I sometimes stare at the sky and wonder why we have made such a mess of things. I wonder how we can tear up the seas and use up the trees all in the name of progress. It is such a tragedy that we are damaging things so fast and they will soon be way beyond repair.
It is very sad to think future generations will not have the natural things to enjoy as we have had, and that they will be paupers when it comes to the offerings of the natural world.
But, preserving nature is one thing ... appreciating it is quite another. There is so very much beauty all around us to see, touch, and hear. Nature is so miraculous because it is always changing. No matter how many times you look at something, it is always different.
Nature can set a sky aflame at sunset or magically transform a familiar landscape into a snow-white wonderland. It can paint a rainbow in the sky, paint beautiful autumn colors on trees, or paint a clump of daffodils in the grass with glow of soft sunlight.
Nature can bring a lot of beauty into our lives. Nature has a way of affecting our moods and it can force us to change our plans. Nature is responsible for the sun, clouds, rain, and snow. When it is sunny and bright outside, we feel cheerful inside. When it is cloudy and rainy, we often feel gloomy. When there is a beautiful and starry night, the moonlight makes us feel romantic.
When we see the leaves budding on a tree or when a timid flower pushes through the frozen ground, or when we smell the freshness of spring, new hope will always come to us. Nature is truly an intrinsic part of our lives.
When we wake and see a sunrise, when we walk and feel a breeze, when we gaze at the mountains and the splendor of the seas, when we see the earth renew its beauty at each season of the year, and when the stars shine at night, we should be so very thankful to the Lord for giving us all these wonderful and miraculous things. Learning to become more aware of nature can truly have a good effect on our lives in the way we look at things and in the way we feel about ourselves.
It is with much love that I dedicate these pages to a very special and wonderful person, Ginny Ellis. If it hadn't been for her, these pages would not be possible. I truly appreciate every beautiful poem that she has ever written. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Ginny, for bringing so much beauty into the world.
I would now like to share with you some of Ginny's and other poets verses and other things that capture Nature's moods and majesty. They may evoke some memories and dreams I do hope you will find something that you will enjoy.
Some of the authors are unknown but if you know the correct source of items listed, I will appreciate hearing from you so corrections can be made and proper credit given.
Click on the page you would like to see.
Take Time To See
Mountain Nights
I Come To Meet You
A Land Forgot
The Singing Winds
Waterfalls
Winter's Concert
A Message From Chief Seattle
Ocean Waves
God's Love Is All Around Us
Mother Africa
The Lion
The Tiger
Where Do The Robins Go In The Rain?
God's Redwoods
Winter
The Elephant
His Eye Is On The Sparrow
The Swans
God's Irises
Father Of Wolves
Autumn Leaves
The Most Magnificent Mountains
Oh Such Visions
The Leopard
The Gorilla
Mr. Chipmunk
The Old Cypress Tree
Silence Of The Forest
Thank you for visiting "The Beauty Of Nature!"
Remember that if we take the time to enjoy nature more, then we are taking the time out to really live more!
I do hope that all your days will be filled with sunflowers and roses!
These are my other Pages:
[Home Page]
[Penny]
[Family]
[Pets]
[Hugs]
[Motherhood]
[Fatherhood]
[Childhood]
[Friendship]
[Aging]
[Attitude]
[Angels]
[Comfort]
[Spiritual]
[Ginny's Poems]
[Love]
[Inspiration]
[Kindness]
[Encouragement]
[Unforgotten]
[Enchantment]
[Miscellaney]
[Treasures]
[Holidays]
[Hobbies]
[Genealogy]
[Artwork By Penny]
The Beauty Of Nature was created on August 1, 2000Last updated on January 21, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
How to Lose Fat Fast (with Free Fat Loss Diets)
You can lose fat fast and forever without waking up at 5am to run on an empty stomach, without exercising 6x/week, without feeling hungry all the time or cutting your favorite foods forever and without expensive supplements.
You only need 3 things to lose fat: strength training, healthy nutrition & cardio. This post will give you a simple, efficient fat loss plan so you can get your body fat to dream numbers while still have a life & eat normally.
1. Get Stronger. Strength training increases cardiovascular fitness, strengthens joints & bones, builds muscle, improves flexibility, … And it also helps fat loss.
- Maintain Muscle. More strength is more muscle. Strength training builds muscle and prevents muscle loss so you don’t get skinny + fat.
- Burn Fat. Strength training prevents your metabolic rate from going down when dieting. This means more fat loss.
