Friday, March 6, 2009

Bartering...Confidential, please...

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

Shhhhh, confidential, please...

MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL "Ain't no Mountain


The New World of Bartering

Natalie Ladd
The Trade Exchange

B arter -- the cashless exchange of goods and services -- is enjoying new popularity. Hundreds of Internet sites and barter exchanges around the country let you swap for everything from travel accommodations to dental care. Even people who think they don’t have anything worth bartering might be surprised to find their skills -- perhaps a knack for gardening or interior decorating -- in demand.

Here’s how to get started...

ONE-ON-ONE BARTER

How it works: You join a low-cost online barter service, where you can list or respond to offers. Or you can barter on your own by personally contacting people whose goods or services you need.

Best for: Individuals who want to trade occasionally for a specific item or service, such as trading babysitting for lawn services.

Sample savings: A high school tennis coach needed to pay for his daughter’s wedding. The coach went around to local businesses and offered to trade tennis lessons for goods and services. In this way, he was able to get all the flowers for his daughter’s wedding and the alterations to her wedding dress.

Important: Make sure you and your trading partner are bartering at the same value level. You don’t want to trade your goods at wholesale, while he/she is charging you retail prices.

Also, many professionals are willing to barter their labor, but they still might need to charge you in cash for certain fixed costs, such as paying their staff or buying raw materials.

My favorite sites: www.craigslist.org, click on your state, then “Barter” under “For Sale” (free)... www.web-barter.com ($2 to answer a listing/free to place a listing)... www.targetbarter.com ($2.50/transaction for items presumed to be valued under $25... 10% of the transaction for trades valued over $25... free to place a listing).

Drawbacks: You’re limited to trading with people who live nearby -- an optician in New York has little to offer a landscaper in California.

You do all the leg work -- evaluating the quality of goods and services.

There is no governing body with a code of standards or ethics and little recourse, other than small-claims court, if something goes wrong.

TRADE EXCHANGE BARTER

How it works: A barter exchange acts as a broker, a third-party record keeper and, in cases of disputes, a mediator for your transaction.

People who use the service are called “exchange members” and trade in “credits.” (One credit typically equals $1.) Members receive statements monthly. Traders (referred to as “brokers”) who work for an exchange can tap into an international network and put together deals for almost anything.

There are barter exchanges nationwide. You can research them as you would any business. Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints. Make sure the exchange has been in business for at least three years and belongs to a governing body, such as the International Reciprocal Trade Association (585-424-2940, www.irta.com), which has a code of ethics, a peer review board and a certification program for traders.

Resource: To get a state-by-state listing of exchanges, go to www.barternews.com and click on “Barter Contacts.”

Best for: Small-business owners or people looking to trade regularly and save cash for non-tradable items and overhead.

Sample savings: A New England radio station wanted to do an on-air promotion for which it needed 2,000 pairs of socks. The station was willing to barter $1,000 worth of advertising airtime. A trade broker for a national exchange found a local barter exchange in Kansas that had a sock manufacturer among its members. That manufacturer didn’t need radio ad time in New England, so he traded him the socks for a white-water rafting trip offered by one of the exchange’s other members, a travel company in Maine. The travel company used its exchange credits from the deal to purchase the advertising airtime from the radio station.

Drawbacks: Higher costs, including annual dues of $120 and up, and transaction fees (for example, a fee of 6% of the transaction value) each time you buy or sell. You generally need to offer at least $500 worth of goods or services to open a barter account.

TAXES

According to the IRS, barter “income” is treated the same as cash income. You must list the fair market value of goods or services received through barter on your federal tax return, Form 1040, Schedule C.

For federal rules on barter income, call 800-829-1040 or go to www.irs.gov

**************************************************************************************

Here is another Blog that I like:

Friday, March 6, 2009

Justice


Justice is very important to one when one's loved one is murdered. One wants Justice and wants the murderer caught and punished. Nobody wants murderers to go free. There are a lot of murderers who never get caught especially in countries besides the U.S. God will punish those murderers if they don't repent before they die. God will also punish liars, theives, homosexuals, bisexuals, the covetous, blasphemers, the disobedient and all others who break God's Moral Laws in thought, word, and deed who do not repent and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Justice has been done for the believer through Christ and Justice will be done for the sinner in Hell because eternal punishment is Just. God shows love onto sinners through Christ Jesus by pouring out His wrath onto His one and only Son instead of fallen man. God is Holy and Loving and He is a person, a being. He is not a force or ghost. He is a personal God who wants all of mankind to come into His family and into His arms. John 3:16

Great Book by John Piper!

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

Hi Guys and Ladies!
I can't say enough good and happy things about the new book my wife and I are reading now. "Seeing and Savoring JESUS CHRIST" -- by John Piper, who is the author of the best selling book, "Fifty reasons why Jesus Came to Die."
Just think, if you suddenly wake up to smell the coffee [and I don't even drink the stuff... lol, but I like the scent/ smell of it], and find out that 99% of all the news, hype, everyday mundane things that bug us, worry and stress us, are simply garbage/ trash, that should really be discarded-- just let it all run off your back and concentrate on the reason you and I were put on this earth-- to GLORIFY JESUS CHRIST! I know that this 'sounds too simple' to work, but it makes for happy people who serve the Lord, mind their own business, pay their goofy taxes and bills... but we can and should be a 'happy people!'

Every once in a while I find a book that helps me figure things out and I want to share the good things I have and have learned with YOU! Buy the book--yesterday.


