A Clever Spell

The best price to sell your home is always determined by how you compare against your competition, the house down the street. If your property looks better than the next guy’s the customer will buy yours.

It all comes down to image, making sure it shows at its best. This is accomplished with minor repairs, some decorating and a lot of elbow grease. It’s no different than a used car dealer shining up the cars inside and out. You systematically go through your home, inside and out, room by room, and make it look great.

Outside

Paint it, wash it, mow it and clip it. First impressions are lasting, and you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Look at your home from the street. If you can’t see it through the trees, trim bushes so windows are completely exposed. Make sure your approach to the house is clear of overhanging foliage. Wash the windows. If you have a blacktop driveway, put a fresh coat of sealer on it. Dress up flowerbeds with new shrub or flowers and repair any damaged fencing.

Inside

Arrange furniture in to give the most visual appeal to the room. This may not be the most functional, but at this point we don’t care about function. Clean up the rooms of any clutter, toys, excess furniture, books or anything that gets thrown around. You’d be amazed at how many sellers don’t do this. Don’t forget clean, clean, clean.

The less in a closet the larger they look. If the master bedroom is short on closet space, you should consider adding a closet organizer.

If wallpaper is out dated or paint is old and chipped, put on a fresh coat especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Kitchen counters should be clear with just the basic items you need. Make sure faucets shine and don’t leek. Toilets should flush properly and not keep running. Tile or tub liners are in good shape and clean. Repair or replace chipped sinks or tubs. And again keep them neat and free of clutter.

Basements and Attics should be neat and orderly. The furnace and hot water heater should be dusted and accessible. Cracks in the walls that have been patched and don’t leek should be painted.

It doesn’t cost too much to stage the home as well. Pictures, mirrors, pillows and plants can transform a room. You can even rent furniture if you’ve already moved out.

These are just a few of the things you can do with very little expense that will greatly increase the price you get for the house compared to the competition. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve viewed a home where they seller didn’t even bather to vacuum or sweep the floor. I can tell you the offer was low. Seek the advice of your real estate professional, they have seen it all and seem to always have great ideas.

About The Author

Richard Massey is a note broker with United Financial Resources and a real estate investor. You can get more information at http://www.unitedfinancialresources.com or to read more articles go to http://unitedfinancialresources.com/news.html

When we refer to tells we actually mean words, emotions, acts,
gestures and any other manner of behavior that a poker player
does or executes while player and trying to cover the strong
hand they are holding. Tells are usually done without the will
of the one that acts them out, but no matter if they are
consciously executed or not, the other player can interpret the
meaning behind them. Many players have the same gesture or
emotion whenever they try to hide their hand, but if you want to
know exactly what they want to hide you have to learn to tell
the exact signification of the gesture from one person to the
other. When we are talking about live poker rooms, players can
look strangely at you, can throw chips around, can act as if
they are weak, can say things to confuse you and many other
actions that can betray their hand. But all of these actions are
meaningless when playing online because online you can’t
actually see the opponents. But, there are a few online tells
that can be helpful and that can and usually are done by online
poker players:

-A player that calls within a split second of your bet. Usually
when a player calls immediately it means they are trying to hide
the fact that their hand is actually weak. If they call without
thinking at all there are trying to bluff and make you think
that they are holding a clearly strong hand.

-They check after some hesitation. If a player check after quite
some time of thinking before checking it does not usually mean
that they have a weak hand. It means they want to see the next
card and you shouldn’t bet anymore.

-They bet after a long thinking period. When a player does a
delayed bet, it usually means that they have a strong hand and
they are trying to hide t by betting late, making you think they
are unsure of their hand and trying to determine you to raise or
at least call.

-When instantly calling or raising on the river. Theses players
what you to think they bluff. But actually they are indeed
holding a strong hand and they are betting so obviously so you
will have doubts and decide they are bluffing.

-When a player checks instantly. When a player checks instantly
he is usually a player that plays at multiple tables and he is
holding a weak hand. He tries to save some time by using the
check buttons quickly.

-When he bets on the turn after checking before. When a player
first bests on the turn it means he is weak. They either have a
draw or they are buffing or semi-bluffing so you should raise
them usually even if you don’t have the hand for it and you
might be yourself bluffing if you do that.

The fall migration of Monarch butterflies is one of those fascinating natural mysteries to which human beings still do not have any answers. For centuries, the black and orange Monarchs have been great winter attractions in the Californian and Mexican regions. However, no one had any clue to this huge influx of Monarch butterflies in these regions.

