Online trading is growing on an ongoing basis inside beyond few years. A stock speculator need to work with a brokerage to help enter their particular share purchases.

First off, if you are going to "play" the Penny stocks, you should be trading the majority of them and not investing in them. You'll understand why shortly.

Penny stocks are normally those that have a share price of $5 or less, with many being under a penny. Those stocks that sell for less than a penny are called "subbers", as they are a sub-penny in value. Some actually trade in the hundredths of a cent.

The majority of the pennies and subbers trade don't trade on the higher exchanges, such as the NASDAQ or AMEX, but rather on the Pink Sheets or the Over the Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB). This is due to them not meeting the minimum requirements of the higher exchanges, primarily because they are emerging, small companies in the development stage.

Before getting into the actual nitty gritty of the trades, you will need to meet your own requirements before trading:

- Most importantly, never trade with money you can't afford to lose! Read that again. Too many people take money out of savings, their paychecks, etc., that is needed for their daily expenses. The worst case is taking out a loan to "invest in a sure winner". Greed kills. Mortgage or rent goes unpaid, marriages suffer, etc.

- Find a broker that has online trading AND also will allow you to trade in penny stocks on the Pinks and OTCBB. Not all do, and you don't want to take the time to set up an account and find out later that you can't trade the penny stocks. Check first before signing up!

- You will eventually migrate to a trading forum board on the Internet and discover all sorts of great picks - not! The message boards are dangerous to your trading account for a variety of reasons. More to come on this below.

- Learn this term and apply it every time you think you want to buy a certain stock: Due Diligence, or DD. This involves researching everything you can find on the stock, and only factual, verifiable information. Some of the resources are the company's own web site, official press releases (PRs), web sites such as Yahoo Financial, The Pink Sheets, InfoQuotes, etc. One thing that is NOT DD is getting info from the message boards, unless there is a verifiable source.

- Have an entry point and an exit strategy. Don't buy into a buying frenzy, as the stock will most likely retrace down shortly after. Look for a good buying opportunity entry point. Decide on an exit point: how much do you want to safely make? You can put in a "stop" on your account that will normally automatically sell your shares if the price drops to the level you set your stop at. Some people want to risk only 30%, for instance, and set a stop for a 30% loss. A really good method is to use a "trailing" stop to lock in profits. If you set a trailing stop for 30%, as the share price climbs, your stop trails along behind the new share price.Message boards - these are very dangerous due to the anonymity of the people posting messages both for and against the stock. You have no idea who or what agenda the posters have. "Pumpers", who continually post outlandish positive claims that are outright lies or exaggerations, and "Bashers" who do the opposite, inhabit these forums. Their agenda is to drive the price per share up or down, depending on their particular agenda.

The amateurs, or "newbies", that sign onto these forums will wind up following the posters who tell them what they want to hear, regardless of reality. We all want our stocks to skyrocket, so we tend to listen those pumpers who satisfy our psychological needs and ignore the people that question not only the pumpers but also the company itself. A really good board will allow free discussion of both sides as long as the posters can substantiate their claims. Flame wars are all too prevalent on a lot of these forums, and should be avoided. It's nothing but noise and distraction. By the way, DD is NOT listening to a pumper or a basher on the boards!

I mentioned in the beginning that you should trade and not invest in these penny stocks. The land of pennies is littered with the victims of scam artists, both involving the companies themselves and people not affiliated with the company. You see, penny stock companies trading on the Pink Sheets have almost no responsibilities to the "investors" or to the SEC. They don't have to report their financial figures nor the number of shares authorized and outstanding. This leads to unscrupulous people who set up a penny stock company very easily and then issue millions, and sometimes billions, of shares. They then pump themselves on the message boards and give the false impression the company is going to make millions of dollars on something. The price per share goes up, people notice and start buying more, and the buying frenzy starts. But, the company CEO and his henchmen start selling into the frenzy, making a fortune. Guess what? You lose.

