Hair is the ultimate accessory; it can add to (or detract from) your overall look instantly. Keeping it in healthy condition is the most important thing you can do to help it look and feel fabulous. And, while it seems easy, this isn't as simple as minimizing chemical treatments or slathering on a weekly deep conditioner. While these can make your strands softer and less split-end-prone, what really matters is the daily handling; this is what creates the most stress--and potential damage--to your tresses. To help your locks look their best, we asked top experts from around the country for their advice on how to baby your mane every single day. So whether your concern is dullness, damage, frizz or fragility, we have the answers to ease even the toughest hair-care woes. Read on for tips to achieve run-your-fingers-through-it hair.
1 Steer clear of plastic-bristle brushes. "The proper bristles are key," says stylist Edward Tricomi of the Warren-Tricomi Salon in New York City. "A combination of natural boar bristles on either a round or flat brush are best for dry hair, while soft, rubber-toothed wide-paneled brushes are best for damp hair." Our favorite brushes include the Mason Pearson Boar Bristle brush ($78.50; zitomer.com) and Aveda's Wooden Paddle Brush ($17; aveda.com).
2 Brush before shampooing. A few gentle strokes on dry hair will help remove product buildup and scalp flakes, as well as stimulate the scalp and promote blood flow (which delivers nutrients like oxygen) to hair follicles. For a smoother slide, try Clairol Herbal Essences Let It Loose Detangling Spray ($3; at drugstores).
3 Know your water. If your hair looks dull or is hard to style, the problem could be your tap water. According to Minneapolis-based Gordon Nelson, international creative director for Regis Salons, well water contains natural minerals (called "hard water") that can leave hair lusterless and hard to manage and can impart a brassy, orange hue. Soft water, on the other hand, has fewer damaging minerals. (Ask your local water department if your water is soft or hard, or try using Robert Craig's No More Bad Hair Days Kit, $20; robertcraig.com; with strips to test your water.) To rid hair of mineral buildup, suds up every week with a clarifying shampoo. We like Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo and Clean Conditioner ($18.50 each; saks.com).
4 Mist your ends with water before home coloring. The ends of your hair are more porous and, as a result, absorb more pigment. "Wet hair doesn't absorb color as readily as dry hair," explains Renee Patronik, a consulting colorist for L'Oreal in New York.
5 Trim your troubles. As the ends of your hair get older and damaged by rough handling, they become prone to splitting, Nelson says. Get regular trims, at least 1/2 inch every four to eight weeks. "Hair grows (on average) half an inch per month, so trim to maintain healthy ends," says stylist Stephen Knoll of the Stephen Knoll Salon in New York.
6 Use color-protective products. Chemical treatments like color can damage hair because the chemicals have to penetrate the outer layer of the hair (or cuticle) to allow the hue to be absorbed, explains stylist Rodolfo Valentin of Rodolfo Valentin Atelier for Hair in New York. Color-protective products are specially designed to minimize dryness, keep color true and prevent damage. "They typically have more nourishing ingredients, strip less color and are less abusive," Knoll explains. We love L'Oreal VIVE Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner ($3.69 each; at drugstores) and Matrix Biolage Color Care Shampoo ($10) and Conditioner ($11; matrix.com for salon locations).
7 Give wet hair extra TLC. It stretches and snaps more easily than dry hair does, so be extra-gentle with it. "Use a wide-tooth plastic comb while hair is wet; then, once it's towel-dried, switch to a good brush," says Jon Patrick, color director of the Mete Turkmen Hair Salon Plus in New York. And avoid wooden combs; wood can have microscopic divots that snag hairs. Instead try the Jilbere de Paris plastic shower comb ($1.49; sally beauty.com for store locations).
8 Deep condition once every two weeks. "These treatments penetrate the hair shaft and strengthen strands," says Patrick, who adds that using heat (from a blow-dryer) can intensify deep conditioning, as the heat causes the cuticle to open and the ingredients to penetrate.
For nourishing results, try Kerastase Masquintense ($36; 877-748-8357 for salons), available for fine or thick hair; Neutrogena Triple Moisture Sheer Hydration Leave-In Foam ($7; at drugstores); or Ellin Lavar Textures ReconstructMasque ($25; ellinlavar.com).
9 Try an ionic dryer. Ions are atoms with a positive or negative charge. These particular hair-dryers bathe your hair in negative ions, which help break up water molecules faster and cancel out hair-damaging positive ions, Valentin explains. Plus, your hair-drying time is cut in half. We love the Bio Ionic Super-Hydrator Pro Dryer ($165; bioionic.com for salon locations).
10 Just use your dryer's nozzle, urges stylist Frank Galasso of Frank.Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. It's the best way to help prevent frizz because it concentrates the airflow on sections. "Without a nozzle the dryer's grill gets very hot; if your hair gets too close to it, it will cause damage and/or breakage," explains stylist Mark Garrison of the Mark Garrison Salon in New York.
For curls, use a diffuser attachment to gently surround your hair with air. Try Vidal Sassoon Ceramic Finger Diffuser ($8; hotus.com for store locations). Follow up with John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme ($6; at drugstores) to smooth strands.