- Stick to Diet. Exercising positively influences your eating habits. You’ll stick to your diet better if you do strength training, losing more fat.
You’ll get best results doing a free weight routine of compound exercises like Squats & Deadlifts. Check StrongLifts 5×5: it only takes 3×45mins/week.
2. Eat Healthy. Eat whole, unprocessed foods 90% of the time. Whole foods come as close as possible to their natural state: without added sugars, fats, sauces, … Buy raw foods and cook them yourself.
- Protein. Necessary to build & maintain muscle so you don’t get skinny + fat. Protein also satiates and has the highest thermic effect. Eat a whole protein source with each meal: beef, poultry, fish, dairy, whey, etc
- Veggies & Fruits. Fill your stomach, but usually low in calorie. Also high in fiber, water, vitamins & minerals. Eat veggies & fruits with each meal: spinach, broccoli, kale, asparagus, apples, oranges, etc.
- Healthy Fats. Fat doesn’t make you fat, bad nutrition & lack of exercise do. Healthy fats help fat loss: they satiate and slow down digestion. Eat healthy fats with each meal: fish oil, olive oil, mixed nuts.
- Water. Thirst can make you think you’re hungry. Avoid soda, alcohol and fruit juice. Drink 2 cups water with each meal and sip water during your workout. Green tea and water with squeezed lemon are OK too.
3. Eat Carbs Post Workout Only. If you’re like me and 70% of the population, you’re carb intolerant: excess carbs make you fat. Although you need carbs for energy, it’s easy to overdo it. Cut your carb intake.
- Eat Less Starchy Carbs. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & healthy fats with each meal. Carbs from veggies & fruits are OK, this isn’t a zero carb fat loss diet. Don’t eat starchy carbs except post workout.
- No Workout = No Carbs. If you do strength training 3x per week, you can eat starchy carbs 3x per week post workout. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & healthy fats with all other meals.
- Eat Whole Carbs Only. Whole carbs promote fat loss and take longer to digest. Avoid white carbs. Eat whole carbs only: brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, oats, quinoa, …
4. Eat More. Frequent meals prevent hunger by keeping your blood sugar stable. Frequent smaller meals also decrease your stomach size over time, which means you’ll feel full sooner. Eat every 3 hours.
- Eat Breakfast. Build the habit of eating breakfast and try on of these breakfast recipes. Cook your food for the day while making breakfast.
- Eat Post Workout. The only meal where you can have carbs to replenish energy stores. Whole meal of protein & carbs or post workout shake.
- Eat Every 3 hours. 6 smaller meals per day instead of 3 large ones. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-bed and 2 snacks.
5. Add Cardio. Excess cardio burns muscle instead of fat, causing the skinny + fat look. Never do cardio only. Add cardio to speed up the fat loss you get from strength training & healthy nutrition.
- Moderate Intensity. 60-70% of your max heart rate. Breathing heavier than at rest, not gasping. Your goal is fat loss, not exhaustion.
- 3×45mins. Start with 15mins cardio post strength training 3x per week. Build up to 3×45mins per week by adding 1min each workout.
- Elliptical Trainer. Aka the crosstrainer. There are many cardio machines you can choose from, but this one remains my favorite.
Fat Loss Strategies. Now that you know what to do, you need to make it as easy as possible to apply the above fat loss tips. Follow the next 8 strategies, even if they sound counter-intuitive to you.
- Buy Healthy Foods Only. Enough for your whole week so you can stick to your fat loss plan. Don’t buy junk food – avoid temptations.
- Prepare Food in Advance. Cook your food for the day on waking up or when you get back from work. This takes about 1 hour.
- Make Double Portions. Speeds up preparation. Prepare 12oz chicken and eat half at lunch and half at dinner.
- Eat The Same Every Day. Removing choice kills cravings and makes you see food for what it is: fuel for your body. Switch it up every 3 weeks.
- Eat at Fixed Times. Don’t wait until you’re hungry or feel like eating. Eat every 3 hours. Build consistency.
- Take Food with You. Take food to work, to school, to the movies, etc. This ensures you’re eating foods that will make you lose fat.
- Eat Before Going Out. Avoid ending up eating junk food because you’re hungry. Eat before you leave home and take food with you.
- Eat Junk Food 10% of The Time. You can eat 4 junk meals/week if you eat 6x/day. This actually helps fat loss. Eat out so you can’t overdo it.
- Track Progress for Motivation. Pictures, body fat, measurements and strength gains. Aim for 2-3% fat loss/month (use a fat caliper).
