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Rags & Riches: The Small Cap Maze

Conventional wisdom dictates that the early stages of a corporation’s growth cycle offer substantially more compelling risk-reward profiles than advanced stage investments. But that is exactly where the reality of that proposition ends. In actual fact, the Medium and Small Capital matrix has accumulated so many unsustainable business models over the previous decade that major brokerage houses have little or no problem in persuading hundreds of thousands of investors, both institutional and retail, to keep their money in companies with a proven past.

The junior markets are plagued by a number of fundamental issues. At one end of the junior spectrum, e.g. the Pink Sheet marketplace, corporate disclosure is so limited that a stock purchase is akin to gambling in a casino. Moving to a slightly higher level, the OTC Bulletin Board system continues to struggle between demanding greater public information on one hand and increasing the sheer numbers of listed counters on the other. The OTC Bulletin Board does require companies to report accounts and material developments on an ongoing basis but as many investors have found out to their cost, regular filings do not necessarily translate into quality.

All that said, there is no question that the senior markets do not, as a general rule, offer exponential returns. For instance, credible returns in excess of 1000% per annum are periodically recorded over the Pink Sheets and OTCBB trading system. The problem, therefore, lies in the selection process. How does one pick the winners?

Again, conventional wisdom suggests that the process of picking winners (and dropping losers) should have become a relatively straightforward exercise with the advent of the Internet. After all, as many believed in the late 1990s, the web-based information explosion should have led to a higher degree of informed decision-making.

That, however, has not been the case. On the contrary, as a New York-based hedge fund manager wrote in a client report last week, “there are too many websites and too many emails throwing up all kinds of untested ideas, so we have decided to refrain from participating in anything outside the established stock exchanges.” An executive of the London Stock Exchange was less charitable at a recent investor presentation. “Junior companies are making all kinds of ridiculous claims on websites and in emails, and investors should wait until the regulators have a handle over all that, whenever that will be,” she said, stressing the “whenever” portion of her statement.

But that “whenever” might be too far away, as a survey indicates. And that is because the selection basics that separate the good from the bad are not in dispute. The first selection priority is the availability of comprehensive information. The second is the willingness of listed companies to generate audited financial statements with extensive notes, despite the fact that certain trading systems do not require such data. The third important issue relates to the nature of the press releases: notably, are the press releases saying anything of value in relation to a corporation’s business model?

Finally, has an independent analyst (or researcher) provided any detailed assessment of the assumptions which drive the business model? As has become evident in recent years, many juniors are selling dreams; unfortunately, in more than a few cases, managements sincerely believe that they are involved in a “stock play”, not in the usually painful exercise of building shareholder and corporate value. And, also unfortunately, hundreds of fairly decent business strategies are seriously constrained by recourse to adequate financing.

To conclude, while there is no doubt that investors must access the internet if they are indeed looking for above-average returns, the methodology involved in a web-based analysis needs to be clearly understood.

Free and unlimited web storage

Today, when everyone is working through the Internet, most businesses are also vying for net space to create their portals. When building a website, the first thing a person checks, is how much web storage they get and if that will be enough for them to upload all the information and images related to their business. This storage space is also used to put in video and audio files, but only a few companies offer free and unlimited web storage facility. With the help of unlimited storage, it becomes easier to do multiple uploads and that also through simultaneous file upload feature. The space available is quite large which means free download is easy for the users, and they can even upload or download mp3 and video files from there.

There are many people who have the habit of uploading videos taken at home or in their personal space to share with others. This can be done using simple upload software and again using similar download software to take it down onto another computer. Being able to upload music means, one need not worry about occupying space on their computer. They can use the free music hosting facility on the company they are using and load up to 100mb of stuff on it. This gives them the flexibility of using the music or files whenever they wish.

Free files hosting, free mp3, video, image and any types of file uploading are all features of sites where unlimited web storage is a given thing. Through the service provided, the user of the site can upload files or download files depending on their need. They can also make changes and re upload the files, and this applies to not only mp3 and video but also to any files. There might be certain software that they use for work, and if they are unable to carry it on CD or multiple people need to access, it is easier to software upload on the web space and give access to all those who might need the same.

