Diamond Jewelry - The Ultimate Classic Adornment

Angela S Davis

Diamond jewelry is the ultimate adornment for a woman or even a man. It is something which takes us beyond the realm of time. Diamond jewelry is a timeless classic adornment, which can never go out of style and will always be looked up amongst all kinds of jewelry.

In buying diamond jewelry it is important to keep some factors in mind. The diamond history, diamond shape (Diamonds come in more shapes than any other gem. Diamond jewelry with spectacular center pieces are available in round, emerald cut, heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, radiant, and trillion. Diamonds as accents are usually found in small round shapes and baguettes. Popular earrings are usually round or princess cut, though some may come in fancier shapes),

Diamond settings (such as bar, bezel, channel, chevron, invisible, pave, and prongs), diamond carats (The unit used to measure the size and weight of loose diamonds), diamond clarity (Clarity is the clearness of a diamond. The most valued diamonds are the clearest. When shopping for a diamond, look for diamonds with grades from FL to SI2. Stones from VS1 to S2 are the best value because they are lower in price without too many inclusions.)

Diamond color (Diamonds that are colorless or near colorless are the most prized.) And diamond cut (The diamond cut determines the brilliance of the diamonds. If a diamond is poorly cut, the light is lost through the sides and bottom of the diamond and there will be no radiance)

Diamonds are more commonly found in certain shapes; baguette, emerald, heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, radiant, round and trillion. The most popular diamond shape has been the round brilliant because people believed it to be an "ideal cut" that displayed the most brilliance and sparkle in a diamond. The design also allows it to hide flaws and imperfections. However, new technology has made other shapes just as brilliant, such as the princess cut and trilliant cut. Today, there is no such thing as an "ideal cut" when it comes to diamond jewelry.

In diamond jewelry, the diamonds are set in different kinds of settings. Some of these kinds of settings commonly used in diamond jewelry are-

- Bar: Metal bars hold the loose diamonds in a channel-like setting.

- Bezel: The metal is formed to fit around the diamond, cupping it into place.

- Channel: A row of small diamond stones are set in a groove in the diamond rings.

- Chevron: V-shaped prongs that usually hold a marquise or princess-cut diamond for solitaire style rings.

- Invisible: Diamond set in a groove without visible prongs.

- Pave: Tiny stones are embedded to look like the piece is paved with loose diamonds.

- Prong: Several prongs hold the diamonds to let light pass through without interference.

Though diamond jewelry is made of diamonds, which is one of strongest materials on earth, a hard blow can cause the diamond to chip. If proper care is taken then the diamond jewelry can last a lifetime. To clean diamond jewelry, use water and a little bit of ammonia with a gentle brush while being careful of the metal. Also keep it away from lotion, perspiration and other household cleaners. These items can dull the surface of the stones. Store your diamond jewelry separated with paper or bags, so they do not scratch or dull each other. It's also wise to keep the diamond jewelry in its original velvet box.

Looking for information about Diamonds?
Go to: http://www.diamondtrack.com
'Diamond Track' is published by Angela Davis -
The Complete A to Z Of Diamond Resources
Check out more Diamond articles at: http://www.diamondtrack.com/articles

Is This The One?
Skye Thomas

Isn't that the million dollar question? How can I tell if this is the one? Is this one my soulmate? How will I know when I find the right one? There is no magic answer, but I can tell you what seems to work. I asked a psychic one time if a certain person was my soulmate. His answer, "If you have to ask, then he's not the one." He went on to explain that with soulmates no matter how good or bad a day you have together, you wake up in the morning knowing without a doubt that this is the one and you go to bed at night knowing without a doubt that this is the one. Nothing that happens in between those two points can change your mind.

Whenever I find happily married couples in their fifties or older who have been married for most of their lives to each other, I always ask them, "How did you know this was the one?" Every single one of the men answered the same way. They all said that the first time they laid eyes on the girl, they knew in that moment that they would eventually propose to her. For every one of those men it was love at first sight. "But why that one? What made you fall in love with that particular woman at first glance?" Each one answers differently, but they all have a vague unanswerable quality that the guy just knew she was it before they even knew what the girl's name was.

The women all said they thought the guy was nice enough, just okay, or a little goofy but not too bad. None of the women fell head over heels right away. The women were all living a happy upbeat life and were not really searching for a husband when the guy came along. That may be a big part of the mystique that these women created. They were not needy nor desperate. Truth be told all of the lifetime happily married women I know are very strong and independent, but loyal and loving women. None of them are nags nor codependent types.

The thing that all of these couples have in common is that the each one was relatively happy and mentally healthy going about their lives, their goals, and their dreams. All of them planned to some day fall in love and get married to one person for life but none were attached to a soulmate type concept or ideal. None of these people were sexually loose but they weren't complete prudes either. They chose not to sleep around because they had a strong sense of self-respect. Some had religious beliefs that added to the dynamic and others did not. All were of a mindset that you simply didn't whore around for the heck of it.

In all cases, the man chased the woman. You have to remember the deep underlying needs of the male and females of our species. The man must hunt and conquer. If she's too easy to catch, then there must be something wrong with her. Right or wrong, men have a very deep down need to 'win' the girl. They were all upbeat, bright, kind, loving women with full happy lives of their own. None of the women were pushovers and none of the women were easy to 'win.' It was always love at first sight on the man's end, but not on the woman's. The women were not cold and unapproachable, so the men were able to charm them and 'win' them over. All of these relationships had at least a two-year courtship and engagement period. Their eyes were wide open when they said, "I do."

Were they soulmates or just lucky? It depends on how you define soulmates. If you define a soulmate as your cosmic twin, then I'd say no these people were very different types that hooked up and stayed happy together for life. In one example, the woman was a devout Catholic and the husband was just sort of generic Christian. She didn't try to convert him and he respected her need to go to mass every Sunday. No, he didn't become any more or less of a Christian then he already was. They each respected the other's right to be who they were. Nobody tried to change anybody. Who they fell in love with is who they stayed in love with. In another example, he was from an extremely conservative religion and she was very lightly Christian. She completely changed her entire way of life to be with him. She gave up makeup, stylish haircuts, jewelry and sexy clothes to become almost Amish in her life with him. She never regretted it because he was everything to her and she came to agree with his family's religious beliefs. In none of the relationships were the couples a twin copy of the other. Yes, every one of those couples struggled in the first years of their marriage to find a balance between 'me' and 'we'. Every one of those couples had to learn to listen, to compromise, to be fully present in the moment, and to show their love in a way that resonated with the other. However, they all managed to live that elusive 'happily ever after' that the rest of us only dream of.

If you define a soulmate as the right one for you, the one you were meant to spend the rest of your life with, the one specially designed to create 'happily ever after' with you, then yes, they were soulmates. No matter how bad things got, these couples never ever contemplated divorce. They didn't stay together because of a vow before God. They stayed together because they couldn't fathom the concept of not loving the other one. Every morning they woke up knowing they were both in love. Every night they went to sleep knowing they were both in love.

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge

Skye Thomas is the CEO of Tomorrow's Edge, an Internet leader in inspiring leaps of faith. Her books and articles have inspired people of all ages and faiths to recommit themselves to the pursuit of happiness. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. To read more of her articles, sign up to receive her free weekly newsletter, and get free previews of her books go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net.

