World Elaborate Legal

In 2004 as people watched the Super Bowl in towns across America, in San Diego, California, in Orange County, CA, in Los Angeles, La Jolla, Hollywood, Del Mar, Pacific Beach, Carlsbad, Malibu, Oceanside, San Marcos, Vista and Escondido or the cities of Huntington Beach, Westminster, Buena Park, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, and Laguna Hills, Buena Park, Temecula, Indian Wells, La Quinta, or Palm Springs, unless they taped the game, they missed a split second of exposed skin by Janet Jackson.

It wasn't until the press and people played it back in slow motion, that they saw what people would later claim horrified them. One of Janet Jackson's upper body supports holding in one of her chest assets had fallen away revealing a bit of something only previously shown in more detail on cable TV. And unless you were in a coma in the firestorm that followed, you had the term "wardrobe malfunction" ingrained into your vocabulary. Even attorneys and lawyers began using the term when they appeared late at court.

Here it is 2008. Children have not had to have years of counseling despite the initial claims by conservative groups that they would, and the incident is still being litigated. In July 2008, the Third Circuit vacated an FCC fine of $550,000 assessed against CBS for the nine-sixteenths of a second when Janet Jackson's breast was exposed during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in February 2004 and remanded the case back to the FCC. However, the court made it clear that the FCC cannot retroactively punish CBS and had better not try.

The court held that the FCC improperly departed from its prior policy of allowing a fleeting image and that this departure was arbitrary and capricious. What the ruling did not, but should of said, was that the FCC was so pressured into its fine by conservatives, including those in the FCC and the executive branch of the current administration, that it acted like idiots.

First Amendment and Constitutional Lawyers such as myself have applauded the decision especially when myself and others received moronic calls from persons claiming that they or their family members suffered immeasurable harm when they watched recordings of the halftime show over and over and over.

Conservative groups were less pleased with the ruling. However, the court ruled that, without proof that CBS knew beforehand that some indecency was about to occur, the FCC could not find that CBS was liable, especially in view of the fact that Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were independent contractors and not CBS employees.

To prevent the FCC from now simply providing a rational explanation for disallowing unintentional fleeting and indecent images and putting broadcasters on notice of this policy so they can fine broadcasters in the future and make it impossible to ever again dare to show a live performance on TV just as they have not dared to since the fine was imposed, the court said that unintentional broadcasts of alleged fleeting indecent images may not be punished absent a showing of scienter, i.e. a knowing or reckless violation of indecency law. If a broadcaster endeavors to exercise proper control but fails to prevent unscripted indecency, it will not have acted with scienter if its actions were negligent rather than reckless.

Thus the FCC's attempt to establish a draconian power to fine broadcasters off the air and out of business for broadcasting unintentional fleeting images, a power which has for the past few years and which would forever absolutely chill our First Amendment rights, by this conservative administration, is over.

Perhaps with the next administration, whichever party gets into office, the idiots at the FCC who suffered their own brain malfunction and imposed this fine can be booted out into the street and be remanded to read the Constitution.

Sebastian Gibson graduated cum laude at UCLA in 1972 and received two law degrees in the U.S. and the U.K., graduating with an LL.B. magna cum laude from University College, Cardiff in Wales and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in Southern California.

The Sebastian Gibson Law Firm serves all of San Diego, Orange County, Palm Springs and Palm Desert, the Coastal Cities from La Jolla and Del Mar to Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana and Irvine and up to Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. We also serve the Inland Empire cities of Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula, Riverside and San Bernardino and all the cities in the Coachella Valley

If you have a broadcast, literary, media, publishing, entertainment, constitutional, first amendment, intellectual property or copyright law matter anywhere in Southern California, we invite you to visit our website by clicking on one of these two links. We have the knowledge and resources to represent you as your California Broadcast Attorney and San Diego Broadcast Lawyer in Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, San Diego, Orange County, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Riverside, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Chula Vista, Irvine, San Bernardino, Huntington Beach, Fontana, Moreno Valley, Oceanside, Garden Grove, Palmdale, Corona, Escondido, Orange, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Victorville, Carlsbad, Temecula, Murrieta, Mission Viejo, El Cajon, Vista, Westminster, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Venice, Hollywood, Hesperia, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Buena Park, Indio, Coachella, Newport Coast and Crystal Cove.

Romans 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

We see some of this hostility hung over into the Millennium (the reign of the Kingdom of God) and quickly put in check by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All - Jew, Israelite, Gentile - must become converted and have the law written upon the tablets of our hearts and minds, expressed in word and in deed, in attitude and in actions, by the grace of God (Heb. 8:1).

Zechariah 14:17-18

17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

Thankfully, many others will have a childlike attitude and humbly be excited to learn what most were never taught by their traditional teachers:

Isaiah 2:2-4

2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days

That the mountain of the LORDs house

Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

And shall be exalted above the hills;

And all nations shall flow to it.

3 Many people shall come and say,

Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

To the house of the God of Jacob;

He will teach us His ways,

And we shall walk in His paths.

For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah,

And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,

And rebuke many people;

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Yeshua's Bride will gladly follow His ways and celebrate the same biblical festivals as Him and avoid unclean ways and pagan holidays like the plague! Such abominations will be history and vain traditions trashed. Yeshua will not be unequally yoked.

I'm happy to announce the biblical Sabbath, the biblical Festivals of the LORD, the biblical ways will be kept throughout all the earth, by ALL nations, under the glorious reign of the King - Yeshua - whom some of us honestly call Lord while others take His Name in vain, holding on to their idolatrous traditions of men (1 John 2:4).

Matthew 5:17-19

17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Revelation 22:14-15

4 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Plea to Diehard Catholics & Protestants to Repent

That way such folks won't fall for what's soon to occur, having been forewarned:

Sorcerer-Pope to Bewitch Europe and Mislead the Masses!

Come Lord Yeshua and destroy the darkness by the light of your Word, as foretold in the Law and the Prophets.

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

Ok, this is Jesus, we gotta talk!

"ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Christian youths burned the corpses of Muslims on Thursday on the streets of Onitsha in southeastern Nigeria, the city worst hit by religious riots that have killed at least 146 people across the country in five days.

Christian mobs, seeking revenge for the killings of Christians in the north, attacked Muslims with machetes, set fire to them, destroyed their houses and torched mosques in two days of violence in Onitsha, where 93 people died.

"We are very happy that this thing is happening so that the north will learn their lesson," said Anthony Umai, a motorcycle taxi rider, standing close to where Christian youths had piled up the corpses of 10 Muslims and were burning them."

Guys! Guys! This Christian soldier thing has to stop before everyone gets killed in Jesus name amen! There is no such thing as a Christian Soldier. It's a bad song and it should never have been written. I don't want Christians marching onward anymore. They are giving me a very bad name and creeping everyone on the planet out! Please, you gotta stop "Marching as to war", and no where, even in that hymn does any Christian get to pile up the dead and burn them! It's just an analogy.

Please, put down the "with the cross of Jesus" and let's rethink some of the great stuff I wrote that somewhat goes against what you seem to be up to. Put the Cross down and let's march ahead with say...oh, food! Yes, let's bring people food! Or how about "with the hugs of Jesus, going on before?" That works great. Let's change the words.

"Onward all us nice guys, walking not like thugs
With some food from Jesus, and a bunch of hugs.
Jesus, he just loves you, wants you to be free.
Forward with the fooooooood, here's a hug for thee.

Onward Christian nice guys, making not a fuss
With some food from Jesus and some hugs from us.

Onward then you nice guys, boy we like you too
Here, how can we help you, do what you can do?
We are here to love you, help you all we can.
Let's just build some pla-ay ground, someone bring some sand.

Onward Christian nice guys, here's some food for you
Gosh we're just so haaaappy, thanks for all you do."

Something like that. Anything but what you're singin!

Hey remember when I said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy?" Can we just wallow in that one for a bit before you go out again tonight?

