INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS – CAN THEY BE TRUSTED?

While posting on a vacation message board for St. John, Virgin Islands yesterday, I was referred to as a “troll” and compared to looters in Louisiana. Being called names in The Virgin Islands, especially from someone from St. John is par for the course. Even when the topic and postings disappeared, from the VI Now Message Board, I was not surprised.

The VI Now Message board seems not to be intended for just anyone’s comments. Like most communications in The Virgin Islands, they are censored. In anticipation of the message board being erased, I copied both pages, viewable now from my web site.

Past and future USVI Vacationers come to the VI Now Message Board for the truth about what is happening in The Virgin Islands, not propaganda from condo owners looking for guest. There is a communications monopoly in The Virgin Islands. When the people with access to outgoing news control the outgoing news, it’s censorship.

I was not surprised to find the pages had been erased, the topic was “Racial Tension On St. John. I shared the missing pages with a woman who was also reading the postings on the VI Now Message Board, she sent E-Mail, and she wasn’t the only person I sent the missing pages to.

The Wall Street Journal calls corruption in The Virgin Islands the major problem. Now the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department are investigating hate crimes on “The Love Island” St. John.

This was not the first message board with advertisers disguised as common folk. My name and one of my books is mentioned on a Skincare Rx Message Board, but I was not allowed to post. It seems you have to be an advertiser to post on a message board for people trying to get rid of melasma and acne.

I say that I’m not surprised, but I am afraid. I’m afraid we are losing our access to the true news because advertisers and corporations own our communications outlets, even the one’s on the Internet.

When my father visited me here in St. Thomas he asked me, “Where are the Polynesians I saw in the travel magazines about The Virgin Islands? I said dad, The Virgin Islands is 85% African Descendants, there are no Polynesians.

The people that control the Message Boards in The Virgin Islands don’t want prospective vacationers to St. John to know that the FBI and the Justice Department are investigating hate crimes. And the cosmetic companies don’t want you to know that you can get rid of melasma for less than $10.00 a month, instead of several hundred dollars a year.

Message Boards, can they be trusted?

Nanci Holloway-Prince is the author of “Corruption In America’s Paradise and Secrets Skin Care Companies & Dermatologists Don’t Want You To Know”. Holloway-Prince also own http://www.thevitimes.com, www.worlddome.com and shrevporbossier.com. Hollway-Prince has been online longer than AOL. Certified as in Instructor by New Horizons Computer Learing Center, Holloway-Prince is an Internet Historian.

Prior to setting any eBay auction to go live, it is critical that you put in as much relevant data as possible about the items you are listing. This is just common sense.

In the rush to move on to other things, it is too easy to neglect to put in some of the information that is pertinent to the sale, and you will still encounter an occasional eBay sale in which a customer would like to return an item. From my past experience, it is best to simply take the item back and refund the buyer’s payment promptly. There are several key reasons I recommend that eBay sellers implement this policy.

1. If a customer feels you are wrong, even though your ad states clearly “No Returns” “Customer needs to do his/her own research” or “As Is”, that person will most likely leave negative feedback even if you are not at fault.

2. When a customer does not adhere to the “Terms and Conditions” in your eBay ad, it normally escalates into an eBay email battle. No one wins on this one – it drains your emotional state and wastes time.

3. Ninety-five percent of the time when I relisted that same item for sale on eBay, it sold for at least what the previous buyer had paid.

4. When you refund the item, you are credited all eBay and Paypal fees.

I will explain how I turned an eBay return or ‘Lemon’ as I call it, into delicious, profitable lemonade.

I had a client who purchased an LCD laptop replacement screen. I clearly listed on the offering “No Returns” and typed in the listing that anyone interested should check the compatibility of their laptop prior to bidding.

The client stated that she ordered the wrong screen. I called her attention to the terms and conditions of sale. I didn’t want to accept the return and the emails became heated. Not willing to give up, she then located my contact information and called me. After we talked for awhile, I decided it would just be easier to accept her return.

During our discussion she mentioned that her husband sold used books on Amazon. I am always looking for new opportunities, so I was curious. She explained that they were located on the east coast and she didn’t feel it harm their existing business, so she gave me all the data I would need to start a used book division.

A partner and I decided to give it a try. I do not actively
participate in the operation any more, but my share in this used book venture nets me over $1500/month in profit.