Making Hemp Jewelry Is Fun and Easy

Sam Serio

Making our ideas come to life and creating them with our own hands is a great source of satisfaction for many of us. Handicrafts such as making hemp jewelry have been and continue to be very popular among both hobbyists and would-be entrepreneurs alike. Aside from being a productive way to pass time, making hemp jewelry encourages creativity and is a great and inexpensive way to have fun either by one's own self or with friends and family.

Growing hemp is illegal in the United States because it comes from a variety of the cannabis plant, from which the drug marijuana is derived. Commercial hemp is the fiber used in making hemp jewelry, and it's available in numerous arts and crafts stores nationwide. The benefits of wearing and making hemp jewelry are numerous: it is attractive in its uniqueness, it is strong and durable, it can be customized in myriad ways, and it is environmentally friendly. Fashion designers, including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, are including hemp-made accessories among their offerings. Also, celebrities such as actor Woody Harrelson have been vigorously endorsing fashion accessories made from hemp (and he has had several brushes with the law because of his ardor).

Making hemp jewelry doesn't take much getting used to. It is similar to macrame in that involves a lot of knot-tying. The beauty of it is you are free to experiment with various knots and weaves to create unique and attractive patterns. You can also accent hemp jewelry with beads of different colors and sizes. Dyed hemp fibers are available in a wide range of colors and textures, so it's fun to think of how to make several hemp rings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets that will go with your everyday outfits. Sources of inspiration abound, including numerous web sites that specialize in hemp fashion.

Hemp jewelry has been associated with the hippie culture of the 1960s and that's not a bad thing. It's a relic from that era that has evolved to fit with today's fashion trends, with both the young and not-so-young wearing it all the time. But making hemp jewelry does not have to be confined to a certain genre or style. What's important is the fun factor, as well as the satisfaction experienced in a job well done.


For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of "How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off." This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.

Raise Your Income!
Joy Gendusa

How often do you sit around and wonder how to make more money and get more people to buy more from your company? It's one of the most basic problems every company faces.

The answer is astonishingly simple. Too simple maybe. But I've seen it work over and over again with our customers in every line of business you can imagine.

You have to promote. Your income is governed by the size of your customer base and how often and effectively you communicate with those customers.

So raising your income is simply a matter of keeping in touch with your existing customer base, reminding them you are there, offering them goods or services they might be interested in, in such a way that they want to buy more and more often from you. And increasing the size of your customer base by finding and contacting potential customers and persuading them to buy your products or services and then adding them to your customer base and keeping in touch with them in the same way.

If you have a good service or product and you make sure you service your customers well, you cannot fail to raise your income.

How rapidly you raise your income depends on how rapidly you do these actions, how much you promote. Handling the quantity or volume of promotion is definitely the most obvious thing you can do on an immediate basis. Believe it or not, if you send out crappy, crappy promotion, your income will go up. You may not be happy with the Return on your Investment (ROI) for that marketing effort, but definitely it will raise your income. Once quantity is handled and you are sending out loads of promotion, you want to tweak it and raise the quality of your promotion. And here are some things you can do.

Use Offers to Improve Your Response.

One of the barriers to buying which you work hard to overcome is "no
hurry." Why buy it now when I can think about it for a few weeks, shop
around a little and get back to you, maybe? Familiar with that "I'm
interested. I'll get back to you." Or the card you have designed and
mailed out gets put in a drawer somewhere for possible follow up, maybe next year some time.

One way to deal with this is to reward those who buy now and penalize
those who don't. How? With some special offer and one that is attractive and one which has a time element attached to it. "Order your new lawnmower now and we'll give you a free edger. Offer good until the end
of May." (Or whatever, you get the idea). Obviously the offer must be
financially feasible for you so you'll have to do some number crunching
before you make the offer.

You can tie these special offers in to some particular event or season
(like jewelry for Valentine's Day or flowers or chocolates or just about
anything for Christmas) but you don't have to.

Special Offers help you maximize on your direct mail marketing and keep your customers ordering from you when you want them to. It's just one more way to be in control of your promotion.

You can control how much and how fast your company grows.



Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she's sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at www.postcardmania.com.

Staying Professionally Chic In The Heat

Eileen Hammel

Whether you live in a warm climate year round or you are just trying to survive summer's heat till autumn's cool arrive the following quick and easy professional style tips will keep you cool and have you looking professionally chic in any heat.

Wardrobe

Select fabrics that are natural / man-made blends that consist of at least 51% natural fiber, such has a 55% cotton 45% polyester blend. This will give you the coolness of a natural fabric without the wrinkles. Choose jackets with � sleeves. They are cooler than full sleeves and more professional looking than short sleeves. Light and bright colors works well in warm weather but do not use loud bold color combinations and prints. Dress in layers to adjust to the high heat outside / air conditioning inside temperature changes you will experience. A � sleeve jacket over a sleeveless shell or a summer twin set is are excellent solutions for temperature changes. A cool alternative to pantyhose are thigh - highs they allow air to circulate better then pantyhose and will keep you cooler. Wear slightly larger jewelry it will give you a more polished look. Instead of a simple pendant on a chain try a triple strand of pearls. Avoid plunging necklines, extremely short hemlines, sheer fabrics, cloth handbags and briefcases, open toe shoes, sandals and flip flops.

Make - Up

Opt for a lighter make-up routine. Heavy make-up in high heat can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Before applying your makeup rub an ice cube over your face. It will help makeup last longer and prevent smudging. Use waterproof cosmetics. After applying your makeup brush your face with face powder it will set your makeup and prevent shine.

Hair

Wear your hair in a simple flattering yet professional style. Hair grows faster in warmer months so be sure to have your hair trimmed every 4 to 6 weeks. With hot weather comes limp and frizzy hair. To correct this problem use only hair products designed specifically to treat your hair type and problem. If you pull your hair back be sure to use only quality accessories. Avoid using plastic clips and rubber bands they will detract from your professional image


Eileen Hammel President of Smarter Image, and Smart Skin Care - Smart Cosmetics by Smarter Image is a Nationally & Internationally Recognized Image, Style and Beauty Expert. http://www.smartskincaresmartcosmetics.com/

The History of the Watch
Martin Smith

Before learning about watches you should be familiar with some of the terminology. The word horology has two meanings; it is the study or science of measuring time or the art of making clocks, watches, and devices for telling time.

Since the first appearance of man on the earth an effort has been made to measure time. The tracking of the sun's movement across the sky, candles that were marked at intervals, oil lamps with a marked reservoir, sandglasses (hourglasses) are some of the ways in which time was measured. In the Orient knotted cords and small stone or metal mazes filled with incense that would be burned at a specific rate.

Water clocks did not depend on the observation of the sky or the sun. The earliest water clock was found in the tomb of Amenhotep I who was buried around 1500 B.C. Greeks called them clepsydras; they were stone containers with sloped sides that allowed water to drip at an almost constant rate from a small hole in the bottom. Other clepsydras were cylinders or bowl shaped designed to slowly fill up with water coming in at a near constant pace. Markings on the inside of the bowl marked the passage of the hours. Though this was used primarily at night, it is thought they were used in the day hours as well. A metal bowl with a hole the bottom was placed in a larger bowl filled with water. It would fill and then sink in a certain amount of time.