11 Give textured or relaxed hair a break. African-American hair tends to be coarse due to a lack of natural oils (more so if chemically processed), says New York-based celebrity hairstylist Ellin Lavar. Lavar suggests opting for gentle color choices like semipermanent or vegetable color. Spacing processing treatments at least two weeks apart, with weekly conditioning treatments in between for shine maintenance, helps.
12 Use the right accessories. Kim Vo, a stylist at West Hollywood's B2V Salon, suggests putting hair in soft braids or twists and using claw clips rather than barrettes, which can pull hair. Other options: gentle Goody Ouchless elastic bands ($3 for 14; at drugstores) and L. Erickson Grab 'N Go Pony O's ($12 for three; franceluxe.com).
RELATED ARTICLE: POINT & CLICK FOR HEALTHY HAIR
For great styling advice that doesn't sacrifice hair health, check out the Dove Styling Tool, a tip-filled interactive guide created with the help of top celebrity stylist Eva Scrivo. It's organized according to the look you're trying to achieve. Find it at dove.com/unstick_your_style.
RELATED ARTICLE
BAN BAD-HAIR DAYS We're giving 50 lucky Shape readers the chance to try Robert Craig's No More Bad Hair Days Kit (a $20 value!). The kit includes 12 water test strips, three shampoos for different water types (soft, moderately hard and extremely hard) and a leave-in conditioner. Visit Shape.com/RobertCraig from Oct. 18 to Nov. 14 for your chance to win. Good luck!
KATHY MILLER KRAMER is a New York City-based freelance writer. Additional reporting by CARLY CARDELLINO.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
Article Source : http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_3_25/ai_n15775891/
Minggu, 19 Februari 2012
Cost of capital for industry and banks
by Robert N. McCauley, Steven A. Zimmer
*Robert N. McCauley is Research Officer and Senior Economist, International Finance Department, and Steven A. Zimmer is Senior Economist, International Capital Markets staff, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
1 See footnote at end of text.
A relatively high cost of capital burdens U.S. industry and banks alike. The effects of high capital costs on capital formation in the United States are hard to demonstrate, but are believed to be important, especially in research-intensive high technology industries. The inflow of foreign direct investment into the United States in the late 1970s and the 1980s fits with a cost-of-capital interpretation. Cost-of-capital differences assert themselves with particular force in competition in wholesale banking. How foreign banks will respond to the effect Of recession on the cash flows of U. S. corporations is important, because a high cost of capital has shrunk U.S. banks' market share.
IT IS EASY to come away from a reading of the growing body of work comparing capital costs across countries with a question as to the possible consequences. Pairs of analysts perform research on the subject as if the exertion requires a team in harness.(1) The teams seem to arrive at estimates of the cost of capital not just lathered but also winded by the long run of calculations.
Comparing cost of capital across countries elbowed its way onto economists' research agenda from the outside, as it were, from business. Most economists who work on cost of capital are tax experts whose faith in the equalization of all prices of interest across all markets is undisturbed by any attempt at measurements.(2) The convenient consequence of his faith is that tax wedges remain the only matter of interest.
The Semiconductor Industry Association commissioned a study in 1980 of capital costs in Japan and the United States. Concern over the ease with which Japanese firms were making the massive investments required for the next generation of chips motivated the investigation. Later, as the U.S. deficit in international trade widened, so did interest in cost of capital. The flaws of the Semiconductor Industry Association's report and a later pass on the subject by the Commerce Department(3) drew economists to the project. To this day, cost of capital comparisons get more attention at gatherings of the American Electronics Association than at gatherings of the American Economic Association.
WHY CAPITAL COSTS MATTER
Capital costs influence two kinds of investment. First, capital formation depends on capital costs, which may be thought of as setting the required payback period for investment projects. Capital costs also shape direct investment flows.
Capital Formation
Capital costs matter to the level of investment in an economy, and the level of investment per worker matters for the growth of productivity and therefore living standards. On the latter connection the evidence is fairly impressive: the strength of investment spending bids fair to explain cross-country differences in productivity.(4) On the connection between capital costs and investment, most macro-economists will readily admit that capital costs do not add much to a simple accelerator model of investment in explaining investment over time in a given country.(5)
The cost of capital as we measure it bears a striking relation to investment performance of the United States, Japan, Germany, and Britain (Charts 1 and 2).(6) The juxtaposition raises the question of whether it is fair to test the efficacy of cost of capital in the usual fashion. The time series evidence on investment from single countries is unsurprisingly dominated by the business cycle, which may obscure the effect of cost of capital.
The cost of capital advantage enjoyed by Germany and Japan arose from quite different sources. Germany's short-term and long-term interest rates were not all that different in real terms from those of the United States in the 1980s, but German corporations relied almost entirely on cheaper short-term debt. German companies got away with not paying the premium for long-term liabilities by virtue of closer links between industry and banks on the one hand and the strong commitment of the Bundesbank to price stability on the other hand. Corporate Germany, however, has not been well-served by this mix of debt since the breaching of the Berlin Wall. Japanese firms, by contrast, derived their advantage in the 1980s from the run-up of equity prices on the Tokyo exchange.
