The Academy for Mineralogy, was founded in 1969 and has as purpose to gather enthusiasts of minerals, fossils and gemstones.
assist firms participating in trade fairs at Vicenza, Arezzo, Basel, Hong Kong, Orlando, Las Vegas and Lipsia, provides assistance for trade missions and common marketing action with specially compiled mailing lists. The development of the activity and its return in terms of image and business coincided with the increase of associated firms.
Based in Athens (Greece), at 35 Voulis street, ELKA ensures practical and harmonious cooperation between the state and the Silver-and Goldsmithing sector. It is in close cooperation with POVACO.
The Gold Institute is an international trade association of companies that mine and refine gold, manufacturers of gold products and the \nworld's leading bullion banks and gold dealers. A number of vendors that supply the industry with mining products and equipment are
All the organizations and institutions that have direct, daily contact with Israel's diamond industry are represented in the Israel Diamond Institute, a non-profit, public company, established by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in conjunction with the diamond industry and with the Histadrut labor federation.
The Goldsmiths' Consortium of Arezzo is a non-profit organisation aimed at promoting its members in various markets and creating direct \ncontacts between the different member companies and their potential customers.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- REMEMBER THE SOCCER MOMS -- the female, suburban swing voters who helped re-elect Clinton in 1996? They're back, and this time they're after our guns.
Considered the decisive constituency in the last presidential campaign, these middle-class mothers lost their hearts to the president because he was sooo sensitive to women.
The full extent of that empathy was manifested in his second term, with a DNA-stained dress, allegations of groping a female job-seeker, the settlement of a suit with a woman who said he'd exposed himself to her and charges of forcible sex two decades earlier. Call them the sucker moms. Undaunted, the soccer moms have parked their mini-vans and are hoofing it. On Sunday, the Million Mom March -- or at least 100,000 of them -- will descend on Washington to whine for more gun control.
Its demands include a "sensible" cooling off period, background checks, licensing and handgun registration, mandatory gun locks, and limiting purchases to one per month.
"The proliferation of firearms is out of control," organizers intone. "Too many lives are destroyed every day." By rampaging firearms?
Proliferation is a good place to begin dissecting the moms' logic. In 1980, there were roughly 52 million handguns in America and 23,000 homicides. By 1998, the stock of handguns had nearly doubled and the number of homicides declined by one-third. If there is a correlation here, we should be handing out semi-automatics on street corners.
Safety locks are wondrous devices -- unless you actually need a gun, like to save your life. Then, you can call a time-out with the thug who's invaded your domicile to rob, rape or murder you, while you unlock and load your gun. Regrettably, most criminals just aren't that sporting.
John R. Lott Jr., an economist at Yale University, notes that there are no academic studies demonstrating that waiting periods or background checks have any impact on crime. But they do affect the right to self-defense. If a woman is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend, the two weeks she has to wait to get a gun in some jurisdictions may just cost her life.
A limit on gun purchases to one a month? Why not? And, while we're at it, let's also ration the exercise of other constitutionally protected rights -- like political protest. How about one silly march per millennium?
Licensing and registration seem reasonable, at first blush. After all, we register cars and license drivers. But, other than Al Gore, no one is lobbying for the elimination of the internal combustion engine. Most gun-control advocates admit that their goals are first to restrict and limit, then to prohibit.
Britain started with licensing and registration, and progressed to a ban on handguns. Rifles and shotguns are hard to legally possess.
And still, an article in the Jan. 16 London Times reports the rise in crimes committed with guns and decries the existence of an estimated 3 million unregistered firearms. How can that be? I thought criminals and psychos were scrupulous about obeying gun laws.
Gun control impacts only one class -- the law-abiding. Lott reports that in 1960 all federal gun laws combined contained 19,907 words. By 1999, that volume had expanded to 88,413. Show me just one killer, robber or moody loner who was deterred by any of these words.
Gun control laws aren't aimed at criminals. That's the dirty little secret of the Million Moms and other domestic disarmament advocates. Check this out from a flyer advertising the march, "While we acknowledge that guns may be necessary for hunting, law enforcement and national security, the proliferation of firearms is out of control."
Notice what was omitted -- the right to self-defense. The National Center for Policy Analysis says that each year roughly 3,000 criminals are killed and at least 17,000 wounded by armed citizens. There is no way of knowing how many crimes are thwarted merely by brandishing a weapon.
The soccer moms think you don't need a gun, that you'll just hurt yourself if you have one. If someone enters your home to commit a crime, you can call the police, wait for their untimely arrival -- and pray.
Just remember, these are the gals who helped inflict four more years of Clinton on us. Their latest kick should be treated accordingly.
As the holidays approach, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog and sharing your comments.
I'm going to take a brief break to celebrate with my family and friends, and I'll be back with new entries in 2009.
As the holidays grow close, there are several ways you can save money while still having fun and providing some special holiday surprises for your children. Here are my quick tips:
Write a list with the names of everyone you need to shop for and the price limit per person. Kids can have lots of fun helping you find bargains if you can give them specific directions (“find a blue t-shirt, size medium, for under $5”).
Find some other parents who would be interested in a cookie exchange and let your children pick the recipe. This way, you can cook together, share what you’ve made and have a variety of cookies to offer guests who come for the holidays.
If you have any bushes or trees with suitable branches, give the kids some clippers and a plastic shopping bag and have them fill it with trimmings. Use green wire (at craft stores and dollar stores) to hook the clippings together and hang the finished product on the mantel or front door.
It’s a little late for this year, but prepare for next Christmas by doing all of your shopping at the after-Christmas sales. I buy all gifts for all holidays at once, wrap them and store them in the basement.
These are just a few quick tips from one business mother to another. If you have other suggestions, please let me know. Also, if you have questions about marketing your self-published books, please comment below or send me an e-mail. Thanks!
If your workload is slow due to economic changes, there are several things you can do to build buzz, boost sales and grow:
There are numerous contests going on at various times of the year for writers. To start, conduct an online search for “writing contests.” Here are a few to start with:
You’ll get some great exposure if you win, but even if you don’t, the contest will give you time to practice and upgrade your writing skills.
If you are struggling with economic conditions like everyone else, you may want to share your personal experiences and/or tips with others via blog entries, social media sites, articles, and more. Contact various publications and ask to write articles, blog entries, and more at no charge.
Not only will you be able to share your frustrations and get some free publicity, but you may be able to help others get through their current career and financial problems.
You’ll be able to improve your writing, meet new friends and learn valuable tips to help boost your attitude and career. You may even want to take a class just to relax or start a new hobby like yoga, knitting, swimming, or scrap-booking.
And if you can’t find a class, offer to teach one. Focus on your area of expertise and share your knowledge with others!
Just because things are slow, it’s not the time to reduce your networking efforts. In fact, start attending more events and meetings. You’ll learn new things, meet interesting people and talk to other writers who can help you discover opportunities you may not find on your own.
Instead of waiting for things to change, use this down time to prepare for the future. Share your experiences, improve your skills, meet interesting people, and enjoy new hobbies.
You’ll not only have a more positive attitude, but you’ll see things start to move in a better direction filled with hope and opportunity!
If you’d like help selling your self-published work, just let me know here or at www.jexbo.com. I’d love to hear from you!