With Any Luck the Recession Will Destroy Homes with "Integrity" and Cars with "Road Manners"

In tough times all economic sectors survive in one form or another, but at least some of the insider jargon, self-important obfuscation, and outright bull vanishes from advertising, and with it, mercifully, some of its slingers.

But we aren't in a downturn quite yet, judging from the amount of stupidity and silliness that are still very much present in today's real estate and automobile marketing.

For instance, I was leafing through the local paper and scanning the listings of homes for sale through a very large and vastly experienced firm.

One home is super-plain, really no more than a painted box, and an ugly one at that, but here is how it is characterized in the ad:

"4br, 3bs home w/integrity & flawless design style."

What on this good earth is a home with INTEGRITY?

Let's consult the Merrium-Webster Dictionary, shall we? The synonym M-W provides for integrity is "honesty."

Can there be such a thing as a house that LIES?

In a world of adjectives, nouns, and adverbs, why would one choose to characterize a house with the term, integrity?

But let's continue. The listing agent boasts about the abode's "flawless design style." It has no style, so how can a non-style even be critiqued?

Nothing may be wrong with it, technically, but nothing is there to commend it, either.

A Realtor could genuinely say, for instance, a Spanish-Mediterranean home is a great example of its type, with inlaid tiles, a fountain in the front courtyard, and beautiful balconies overlooking a lavish vista of fruit trees and foliage.

That's a florid, but accurate and somewhat appealing description.

But we don't have to resort to PERSONIFYING the house, imbuing it with human qualities, such as integrity, sincerity, loyalty, and so on.

In fairness, Realtors aren't the exclusive purveyors of this pulp.

Car manufacturers that brag about the ROAD MANNERS of their vehicles are equally pretentious and silly.

When was the last time your vehicle actually decided, all by itself, to yield the right of way, permitting another car to cut into traffic or to proceed first at a 4-way stop? Does your car display KINDNESS, which is one of the synonyms M-W offers for "manners?"

The late Theodore Levitt of Harvard said a certain amount of "fluff" is necessary to sell anything.

Thankfully, hard times thin this stuff substantially, so instead of being knee-deep in it, our shoes are the only things sullied, along with our sensibilities.

Contact us, if you're looking for a top speaker or great seminar in Negotiation, Customer Service, Sales or Telemarketing.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, and sales, customer service, and negotiation consultant. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, more than 1,000 articles and several popular audio and video programs. His seminars are sponsored internationally and he is a faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary's sales, management and consulting experience is combined with impressive academic credentials: A Ph.D. from USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies

His web site is: http://www.customersatisfaction.com and he can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com His blogs include: YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS! and ALWAYS COLD CALL! at: http://www.alwayscoldcall.blogspot.com

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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Top 10 Best Metal And Hard Rock CDs From The 80's

It was the best of times... it was the worst of times... of course we're talking about 80's music. Nothing beats the heavy metal, hard rock, and hair bands of the 80's. Here's our list of the top 10 best metal / hard rock CDs from that decade (of course, most of these were first purchased on vinyl):

10. Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry: Twisted Sister introduced a whole new generation to anthem rock. Their videos had us cracking up and their music got the adrenaline pumping. Sure they looked pretty freaky in their drag-like outfits and makeup, but they knew how to write songs that kicked ass. We're Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock had parents everywhere shaking in their boots. Burn in Hell was even featured in Pee Wee's Big Adventure in a memorable scene. They even got us going with the power ballad The Price.

9. Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In: Poison?!? What the hell are they doing on this list? I don't know about you, but my friends and I had the greatest parties and this CD was always playing. They were a total party band, which was captured on this release. Songs like I Want Action, Talk Dirty to Me and Look What the Cat Dragged In were perfect for drinking and picking up girls. They still go on tour and bring a couple of the 80's metal acts with them. The shows are always fun although I could do without C.C. Deville's guitar solos. When you wear a ton of makeup and frizz up your hair, you're not going to be taken seriously as a guitar player.

