of your company is secure, then you may have all the marketing you need.
If you feel better results are needed, that you should be selling more, or your profits should be higher, or you should be doing a better job of satisfying your customers . . . then you should seriously consider adding marketing talent to your team.
(c) 1991, 2002 Customer Manufacturing Group

Can You Really Improve Your Chances Of Winning The Lottery?

The Lottery is a game of chance, with the odds stacked against you horrendously. In the UK National Lottery for example the chances of winning the jackpot by picking all 6 numbers from 49 is around 14 million to one. So how do you make these odds of a lottery win lower?

If you do a search online there are tons of places offering you their own take on improving your chances of a lottery win, these range from the unrealistic to the believable, but most will cost you quite a few lottery tickets to find out if they will work. You will see software programs which keep databases of all the lottery picking machines, and ball sets used in every draw, and statistically analyse the frequency of each number appearing in a lottery draw. These will then spit out sets of numbers which have shown up more often overall.

Yet another batch of products will take your money in return for their writers own system of picking winning numbers for which they will show proof of their lottery winning results. Some will sell you their set of numbers which has proven to win regularly over many months or years. And if you want to get really left of centre you can pay to have good luck, or money winning spells cast for you by modern witchcraft practitioners, or buy charms with as yet understood powers to influence the outcome of the draws in your favour.

But are there any other ways to increase your chances of winning the lottery?

The answer is yes, and one of the most obvious and overlooked methods is by joining a syndicate, you can leverage your stake by putting it with other peoples stakes to buy more tickets between you. More tickets each week means more chances of winning but you will also share the prizes won with everyone in the syndicate. You also need to be in a syndicate with people you can trust but that’s something only you can know.

Whichever way you look at it the lottery is a gamble, and the odds are stacked against you, but you can reduce those odds by working with others in a lottery syndicate.

Freelancing In A Free World

Freelancing brings unmatched flexibility and in fact this is one of the most popular reasons for becoming a freelancer. Flexible working hours allows the freelancer to tailor his/her work around their life style and growing responsibilities. Another plus is that you only get paid for how long you work – overtime is actually paid! Furthermore, if you like to set your own holiday and travel time, freelance allows you the option to go on holiday two weeks, or two months – depending on your financial/business needs. Freelance work is also an excellent way to earn quick money and a good amount of it.

Generally, freelance workers earn more money at an hourly rate than their permanent counterparts. Because the recruitment process for freelance is much shorter then for permanent roles, speedy turnaround allows individuals to get in and out of a project quickly and still receive a good income from it.

Career Variety

For those individuals who like variety in the workplace, a career as a freelancer enables professionals to work on a wide range of projects for some of the leading firms in the country. Freelance work can often improve career prospects – allowing an individual to gain valuable experience on many different sector schemes while working for a variety of major companies. Another motivating factor is the desire to “test drive a company” before committing to a permanent position.

Freelance gives the candidate the opportunity to see if a particular company works for them without any long-term commitments on their part. Recognizing that this has become a preferred option for many workers, firms are now opting to initially employee candidates on a freelance basis rather then putting them through the traditional probationary period of a permanent role. Freelance can be a good option for those who want to have more control over their working environment. A highly competitive market means that there is no shortage of contracts for an individual to choose from – allowing for greater choices in where you want to work, the type of firm you want to work for, and the rate at which you’ll work – certainly a tempting proposition for many candidates in any industry.

Choosing A Freelancing Career

Freelance can be a great career move –whether done independently or in conjunction with an existing fulltime job. There are three main points to consider when making a decision to head down this particular career path. Firstly- salary: freelance workers on average do receive a reasonable rate of pay. Firms realise that they have to pay more for better solutions. With the increase in the temporary market has come a rise in options for salary payments. However, it is important to remember that freelance salaries are subject to extreme fluctuation – often a case of feast or famine. Therefore, it is crucial that jobseekers be able to plan ahead – making preparations well in advance to compensate for an uncertain income, lack of benefits, moving location or travelling expenses.