In most cases, the free web storage space is allowed for a trial period, post that the user will have to purchase the same. But there are few exceptions where unlimited space is allowed for indefinite periods of time. Make use of the bandwidth provided to free music hosting or upload files and share the link with all those you wish to share them with. Another possibility is to follow the steps involved in web hosting, get files, take backup and even put in flash files for free. It might sound like a far-fetched possibility, but these activities are very possible in sites that allow for uploading any file types and where it is fast uploading.

The software used for this purpose could also be stored in the same space, so the others who access the site can avail the same to view certain uploaded video files. They can also then proceed with file exchange, which would allow for knowledge transfer and more learning.

Eseential Bar Equipment

You really do not have to be a professional bartender to be able to mix original drinks, providing you use the appropriate tools for the job. You will certainly find some of the utensils listed below already in your home, and you can always improvise with everyday kitchen gadgets. If, however, you go shopping to stock up on bar equipment, the important feature to remember is that the utensils should be easy to clean, which is why stainless-steel items and glass are particularly suitable.

A cocktail shaker is an absolute must for your home bar. It is primarily used to mix drinks with ingredients that are difficult to combine smoothly, such as egg yolks, liqueurs, fruit juices, and cream. Any good bar-supply store will stock a variety of shakers and you are certain to find one to fit your budget and needs.

One standard version is a three-part shaker, which consists of a beaker, a lid, and a built-in strainer, to hold back pieces of ice and fruit pits or seeds when pouring the cocktail. Its disadvantage is that the strainer is very difficult to clean and the liquid pours out slowly. The two-part Boston shaker consists of a large stainless-steel beaker and a smaller one made of lead crystal, which fits inside and has the advantage that the glass beaker is also suitable for use as a mixing glass.

I find professionals usually favor a two-part stainless-steel or silver shaker because it is easier to close than the Boston shaker. When you use a two-part shaker or a mixing glass, you will need a round, stainless-steel bar strainer. This features an edge like a coiled spring, and it should fit exactly into the top of the shaker or mixing glass, making it indispensable when straining cocktails so ice and pieces of fruit or pits do not fall into the glass. If necessary, you can use a new tea strainer instead.

You will also need a mixing glass, sometimes called a shaker glass, for every drink which is stirred, not shaken, such as clear drinks and those made from easily blended ingredients. When shopping for a mixing glass, look for one with a capacity of about 1 quart (enough for 3 or 4 drinks). A long-handled bar spoon is a versatile tool used by bartenders to stir the ingredients in the mixing glass, as a measuring spoon to add the correct amount of ingredients to many cocktails, and to crush flavoring ingredients.

Most bar-spoon handles are 10 inches long and made of stainless steel or silver. At the top of the handle there is usually a disc called a muddler used to "muddle," or crush, pieces of I (mil, herbs, or sugar cubes. The spoon on the opposite end holds 1/6 ounces of liquid, or the same amount as a standard kitchen teaspoon. The rounded back of the spoon is also useful for slowly pouring layers of liqueurs into a glass when you do not want the layers to mix. A bar whisk is also useful for whisking and mixing.

A truly indispensable item for your bar is a double-ended bar measure, because exact quantities of ingredients are needed for making a drink. Also called a pony-jigger measure, these are usually made of stainless steel with a 1-ounce cup at one end, called a pony and a 1+1/2 - to 2-ounce measure at the other end, called a jigger. When you go shopping, look for a measure with easy-to-read 1/4-ounce and 1/2 mince markings inside the jigger end. Alternatively, you can use a standard shot glass with markings on it. If you do not have either measure, use a standard set of kitchen measuring spoons—3 teaspoons, or 1 tablespoon, equal 1/2 ounce, 4 teaspoons equal 3/4 ounce and 2 tablespoons equal 1 ounce.

The Secret To Guaranteed Success Online

Get Rich Quick Scams RevealedRead this article before you consider paying for a "get rich quick" program.