In 1937, part of this mystery was unfolded through the attempts of a researcher named F. A. Urquhart; he began putting wing tags on the butterflies in order to track their origins and whereabouts. His endeavors bore results and it was brought to light that the Monarch butterflies were original natives of the northern regions. The winged beauties soared and glided in the sunlit skies across USA from March through October. Come winter, and they would migrate to the warmer regions southwards to avoid the cold winds, returning to their summer grounds in the wake of spring.

The migration and the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly continue to puzzle human beings. Studies have established that a Monarch butterfly completes a round trip only once in its entire life cycle. With an average life span of about 6-8 weeks (of one generation through the various stages - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly), the migration chapter is not covered in a single generation. In fact, it is the fourth generation Monarch butterflies that take the long flights (ranging to some 1800-2500 miles) from their summer homes to their winter roosting spots traversing many mountains and forests in their way.

The first three generations complete their life cycles in the northern regions. The fourth generation butterflies attain maturity at the onset of Fall. These adults are slightly different from the summer adults; they do not mate rather take to flight to keep warm. Monarch butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains migrate to the Oyamel fir trees of Mexico and the ones west of the Rockies migrate to the eucalyptus trees of Pacific Grove and surrounding areas in southern California. The fall generation Monarchs hibernate in their warm nesting grounds of Mexico and southern California until the arrival of spring when they wake up to mate and migrate back to the summer homes. There they lay eggs and die.

In spite of the most sincere researching, Monarch butterflies have remained an enigma for humankind. We yet do not have any explanation to how these little winged creatures keep revisiting the same trees year after year and that being fourth generation offsprings!

David Maillie is Cornell Alumni and award winning writer and researcher. For more great info, tips and ideas please visit http://www.bestbraindrain.com

Why is it important for your organisation to comply with the Data protection Act?

The Data Protection Act 1998 (”DPA”), lays down eight data protection principles that any organisation processing data of individuals must comply with.

What does the DPA cover?

The DPA came into force on 1 March 2000. The DPA implemented the European Union (”EU”) Directive on data protection into UK law introducing radical changes to the way in which personal data regarding identifiable living individuals can be used. The constant need for businesses to process personal data means that the DPA impacts upon most organisations, irrespective of size. Furthermore, the public’s growing awareness of their right to privacy means that data protection will remain an important issue.

The DPA makes a distinction between personal data and personal sensitive data. Personal data includes personal data relating to employees, customers, business contacts and suppliers. Sensitive data covers an individual’s ethnic origin, medical conditions, sexual orientation and eligibility to work in the UK . The data protection principles set out the standards which an organisation must meet when processing personal data. These principles apply to the processing of all personal data, whether those data are processed automatically or stored in structured manual files.

What is data?

Data means information which is processed by computer or other automatic equipment, including word processors, databases and spreadsheet files, or information which is recorded on paper with the intention of being processed later by computer; or information which is recorded as part of a manual filing system, where the files are structured according to the names of individuals or other characteristics, such as payroll number, and where the files have sufficient internal structure so that specific information about a particular individual can be found easily.

What are the eight data protection principles?

The eight data protection principles are as follows:

Personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully

Personal data must be obtained only for specified and lawful purposes and must not be processed further in any manner incompatible with those purposes

Personal data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purposes for which they were collected

Personal data must be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date

Personal data must not be kept longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they were collected

Personal data must be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects

Personal data must be kept secure against unauthorised or unlawful
processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage

Personal data must not be transferred to countries outside the European

Economic Area unless the country of destination provides an adequate level of data protection for those data.

What data comprises personal data?

Personal data relates to data of living individuals who can be identified from those data, or from those data and other information which is in the possession of the data controller or which is likely to come into its possession for example, names, addresses and home telephone numbers of employees.

What data comprises sensitive data?

Personal Sensitive data (”sensitive data “) consist of information relating to a data subject’s (individuals):

racial or ethnic origin;

political opinions;

religious beliefs or other similar beliefs;

trade union membership;

physical or mental health or condition;

sexual orientation;

commission or alleged commission of any offences; convictions or criminal proceedings involving the data subject.

convictions or criminal proceedings involving the data subject.

What is the meaning of processing under the DPA?

The definition of ‘processing’ is very broad. It covers any operation carried out on the data and includes, obtaining or recording data, the retrieval, consultation or use of data, the disclosure or otherwise making available of data.