The other hazardous maneuver is the "group play". A few people get together, buy up tons of very cheap shares of a pink sheet company that's going nowhere. They then start pumping the hell out it on forums and sometimes emails to subscribers. The buying frenzy begins, people don't want to miss out and load up with more shares, and the scammers sell their shares into the buying frenzy similar to the CEO scenario above. They make a killing; the price per share starts dropping back to the original price or a lot of times below it. You lose. Again. Get the picture?

Bottom line: don't invest long term in these companies. Watch the trading patterns, get into one that starts going up, and take a quick profit and get out. Repeat this a number of times and you start building up your account. DON'T get emotionally involved or married to the stock. The vast majority of penny stocks go out of existence and leave the "investors" with worthless stock.

If you really feel that the company just might be a good long-term play, you should sell just enough shares when the price rises to get back your original cost. Then you have "free" shares riding for the long term. If it skyrockets in a year or two, you have a great profit that cost nothing. If it goes bankrupt, then who cares - it didn't cost you anything and you still have the original money to play other stocks.

Play it smart and learn everything you can from the tremendous resources available on the Internet. And good luck!

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Standing for journalism, strengthening democracy | Journalism training, media news & how to's.

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Anonymous releases how-to instructions on fooling facial - RT

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Steps to make the house Wheelchair offered. Effectively the first thing to view is the elevation that you'll have.

Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, according to National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute. Often, heart failure is silent killer, and not diagnosed until years after the heart begins to decline. In 2002, twenty-nine percent of United States deaths attributed to coronary heart disease or 699,947 people. Also, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease thirty percent higher among African Americans than among whites. In 2003, nearly thirteen million Americans diagnosed having stable coronary artery disease but have a higher risk developing health complications. Coronary heart disease kills more than seven million people worldwide each year. When coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed causing coronary artery disease. The hardening and narrowing of the arteries: Buildup plaque on the inner walls of the lining of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. The increase amount of plaque reduces oxygen to the heart and can lead to chest pain (angina) causing discomfort, swelling in the legs (edama), difficulty breathing, Shortness of breath, fatigue or death. More people are likely to be diagnosed with heart failure, especially among aging baby-boomers. During the past decade, the rate of hospitalization for heart failure has increased by 159 percent, and leading cause of hospitalization, over the age of 65. In 2006, American Heart Association estimates the total cost attributed to heart disease, including health care services, medications and lost productivity, more than $258 billion.

In 2002, Roche Diagnostics Division (Basel, Switzerland) of Roche, one of the world's leading research healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market a blood test, diagnosing congestive heart failure. The blood test for amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP): Given to patients in emergency rooms with shortness of breath (possible symptomatic of heart failure). The results of the test can determine if the patient is suffering from heart failure or some other medical problem (such as lung disease), would require different type of treatment. James Januzzi, M.D. from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston said: "It is a hormone that the heart releases, and it's sort like a mayday hormone. When the heart gets stretched, it releases, and it what it does as it actually helps counter balance the presence of heart failure." Previous studies have shown, when NT-proBNP levels higher than 5,180, five times more likely those patients will die of acute heart failure then those patients with lower levels. However, the numeric test results have different meanings in regard to the patients' age (higher levels increase with age) and gender. Also, higher NT-proBNP results, maybe associated to kidney disease. The test results help guide therapy or treatment. Providing the appropriate drug treatment, changing doses or adding new drug to current therapy, goal to get the NT-proBNP levels below 1,000. Dr. Januzzi said: "If you are below that level, the likelihood that you are going to have an adverse outcome whether its heart failure, destabilization or death is almost zero the idea here is that we actually using an objective measure to guide heart failure therapy as opposed to the standard ways that we would do it." In many cases lowering NT-proBNP levels, prevented patients from undergoing heart transplants or taken them off the transplant list. In 2006, data presented by Roche Diagnostics at the American Heart Association, showed that NT-proBNP test could generate yearly savings up to $600 million in United States Healthcare system.

Minimal risk complications from NT-proBNP test includes: Developing a small bruise at the puncture site, the vein may become inflamed (rarely) after the blood sample is taken (Condition is called phlebitis and treated with warm compress applied several times daily), and bleeding disorders attributed to blood thinning medications or clotting problems (Advisable to notify health care professional before blood is drawn).