Since water flow was not exactly predictable and difficult to control the flow accurately, timepieces that depended on water were very inadequate. People were drawn to develop more accurate ways of measuring and telling time.

The development of quartz crystal clocks and timepieces depended on the crystal size, shape, and temperature to create a frequency. Quartz clocks and watches continue to be popular. They work well enough for the price and although they tend to be slightly 'off' the correct time most people can afford them.

The first watches had a natural movement but no minute hand. They had to be wound every twelve hours. Watches were originally worn more for adornment than functionality. Timepieces worked with weights but these were not practical in portable timepieces.

Time measurement has been a goal of man from the beginning and a time line will help you understand how we got to where we are with watches. Watches have so many new functions. They have the date, the time, times across time zones and some have stop watches. Most watches have some kind of an alarm in them. The possibilities are endless and I can really see a Dick Tracy type of watch being real.

Here is a timeline of watch history. Some of the years might not be listed in chronological order but I got them as close to it as possible. It is very interesting to learn how watches have developed. It's amazing when I think of the minds of the people who had their hand in creating watches, how smart and technical they must have been!

Prior to 1600 - The main problem was the driving power the timepieces ran were balanced weights. This made it difficult to carry them around.

1524 - Henlien was paid fifteen Florins for a gilt musk-apple with a watch. This is the earliest date of watch production that is known.

1548 - Other watches appeared and were probably French or German in origin.

1575 - Swiss and English products began to appear. This was the period of the most advancements and innovation. First watch movements were made of steel and then later brass. They were straight verge watches with no balance and were highly inaccurate. The use of spiral-leaf main spring began. This allowed the power of a movement without hanging weights. These pieces were inconsistent in their accuracy.

1600 - 1675 - This was the age of decoration. Watches became more of a decoration and jewelry piece rather than being functional. The shape of cases changed from tambour cylinder with a lid, to a circular case with hinged, domed covers on the front and back. Champleve enamel and relieved case filled with colored enamel appeared.

1620 - The glass crystals were fitted to the cases as a typical alternative to metal opaque covers. The glass is translucent and allowed the owner to see the time without taking off the cover. In order to set the watch and see the time, the cover had to be removed.

1625 - Plain watches came about as the result of the Puritan movement.
After 1660 - Fancy shapes and adornments were seen mostly on ladies' watches.

1675 - The spiral balance spring is first used in watches. The accuracy now was measured in fractions of minutes as opposed to fractions of hours. This increased accuracy caused watchmakers to create a dial that had a minute hand and was divided by minutes.

1675 - Charles II introduced waistcoats with pockets. Men now carried their watches in their pockets rather than on a pendant.

1704 - Dullier and Debeaigre developed a method of using jewels as bearings.

1715 - Sully found out that creating a small sink around each hole would retain the oil because of the surface tension.

1725 - It was common to find a large diamond endstone in the cock.

1750 - The names of watchmakers never appeared on the dials of watches till now.

1761 - John Harrison made a clock that was so accurate it was used to measure longitude during sea voyages.

1775 - Champleve is now rare.
Purrelet began production of self-winding watches.

1780 - Rareguel produced these watches.

1800 - The pocket chronometer was a readily available and accurate watch.

1814 - Massey was the first who used a push or pump with a rack that operated by pushing the pendant that turn on a ratchet basic or going bowl.

1850 - The United States were the first to use mass production with mixed results

1900 - Advances were made in metallurgy. This was the introduction of the balance spring on the first verge watch.

1952 - Battery powered watches became available.

1970 - Electronic watches were very successful.

Watches today use quartz crystals, batteries, and there are even atomic watches. Time tracking has never been more accurate and advances in the field of Horolgy are being made all the time.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes
Watches and and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

How to Sell Your Crafts on eBay

James Dillehay

Artists, craftspeople and photographers are successfully selling their wares everyday on the online auction site, eBay. According to a recent analysis of eBay sales, a crafts-related item is sold every nine seconds, a scrapbook item is sold every minute, and 40 cross-stitch items sell in an hour on eBay. Sales of craft items on eBay have grown almost 60 percent in the past year, according to TheBidFloor.com.
But, at the same time, many would be sellers are listing their pieces for sale on auctions and getting no bids, concluding that eBay just doesn't work.
Here are some tips from James Dillehay, craft artist, eBay seller and author of the new book, "Sell Your Crafts on eBay" (Warm Snow Publishers), on how to profitably sell your wares online:
1. A word's spelling impacts an item's profitability. For example, the word 'handmade,' spelled as one word, was part of 2,233 auction titles with an average closing price of $16.29. However, auction titles that included 'hand made' as two words were found in 1,358 listings, but with an average auction closing price higher, at $27.81, or $11.52 more profit per item.
2. Go to eBay.com and find the search box. Type in the word or phrase that describes your art or craft item. Then scroll down the links on the left side of the page and click on the link for "completed items." Here, you'll be able to see the demand for this type of product. Do searches for your items every two to three weeks
to chart buying patterns.
3. Find out how much people are willing to pay for your wares. Click on the link that says "highest price." This will give you a list of completed auctions from highest priced items to lowest priced ones. You want to know what people are willing to pay for items like yours. If you can't make and sell your product for a profit, eBay might not be your marketplace.
4. Determine how much money you'll make on your product. To determine your profitability, use the cost of your materials plus the cost of your labor plus the cost of your selling price, which should be the minimum price to recover your expenses. If it takes you eight hours to make a piece of jewelry and the highest priced similar item sells on eBay for $26, you won't make a profit.
5. Look at the elements of successful sellers of products that are similar to yours. Examine their winning auction titles. Observe how much detail they use to describe their item. See if the seller used any of eBay's special features such as gallery photos or a bold, featured listing. Evaluate the starting price, starting day of the week, and duration of winning auctions.
For more tips on how to sell your craft items on eBay, consult a resource book like "Sell Your Crafts on eBay," by James Dillehay. It offers-more than 200 easy-to-learn tactics and tips that help sell art, craft and theme-related items for a profit on eBay and on other online auction Web sites.


James Dillehay is a 20 year crafts veteran and nationally recognized expert on craft business. Author of eight books, his articles have helped readers of Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Almanac, Working Mothers, The Crafts Report, Sunshine Artist, and many other magazines. For more information, see http://www.craftmarketer.com.


Denim Is Big This Season - Dress It Up Or Down
Sher Matsen

For all you denim lovers, like myself, this is the season for you to shine. Denim is big this season. Denim has become a fashion statement of its own. No longer are we limited to boot cut, low rise, or relaxed fit jeans. It has come into its own - we can have denim hats, tops, belts, skirts, and even shoes. So wear denim with the attitude it deserves.

Many celebrities are really utilizing denim - they're dressing it up with embroidery, lace, fur, jewelry, accessories. What ever the heart desires. Dark denim, light denim, stone washed denim, colored denim - all good to go this season!

The gals can dress it up with pearls, the guys with a tie. Crystal or rhinestone jewelry will make you dazzling! Add some long fun beads, a chunky necklace, or an armful of bangles. Don't forget to accessorize. Add a hat, a belt, or how about suspenders just for kicks. Add a fitted blazer to that denim skirt, add some heals to your favorite pair of jeans. Try a pair of the ever popular wedge shoes with any of your denim items.