8. Virgin Steele - Noble Savage: Dave Defeiss has such a distinct voice that you either think it's really cool or it's really annoying. This release has a lot of catchy songs and even makes keyboards sound good. Songs like We Are the Night, I'm on Fire, and Noble Savage still hold up today. The band is still around although I wouldn't recommend any of the new stuff that came out after Marriage of Heaven and Hell.

7. AC/DC - Back in Black: The songs on this release have been so overplayed that I'm almost reluctant to put this on the list. But it is one of the greatest hard rock CDs of all time. Angus Young has more energy than a 5 year old on a sugar high. His guitar playing incorporated a nice touch of blues during the solos while his brother held down the tight rhythm. Brian Johnson always sounded like his vocal chords were shredded, which really worked on songs like Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill, Back in Black, and Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution. Of course, we can't forget about You Shook Me All Night Long. All classics.

6. Teeze - S/T: What? You never heard of this band? They released one of the best independent albums, then signed with a major label, changed their name to Roughhouse and released one of the crappiest CDs. If you go to www.roughhouse-teeze.com/, you can pick up the self-titled CD that's listed here. You won't go wrong with songs like Party Hardy, Midnight Madness, When the Moon Is Full, and Going Away.

5. Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast: "I am not a number... I am a free man!" The band still sounds awesome and they still put on great live shows. And they still play three songs from this release - Number of the Beast (with the classic Vincent Price intro), Run to the Hills, and Hallowed Be Thy Name. Bruce Dickinson took over the vocals for Paul Di'anno and took this band to the next level. He provided a melodic voice that matched the distinctive guitar and bass sounds.

4. Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil: I already had worn through my copy of Too Fast for Love when Shout at the Devil was released. When I saw the video for Looks that Kill, I was blown away. This looked like a bunch of the biggest bad asses at the time. They became bigger than life with their stories of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, and this CD captured it all perfectly. After Vince got out of jail from the car accident that killed Razzle, they just didn't have the same sound any more. They released some catchy songs but I don't think they ever released another CD where all the tracks were memorable.

3. Metallica - Ride the Lightning: Metallica knew how to write kick ass songs in the 80's. They followed up Kill 'Em All with Ride the Lightning, taking their sound to the next level. Their song writing got better and the production really helped capture their crunching guitars and Hetfield's powerful voice. These were serious head banging songs - Fight Fire with Fire, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Trapped Under Ice, and Creeping Death still hold up today. I could do without The Call of Ktulu but that's only a minor complaint. If you ever want to get the adrenaline going, put this CD on and put the stereo to 11.

2. T.T. Quick - Metal of Honor: Not only are all the songs memorable on this release, but the production is amazing. With songs like Metal of Honor, Child of Sin, and Come Beat the Band, this band had so much potential. The release just wasn't promoted properly and the band never really hit it big like they should have. They've released a couple CDs since then and play live shows every once in a while.

1. Guns and Roses - Appetite for Destruction: Let me start off by saying that I can't even listen to this CD anymore. It's been so overplayed on the radio and MTV (when MTV used to play music). But when this came out, I couldn't get enough of it. The big discussion was whether Axl's voice sounded better on a song like It's So Easy and Mr. Brownstone or Welcome to the Jungle and Nightrain. Didn't matter though because every song was amazing. And it took about a year for this CD to become huge so we were able to see the band play at a 1000 seat venue. They put on a great live show and even went on on time. Too bad they just couldn't get along off the stage.

Honorable Mentions:

W.A.S.P. - S/T

TKO - I Wanna Fight

Killer Dwarfs - Big Deal

Tesla - Mechanical Resonance

Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force - Marching Out

Craig A. Neal runs the web site http://www.metalfromthe80s.com which is dedicated to the best hard rock, heavy metal, and hair bands of the 80s

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By Craig A Neal

Hornby Railways Through the Ages

Hornby Railways' roots date back to 1901, when Frank Hornby, a clerk from Liverpool, invented and patented his Meccano line of construction toys. He had previously created model toys for his sons using sheet metal, and came to the realisation that regular perforations in structural pieces could be used to join them together with nuts and bolts and also to journal shafts and axles. By 1908, Meccano Ltd was formed, and by 1920, trading under the name Hornby Railways, the company produced the first Hornby train sets.