NT-proBNP Test is applicable to diagnose heart disease and heart failure in dogs. Identifying the presence of heart disease when clinical exam is inconclusive and presented with cough, lethargy (Tiredness), difficulty breathing or no symptoms. Recommended all dogs over the six years of age be regularly screened for heart disease. Canine CardioCare is the first and only canine NT-pro-BNP test in the United States.

Studies have shown people lowering high blood cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease attributed to heart attack and needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty.

In August 2006, Response Biomedical Corporation (Located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Public traded company, listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "RPBIF") started patient enrollment in the United States, test portable RAMP NT-proBNP (updated version of NT-proBNP), aid to diagnosis of congestive heart failure, within minutes. The RAMP systems includes a portable fluorescent Reader and single-use, disposable Test Cartridges, and has the potential to be adapted to more than 250 medical and non-medical tests currently performed in laboratories. Bill Radvak, President and CEO of Response Biomedical said: "The congestive heart failure testing market exceeds US $400 million annually with strong growth driven by a market for improved detection, prognosis and monitoring."

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ABC <b>News</b> Stumbles in Report on Tony Scott&#39;s Suicide - NYTimes.com

Late Monday, ABC backed off an earlier report saying that Tony Scott, the movie director who committed suicide on Sunday, had inoperable brain cancer.

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GOP convention session to be themed &quot;We Built This!&quot; - Fox <b>News</b>

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Stocks together with small price/book rates or even price/earnings ratios. Over time, benefit futures include loved larger typical returns as compared to increase stocks (stocks and options using high price/book or even P/E proportions) in a variety of places

Even though the stock market gains over time, right now many people are understandably jittery about the way things are going. While there are bargain hunters out there snapping up cheap stocks, and while it is probably best in the long run to leave your retirement account alone, most people are just looking for safe ways to generate any sort of return. Here are two ways you can get a little bit ahead, even while the market is down:

1. Invest in an emergency fund

It's always a good idea to boost your emergency fund. If you have extra money, put to work for you in the safe area of cash investments. The returns are low (high yielding savings accounts are, on average, between 3.5% and 4% and the highest CDs are offering only 5%), but they are better than what the stock market is offering right now. And any growth is a good thing. Put your emergency fund in the higher yielding cash investments that you can find through online banking offers (ING, Citi and Emigrant are all good choices). You will fare much better than the less than 1% offered at traditional brick and mortar banks. Besides, such investments at least offer some hedge from inflation.

2. Pay down high interest debt

This isn't exactly an investment, but it is a good use of money. If you have credit card debt, a car loan or even a mortgage, you are paying interest at a rate that you cannot overcome in the current market or with cash investments. And now is a great time to pay down debt because the Fed rate is at a low 1.5% and could potentially go even lower. This means that variable rate debt, like home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and most credit cards, are trending lower in terms of interest charges. More of your money will go to reducing your debt, instead of doing nothing beside pay interest. This is a great chance to pay down principal and free yourself from something that severly limits the growth of your net worth.

Even in a down economy, there are ways to use your money wisely and take advantage of the conditions that we are seeing. In fact, it is especially important that you use your money wisely right now. If you prepare for the future by shoring up your emergency fund and paying down debt, you will have less to fear from the future.

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US war on whistleblowers must end - Assange (VIDEO) — RT

Julian Assange has made his first public appearance in the two months since he took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

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What exactly is the Stock market? It can be a organized system where by any person and everybody can easily possibly buy or even offer their stocks or gives

One of the handiest skills that I learned from obtaining an accounting degree is to properly read a corporate financial statement. This article will help you to better understand why it is important to learn to read a financial statement. This skill can come in very handy if you would like to begin investing in stocks. In fact, reading a financial statement is extremely important if you want to invest in stocks.

To the untrained eye, a financial statement can seem very complicated and overwhelming. The first step to understanding a financial statement is to understand the numerous ratios, which can be used to interpret the financial health of a company. Each ratio has a specific purpose and is derived by dividing a defined set of numbers by another set of numbers.

