The Spoon Boon Blog

We’ve all heard the term “goth”, but do we really know what it means?

Originally, the word “Goth” described a Germanic tribe which invaded Rome. “The Goths” were regarded as barbaric and uncultured. The term was later applied to a style of medieval architecture, Gothic architecture, because some critics believed that the designs were uncultured. There is even a body of literature, the works of Edgar Allen Poe, for example, that might be termed “Gothic”.

The more recent “goth” movement was a subclass of punk rock, which emerged as an alternative subculture in the 1980s. The term “goth” was first applied to music in 1979. Fans were called “Goths” or “Gothic Punks”.

Goth is a style of music and fashion. Goths tend to dye their hair black, and wear black clothing. Clothing might be ripped. Some goths wear lots of fishnet. Others wear lots of crushed velvet and lace, very Victorian. Jewelry is usually silver. Very white faces with plenty of black eyeliner are seen on both women and men. Sometimes a bit or red or purple might be worn too.

Goth is a mode of self expression and creativity. Goths tend to be quiet, intelligent, creative people who focus on things dark and brooding, and especially the darker side of human nature.
Imagination and originality are key.

Not all goths are depressed. Not all goths wear black. All goths don’t even necessarily enjoy “goth music”. Most do not like to label themselves as “goth” at all.

Though the original Goth movement has faded out almost completely now, there is a new group of young goths, which are sometimes called “KinderGoth” or New School.

Rebecca Fairbanks lives and writes in Vermont, USA. She also owns http://www.SweetInSCENTives.com.

As a small business owner, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with some key deductions that may reduce your tax bill for 2004.

Employee Benefit Plans - You may deduct contributions to employee benefit plans (such as health insurance plans and retirement plans). Depending on your circumstances the maximum contribution that you may deduct per employee in a qualified retirement plan can go up to:

$100,000 or more     With a Defined Benefit Plan

$ 44,000             With a 401(k) plan

$ 41,000             With a SEP-IRA or Keogh

Automobile Expenses- You can elect to deduct the actual expenses incurred (including gas, oil, tires, repairs, insurance, depreciation, and rent or lease payments) for the business-related portion of your car or truck expenses, or simply take the 2004 standard mileage rate of 37.5 cents per business mile.

Social Security Taxes - You may deduct Social Security and Medicaid taxes paid to match required withholdings on employee wages, federal unemployment taxes, as well as real estate or personal property taxes paid on business assets.

Home Office - Depending on whether you use your home or other real estate for business purposes, you may deduct some or all of any mortgage interest paid, as well as some or all of the maintenance and repair expenses associated with the property. The cost of utilities and business supplies associated with business use are also deductible.

Depreciation - Depreciation may be taken on passenger cars, equipment used for entertainment or recreational purposes (i.e., photographic equipment, cell phones and computers), as long as these items are used solely for the business.

Bonus Depreciation - The ‘bonus’ depreciation deduction of up to 50 percent of the cost of new business equipment in the year of purchase applies only to property placed in service on or before December 31, 2004. You may want to consider making any significant equipment purchases before year-end to take advantage of this expiring provision.

Professional Fees - You may deduct professional fees, such as those paid to a lawyer or accountant.

Meals and Entertainment - You may deduct 50 percent of meal and entertainment expenses associated with the conduct of your business.

State and Local General Sales Tax - Beginning in 2004, you will have the option of electing to take an itemized deduction for state and local general sales taxes in lieu of the itemized deduction provided for state and local income taxes.

Charitable Donations of Vehicles - Through 2004, a deduction equal to the fair market value of a donated vehicle is allowed. Starting next year, however, the deduction allowed will generally be limited to the gross proceeds from the sale of the vehicle by the charitable organization.

Remember to keep on file the records and documentation necessary to substantiate all of your deductions. You should consult a tax preparer or professional tax advisor to determine how specific tax rules may impact your individual situation.

About The Author

Daniel Lamaute specializes in setting up retirement plans for the self-employed. Visit http://www.investsafe.com to learn about methods to maximize retirement contributions and to reduce taxes and penalties on early withdrawals.

As a sole proprietor, 100% of your profits are subject to self-employment taxes. The self-employment tax is 15.3% of all profits up to $94,200 (for 2006). Profits beyond the first $94,200 are subject to a 2.9% self-employment tax. If the profits from your business are $200,000, you will pay self employment taxes of $17,037.

