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Many of us purchase gold jewellery because – it feels great, our mom said so, it compliments the color of our clothes, its a great possible investment, yaddy, yaddy yah. The reasons are as numerous as the wonderfully honest dealers who would sell you the gold jewellery.

I guess I shouldn’t pass too quickly over the “great investment theme” because it is or can be somewhat important to know that “10 Carat gold” all the way up to “18 Carat gold” is not generally considered to be great investment material. It is simply not investment grade, hard assets even if your home insurance covers it in case of theft.

Some of us want to claim an investment while still flaunting the bling on our skin and there is nothing wrong with that so flaunt something a little or considerably better than 18 Carat in order to claim the investment angle. The trick, especially in North America and England, is – where does one buy 24K Gold?

Some jewellers who don’t sell stronger than 18 Carat gold are likely to inform you that there is no such thing in jewelry since its too soft for most applications. They do have a point there however from experience I can tell you that 22 Carat Gold necklaces of 110 grams have been known to support the pull of a 22 klg child.

I first started buying gold in the souks of the middle east. It was, at one time very inexpensive there. Later I frequented the gold souks of Dubai and the other middle east commercial centers. Real 24K stuff can be purchased there.

Truth was, I thought I was buying 24, but the jewelry was usually only 97-98% pure, but hey, still better than the 14k fluff sold in North America.

It was a while before I found them but I did. These were the massive jewellery shops on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon side. They sell fantastic pearl, emerald and wonderfully carved gold pieces. Supposedly, the HK government certifies what they are selling, but a few of these tourists traps have all kinds of interesting motivational **deals** especially in Kowloon. Anyway, they have certificates claiming their 24 Carat Gold is 99.999% pure, but when I took their stuff to Toronto, I was told oh no, its only 22K not 24.

I took this material to a reputable goldsmith to melt down, he again informed me that the material was only 22 to 23 Carats Gold purity. I keep thinking about how embarrassing it would be to pull out one’s own little gold volume/weight measurement tool in one of those massive elite stores and proudly if not loudly proclaim that their 99.999% gold isn’t truly what it claims to be – I am also imagining that one would be set on not unkindly by the police for creating such a fine disturbance.

And I know someone else will post and tell me that they are from HK and the government certifies these big stores blah blah but I have purchased big items 4 times in 6 years and each time while trying to sell elsewhere in North America and the UK have been told similar bad news ( Even when I presented the govt stamped HK certificate|It made no difference to the buyers even when presented with the certificate of authenticity which comes with each piece purchased from HK ) Can authenticity certificates be faked? Certainly. Might certain shops fake them? I can’t say.

The lesson to learn perhaps is when buying gold from a store don’t ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won’t stop – irrespective of govt certifications blah blah blah.

If you ask, did I still get 22 Carats Truly the answer is “Yes I did and perhaps even slightly better than 22″, even if I thought I was paying for 24 Carats. So the big question is would I do it again? Oddly enough I would, particularly, now that I know that it is really 22.5 Carat necklaces and bracelets that I am buying and not 24 like they say, I would bargain the price down with the true understanding of what I am probably getting.

If your goal is really investment and you have no real need to put on your bling then buy a regulated certifiable gold bar from a western based dealer who is very much liable in western courts and has both insurance and liability coverage.

If what your concern is to buy 14 Carat or below, ignore almost everything said above since, 14 Carat is not investment quality anyway.

If you are in Hong Kong and not sure if you should buy. Don’t hesitate, just understand that it’s not often that a street vendor sell you absolutely 24 Carats, even if she believes it is so. Dicker the price with the knowledge that you’re are probably getting substantially more than 22 Carats but really not 24 Carats. Compare this to the North American or even UK experience where you are most likely being sold only 14 Carats.

So buy it, wear it, enjoy it, don’t lose it and have fun.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Janice Jopin
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Finding toys that last a lifetime while developing your childs creativity is becoming harder by the day. With game consoles on the increate creative toys has become something we do not think of frequently, but it is a gift to your child if you can give them a toy that they must put together before playing with and then ignite their imagination with fantasies and adventures.

