Latest Articles by mjbacch

The Death of Timeshares

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Once upon a time a timeshare seemed like a great idea. It was a chance to own a piece of property generally at a luxury resort for only a fraction of the cost it would normally be.
After years of timeshares being sold, people are now beginning to realize that spending thousands of dollars for one or two weeks in a single location is not such a good idea anymore. Tax deductions and pride of ownership have always been forefront in the sales approach but when you add up the cost of ownership, more often, it becomes more of a burden on the owners. First, the maintenance fees generally associated with a typical timeshare usually out way the savings in taxes.

Many timeshares cost hundreds of dollars per year just in maintenance fees plus additional assessments for repairs, which are not covered by the standard operating costs. Secondly, the lack of flexibility in choosing when you are allowed to use your timeshare is also playing a major role.

Then there is the crazy color-coded usability chart that takes a degree in science to figure out. When can you trade your property for a different location, where you can go, the time of year you can go and how much extra will it cost you? All of this is certainly beyond confusing.

Luckily, now there is a alternative to owning a timeshare and, in my opinion, a much better alternative. The name of the company is called Global Resorts Network and what they offer is quite amazing. Just imaging owning a timeshare that requires no maintenance fees, no taxes and you can travel anytime you like and only pay for the weeks you use, which is generally less than the average maintenance fee. The concept that Global Resorts Network uses is quite unique. Simply purchase a membership and pay for the resort when you go. The best part is that GRN offers well over 5,000 location that span around the globe and you will never pay more than $799 for an entire eight day seven night stay and believe it or not some location have been offered as low as $149 for the same time period. This membership is currently being offered as a business opportunity as well, should you have the desire to start a home business and which is also a great way to save on your taxes. To find out more about Global Resorts Network or the potential earnings in promoting their business visit www.thetravelresortclub.com.

--

Find out more about Global Resorts Network by visiting http://www.thetravelresortclub.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Why is Global Resorts Network A Great Income Opportunity?

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Are you thinking of starting a home business? Here is why I joined Global Resorts Network.
There are literally hundreds if not thousands of home businesses you can join. These businesses promote and sell everything from vitamins to elixirs and nine times out of ten can be started for less than one hundred dollars. So why would someone even consider joining a business like Global Resorts Network? Well, these were my thoughts when I made the decision to get involved.

First, I saw a real value in the membership that this business offers. Unlike many home businesses I could really get behind the product and was not ashamed or embarrassed to tell people what I was doing when asked. I also was able to see myself actually using the product, in this case the membership. This membership, in case you don't know, allows anyone to travel to over five thousand, four and five star resort locations for a fraction of the normal cost. Anyone who travels, and that's about 85% of everyone, would see an instant savings owning this membership and who doesn't like to save money?

Second, I could really see myself earning a living with this business and not just putting a little extra money in my bank account. Most business I came across, no matter how great the product, would only put a few dollars in your pocket with a sale and when you think about it, it takes the same amount of effort to promote something that will only make you ten or twenty dollars. How many sales would I consistently have to make in order to actually make a living? That was never a question with Global Resorts Network , just a few sales a month and I actually had a real income.

The third aspect is what I like to call the hem and haw factor. This is when someone scratches their head wondering if a business is a right fit for them. This is not really a factor with GRN because it's a product that most people know they will use and in the off chance that they don't use it they can always sell their membership down the line, it's good for 99 years.

So if you have come to the point in your life when you have had enough of the rat race or are just looking to earn a serious second income consider becoming a member of Global Resorts Network . Hey, the worst that can happen is you will be able to travel to exotic locations all over the globe and only spend a fraction of the cost.

--

To find out more about Global Resorts Network either as a business or just to take advantage of owning a membership click on the link above.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Discount Luxury Travel

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Is there such a thing as discount luxury travel? It seems almost like an oxymoron, however there is a web site that now offers such a thing. Tied to a company that has been in business since 1984, The Luxury Travel Advantage.com offers a membership that is unparallel to any other. Owning this lifetime membership used to cost upwards of $10,000 but now is being offered for under $3,000 exclusively online for those in the know.

Is the one time out of pocket expense worth it though? This all depends on how often you use the membership. Through my own research I have found that many of these four and five star locations that this company is associated with would cost upwards of $3,000 for a one week stay. These are the prices listed on all of the online “discount travel” web sites. Owning this membership allows you to stay in these exact locations for no more than $699 for the entire week with the exception of one location in Hawaii where the price is $799 for the week. That would be an average savings of over $2,300 for a one-week stay. So the answer is yes, if you use the membership just two times than it will more than pay for itself with the savings.