Please, I'm not the royal Master marching against my foes. I don't do foes anymore! Put the damn cross thing down now! Wow, am I having a bad day up here reading about you guys! My Father is just looking at me like "do something," but you guys have to do it on your own or you won't learn anything from me. They are not the foe! No one is the foe! Foe St. Pete sake, stop!!!

Please, do not "like a mighty army, moves the Church of God anymore either. You're giving us all a really bad name. Atheist's and agnostics are having a field day with this stuff. It's ok if you don't "tread where the saints of trod." They did way too much treading where I never wanted them to tread and way too many people got squished when I never intended that!

Oh and please stop with the "we are not divided, all one body weeeeeeeeeeee" stuff. You haven't agreed on one thing since the day started singing that song. You're killing me along with anyone that evidently that gets in your Christian way. You're all divided an you know it. Satan hightailed it up here real fast and has been laughing his ass off at me all day over this stuff. You're not "one in hope and doctrine" and for God's sake, sorry Dad, you're certainly not "one in chariteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee." I wish you were. You're not a happy throng. You're a crazy one! I don't want anyone to blend their voices with yours in any triumph song. We're not trying to win anything here. I don't need you to win for me. I'm not playing!

So please guys, let's stop marching as to war and like a mighty armying! They are just people...PEOPLE. They have families, they want to feel safe, they need a place to live and a job to keep them going. You're all the same! Jeeeeeeeez, don't worry I can take my own name in vain if I want to, this is really bad stuff!

Rodney! Where is Rodney King? Rodney you tell 'em.
"Can't we all just get along? Excellent Rodney! That's the whole point of what I was getting at! Gabriel, put what Rodney just said into the next Sermon on the Mount update. And be sure to give him full credit!

Oh I'm so upset. Satan, bring me a beer, I gotta catch my breath.
Cancel my calls for the day. Gosh, save me from my own followers.

In Me
Jesus

AUTHOR

John Wesley, the chosen leader of the Great Revival Awakening, voluminous writer have written or abridged about four hundred volumes), was a polished scholar whose literary productions are of enduring merit, his Journal being ranked with Horace Walter's Letters and Boswell's Johnson. We are indebted to him for combining the Catholic ethic of holiness and the protestant ethic of grace to produce a restoration of New Testament theology.

TYPE

Holiness

SUMMARY

This book is generally regarded as one of the most comprehensive of Wesley's position or teaching on holiness. It is a reflection of his deepening insights into the doctrine of holiness over fifty years. Excerpts from major sermons, quotations and hymns are incorporated. Wesley asserts that Christian perfection (neither early than justification nor late as death) is attainable in this life. This limited perfection may or may not be sinless (depending on one's definition). Since it is 'amissible', that is capable of being lost, it can be recovered. Furthermore, it is both instantaneous and gradual. It is also improvable. Growth in grace not only may but also must continue beyond entire sanctification. The essence of Christian perfection is love.

STRENGTHS

A critical analysis of the text reveals that it renewed Christian theology. Wesley understood sanctification which Luther fused and confused. His style of writing should be commended. The question and answer method to expound truth is very useful to the inquiring mind. The diary-like form enables one to deeply reflect on the insights on the doctrine of holiness. The length of the sections stimulates reading. The numerous appropriate quotations and hymns also add to the quality of the book.

WEAKNESS

Critically assessed, it would be a travesty of truth to refer to Wesley as homo unius libri (a man of one book). He was a man of one book (The Bible) and many books as a renowned scholar.

RECOMMENDATION

The above notwithstanding, this book must be read by all Christians since it not only shows the synthesis between instantaneous and gradual sanctification but combines the Catholic ethic of holiness and the Protestant ethic of grace to produce a renewed Christian theology.

AUTHOR SIGNATURE
Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

Is there strong indication in the Bible that Israel will have a change of heart and accept Yeshua because of the preaching of two prophets in Jerusalem, the Two Witnesses announced in Zechariah 4 and Revelation 11? Will the Jews grasp Jesus is the Anointed One, the Lamb and Lion of God, and finally convert?

Yes! There is definite proof of such as Yeshua clearly said He wouldn't return to Jerusalem, Judah or the Jews until they have a change of heart and welcome Him. The Two Witnesses, in the power and spirit of Elijah (who is dead and buried and awaits the First Resurrection), will prepare the way by preparing our people to receive our King!

Matthew 23:39

39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

Zechariah the prophet foresees such a long-awaited repentance and recognition! The Jews in Jerusalem will perceive that the Pierced One is the Firstborn of Judah and the Firstborn of God -- our King Messiah!

Zechariah 12:10-15

10 "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David [political establishment] by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi [religious establishment] by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Yeshua, first and foremost, is the King of the Jews, the King of Israel (all Twelve Tribes of Israel). Yeshua is coming back specifically to keep alive God's physical promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and our Israelite forefathers who left Egypt: the iron-clad promise that the Fathers will always have some survivors, some physical remnant, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

The cities of Judah will hear this message loud and clear:

Matthew 24:22

22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elects sake those days will be shortened.

Romans 11:28

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

Leviticus 26:44-45

44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.

45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

We are the physical elect, the physical Chosen People -- primarily the British-Israelites and Jews, Joseph and Judah -- for whose sakes' those days will be cut short by divine intervention or we would all be history and Satan could say God is a liar. But God's Word is good and true and He will prepare our people by a baptism of repentance by the Two Witnesses, speaking to our captive audience from Jerusalem (having been conquered by the German-Jesuit EU), giving us the GOOD NEWS that our personal lord and NATIONAL SAVIOR, our NATIONAL DELIVERER, is coming soon to save us.

It is this glorious GOOD NEWS that I share within the first chapter of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, appropriately called: "Survival Guaranteed!"

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

Why should Christians cry "persecution" whenever they find themselves harassed or even jailed in countries where the cultural mindset is not Christian? Much ado is being made about a Christian minister in this area who has been arrested for "publishing offensive material against the sensibilities of the people." Of course now, those who know this man define his predicament as pesecution. Is it really?

Fundamentalist Christians have a mandate to "go ye therefore into all the world and preach the Gospel." They write hymns that imprint this imperative on the mind from their youth. They do it "marching as to war" and "Like a mighty army." They do as a "mighty fortress" and "loose the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword." They also get really ticked and offended when others do the same to them with their religious perspectives.

People don't like it when you push at them or get in their face about their faith versus yours. If a Hindu, and it is in India where this young man has gotten himself arrested for offending the locals, came to this town forcing and pushing Brahma, Vishnu and Siva onto the popluation, he would be demonized and not well received either. It is just that those of most Eastern religions, such as Hindu and Buddhism tend to draw inquiry by having an interesting perspective that attracts. They don't stand on the corner handing out tracts you didn't ask for, nor do they yell and scream at you about going to hell if you don't accept them.

Christianity is by and large a proselytizing relgion that places getting others to agree with them as a high priority for believers. It is also something that proves your sincerity and conversion. If you believe it, you will naturally want to tell others to believe it as well. Most average Christians hate the idea of having to witness. It's a real, "oh brother" kinda feeling. But then there are the fundamentalists who feel that their own worth and salvation depends on their pushing their views and perspectives on others who neither ask nor care. Some think it is God's work to convince the choir to just come to their church instead of the one they have already selected.
Some think that encouraging church hopping is the same thing as evangelizing.

But going to a place on the planet where your perspective is not welcome is asking for it. It is not persecution when one gets their butt in a crack over "offending the sensibilities of the people." Yet, whenever a fundamentalist Christian gets into trouble in a place where other cultures won't tolerate the pushing and hell fire threats, they cry "Persecution." It is not. It is people pushing back because they neither care nor want to hear the views that mean little or nothing to them. It is no different a reaction the Christian would give to any Buddhist or Hindu who tried to push their views onto them, and then threaten eternal consequences for not believing them.

As long as some Christians insist on pushing people and getting in their face about how their way is the only way and their views are the only views, they will experience pushing back. Every action will get an opposite and equal reaction It might be verbal, it might just be a look or a hand held up to signal stop. But it might also be a few days in jail and in some cases a bullet in the brain.