For women with small waists and wider hips Joe's jeans has a new jean line called "Honey Jeans" They are designed so they don't gape at the waist. They accomplish this by making a two part waist band which give them more of a curve. Low rise jean that truly fits the feminine form. Check them out. They run around $148.00 a pair and can be found online.

Paper Denim has grown in popularity and offers great body fits - Super low rise, low rise, x-low slash pocket, and x-low flare. As well as the trouser and boot cut if your looking for something different.

Marc Jacobs has a form fitting dress that is ever so sexy. Add a light cardigan for those cooler evenings and you'll look sensational.

There are a host of denim designers and manufacturers offering jeans of various cuts, mini skirts, bustle skirts, form fitting dresses, flowing dresses, capri pants, denim shirts, vests, hats, denim belts, denim shoes, the list goes on and on.

If you want to get some great ideas of what you can do with your denim I recommend you visit Misssixty.com Very interesting and informative site!

Denim is durable, wearable, comfortable, and now more than ever fashionable. So enjoy your denim and dress it up or down to whatever the occasion. Be certain to accent it with your favorite jewelry and have fun! Make your fashion statement!

Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry,and wedding help. Please visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/

The Best Christmas Gift You Can Give Yourself or Anyone Else: Simplicity

Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ Coach�

I had to laugh when I read that quote recently. I particularly remember a time in my merry life when I had two sons, 3 dogs, my clothes filled two
closets in my home, I owned Madeleine pans, exotic juicers, a regular and a gourmet coffeemaker, 3 sets of flatware, 10 tableclothes, 10 sets of
placemats for 6 or 8, and formal china
tablesettings for 12 - and most "cluttering" of all, a social calendar that was unmanageable.

Life is a series of stages, and there is the "acquiring" stage.

However, there came a point where I felt
overwhelmed by my "blessings" and took a look at what was going on. At the time, my boyfriend, who was a stock broker, kept saying, "Simplify,
simplify." He lived what I considered a "Sparten existence."

It caused me to take a look at the whole picture. I was exhausted all the time. I went to a therapist; too bad there weren't coaches then. She said I was "trying to do too much." I
interpreted it that I wasn't capable of handling all these things, and redoubled my efforts.

Coaches make things more clear. "Why are you doing what doesn't bring you pleasure?" would've been the question to ask. Eventually I asked myself that question and here are some of the things I did.

THE CLOTHES
I was still operating from an old childhood scarcity-mentality. I never had "enough" clothes in high school, not because my parents couldn't afford it, just that they didn't want to spend
their money on that. I started babysitting rigorously to buy myself clothes and makeup and stuff. Not a bad thing to do, but I realized that
time was over. I gave a number of things to Goodwill, set aside a space-allotment, and stuck to it.

I did have to "dress" for my profession at the time (PR), so I chose two outfits I could accessorize in infinite ways. Scarves, jewelry and pins take far less storage space!

THE DOGS
Two were strays we had "adopted," under pressure from my good-hearted son. However, they were difficult dogs, not having been well-raised, and took far more work than our original family pet.
I decided to give up this rescuing mentality and at the same time educate my children. We found good homes for two of them, and the family pact
was "no more." We stuck with our one chosen, well-cared for, and well-trained dog.

THE ENTERTAINING WARE
That's a hard one. It's been an abiding interest and love in my life, to entertain with all the accoutrements. I decided that was an okay hobby, but to stick with what I had for a long time. How many sets of Christmas tablemats does one really
need?

THE COOKWARE
Life is choices. I could eliminate a lot of these things by turning to fast food, eating out, less elaborate meals. I decided this was not something
to sacrifice. There are health benefits to wok cooking, steamers, double boilers, etc., and "happy"
benefits to beautiful Bundt cakes. My youngest son particularly enjoyed the camaraderie of a fondue meal. Our family dinners were fun for all of us, and a good thing, and I didn't want to sacrifice that for "convenience."

Not everything in the enriched life should be "efficient."

THE FINANCIAL PICTURE
My stocks were scattered all over the place, and we consolidated. It seemed risky to me to "put all my eggs in one basket," but we did, and it resulted in a nice financial gain.

THE ORGANIZATION
I decided it wasn't all that I had that was the problem - many of them were valuable to me and my lifestyle - it was the organization of it all.

One thing I did was buy containers, for instance, "fall decorations" and got everything in one place. I added to the box my apparel for that time of year - autumn sweaters, accessories, and
jewelry. I labeled them clearly, stacked them in one place, and felt better about it all.

I tackled the gift-producing area. I had a bow maker, rolls of paper, ribbons, ready for every occasion. It was a time when the boys would be
invited to a birthday party quite suddenly, and it kept me from "running out" at the last minute to buy the wrapping. This I decided to eliminate.
The storage space required and the clutter were not worth it, and it seemed I never had the right thing anyway. I bought 10 generic gift bags with white tissue, appropriate for any age or occasion.

Also, seeing myself "burdened" by the gifts coming my way - that teddy bear statuette just wasn't "me" even if it was expensive crystal - I switched
to what I call "disposable" gifts. Sending someone a floral arrangement, or a basket of fruit, or a Honey-baked ham would note the occasion, but it would "go away" and they wouldn't
have to find a place for it.

I have never been comfortable giving money, but gift certificates seemed possible. It showed at least a little "thought" and "effort," the two
things I find missing in gifts of money. (Not that I've ever refused one!)

For those with no material needs whatsoever, I would donate money to a charity close to their heart. That is greatly appreciated by most people. Charities list in their newsletter the
gifts made in honor of, or in memory of, others, and that's a nice touch.

Re: the people in my life, I took a look at the investment-return ratio. Some of them, I had to admit, were a drain. With me being in a helping
profession, some were "using" me for free counseling, while making no improvements in their lives, and that didn't give me the friendship I needed, or provide for them the counseling or
coaching they needed.

I made a list of the people who really meant something to me, with whom I had strong mutual bonds, and I whittled away at the ones who didn't contribute anything to my life. We call this in
coaching, "getting rid of tolerations." Yes, people can be "tolerations" and I think this is
one of the more important "ah hahs" Thomas Leonard, the founder of coaching, gave to the world.

I eliminated immediately the ones who were a negative drain on me, and took a closer look at ones wanting entry. I quietly discouraged some "friendships" from ever occurring in the first place. Life is choices.

I believe that our lives are greatly influenced by the 5 people we spend the most time with. I made sure the Top 5 were the ones I wanted and needed them to be.

META-THEORY
I decided to slow myself down at the checkout counter. I disciplined myself for 6 months. I would not make any impulse buys. I would go home and consider it. Usually it wasn't worth the effort to go back.

I would not go shopping to "window shop." There's no such thing! There's always something attracts my eye I think I "must have."

Shopping would be a necessity for essentials, not Saturday afternoon entertainment for me and the kids.

I put more thought into the things I gave others so as to slow the flow into their lives as well.

READY FOR THE NEW YEAR
As you participate in, or observe, the shopping frenzy of the holiday season. Ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?"