On its face, the rise in the share of Japan's domestic product devoted to investment, to 29 percent in 1989 from the low 20s, cannot be separated from the run-up in the Tokyo stock market. if the rise in equity prices represented a bubble, rational or otherwise, it was nevertheless a bubble from which corporate Japan could and did remove cash, largely by the sale of call options embodied in Euro-bonds with warrants and convertible bonds. That the investment rate in the Japanese economy rose again in 1990 in spite of the disorderly retreat of the Tokyo Stock Exchange suggests the importance of lags and liquidity effects rather than the unimportance of the cost of equity.
The composition of investment in the United States in the 1980s may also reflect capital costs. Gross investment held to its postwar norm in the 1980s, but the shortening of the average life of U. S. equipment investment dragged net investment below its norm. The shift in the mix of investment may well reflect that the cost of capital disadvantage is accentuated for long-lived projects.
Direct investment in the United States
Twenty years ago Bob Aliber argued that the predominant home country for foreign direct investment draws on a cost-of-capital advantage. If in the 1950s and 1960s the New York Stock Exchange capitalized a given stream of earnings at a higher multiple than the London, Frankfurt, Paris or Tokyo stock exchanges, then U.S. multinationals could outbid British, German, French or Japanese companies for corporate assets abroad.(7) This view does not provide an account of the two-way flow characteristic of foreign direct investment; oil companies marketing in each other's back yard is better understood in terms of industrial organization.(8) As an account of the shifting balance of foreign direct investment, however, Aliber's hypothesis has aged reasonably well. Foreign acquisitions in the United States rose sharply in the late 1970s when, as a result of the confounding effects of inflation, U.S. firms' cost of equity moved irregularly above that of major foreign competitors (Chart 3).
From the mid-1980s, foreign acquirers brought a significant cost of equity advantage to the bidding contests for U.S. corporate assets. By the end of the decade, as foreign firms accounted for as much as a third of the deals by value, Congress legislated new restrictions on foreign acquisitions. The country composition of the foreign acquisitions shifted toward Japan, which made sense in light of the low cost of equity there. That British firms managed to increase their wonted share of acquisitions in the United States was a little puzzling, and a deal-by-deal comparison of the price-earnings ratios of U. K. acquirer and U.S. target does not suggest that the British firms were creating equity value by relocating earnings from New York to London; indeed, in 1988 and 1989 the target's exit multiple was generally higher than the acquirer's price-earning's multiple.(9) Overall, however, both the timing of the United States' receipt of a disproportionate share of the world's direct investment and the sources by country accord with Aliber's hypothesis.
Competition in Banking
A corollary of the cost of capital interpretation of direct investment is that businesses that rely heavily on equity should show an exaggerated effect of international differences in fundamental stock market valuations. This corollary is borne out by a comparison of competitive outcomes in industry and banking.
In industry, foreign acquisitions are raising the share of U.S. manufacturing assets or employment under the control of foreign firms, although the growth is slower than one might expect because of divestments by foreign firms that found it easier to acquire than run firms in the United States. Much of the recent near-doubling of the share of U.S. gross national product accounted for by foreign-owned firms - from 2.3 percent in 1977 to 4.3 percent in 1987 - actually occurred in the late 1970s.(10) Still, only in the rare cases such as the chemical industry have foreign firms reached a one-third market share.(11) And U.S. manufacturing and commercial firms are not retrenching their foreign operations.(12)
Article Source : http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_3_25/ai_n15775891/
*Robert N. McCauley is Research Officer and Senior Economist, International Finance Department, and Steven A. Zimmer is Senior Economist, International Capital Markets staff, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
1 See footnote at end of text.
A relatively high cost of capital burdens U.S. industry and banks alike. The effects of high capital costs on capital formation in the United States are hard to demonstrate, but are believed to be important, especially in research-intensive high technology industries. The inflow of foreign direct investment into the United States in the late 1970s and the 1980s fits with a cost-of-capital interpretation. Cost-of-capital differences assert themselves with particular force in competition in wholesale banking. How foreign banks will respond to the effect Of recession on the cash flows of U. S. corporations is important, because a high cost of capital has shrunk U.S. banks' market share.
IT IS EASY to come away from a reading of the growing body of work comparing capital costs across countries with a question as to the possible consequences. Pairs of analysts perform research on the subject as if the exertion requires a team in harness.(1) The teams seem to arrive at estimates of the cost of capital not just lathered but also winded by the long run of calculations.
Comparing cost of capital across countries elbowed its way onto economists' research agenda from the outside, as it were, from business. Most economists who work on cost of capital are tax experts whose faith in the equalization of all prices of interest across all markets is undisturbed by any attempt at measurements.(2) The convenient consequence of his faith is that tax wedges remain the only matter of interest.
The Semiconductor Industry Association commissioned a study in 1980 of capital costs in Japan and the United States. Concern over the ease with which Japanese firms were making the massive investments required for the next generation of chips motivated the investigation. Later, as the U.S. deficit in international trade widened, so did interest in cost of capital. The flaws of the Semiconductor Industry Association's report and a later pass on the subject by the Commerce Department(3) drew economists to the project. To this day, cost of capital comparisons get more attention at gatherings of the American Electronics Association than at gatherings of the American Economic Association.