The purpose behind the deciphering a financial statement is twofold. The first purpose is to compare the company's current performance compared to its previous performance. Also, deciphering the financial statement is useful in comparing companies of different sizes. A large company on paper can look much more impressive compared to the smaller company. However, once some calculations and ratios are compared, the smaller company may actually be a better investment.

Using ratios will help to negate the effect of the larger sales revenue or net income a larger company would probably have. In other words, a security company which had $6 billion in sales, at first glance, may look more impressive than a smaller company that only had $3 million in sales. However, digging deeper by using ratios, you may determine the smaller company is in better financial health than the larger company.

You probably won't find a large amount of ratios calculated for you in financial reports. In fact, a company which has publicly traded stocks is required by the SEC to disclose only one ratio. That ratio is known as the earnings per share ratio, also known as the EPS. Privately owned companies, generally speaking, do not have to disclose any type of ratio in their financial statements.

It's important to realize that ratios should only be used as a guide. There are good for indicating a company's current financial health. However, they shouldn't be relied on as a sole source of information, to make an investment decision with.

An extremely telling ratio about how profitable a company is, is the gross margin ratio. This ratio is calculated by dividing the gross margin by the sales revenue. The bad news is, no company includes margin information in any form of documentation outside the company. Margin figures for company are proprietary. This information is withheld to protect it from the competition.

One handy ratio, you can use to calculate the bottom line of the company, is the profit ratio. This ratio will show you how much net income was earned per $100 of revenue obtained. The standard percentage through most industries is 5% to 10%. Within extremely competitive industries, a profit ratio of 1% is an uncommon. A good example of this would be grocery store chains.

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UPDATE: Three dead during shootout near Texas A&amp;M as constable <b>...</b>

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<b>News</b> Quiz | August 13, 2012 - NYTimes.com

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Guns N&#39; Roses have announced their impending takeover of the Joint at Las Vegas&#39; Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in October for a 12-date Appetite for Demo.

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The pitfalls associated with trading within the share market

The stock market is rebounding following the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Traders are looking for a place to learn, test and profit from stock trading without the risk, and fantasy stock trading is revolutionizing the way people play the stock market. Zoodak is the next generation in fantasy stock trading, market analysis and social networking.

Since launching its open beta release two months ago, Zoodak has had over 7,300 unique visitors enjoying the site. With over 12 pages per visit and close to 10 min. of average time spent on the site, it's no wonder that "users are getting addicted. The interface is simple and intuitive," says Zoodak CEO Jinsoo Park, who founded the San Ramon, Calif.-based company back in 2008.

Users can learn from one another, share investment ideas and compete for cash prizes. But what makes Zoodak unique is the "integration of stock trading, market analysis and social networking in a very simple and intuitive format," says Park. Registration is free and users can choose to be ZooTraders, ZooAnalysts or both.

ZooTraders create and manage virtual stock portfolios initially valued at $100,000 for 20 trading days. Unlike any other stock trading competition, Zoodak hosts monthly tournaments where you can sign up and start trading immediately. Your performance is ranked against other ZooTraders who created their portfolios in the same month. If your portfolio ends up in the top rankings, you win cash prizes. The prize money is significant.

ZooAnalysts can make free stock predictions on a daily basis even after the markets close. All you have to do is choose a stock and guess if it will close up or down from its opening price. After posting 10 predictions you automatically get rated. You gain status based on the number and accuracy of your predictions. ZooPoints are awarded based on your rating; the higher your rating the more your earn.

Anyone registered at Zoodak gets a ZooBoard which is their hub for connecting with friends, posting messages, and viewing portfolio details, transaction history and stock predictions. You can visit other people's ZooBoard, see a snapshot of their portfolios and maybe make a connection to learn more about their strategies. With the Wall and Inbox features, you can communicate with users on a one-to-one basis or at a community level.

"Zoodak is for people interested in the stock market who like to learn from the power of community and who want to have fun without the risk," says Park. If you want to play stock market games, improve your short-term stock investing skills, share your stock market analysis ideas, build a network to learn from and compete against others in a virtual stock exchange, all while making money doing it, Zoodak is Your New Exchange.