Good reasons are:
�It's meaningful
�I enjoy it
�I know it's something I can afford and know it's
something they need or would like

Bad reasons are:
�I don't know why
�To keep up with the Joneses
�Because I always have
�Because you're supposed to

Oserve closely your own behavior. That's the beginning of making positive changes.

It's the emotionally intelligent thing to do!

©Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ Coach�,
http://www.susandunn.cc . Author of "How to Live
Your Life with Emotional Intelligence," (
http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html )
and The EQ Foundation Course©, 12 modules on the
Internet that can change your life:
http://www.webstrategies.cc/EQcourse.htm .
Coaching for all yours needs; Emotional
Intelligence always included.
Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE eZine.

Precious Stones Explained!
Sam Serio

The mineral to which the term " precious stone" is applied, must be adaptable for jewelry or ornamental purposes and must possess beauty, hardness, and rarity.

The beauty of a precious stone or gem consists of its color or colorlessness, brilliancy or softness of luster, and transparency. To take a high and lasting polish, a mineral must be hard, -and many stones that would otherwise be highly valued are low in the estimate of worth because they do not possess of sufficient hardness to make them endure the wear and friction to which a precious stone is subjected when used in the form of jewelry. The rareness of precious stones has a decided effect in determining their values. For instance, the crocidolite, commercially known as tiger-eye, was sold by the carat some years ago, and was largely used in the making of fine jewelry. Today, this material is so plentiful that it is no longer classed among the higher gems, but serves for cameos and intaglios like chalcedony and onyx.

The changes of fashion have much to do with determining the market value of precious stones. Amethysts, topazes, cat's-eyes, aquamarines, alexandrites, and even emeralds and opals have been eagerly sought for at times and then again neglected for other gems, causing a sensible difference in the value of these stones.

It has been a mooted question as to the proper dividing line between stones that deserve the title "precious," and those, which should be placed in a so-called semi-precious or lower category. To draw such a line is hardly possible, as neither hardness, rareness, nor value would be a positive test--some of the hard stones, like zircon and almandines being less valuable than softer opal, while the diamond, one of the most plentiful of precious stones, is at the same time, one of the most valuable.

Neither can price be taken as a complete test, because fashion makes a turquoise, an opal, or an emerald much more valuable at one time than at another, All precious minerals used for ornamental purposes, from the diamond to quartz, or chalcedony, may properly be termed precious stones.

The Final Word On Precious Stones

The most precious stones are the diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. The pearl is oftentimes classed with precious stones. Although strictly speaking while it is not a stone it holds an esteemed place in jewelry.


The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

Explosive Inspirational Rap Artist Debut's This Month!

Syan's Writing Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
�Unique Starr

March 8, 2005 - - Atlanta, GA - - Another year of thug life and gangster glorification has come to a close. 2005 is well on its way to be the year we contemplate the future of hip-hop music.

Who will grab the game by its neck, shake things up, and give us a reality check?

Hip-hop's fire is slowly dwindling into a dim flame.

What we need is a unique star to shine on the music of our generation and bring hip-hop back to what it used to be - an escape from reality providing inspirational food for thought laced over a bangin' track.�

Oneness Music's newest artist, Unique Starr, comes from the heart of Bed Stuy, NY, to quench your thirst for knowledge, versatility, and God-given talent.

Inspired by veteran rapper, LL Cool J, Unique Starr caught the attention of Oneness Music's CEO, Ross Jordan. �"I was impressed by his style, class, and sheer musical talent", says Ross. "Listening to his lyrics made me realize that this artist has a positive message for young people." �

Unique's lyrics resonate in the soul while uplifting the mind and spirit toward positivity. �

A military veteran, Unique Starr has been around the world, seen it all, and is here to tell young people there is a better life than what gangster rap is promoting.

A father of 5 boys, Unique Starr feels that it is his calling to show a more positive side to life than just over-exposed body parts and spending hard earned money on jewelry, cars, and drugs.
�
Being underground for over 12 years has humbled Unique Starr and he knows it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to last in this game.

His debut album, to be released this month, features club tracks as well as positive songs containing powerful life lessons that people of all ages can easily relate to and understand.

The first single entitled, "Unique Starr", drops Friday, March 11th! �

Unique Starr explains, "my music is real positive compared to what's out now". He says that his style and lyrics are a mix of Mase and KRS-One. �

Unique Starr believes that he doesn't need to use profanity and negative themes in his lyrics to get his message across. �

Instead of glorifying the thug life, he fills his music with morals and values as a way to reach the American youth.�

Be on the look out for Unique Starr's forthcoming debut album, which displays his extraordinary lyrical talent as well as production by various producers! �He's combining his ability to be witty with his words and his gully, street voice to strengthen the minds of our generation! �

Visit http://www.onenessmusic.net for more information and downloads!

- Contact Information -
Oneness Music
�Sarah Richardson
770.365.2636
sarah@onenessmusic.net
- ### -
Syan's Writing Services


Syan Newton of Syan's Writing Services has been writing for movers and shakers of the entertainment industry for over 15 years.

Make Money from Home .... Resell Mexican Products for Great Profits .... Buy low & sell SKY HIGH
ESther Gomez

Would You Like to Resell Mexican Products for Great Profits ?
Would You like to feel what's it like to have excellent profit margins as a retail merchant or wholesale distributor ?

Mexican products have become big sellers in every country of the world. The total value of Mexican products that are imported into the US alone exceeds the billion dollar mark by far. Thanks to their low cost, quality and uniqueness, most Mexican products can be resold for high profits. It's not uncommon for American and European traders dealing in Mexican art, paintings, silver or exotic leather to harvest handsome profit margins that in many cases exceed a 100% markup when they buy from the right suppliers.

Business Fact #1: There is no such thing as Free Lunch .-

Thanks to the Internet it might seem that finding low cost suppliers of profitable and fast moving Mexican products is an easy task, but it really isn't. The vast majority of the "suppliers" you find on the web are American companies or individuals that are basically reselling Mexican products at high margins. The truth is that with them as your sources you won't even get close to having the best possible wholesale prices.

To make fat JUICY profits in the import / export business you definitely MUST get in touch with the real - hard - to - find - low - cost - sources. There is simply no other way to make it BIG in this business. You NEED the Low cost SOURCES. Period. The cheaper you buy, the more competitive and profitable you get.

The problem is that discovering REAL low cost sources can be a difficult, time consuming and expensive mission. Some information providers on the web are charging $30 per manufacturer profile, while others can charge you more than $1000 per business directory, or even a subscription fee to access their trade leads database. But who do you think is listed on their databases? The Mexican manufacturers? or just another reseller eager to sell at a nice profit? Exactly!. Those trade leads databases are mainly filled with lists and lists of intermediaries and marketers that want to make money reselling the product for a heavy profit.


At Mexico-Store.com You can access these 3 valuable and updated sources of low cost suppliers:

1- The Mexican Rustic Handcrafts Manufacturers Directory

2- The Mexican Taxco Silver Jewelry Manufacturers Directory, and

3- The Mexican Leather Products Manufacturers Directory


These 3 trade directories are an excellent source for low cost products if you plan to resell silver jewelry, art, hand crafts or first class leather products on Ebay or start a wholesale or retail operation on the web and any where else.