Example Fat Loss Diets. To lose fat: proteins, veggies, fruits and healthy fats with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Example fat loss diet:
- Breakfast: eggs with tomato & bell peppers, orange, green tea
- Snack: cottage cheese with apple
- Lunch: chicken, bok choy, tomato, chicory, olive oil
- Snack: mixed nuts
- Post workout: ground round, brown rice, mixed veggies, banana
- Dinner: chicken, spinach, baby carrots, pear
- Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil
Remember to get variation using your 4 junk meals per week. You’ll get bored of eating the same every day after about 3 weeks. Make slight changes, keep the structure. 2nd example fat loss diet, using morning workouts.
- Breakfast: eggs with spinach, orange, green tea
- Post Workout: ground round, whole grain pasta, tomato sauce, banana
- Lunch: turkey breast, broccoli, apple, olive oil
- Snack: cottage cheese with mixed berries
- Dinner: turkey breast, spinach, baby carrots, pear
- Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, chocolate whey, flax seeds, fish oil
Don’t waste your time counting calories: you won’t get fat eating unprocessed foods. Just eat your stomach full and prepare your own food so you have total control over the ingredients. Aim for 2-3% fat loss per month.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Norway
Norway (pronounced 
/ˈnɔɹweɪ/ (help·info); Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål), Noreg (Nynorsk)) or Norga (North Sami), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east. The United Kingdom and Faroe Islands lie to its west across the North Sea, Iceland and Greenland lies to its west across the Norwegian Sea, and Denmark lies south of its southern tip across the Skagerrak Strait. Bouvet Island and Peter I Island are dependent territories (Norwegian: biland) of Norway, but not considered part of the Kingdom. Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land, a claim that has been recognised by Australia, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.[6] Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
The area currently constituting Norway has been inhabited since at least the 10th millennium BC,[7]. The indigenous people of Northern Norway and Central Norway are the Sámi people, though Norse culture arrived very early on the scene here also. The current monarch of Norway, representing Government, has stated that the kingdom was founded up on the territories of two peoples - the Norwegians and the Sámi.[8]
Norway was unified according to tradition by Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) in 872 AD after the Battle of Hafrsfjord. In fact, though, Harald's realm was mainly a South Norwegian coastal state. The Viking age saw rapid expansion and emigration, Christianity gradually manifesting itself in the 10th and 11th centuries. The country entered into the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Sweden in 1319, remaining united with Denmark when Sweden left in 1521. In 1814, Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden following Denmark-Norway's alliance with Napoleon, the loser of the Napoleonic wars. Norwegian resistance to the forced cession resulted in the adoption of a Constitution, a declaration of independence, and the election of crown prince Christian Frederick as king of Norway. The ensuing war forced Norway to accept a personal union with Sweden, but with its constitution intact and with separate institutions except for the foreign service. Declaring the dissolution of the Union on 7 June 1905, Norway called on a Danish prince to become King Haakon VII; the first king of a fully independent Norway in 586 years. However, independence was temporarily interrupted on 9 April 1940, when Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany.
After the Second World War, the country has experienced rapid economic growth, particularly as a result of large oil deposits discovered in the early 1970s. Today it ranks amongst the wealthiest countries in the world,[9][10][11] with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation. Norway is the world’s fourth largest oil exporter[12] and the petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of its GDP.[13] Following the ongoing financial crisis of 2007-2009, bankers have deemed the Norwegian krone to be one of the most solid currencies in the world.[14]
Norway also has rich resources of gas fields, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. The country was the second largest exporter of seafood (in value, after the People’s Republic of China) in 2006.[15] Other main industries include shipping, food processing, shipbuilding, metals, chemicals, mining, fishing and pulp and paper products. Norway maintains a Scandinavian welfare model with universal healthcare, free higher education and a comprehensive social security system. Norway was ranked highest of all countries in human development from 2001 to 2006.[16] It was also rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 survey by Global Peace Index.[17]
Although having rejected EU membership at two referendums, Norway maintains close ties with the Union and its member countries, as well as with the United States. It is considered a prominent participant in diplomacy and international development, having been heavily involved with the failed Oslo Accords and negotiated a truce between the Sri Lanka government and the Tamil Tigers. Norway remains one of the biggest financial contributors to the UN,[18] and participates with forces in international missions, notably in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Sudan.
A unitary state with administrative sub-divisions on two levels known as counties (fylker) and municipalities (kommuner), Norway is a constitutional, hereditary monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with King Harald V as its Head of State. The Sámi people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament and the Finnmark Act. It is a founding member of UN, NATO, the Council of Europe and the Nordic Council, and member of the European Economic Area, WTO and OECD.
watches?