WHY CAPITAL COSTS MATTER
Capital costs influence two kinds of investment. First, capital formation depends on capital costs, which may be thought of as setting the required payback period for investment projects. Capital costs also shape direct investment flows.
Capital Formation
Capital costs matter to the level of investment in an economy, and the level of investment per worker matters for the growth of productivity and therefore living standards. On the latter connection the evidence is fairly impressive: the strength of investment spending bids fair to explain cross-country differences in productivity.(4) On the connection between capital costs and investment, most macro-economists will readily admit that capital costs do not add much to a simple accelerator model of investment in explaining investment over time in a given country.(5)
The cost of capital as we measure it bears a striking relation to investment performance of the United States, Japan, Germany, and Britain (Charts 1 and 2).(6) The juxtaposition raises the question of whether it is fair to test the efficacy of cost of capital in the usual fashion. The time series evidence on investment from single countries is unsurprisingly dominated by the business cycle, which may obscure the effect of cost of capital.
The cost of capital advantage enjoyed by Germany and Japan arose from quite different sources. Germany's short-term and long-term interest rates were not all that different in real terms from those of the United States in the 1980s, but German corporations relied almost entirely on cheaper short-term debt. German companies got away with not paying the premium for long-term liabilities by virtue of closer links between industry and banks on the one hand and the strong commitment of the Bundesbank to price stability on the other hand. Corporate Germany, however, has not been well-served by this mix of debt since the breaching of the Berlin Wall. Japanese firms, by contrast, derived their advantage in the 1980s from the run-up of equity prices on the Tokyo exchange.
On its face, the rise in the share of Japan's domestic product devoted to investment, to 29 percent in 1989 from the low 20s, cannot be separated from the run-up in the Tokyo stock market. if the rise in equity prices represented a bubble, rational or otherwise, it was nevertheless a bubble from which corporate Japan could and did remove cash, largely by the sale of call options embodied in Euro-bonds with warrants and convertible bonds. That the investment rate in the Japanese economy rose again in 1990 in spite of the disorderly retreat of the Tokyo Stock Exchange suggests the importance of lags and liquidity effects rather than the unimportance of the cost of equity.
The composition of investment in the United States in the 1980s may also reflect capital costs. Gross investment held to its postwar norm in the 1980s, but the shortening of the average life of U. S. equipment investment dragged net investment below its norm. The shift in the mix of investment may well reflect that the cost of capital disadvantage is accentuated for long-lived projects.
Direct investment in the United States
Twenty years ago Bob Aliber argued that the predominant home country for foreign direct investment draws on a cost-of-capital advantage. If in the 1950s and 1960s the New York Stock Exchange capitalized a given stream of earnings at a higher multiple than the London, Frankfurt, Paris or Tokyo stock exchanges, then U.S. multinationals could outbid British, German, French or Japanese companies for corporate assets abroad.(7) This view does not provide an account of the two-way flow characteristic of foreign direct investment; oil companies marketing in each other's back yard is better understood in terms of industrial organization.(8) As an account of the shifting balance of foreign direct investment, however, Aliber's hypothesis has aged reasonably well. Foreign acquisitions in the United States rose sharply in the late 1970s when, as a result of the confounding effects of inflation, U.S. firms' cost of equity moved irregularly above that of major foreign competitors (Chart 3).
From the mid-1980s, foreign acquirers brought a significant cost of equity advantage to the bidding contests for U.S. corporate assets. By the end of the decade, as foreign firms accounted for as much as a third of the deals by value, Congress legislated new restrictions on foreign acquisitions. The country composition of the foreign acquisitions shifted toward Japan, which made sense in light of the low cost of equity there. That British firms managed to increase their wonted share of acquisitions in the United States was a little puzzling, and a deal-by-deal comparison of the price-earnings ratios of U. K. acquirer and U.S. target does not suggest that the British firms were creating equity value by relocating earnings from New York to London; indeed, in 1988 and 1989 the target's exit multiple was generally higher than the acquirer's price-earning's multiple.(9) Overall, however, both the timing of the United States' receipt of a disproportionate share of the world's direct investment and the sources by country accord with Aliber's hypothesis.
Competition in Banking
A corollary of the cost of capital interpretation of direct investment is that businesses that rely heavily on equity should show an exaggerated effect of international differences in fundamental stock market valuations. This corollary is borne out by a comparison of competitive outcomes in industry and banking.
In industry, foreign acquisitions are raising the share of U.S. manufacturing assets or employment under the control of foreign firms, although the growth is slower than one might expect because of divestments by foreign firms that found it easier to acquire than run firms in the United States. Much of the recent near-doubling of the share of U.S. gross national product accounted for by foreign-owned firms - from 2.3 percent in 1977 to 4.3 percent in 1987 - actually occurred in the late 1970s.(10) Still, only in the rare cases such as the chemical industry have foreign firms reached a one-third market share.(11) And U.S. manufacturing and commercial firms are not retrenching their foreign operations.(12)
Article Source : http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_3_25/ai_n15775891/
It Is Never Too Late to Graduate
Any age is a great age to graduate from a college or university. There is no age limit on education. That is an important idea grasp for those who wish to make a career change late in life. When your current skills are not leading you to the career path desired, then it is time to change those skills. The best way to do that is to go to enroll in a college or university, taking the necessary classes to graduate.