Who is a data controller?

A ‘data controller’ is any person who (alone or jointly with others) decides the purposes for which, and the manner in which, the personal data are processed. The data controller will therefore be the legal entity which exercises ultimate control over the personal data. Individual managers or employees are not data controllers.

The data controller is responsible for:

Personal data about identifiable living individuals

Deciding how and why personal data are processed

Information handling - complying with the eight data protection principles

Acquiring “data subjects” consent for processing sensitive data

Existing procedures for handling sensitive or personal data

Security measures to safeguard personal data

Notification

Who is a data processor?

A ‘data processor’ is a person or organisation who processes the data on behalf of the data controller, but who is not an employee of the data controller.

Who is a data subject?

A ‘data subject’ is any living individual who is the subject of personal data. There are no age restrictions on who qualifies as a data subject, but the definition does not extend to individuals who are deceased.

Are we required to notify? What does notification mean?

An organisation must not process any personal data unless it has first notified the Information Commissioner of certain particulars, including:

the organisation’s name and address;

the purposes for which the data are to be processed;

any proposed recipients of the data;

countries outside the European Economic Area to which the data may be disclosed.

What is the meaning of a subject access?

This is a request by an individual to be granted access to, and be provided with a copy of, any personal data which an organisation holds about him or her. This includes the right to be provided with information about the purposes for which the organisation processes those personal data, the source of the data, the identity of any person to whom the data have been disclosed and the logic behind any automated decision making processes. A subject access request is a request to be granted access to, certain personal data which an organisation holds about an individual. This includes the right to be provided with information about:

the purposes for which the organisation processes those personal data
the source of the data, the identity of any person to whom the data have been disclosed; and
the logic behind any automated decision making processes
preventing processing which is likely to cause the data subject damage or distress
preventing processing which is taking place for the purposes of direct marketing
objecting to automated decisions being taken about him or her (i.e. decisions which do not have any human involvement);
Claiming compensation for any ‘damage’ or ‘damage and distress’ which is caused to the data subject (or another person) as a result of the Company’s breach of the DPA.
What is a data subject entitled to, if he or she makes a successful claim for compensation?

A data subject is entitled to compensation and has the right to:

prevent processing which is likely to cause the data subject damage or distress;

prevent processing which is taking place for the purposes of direct marketing;

object to automated decisions being taken about him or her (i.e. decisions which do not have any human involvement);

claim compensation for any damage or damage and distress which is caused to the data subject (or another person) as a result of a company’s breach of the Act; and

request the Information Commissioner to make an assessment of the way the Company processes personal data relating to the data subject.

What can your organisation be prosecuted for?

As a data controller you can also be prosecuted for offences such as:

Notification offences - several offences may be committed in respect of data controllers’ obligations to register and maintain such registration
Unlawful obtaining or disclosing of personal data - it is a criminal offence to knowingly or recklessly (without the consent of the data controller) obtain or disclose personal data
Enforced subject access - the Act prohibits enforced subject access; it is a criminal offence to require any data subject to request subject access in connection with recruitment, employment or provision of services
Information notices - it is a criminal offence to fail to comply with an information notice issued by the Information Commissioner
Enforcement notices - it is a criminal offence to fail to comply with an enforcement notice. The enforcement notice may require the data controller to stop processing: (i) any personal data; or (ii) personal data of the type specified in the notice.

What recent cases on Data Protection?

On our main website www.rtcoopers.com, we have a number of data Protection legal updates and articles.

Employment Practices Data Protection Code - Workplace Monitoring, August 2005

Abuse of Process - Damage, August 2005

New Interpretation of the Data Protection Act, August 2005

New Global Anti-Spamming Agreement, July 2004 We will endeavour to keep the case law of data protection law updated regularly.

Data Protection Articles

If you visit our website, you can down load articles on data protection.

Data Protection Books

You can obtain books online from Amazon.com and Blackwell on data protection. There are bookshops such as Hammonds.

What is the Meaning of Processing of Data?

This wide definition of ‘processing’ includes collecting and disclosing personal data. This means that a data controller should only collect or discloses personal data if it can justify that collection or disclosure under one of the conditions listed above.

There are four golden rules to enable processing to be fair and lawful under the DPA:

Rule 1

These conditions are broad enough to cover most business processing activities. The most useful conditions are set out below

A data controller must find a lawful justification to process personal data under Schedule 2 of the DPA.