It's so simple. Leave people alone. If they want the glorious truth that someone else has, they will ask for it. They will seek out the books explaining it and will find the teachers that teach it. The Church has far too long pushed, marched and swift sworded those who did not agree with it and those that did not ask about it. Even the Church's book warns them they will reap what they sow. How about "let your light so shine that they might see your good works" and by this engender inquiry about one's faith instead of "marching as to war" over it or threatening in mind numbing hymns to "unloose the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword," if they don't ask?

I'd say if you do this and offend the sensibilities of people, you should learn the lesson of your night in jail.

Buy the precious enduring truth

Don't compromise and sell out

No matter how viciously loud

They criticize, threaten, and shout

Marine corporal Trent Thomas

Has done the right thing

Publicly admitting wrong doing

Pleading guilty to kidnapping

And murdering an unarmed Iraqi

He gave his testimony on AC 360

The war weary corporal is a hero

Not for killing a 52-year old man

A civilian named Hashim Ibrahim Awad

Nor for being in the killing squad

But for telling the truth about war

How it effected his pure inner core

With Iraq, Thomas wants no more

Though he'd like to re-enlist to serve

This purple heart holder won't swerve

Neither compromise his Christian witness

Though his allegations some reject and dismiss

His sergeant's orders Thomas fully obeyed

Though in so doing justice was betrayed

Such is the ongoing plight of war

Now the military's reputation is tore

As some come clean and others deny

Intelligence about WMD is used on the sly

Rarely do we at home ever ask why

The innocent continue to suffer and die

How long must we stay the course

Quiet our conscience and our heart divorce?

Heroically confessing to his crime

Cpl. Trent Thomas should serve no time

The question that must be asked however

Is why do soldiers try to quickly cover

Their murderous mishaps with a shovel

While placing an AK-47 next to the dead

To make it look like a bomb plant instead

Atrocities the Dept. of Defense does dread

Meanwhile policy makers in DC bang heads

Go home to be well fed and rest on their beds

Never any disturbances in their neighborhood

How than can they relate to trying to do good

In the middle of a bloody civil war in Iraq

So many dissidents complicates who to attack

Who to believe, when to retreat, or fire back

The entire military strategy does sadly lack

A resolution for a sound diplomatic solution

Continual killing only causes more alienation

Increasing our enemies seeking retribution

This ill conceived war is gaining criticism

Active-duty military personnel are protesting

The war in Iraq is inhumane and disheartening

Marine Corps Sgt. Liam Madden has no regrets

Concerning his enlistment and the war of whack

Though he protests America's occupation and attack

Saying if he'd known the U.S. would invade Iraq

He probably wouldn't have enlisted for that.

Mostly concerned about the reasons we went to war

Madden feels it was for profiteering for sure

Disenchanted by the loss of human life

Fundamentally wars only breed more strife

Iraq Veterans Against the War also are unhappy

Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out

They've introduced the End the War in Iraq Act

Iraq is a fiasco and that's an undeniable fact

Pres. Bush may have an unbending bone in his back

But his dubious intel and secrecy will catch much flak

Families are growing impatient and want sons home

Not content to have their flesh defend the Green Zone

Maneuvering and living for green always turns mean

Neither is politics and a military effort as it does seem

The truth we must embrace, honor, and not demean

Heroic are soldiers who tell the truth and come clean.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

Paul is the author of several books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served in many war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations & reviving nations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching: RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.

Three science fiction television series stand head and shoulders above all the rest: StarTrek (the original and all its derivatives), Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica. Firefly had potential to join this elite group, but was much too short-lived. The focus of this article is on Battlestar, since the series is entering its final season.

The current Battlestar Galactica is a superb science fiction series. No, that is too weak a statement; Battlestar Galactica may be the best dramatic show on the tube, regardless of genre. In 2006, BG won the Peabody Award, a first for the SciFi Channel. Time Magazine called it one of the top shows on television and described it as a ripping sci-fi allegory of the war on terror, complete with religious fundamentalists, sleeper cells, civil liberties crackdowns and even a prisoner torture scandal.

BG premiered in 2003 as a miniseries, loosely based on a show of the same name that ran on television in the late seventies. While the original was a popcorn series, the current BG deals with real issues in times of war. This article introduces the series to those who are not regular viewers, and then describes one of the difficult issues it addresses.

The story begins with a devastating attack by intelligent androids (Cylons) that wipes out almost the entire human race except for a few hundred soldiers who escape on Battlestar Galactica, an aging but still powerful military spaceship, and somewhat fewer than fifty thousand civilians in a rag tag collection of ships. BG protects the civilians from the Cylons, who are determined to complete the elimination of humanity. The objective of the humans is to evade the Ceylons and find the mythical planet Earth, which has great religious significance to these people.

The primary characters are Commander William Adama (Edward James Almos), the disciplined, unrelenting military leader; President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the pragmatic, newly elected civilian who becomes increasingly devout and charismatic during the journey; and Kara (Starbuck) Thrace (Katee Sackhoff), a loud, immature but expert Viper pilot who may have a special destiny in the search for Earth. The most interesting character is Gaius Baltar, brilliantly portrayed by James Callis, a scientist with a genius level intellect, but also arrogant, untrustworthy and sexually promiscuous.

This article explores how torture of the enemy was depicted on the show, and how that relates to our war with the forces of terror. Is it permissible to torture under certain circumstances, but not others? And what is torture, anyway?

The episode which really illustrates the torture issue is Flesh and Bone, where the humans have captured Leoben, a Cylon who has planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in the fleet, which he claims will explode in nine hours. Starbuck has responsibility for the interrogation, and she is told to do whatever she needs to do to locate the bomb. After all, the Cylons are not human.

Starbuck is brutal; the guards beat and waterboard Leoben, but he does not crack. Roselin joins the interrogation and stops the harsh treatment. Apparently trusting Roselin, Leoben admits that the bomb was a hoax, a bad move. With nothing to fear, Roselin has him flushed out an airlock into space. He was too dangerous, in her opinion, to keep alive. Starbuck has misgivings about their actions, and she prays for the Cylon.

This episode is a metaphor for the war between the western nations and Islamic fundamentalists. Consider this situation: FBI agents capture an Al Qaeda leader and search his computer, where they find a plan to explode a bomb (not nuclear) in an American city, but the plan does not name the specific city or the time the bomb is set to go off. The senior FBI agent is ordered to interrogate the prisoner, but the agent fails to obtain the necessary information through conventional interrogation. Then the agent is told the President has authorized waterboarding, even though legally it is a form of torture. Should the agent do it?

The prisoner claims the computer was just delivered to him yesterday, and he knows nothing about a bomb, except for what is described in the plan. Is it permissible to torture a prisoner when the FBI does not know for sure if he has the information? On the other hand, when will the FBI ever know for sure? If they waterboard him, are they any better than the enemy? But should they allow a bomb to kill hundreds of people rather than torture the truth from the prisoner? And anyway, is waterboarding really torture? It does not cause any permanent damage, right?

What should the FBI do? Waterboard or not?

Dan Ronco is a writer of technology thrillers and near future science fiction. PeaceMaker, his first novel, was published in 2004 and his second, Unholy Domain, was released April 2, 2008. Dan mixes visionary ideas with a touch of romance and humor. Learn more about Dan at danronco.com.

These days if you want to make money as a writer of genre fiction it seems you have to write a fantasy blockbuster. Everybody's doing it. Never mind honing your craft with short story submissions or exploring the more original forms of the genre. Go where the money is!

But how can you write a fantasy blockbuster? It has to be difficult right? If it wasn't difficult everybody would be doing it. It used to be, but not anymore. Follow my simple 6 step plan and soon you too will be churning out bestselling fantasy novels the size of a small forest.

Step 1: The Hero

All bestselling fantasy should have a teenage boy hero. No exceptions. Yes they're whiny and inclined to do really stupid things, but a lot of the people buying your book will relate to them... (See Eragon by Christopher Paolini.)