Parents should think about these trains. Other companies make similar products, but the reputation of Thomas the Tank Engine sets it apart from the rest.

For over 60 years, children have enjoyed the timeless stories of Thomas the Tank Engine. Based on the award-winning PBS TV program Shining Time Station by the Rev. W. Awdry, the Thomas the Tank train system is the ideal child’s train set. Each wooden vehicle has a different name, character, and face. The magnetic bumpers make connecting easy. Friendly characters will engage your child in hours of imaginary play.

Learning Curve now makes it possible for your child to join and play with their own set of Thomas and Friends Wooden Train Set.

Children love to play with Thomas and Friends Train Sets. Now in the safety of your home they will depart on a journey into a world where their imagination will flourish and creativity expand.

In addition to providing heirloom-quality toys, Thomas Wooden Railway Systems also recognizes that kids learn through play. By adding pieces that suit your childs stage of development, you can help build a variety of important skills ” from color identification and motor skills for the beginning engineer to self-directed play and spatial skills for the more experienced child.

Thomas Wooden Train Sets are just that sort of toy. These well-designed trains can help improve a childs hand-eye coordination as the nervous system develops. These Thomas Wooden Railway Systems, available for every age, are so constructed that a young child can easily take apart the original train and put together his original version of it. The train sets are available in many designs, colors and shapes. They are made for small fingers and young minds.

In addition the train accessories you get for Thomas and Friends are very imaginative. Children can add elements from Engineers, trucks, tables, stations, racks, tunnels and buildings, only to mention a few. Children 4-12 years old will enjoy these items.

Thomas takes pride in the fact that all their toys are made from non-toxic materials. This is especially important due to the nature of young children always chewing and biting toys.

Thomas Wooden Trains are ideal for teaching children problem solve. Both boys and girls love these toys. In addition they foster self confidence as kids.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Miles Joshua
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Sitting in the TV room watching my son playing with Thomas Wooden Trains takes me back to the days when I was a young kid. I remember putting together the trains when I was a kid, in anticipation for the imaginative journey ahead. Thomas Wooden Train Sets develops the creativity in children, while still giving them the space to explore the possibilities of playing, fun and enjoyment.

Parents should think about these train sets. Other companies make similar toys, but the reputation of Thomas the Tank Engine sets it apart from the rest.

For over 60 years, children have enjoyed the timeless stories of Thomas the Tank Engine. Based on the award-winning PBS television series Shining Time Station by the Rev. W. Awdry, the Thomas the Tank train system is the ideal child’s train set. Each wooden vehicle has a different name, character, and face. The magnetic bumpers make connecting easy. Friendly characters will engage your child in hours of imaginary play.

Your child can now venture on the imaginative and educational journey with Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway System by Learning Curve.

Children love to play with Thomas and Friends Railway System. Now in the safety of your home they will depart on a journey into a world where their imagination will flourish and creativity expand.

Not only is Thomas Railways System a top-quality toy, it also has the ability to be custom in the learning needs of your child. By adding different pieces to the set, your child can develop different skills like color identification or motor skills. By altering the learning your child never loses the joyful experience of imaginative play.

Both small fingers and small minds love these trains. They are designed to develop hand-eye coordination as the nervous system of a child develops. No matter what age, kids build and play with Thomas Wooden Trains. In its uniqueness parents can find models of all colors, designs and shapes.

These train accessories from Thomas and Friends are likewise imaginative. Engines, trains, stations, tracks, tables, tunnels and buildings can be purchased as needed. Children 4-12 years old will enjoy these items.

All toys from Thomas and Friends are made of non-toxic materials. This is especially important, since small children are always biting and chewing their toys.

These toys are for both boys and girls. Thomas Wooden Trains are useful, encouraging children to try problem-solving techniques, but they also foster self-confidence.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Miles Joshua
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Article marketing is a highly effective method of drawing visitors to your pages. High traffic article directories like EzineArticles get hundreds of thousands of users a day and you can use them to freely submit your articles. So how do you get these users to take a look at your article? With a eye catching article title of course.