Owners of limited liability companies (LLCs) who are active in the company operations are generally subject to the same self-employment tax.

Your business can reduce its self-employment tax obligation by creating an S-corporation. S-corporation profits are not subject to employment taxes. The owners wages, however, will be subject to employment taxes like any other employee.

Many S-corporation owners don’t pay wages to themselves for this reason. They take profit distributions only, thereby avoiding all employment taxes. These taxpayers, however, are at risk of paying penalties if they are audited by the IRS. The IRS requires that S-corporation owners who operate their business pay themselves a “reasonable wage.”

Now you realize that you can maximize your tax savings by creating an S-corporation and paying yourself the smallest wage that qualifies as “reasonable.” So what is reasonable? The IRS does not give specific figures. Also, there is very little case law to provide guidance by example. There are factors that are considered in determining reasonable wage.

Courts would look at the work done by the owner compared to other persons performing similar duties. Courts will also look at the capital contribution by owners. If profits are attributable to capital investments rather than the owner’s efforts, a greater allocation toward profit distribution is warranted. Also, if profits are attributable to the leverage offered by employees, rather than the owner’s own professional services, again, a greater allocation toward profit distribution is warranted.

Assuming $50,000 per year is a reasonable salary, you could save $9,387 in taxes by creating the S-corporation and paying yourself this wage from the $200,000 profit.

Tax accountant John Huddleston has a law degree and masters in tax law from the University of Washington School of Law. He has been a guest tax expert on the radio. He advises small businesses in the Seattle Bellevue Kent Everett area on various tax issues. His firm, Huddleston tax accountants, also provides tax preparation service, quickbooks consulting and general accounting and bookkeeping service. Seattle Bellevue tax accountant John Huddleston is a frequent publisher of tax saving ideas.

What is hydroponics?

The word hydroponics come from the greek hydro and ponus meaing literally “water works” and true to it’s name hydroponics is growing with water only, no other growth medium.

There are many hydroponic systems all of which do the same job in a different way, that job is to completely control the enviroment in which your plants grow.

So how does it work?

Plants need food and light to survive and in nature the sun provides the light and nutrients in soil provide the elements it need s to grow. In hydroponics you have a nutrient solution to provide the basic elements to grow and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps to provide light.

This allows you to control the amount of food and light a plant gets so that it can grow at it’s optimum rate.

Conventionally grown plants the extract water nutrients and oxygen from soil however because of the physical characteristics of soil it is likely that one or all of these essential nutrients is in limited availability to the plant roots.

When plants are grown hydroponically, provided the system is set-up correctly the plants have access to an unlimited supply of water, containing exactly the right amount of nutrients along with a perfectly balanced pH enabling a grower to keep there plants growing at a much more vigorous rate throughout the crop and achieve maximum yield.

Contrary to some expectations, the roots of the plants grown hydroponically are not usually totally submerged in water. As having the root totaly submerged in water would be counter-productuive, the reason for this is oxygen is a key factor to all hydroponic systems.

The idea of hydroponics might still intimidate some people, most gardeners prefere and enjoy the simple, quick and eacy process of Hydroponics. It is no more complicated than traditional gardening mothods, and the same growing principles apply to the both. Althought slighty more technology is used in Hydroponics you should not be daunted by this.

Choosing the best method for you

There is often great debate about the best method of growing the truth is it depends on the grower, it is certainly true that advanced methods like aeroponics and hydroponics display rapid growth rates which astonish growers who have previously worked with soil this is due to the water having the perfect amount of oxygenated nutrients contained within it.

What the grower must understand where they previously had soil acting as a buffer as well as providing nutrient, in hydro & aeroponics it is down to the grower to ensure the pH and nutrient remain stable and accurate.

Many soil growers enjoy the low cost & low maintenance of working with soil despite the traditionally slower growth rates by adding air pumps porous air rings many growers report up to 50% increase in yield along with growth rates than can only been compared to aeroponics.

In conclusion it really depends on an individuals circumstances many growers use a combination, keeping stock or mother plants in soil, Using Aeroponics for rooting cuttings enabling rapid root and vegetative growth at very early stages and flowering in N.F.T or flood and drain.

S Dop is the webmaster of http://www.grotec.co.uk, one of the biggest hydroponics shops in the UK.