If for some reason you insist on making your hero an adult or (god forbid) female, make sure that they are naive and remarkably ignorant of the world around them. That allows you to conveniently explain what everything is to reader in the guise of telling your hero. It will also excuse them when they do the same stupid things that a teenage boy would have done.

Step 2: The Villain

You can't have epic fantasy without a villain. Villains are evil. They do evil things. They want to either destroy or rule the world. Your villain should be all-powerful because that's just cool. Though he (and villains should always be male!) will have some remarkably obvious weakness that makes him vulnerable to teenage boys of a heroic persuasion.

Never, ever explain why your villain is so set on destroying/ruling the world. Explanations are for wusses. The Fount of All Evil does not explain. (See Lord Foul in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson).

If you must have a scene where The Fount of All Evil explains his actions, the correct answer is... Because. (See Mordant's Need by Stephen Donaldson.)

Step 3: The Setting

Epic fantasy is set in the middle-ages with magic and very little mud. Do not diverge from this setting or you will confuse your readers who have come to expect this setting from the last 100 fantasy blockbusters they just read.

It is acceptable to have a number of non-human races in your book. These will be dwarves, elves, hobbits and orcs. Feel free to randomly change the names to keep things fresh.

If your inner artist forces you to get creative you can always spice things up by throwing in random modern equipment and using magic to explain its existence. (See the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.)

Step 4: The Plot

The Fount of All Evil is bent on destroying/ruling the world. Our hero must stop him. He will do this by traveling to all the locations conveniently written on the map in the front of the book (you must have a map, no exceptions). On the way our hero will collect a rag tag group of companions, culled conveniently from all the different races. (see The Belgariad by David Eddings.)

Don't worry about personalities for these new characters, simply come up with 5 personality tics that can be inserted randomly whenever the character is in the chapter. This saves a lot of time and looks just like a real character. (See The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.)

Of course you need an excuse for all this travelling. I recommend a treasure hunt of some sort. Treasure hunts are always popular. Once they have gathered the Necklace of Doom (Sword of Despair, Destiny Gem etc. etc.) they will confront The Fount of All Evil. And win.

Once they have travelled to all the countries of the world, our hero must return home, in order to discover how much he has grown.

Step 5: The Ending That Doesn't Conclude Anything

Once the hero (who may no longer be a teenager, but he's still a boy!) has discovered how much he has grown, you need to drop the bombshell that actually the world has not been saved at all. Dealing with the Fount of All Evil has merely opened the door for a new (and naturally even worse) evil to enter. (See almost any book in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.)

Step 6: Write The Second (and Third and Fourth and Fifth) Book

This is the most important step of all. Simply repeat the previous 5 steps again and again and again until people finally catch on and start to accuse you of padding. At that point announce that the next three books will conclude the saga and start work on the prequels. (See, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan; The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.)

Visit Solar Flare: Science Fiction News for daily news, reviews and commentary by Eoghann Irving on science fiction, fantasy and comics.

Thinking about the possibility of a theft or loss of a favourite piece of jewellery is certainly not pleasant, however the possibility cannot be ignored. So often victims of a theft or loss find that claiming on their insurance is complicated and unsatisfactory. Insurance companies have an extraordinary ability to 'wriggle' when it comes to claims and the small print all of a sudden becomes far more important than it seemed at the time of signing the original contract.

How often do we hear that a victim of theft has been unable to claim compensation for a loss because the circumstances did not qualify the 'terms of the insurance policy', or that the amount paid out was not nearly enough to find a comparable replacement for the item lost. Then there are the insurance companies who refuse to pay out for the loss in cash, instead insisting that the customer must purchase jewellery to the value of the loss from 'associated' jewellery stores - many of which may stock jewellery that the claimant feels is inferior to the treasured item that was lost.

Much of this frustration can be avoided by taking a few simple, precautionary steps in advance of any unfortunate incident which may result in the necessity of making an insurance claim. Firstly, when purchasing jewellery, always ensure that you are provided with a purchase invoice or receipt. Check that the store selling you this jewellery provides a clear and detailed description of the goods purchased. This should include the type and grade of precious metal used including its weight. Any gemstones should be detailed with the quality, grades and weights. Finally the price must be stated preferably also showing the original shop price if a discount was given. This receipt must be safely retained in a filing system at home so that it can easily be found if a claim should become necessary at some date in the future.

It is not sufficient simply to have an original purchase invoice to identify and prove the value of a treasured item. As the years roll on the value of that item is likely to steadily increase. In order to maintain a clear idea of the value of the jewllery to be insured it is vitally important to maintain a current valuation. The value of the insured jewellery should be updated regularly every three to four years by a qualified jeweller. In the case of a loss the insurance valuation will have two important purposes:

• Firstly the detailed description will enable the police to clearly identify your lost jewellery if it is recovered. Without this proof the police are sometimes unable to return jewellery to 'a rightful owner' because it cannot be proved that the jewellery is actually theirs. The detailed weights and measurements, along with photographs, contained in a valid valuation leaves no room for doubt when identifying recovered items.

• Secondly a current valuation will enable you to check you have adequate insurance cover and that in the case of a loss the insurance company pays you out an amount that is realistic and up to date.

Unfortunately not everybody is as well prepared as this. What happens if you incur a loss and can't find the original purchase receipt or what if you never obtained a valuation certificate for the item?

All is not lost .. but be prepared to act quickly before submitting your claim to an insurance company! Find whatever information you DO have for the lost jewellery including any family snapshots etc that may help. Then approach a qualified jeweller and ask for a 'post loss valuation'. With the information you are able to supply the jeweller can build up a picture of the lost item and in this way produce a detailed valuation certificate based on the details you can remember. Insurance companies will normally accept a carefully constructed post loss valuation, produced in this manner, and it means that you do not leave yourself open to an unrealistically low valuation when your claim is eventually settled.

One of the biggest frustrations for insurance claimants is when insurance companies issue 'vouchers' for replacement jewellery. This imposes a serious restriction on finding a suitable replacement for the item lost. For example how can a treasured antique heirloom be replaced in a 'High Street' jewellery store belonging to one of the large multiples? Quite simply it cannot and for this reason the Insurance Ombudsman has made a ruling stating that, in principle, this is wrong. I can quote from the Insurance Ombudsman Bureau Report (1987 and restated in 2003):

"The option to replace jewellery is not properly exercised by offering a policy holder an authority to buy jewellery up to an agreed value at a particular jeweller's shop. That is wrong in principle, although it seems to have become a hallowed practice. It is in fact a denial of true indemnity."

AR(87) p.31

It is hoped that, with some forethought and a little planning, at least some of the distress and frustration of sustaining a loss can be avoided. The simple steps outlined in this article will prevent much of the pain and hopefully result in a more suitable jewellery replacement should the worst happen. When in doubt always seek the advice of a professional.

As a small family run business Paul Wright Jewelley has exhibited its handcrafted silver and gold jewelery throughout the United Kingdom since 1995. Paul Wright Jewellery offers a full jewellery valuation service and helps claimants with important claims. His website is

Handmade Silver Jewellery

Diamond Wedding Rings

What is gap car insurance and how do you know whether you really need it? Gap car insurance, like many other types of insurance isnt necessarily required. That is to say that you can certainly purchase a new car without gap car insurance; however, you could be leaving yourself open for some losses if you dont purchase it. Read on for more tips to better understand whether you need gap car insurance or you can skip it.

Gap car insurance covers the difference between the market value of your car and your loan amount. Arent the two the same, you might ask. Not necessarily. You see, the moment you drive your car off the lot it depreciates, or loses value, immediately and quite significantly. Lets say you purchase a new car and pay $25,000 for it. On average a car will depreciate at least 20% right after it leaves the dealership. That means your brand new car is now worth only $20,000. What happens if you have an accident soon after the purchase? Even if you have full insurance coverage, including comprehensive and collision, your insurance policy will still only cover the market value of the car. Unfortunately, even though the market value and insurance policy are now worth only $20,000 you still owe in the neighborhood of $25,000 for the car. Without gap car insurance youll be stuck covering that additional $5,000 on your own.