A watch is a timepiece that is made to be worn on a person. The term now usually refers to a wristwatch, which is worn on the wrist with a strap or bracelet. In addition to the time, modern watches often display the day, date, month and year, and electronic watches may have many other functions.
Most inexpensive and medium-priced watches used mainly for timekeeping are electronic watches with quartz movements. Expensive, collectible watches valued more for their workmanship and aesthetic appeal than for simple timekeeping, often have purely mechanical movements and are powered by springs, even though mechanical movements are less accurate than more affordable quartz movements.
Before the inexpensive miniaturization that became possible in the 20th century, most watches were pocket watches, which often had covers and were carried in a pocket and attached to a watch chain or watch fob. Watches evolved in the 1600s from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 1400s.
MONEY IS WHAT MONEY DOSE;;;;;;;;
Money is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts.[1] The main functions of money are as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value.[2] In the past, money was almost always commodity money, money with intrinsic value from the commodity of which it is made (eg. gold and silver coins, shells, tobacco leaves, grain). However, modern monetary systems are based on fiat money – money without intrinsic value, but declared by a government to be legal tender, that is, it must be accepted as a form of payment for 'all debts, public and private'. The term "price system" is sometimes used to refer to methods using commodity valuation or money accounting systems.[3]
The money supply of a country is usually held to consist of currency (banknotes and coins) and 'deposit money' (the balance held in checking accounts and savings accounts). These demand deposits usually account for a much larger part of the money supply than currency.[4][5] Deposit money is intangible and exists only in the form of various bank records. Despite being intangible, deposit money still performs the basic functions of money, as checks are generally accepted as a form of payment and as a means of transferring ownership of deposit money.GOLD
Gold (pronounced /ˈɡoʊld/) is a chemical element with the symbol Au (Latin: aurum) and an atomic number of 79. It is a highly sought-after precious metal in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history. The metal occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Gold is dense, soft, shiny and the most malleable and ductile pure metal known. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without rusting in air or water. It is one of the coinage metals and formed the basis for the gold standard used before the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971.
At the end of 2006, it was estimated that all the gold ever mined totaled 158,000 tonnes. [1] This can be represented by a cube with an edge length of just 20.2 meters. Modern industrial uses include dentistry and electronics, where gold has traditionally found use because of its good resistance to oxidative corrosion. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and can form trivalent and univalent cations upon solvation. At STP it is attacked by aqua regia (a mixture of acids), forming chloroauric acid and by alkaline solutions of cyanide but not by single acids such as hydrochloric, nitric or sulfuric acids. Gold dissolves in mercury, forming amalgam alloys, but does not react with it. Since gold is insoluble in nitric acid which will dissolve silver and base metals, this is exploited as the basis of the gold refining technique known as "inquartation and parting". Nitric acid has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, and this is the origin of the colloquial term "acid test", referring to a gold standard test for genuine value.
National currencies called "dollar"
Some national currencies are called dollars in English, but by a different name in the native language of the country. See the complete list at the bottom of this article.
The name has also been applied to the international dollar, a hypothetical unit of currency that has the same purchasing power that the US dollar has in the United States at a given point in time.
Dollar Histroy
The dollar (often represented by the dollar sign: "$") is the name of the official currency in several countries, including the Australia, New Zealand, The United States and Zimbabwe.
Contents[hide]
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[edit] History
The German name Thaler comes from the Bohemian coin minted in the 16th century from silver mined at Joachimsthal in Bohemia. Not long after issuance, these coins gained the name Joachimsthalers. Subsequently, the coins were called "thaler" regardless of the issuing authority[1], and continued to be minted until 1872.