It's all about the profits. YOUR Profits! at Mexico-Store.com .-

Don't get us wrong. We don't have any problem with being a reseller of Mexican products. It's totally legal and very PROFITABLE. But being a reseller your self, wouldn't it be better if you could cut the extra middleman and offer a better price to your customers ?

Access the updated Mexico Trade Manufacturers Directories today and start BARGAINING directly with AUTHENTIC manufacturers of thousands of Mexican products that sell incredibly well in the USA and other countries.

Our trade directories contain low cost Mexican manufacturers of beautiful rustic wrought iron, Taxco silver bracelets, earrings and more elegant jewelry, leather briefcases, folk art, leather clothing, blown crystal, luxurious leather furniture, Talavera pottery, textile and gift items, pewter d�cor, wood hand crafts, leather shoes and exotic boots, crocodile leather, swine, lamb and ostrich, oil paintings all made by skilled craftsmen and RELIABLE suppliers at incredible cheap prices.



Avoid those expensive resellers and get in touch with the real Mexican manufacturers today ! .-


We provide you with all the necessary contact information including email in most cases.

Some of these silver jewelry, handcrafts and leather products manufacturers do have a website. But that doesn't mean you can easily find them on the search engines. As we all know, its very hard to make it to the top of the search engine rankings and it can take more than 6 months to even get a website listed with them. That and the fact that most Mexican artisans are not as computer savvy as "we all think" are the main reason why you won't find that many websites at all of Mexican manufacturers listed on Google or Yahoo. In many cases their websites are not even optimized for the search engines to list them.


Don't expect to get the best possible prices from those Mexican products "providers" that you can find on the web for free .-


Most of the guys and companies that are ranking at the top of the search engine results are basically American companies that are reselling Mexican products. So don't expect to get the best possible prices from them. Don't kid your self. Marketers and other middlemen exist to make a profit. Everybody knows that. It's impossible for an intermediary to sell you at a manufacturer's low price. It's against their business model.


The only way you are going to make BIG cash is by dealing direct with Mexican sources.
Get our updated Mexico trade directories and start getting incredible low prices per silver gram or per handcrafted product that you can easily resell twice as much or translate into GREATER profit margins for your self.



Low cost Mexican products that sell incredibly well world wide at
Mexico-Store.com .-

With us You get fast access to this wealth of information, so that you can get in contact with the right suppliers as quick and convenient for you as possible.
Take a look at the kind of products you can start profiting from:

1- With our Mexican Silver Manufacturers Directory you will get great deals on silver rings for men and women in all sizes, earrings, necklaces, bangles, charms, chains and bracelets at super low prices per gram !

2- With the updated Mexican hand crafts and rustic furniture manufacturers directory you can get access to thousands of handcrafts that sell incredibly well in the USA and other countries.

Our directory contains Mexican manufacturers of beautiful rustic wrought iron, folk art, blown crystal, talavera pottery, textile and gift items, pewter d�cor, wood hand crafts and oil paintings all made by skilled craftsmen at the lowest prices.

3- With the updated Mexican Leather products manufacturers directory you can access ultra low cost suppliers of exotic, luxurious and profitable leather products that sell like crazy at expensive prices in many parts of the world.

We are talking about leather clothing, exotic boots and leather foot ware for men, woman and children, made of crocodile leather, ostrich, goat, swine, bovine and lamb, handbags, purses, elegant briefcases, soccer balls, wallets, leather cigar cases, laptop cases, sport and casual cloths among many more great products.



P.S: Bigger profits just around the corner.

If you already sell silver jewelry, leather or Mexican handcrafts, imagine the savings and the immediate extra profits that you can generate by contacting cheaper reliable suppliers.

Take this opportunity and Visit us TODAY! at Mexico-Store.com

Helping you buy direct from Mexico at real cheap prices!

http://www.mexico-store.com


Mexico-Store.com helps importers from every country in the world get access to low cost Mexican products with high resale value.

How to Get Promoted

Leonard Konis

How to Get Promoted

From the time we begin working in a company or business, in the back of our minds, the goal is to move up the ladder, and achieve a higher status along with better pay. There are many steps to achieve this accomplishment, but a combination of many steps, are often necessary. A good amount of patience and fortitude is required.

Here are suggestions, to get promoted:

First, check to see if your company will consider you for the new promotion or if the company will seek only someone, from the outside.
Become knowledgeable of the requirements you will need to have, or perquisites, for the position you desire. If necessary, take any additional education or training. Show your record of how punctual, smart, reliable, expiated ethical standards, problem solving skills during the time you have worked for your company, and that you will continue this achievement, when promoted. Try to have a good sense of humor, when giving answers to questions. Acknowledge any awards, praises you have received, and any over time, that you voluntarily done, especially without any pay. Develop over time, a dependency your boss or company relies upon you. Make sure you always get credit for your accomplishments. Accumulate as many, letters of recommendations during the time you have worked in your current job, and or recommendations from other positions you held in the company.
During the interview, definitely acknowledge, any contributions you have made to achieve a higher status for your company. And, acknowledge, that you had participated in any previous board meetings you had attended. Disclose that you have taken any additional responsibilities in your current position. Use exhibits to highlight those accomplishments, besides having a current resume. Dress formal and without excessive make-up, cologne, perfume or jewelry worn. Practice at home, in front of a mirror or people, how you will present yourself, during the interview. Keep your answers short and to the point, except if further inquiry is requested. Avoid, saying any negative comments about any coworkers or any other candidates seeking the same position. Show your enthusiasm for the position you desire, but not a ridiculous manner. Tell how well you get along with your coworkers. And, how you have helped your coworkers, perform better in their jobs, based upon your suggestions, and created a more happier, working environment. Provide suggestions, what you would accomplish, if promoted to the new position, and a willingness to travel, for business trips, if necessary. Let your interviewer(s), know of your educational degrees. Finally, don't make it seem, like a "life or death situation", being considered for the new promotion, but always try to have other options available, if you are not considered for the promotion. Including continuing your current position or being hired by another company. During the interview, never threaten to leave your job, if your not promoted, since that shows your arrogance. You certainly have that option, if you decide to pursue that later. As the clich� often offers to "It's not what you know, it's who you know" that gets you promoted, which is the final thought.

After the interview, always acknowledge how you appreciated the time, taken for your consideration. And, shake the hands of each interviewer, before you leave. Walk away, feeling optimistic or enthusiastic, if you receive notification, of your promotion, before you leave.


B.B.A. Management Information Systems

15 years analzying and investig in the financial markets. Marketing for a Dental Practice. Freelance work in Wall Street Firms both in Equity and Fixed Income Depts. Writer of various articles, including business, finance, and investing.

Buying Genuine American Indian Jewelry & Crafts
Sam Serio

Buying American Indian jewelry & crafts can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of American Indian jewelry & crafts for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality American Indian jewelry & crafts for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.

Whether you're drawn to the beauty of turquoise and silver jewelry or the earth tones of Indian pottery, some information about American Indian arts and crafts can help you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous retailers are selling imitation American Indian arts and crafts to unwary consumers.

According to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, any item produced after 1935 that is marketed as "Indian," "Native American" or "Alaska Native" must have been made by a member of a state or federally-recognized tribe or a certified Indian artisan. That is a non-member Indian artisan who is certified by the governing body of an Indian tribe.