Be aware that not all gap car insurance policies are the same and this is important. For example, some gap car insurance policies will cover losses due to theft and accidents but not all so be sure to ask questions regarding specifically what is covered in the policy before you take it.

Usually, gap car insurance is a good idea if you are about to purchase a new car and are concerned that you wouldnt be able to cover the difference between the market value and the amount that would be cover by the C&C policy. Be aware that gap insurance is not available for older vehicles in most cases.

While youre certainly not required to take out gap car insurance by your lender or the dealer, it can help you to rest easier in knowing you wont be stuck owing thousands of dollars on a totaled car in the event that you suffer an accident or theft shortly after the purchase.

It is also important to understand that if you finance your car through the dealership you can usually take out gap car insurance at the time of the purchase; however, youll probably end up paying more for the policy than if you simply took it out with your regular auto insurance agent.

Before taking out gap car insurance, always be sure to check your existing policy to find out whether gap insurance might already be contained within that policy. You never know, it might not necessary to purchase an additional policy at all. If its not included, give some thought to whether the price of the gap insurance would be worth the trade-off of not having to worry if you have an accident and cant afford to pay the difference between market value and coverage amount with a regular policy.

Joe Kenny writes for the Loans Store offering cheap loans and offer more information on car loans and other loan topics available on site.
Visit Today: http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk

In the present era the risks have increased. There are different types of risks one faces in day to day life like risk of theft, fire, risks that affect life etc. To get security against such risks there are various types of insurances offered by various financial institutions. Insurance is a system where an individual get cover against different risks by paying certain amount on a regular basis which are called as premiums. There are different types of clauses a conditions mentioned depending upon the type of policy which is selected. Some examples of insurances available are life insurance, health insurance, car insurance, etc. Insurance quote is a estimate or approximation of the price of the insurance policy offered by the financial institution.

Insurance quotes can be called as a marketing weapon. It is a estimate of the price of the insurance policy which is offered to the prospective buyer by the insurance company. Company attracts shoppers or prospective customers by offering favorable insurance quotes. Insurance quote is just an estimate and it may change when actual policy is drafted. The actual policy may differ on the basis of the length of the policy, type of the policy and needs of the buyer.

Various types of insurance have different factors which help to draft the actual policy. Life insurance policy may depend upon the physical condition of the client, any previous medical record etc. Car insurance may depend upon the market value of the car, depreciation etc. Insurance quotes also differ from person to person and type of insurance. For e.g. Insurance quote of a sports car is higher then the price of a mid sized car.

For people who have less knowledge of the insurance and types can easily get good insurance quotes on the internet. Insurance quotes are offered with help of the information provided by the applicant of the prospective client to the insurance company. These quotes are very useful for the client when he is shopping to insurance policies. The customer can compare insurance quotes from various companies and choose the one which suits him the best.

Insurance quotes are offered by the company go give the customer an overview of the policy. Client can understand the policy before it is drafted with the help of the insurance quotes. Prospective client can select the best policy after going through the insurance quotes from different companies.

Insurance has become mandatory for all the people these days. It is extremely important for a person to choose the best insurance policy. These quotes help people to compare and choose the best suited policy. Insurance quotes are not only useful for the company to makes sales but also beneficial to the customers who want to buy insurance policies. They are offered by all the companies for all types of insurances depending upon the information submitted by the client.

Francisco Segura owns and operates http://www.insurancequotesadvisor.com

Insurance Quotes

Do you get cold calls from insurance agents wanting to help you save money? How many times do you just say, "No thanks. I'm happy with my current broker"?

Studies of the insurance industry indicate that at any given time only about 3% of companies are unhappy with their insurance agents. That means that all the insurance agents who want to expand their book of business have to constantly look for those 3% of companies who are ready to make a change.

The sad fact is that most of the remaining 97% of companies could probably decrease their business insurance premiums by up to 10%. That 10% savings is an average. A small percentage of companies are already getting the best deal possible. I have only rarely seen insurance carriers decline to compete with existing policies.

While you may be happy with your current broker, rest assured your current broker is ecstatic with you. You represent money in the bank to him. He may even be charging you additional "placement fees" on top of earning a standard 5-10% commission. If you agreed to the fees in the first place, cool. But some agents become so complacent they just start increasing costs for their long-time customers.

The worst possible way of reducing your insurance costs is to ask 2 or more agents to compete for your business. Unlike manufacturers or distributors who can reduce costs and offer discounts, insurance agents don't have much wiggle room on price. All they can do is cut their commissions. While that may seem okay to you, what you really want is for the agents to reduce the total premiums.

Do the math. If you're paying $250,000 a year on business insurance, would you rather save $25,000 (10% of the premium) or just part of $25,000 (the agent's commission less whatever he is willing to give up)? If you take the 10% premium reduction, the agent automatically gives up 10% of his premium, which is equivalent to only 1% of your overall cost. By working with the agent, you save more money but he doesn't lose nearly as much commission.

That's a win-win scenario.

When you send 2 or more agents out to get quotes, they immediately lose their ability to negotiate on your behalf with the entire insurance market. They cannot leverage the various underwriters against each other. Like it or not, you are in no position to negotiate for the best deal. You may think you are, but you're not. Agents are at their most effective when they can work with all the markets available to them.

Now, the second worst possible way of reducing your insurance costs is to assume that the broker you've been using for 10, 20, or 30 years is getting you the best possible deals. Long-time brokerage relationships usually occur between friends and relatives. The only way to check their work is to give 1 other agent or broker free rein every 2-3 years. And then you should take the better deal, because your friend or relative will get the wake up call and come back with a great deal the next year.

Companies often hold back information when they ask new agents to quote for them. They wrongly believe the agents can compete simply by trimming their commissions. In fact, when you refuse to disclose information, the underwriters that the agents work with pad their premium estimates. You automatically increase your premium by keeping your secrets.

Even your current agent cannot get you a reduction in premium if you expect him to use the same information year after year. Sure, you provide financials at audit time and your agent knows your current premium. But there is a lot more information that goes into getting the best possible premium for General Liability, Professional Liability, and Products Liability. When underwriters see incomplete submissions, they do one of two things: they either close the book and work on something else or they just assume the worst possible scenario and figure a higher premium.

So when your trusted agent comes back with 3 quotes and 4 declines, remind yourself that you could have gotten 6-7 quotes if you had just provided full information on a timely basis. And the odds are pretty good that your quotes would be 3-15% lower than what you see if you gave the underwriters what they asked for.

The flexibility is really with the underwriters, who have to estimate how much risk of loss your company is incurring. When the underwriters are kept in the dark, they either assume the worst possible risks on your behalf, or they just refuse to quote for you. Many agents send submissions to 6-10 markets and consider themselves lucky to get 2-3 actual quotes.

Can every agent leverage the market for you? Probably not. Many agents lack the experience or the incentive to do that. Successful agents with happy clients, if they do their own market submissions, often don't engage in full market research. They don't leverage their relationships with underwriters to get them to compete for your business. In fact, many agents just let your carrier renew you automatically, investing a minimum of effort in finding better deals for you.

It's important that you talk to a new agent every 1-2 years. Pick one who demonstrates a reach into the markets for each of your coverages. Ask them, "If I were to let you exclusively quote on my coverages, how many markets would you negotiate with? If I give you all the information you need, how much information will you ask for?"

Ignore any agent who names fewer than 5 markets for General Liability or Products or Professional Liability, unless all the agents you talk to name the same handful of markets.

Ignore any agent who says, "I won't ask you for much information".

If an agent says, "We work with 1,000 markets", ask him to give you a list of 10. Give him 24-72 hours to give you a list. Many agents, when they are cold-calling, are not able to give you a reasonable list of markets on the spot. They should be able to, but each industry has its own set of carriers. Some industries have many carriers, other industries have more.

Ask that cold-calling agent to send you a fax listing the carriers he can quote with for each type of coverage you carry. Ask him to provide A.M. Best ratings for those carriers. A- or higher rated companies are the most financially stable. You commit yourself to nothing by getting a 1-2 page fax listing carriers. The agent should ideally keep that information handy anyway.