The name is historically related to the Reichsthaler in Germany, the tolar in Slovenia (Slovenian tolar) and Bohemia, the daalder in the Netherlands, and daler in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. "Guildiner" can be traced to 1486 when Archduke Sigismund of Tyrol, a small state north of Venice, issued a dollar-sized coin which was referred to as a "guildiner". Silver supplies were small which limited coinage.[2]
The Dutch lion dollar circulated throughout the Middle East and was imitated in several German and Italian cities. It was also popular in the Dutch East Indies as well as in the Dutch New Netherland Colony (New York). The lion dollar also has circulated throughout the English colonies during the 17th and early 18th centuries . Examples circulating in the colonies were usually fairly well worn so that the design was not fully distinguishable, thus they were sometimes referred to as "dog dollars."[3] This Dutch currency made its way to the east coast due to the increased trading by colonial ships with other nations. By the mid-1700s, it was replaced by the Spanish 8 reales.[4]
The name "Spanish dollar" was used for a Spanish coin, the "real de a ocho" and later peso. It was worth eight reals (hence the nickname "pieces of eight"), and was widely circulated during the 18th century in the Spanish colonies in the New World, and in Spanish territories in Asia, namely in the Philippines. The use of the Spanish dollar and the Maria Theresa thaler as legal tender for the early United States and its fractions were the mainstay of commerce. They are the reasons for the name of that nation's currency.[citation needed] By the American Revolution in 1775, these Spanish coins became even more important. They backed paper money authorized by the individual colonies and the Continental Congress.[4] However, the word dollar was in use in the English language as slang or mis-pronunciation for the thaler for about 200 years before the American Revolution, with many quotes in the plays of Shakespeare referring to dollars as money. Spanish dollars were in circulation in the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States, and were legal tender in Virginia.
Coins known as dollars were also in use in Scotland during the 17th century, and there is a claim that the use of the English word, and perhaps even the use of the coin, began at the University of St Andrews. This explains the sum of 'Ten thousand dollars' mentioned in Macbeth (Act I, Scene II), although the real Macbeth, upon whom the play was based, lived in the 11th century, making the reference anachronistic; however this is not rare in Shakespeare's work.
In the early 19th century, a British five-shilling piece, or crown, was sometimes called a dollar, probably because its appearance was similar to the Spanish dollar. This expression appeared again in the 1940s, when US troops came to the UK during World War II. At the time a US dollar was worth about 5s., so some of the US soldiers started calling it a dollar. Consequently, they called the half crown "half a dollar".
In the early days of the United States, the term "Dollar" was commonly known as a coin minted by Spain called the Spanish Milled Dollar. These coins were the standard money then in use in the United States. On April 2, 1792, Alexander Hamilton, then the Secretary of the Treasury, made a report to Congress having scientifically determined the amount of silver in the Spanish Milled Dollar coins that were then in current use by the people. As a result of this report, the Dollar was defined[5] as a unit of measure of 371 4/16th grains (24.057 grams) of pure silver or 416 grains of standard silver (standard silver being defined as 1,485 parts fine silver to 179 parts alloy[6]). Therefore paper is not the dollar, instead, it is 'worth', not 'is', 1 dollar (US Silver certificate.) In section 20 of the Act, it is specified that the "money of account" of the United States shall be expressed in those same "dollars" or parts thereof. All of the minor coins were also defined in terms of percentages of the primary coin — the dollar — such that a half dollar contained 1/2 as much silver as a dollar, quarter dollars contained 1/4 as much, and so on.
In an act passed on January 18, 1837, the alloy was changed to 10%, having the effect of containing the same amount of silver but being reduced in weight to 412 1/4 grains of standard silver which was changed to 90% pure and 10% alloy. On February 21, 1853 the amount of silver in the fractional coins was reduced so that it was no longer possible to combine the fractional coins to come up with the same amount of silver that was in the dollar.
Various acts have been passed over the years that affected the amount and type of metal in the coins minted by the United States such that today, there is no legal definition of the term "Dollar" to be found in any Statute of the United States.[7][8][9]
Today, the closest definition to a dollar comes from the United States code Title 31, Section 5116, paragraph b, subsection 2, "The Secretary [of the Treasury] shall sell silver under conditions the Secretary considers appropriate for at least $1.292929292 a fine troy ounce." However Federal Reserve banks are only prejudiced to deliver tax credits instead of money. The silver content of US coinage was mostly removed in 1965 and the dollar essentially became a baseless free-floating fiat currency, though the US Mint continues to make silver $1 coins at this weight.
Continued Chinese demand for silver led several countries, notably the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan, to mint trade dollars in the 19th and early 20th centuries, often of slightly different weights to their domestic coinage. Silver dollars reaching China (whether Spanish, Trade, or other) were often stamped with Chinese characters known as "chop marks", which indicated that that particular coin had been assayed by a well-known merchant and determined genuine.
Related names in modern currencies
- The tala is based on the Samoan pronunciation of the word "dollar." Likewise, the name of the smaller unit, seneiti, equates to "cent."
- The Slovenian tolar had the same origin as dollar, i.e. thaler.