The article headline is your first chance to catch the eye of any visitors who are browsing through the article directory or through the search engine results. An effective article title will contain your keyword phrase and be catchy enough that a visitor can’t wait to click and read what you have to say in your article. Remember, your article title is competing for eyeballs with other article titles so you need to make sure it stands out.

There are a several proven article headline types. Each of these have been tested by article marketers and some are more effective than others. The three I discuss below are the ones that have worked the best for me:

The “In Your Face” title. Like the name suggests, this title confronts the reader and persuades them to see what you have to say. A title that follows this sort of style might go like “You’ll Never Be Successful Until You Start Doing These 5 Things”.

The Shock And Awe title. This type of title tries to get your visitor to react, by triggering some emotion out of them. By doing this, they will be drawn in to read your article. Make sure the title elicits either a strongly negative or strongly positive emotion. Either works effectively.

The “Do You Know What I Know” title. This title gets the attention of the reader by asking them a question and peaking their curiosity. An example this type of title is something like, “Do You Know The Top 3 Methods To Drive Traffic To Your Sites That The Experts Will Never Ever Reveal?” Wouldn’t you want to read this article?

As you can tell, effective article titles are super important if you want to get people to read what you have wrote. All you have to do is spend several extra minutes minutes to craft compelling article titles and you will definitely start to see immediate results. Try out these tricks for your next article.

Tags: Writing & Speaking by Mike Wong
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Mitsuharu Misawa died in Hiroshima, Japan earlier this year less than a week before his 47th birthday. Akitoshi Saito hit a back suplex on Misawa, which appeared to knock him unconscious. Medical staff attempted to revive him in the ring, but when CPR failed he was taken to a hospital by ambulance. Initial reports in the Japanese media suggest that he was pronounced dead at the hospital, but a number of eyewitness accounts have speculated that he may have died in the ring.

Thats at least a small bit of solace amid the tragedy of Misawas death”he died in the ring doing what he loved, and what he did better than just about anyone on the planet. Misawa’s last moments were spent working the kind of brutally stiff, athletically realistic match that got a generation hooked on Japanese wrestling.

A top level amateur wrestler in high school, his skill gained the attention of All Japan Pro Wrestling president Shohei Giant Baba. Three years after his pro debut, he got his first big break in 1984 when he was chosen as the second Tiger Mask replacing Satoru Sayama. In 1990, he had his longtime friend and rival Toshiaki Kawada unmask him.

Misawa would wrestle as himself from then on, and become an even bigger star in the process. In June, 1990 he became one of the top stars in All Japan Pro Wrestling when he defeated Jumbo Tsuruta. That match was his first main event appearance at the famous Nippon Budokan. He soon faced Triple Crown Champion Stan Hansen in an unsuccessful challenge for the title, and would become the biggest star in Japanese pro wrestling for the next decade.

He had legendary battles against Kawada, Hansen, Kenta Kobashi, and Steve Dr. Death Williams in singles competition. Misawa would continue as a mainstay in AJPW until the early part of this decade. After the death of Giant Baba, he left to establish Pro Wrestling NOAH. He would serve as the companys president while wrestling a full time schedule until his untimely death.

Japanese pro wrestling served as an introduction for many American fans into shoot fight sports and MMA. Before the Internet, fans would trade videotapes to stay up on the latest matches from Japan and along with Jushin Thunder Liger and The Great Muta Keiji Mutoh it safe to say that Misawa is one of the wrestlers most responsible for getting a generation of American fans hooked on the product.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Daniel Scott
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Most Nintendo Wii owners have questioned whether they can burn Wii discs. We’re going to explain precisely how it’s possible to copy Wii games.

If you want to copy a Wii disc, you aren’t able to do it using your everyday CD copying software. Why? Because normal burning software can’t make sense of game disks. This may sound unusual, but your PC just can’t read the information on the game disc initially. You must have specialized software for this function.

There are now specific game copying softwares that are designed to let your computer to understand Wii discs. These softwares allow your computer to produce backups of your Wii discs.

Just a heads up – Software companies who design these kinds of softwares intend it for legal production of Nintendo Wii games. If you purchase a Nintendo Wii game and you require to make a copy to have a backup, then you are making use of this software legally. We aren’t promoting the illegal copying of Wii games..