Your credit rating affects many areas of your life. Opening new credit accounts, buying a home or car, getting a new job, and receiving discounts on insurance rates are just a few of the things that are impacted by your credit score. Millions of people have inaccurate information, errors, and out dated information on their credit report. These errors can cause your credit score to drop dramatically, which adversely affects numerous aspects of your life. Credit repair services can help you raise your credit score and get rid of old accounts and inaccurate information.

Creditors often report information that is incorrect and you may even have accounts on your credit report that do not belong to you. Even credit accounts that are listed correctly can be removed form your credit report if the creditor cannot prove the information is accurate and up to date. You can legally rid yourself of many items on your credit report and raise your credit score. This will enable you to make important purchases and take advantages of discounts that would otherwise be unavailable to you. The major credit bureaus control a major portion of our lives. It is important to be diligent in monitoring your credit report and make certain any inaccurate information is removed.

Credit repair services can make a huge difference in your quality of life and enable you to do the things that are important to you. When you repair your credit you have a fresh start in building a positive credit history and keeping your credit score at a desirable level. Low credit scores can mean you will pay high interest rates and you could even be denied credit in many cases. You can find the path to freedom and security when you take advantage of the many credit repair services that are offered by reputable companies and organizations.

Ken Austin is the webmaster at http://www.hazeydee.com and http://creditrelief.kraustin.com

The importance of having adequate life cover should never be underestimated - and the solution may be in taking out fixed term life insurance cover.

But first of all, why is life insurance so important? Sadly, many people see it as an unnecessary expense, thinking that once they die, why will they need the money? However, life insurance provides financial protection for the loved ones you leave behind.

For example, if you died tomorrow, would your partner be able to meet the monthly mortgage repayment and day to day bills on one salary alone? Would they be able to live the same lifestyle without your salary? Or would they need to sell up and downsize, possibly uprooting your children in the process?

It is unlikely that they would be able to cope financially on just one salary alone - and nor would you want them to be put under financial stress while coping with their grief.

The positive news is that the life insurance doesn’t have to be expensive - and fixed term life insurance can be fairly cheap.

Fixed term life cover is insurance that pays out a lump sum should the life insured (ie. the policyholder) die during the term of the policy. It is a simple and probably the most inexpensive form of life insurance cover available.

This is because if the policyholder (or policyholders in the case of a joint life policy) survives the term of the policy, it expires and no payment is made. As the lump sum payment is only made on the death of the policyholder, this makes the life assurance premiums less expensive than some other life insurance plans.

Fixed term life insurance can also have additional benefits such as payment of the lump sum upon diagnosis of a terminal illness (such as cancer) during the term of the policy.

The term will normally fixed to match your personal financial circumstances - for example, if you have twenty years to go on your mortgage, then you need life insurance to cover at the least the period until your mortgage is paid off. Or you may want it to run up until you plan to retire.

As with all insurances, do shop around to find the right deal for you - you’ll be surprised how much prices can vary from insurer to insurer even though they are offering the same level of cover and benefits.

Finally, if you are unsure about any aspect of your chosen cover, then speak to your life insurance provider or seek independent financial advice.

Jason Hulott is Business Development Director of Protection Insurance. Protection Insurance is an internet based insurance business dedicated to getting consumers the very best insurance rates and the best products. Sign up to our Weekly Insurance Newsletter and get 3 Free Insurance Guides. Also check out our new Car Insurance Directory with over 20 providers

I do not draw a very large salary package, but have come up through a lot many grades. Apart from the other lessons that this ascent taught me, the most important lesson was that no matter what you earn, your expenses would always exceed them.

The deficit was not hard to fill up. There were personal loans that forever bridged the gap.

Personal loans have a very long history of serving the residents of the UK. Apart from me, there are an equally large number of people who find their incomes deficient. It is personal loan again that provides the necessary cash for fulfilling their needs.

The needs to be covered through personal loans are as varied as the people themselves. Unless the personal loan is used for non commercial purposes, the loan providers wouldn’t object. So, whether you want to consolidate debts, or want to give a new look to your home through repairs of improvements, personal loans are always there.

Personal loan amount will depend on the needs of the borrowers. It will also depend on the amount that borrower is able to command .The amount lent ranges from ₤5000 to ₤75000. For instance, borrowers can draw personal loans up to the maximum limit for settling debts of a larger amount. Those with an even greater need have loan providers lending them ₤100000.