From: Success OnlineEverybody would love to make lots of money quickly, working from home, and only doing a few hours of work per week. I've spent the past two years trying to find a great way of doing this. Only over the course of the past few months have I found any "get rich quick" programs worth buying. I've been trying to make money online for a long time. I had a few small websites, but they never made much more than a few hundred per month. It was easy money and didn't require much work on my part, but I knew there were people out there doing better than I was and I knew I could do as well as them. Now, I've seen a lot of "get rich quick" programs. Most of these people make claims about earning $2000/day with Google or something similarly insane. Almost all of these people are complete liars. Even if they were making $2000/day with Google AdSense, it'd be because they had high - traffic websites with a lot of quality content. I'd know, because in one whole month, I never even made half of what they promised I'd make daily with their programs. Maybe you've already been scammed by one of these fraudsters. Anyway, I finally got sick of what was being offered. I decided I'd look through the all of the "get rich quick" programs I could find and see if there were any that were actually legitimate. I found that there were owners selling their programs for well over $100, but the information in them could be found almost anywhere online for free. Additionally, they all contained out-of-date information, had no e-mail support, no money back guarantees, and broken links in the downloads section. In conclusion, almost all of the programs I found were completely useless. The owners knew it, but they couldn't care less about their customers since they didn't offer refund policies! Amazingly, while looking through all of the programs, I actually did find a few legitimate programs. They were run by ordinary people like you and me, and they had found some great methods of making money from their home by doing very little work. I spent some time working with those programs, and my income is now ten times what it used to be. These programs provided a large amount of great information on how to make extra money on your computer doing very little work. Numerous customers had provided great feedback and reviews for their products. Many of them have started to make money just days after buying! Their programs have excellent prices, and the authors have a group of paid staff who are dedicating to helping you or providing assistance if you need any. I must say I was amazed! If you do decide to purchase any of the programs listed below, I recommend you join quickly. Most of the owners tell me they are getting an overwhelming number of sales and plan on raising prices in the near future, so order while prices are still low! To Your Online Success, Success Online

Liquidation Wholesalers Buy and Sell Stock

When it comes to inventory, buyers and sellers face similar dilemmas. For the individual or business that sells goods on eBay, in discount stores, or at flea markets, it's a challenge to find high quality products at wholesale prices. For the business or manufacturer that has surplus merchandise or who is on the verge of going bankrupt, it's a challenge to find wholesalers who will buy entire stocklots.

Liquidation Wholesalers

Liquidation wholesalers serve an important function for both buyers and sellers. They buy huge quantities of clearance items, bankrupt stock, surplus stock, overstock, and end of lines from businesses and manufacturers, and then resell it in smaller lots to individuals and businesses. The customer base for a company that sells liquidated stock can include other wholesalers, online merchants, garden centres, grottos, retail shops, market traders, and even those who do car boot sales.

If you are a business owner or an individual looking for high-quality products at bargain prices, you need a liquidation wholesaler. If you're new to the liquidation scene, here are some things to keep in mind.

Variety of Products

Liquidation wholesalers buy from a variety of sources, including large importers, local and regional manufacturers, and bankrupt businesses. Because liquidation wholesalers deal in bankrupt stock, overstock, and end of lines, they have a wide range of product types. They may have seasonal merchandise, jewelry and fashion accessories, tools and hardware, decorative items, pet products, car products, bathroom items, and kitchenware. Virtually everything you find in a retail store will eventually make its way into a liquidation warehouse.

Ever-Changing Products

The most successful liquidation wholesalers go through an enormous quantity of stock. Indeed, their success lies in their ability to buy huge lots, warehouse them, sell them, and ship them at a breakneck pace. For that reason, the wholesale inventory that's available is constantly changing. You might be able to buy candles and candle holders one week, but once they're sold, they're gone. That's why it's important to keep checking liquidation wholesalers' available stock. If possible, work with a wholesaler that offers a mailing list, and who will send you email newsletters about special offers and new lines that have arrived.