It’s a snap to utilize these programs. Whenever you want to copy a Wii disc you just have to put in the Wii game, launch the program and it will begin to copy the game.

Your computer will create an image of the game data after you place it in your disc tray. When this image has been produced, you put in a blank DVD or CD and the game data is copied onto the disc.

If you are purchasing a software program like this, pay attention that you get a moneyback guarantee. This lets you have you some security on the rare chance the software isn’t working on your computer.

Another important note – don’t spend too much! That may sound obvious – I’m sure you are hoping for the best price. Sadly there are some software cost over $80 – this is way too much money. You will get a program that allows you to copy Nintendo Wii games for less than $45 quite easily.

Tags: Games by Grant Dougan
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We have gotten numerous questions from people inquiring if it’s possible to watch television on the net. Viewing television on the internet is growing more popular so we decided to write a quick article about watching live television online.

Part of the reason why more and more people are viewing their favorite shows online now is due to the dramatic increase in quality of online video feeds and there are now a large amount of channels you can watch. There was a time when the video quality was very low and there weren’t all that many channels that you could watch.

The technology has raised to the level where you can find thousands of channels and watch all of them in superb quality. Admittedly I’m not used to viewing TV online, but when I was looking into internet TV for this article I was very impressed with what I saw.

So how do you get live television on the web?

As you might have guessed, you need to install a special internet TV software program on your PC. Let’s go over a few features to look for when you’re looking for an internet TV software.

Naturally, ensure that you get a wide selection of TV channels. You should have access to thousands of TV channels including the most popular networks.

Another feature that I found is the ability to record TV programs. It functions like a “Tivo” – you are able to record whatever show you want so that you are able to watch whenever you want. Not every program has this feature this look for it when you’re looking around. The program should also have the option to connect your computer to your Television set if you want to be able to watch TV on the big screen.

You should also ensure that there aren’t any monthly charges. The good programs will only charge you once for unlimited access to their channels. This way you aren’t billed any monthly charges which obviously makes it a tremendous deal when you compare it to cable or satellite TV. If you see a monthly fee, look somewhere else! You can find a better deal.

All in all, I was impressed with what I saw. For about $50 you can get complete access to lots of TV channels to watch on your computer. Keep in mind though, it can be extremely addictive!

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Grant Dougan
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There’s no doubt that the Playstation 3 is already one of the most successful gaming machines ever released They keep flying off the shelves and there’s tons of new and exciting games that keep getting created. Today we are going to let you know how you can find Playstation 3 game downloads online and then play them on your PS3.

Naturally, the big draw to using PS3 game downloads is that you don’t have to fork over any money for each game you get. You can find any PS3 game you want from your place and you don’t have to pay any money!

To start, we should caution you that there are certain websites out there that claim to offer free Playstation 3 downloads if you just download their software. Please steer clear of these! We need to point out some of the dangers of these internet sites.

It’s easy to get a virus or some sort of harmful spyware when downloading games from these types of websites. Mix that with sluggish download speeds and plenty of downloads that don’t work and you can understand why it’s just not worth the worry. It’s incredibly annoying having to wait hours for a game to download only to find out the game doesn’t even work or it was a virus.

To avoid these issues you need to grab a membership at a specialty Playstation 3 game download website. These sites are put online by legitimate companies and offer unlimited game downloads to their members.

There’s plenty more than just games available for download to members. You will be able to download other media files such as TV shows and music that can be used on your Playstation 3.

The cost to become a member at one of these internet sites is typically around $55-$70. Considering it costs over that to buy just one game at the store, it’s a fantasic value. The membership charge is only billed once and provides you with unlimited Playstation 3 game downloads. You can then login and browse through the available games and pick the games you want. The site will provide any software you need to transfer the games onto your PS3.

Once you start to use PS3 downloads you will save a lot of cash and it’s the perfect way to grab all the most popular games. One heads up though though – it’s incredibly addictive!

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Grant Dougan
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What are some benefits you can find by movie downloads? Simple enough and biggest is that you will save money over any video store you could go too. You will also save money on those high prices that it cost to go to movie theaters.