Of course, if you work already or do not have a lot of money to spend on furthering your education, then it can be a difficult task. The first thing to do is to find a college that is right for you and offers the necessary conveniences you need to allow you to attend. A lot of times, the idea of going back to school is clouded in assumptions and half-truths. It is not necessary to go to a highly popular college in order to achieve a degree that has meaning. The college or university simply needs to be accredited. So when you make your choice, look for the following: Find a place that is close, so you do not have to waste time in long commutes, make sure it has a degree program in your subject of interest and check to see if it has a job placement program for post graduates. These are factors and services that are common to most Community Colleges nowadays, but not all. It is important to double check that the place of learning you choose to attend will have everything you want to start that new career or advance in an old one.
The mistake many people make is to look at the price of the classes before looking at anything else. The first priority should be if the college is right for your needs. If it is, then look at the cost. Often, there are assistance programs available for those in need and a lot of times, if you look close by, a college with low admission costs is within the vicinity, containing classes and programs in your chosen field of work. Affordability should not be the first question, but the last one that should be asked in matters of continuing your education. Even if you cannot find the amount of aide you require directly from the college, there are third party assistance programs available to every demographic. Find the time to locate and apply for them. Many are available for those who seek to graduate and further their careers. By making the right choice now, it will mean great success later on. Become one of the many to take it upon themselves to graduate and advance their knowledge and skills. Remember, it can only be a boon to you.
By : Asa College Davis
Article Source : http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051532139-1-it-is-never-too-late-to-graduate/
Of course, if you work already or do not have a lot of money to spend on furthering your education, then it can be a difficult task. The first thing to do is to find a college that is right for you and offers the necessary conveniences you need to allow you to attend. A lot of times, the idea of going back to school is clouded in assumptions and half-truths. It is not necessary to go to a highly popular college in order to achieve a degree that has meaning. The college or university simply needs to be accredited. So when you make your choice, look for the following: Find a place that is close, so you do not have to waste time in long commutes, make sure it has a degree program in your subject of interest and check to see if it has a job placement program for post graduates. These are factors and services that are common to most Community Colleges nowadays, but not all. It is important to double check that the place of learning you choose to attend will have everything you want to start that new career or advance in an old one.
The mistake many people make is to look at the price of the classes before looking at anything else. The first priority should be if the college is right for your needs. If it is, then look at the cost. Often, there are assistance programs available for those in need and a lot of times, if you look close by, a college with low admission costs is within the vicinity, containing classes and programs in your chosen field of work. Affordability should not be the first question, but the last one that should be asked in matters of continuing your education. Even if you cannot find the amount of aide you require directly from the college, there are third party assistance programs available to every demographic. Find the time to locate and apply for them. Many are available for those who seek to graduate and further their careers. By making the right choice now, it will mean great success later on. Become one of the many to take it upon themselves to graduate and advance their knowledge and skills. Remember, it can only be a boon to you.
By : Asa College Davis
Article Source : http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051532139-1-it-is-never-too-late-to-graduate/
Make A Fortune With Online Gold Bullion Trading
Online gold bullion trading reduces the costs associated with gold trading on cash basis while stabilizing your portfolio in hard time. Here is how to trade gold bullion on the web.
Gold is being traded from the ancient times. In this unpredictable world, its significance as an investment has increased manifold. Trading gold with margin is very common. As with forex, you can trade gold with little minimum initial investment. This is facilitated through the margin and leverage. But trading gold with high leverage is highly risky. So many people prefer to trade gold on cash basis. But on cash basis trading, you have to worry about the security and storage. But if you know how to trade gold bullion online, most of the concerns are no longer valid. There are many websites who facilitate the online gold trading and also store it safely for you.
Experience High Liquidity with Online Gold Trading
Trading gold bullion online has many advantages. Buying gold carries a problem of liquidity with itself. Suppose you buy gold of weight one kilogram as investment. If you wish to offload 10% of the gold, it can not be done. You have to find someone who is interested in buying the whole package. This seriously limits your ability to adjust your portfolio. Online gold bullion trading allows you to sell a part of your gold investment offering you more flexibility and control over your investment. Online gold bullion trading increases the liquidity of your gold. Knowing how to trade gold bullion online is helpful for your investment.
Advantages of Online Gold Bullion Trading
Online gold bullion trading allows you to buy gold with small investment of $ 100. Online trading has opened the doors of gold investment for small investors as well. Online gold bullion trading allows you to trade gold at the current market prices. Online broker charges a small commission for facilitating a trade. But the commission is paltry. If you invest a significant amount, you pay even less commissions. The online gold bullion trading allows trading round the clock. It is available 24 by 7. Trading gold bullion online allow you to save on storage cost and security concerns. If you buy the gold bullion online, the broker will take care of the storage for a minimal charge. Broker stores the gold in secret vaults in different parts of the world. The gold stored is insured against natural calamities, theft etc and usually the insurance costs are also low as the gold is usually safe. If you get acquainted with how to trade gold bullion online, your portfolio will get an option of unleveraged investment.