When you make the decision to test a new agent's ability to work for you, give that agent letters of authorization to request loss runs (claims history) for the past five years directly from your insurance carriers. If you go ask your current agent or broker for the information, they will delay sending you the information long enough for them to go get quotes from their best markets. While you may feel this is in your best interest, it's not.

Your current agent has the opportunity every year at your renewal time to seek out the best deals possible for you. If he isn't negotiating with the underwriters to the best of his ability for you, he's had his chance. Let him compete on the competence of the other agent you're talking to. This is your bottom line. Find out how much that long-term relationship is really costing you.

Let the new agent get the loss runs. It commits you to nothing, but it gives him the flexibility to seriously negotiate with any underwriters who may be interested in acquiring new customers.

And let that new agent look at your policies. Show them the premium. Underwriters usually increase premium estimates when they don't know how much you're paying for current insurance. No one increases their premium just because they know you're paying X. You've already charged them to reduce your premium by up to 10%. They won't get your business if they cannot save you 10%.

That's the only real flexibility you have when dealing with insurance agents. Tell them, "I pay $500,000 for insurance. If you can save me $50,000 and keep or improve my coverages, I'll give you my business."

Maybe they can save you more than $50,000. Maybe they can save $100,000. You won't know for sure, but you'll either get your 10% savings or you'll know that -- for now -- your current agent is doing as good a job as anyone else. And that is worth a lot of money in my book.

Michael Martinez is a licensed Property and Casualty insurance agent in the state of Texas. Insurance programs and procedures may be subject to both Federal and state regulations in your area. This article does not offer legal, tax, or financial advice.

http://www.michael-martinez.com/

Obtaining a car loan with bad credit is achievable. The downside to purchasing a car with bad credit is that you may receive a high interest rate. On average, individuals with poor credit can expect to pay about 2 or 3 percentage points higher. Higher interest rates may increase you monthly payment by up to $150. Those who can afford to pay a higher monthly payment may be willing to purchase a car with a high rate. Nonetheless, there are ways to improve your chances of getting a reasonable interest rate.

Fix Your Credit Problems

Before approving a loan, lenders review credit reports to determine credit worthiness. Credit reports reveal a lot of information regarding your credit history. Do you pay your bills on time? Have you filed bankruptcy? How much debt do you have? Based on this information, lenders will approve or deny credit. If you have a low credit rating, try and improve your score before applying for a car loan. It takes time to improve your credit score, but it is worth the effort. Improving score involves paying bills on time, reducing credit card and consumer debt, etc. If you have recently filed bankruptcy, consider opening two or three new credit accounts to rebuild credit and establish a good payment history with creditors.

Save for a Down Payment

Having a down payment is a great way to negotiate a lower interest rate on a new car. The average down payment varies. However, a down payment of as little as $1000 can make a big difference. An interest rate reduction may save you thousands throughout the life of the loan. If you are hoping for a very low monthly payment, consider a large down payment. Not only will you get a low interest rate, but you are able to pay off the loan balance quicker.

Compare Fees and Rates

Many people receive auto financing through a dealership. However, it is smart to obtain at least three quotes. The best way to obtain multiple quotes for a car loan is to apply for a loan with an auto loan broker. Brokers are the convenient way to compare lenders. Simply complete an online information request form, and auto loan brokers will negotiate with several lenders to provide you the best financing. After you receive quotes from lenders, compare their rates, fees, and terms. Select the lender with the best financing option.

To view our recommended auto loan companies online, visit this page: Recommended Auto Loan Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.

Every drive wonders how they can get cheap car insurance. Insurance premiums are constantly on the rise, but there are many ways people can save money on their insurance. Cheap car insurance does not mean cheap quality with these money-saving tips.

First, think about installing an anti-theft device on your car, if it does not have one. Insurance companies offer discounts for cars that have anti-theft devices. Also, if you are shopping for a new car, you may receive even more discounts by purchasing a car with window sketching.

Second, owning multiple vehicles is another way to get a discount on your insurance. Now, not everyone has or even needs two cars, but if you had a car you were thinking of getting rid of, you may want to consider keeping it with a simple policy in order to keep the lower-cost insurance.

When calculating your mileage to and from work, be very careful. Of course, you want to be truthful, but do not round your mileage up. Your mileage is one way the insurance company decides what class, and price range, to put you in.

Consider buying a yearly policy, rather than a six-month policy. With a yearly policy, your rate will not change for twelve months. If you have a claim during this time, you can keep the lower rate a little longer.

Another trick to finding chap car insurance is to raise your deductible. Of course, you will need to check with your lending institution if you have a loan to find out what is acceptable to them, but the higher your deductible, the cheaper your car insurance will be. These are just a few simple tricks to finding cheap car insurance. With a little creativity, you can save a lot of money on this sometimes expensive necessity.

Get A Home Insurance Quote Fast

Michigan Home Owner Insurance

Auto Insurance Company

Helping employees get answers to their personal health benefits questions is a common responsibility for benefit administrators (BAs).

Many employees turn to their companys benefit administrator for assistance because they feel the BA is in a better position
to get accurate and timely information from the health insurance carrier. However, there are rules and restrictions that govern how BAs can obtain specific health information for employees.

In the past, BAs could simply ask the health insurance carrier a question related to the personal health of an employee and
the carrier could provide the answer directly to the BA. However, this has changed. In todays workplace, there are
rules and restrictions for obtaining health information on a specific employee. The federal and state governments have issued
strict guidelines with severe penalties concerning the misuse or unauthorized disclosure of an individuals protected health
information (PHI).

Therefore, it is important that companies and their designated benefits representative understand these rules and regulations
and how they pertain to sharing an employees PHI.

Getting permission

Benefit administrators can still help employees obtain answers to their personal health questions but they must now follow
the guidelines set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The HIPAA regulations,
effective April 14, 2003, impose specific policies and procedures governing the use and disclosure of an individuals protected health information.

In order to make an inquiry on an employees behalf, the BA must obtain written consent from the employee. The authorization form is usually specific to the health benefits company to which the inquiry is being made and must contain certain elements required under HIPAA, including the limitations of the authorization, effective and termination dates, and information regarding the individuals rights under the authorization.

Some health benefits companies will only accept an original consent form; others will accept a faxed copy.

Receiving a response

Once the appropriate form is received by the health benefits company, a response to the BAs inquiry can be released. The information that will be reported back to the BA will bethe minimum necessary the least amount of information necessary to answer the question, limited to the range of
permission.

For example, if the initial inquiry was regarding whether a claim had been processed for payment, the health benefits carrier would provide a response of no or a response of yes that would include the date of payment. Based on the scope and
wording of the question, what the claim
was for and the amount paid may not be disclosed.

If this additional information is needed, it must be addressed in the initial question and would have to be included in the range of permission that the employee granted. HIPAA guidelines are in place to protect each individuals personal health information. The federal and state governments are clear as to what can and cannot be shared without authorization and may
impose civil and monetary fines and penalties for noncompliance.

However, these regulations do not mean that BAs cannot help employees receive answers to their personal health questions.
Understanding HIPAA guidelines and your health benefit companys policies regarding authorization forms will
allow your BA to continue to help employees find out answers to important health benefit questions.

LINDA JONES has more than 16 years of experience in the health care industry. She has been with the company since 1994. As manager of account services, she is responsible for membership growth and retention of small and large employer groups. Reach her at http://www.vistahealthplan.com

When you purchase real property, you take ownership in the form of a deed for title. Ah, but how do you know the transaction is legitimate? Title insurance!

Technically, the purpose of title insurance is to protect a new homeowner from anything that could go wrong with a home's title. What types of things could possibly go wrong? What if a previous owner built a portion of your new home without adhere to building codes? Once you purchase that home, you may be faced with some hefty fines unless you have this type of insurance to protect you.