Initially, the Liverpool-produced trains were clockwork powered and sized at a 1:48 scale, or 0 gauge, named so because it was at the time thought impossible to make train models any smaller. Electric trains were introduced shortly thereafter, but were comparatively unsuccessful due in part to their design, and were discontinued. In 1925, a more successful electric train set was introduced, operating on high voltage (220-240V) AC power, but due to safety concerns this was changed to 4V, then 6V, and finally a reliable 20V system in the early 1930s.

Production also began in France, where a local range of outline trains were developed, but in other markets, British-produced trains became successful exports, with large numbers of trains sold in New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Scandinavia. These Hornby locomotives were often painted in the local liveries, but still had a distinctly British look to them.

Hornby's attempt to enter the American market was less successful. Setting up a factory in New Jersey in 1927, Hornby found its trains were undercut on price by local established competitors, and despite the American-made trains being colourful and attractive, they were not quite sophisticated enough to aim at the high-end market. The Wall Street crash of 1929 didn't help matters, and by 1930, Hornby had all but disappeared from the US market.

In 1938, Hornby introduced a range of 00 gauge (1:76 scale) trains, named Hornby Dublo, which were very successful. These locomotives were die-cast, with wagons and carriages mainly made of tinplate. The range set 12 V DC adaptors and the 00 gauge as the de facto standard for model trains in the UK, but production halted during World War II.

After the war, Hornby initially thrived, but met with difficulty by the late 1950s. The company was slow to recognise the threat posed by rival manufacturers, in particular Triang-Rovex and to realise the potential of plastic. The company released a two-rail track and moulded plastic rolling rock in 1959, but the system was too complicated to use compared to its rivals, and it kept on producing 0 gauge model trains, which were by now considered old hat.

Hornby then went through changes in corporate ownership. In 1964, it was bought by rival Tri-Ang Railways' parent company and merged into Tri-Ang Hornby, which discontinued Hornby designs for the less costly Tri-Ang's and sold off the Hornby Dublo tooling to G&R Wrenn. Tri-Ang Hornby was then sold on to Dunbee-Combex-Marx, becoming Hornby Railways in 1972, increasing detail on the product line to compete with newer companies like Airfix.

In the late 1970s, Hornby introduced the Zero 1 control system. Though an important milestone, it was not successful for several reasons - the controller units and modules required for the trains were expensive, the system didn't run smoothly, and once Hornby trains were equipped with Zero 1 modules they could not run on conventional systems.

By 1980 the market was extremely tough and while its parent company folded, Hornby Hobbies was formed after a management buyout, going public in 1986. In the 1990s Hornby moved its production to the Guangdong province in China, cutting costs and improving quality in response to an increasingly competitive market place.

Hornby has in recent years bought several of its competitors, including Corgi Classics, Rivarossi, Arnold, Lima, Airfix and Humbrol paints, with its main competition coming from Bachman and Dapol. It is generally accepted amongst modellers that Hornby train sets are better quality and more detailed than Bachmann models, which is somewhat ironic as it was the competition of Bachmann and others that lead to Hornby's production move to China.

Hornby currently produce a large range of highly detailed steam and diesel model trains, including digital and steam powered trains, called the Hornby Live Steam range, as well as ranges of resin and track accessories, named Skaledale and Lyddle End, for the 00 gauge and N gauge (1:148 scale) ranges of trains, respectively.

In addition to these, licensed products, such as the Hornby Thomas the Tank Engine and Hogwarts Express lines have been particularly profitable for the company and firmly cementing Hornby's place as the UK's leading brand of model trains.

Paul Jones is an avid model enthusiast and has been involved with model assembly, design and painting for over 20 years

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By Paul J Jones

Where To Search For Meanings Of Names

Behind every name is an interesting meaning and origin. If you study a bit names and their meaning and the people with those same names, you are likely find patterns and consistencies between the names and the personalities.