Finding a lawful justification - The DPA prohibits any processing of personal data unless a company can justify such processing under one of the conditions set out in Schedule 2 of the DPA.

The Company may process personal data where: the data subject has consented to the processing;

it is necessary for a company to process personal data for the purpose of entering into, or performing, a contract with the data subject;

the processing is necessary to enable a company to comply with a legal obligation (other than an obligation imposed by a contract);

the processing is necessary to ensure that a company complies with a statutory duty (i.e. a duty imposed by legislation);

or
the processing is necessary in the legitimate interests of a company, provided the rights and freedom of data subjects are not prejudiced as a result

Rule 2

If the data controller is processing sensitive data the data controller must find a lawful justification under both Schedules 2 and 3 of the DPA.

Processing sensitive personal data - If the Company processes sensitive personal data, then it must have a justification under Schedule 2 (see above), and must also find a lawful justification under Schedule 3 of the DPA (see opposite)

A company may process sensitive data where:

the data subject has given his or her explicit consent to the processing;
the processing is necessary to exercise or perform any legal right or obligation which is conferred or imposed upon the Company by law in connection with employment;

the processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another person
the information has been made public as a result of steps deliberately taken by the data subject;

the processing is necessary for legal purposes including taking legal advice and establishing, exercising or defending legal rights; or
the processing is of information relating to the data subject’s racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs or other similar beliefs, or physical or mental health or condition, and is carried out for the purposes of monitoring equality of opportunity.

Rule 3

Where personal data are collected directly from the data subject, the data controller must serve a data protection notice on the data subject before the data are obtained or at the time of collection

Giving the data protection notice - Where information is obtained directly from the data subject, the Company must ensure that, so far as practicable, the data subject is provided with, or has made readily available to him, a data protection notice. This notice should be provided before any information is obtained. The data protection notice should describe:

the identity of the data controller;

the purposes for which the data are to be processed; and
any further information necessary in the circumstances to ensure the processing is fair. For example, this will include a description of any third party recipients to whom the Company intends to disclose personal data and the purposes for their processing

Rule 4

Where the personal data have been obtained from a third party, the data controller must serve a data protection notice when data are first processed by the controller.

What are the Security Obligations under the Data Protection Act?
The DPA imposes stringent security obligations on data controllers. The Company is obliged to take appropriate measures to safeguard against the unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. A company must also ensure the reliability of staff who, have access to personal data and ensure that they are made aware of the requirements of the DPA.

What are the obligations where data processors are used?
The DPA requires a company to ensure that all external data processors provide an appropriate level of security when processing personal data on the company’s behalf.

What are the Marketing Rules

Data subjects have the right to object to the processing of their personal data for the purposes of direct marketing. They can do this either by notifying a company or by registering with one of the opt-out services run by the Direct Marketing Association. These opt-out services enable the individual to opt out of being contacted by mail, telephone, email or fax for direct marketing purposes.

What is the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003?

(”Regulations”) came into effect late 2003 and it imposes constraints on the use of e-mails, SMS marketing and Website cookies.
Rule 1

Applies to all marketing messages sent by email regardless of who the recipient is The sender must not conceal their identity; and The sender must provide a valid address for opt-out requests

There are certain exemptions that apply to the Regulations. The Regulations also deal with the use of cookies on websites.

Cookies are temporary records that are kept of a person’s email address and other details when a person accesses a website. The Regulations lays down the law regarding the use of cookies on websites. Under the Regulations the use of cookies and other tracking devices are:

prohibited unless subscribers and users are clearly told they are being used; and
given the chance to refuse their use
Regulations do not set out when, where or how information or switch off opportunity should be communicated. It is suggested that this may be communicated in a privacy policy
Department of Trade and Industry is currently investigating use of cookies by data controllers.
Exemptions under the Regulations:

Existing customer relationship exemption

Limited direct marketing by e-mail is permissible without an express opt-in, subject of the following requirements:
The email address must have been obtained in the course of the “sale or negotiations for the sale of a product or service to that recipient” direct marketing is permitted only in respect of the marketer’s “similar products and services”
Recipient must be given a simple means of refusing the use of contact details for the purposes of direct marketing - e.g. a tick box
Legacy Mailing List (e-mail addresses) Collected before October 2003 - maybe legally unusable

Unless email addresses of persons bought or negotiated for the sale of goods or services
Opt-in required in all other cases - if persons registered on a website for a newsletter or feature in a bought-in list
Information Commission Guidance - requirement to include a “simple means of refusing” further emails
Useful Links
If you are looking for more information on data protection, then below are some more useful links that you can access.