At first it may seem unfair to take a return on an eBay sale, but you can learn from my experience. It will save you time, frustration and negative feedback and you never know what you might learn from a grateful customer.

Tim Gilberg is able to provide information and insight from a unique
perspective – that of someone who is actually doing what others just
talk about. Ebay Power Seller Platinum Status was Attained by Tim Gilberg, which is one of the highest sales levels attained selling on eBay. Tim is active on Ebay and liquidation.com as well as consulting
and working with other Top ebay Power Seller’s to give you real life
in use insight, not theories.Visit Tim Gilberg at his website Make Money on eBay

Gambling is popular amongst the young as well as the old. For many individuals gambling is a source of earning while for others it is a means to perfect entertainment. Today gambling is not just confined to the four walls of a casino. It has made its way to houses by virtue of computers (online gambling) and other gambling equipments. While many people are enticed by online gambling, those who desire to have a real feel of the game get gambling set up at their home only.

The gambling set ups are more or less same for all the games though there are some variations. For instance the tables of different games are different. A poker table is unlike a blackjack one. But some of the common gaming equipments are dice, cards, coins etc.

Dice is perhaps the foremost requirement of any gambling sport. It also can be the cheapest of all gambling equipments. This is because of the myriad variety of dice available today. A plastic dice will be significantly less expensive in comparison to an ivory made dice. In ancient times stones, pebbles, chalks etc. personified dice. Since people were not very particular regarding the equipments of the game, they would mark the holes on any tiny handy nugget and commence their game. Gradually dice came to acquire a proper cubical structure with pierced holes on all the sides. However in comparison to a dice used in household games, a casino dice has more precision. Casino dice is also known as ‘perfect dice’ as it is carved in a way that each side weighs equal after the holes have been pierced on each side. This provides an equal probability of either side being the outcome.

The other essential ingredient of gambling is ‘cards’. Usually cards are exclusive to every casino. This is because the backside of the card bears the logo of the casino. The casino cards are primarily of two types- bridge size and poker wide. Initially cards were made out of hard paper and different paintings were made on them. The suits and faces of contemporary cards are a gift of France.

Casino tables have their own charm. These tables are designed differently for different types of games and are quite expensive. For instance a single poker table can cost its buyer several thousand dollars. But here too prices vary with the quality of the table. The table face has a woolen felt surface with the games name on it. Along with it the odds and the areas for placing bets are also specified. However with the help of blueprints people often make gambling tables on their own. This is the most cost effective way to play the game.

Besides these assortments nowadays kits are available for different games. For instance a bingo kit has in it everything (such as bingo balls, markers, hand cranked ball cage etc.) that is required to play bingo. These kits make children too quite familiar with the game.

Mansi aggarwal writes about gambling equipment. Learn more at http://www.buygamblingequipment.com.

I recently saw the film, Million Dollar Baby, the story of a woman whose biggest goal in life is to become a professional boxer. Clint Eastwood plays the part of her manager and trainer, and tries to impress Boxing’s #1 rule upon his fighter – PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES.

We should all try to apply this rule to ourselves as it only takes an instant for our lives to change drastically. Whether it is a slip on the ice, such as the one that happened to Dr. Robert Atkins, the founder of the Atkins Diet, that eventually claimed his life when he hit his head, or some other life altering event. We should be ready.

I spent 20 years as a member of the New York State Police and we were trained in driving defensively. Simply stated, that means being alter to your situation and the people around you, while anticipating what someone might do that could result in an accident. Things like people failing to stop for STOP signs or passing red lights. It happens and you can be in the right, but you might end up – DEAD RIGHT.

Don’t live in a vacuum, be aware of the situation around you and be mindful that people do dumb things- try to be ready for them. This rule also applies to your health and in particular to your medical records.

One of the largest causes of death in the country is medical errors. If doctors do not have vital information about you, they may make assumptions that are incorrect. For most people having an allergic reaction, they are given Benadryl. In my case, I am allergic to Benadryl! So, making sure that this information is in the hands of the EMS people is crucial.

Remember: You are in charge of your life – take charge – today!!!

Jim Hogan co-founded My Medical CD (http://www.MyMedicalCD.com). This life-saver contains your medical history and information in a portable CD format. Allowing medical staff to give you the proper treatment.