Ball State

» real estate investments

By China at 2:43 PM

Florida has always been one of the most desirable places to live in, in the United States. Orlando and Miami being the two cities of prominence, they continue to top the list as far as high net worth individuals are concerned when it comes to investing in real estate in Florida. Florida has been a hot attraction for the lovely weather that it experiences and the location it enjoys. People who are looking at buying property in the United States should consider focusing on Florida. There are numerous opportunities for snap up great Real Estate Investments.

High net worth individuals can profit from Real Estate in two ways. The first is to obtain rental income. The second would be to wait for the property to appreciate and sell as a capital gain. The IRS gives several Rental Income and Expense tips that can be found here

A useful site for to find out more about Real Estate Investments can be found here.

Florida's quality of life is one of its biggest attractions that draws people into settling down here, whether a company or an individual. Florida can boast of 161 parks, spanning over an area of seven hundred thousand acres and one hundred miles of beaches. Florida has been given the name “Sunshine State” because of the excellent climate it enjoys throughout the year being surrounded by the sea. Temperatures range between 16 degrees centigrade and 27 degrees centigrade.

Florida is the ‘seat of education’ being committed to the best educational system in the country. It has stressed on small sized classes and regular testing systems which have kept up the high performance of students and schools alike. The colleges and universities and technical institutions are world renowned. Florida is known to have the best ‘K-12’ educational system too. Post secondary educational institutions are accessible within fifty miles of residential areas. Besides this, the state is further emphasizing on improvements in the schools and introducing comprehensive plans to boost the funds, and improve the standards of the K-12 schools. This has been an added attraction to real estate investing in Florida for high net worth individuals.

Somehow Florida has been able to manage its cost of living at a low as compared to the other states in the United States. Home ownership rates are well above the national average, while housing prices are far lower than that of other states. State and local governments in Florida are endeavoring to keep housing market rates affordable by all workers. This can be observed with the salary scales of those people working in Florida as against their counterparts in other states.

Florida is rich in its history, art and culture. This is another attraction for the high net worth individuals who enjoy being seen is such places. Florida is also the attraction for high profile exhibitions on art and painting, the Broadway shows, professional musicians, orchestras and dance troupes and other world class entertainment. The well known Disney World is one of the foremost attractions of Florida being located in Orlando. The Miami beaches are the world's most thronged beaches, with the azure blue waters and golden sands.

Florida has over a thousand golf courses to boast of, in addition to the beaches and shopping centers that attract thousands of visitors all round the year. There are lakes, parks and recreation centers to visit. All this puts Florida on the tourist map and the center of Real Estate Investing for the high net worth individual.

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» Film auditions

By China at 10:43 AM

Ever since I was little, people have always told me how pretty I was. No, I am not stuck on myself. I don't think that I am beautiful, it is just that when so many people tell you it, you figure they must see something that you don't. Now that I am older and trying to put myself through school, I have been seriously considering modeling or acting as a way of picking up some extra cash. I think I could do it. Modeling jobs are hard to find, but I could probably go on a few casting calls and see what happens.

I have some friends who have done it, and they have gotten parts like extras in a movie and stuff like that. That does pay, but I want to take it a little further, I would like to make the most $$$ for my time. Makes sense, doesn't it.

Anyway, I have gone online and done some research. There is a modeling agency in the next town over, and that would be great. I think that I need to get a portfolio done and then I will contact them. I know this guy who can take awesome pictures and he would probably do it for me for near nothing. I would throw him a few bucks though. After all, we are all needing a few extra of those these days.

Online I was also able to find ads for modeling auditions and movie auditions, but that always makes me a little nervous. I have heard some scary things, mostly from the TV about girls going on so called auditions and never being seen again. I will have to research these online companies seriously before going on an audition.

I think that film auditions would definitely payoff. I mean more so financially, then let's say modeling. I think that to be an actor and do some small parts would probably be my best option. I don't know if I could get enough work around here, but you never know.

I have found a few websites that you can get access to acting jobs on, but they all charge fees. I don't mind paying the fees, but I don't want to get scammed and then not even get a job. Well, first step will definitely be a portfolio, and then I guess I will see where that takes me.

» Modeling

By China at 8:00 PM

I never want to act or be a model. To start, I do not have the looks nor the skill to even begin starting a career in the entertainment industry. More than that, I would not like to go through the whole process of landing acting jobs or modeling jobs. Whenever I see an advertisement for open calls at a nearby school or shopping mall, I shudder at the thought of standing in line for hours with other potential actors only to be dismissed in a heartbeat before a bored director who had scene the hundredth bad actor from the general public. The same goes for modeling jobs. From what I hear, modeling is as hierarchical and connection-driven as electing politicians or drafting future sports stars. I have so many questions when I think about even starting a modeling career. Do I need an agent? Do I have to insure my face in case I get disfigured? But anyways, back to acting jobs. The first step for such jobs would mean trying out at acting auditions. Not only would that require a lot of energy, imagine the emotional reserves and self esteem necessary to withstand the critiques about how you act and carry yourself, and by seasoned directors no less. Even watching American Idol starts to make my hands a bit clammy the moment I think about actually standing in front of the camera to sing, only to be tepidly praised by Paula, dismissed by Randy, and shattered to pieces by Simon. No, it is enough to worry what your friends, family, and colleagues think rather than have to worry what other strangers think as well. But forget open calls and acting auditions, the real scary scenario is having to perform in many film auditions. First, who knows what type of scene you will have to play at the audition? More than that, if your employment options are slim, you may have to take on a really weird or uncomfortable role in order to even start your acting career. Imagine all the film auditions for B and C rated movies Tom Hanks had to go through before he finally made it Big? And the real worry is, even if you do land an acting job, you may end up getting typecast into playing a certain type of character for the rest of your acting career.