Gold Investment Can Offer Hefty Profits
The importance of gold is realized during the recession. During the turmoil, equity performs well under expectation; your hard earned saving gets eroded with rising inflation. There is pessimism everywhere. Investors across the world look to park their money in safe heaven. Gold doesn’t lose its value over time. Most investment products lose their value over time. If you want to make serious money, it is important that you not only make money in a bull market but also in bear market. Gold investment will make money for you in bearish environment and also make up for the erosion of your other investments.
Investment in the yellow metal carries some costs with it. But if you know how to trade gold bullion online, you can cut down on those costs and make your portfolio shine with gold.
By :Owen Moore
Article Source : http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051529528-1-make-a-fortune-with-online-gold-bullion-trading/
Gold is being traded from the ancient times. In this unpredictable world, its significance as an investment has increased manifold. Trading gold with margin is very common. As with forex, you can trade gold with little minimum initial investment. This is facilitated through the margin and leverage. But trading gold with high leverage is highly risky. So many people prefer to trade gold on cash basis. But on cash basis trading, you have to worry about the security and storage. But if you know how to trade gold bullion online, most of the concerns are no longer valid. There are many websites who facilitate the online gold trading and also store it safely for you.
Experience High Liquidity with Online Gold Trading
Trading gold bullion online has many advantages. Buying gold carries a problem of liquidity with itself. Suppose you buy gold of weight one kilogram as investment. If you wish to offload 10% of the gold, it can not be done. You have to find someone who is interested in buying the whole package. This seriously limits your ability to adjust your portfolio. Online gold bullion trading allows you to sell a part of your gold investment offering you more flexibility and control over your investment. Online gold bullion trading increases the liquidity of your gold. Knowing how to trade gold bullion online is helpful for your investment.
Advantages of Online Gold Bullion Trading
Online gold bullion trading allows you to buy gold with small investment of $ 100. Online trading has opened the doors of gold investment for small investors as well. Online gold bullion trading allows you to trade gold at the current market prices. Online broker charges a small commission for facilitating a trade. But the commission is paltry. If you invest a significant amount, you pay even less commissions. The online gold bullion trading allows trading round the clock. It is available 24 by 7. Trading gold bullion online allow you to save on storage cost and security concerns. If you buy the gold bullion online, the broker will take care of the storage for a minimal charge. Broker stores the gold in secret vaults in different parts of the world. The gold stored is insured against natural calamities, theft etc and usually the insurance costs are also low as the gold is usually safe. If you get acquainted with how to trade gold bullion online, your portfolio will get an option of unleveraged investment.
Gold Investment Can Offer Hefty Profits
The importance of gold is realized during the recession. During the turmoil, equity performs well under expectation; your hard earned saving gets eroded with rising inflation. There is pessimism everywhere. Investors across the world look to park their money in safe heaven. Gold doesn’t lose its value over time. Most investment products lose their value over time. If you want to make serious money, it is important that you not only make money in a bull market but also in bear market. Gold investment will make money for you in bearish environment and also make up for the erosion of your other investments.
Investment in the yellow metal carries some costs with it. But if you know how to trade gold bullion online, you can cut down on those costs and make your portfolio shine with gold.
By :Owen Moore
Article Source : http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051529528-1-make-a-fortune-with-online-gold-bullion-trading/
Rabu, 15 Februari 2012
Lonely by 2NE1
Neol apeuge halji molla
Ama nal jukdorok miwohage doel kkeoya
[Minzy]Naega yejeon gatji antadeon ne mal
Modu teullin mareun aniya
Nado byeonhaebeorin naega nat seolgimanhae
[Dara]Neomu chakhan neonde neon geudaeroinde Oh
[CL]I don’t know I don’t know
Naega wae ireoneunji
[Dara]Geutorok saranghaenneunde neon yeogi inneunde Oh
[Minzy]I don’t know
[Dara]Ije nal chatgo sipeo
[Bom]Baby I’m sorry neowa isseodo nan lonely
Saranghagin naega bujokhanga bwa
Ireon motnan nal yongseohae
[Minzy]I’m sorry ige neowa naui story
Sarangiran naegen gwabunhanga bwa
Ne gyeote isseodo
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
[Bom]Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
[CL]Nega jalmotan ge anya
Naega isanghan geoya
Imi orae jeonbuteo nan junbi haenna bwa ibyeoreul
[Bom]Jeongmal jalhaejugo sipeonneunde
Hapil sarang apeseoneun wae
Ireoke haneobsi jagajigo oerounji
[Dara]Neomu chakhan neonde neon geudaeroinde Oh
[CL]I don’t know I don’t know
Naega wae ireoneunji
[Dara]Geutorok saranghaenneunde neon yeogi inneunde Oh
[Bom]I don’t know
[Dara]Ije nal chatgo sipeo
[CL]Baby I’m sorry neowa isseodo nan lonely
Saranghagin naega bujokhanga bwa
Ireon motnan nal yongseohae
[Minzy]I’m sorry ige neowa naui story
Sarangiran naegen gwabunhanga bwa
Ne gyeote isseodo
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
[CL]Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
[Minzy]Cuz I’m just another girl
I bami werowo nan
[Bom]Deoneun gyeondil su eobseo good bye
[Dara]Cuz I’m just another girl
[CL]Neomuna werowo
[Bom]Jigeum ne gyeote isseodo baby I’m so lonely
[Minzy]Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
[CL]Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely
Baby I’m so lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely.