Additionally, this sort of insurance will help you when you are facing any sort of legal trouble regarding your new home. The truth is that you really don't know much about the previous owners at all, which is why it's important to purchase this type of insurance. Speaking of purchasing ... with today's housing situation, you may not have to buy your own insurance at all. Usually, a home buyer will have to purchase this insurance on their own, but you may be able to talk a current homeowner into splitting the cost with you ... or paying it in full.

Talk to a homeowner when you decide to purchase a home. Look over all the deeds and titles that go with the home, and make sure that you understand everything listed. If you are not sure, contact a lawyer and let them do a bit of research for you. Sometimes, you may not need to purchase this type of insurance at all (though this is not advisable). However, the basic purpose of title insurance is to protect you when the former owner leaves and you are standing in the middle of a mess.

By now, it may be more than obvious that this type of insurance is a good idea - especially if you are buying an older home. Without some sort of protection, you may not be able to defend yourself adequately when your home's titles come under question (and nobody wants to go through that type of trouble).

The purpose of title insurance should be abundantly clear now, which means that you have a decision to make. For the most part, it really doesn't make any sense not to protect your new investment, so start researching those types of insurance today.

Aazdak Alisimo writes title insurance articles for TitleInsurancePolicyCompanies.com where you can find a directory of title insurance companies across the country.

Unfair Claims Practices

Insurance companies refused to settle thousands of claims after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and showed America just what Unfair Claims Practices can look like. But Unfair Claims Practices happen in more than just hurricanes losses. Insurance companies deny and delay claims on a very regular basis.

What do you do when your insurance company drags its feet and will not settle your claim? How do you tell what actions are just simply annoyingly poor customer service, and what actions violate the law?

How do you know if your insurance company is treating you fairly and lawfully after you have filed an insurance claim?

Every state has Unfair Claims Practices regulations to protect policyholders and claimants from being abused by insurance companies in the claims process.

A state regulator's primary task is protecting the interests of insurance consumers. Check with your state's Department of Insurance to find out the regulations in your state.

Let me give you some examples of Unfair Claims Practices:

* Attempting to settle a claim based on an application which the company changed without the insured's knowledge or permission. The simplest example of this is when an insurance company changes the date of the application. But it could be any information on the application that might be altered.

* Failing to act promptly after receiving information concerning an insurance claim. Many states require response within 15 days. When there's a storm like Katrina, you might have to wait weeks to meet your adjuster. But that might be an Unfair Claims Practice.

* Delaying a claim investigation by requiring unnecessary reports or documents which contain substantially the same information. Recently I witnessed a major well-known insurance company send a claim to their Special Investigations Unit (SUI), and then take recorded statements from the insureds...and then ask the insureds to submit to an Examination Under Oath. In my opinion, that was Unfair Claims Practice perpetrated by that insurance company.

* When applicable, failing to pay a claim quickly, fairly and equitably. Unethical insurance companies could just stonewall you by telling you it is still investigating your claim.

* Failing to promptly settle claims where liability is reasonably clear under one portion of the policy to influence settlements under any portion of the insurance policy coverage. For example, your auto insurer can't refuse to pay your bills under the medical coverage in your policy so you'll settle your uninsured motorist claim.

* Failing to promptly and clearly explain the policy or the law for either denying a claim or offering a compromise settlement. If you get a denial letter for your claim, the letter should quote the policy language directly that applies. No quote, could be Unfair Claim Practice.

* Attempting to persuade insureds not to invoke and use the arbitration process. Also, an insurance company is prevented from appealing almost all of the arbitration awards in favor of policyholders as a way to force a settlement of claims.

* Misrepresenting significant facts or insurance policy provisions. Insurance companies sometimes deny claims on their misinterpretation of the policy. Then, it's up to you to change their minds.

* Refusing to tell an insured what is happening with a loss within a reasonable time after receiving a completed proof of loss statement. Many policies require the insurance company to accept or deny the proof of loss within 30 days after receiving it. It's in your policy...read it.

* Denying claims without a reasonable loss investigation. The problem comes with the definition of "reasonable." Still, insurers sometimes try to settle a claim using a "lowball settlement offer" without much investigation, just to see if they can make the claim go away.

* Offering very low settlements to encourage insureds to sue. That would cause the length of time for a claim settlement to stretch out, possibly for years. The only ones who benefit from that delay are the insurance company...and the attorneys

* Settling claims for less than the amounts a reasonable person would expect. Insurance companies regularly make "lowball offers" for settlements to their own policyholders as well as third-party claimants. The insurers will pay the LEAST amount of money in a settlement that the policyholders or claimants will accept...always. That's one way to maximize profits.

If you think that your insurance company examiner or adjuster is has committed an Unfair Claims Practices action, talk to that person's supervisor. If the situation doesn't improve or get entirely resolved, file a complaint with your state's insurance department.

Copyright 2008 by Russell D. Longcore

P.S. I wrote a book that YOU need!

check out: http://www.insurance-claim-secrets.com

NUMBER ONE at Amazon.com in its category!

My blog is at: http://insurance-claim-secrets.blogspot.com/

Nominated for Georgia Author of the Year Award 2008

Some people have it. Everyone needs it. Some states require you to have it by law. Car Insurance is one of those things that lots of people don't think of until it's too late. It runs in the background and is east to miss until, WHAM! You're in a wreck and you need it. Then, it's a life saver.

There are many providers and many types of car insurance. What you should buy depends on a lot of things. Who you buy from is also an important choice. If you take it step by step, it's much easier.

First, what kind of insurance do you need? Find out from the bureau of motor vehicles what your state requires legally. This information will help you save money and time later. Then, think about what you need.

If your car is financed, the quite possibly you would be required to carry comprehensive coverage in addition to collision during the life of the loan. Comprehensive coverage will pay for anything that happens to your car. If a tree falls on it during a thunderstorm, or hail dents the roof, comprehensive coverage will pay to fix it. Collision coverage, however, only pays for damage incurred during an accident.

There is more coverage you can add if you choose. You can buy uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage that will help you out if your car is damaged by an uninsured motorist.

You can buy gap insurance. Gap insurance will pay off your loan if your car is totaled, even if you owe more than the car is worth. There are also special plans available for special features on your car.

Another thing that greatly increases or decreases cost is your deductible. A deductible is an amount you pay if you submit a claim. So, if you wreck your car, and the repair costs are $6000, but your deductible is $500, you only pay the $500. A higher deductible will lower your cost. Also take into consideration if you would be able to pay that deductible amount if something unexpected happened. Don't set it too high, or you'll be in trouble when you want to make a claim.

Once you've decided what kind on insurance is right for you, it's time to shop around. You're not going to get an accurate picture of how much your coverage will cost from the first company you ask. Insurance rates vary widely and each company calculates things differently. Ask friends and relatives who holds their insurance and call the companies they recommend. Lots of companies also do online quotes. Once you have a few quotes, it's time to make your decision. Who did you like most? Who had the best price? Make your choice and start your policy!

Get more tips on getting the Cheapest Car Insurance at Auto Insurance Los Angeles.

High street lenders will offer a loan protection policy at the time of you taking out the borrowing. However in the majority of cases the premiums are high and go towards an estimated 4 billion in profits each year. If you want cheap loan protection, it does exist but you have to known where to look for it.

Individuals do have the option of choosing to go with an independent provider for quotes for the cover and the money you are borrowing should not depend on taking out cover. Some lenders do ask that you protect the borrowing but it does not have to taken there and then.

One sure place of finding low cost loan insurance is with a standalone provider. An independent provider could save you as much as 80% on the premiums. The premium is the amount that you are asked to pay each month.
For this providing your circumstances permit it, you would receive a tax free income if you should be unable to work. Being unfit for work due to suffering an illness, accident or if you should be unfortunate enough to be made redundant would mean you would not get paid your salary. This means you could struggle financially and could deplete any savings very quickly to maintain you loan repayments.

Cheap loan protection can give you the money needed so you can just concentrate on getting fit and well and back to work. A policy would begin to provide you with peace of mind after being unable to work for a defined period. This is usually after the 30th day of being unwell and before the 91st day with the majority of companies. Once the benefit has commenced then it would continue for between 12 and 24 months. Providers should state this in the terms and conditions along with any exclusions which could mean a policy would not be suitable.