Quantities

Many people assume that, in order to buy from liquidation wholesalers, they have to buy whole pallets of a single product. To the contrary, there are some liquidators that sell products by the case. Because you don't have to commit to buying thousands of the same product, you can easily add variety to your own offerings.

Prices

Because liquidation wholesalers buy their stock so inexpensively, and because they are motivated to sell it quickly, you can get unprecedented bargains on high-value items. For example, you might be able to buy 120 wallpaper borders by a well-known designer for only Ј1.20 or 48 porcelain dolls for only Ј12.00.

Where to Find Wholesalers

Like most businesses, liquidation wholesalers are opening up their customer bases through the Internet. Because their stock is stored in warehouses, potential customers can't browse in showrooms. The Internet, however, is the perfect medium for both liquidators and those who want to buy stock, since pictures of items can be viewed and transactions can be performed online. After a transaction is completed, the stock is shipped to the buyer, and the liquidator makes room for more products.

Turning to a wholesale liquidator is the perfect solution for both those who need to sell quantities of stock and those who wish to buy merchandise for resale.

Discounts on online Shopping

Shopping Discount is a great way to cash in on the special offers made by companies and stores offering a whole range of products and services. Discounts range from gift certificates, bargain sales, clearances to free shipping offers to even free product offers. Also available are last minute hotel booking deals and online reservations. People who make their ticket reservations online benefit from a discounted rate as compared to people who book their tickets the traditional way by standing in queues at ticket counters. This is a great way to benefit from discounted rates.

One can purchase almost all kinds of products, online or offline. Because of the rising competition in the consumerist market today, companies want to gain a higher market-share and they offer discounts on all sorts of products and services. Discounts, are however, usually seen on products like food items, grocery items, clothing, consumer durables like mobile phones, electrical appliances, digital cameras, MP3 players, DVD players, services like body massaging, gym memberships, club and resort memberships, face toning, weight loss, etc. Some companies offer discounts on bulk purchases.

While discounted shopping may be available in online stores, gift certificates are usually less available on the internet. Besides, these are not seen on the official homepage of the company often. It is usually an online dealer who offers a lot of discounts.

Benefits of Discount Shopping:

By far, one of the biggest benefits of discount shopping is, of course, the kind of savings you can make on your purchases. Discount Shopping offers you cheap, cut-off prices on even branded products and services that you would otherwise have to spend a great deal more on. It could be that otherwise expensive birthday gift, dream camera, high definition LCD TV, etc. With discount shopping, you get it at discounted prices, and there is no compromise on quality or after sales services.

Be sure to avoid scams, though. Get a clear picture of the actual price – compare the discounted rate, inclusive of the shipping price, taxes and duties, etc. against the market price. Read the fine-print very carefully. Another important thing to remember is to make sure that you read and understand the vendor’s return and money-back policies. Be sure to read these terms very carefully.

Towards the end, we’d just like to tell you that all it takes is a couple of minutes to search and you could soon be saving a lot of money, and even time, if purchasing online. Do your research and act wisely to obtain the benefits.

National Real Estate Disaster

The current real estate crisis in the US is only going to get worse as the sub prime loans continue to switch from the honeymoon rate to the higher rate that has already seen many home owners pushed over the edge and out of their homes. This is an economic disaster that will continue to have serious effects on the US real estate market and the economy for years to come.

The banks should shoulder some responsibility for to the crisis after all they set the lending criteria along with the various financial institutions have made it very easy to obtain a home loan where in many cases the loan should never have been granted. Many people were steered into sub prime deals when they did not need to go that way, they could have easily qualified for a standard loan but were steered towards the sub prime deals by the lenders who were keen to pickup the more lucrative commissions. So now the time has come to pay and people are walking away from homes on mass, the banks are being forced to foreclose and property values are falling as a result.

Falling property values means many people end up in  situation where they have negative equity in their homes, they can't sell to repay the debt and the banks become very uncomfortable with the situation. The money market tightens up and the situation compounds. It's a national disaster in the eyes of some, so much pain and suffering for families. The economic fallout is massive and will only get worse as America rushes towards a recession, the soft landing of the real estate market has turned into a giant crash and the ripple effect will travel right around the whole globe. The banks have now started to try and work with people to keep them in their houses and they are negotiating where possible.