Selasa, 14 Februari 2012
PHILOSOPHY IN THE URGENCY OF THOUGHTS, KNOWLEDGE, AND PRACTICE OF RELIGION
PHILOSOPHY IN THE URGENCY OF THOUGHTS, KNOWLEDGE, AND PRACTICE OF RELIGION
When we talk about philosophy and religion, of course, we think if there is a relationship between the two? Is not it contrary to the philosophy and religion? Because, as we know the understanding between philosophy and religion are different. Philosophy comes from the Greek word "philosophia", which comes from the word "philo" meaning love and "Sophos" which means wisdom, thus philosophy means love of wisdom or love of knowledge. While the teaching of religion is belief in God. So what to do with the philosophy of religion? And what is the importance of philosophy to religion?
Al Kindi said that knowledge is divided into two kinds of Divine Science as stated in the Qur'an that the Prophet gained firsthand knowledge of God. This basic knowledge is belief. And the second is human science or a philosophy, which basically is the idea (ratio-reason). The arguments set forth in the Qur’an there is no doubt at all in it and is more convincing than the arguments posed by philosophy. But the truth is brought between the religion or the Qur’an in this revelation is not contrary to the philosophy. So the study of philosophy and philosophizing is not prohibited or is not related in the religion because theology is a part of philosophy.
When we talk about philosophy and religion, of course, we think if there is a relationship between the two? Is not it contrary to the philosophy and religion? Because, as we know the understanding between philosophy and religion are different. Philosophy comes from the Greek word "philosophia", which comes from the word "philo" meaning love and "Sophos" which means wisdom, thus philosophy means love of wisdom or love of knowledge. While the teaching of religion is belief in God. So what to do with the philosophy of religion? And what is the importance of philosophy to religion?
Al Kindi said that knowledge is divided into two kinds of Divine Science as stated in the Qur'an that the Prophet gained firsthand knowledge of God. This basic knowledge is belief. And the second is human science or a philosophy, which basically is the idea (ratio-reason). The arguments set forth in the Qur’an there is no doubt at all in it and is more convincing than the arguments posed by philosophy. But the truth is brought between the religion or the Qur’an in this revelation is not contrary to the philosophy. So the study of philosophy and philosophizing is not prohibited or is not related in the religion because theology is a part of philosophy.
TRADISI DAN PRAKTEK EKONOMI PADA MASA RASULULLAH SAW DAN KHULAFA RASYIDIN
BAB I
PENDAHULUAN
A.Latar Belakang
Ekonomi Islam mungkin baru terdengar familiar di masyarakat dan semakin berkembang dalam beberapa dekade ini. Padahal sebenarnya Ekonomi Islam telah ada sejak jaman Rasulullah SAW dan para Khulafaur Rasyidin beberapa abad yang lalu. Ekonomi Islam semakin berkembang karena sistemnya yang sangat berebeda dengan sistem ekonomi konvensional yang lebih mementingkan bunga sebagai provitnya.
Namun, yang harus diketahui Ekonomi Islam bukanlah muncul sebagai solusi atau alternatif sistem ekonomi konvensional yang akhir-akhir ini mengalami krisis dan kegagalan. Ekonomi Islam itu adalah bagian dar Islam itu sendiri, Islam harus dipraktekkan secara menyeluruh dalam semua segi kehidupan, mulai dari sosial, budaya, politik, dan juga termasuk di dalamnya ekonomi. Karena segala segi kehidupan tersebut telah diturunkan oleh Allah SWT dalam Al-Qur’an dan As-Sunnah tak terkecuali dalam bidang ekonomi ekonomi.
Dalam mempelajari Ekonomi Islam kita juga perlu mencari tahu sejarah dari sistem Ekonomi Islam itu sendiri. Tidak mungkin jika kita memepelajari dengan serius bagaimanakah dan apakah Ekonomi Islam itu, tapi kita tidak tahu darimanakah dan kapan awal mula sistem Ekonomi Islam berasal. Maka kita perlu pengkajian lebih dalam tentang sejarah pemikiran ekonomi Islam, agar ilmu yang kita perdalam saat ini tidak mengambang dan setengah-setengah.
PENDAHULUAN
A.Latar Belakang
Ekonomi Islam mungkin baru terdengar familiar di masyarakat dan semakin berkembang dalam beberapa dekade ini. Padahal sebenarnya Ekonomi Islam telah ada sejak jaman Rasulullah SAW dan para Khulafaur Rasyidin beberapa abad yang lalu. Ekonomi Islam semakin berkembang karena sistemnya yang sangat berebeda dengan sistem ekonomi konvensional yang lebih mementingkan bunga sebagai provitnya.
Namun, yang harus diketahui Ekonomi Islam bukanlah muncul sebagai solusi atau alternatif sistem ekonomi konvensional yang akhir-akhir ini mengalami krisis dan kegagalan. Ekonomi Islam itu adalah bagian dar Islam itu sendiri, Islam harus dipraktekkan secara menyeluruh dalam semua segi kehidupan, mulai dari sosial, budaya, politik, dan juga termasuk di dalamnya ekonomi. Karena segala segi kehidupan tersebut telah diturunkan oleh Allah SWT dalam Al-Qur’an dan As-Sunnah tak terkecuali dalam bidang ekonomi ekonomi.