3 Tips for Buying Genuine American Indian Jewelry & Crafts
1.Buy from an established dealer who gives a written guarantee or written verification of authenticity. Ask if your item comes with a certification tag. Not all authentic Indian arts and crafts carry this tag, but those that do are certified by the Department of the Interior (DOI) to be genuine. This sample tag identifies the artisan as a member of the Oklahoma Indian Arts and Crafts Cooperative. However, you may see a different name and logo appearing in the circle on the item you buy.
2.Get a receipt that includes information about the value of your purchase and any verbal representations by the salesperson. For example, if the salesperson tells you that the piece of jewelry you're buying is sterling silver and natural turquoise and was handmade by an American Indian artisan, make sure this information is documented on your receipt.
3.Before buying American Indian arts and crafts at powwows, annual fairs, juried competitions, and other events, check the event requirements for information about the authenticity of the products for sale. Many events list their requirements in newspaper ads, promotional flyers and printed programs. If the event organizers don't say anything about the authenticity of the American Indian arts and crafts for sale, get written verification for any item you buy that is sold as authentic.


The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

What Two Words Will Double the Space in Your Home?

Last week, I read that the folks at Oxford English Dictionary had
a slate of American English words for consideration in future
editions. Apparently, because of its international influence via
the entertainment industry, America is the prime source of new
entries into the language (I guess it�s good to see the country
still has some influence, because there are very few areas that
our global neighbors still look up to us). The word erm that I
found to be the most interesting for consideration is bling-bling.

The word refers to large jewelry, such as platinum chains and
diamond rings that rappers and athletes sport. However, the word
could also perfectly describe the nature of the stock market in
the late 1990s. Moreover, it is the perfect way to describe the
pay packages of CEOs, and lest not forget that house that the
former CFO of WorldCom is building in Boca Raton. Although it
is obvious that the editors at OED are becoming hipper, they�re
still a little slow on the latest in urban vernacular. In this
case, it is probably a blessing. According to the Financial
Times, a writer from Houston recently stated, "The Bling-bling era
is over". It better be, as far as individual investors are
concerned. In fact, the bling-bling era has temporarily been
replaced by the but-but era. Or in some cases the butt-butt era.
The latter refers to how many investors feel after being taken
advantage of by the entire system, or to the expression on the
faces of those that continue to take the 5th during congressional
hearings.

In the meantime, the Bush administration spends a lot of time
saying "but-but". The drubbing of stocks was the clearest
message the people have sent since the Boston Tea party.
Moreover, it wasn�t just Americans that were voicing their
dissatisfaction with the President�s address concerning the
confidence crisis. When those safe haven stocks began to tumble
during the week, one had to know that it represented a lot of
foreign investment. As Ross Perot would have said, that was a
big sucking sound. (By the way, didn�t he get in trouble this
week?) Yes, the foreigners are taking their money out of the
market just as fast as US investors, who withdrew about $20
billion from funds last week. It is interesting that much
hasn�t been made of the simple fact that the market can�t
go higher if there is more money going out as there is coming
in. Anyway, I think Bush will come back with a more definitive
plan that goes beyond punishment and maybe focuses on prevention.
I know that the GOP thinks that those dynamics are one and the
same, but in certain situations they�re not.

The spectrum is such that those that have nothing to lose, and
see no other way, aren�t going to be swayed by prison terms or
other forms of punishment. Sharing this space are those that are
either so inherently criminal, that it is part of their being to
break the law and those that are so blinded by greed that any
risk is worth the reward. In their zeal to achieve bling-bling
status, there is nothing that can stop them. They break every rule
in the game. So, it stands to reason that these same people would
first manipulate the rules, bending, twisting and corrupting them.

There, ladies and gentlemen, is where the President has to focus
his next address on the topic. After all, when it comes to those
in this country that see no other way, the rules are extremely
precise. If a 19 year-old kid from the ghetto can get 10-years
in prison for selling $20.00 worth of crack then that person
knows the risk when he/she hits the street corner. (A discussion
on the fairness of this type of sentencing could go on forever.
I do find it shocking that the type of fraud that results in
people losing their entire life savings only has a maximum term
of five years. The but-but crowd has never seen anything unfair
about such inequitable punishment, but may begin to backfire on
them.)

The rules of the game have to change to the point where anyone
investing in the stock market understands them. Let�s face it,
many of the companies and individuals facing public scorn did
nothing illegal. On Wall Street it was akin to some sort of magic
show. The sleight of hand was rewarded and applauded. You bought
stocks because a company could manipulate the numbers. You loved
management that found ways not to pay taxes. The CEO that could
only pull a rabbit out of the hat was seen as behind the times.
Heck, we loved to see the company sawed in half, only to emerge
whole by the time the earnings were announced. The President has
to understand that the audience doesn�t want that anymore. They
want reality television. No more tricks, no more hocus-pocus.
No more voodoo accounting. No more but-but.

In the end, the president has to cast a net so wide and ambitious
that he may even be snared by it. This is the law and order party,
so we expected longer prison terms. However that doesn�t change
the fact that there is too much gray area in the rules, and until
that changes many public companies are going to go for bling-bling.
After all, that is the difference between a for-profit and a
not-for-profit-company. At the very least, individual investors
buy stocks in companies because they think the company will grab
the brass ring (if you�re lucky, maybe said company
will reach the platinum ring).

A final thought on the Bush address. It is obvious that he has a
formidable obstacle in front of him trying to fix a problem that
is systemic in nature. Years of status quo have to be torn down,
almost overnight if the US equities market is to ever recover from
its current state. In the meantime, his get-tough approach could
put another nail in the coffin of small publicly traded companies.
I�m talking about the 3000 or so companies that trade like
orphans in the market, with no Jack Grubman to pump them. These
companies already pay a disproportionate amount of money on
compliance and filings. They simply can�t be expected to adhere to
the new rule changes; it will put many out of business. I�m not sure
if the public is in the mood for special exemptions or if the Bush
administration really cares or understands the problems. Yet it
could be disastrous. These small companies are already afraid of
the SEC, because they don�t have the large legal department that
can fight back. They need a break, or else another victim of the
current crisis in the American financial system will be the
American promise itself. The dream is that a company can get
financing and challenge the giants and in the process add to the
spirit that has kept America ahead of the rest if the world in
terms of innovation andtechnical prowess.

It is a tough and dire situation. Somewhere down the line the
goal of innovation and achievement gave way to greed. We all have
been seduced by bling-bling, but now it�s back to basics,
hopefully the market can hang in there while the transition is
being made.

Other Thoughts and Observations
A few weeks ago, I said that the individual investor wouldn�t
step in to buy stocks on weakness like they did post September 11th.
It is one thing to not let the bastards win, but another to bail out
homegrown bastards that abused the system and our trust. Since
then, the selling has become so pronounced that a hint of
patriotic fervor has returned. It moved long-time bear, Byron
Wein, to pick up the flag and say stocks are a buy. Other well
known Wall Street bears made upbeat comments about the long-term
potential of the stock market. However, none picked the bottom.

Outside of the days and weeks immediately following the terrorist
attacks, I can�t think of a time when Washington should be less
partisan. Forget the blame game for a moment and stop acting like
the Hatfield and McCoy clans. There is nothing to brag about and
the problems are so universal and pervasive that everyone has
played a role.