The foreclosure market is running hot in almost every state, many construction companies are falling like flies and are offering amazing deals to maintain cash flow and viability. Oil has pushed closer to the $100 per barrel mark to add to the problems.

The most popular search engine today for finding information about different companies

"If anyone today has a general enquiry about business or enquiry about a specific product or service then B2BCompass proves to be the best site for all business requirements. No matter in which part of the world people stay, they can find a company which caters to their exact requirements. People can search for companies located in their cities or even companies that are located in different cities in their own country or cities across the world.

To make search easier, the site is divided into different categories according to the nature of business that the companies undertake. For example, there is the Art, Gallery and Advertisement section where people can find online art galleries from where they can buy paintings. The other sections include health and medical companies for any health enquiries, automobiles for all auto companies, beauty companies for beauty products, etc. Hence people can easily find their way around the site. Information about each company is provided in detail so that the customer can directly get in touch with the respected companies by calling or mailing them.

There are many customers who would like to browse the companies according to the products and services that they offer. B2BCompass has a provision where you can look out for a specific product by browsing through the alphabetical list of products in the products & services section. Hence if someone is looking out to computers, he can simply go to the “C” section of the products and categories section and find out exactly what he is looking for in double quick time. In case a person is looking for a particular company like Arena Animation he can simply visit the Companies section where all the companies are categorized alphabetically. The customer can simply visit the A section in order to find a company by the name of Arena Animation.

The best part of B2BCompass is its powerful search feature where one can simply enter the company or the product that one is looking for in the search text box and then also specify the region where he wants to look for. The online directory will quickly search its database and display results that match the user’s query. One can simply register one’s own company or product at B2BCompass so that people can become aware of it and then simply ask for more information about the product or the company. As a result people can come to know about the company in there area and can also become regular patrons of the company.

B2BCompass has a very user friendly homepage where people can simply find what they are looking for in just a couple of minutes. This saves people a lot of time and effort in the bargain.    "

Coal Reduces Reliance On Foreign Oil

Recently, the price of a barrel of oil rose to $40, the most expensive price in American history. With the rise in oil prices and constant instability in the Middle East, the United States seems headed for an energy crisis.

But there is an abundant, low-cost energy source located throughout the country. That energy source is coal.

After years of mine shutdowns, there is a renewed interest in coal in the United States. Companies such as Quest Minerals and Mining Corp. are now reopening mines and resuming coal production.

There are 274 billion tons of coal in mines across the country. That amount of coal could last the United States for about 250 years, considering that the average American uses 7,000 pounds of coal each year. Using this resource decreases dependence of foreign oil and stimulates the economy in several ways.

First, coal stimulates the American economy by maintaining and creating jobs for people that work in the mines and in coal transportation. For each of the four major freight rail lines, coal represents at least 40 percent of the total tonnage hauled each year. Many people are dependent on coal for their livelihood and will remain so if Americans increase their use of coal as an energy source.

Moreover, because coal is a domestic resource, the cost of transporting it is much lower than the cost of importing oil from other nations. Transportation costs of coal are also lower because there are more options for transporting coal from one place to another. Coal is carried by barge and by train.

Using coal is beneficial for more than just jobs and reducing transportation costs. The abundance of coal allows the price to remain stable, unlike oil prices in the volatile Middle East. Commodities like coal, whose costs remain stable or decrease, keep inflation low. Low inflation rates allow Americans to be confident that their savings and investments are safe.

Another major benefit of coal power is the cost of electricity generated by coal. Generation of coal power costs one-fourth that of natural gas power generation. Businesses using coal power keep their overhead costs low and maximize profitability. Furthermore, coal is used to generate electricity for telecommunications, computers and all other electric-based technologies that boost the American economy.

The benefits of coal power make it a logical choice for the power source of the future of the United States.