Interest rates are the best part of personal loans .Since it is used only for non-commercial purpose, borrowers can qualify for a much lower interest. The APR typically ranges from 6-25%. The range includes borrowers of all types of credit status. Borrowers who have a bad credit history have to pay a higher interest rate. Can they complain? No! They know fully well that they put loan providers to a greater risk. The high interest rate is only to make good the increased risk.

Have you thought how you are going to repay the personal loan? You didn’t want the question of repayment to emerge so soon. But personal loans can be enjoyed to the fullest extent only where the borrower is ready with the plans of repayment of the personal loan.

With the large variety of repayment methods available in UK, borrowers will not have to be stuck to certain standard method. If asked to recommend the best repayment method, I would surely go with the monthly repayment method. No other method clears the loan in so systematic manner as the monthly repayment method. Besides never is the borrower burdened with a very large repayment. This is because every month borrower is just required to repay a part of the personal loan.

Other methods too are attractive but have certain drawbacks which do not make them as viable. Certain borrowers would prefer to pay the entire personal loan through a one time payment. It is not possible for all people to pay a large personal loan at once. Limited income obstructs borrowers in this venture .Had they have enough money, why would they take loans at the first hand.

The repayment decision is not to be compromised with. You can secure the future of the personal loan to a large extent by taking the correct decisions. You do not have to feel alone in the decision. You can engage a group of experts to give you independent advice of a range of issues associated with personal loans.

Steve Clark can tell you how to look better, live better and breathe better by giving you tips to improve your finances.He writes on loans. His ideas can help you rejuvenate your money.To Find Personal loans Homeowner personal loan secured personal loans visit http://www.ezpersonalloansuk.co.uk

If your nutrition and weight-loss education comes mostly by way of fad diet books and magazine articles, you will believe 10 myths and to lose weight you need to get them out of your head.

Fad diets don’t work period - So if you believe any of the following you need to change your view to lose weight.

1. Skipping meals helps you lose weight.

No it does not! it makes you hungrier as it creates huger cravings and actually causes you to over eat. You need to eat 5 meals a day.

2. Your metabolism is slower at night.

Your metabolism doesn’t slow down at night.

This fad diet myth comes from the fact that most people eat a larger proportion of calories in the evening and if your metabolism slows down then when you sleep these calories will turn to fat!

As your metabolism is not slower at night, it makes no difference when you eat - it’s the overall calories consumed that cause the damage not the time of day their eaten that matters.

3. Carbohydrates cause weight gain.

This is perhaps the most common fad diet myth. This myth has been promoted by high-protein fad diets on the market.

Carbohydrates are your body’s premier source of fuel. The thing to keep in mind with cards is good and bad ones and eat the good ones is the

Replace carbs with high sugar content (simple carbs) i.e biscuits and sweets with complex carbs: Fruit, vegetables whole-grain brown rice and cereal.

Not eating carbs will make you sluggish and irritable.

4. Lose weight is hard and a chore.

Well many fad diets are! As they deprive you of foods you love, their therefore hard to stick with.

Fact is we were never designed to be on fad diets. Dieting is all about balance and you can include any foods you love, but if there sugary or fat foods then you just need to eat them in moderation.

5. Fat free foods that are calorie free.

That low-fat label is by no means a license to over indulge
Many low-fat products are loaded with sugar to as a substitute for the missing fat, which means they are just as high in calories as the sugar is simply turned into fat!

6. No Snacks

If you have time to eat 5 meals a day you won’t probably want to snack, if it’s three times a day a quick snack is a good idea.
At the end of the day, its total calories consumed in a day that counts not how you eat them.

A quick snack can help you stop overeating and keep your energy levels high.

7. Fat is bad for you

Fats are part of the natural food chain of humans and we all need a certain amount of fat to healthy, but we need good ones.

Bad fats increase the risk for certain diseases and good fats lower the risk. The key is to make sure your eating the right fats.

Fats that are actually healthy are referred to as “essential fatty acids.” These fats are required for overall health and lower risk of heart disease.

The reason oily fish is so good is that the essential fatty acids contained actually help your body burn fat more efficiently and protect against disease.
8. Cholesterol is bad for you

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made by the liver, we all need some blood cholesterol as it’s used to build cells and form hormones.

There is good and bad cholesterol.

Saturated fats in foods such as meat, cheese, cream, butter help raise LDL (low density lipoprotein) ‘bad’ cholesterol.