Detail Info About Loan
Predatory lending is one form of abuse in the granting of loans. It usually involves granting a loan in order to put the borrower in a position that one can gain advantage over him or her. Where the moneylender is not authorised, it could be considered a loan shark.
Usury is a different form of abuse, where the lender charges excessive interest. In different time periods and cultures the acceptable interest rate has varied, from no interest at all to unlimited interest rates. Credit card companies in some countries have been accused by consumer organisations of lending at usurious interest rates and making money out of frivolous "extra charges". [1]
Abuses can also take place in the form of the customer abusing the lender by not repaying the loan or with an intent to defraud the lender.
[edit] United States taxes
Most of the basic rules governing how loans are handled for tax purposes in the United States are uncodified by both Congress (the Internal Revenue Code) and the Treasury Department (Treasury Regulations — another set of rules that interpret the Internal Revenue Code).[2] Yet such rules are universally accepted.[3]
1. A loan is not gross income to the borrower.[4] Since the borrower has the obligation to repay the loan, the borrower has no accession to wealth.[5]
2. The lender may not deduct the amount of the loan.[6] The rationale here is that one asset (the cash) has been converted into a different asset (a promise of repayment).[7] Deductions are not typically available when an outlay serves to create a new or different asset.[8]
3. The amount paid to satisfy the loan obligation is not deductible by the borrower.[9]
4. Repayment of the loan is not gross income to the lender.[10] In effect, the promise of repayment is converted back to cash, with no accession to wealth by the lender.[11]
5. Interest paid to the lender is included in the lender’s gross income.[12] Interest paid represents compensation for the use of the lender’s money or property and thus represents profit or an accession to wealth to the lender.[13] Interest income can be attributed to lenders even if the lender doesn’t charge a minimum amount of interest.[14]
6. Interest paid to the lender may be deductible by the borrower.[15] In general, interest paid in connection with the borrower’s business activity is deductible, while interest paid on personal loans are not deductible.[16] The major exception here is interest paid on a home mortgage.[17]
[edit] Income from discharge of indebtedness
Although a loan does not start out as income to the borrower, it becomes income to the borrower if the borrower is discharged of indebtedness. [18] Thus, if a debt is discharged, then the borrower essentially has received income equal to the amount of the indebtedness. The Internal Revenue Code lists “Income from Discharge of Indebtedness” in Section 62(a)(12) as a source of gross income.
Example: X owes Y $50,000. If Y discharges the indebtedness, then X no longer owes Y $50,000. For purposes of calculating income, this should be treated the same way as if Y gave X $50,000.
For a more detailed description of the “discharge of indebtedness”, look at Section 108 (Cancellation of Debt (COD) Income) of the Internal Revenue Code.[19]
[edit] See also
- Finance, Personal finance, Settlement (finance)
- Debt, Consumer debt, Debt consolidation, Government debt
- Bank, Fractional-reserve banking, Building society
- Annual percentage rate (a.k.a. Effective annual rate)
- Default (finance)
- Interest-only loan, Negative amortization, PIK loan
- FAFSA
- Federal student loan consolidation
- Federal Perkins Loan
- George D. Sax and the Exchange National Bank of Chicago - Innovation of instant loans
- Loan guarantee
- Loan sale
- Payday loan
- Refund Anticipation Loan
- Stafford loan
- Student loan
- Syndicated loan
- Title loan
- Student loan default
[edit] References
- ^ Credit card holders pay Rs 6,000 cr 'extra' May 03, 2007
- ^ Samuel A. Donaldson, Federal Income Taxation of Individuals: Cases, Problems and Materials, 2nd Ed. 111 (2007).
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id. See Commissioner v. Glenshaw Glass Co., 348 U.S. 426 (1955)(giving the three-prong standard for what is "income" for tax purposes: (1) accession to wealth, (2) clearly realized, (3) over which the taxpayer has complete dominion).
- ^ Donaldson, at 111.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.; 26 U.S.C. 61(a)(4)(2007).
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id. at 112.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.; 26 U.S.C. 61(a)(12)(2007).
- ^ Id.; 26 U.S.C. 108(2007).
Types Of Loan
Secured
A secured loan is a loan in which the borrower pledges some asset (e.g. a car or property) as collateral for the loan.
A mortgage loan is a very common type of debt instrument, used by many individuals to purchase housing. In this arrangement, the money is used to purchase the property. The financial institution, however, is given security — a lien on the title to the house — until the mortgage is paid off in full. If the borrower defaults on the loan, the bank would have the legal right to repossess the house and sell it, to recover sums owing to it.