Warm Regards, and I did get a little sunburn outside today in Wisconsin,

Tommy


**********************************************************************************



What I Suspect for the Cause of Autism

and a chemical to avoid in home cleaning products:
Glycol BUTYL Ether should be 'on the list'
of most probable cause of Autism (check links)
... Autoimmune Issues * .... & Cancers, too *
Be Careful what you clean with
The worst pesticide *
Look into glycobiology for help .... glyconutrients

Red ring around mouth could be an autoimmune issue that 2-butoxyethanol would cause. I noticed a number of posts about this on MedHelp discussion forum
I write these web pages to share about what I've learned about this chemical:

EGBE is an organic solvent, a neurotoxin, a pesticide, a teratogen (damages our genes & causes many birth defects)

... a poison !

It is not without research http://www.valdezlink.com/re/msn/renalliver/notwithout.htm

A side effect is abnormal body temp ... abnormal blood pressure ... abnormal blood sugar

Track these http://www.valdezlink.com/re/health/temp_bp_bsugar.htm

farting with diarrhea or flu symptoms (what exposure looks like)

Yahoo Discussion forums on this topic

autism-metabolic

autism-isautoimmune

What I Suspect for the Cause of Autism

Thankful/ Grateful for Grace.

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

I well know how easy it is to get side tracked now days with the constant bombardment of the Lefty-Libby 'News Media' and current economic events, terrorism, but also Gov't B.S. [berry sap] that is designed to keep us in a constant state of MIS- information, in the dark, strife and party fighting. I believe that this is manipulated by STD [Satan the devil], that nasty old bum, to keep us off guard, unbalanced and busy worrying/ thinking about everything except our Christian ministry! Satan and his earthly agents/ servants/ helpers do a smashing job tearing our attention AWAY FROM THE NUMBER ONE--MAIN DIRECTIVE AND PRIMARY ORDER. I am victim to his ways and programs too. That is why I think it's important to take small breaks to 'come up for air' every now and then to get and 'recalculate our bearings and compass.' Just like walking in the deep Northern Woods of upper Wisconsin about 80 miles North of Green Bay, in Nicolette National Forest--40 square miles, where many have gotten lost, attacked by bears and died of the elements. But there are many hills that are rich in iron ore that make your compass act 'squirrl-y', and if you have a cloudy day, it may be hard to get your location from the sun so you can find your way out. I used to hunt deer in the '70's and '80's to put meat on the table, and forced myself to be a good 'woodsman' and hunter. And you can also freeze to death so you need to know 'wood lore' and survival techniques--that I knew from Army training. And guess what? --I still got lost a few times, but managed to find my way out. I rely on my compass but also on my brains and past experiences and the wisdom of others. The Northern woodsmen are not call hillbillies [but perhaps- sometimes red necks] but they are a breed apart, 'stump jumpers'.. lol. No many rich people up there, but patriots I am sure, and hard workers or the land. I get along with them just fine, and I believe they get along well with people like Gov. Sarah Palin.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the Bible has plenty to say about concentrating on the Primary, most important reason we are still on earth right now in these 'end times' and what we should be doing. I get side tracked too from time to time, and don't we all have personal emergencies, sudden trials, sickness, injuries jumping up in our faces almost every other day. Frankly, I am just amazed at the speed and constancy of new, disturbing NEWS items popping up all over the world. It's also confounding how our U.S. Congress is so BLIND and stupid to condone all the goofy, ridicules spending and assault on our Rights nd Freedoms that defies all logic!! Go figure: If you and I were in deep debt up to our eye balls-- would we take our credit cards and go on a spending spree?? Hello! And no one is immune from sudden economic disaster except the 'well connected' Dims who have their noses up obama's anatomy...lol, but their days are numbered too. But I now see the need to NOT focus so much on stupid politics and that type of negativity [although very hard for me]-- so as to detract from the Kingdom/ Gospel message of salvation today.

After getting our own 'house in order' and cutting back on all spending-- I believe that connecting to a fundamental Bible teaching church is KEY and daily bible study and prayer very important for survival. New wise people I am meeting with lately seem to be more on the ball than I am, and are much aware that America may NOT exist much longer, as ANYTHING could happen. I know-- people will HATE ME FOR THAT KIND OF REASONING, but it's not the first time this has happened to me. Hey! Let's pull out all the stops to analyze our world situation. Most Americans just don't have the accurate info about other countries/ Governments who are collapsing RIGHT NOW, and are cold and starving, ready to revolt and overthrow their Governments. And it is very possible that there could be a sudden war when certain radical countries use their nuclear weapons to make war on Israel and the USA. The 'ONE WORLD--ONE GOV'T' is coming no matter what-- and is very plainly printed in the bible, if you have the Holy Spirit of discernment!

What concerns me most is that when this all happens and Christ Jesus returns to claim His Saints-- "phase one" of the Rapture will be done and over! This could happen at any moment, yet the majority of humans on earth pay no attention to warnings by serious Christian witnesses all over the earth. And it's not about being good or bad/ wicked. It's about being actively involved as a follower of Jesus and participating in this evangelising work commanded by HIM in these 'end times.' Procrastination is a deadly 'in-action'/ enemy/ sin that can and will send many to the wrong place of eternity where people will curse God for all time--when in fact the choice was always theirs but they just chose to put things off or went after the world's lure of fleshly pleasures instead. Praise the Lord for allowing Tom Schuckman to experience 'rock bottom' tragedies to realize that Jesus is my only Lord and Savior, of which I am eternally thankful! Preaching, sharing and witnessing are the primary reason God has allowed me to continue living right now.. after numerous near death experiences and lapses back into sin. Let us NOT take God's gentle mercies and forgiveness for granted, but use the time/ life left to tell as many others about the Gospel as possible until our Rapture or Death.... please.

PHILIPPIANS 3: 8, "More than that, I count all things to be of loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but RUBBISH so that I may gain Christ."

Paul said, in Ephesians 3:8, "To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ."

Galatians 4:16, "So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?"

Tom