Is That for Real? Fake Artifacts and the Truth

People love to collect things: especially artifacts and other collectibles that they deem to either have personal or monetary value. Unfortunately, with the growth of this popular pastime comes to the people who are out to take advantage of these people who wish to purchase artifacts for their collections.

These crooks only want to defraud the innocent people of their money while preying on their desire to have something unique and original. Until these people are all caught, it will continue. However, the sad fact is that there will continue to be sideways crooks that will prey on unsuspecting people until the end of time.

So, if you are a collector, take note. If you are looking to purchase any sort of collectable from someone who claims to have something original, make sure you take the time to research the claim before you shell out your hard-earned cash.

How can you be prepared to avoid crooks? Well, it surely is not easy, but here are a few steps you can follow to try to protect yourself, your interests and most of all, your cash:

Only buy from a reputable antiques or collectables dealer. These people will have references and contacts in the industry that will prove that they have the goods, Never buy from someone who approaches you about buying something unique or rare. Most times these people are trying to

·  take advantage of your interest. Instead, only buy things you have had the time to research in advance.

·  Go with your gut, if you look at something and it seems too good to be true, it of course probably is just that.

·  Do not let your excitement get in the way of your good judgment. You may be excited at the prospect of purchasing a

·  unique artifact, but do not let that cloud your good judgment and make sure you research your purchase before buying,

·  by confirming on historical records, etc.

·  Develop relationships with your dealers and buyers. That way you will build trust and you can be assured that you will be able to trust these people and know that what they are saying is the truth.

There may come a time when you do get bilked out of your cash and end up losing some of it due to a bad business deal. Do not dwell on that, it can happen to even the savviest of collectors. Instead, brush it off with a hard lesson learned and then get up and try again. You will no doubt have the opportunity to purchase many find artifacts and collectables in your life. Some will be amazing, some not so much. In the end, you will have a great collection of artifacts that will make you proud to show off to your friends and family. It will take some time to assemble this amazing collection, but once you do, you will be amazed at the satisfaction you get from it.

Who is in your crcle?

Who is in your circle? When we are young, we have a large circle of friends and a larger circle of acquaintances. Over time that circle changes, I once read that we have a circle of influence (friends, family and acquaintances) of about 200 people. I am not sure if that number is true or not, but it is, I think, pretty close to the reality of our life. 

When we marry and invite people to our wedding we try to hold the party to close friends and family from each side. So, we take the time and have great discussions about who we should invite and who we could not invite. We eliminate from our list, those people who are not very close to us. This is hard for both the bride and the groom but once the elimination of people is completed, the wedding guest list is around 200 plus people. 

When we die, the notice goes out to all those who have known us and at most funerals, there are about 200 hundred people, made up of friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances. They are not the same people who were at our wedding, because as we move through life our circle of 200 changes. 

Some years it expands, some years it contracts, but the size stays fairly constant--unless you are not a very nice person. In your life, you have people who love you, mentored you, who helped you, who helped, you mentored and you love. Those people play an important role in our life. John Lennon sums it up well in his song "In My Life"

"There are places I remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life, I love you more"

Think about this words and the people that surround you even now. They see, hear, and feel what you see, hear, and feel. They trade vantage points, study possibilities, and learn to think bigger. They boast about you, honour you, and smile at your jokes. They only ever argue over who likes you most.

Shhhh... they're reading this...

Lions and tigers and bears oh my

Don't be afraid. Not even a little. Not ever. If you saw the Wizard of Oz, there is one part where the adventurers are entering into a dark forest, they get scared when they start hearing noises coming from the foliage around them. The Scarecrow wonders if there are any animals out there who might be interested in eating things like, um, straw, and the Tin Man's like, Yeah, there are probably lions and tigers and bears out there. Whatever.

Being afraid, the Scarecrow begins to repeat, "Lions and tigers and bears," so Dorothy throws in "oh my" for climactic effect. Soon, all three are bounding through the forest chanting, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! They are trying to overcome their fear of the unknown. What we know is that the lions and tigers and bears we cannot see, can't really hurt us. We live in a world of smoke and mirrors where there's only the illusion that we could somehow become less than the greatest we've ever imagined ourselves to be.

And it's this very image, the highest from within us, that’s summoned our boldest dreams, daring us into the light with the promised rewards and drawing us through the very fears that have kept us from it.

Slayer of dragons. Matador of all time and space. Rightful heir to heaven on earth. Don't be afraid. Not even a little.

Thinking about giving up golf?

The following joke was sent to me by a friend, but it was originally taken from the book "Ammunition 357: Jokes for Your Internet Ammo" by Brian King. it is also in a number of other books on the net.

 A man was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner. 

The man took out his wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy some beer with it instead of dinner?" 
"No, I had to stop drinking years ago," the homeless man replied. 
  
"Will you spend this on green fees at a golf course instead of food?" the man asked. 
  
"Are you NUTS!" replied the homeless man. "I haven't played golf in 20 years!" 
  
"Well," said the man, "I'm not going to give you money. Instead, I'm going to take you home for a hot shower and a terrific dinner cooked by my wife." 
  
The homeless man was astounded. "Won't your wife be furious with you for doing that?   
  
The man replied, "That's okay. It's important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up drinking and golf."