What most people will wonder about these movie download services is whether you will need to download software or not. In many cases nothing will need to be added to your computer, all you need is to decide what movie you want to watch and pick it.

Movie download subscriptions are available through those services too. When you figure out a monthly subscription price and divide it by the movie downloads or even movie rentals you get you save a lot of money. This process is far becoming the main choice for movie fanatics.

For movie download services you only need to search your computer and the internet. Any genre you can imagine is available. Even movies you may have not seen for years are possibly out there available for you to watch right now.

You may need to pay subscriptions for these movie download services, but normally it’s not a large amount. And they normally will even have an option of paying one amount with unlimited movie downloads and movie rentals per month.

One of the best options for our family was the choices of TV shows that were offered. Catching up on past episodes, or adding those classic TV series that we hadn’t seen in forever. It added to our choices and gave us some great entertainment.

Any genre is available with these movie download services. You can even get foreign films, and you should really give them a chance too, some are really great. Many movies we have downloaded have now been bought and added to watch again later on.

Giving you the option to have a family movie night anytime of the week. It’s not just an option that is available to adults. No many of these movie download services have many family films that everyone can enjoy.

A fantastic way to not spend a lot of money on renting in a store or buying a DVD. Watch a movie that you’re not sure if you will like, and decide that way. You can buy online movies anytime of the day.

Compare several movie download services and see if you can get this unlimited chance at movie downloads. It’s a great way to possibly pay pennies to watch a movie online.

Expand your horizons by watching movies you once thought you would never watch. Including some of the best in TV programming from the History channel and many more choices too.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Rita Roy
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If you want a good quality folding card table and accessories, probably the best place to start your comparison-shopping is online. Actually, your shopping for this is going to have several parts to it, ideally.

Before you begin shopping for your folding card table and accessories, you first need to consider what you want. You also need to set your budget. So firstly, figure out if you want a wood, resin, or metal table. Then determine how much you wish to spend. Will your folding card table and accessories only be used for fun, or will it be a more serious outlay of money for a table you can use for a long time? Consider all these things before you begin shopping for your folding card table and accessories.

What material is it made from?

First of all, you should know that although wood is of course the “classiest” material you can have your folding card table and accessories be made from, it’s pretty expensive. In fact, high end tables can run you $400 easily, including chairs. That said, though, there are some pretty nifty resin or other tables out there made from less expensive materials that look just like wood, and in fact are even sturdier because they don’t suffer water damage in the same way wood can. And of course, if you wish, you can also go cheaper with simple, good sturdy resin or plastic tables that look just like what they are.

Metal is a good choice, too, but again, it looks like what it is and it’s not as easy to “dress up” as some resins are, for example. So if you want a table that looks like wood but has the durability and ability to withstand wear and tear, you should go for “wood look” resin or something similar.

What you will be paying

If you will treat your card table like well-made furniture, and not abuse it, and you are willing to spend some money, then a $400 wood table set with chairs included is a good choice.

However, you should know that you can go much cheaper and be just as sturdy (if not quite as attractive) if you go with metal or resin. Again, what you’ll pay will run you roughly $100 for a table and four chairs to $400 and better for a table and four chairs. So again, it depends on your budget, but don’t think that you have to spend a huge amount of money to get a good quality folding card table and accessories.

Buying your folding card table and accessories

I earlier stated that there were a few part to this. Fist off, you will need to figure out what you want to buy, and the amount of your budget as well. Then, go on the internet and do some comparison-shopping. This will give you a clue as to what is available for you to buy. With that information handy, you can now go out to shops and look for your folding card tables and accessories firsthand.

Something to note here is that although you might still want to purchase online, because it is less costly to do so, you still will want to get a firsthand look at the items. As you are doing that, write down the model names, materials, etc., and then go back online to finalize your purchase after you compare the information you have written down.

With a bit of thinking ahead, and some work, you should be able to find an excellent folding card table and accessories for a cost that is reasonable, and within your budget. It will give you much enjoyment when playing your future card games.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Brian Garvin
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