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Looking For Ge Appliance Repair Appliance Repair Solutions For Your Each and every Appliances

Most consumers would assume that when buying an appliance, or any product, the item should be manufactured well enough that the purchase of a protection agreement should not be necessary. Unfortunately, since we do not live in a perfect world, you may regret your decision not to purchase this item.

I have been in the appliance business for three years. During this time, I have come to believe more and more in protection agreements. So many things can affect an appliance, some of which has nothing to do with its manufacturing. Because not all protection agreements are alike, it is important that you check into the terms of an agreement when you start to shop for your appliances. You should do this even if you do not believe in them. Depending on how honest and knowledgeable your sales associate is, it can make a difference later if something happens to your machine.

One thing that affects the reliability of an appliance is the condition of the company producing the appliance. If a company is going through changes, the quality of an appliance can change. The brand name that was so reliable is no longer. If your salesperson is on the ball, they will be able to let you know of product that may not be as reliable as what you thought. Then you have two choices - avoid that product or protect yourself. Having to deal with the hassle of recalls and class action law suits can often be avoided if you have an agreement. One of my customer's put it quite simply, " It doesn't matter what brand you buy or how much you spend. If the guy on the line is drunk the day they make your appliance, it won't work!" You can substitute "drunk" for several other life altering events: the CEO runs away with the company's money, the company is moving to a country with cheaper labor, family problems, immigrant issues.

In my opinion, name brand manufacturers have strong and weak points in their selection. One may have excellent washers, dryers, and refrigerators, but be weak in cooking and cleanup. Other companies have products that I would never purchase. In our store, where we are required to carry some of these dreadful brands, we dust them, not sell them. Again, if your salesperson is good, they will know what kind of problems customers have experienced that have required service.

Another thing to consider is availability of parts. A particular brand that is now on the market has a very lengthy wait for certain parts. A protection agreement helps if the part is not available, because they may just replace your appliance.

The original manufacturer's warranty is very limited, and is generally for only one year, with longer times for individual parts. For instance, compressor warranties on most brands have changed from five years to one year for defective manufacturing. Make sure you know exactly what is and is not covered by manufacturer's warranties, as well as any no-lemon protection through the store. Labor and parts may be covered for defective manufacturing, but not service calls. Food loss is not covered, nor is damage from power fluctuations. By fluctuations, I am not referring to lightening, but everyday changes in the level of electricity going in and out of your home.

I find that what a lot of people don't understand is that appliances are just not made like they used to be. This is the most noticeable with customers that have an appliance that has lasted 30-40 years. Unfortunately, this is unheard of now. I have had only one appliance to sell that was supposed to last 24 years, and it lasted only six months before there was a class action against this product. Metal drawers in refrigerators are no longer available. Plastic is the name of the game - and so very breakable. Again, another reason to protect yourself. I think that a lot of it is because we, as a society, get bored too quickly. I had one customer that purchases new appliances every three years because she gets bored with them! So, why would we make anything that lasts forever?

When buying appliances, really listen to the salesperson. Ask yourself if they sound excited by the products they are selling. Do they give you only bits and pieces of information, or do they try to teach you so that you feel comfortable making a decision? Unfortunately, sometimes whether a salesperson is commissioned or not, can make a difference in the time they spend with you. Do they push you into a sale that your gut disagrees with? Do they sound like they believe in their product and the need for agreements on certain products?

Before discussing protection agreements, I make sure my customer understands why we recommend them for certain items. No, I do not recommend them for all, mostly based on the cost of the item. But in today's hard times, it is still easier to protect yourself than to have to pay for expensive repairs or for replacement of an item, even like a tabletop microwave.