This then delivers cholesterol to the arteries. HDL (high density lipoprotein) - or ‘good’ cholesterol - transports cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver.
Simply avoid this group or eat in moderation

9. Dairy products make you fat.

Combined with calorie control, a dairy-rich diet can nearly double body-fat reduction and help you lose weight longer term

The reason is they contain the hormone calcitriol, which helps conserve calcium for stronger bones while sending a message to fat cells to convert less sugar to fat and burn more body fat.

10. There is a short cut way to lose weight

This is the myth promoted by all fad diets you can lose weight quickly and be healthy - No you cant. Our bodies are not designed to crash diet and fad diets sound easy but people end up being disappointed.

The only way to lose weight is to do it slowly, with a balanced diet.

Forget fad diets and lose weight the right way.

No two web sites are the same. This would be a known fact by the
surfers who already have experiences in browsing and going over
many sites. There may be many similarities, in terms of
categories and designs, but that is where it ends. Web sites are
also classified according to what they cater to and the kind of
information and service they give. Here are some of the
different kinds of site.

Company profile sites. This is the site where a certain company
or business displays an extension about their profile and
information that may have been stated initially in the printed
materials that they have. Customers come here for the needed
assistance about product and services. This kind of site is not
necessarily the site where companies make promotions and
marketing.

E-business web sites. These sites are enabled with e-commerce
transactional abilities which allow online selling of products
and services from the websites. Examples of these sites are
yahoo and rediff. These sites are equipped with highly secure
software programs and databases that run on backend. For those
who have tight and less budgets, some sites offer pre-packaged
e-commerce solutions.

Social and community-based web sites. These sites showcase
topics with social relevance. Some created by people that have
common interests. People come to these sites for a specific
purpose that is relatively the same as the others. For those who
do not share the same interests, visiting this kind of site
would not at all adhere to their tastes and likes. Vortal or
portal sites. Where you can find a variety and assortment of
many topics all in one site. If you put it into perspective,
this is like an online encyclopedia, where people can look to
find just about anything. The main purpose for this kind of
sites may be to help readers look for the relevant information
they need without having to go through many sites and without
having to search everywhere. The topics and information put into
this vortals or portals are already tailored firsthand to in
accordance to the different kinds of readers that might visit
them.

Knowing the different kind of sites and what they specialize in
would help a lot in the process of finding what you need to
know. With more and more sites being created everyday, choosing
the right one perfect for your needs is not necessarily an easy
task. Can be a cause of confusion and makes decision making
hard. The thing to remember is knowing first before going.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit
http://www.ucreative.com

Realize that the following techniques are to be avoided. I have observed presenters that practice all of these no-nos and are never asked back.

Never look anyone in the eye. Scan the room with your gaze somewhere above the heads of audience members. I know that I have read this tip somewhere in the past, but I also know that if you do this, you will never make contact and interact with your audience. Yes, you will avoid seeing some who look bored and others who are dozing off, but you will never give the impression that you are speaking directly to everyone and never feel the encouragement and energy given back by those you look at “eyeball to eyeball” for at least three seconds.

Put your whole presentation on PowerPoint slides. Then, you can read the information right off the slides. You will even be able to copy the slides and use the copies for your handouts. What could be easier? Not much. But it will also be easy for those attending your presentation to take a nap while the room is darkened, glance quickly at the handouts following your session to find any worthwhile tidbits of information and then toss it all in the wastebasket.

Phew! You are ready to close your presentation. You have already gone way over your time limit, but after telling the audience that the end was near, you remembered all sorts of extra facts and points you had forgotten to tell them. You know that you have succeeded at driving them crazy when everyone starts looking at his or her watch — especially the next speaker. If you have reached this part of the article, you realize that I have almost overstated techniques to avoid, and even if none of the previous habits in any way describe you, be sure to take heed of the next no-no. Many a fine presenter makes this mistake at the end of a super presentation.

Rush off the stage/podium before the audience gets a chance to show its appreciation. You have given the best presentation of your career (and each time you present, this should be so), but before the audience gets a chance to applaud with gusto, or even get on their feet for a standing ovation, you are not there anymore to graciously accept their thanks.

Pay attention to the above techniques, so that you can remove them as quickly as possible from your presentations.

Chris King is a professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, free agent, and fitness instructor. Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.PowerfulPresentations.net You will find her information-packed E-book How to Leave Your Audiences Begging for MORE! at http://www.OutrageouslyPowerfulPresenter.com and her business website at http://www.CreativeKeys.biz