Dalam mempelajari Ekonomi Islam kita juga perlu mencari tahu sejarah dari sistem Ekonomi Islam itu sendiri. Tidak mungkin jika kita memepelajari dengan serius bagaimanakah dan apakah Ekonomi Islam itu, tapi kita tidak tahu darimanakah dan kapan awal mula sistem Ekonomi Islam berasal. Maka kita perlu pengkajian lebih dalam tentang sejarah pemikiran ekonomi Islam, agar ilmu yang kita perdalam saat ini tidak mengambang dan setengah-setengah.
HUBUNGAN DEMOKRASI DAN CIVIL SOCIETY DALAM MEWUJUDKAN GOOD GOVERNANCE DI INDONESIA
HUBUNGAN DEMOKRASI DAN CIVIL SOCIETY DALAM MEWUJUDKAN GOOD GOVERNANCE DI INDONESIA
Indonesia adalah negara demokrasi. Ya, itu adalah sebuah jargon yang telah mendarah-daging dalam kehidupan setiap masyarakat Indonesia. Tapi, entah demokrasi itu telah benar-benar dijalankan secara penuh ataupun belum, Indonesia tetaplah sebuah negara yang demokratis.Karena dalam UUD 1945 alinea keempat yang berbunyi :
“...disusunlah kemerdekaan kebangsaan Indonesia itu dalam suatu Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Indonesia, yang terbentuk dalam suatu susunan negara Republik Indonesia yang berkedaulatan rakyat...”
Dan dari pernyataan “berkedaulatan rakyat” Indonesia secara gamblang menyatakan dirinya sebuah negara demokrasi.
Sebenarnya demokrasi, seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Abraham Lincoln, adalah suatu pemerintahan yang berasal dari rakyat, oleh rakyat, dan untuk rakyat. Dan demokrasi bisa juga dikatakan sebagai sebuah indikator perkembangan politik di suatu negara. Oleh karena itu, di Indonesia yang notabene negara demokrasi peran rakyat adalah yang paling utama. Demokrasi di Indonesia adalah berdasar Pancasila yang bersumber pada tata nilai sosial budaya bangsa Indonesia.
Untuk mewujudkan asas demokrasi Pancasila, rakyat memegang kendali penuh untuk keberlangsungan demokrasi, dan memang benar civil society tidak pernah lepas dari demokrasi. Civil society, bila diartikan sempit adalah masyarakat yang beradab, dan bisa pula dikatakan masyarakat madani yang merujuk pada kata “Madinah” kota tempat hijrah nabi Muhammad SAW. Dan dalam arti luas civil society adalah wujud masyarakat yang memiliki keteraturan hidup dalam suasana perikemanusiaan yang mandiri, berkeadilan sosial, dan sejahtera.
Indonesia adalah negara demokrasi. Ya, itu adalah sebuah jargon yang telah mendarah-daging dalam kehidupan setiap masyarakat Indonesia. Tapi, entah demokrasi itu telah benar-benar dijalankan secara penuh ataupun belum, Indonesia tetaplah sebuah negara yang demokratis.Karena dalam UUD 1945 alinea keempat yang berbunyi :
“...disusunlah kemerdekaan kebangsaan Indonesia itu dalam suatu Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Indonesia, yang terbentuk dalam suatu susunan negara Republik Indonesia yang berkedaulatan rakyat...”
Dan dari pernyataan “berkedaulatan rakyat” Indonesia secara gamblang menyatakan dirinya sebuah negara demokrasi.
Sebenarnya demokrasi, seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Abraham Lincoln, adalah suatu pemerintahan yang berasal dari rakyat, oleh rakyat, dan untuk rakyat. Dan demokrasi bisa juga dikatakan sebagai sebuah indikator perkembangan politik di suatu negara. Oleh karena itu, di Indonesia yang notabene negara demokrasi peran rakyat adalah yang paling utama. Demokrasi di Indonesia adalah berdasar Pancasila yang bersumber pada tata nilai sosial budaya bangsa Indonesia.
Untuk mewujudkan asas demokrasi Pancasila, rakyat memegang kendali penuh untuk keberlangsungan demokrasi, dan memang benar civil society tidak pernah lepas dari demokrasi. Civil society, bila diartikan sempit adalah masyarakat yang beradab, dan bisa pula dikatakan masyarakat madani yang merujuk pada kata “Madinah” kota tempat hijrah nabi Muhammad SAW. Dan dalam arti luas civil society adalah wujud masyarakat yang memiliki keteraturan hidup dalam suasana perikemanusiaan yang mandiri, berkeadilan sosial, dan sejahtera.
QIRO’ATUL QUR’AN
QIRO’ATUL QUR’AN
Makalah ini ditujukan untuk memenuhi tugas matakuliah
Studi Al-Qur’an
Makalah ini ditujukan untuk memenuhi tugas matakuliah
Studi Al-Qur’an
Dosen Pembimbing : Drs. M. Sumarkan, M.Hd.
Langganan:
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