It may be a far-reaching effort, some say, to attach such importance to the meaning of names. But we spend many a pregnant, anticipatory hour poring over name books, lists, and websites devoted to finding the perfect moniker for our precious-thing-to-be.

That's the first name, of course. Given names, more tethered to named one's genealogy or limited to the parents' last names, leave little room for creativity, needing little generating besides whether or not to take the father's last name, the step father's last name, the mother's maiden given name, or both parents' names in a hybrid combo.

But for those that already exist - if, say, you want to know the meaning of your own name - there are only a couple of contingencies to keep in mind when it comes to proper (or common, for that matter) nouns. The meaning of names is rooted in a sensory description or descriptiveness and in that which is being referred to, that which is being named. For example, think about when your kid got that new kitty or puppy. He/she either considered appearance, and used a descriptive word as the pet's new handle (Fluffy, Buffy, Snowball, Spot), or took into account the way the new creature behaved, subscribing a personality trait name (Dum-dum, Sparky, Skip).

Then again, there are the likeness names, wherein the cat is now called Panther; and there are the homage names, such as Elvis or Sting; and there are the high-pressured, you-must-name him after so-and-so names, so the parakeet gets stuck with Polly and the lizard is named after uncle Lou. (I once had an ex whose new girlfriend named their newly acquired pit bull after me. At first I seethed at the insult, but realized she must be that intimidated by the memories of me still floating in their home and, besides, she would have to be reminded of the great one every damned time she called that dog to dinner.)

So much for the rationale of naming. It's pretty clear that naming and names are important in all cultures (one of the few enduring universals we can boast of sharing with the world). On to the actual names and their meanings: a number of devoted scholars and others have researched and developed databases for us to find what we are looking for - be it a new name for the soon to be born (if he/she isn't getting saddled with a family member's already used Ethyl or Fred) or the etymology (history and definition) of an already existing title.

Here are a few of the top sites, those that students, parents, and the curious swear by:

Behindthename.com covers etymology of first names of numerous ethnic origins.

While Behind the Names does, too, nameseekers.co.uk has a hearty database for last names in their Surname Meanings section.

And mysteries-megasite.com has quite a lengthy links page with many links to many names and their meaning - in case you are looking for a more obscure definition.

There are, of course, engaging, interesting, or just fun sites on names attached to entities other than people. For example, chemist Paul May set up a page for students to read about Molecules with Silly Names, found at http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/sillymols.htm. (Alexa) And there are real human names that you may or may not want to investigate, at places like Ubersite.com, featuring a list of "Funny Names" such as Polly Waddle, Misty Raney, and Duck Yoo.

Joshua Poyoh provides independent opinions on motherhood and babies at http://www.motherbabytips.com/ More information on Baby Names And Meanings

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By Joshua Poyoh

What is a Curio & Relics License? - Help Applying

A C & R license, (abbreviation for Curio & Relics) is for the collector of firearms with historical value. An example is one from World War I or World War II period, or firearms which were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, and firearms which are certified by a museum, because they are of interest for an exhibit. Another words they have historical value. B.A.T.F. has a web page that lists all of the eligible firearms. A C&R license is a federal firearms license that is a lot like a gun dealers license with out regulated business aspects. This license is only for personal collection of historical firearms, not for you to conduct a firearms business.

How Can You Apply For Your C&R License.

This is a very good question. The best place to get information on all federal firearms license is from people that are a FFL license holder. A group of FFL holders have got together and put together a kit with all the information that you will need. These kits are up to date with newest laws and regulations concerning licensing. They have the website and forums devoted to supporting their product. They have step by step instructions to complete the application. After purchasing one of the kits, the most useful service of theirs is their contact and support. This one on one support can help move the process along much faster, and they are updated for the 2009 laws and regulations.

However as long as you equip your self with the right tools and information this can be a little easier to obtain then you thought. So,I do recommend you get one of these kits if your about to apply for your FFL.