For instance, if my customer is purchasing all new appliances for their kitchen and laundry, these are the appliances we recommend in the order of importance:

1. Refrigeration - as mentioned before, the compressor warranties on most brands are only for one year for defective manufacturing. Brownouts affect refrigerators more than surges. Again, by surges, I do not mean lightning strikes. I have a suburb just one mile from my store that experiences fluctuations all day long. I replace more appliances from this area for this reason than any other. In my own neighborhood, my transformers blow on my street at least twice a year, and every time I turn around, I am having to reset my clocks. Also, most people don't realize that certain ice makers cannot have just the broken part replaced. Depending on the style of door, they may have to replace the whole door!

2. Any appliance with a circuit board. These boards are found in 95 percent of all appliances. The unit may only have one, or may have up to three. They can range from around $200 for small boards, like in dishwashers, to well over $700 for fancier ones, like ones for weather stations. If damage is caused by a fluctuation, it will not be covered by the manufacturer. Believe me, they can tell if the board is defective or damaged from a surge.

3. Front loading laundry units - the nicer units have multiple circuit boards. Also, those big massive doors can still be damaged by an over exuberant child playing Tarzan on the door. We had to have a closeout model repaired two years ago. Final cost: over $500!

4. Laundry - if you cannot get it on both items, get protection on the washer. They have more moving parts, and also are stressed the most, especially if the user over-stuffs the drum, which strains the agitator. Many new washers no longer have belts that can be replaced. They are direct drive, which is more expensive to repair. My neighbor had four boys in sports, and she washed night and day. She went through three washers in nine years! I would rather buy a less expensive warranty than pay for three new machines!

5. There are certain brands that are not as reliable as they used to be. Some have been taken over by a more reliable company, so my associates feel more comfortable selling the new models.

6. Installed items - protection agreements may include free installs for replaced defective appliances, such as dishwashers and micro-hoods. One particular brand, because of how well it is made, may need double labor to fix if it does break down. Some agreements protect you from double labor charges.

7. The fancier the item, the more high-tech, the more you need the agreement. Plain and simple.

So, when shopping for appliances, ask about the warranties. Here is a list of questions to ask:

1. Does the warranty provide free maintenance checks with free repair or replacement of parts? Have them provide you with a list of costs for certain parts. You will be amazed! The idea of this is to keep the appliance in the same condition as you purchased it in order to avoid the inconvenience of a service call.

2. Does the warranty have free unlimited service calls? These service call fees can range anywhere between $50 - $80 just to ring your doorbell.

3. Does the warranty change the defective manufacturing warranty to a longer time? What about uncovered parts and cosmetic issues?

4. Does the warranty cover power fluctuations? A lot of people think that a surge protector is the answer. What they don't realize is the a SP only covers so many surges. Will the company still be in business if you have to make a claim? Did you keep the original package and receipt? I doubt it!

6. Does the warranty cover replacement of items that cannot be fixed, or does not have a part available?

7. What about food loss? Use of a rental until item is repaired or replaced - can be a real issue with refrigerators.

8. Does the warranty transfer at no cost?

9. Does the no-lemon warranty change to a longer time?

Knowledge is power. The more you know before you shop, the better you will feel about your purchase. Again, in a perfect world, protection agreements should not be necessary. But in today's world, it is. You take your car in for a tune up without thinking twice. Some appliances you use just as much! You buy insurance for yourself and your home. Maybe you will be lucky enough not to need it. But if you do, won't you be thankful. For a lot of people, unexpected costs hit the budget harder than protection agreements. That is what they protect you from - the unexpected.

charleszeber458@gmail.com

The Daily Lays Off a Third of Its Staff - AllThingsD

News Corp. officials have publicly defended The Daily, which News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch thought would serve as a template for newspapers' transition to the tablet era. Murdoch's team worked closely with Apple and its ...

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<b>News</b> Quiz | July 31, 2012 - NYTimes.com

See what you know about the news of the day. ... We invite students 13 and older to comment on issues in the news. See all Student Opinions » · How To Use This Blog » · Daily News Quiz » · Word of the Day » · Student ...

<b>News</b> Quiz | July 31, 2012 - NYTimes.com

Crossroads GPS: &quot;<b>News</b>&quot; - YouTube

Tell President Obama: for real job growth, stop spending and cut the debt.

Crossroads GPS: &quot;<b>News</b>&quot; - YouTube