I�ve asked that everyone remain hopeful but gather as much cash
as possible. It may be time to put that cash to use, really soon.
My best guess is that 8177 is going to be the launching pad. I do
find it interesting that the techs are probably going to
outperform the blue chips this summer. If there is a new paradigm
shift then that means a long-term recovery in the stock market
will have to come from a sector other than the techs.
Words Alone Can�t Explain This Stock Market
Charles Payne

Last week, I read that the folks at Oxford English Dictionary had
a slate of American English words for consideration in future
editions. Apparently, because of its international influence via
the entertainment industry, America is the prime source of new
entries into the language (I guess it�s good to see the country
still has some influence, because there are very few areas that
our global neighbors still look up to us). The word erm that I
found to be the most interesting for consideration is bling-bling.

The word refers to large jewelry, such as platinum chains and
diamond rings that rappers and athletes sport. However, the word
could also perfectly describe the nature of the stock market in
the late 1990s. Moreover, it is the perfect way to describe the
pay packages of CEOs, and lest not forget that house that the
former CFO of WorldCom is building in Boca Raton. Although it
is obvious that the editors at OED are becoming hipper, they�re
still a little slow on the latest in urban vernacular. In this
case, it is probably a blessing. According to the Financial
Times, a writer from Houston recently stated, "The Bling-bling era
is over". It better be, as far as individual investors are
concerned. In fact, the bling-bling era has temporarily been
replaced by the but-but era. Or in some cases the butt-butt era.
The latter refers to how many investors feel after being taken
advantage of by the entire system, or to the expression on the
faces of those that continue to take the 5th during congressional
hearings.

In the meantime, the Bush administration spends a lot of time
saying "but-but". The drubbing of stocks was the clearest
message the people have sent since the Boston Tea party.
Moreover, it wasn�t just Americans that were voicing their
dissatisfaction with the President�s address concerning the
confidence crisis. When those safe haven stocks began to tumble
during the week, one had to know that it represented a lot of
foreign investment. As Ross Perot would have said, that was a
big sucking sound. (By the way, didn�t he get in trouble this
week?) Yes, the foreigners are taking their money out of the
market just as fast as US investors, who withdrew about $20
billion from funds last week. It is interesting that much
hasn�t been made of the simple fact that the market can�t
go higher if there is more money going out as there is coming
in. Anyway, I think Bush will come back with a more definitive
plan that goes beyond punishment and maybe focuses on prevention.
I know that the GOP thinks that those dynamics are one and the
same, but in certain situations they�re not.

The spectrum is such that those that have nothing to lose, and
see no other way, aren�t going to be swayed by prison terms or
other forms of punishment. Sharing this space are those that are
either so inherently criminal, that it is part of their being to
break the law and those that are so blinded by greed that any
risk is worth the reward. In their zeal to achieve bling-bling
status, there is nothing that can stop them. They break every rule
in the game. So, it stands to reason that these same people would
first manipulate the rules, bending, twisting and corrupting them.

There, ladies and gentlemen, is where the President has to focus
his next address on the topic. After all, when it comes to those
in this country that see no other way, the rules are extremely
precise. If a 19 year-old kid from the ghetto can get 10-years
in prison for selling $20.00 worth of crack then that person
knows the risk when he/she hits the street corner. (A discussion
on the fairness of this type of sentencing could go on forever.
I do find it shocking that the type of fraud that results in
people losing their entire life savings only has a maximum term
of five years. The but-but crowd has never seen anything unfair
about such inequitable punishment, but may begin to backfire on
them.)

The rules of the game have to change to the point where anyone
investing in the stock market understands them. Let�s face it,
many of the companies and individuals facing public scorn did
nothing illegal. On Wall Street it was akin to some sort of magic
show. The sleight of hand was rewarded and applauded. You bought
stocks because a company could manipulate the numbers. You loved
management that found ways not to pay taxes. The CEO that could
only pull a rabbit out of the hat was seen as behind the times.
Heck, we loved to see the company sawed in half, only to emerge
whole by the time the earnings were announced. The President has
to understand that the audience doesn�t want that anymore. They
want reality television. No more tricks, no more hocus-pocus.
No more voodoo accounting. No more but-but.

In the end, the president has to cast a net so wide and ambitious
that he may even be snared by it. This is the law and order party,
so we expected longer prison terms. However that doesn�t change
the fact that there is too much gray area in the rules, and until
that changes many public companies are going to go for bling-bling.
After all, that is the difference between a for-profit and a
not-for-profit-company. At the very least, individual investors
buy stocks in companies because they think the company will grab
the brass ring (if you�re lucky, maybe said company
will reach the platinum ring).

A final thought on the Bush address. It is obvious that he has a
formidable obstacle in front of him trying to fix a problem that
is systemic in nature. Years of status quo have to be torn down,
almost overnight if the US equities market is to ever recover from
its current state. In the meantime, his get-tough approach could
put another nail in the coffin of small publicly traded companies.
I�m talking about the 3000 or so companies that trade like
orphans in the market, with no Jack Grubman to pump them. These
companies already pay a disproportionate amount of money on
compliance and filings. They simply can�t be expected to adhere to
the new rule changes; it will put many out of business. I�m not sure
if the public is in the mood for special exemptions or if the Bush
administration really cares or understands the problems. Yet it
could be disastrous. These small companies are already afraid of
the SEC, because they don�t have the large legal department that
can fight back. They need a break, or else another victim of the
current crisis in the American financial system will be the
American promise itself. The dream is that a company can get
financing and challenge the giants and in the process add to the
spirit that has kept America ahead of the rest if the world in
terms of innovation andtechnical prowess.

It is a tough and dire situation. Somewhere down the line the
goal of innovation and achievement gave way to greed. We all have
been seduced by bling-bling, but now it�s back to basics,
hopefully the market can hang in there while the transition is
being made.

Other Thoughts and Observations
A few weeks ago, I said that the individual investor wouldn�t
step in to buy stocks on weakness like they did post September 11th.
It is one thing to not let the bastards win, but another to bail out
homegrown bastards that abused the system and our trust. Since
then, the selling has become so pronounced that a hint of
patriotic fervor has returned. It moved long-time bear, Byron
Wein, to pick up the flag and say stocks are a buy. Other well
known Wall Street bears made upbeat comments about the long-term
potential of the stock market. However, none picked the bottom.

Outside of the days and weeks immediately following the terrorist
attacks, I can�t think of a time when Washington should be less
partisan. Forget the blame game for a moment and stop acting like
the Hatfield and McCoy clans. There is nothing to brag about and
the problems are so universal and pervasive that everyone has
played a role.

I�ve asked that everyone remain hopeful but gather as much cash
as possible. It may be time to put that cash to use, really soon.
My best guess is that 8177 is going to be the launching pad. I do
find it interesting that the techs are probably going to
outperform the blue chips this summer. If there is a new paradigm
shift then that means a long-term recovery in the stock market
will have to come from a sector other than the techs.

Since 1991, Charles Paynes� Wall Street Strategies has
successfully provided timely and effective equity advice to institutional
money managers, retail brokers and individual investors
of all types, and has thousands of subscribers from hundreds of
brokerage firms. http://www.wstreet.com