I recommend you get one of these FFL kits if your about to apply for your FFL http://newgundealers.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Zook

By Richard Zook

High Quality A/C System Parts: Keeping Your Toyota Cool and Comfy

Cars are undoubtedly one of our daily necessities. We use them not only for our everyday transportation but as well as in hauling loads, carrying cargoes and many others. Through the years, they have been greatly improved, Including Toyota cars. Not only in terms of performance, safety and style but as well as in terms of comfort features, just to catch up with our growing demands. Power operated auto parts became commonplace. Almost everything functions with just a push on a button.

Today, almost all cars come with an air conditioning system that keeps the driver and the passenger cabin comfortable even during the hottest days of the year. The introduction of the air conditioning and heat system was indeed a milestone in the auto industry. It afforded users the same comfort levels they enjoy at home or even at the office.

At the heart of this system is the Toyota AC Condenser. This part is the one in charge of dissipating heat absorbed from the car's interior. It works on the same principle as the Toyota Radiator, which on the other hand cools the engine. Usually, the air flowing through the a/c condenser is supplemented by the Toyota Condenser Fan, Other vehicles, especially the rear wheel drives take advantage of the air drawn by the engine's cooling fan.

A faulty A/C system means great discomfort on your part so if your Toyota A/C system isn't functioning due to damaged auto parts, make sure you replace the defective part or parts immediately to avoid inconveniences. Especially when you are using your car on long drives, replacing it is necessary. A long drive can be very tiring and annoying; but with an efficient A/C system you are sure to arrive at your destination more comfortably.

Of course, you can't control the weather, the heavy traffic and all other factors that affect your comfortable ride but you can do something on your car to make it more conducive for any driving situation. Replacing your faulty A/C system parts with high quality replacement Toyota parts is a way to make your ride enjoyable.

For your A/C condenser needs, you can go to Toyota Parts Online. This auto parts store offers a wide variety of Toyota parts, including Toyota Headlights and Toyota Wheels. Purchasing new and high quality auto parts for your Toyota car can be more advantageous than buying Toyota Parts Used. Old and used parts are usually harder and more expensive to maintain and thus, they can drain your pockets in the long run.

Toyota Parts Online is a top Toyota Parts Discount dealer that caters to almost all your Toyota auto parts needs. Like Toyota Parts Used, parts available in this store are priced to fit your tight budget; however, when it comes to quality and performance, they are comparable to OEM parts.

Great Toyota Parts Discount deals are offered on old and new Toyota models like ,Toyota 4Runner Parts, Toyota Highlander Parts,Toyota Land Cruiser Parts, Toyota Corolla parts, Toyota Corona parts and a whole lot more. Visit the site and start looking now for the parts that you need.

Mark Clarkson is a 35 year old marketing consultant for a leading auto parts store. This native of Denver is also an offroad enthusiast.

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By Mark Clarkson

Boat Lift Motors

Technical support and efficiency are important when purchasing a boatlift, but the most crucial part of a boatlift is the motor. Rather than manually spinning the wheel of a boatlift in order to get the boat on and off the water, a motor makes the job easy on you, and they are not hard to operate. Boatlift motors play a crucial role in saving effort for when you are actually in the water enjoying the boat itself. It is very important to have a good boatlift motor.

Most of the boatlift manufacturers are top providers of quality boatlift motors. Electricity is one of the prime requirements for using motors to enhance one’s job of launching a boat. All one has to do is flip a lever, throw a switch, and let the rechargeable power of the boat's battery or AC power from the shore raise your boat into its storage position. AC or DC, the units are both compact, easily assembled and can be disengaged for manual operation of the lift wheel. Why would you want to disengage and do it yourself? Why, in case of a long-standing power outage, of course.

Boatlift motors are readily available and replaceable for all kinds of pontoon, hydraulic and floating boat lifts. Most of the motors on the market are reasonably priced and fit almost all boatlifts made. They are simple to operate with low maintenance, and they have simple installation procedures. Most motors available on the market give a one-year warranty, but your boatlift should probably last many more years than that.

Boat Lifts provides detailed information on boat lifts, used boat lifts, floating boat lifts, boat lift motors and more. Boat Lifts is affiliated with Boat Docks. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy

By Max Bellamy