» Talent auditions

By China at 3:25 PM

I am a decent looking guy… or at least I think so! And, I don't mind getting my picture taken. So, I have always thought, "hey, maybe I could be a model! Or maybe even an actor!" At that, my fiancé laughs… but that is okay, I'll still thank her in my Emmy acceptance speech. I've seen a lot of different ads for modeling auditions and acting auditions around campus, but I haven't gone to one yet. It could be really cool, though. I can imagine seeing myself in magazines showing off my white teeth and the tube of toothpaste that gave them to me or maybe on the tv advertising some boxer briefs. Now that would be cool! My adoring public would rush out to purchase whatever it is that I am hawking.

Another thing that would be awesome would be to be an extra in a movie. I'm not sure if you need to go to movie auditions to be an extra or just sort of be in the right place at the right time… but it would be so cool to see myself on the big screen! I would practically be a celebrity! I would have to sit through the entire credits of the movie, just to see my name in there. I would probably autograph a copy of the movie and give it out as gifts, too! Would the success go to my head? Oh yeah, probably!

Where I'm from, though, acting jobs are tough to come by. I would probably have to move out to New York or Hollywood or somewhere far away from my Minnesota lifestyle, there are never casting calls in Minnesota. I have a feeling that in these cities, auditions for teens would be much more common. But, I also thing that it is probably much more competitive to get one of these acting jobs. It seems like most stars get their start at a really young age… doing baby modeling, commercials or playing the cute little kid of the leading actor/actress. So, at my age, it is probably way too late to get into the acting biz. It is a good thing I will have my English and teaching degrees to fall back on!

» Online backgammon

By China at 3:38 PM

A few years ago I stayed with my Aunt for the summer. My uncle who had been in several backgammon tournaments and played online regularly, taught me to play and I was hooked.

Backgammon is not a mathematical game, for the most part it is a game of chance. It can become a more complex game however, when you get into pip counting. Pip counting takes a very mathematical mind, if you plan to do it accurately. People who play online backgammon are a bit spoiled in that the pip counting is done for you, all you have to do is click on the mouse and the pip count is there for you. My uncle can do the pip counting in his head so quickly that you can hardly tell that he is doing it. I have tried over and over again to get it down, but to no avail. I began researching pip counting online to find out if there was a better way for me to come up with the pip count, and I did find several resources that were very helpful. One such resource was and article called Cluster Counting by Jack Kissane. He by far has to be one of the world’s fastest pip counters. Although his article did give some great advice, I continued my search for the method that was right for me.

Then I came across a method called cancellation counting. This method allows you to size up approximately which of you is ahead and by approximately how many pips, to help you determine your next move. Basically what you do is compare your number to theirs row by row and any similar numbers cancel each other out. This helps you determine your relative relationship to your opponent in the game. For instance, begin at each player’s ace point and move upward cancelling out the point amounts that are the same as you go up. Then you have 2 on the 4 point and they have one on the 8 point, then they cancel out. If you have 2 on the 5 point and so do they then these cancel out. Do this as you move up the board, and before long you will know who is ahead and by how many pips. Then you can make any play or cube decisions based on this.

You will find that using this method takes some of the headache out of playing backgammon and before long, others will be impressed with your ability to figure like a pro.

» Bill consolidation

By China at 3:42 PM

When a person begins to accumulate debt, they usually continue in that direction. Once started, this is a cycle that is very difficult to break. Debt continues to build. When a payment is missed, additional fees are applied. Sometimes, one missed payment can result in higher interest rates for all outstanding debt. Soon you have no idea how to cope with this debt and late fees, over your limit fees, and interest rates combine to make your financial situation completely unmanageable. This is the time to consider debt consolidation.

The first decision you need to make is how to approach debt consolidation. Generally, you must find one credit card account with the lowest interest rate and highest credit limit. If necessary, you may have to choose two accounts for consolidation if you do not have the credit limit necessary to consolidate all of your bills. Once you have found the best possible consolidation account, proceed to transfer your balances to them. Often, banks and credit card companies make offers of lower rates if you will transfer other account balances to them. This can work to your benefit while you are trying to regroup and regain your financial footing.

Once you have established the bill consolidation portion of this plan, you are now in a position to begin a serious effort to reduce your debt. It is generally advised that you choose one account to be paid off ahead of the others. This would probably be the account with the smallest balance. Psychologically, paying off an account will enable you to feel successful and motivate you to continue with your plan of action. When this is accomplished, you will have one less payment each month and will choose the next lowest balance account as your target. Again, minimum payment must be made to existing open accounts while you are putting any additional available funds towards the target account. Continuing this plan faithfully will reward you with a debt-free status in a specific period of time. The key to its success is to cancel the credit cards as they are paid off and resolve to no longer purchase anything which you cannot afford.

» Test post

By China at 11:54 PM

This is a test post.