Secondly a freelancer must be able to accommodate an uncertain work environment. Freelance work often involves an extensive amount of travelling/relocating. The roles that are often offered may not always be the ideal choice for the candidate, but sometimes have to be taken due to income necessities. They must also be able to accommodate the company culture in their new job, and be flexible enough to adapt to new work practices and environments. Finally, situation – it is important for new freelancers to consider their future in realistic and planned way. Training and promotions are not often available to freelancers as many companies don’t perceive a temporary employee as a long-term investment. Consider your career goals – will freelance help you to achieve these goals – will it work against or work for your current lifestyle and future aspirations?

The Smart Choice

Freelancing and consulting are great ways to explore various career paths and revenue streams. Performing this kind of work on the side can be fulfilling, exciting and fun. Taking a chance to explore a new career, or explore the world of being your own boss is a great opportunity stretch yourself a bit. The best part is that you work for the best company ever: You, Inc. Take a chance. Do a little consulting and freelancing. You might find a whole new career is waiting!

Get A Great Deal With Video Game Rental

Video game rental is the single best way to try video games before you buy. With many game prices starting at $30 and going as high as $50 and even higher, paying such high prices for video games that might be less than what you expected can be just too big a gamble.

While it’s true that gamers can view “walkthroughs” screen shots online, and other online game samples are available to take a look at how a game works, there is nothing like actual hands on playing to find out whether it’s something you will love, like or hate.

Just like movie rentals, video games are available to rent from many or most movie rental companies, along with some game stores and online as well. The big problem with renting form a local store, though, is that they rarely have a good selection, and it can be very expensive.

As a result, being able to rent video game online is making a big splash. Video game rental is the ultimate in convenience and cost savings. Especially with games for new game platforms exceeding $50, renting games can be a good alternative. Video game rental means you don’t have to buy a game for $30 or more, but you can try games before buying to make sure it’s a game you want to keep. Just like services like NetFlix or Blockbuster’s movie service through the mail, game rental companies are springing up too.

For teens and older gamers, trying before buying can keep from spending hard-earned money on games that turn out to be duds. Gamers can try nearly every game that’s on the market. And many video game rental companies let you keep the game you want to buy at a discount.

The companies that let you rent video game online have incredible selections of games, and have them for every platform on the market – handheld game systems like the Game Boy or Nintendo DS, through GameCube, and the high end too like Xbox, Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. For gamers that have multiple game systems, such as console as well as handheld, it helps to be able to choose games for short rental periods when going on vacation for example.For the games you want to rent, you can add them to a “queue” or list, and when one is returned, the next one is sent out.

But best of all, many game services offer credits that add up as you continue your subscription. These credits can be applied toward buying games. When you find a game you like, you can usually just keep it and they will send you the box and inserts, with free shipping. In just one sample of purchase pricing, a game that retails for $50 could be purchased for $27 after applying credits and discounts – a really great deal all around!

Video game rental is a great way to try out games before spending the ever-higher prices to buy them, and can even let you purchase a game at a discount. Many online video rental companies offer a free trial – it’s worth it to see if it is right for you.

Painting as a Spiritual Expression

Is a painting no more than a piece of paper with lines and color or is it more than that? In the hands of the master painter, who is painting in the spirit; the lifeless piece of paper with its lines and colors, is transformed into a creation that has life, just as the master creator gave life to his creation. The painter transmits the essence of his spirit to his creation, the “painting.”
A painting is the expression of the heart and soul; it transmits cultural messages and the mysteries of the universe. It is born out of the desire of the artist to represent the forms of nature and man through the spirit of the artist as he perceives his world.
An artist not only captures the forms of nature, the artist’s spirit interacts with the spirit of the animals or men he is painting. His painting captures both the spirit and the message of its subject. One can see it in the expression, the eyes, and the gestalt of the painting. All good paintings communicate an emotion or message to the observer. It might be a message of love, harmony or tranquility; or it might be a message of danger, fury, or sadness. It could be a lesson, or something that all of us as humans can identify with, such as a desire to be loved.
The painting as art served ancient peoples as a medium to purify and refine the human spirit. The well studied and observant artist through his own meditation gives life to the animated states, feelings, and spiritual essence of the animals and humans he paints. The purification or refinement of the observer’s spirit occurs through the inspired artist’s ability to communicate the subject’s (man or animal): spirit, animation, feelings, thoughts, and the scene or stage of the subject, with all of its colors and form.
Copyright: © 2004 by Ernesto Apomayta
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.