British Standards Institution - Freedom of Information
British Standards Institution - Data Protection
Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Constitutional Affairs
Department of Health
Environmental Information Regulations 1992 (SI 3240)
Freedom of Information: Code of Practice, Section 45
Freedom of Information: Code of Practice, Section 46
Freedom of Information: Consultation
Governments ID card consultation
Government entitlement cards consultation
Home Office RIPA Consultation
House Of Commons
Information Tribunal
Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights
Notification: Self Assessment Guide
Office of Communications (Ofcom)
Trading Standards Local Offices
UK Online
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

If you require further information contact us at : enquiries@rtcoopers.com

© RT COOPERS, 2005. This Briefing Note does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended only to highlight general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to particular circumstances.

Solicitors, solicitor, legal advice, law, legal, lawyers, lawyer, data protection law advice, legal advice, data protection, data protection lawyers, data protection solicitors, transfer of data outside EEA, audit, audits, compliance, privacy policy, data protection policy, eight principles, terms and conditions, how can I comply with the data protection act? notification, notifications, information commissioner, breach of DPA, data subject access, sensitive data, personal data, I want a firm of solicitors to advise our company on data protection, find a data protection solicitor? Which forms do audits, it security audits, IT audits, processing data, storing data, data security, confidentiality, data controller, data processor, data subject, safe harbour, safe harbor. If you require further information contact us at: enquiries@rtcoopers.com or visit our website at http://www.rtcoopers.com/practice_dataprotection.php

Why bean bags chairs are better than traditional furniture When
you are looking for new furniture for your home and not ready to
commit yourself to an entire lounge suit, or maybe you are
trying to find something to brighten up a living room or child’s
room, don’t always dismiss what may be right in front of you.
For whatever reason you are buying furniture, you should
consider the prospect of bean bag chairs over contemporary
furniture. A bean bag chair, if you haven’t heard of them
before, are a large cushion like shape filled with polystyrene
beads or beans.

The history of the “beans” They were first invented by workers
who use to throw polystyrene off cuts into bags at the end of a
work line. A Company that expanded on this idea later developed
this in 1969. They brought a pear shaped leather bag called a
Socco, this idea didn’t work so after alterations on the name
and design it became a smash all over the world. Now, bean bag
chairs are finally back in fashion as the latest craze in home
decor. Brought back from the 1970s’ as a comfy option for indoor
seating and have come back in style just in time to give you
peace of mind when buying furniture. With such a variety of
options to suit your home, you can now choose your favorite
colors, sizes, fabrics and styles. Best of all, they are made
with strong, UV protected, water resistant fabric, so you can
take them outside with you whether to the boat or by the
swimming pool.

Bean Bags vs. Traditional furniture With most traditional
furniture you couldn’t dream of sliding them outside to lounge
by the pool (if you are strong enough to), as some lounge suites
can run up to thousands of dollars and you wouldn’t dare think
of ruining the beautiful lounge leather. A convenient and easy
way to take a comfortable and lightweight chair is to make a
bean bag chair your new best friend. They will help you relax
and are especially great for easing back or neck pain. Think of
it as your own personal masseuse.

Health benefits of the bean bag They are a healthy investment
and comparatively cheaper than a lounge suite too, as they are
ideal for pregnant women as they provide a comfortable and
supportive seating. They are also great for students, parents,
children, pregnant women and sufferers of back conditions.
Students can use beanbags as a lightweight seating in a dorm
room and are so inexpensive that it doesn’t matter if they spilt
a mess on them, as they are relatively easy to clean. Choose any
sport and you will find a beanbag that is shaped in your
favorite ball or animal. Great for kids as they provide a soft
place for your children to site while watching TV, reading or
playing a video game.

Things you need to know about bean bags As great as they are,
there is also a safety issue to be address when using bean bags
in your home. If you do decide to by yourself or someone else a
bean bag chair make sure you remove the pull tag once the bag is
filled with polystyrene beans. This is done to prevent a choking
hazard for children. A liner that slides between the bag cover
and the beans can also be purchased as an extra child hazard
prevention. Once you have you bean bag and have filled it with
beans, it is finally the best part: the experience itself. The
best way to approach a bean bag is to back yourself into one,
sit down, let the bag support your body and shape to you then
sit back, relax and enjoy!

http://www.custombeanbags.com