In some instances, a loan taken out to purchase a new or used car may be secured by the car, in much the same way as a mortgage is secured by housing. The duration of the loan period is considerably shorter — often corresponding to the useful life of the car. There are two types of auto loans, direct and indirect. A direct auto loan is where a bank gives the loan directly to a consumer. An indirect auto loan is where a car dealership acts as an intermediary between the bank or financial institution and the consumer.
A type of loan especially used in limited partnership agreements is the recourse note.
A stock hedge loan is a special type of securities lending whereby the stock of a borrower is hedged by the lender against loss, using options or other hedging strategies to reduce lender risk.[citation needed]
A pre-settlement loan is a non-recourse debt, this is when a monetary loan is given based on the merit and awardable amount in a lawsuit case. Only certain types of lawsuit cases are eligible for a pre-settlement loan.[citation needed] This is considered a secured non-recourse debt due to the fact if the case reaches a verdict in favor of the defendant the loan is forgiven.
[edit] Unsecured
Unsecured loans are monetary loans that are not secured against the borrower's assets. These may be available from financial institutions under many different guises or marketing packages:
- credit card debt
- personal loans
- bank overdrafts
- credit facilities or lines of credit
- corporate bonds
The interest rates applicable to these different forms may vary depending on the lender and the borrower. These may or may not be regulated by law. In the United Kingdom, when applied to individuals, these may come under the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower.
In a loan, the borrower initially receives or borrows an amount of money, called the principal, from the lender, and is obligated to pay back or repay an equal amount of money to the lender at a later time. Typically, the money is paid back in regular installments, or partial repayments; in an annuity, each installment is the same amount. The loan is generally provided at a cost, referred to as interest on the debt, which provides an incentive for the lender to engage in the loan. In a legal loan, each of these obligations and restrictions is enforced by contract, which can also place the borrower under additional restrictions known as loan covenants. Although this article focuses on monetary loans, in practice any material object might be lent.
Acting as a provider of loans is one of the principal tasks for financial institutions. For other institutions, issuing of debt contracts such as bonds is a typical source of funding.
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US-GreatSeal-Obverse.svg (SVG file, nominally 726 × 726 pixels, file size: 742 KB)
 | This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. The description on its description page there is shown below. |
History
Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.
(latest | earliest) View (newer 50) (older 50) (20 | 50 | 100 | 250 | 500)| Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| current | 18:25, 5 September 2008 |  | 726×726 (742 KB) | PatríciaR | (from http://tools.wikimedia.pl/~beau/imgs/ (recovering lost file)) |
| 04:57, 28 January 2008 |  | 726×726 (742 KB) | Ipankonin | (gigantic fancy border) | |
| 23:30, 16 January 2008 |  | 720×720 (738 KB) | Ipankonin | (reduce gigantic outline on the shield) | |
| 06:39, 15 January 2008 |  | 720×720 (738 KB) | Ipankonin | (step gradients -> radial gradients) | |
| 05:31, 15 January 2008 |  | 720×720 (735 KB) | Ipankonin | (replaced some step-gradients with real SVG radial gradients) | |
| 10:34, 12 December 2007 |  | 720×720 (749 KB) | Ipankonin | (removed stars per [[http://www.state.gov/www/publications/great_seal.pdf US State Dept.]) | |
| 22:20, 14 November 2007 |  | 720×720 (763 KB) | Ktims | (Re-extracted from same PDF as original. Image appears identical - but file size is 1.3MB smaller.) | |
| 14:55, 28 September 2007 |  | 720×720 (2.1 MB) | Clindberg | (==Summary== {Information |Description={{en|Obverse of the en:Great Seal of the United States.}} |Source=Extracted from PDF version of ''Our Flag'', available [http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Flags_vrd.htm here] (direct PDF U) |
File links
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- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Canada–United States relations
- Talk:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Foreign policy of the United States
- Ecuador – United States relations
- Floor leader
- Internal Revenue Service
- Talk:Lee Harvey Oswald
- President of the United States
- Taxation in the United States
- United States Constitution
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- Article Two of the United States Constitution
- Article Three of the United States Constitution
- Article Four of the United States Constitution
- Article Five of the United States Constitution
- Article Six of the United States Constitution
- First Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Third Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
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- Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Talk:United States Constitution
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- Talk:United States Department of State
- Politics of the United States
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- William Howard Taft
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- Talk:National Institutes of Health
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- United States Post Office Department
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- Coat of arms
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- Pure Food and Drug Act
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- Talk:United States Environmental Protection Agency
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- Great Seal of the United States
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- Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
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- Talk:Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
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- Talk:ZIP code
- Domino theory
- Bush Doctrine
- Truman Doctrine
- Eisenhower Doctrine
- Nixon Doctrine
- Carter Doctrine
UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
The United States of America (commonly referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to its east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories, or insular areas, in the Caribbean and Pacific.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with about 306 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and third largest by land area and by population. The United States is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.[7] The U.S. economy is the largest national economy in the world, with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of US $14.3 trillion (23% of the world total based on nominal GDP and almost 21% at purchasing power parity).[4][8]
The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain located along the Atlantic seaboard. On July 4, 1776, they issued the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and their formation of a cooperative union. The rebellious states defeated Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, the first successful colonial war of independence.[9] The Philadelphia Convention adopted the current United States Constitution on September 17, 1787; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic with a strong central government. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten constitutional amendments guaranteeing many fundamental civil rights and freedoms, was ratified in 1791.