While there are some exclusions that are found on a regular basis in all loan protection policies such as if you are retired, self-employed, have a pre-existing illness or only work part time, there can be others. All ethical providers who offer this insurance will also make the consumer aware that cover is not suitable for all individuals. It is then down to the consumer to the read the terms and conditions before deciding if they could benefit. Though there are many faults associated with loan protection it is important to remember that the products do work in the way they were designed to. The biggest problem is poor selling techniques but providing you stick with a specialist you should have no problem with a policy.

In March 2008 choosing a policy should become easier when the Financial Services Authority introduce their comparison tables. Tables will make protection insurance more transparent while at the same time pointing out how much a policy will cost. Consumers will also be able to determine through answering a series of questions which policy would be most suited to their needs. Cheap loan protection is suited to those who have monthly loan commitments but there is also income protection and mortgage protection to consider.

Simon Burgess is Managing Director of the award-winning British Insurance, a specialist provider of cheap loan protection, income protection insurance and mortgage protection insurance.

Make no mistake it takes a unique skill set to become a successful network marketer. I have developed a list of questions that someone interested in network marketing can ask themselves to see if they are up to the challenge.

Are you interested in having to deal with the headaches associated with managing employees to include hiring and firing? If so then perhaps network marketing isnt for you. What network marketing does give you is the freedom to be self reliant on your individual drive and determination and not the efforts of others in the early stages of your development into a successful network marketer.

Do you embrace the ability to choose when you want to work, where you want to work, how long you want to work, what you wear to work and how you work? If these decisions appeal to you then you have the great beginnings to be a top network marketer. Nothing beats being able to work full time hours one day and then scale back to part time hours the next based on you lifestyle. Freedom of choice can be a very exciting and powerful motivator to succeed as a network marketer.

Does the ability to start a home based or network marketing business with limited risk and for less then a few hundred dollars (in some cases for free) sound good? If so then network marketing will appeal to you in those areas. There are lots of exciting opportunities waiting for you to open their door in order to explore them. Dont forget the potential tax advantages that can come from owning and operating a home-based business.

Does the potential to earn extra income ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a month raise your eyebrows and arouse your curiosity? Many successful people in network marketing have achieved this goal and you can be one of them as well. When you use your time to its fullest and start leveraging the efforts of other like minded individuals the payoffs can be enormous. Keep in mind the mentorship that can be provided by successful members in your upline. They will want you to succeed because it in turn will help add fuel to their ultimate success.

Does working with the Internet through the use of websites, emails, pay-per-click campaigns or other similar high tech, low overhead, minor maintenance programs frighten you? Unfortunately if the answer is yes then you may have a difficult time in network marketing. The successful network marketer embraces new technology and uses it to propel his or her business to new heights and earning potentials.

Finally, does the idea of an honest days work and I mean intensive labor make you squeamish? You see for all of the benefits that network marketing provides it still relies on one basic principle and that is the amount of effort you dedicate in order to succeed. The successful network marketer realizes that the hard work and energy expended in the beginning will eventually lead to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The only remaining question is - Do you have what it takes to find your pot of gold?

Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com - Free information and resources regarding cell phones and cell phone plans.

Military-Loans-Online.com Which provides free money saving loan quotes on all of your loan needs to include home equity loan information.

A car is an object of everyone's ultimate desire. However, it is the price factor that has made cars available only for the people who can afford it. Keeping this factor in mind, the loan lenders of the UK has come up with secured car loans UK, specially meant for the borrowers of UK who does not have sufficient funds to purchase their own car.

Secured car loans UK are primarily provide to purchase new car that are presently available in the market. There are various lenders who can provide these loans. With these loans, borrowers can also buy used car, but the car should be more than 5 years old.

To apply for secured car loans UK, the borrower has to pledge collateral against the loan amount. The borrower can also pledge the car itself, that he is about to buy, as security. Due to the security pledged, it is possible to get these loans at lower interest rate as well as avail bigger amount.

By applying for secured car loans UK, you can be sure that you will be able to purchase any car model of your choice. The amount that can be generated from these loans can be around 90% to 100 % of the real value of the car. The repayment duration of this loan is 5 to 6 years.

Bad credit holder suffering from credit records such as defaults, late payments, CCJs, and arrears, can also apply for this loan. However they may have to pay slightly higher interest rates.

It is important that the borrower compare the quotes before applying for the secured car loans UK. Online mode is known to be the best and convenient way of availing these loans at low rates. By properly searching, you can easily find loans depending on your affordability.

Secured car loans UK are specially meant for the borrower residing in UK and who are looking for finance to purchase their dream car.

Johns Tiel holds a master degree in Commerce from JNU. He is working as financial consultant in Chance For Loans. To find Secured Car Loans UK, secured loans, online personal loans, bad debt secured loans that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk

Did you know that Alberta Health does not pay for the extras, such as TV and telephone while we are in hospital and personal items such as wheelchairs, prescriptions or special treatments when we are out?

Thousands of Canadians are seeing the need to supplement their provincial health plans with a private one that will support them and their families should the unforeseen happen. Most group insurance plans are limited to the basic medical expenses and hospital care and may not cover your everyday needs. Alberta Health and group plans do not help with your mortgage, heat, lights, food or clothing expenses.

Am I really telling you something you did not already know? Probably not, just something you did not want to address at this time. Be aware that you have to have insurance before the situation arises that you require the need.

Self-employed people are on his or her own when it comes to getting financial help due to accident or sickness. In this instance, Alberta Health pays exactly the same for everyone, but the extras are what need to be provided for. If you cannot work, you more than likely will have no money coming in. You and your family still need to live until you can get back on your feet. Disability can be a factor as well. Whether it is short term or long term will make a difference as to the plans available to you.

Your health could become a factor as well. Fortunately medical science today allows us to function under the strain of the diseases that are becoming rampant in our society, such as diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, etc. Unfortunately, living with diseases limits our working capabilities and can be expensive to fund the medications.

When you have a house fire, you will lose some, if not all of your possessions, which includes your house. Replacing them is costly, if not impossible. Therefore fire insurance is a necessity as well. Did you know that fire insurance policies do not normally cover you, the person or your family, just your possessions?

Looking for low cost auto insurance is a nightmare! Finding out after the accident is not a good time to discover that your policy did not cover that. It can be detrimental to your finances and possibly your livelihood.

Getting affordable insurance coverage, regardless whether it is accident, sickness, disability, health, auto or fire requires a guide to map out different companies, different coverage, different rates, and different amounts. Without this guide you could be wandering around in the dark, hoping against hope that you will eventually come out into the light. Being able to compare all the necessary information to provide coverage for your needs and wants is invaluable. With our help you will be able to make an educated decision that will work for you and most importantly your family.

http://www.insurancehelpingyou.com provides detailed information about various insurance products.

Accident payment protection is often offered in addition to other forms of life and health insurance or to mortgages. You will be required to pay an additional fee that if you are involved in an accident or suffer some illness and are unable to work will ensure that your mortgages and other necessary bills get paid each month.

The premiums that will be charged on such policies are determined by the amount of cover a person wishes to take out along with the person's age. So the older you are and the more coverage you request then the more you will be expected to pay.

Also another thing which will affect the amount you pay on your premiums relates to the kind of coverage that you take out. Some policies are designed to cover a person's overall lifestyle, whilst other are simply those to protect their mortgage payments or other kinds of loan payments.

One should be aware that if a person suffers from a pre-existing medical condition then they may not be able to take out this kind of insurance. So it is important that when you are applying for any kind of payment protection insurance you fully disclose all health problems. Sometimes however this exclusion may be waived on a possibly if it is found that the person has not suffered from the condition for a period of two years or more prior to the date of the policy being taken out. So you need to read through all the terms and conditions prior to you applying for any such policies.

For more information visit Accident payment protection tips and also check out our Life insurance advice