In the 19th century, the United States acquired land from France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Russia, and annexed the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. Disputes between the agrarian South and industrial North over states' rights and the expansion of the institution of slavery provoked the American Civil War of the 1860s. The North's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of legal slavery in the United States. By the 1870s, the national economy was the world's largest.[10] The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a military power. In 1945, the United States emerged from World War II as the first country with nuclear weapons, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and a founding member of NATO. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union left the United States as the sole superpower. The country accounts for approximately 50% of global military spending and is a leading economic, political, and cultural force in the world.Sunday, June 21, 2009
Laptop (WP)
A laptop (also known as a notebook) is a personal computer designed for mobile use small enough to sit on one's lap.[1] A laptop includes most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also known as a trackpad, and/or a pointing stick), speakers, as well as a battery, into a single small and light unit. The rechargeable battery required is charged from an AC/DC adapter and typically stores enough energy to run the laptop for two to three hours in its initial state, depending on the configuration and power management of the computer.
Laptops are usually shaped like a large notebook with thicknesses between 0.7–1.5 inches (18–38 mm) and dimensions ranging from 10x8 inches (27x22cm, 13" display) to 15x11 inches (39x28cm, 17" display) and up. Modern laptops weigh 3 to 12 pounds (1.4 to 5.4 kg); older laptops were usually heavier. Most laptops are designed in the flip form factor to protect the screen and the keyboard when closed. Modern 'tablet' laptops have a complex joint between the keyboard housing and the display, permitting the display panel to twist and then lay flat on the keyboard housing. They usually have a touchscreen display and some include handwriting recognition or graphics drawing capability.
Laptops were originally considered to be "a small niche market"[2] and were thought suitable mostly for "specialized field applications" such as "the military, the Internal Revenue Service, accountants and sales representatives".[2][3] Battery-powered portable computers had just 2% worldwide market share in 1986[4]. But today, there are already more laptops than desktops in businesses, and laptops are becoming obligatory for student use and more popular for general use.[5] In 2008 more laptops than desktops were sold in the US[6] and according to a forecast by the research firm IDC and Intel, the same milestone will be achieved in the worldwide PC market as soon as 2009.Sony MDR V300 Headphones
Technical Specifications |
ILUV I301 Earphones
Comfortable to wear Easy to adjust lead length for maximum comfort Ultra lightweight in-ear design with in-line volume control High-performance speakers for extended frequency range, lower distortion, and high power handling Best companion for digital devices - iPod / MD / MP3 / CD Players Adjustable slider for maximum comfort Volume control Replacement ear tips 3.5mm stereo plug iLuv i301 Lightweight EarPhones for iPods Black
JVC HA-RX300 Full Size Extra Bass On Ear Headphones
The JVC HA-RX300 headphones have a large 40mm driver unit for dynamic sound complete with a direct sound delivery system with an inclined unit for powerful sound and 5 Anti Resonance structure for clear sound.
These stylish black headphones have twist action structure for comfortable long listening.
JVC HA RX300 Extra Bass On Ear Headphones Features:
- Ear-direct structure with inclined unit for powerful sound
- Twist action structure for more comfort during prolonged use
- Frequency response: 12Hz-22,000Hz
- Nominal Impedance: 32 ohms
- Maximum Input Capability: 1200mW (IEC)
- Sensitivity: 100dB/ 1mW
- Nominal impedance: 32O
- Cord length 2.5m(8.20ft)
- Mass (without cord) 194g(6.84oz)
- Instruction Guide
- Manufacturers Guarantee
- 6.3mm plug adaptor
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