So how often can you use this membership in a year? Well, the good news is with a lifetime membership it is unlimited. You are actually able to use this membership 52 weeks a year and give three weeks away to friends and family. I would venture to say that most people who own this membership probably don’t actually travel the entire year but it is nice to know that the option is there.

Another benefit of the discount luxury travel membership is that it is entirely transferable. It can be sold or willed at any time, with a minimal transfer fee, for up to 100 years. The Luxury Travel Advantage also offers a three year membership which allows you to travel three weeks a year. The price for the three year travel membership is $1,495. You can upgrade to the lifetime membership during those three years for an additional $2,000 but it just makes sense to get the lifetime membership and save yourself the 5oo bucks.

One of the nice things about being a member of The Luxury Travel Advantage is the amount of locations. There are over 5,000 locations world wide in some of the most desirable destinations. Many of which you can’t even book without the membership. For further information about this discount luxury travel membership, visit the web site www.theluxurytraveladvantage.com. The web site allows you to purchase a membership right online and begin using it right away.

Experience discount luxury travel in the finest resorts around the world with a lifetime membership at www.TheLuxuryTravelAdvantage.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

The Man Behind The Great Pumpkin

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Peanuts cartoon strip has been enjoyed by millions of viewers since October 2, 1950 and is now still running as a syndicated cartoon strip as Classic Peanuts. Created by Charles Swartz, a high school graduate of Central High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Peanuts characters reflect on sometimes complex, human emotions from the famously drawn children.

The Peanuts cartoon characters were one of the first cartoons to be enjoyed on primetime television in the 1970’s in America and has become a staple of theses holiday seasons they reflect on. I can’t think of one person who wouldn’t know what you’re talking about if you mention “The Great Pumpkin” from classic holiday special “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” Of course there is also the Christmas special as well, that is still a standard view for many children even today. Now, parents and children view these little animated characters together with many of the parents recalling the time when they too were young.

Today the “Classic Peanuts” is seen in 75 countries, translated into 21 languages and entertains both children and adults around the world. At its peak, over 355 million people viewed the cartoon strip. I sometimes wonder if the world would be just a bit different if the “The Peanuts” never existed. Would the word “cool” still have the same meaning today if Snoopy that lovable alter ego of Charlie Brown, never mentioned it or should I say thought it? And what would kids think of when the name Red Barron was mentioned?

PBS will be running a profile of Charles Swartz on the program “American Masters” October 29th, 2007 at 9 P.M. The program will be a profile of Mr. Swartz whose world of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Pigpen and Schroeder will be explored. Also, clips from the infamous TV specials will be highlighted as well. If you simply can’t tune in to the show a DVD and other “Peanuts” merchandise may be purchased at www.TheGreatPumpkinOnline.com

M.J.Bacch is a freelance writer. More information can be found at http://www.thegreatpumpkinonline.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Little Known Jam Band Named Ekoms Top

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Untitled Document

Ekoms Top has been jamming together for over five years, yet only a hand full of people even know who they are. Started in late 2001 in Litchfield, CT by three close musician friends, there was never an agenda or a note written down. Because of this fact the music frequently takes on a life of its own and very often culminates into spectacular waves of energy and sound. Thankfully every jam session has been recorded and archived, many of which can be found on the bands web site www.ekomstop.com and listened to for free on the streaming server that the band has set up.

Like many jam bands, Ekoms Top’s influences include the Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Medeski Martin and Wood and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The one thing that may separate Ekoms Top from many jam bands is the fact that they very rarely play cover tunes. In fact, every song that is streamed from their web site is completely original. In some cases it’s hard to believe that these songs were not worked out ahead of time and in others there is no question about it. The one thing the listener should keep in mind when tuning into this psychedelic jam band is to listen for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Many of the songs have swooping lulls that build up to hard core, in your face almost heavy metal sections that will make you forget that you are listening to an experimental jam band that never rehearsed that intense jam you just heard.

The fact that this jam band records so many hours of music is the reason you can literally listen to their music for hours on end on their web site without ever hearing a tune twice. There are probably only a handful of musicians who actually have this much of a recorded archive. There also exists only two or three names to any of the songs that are on the streaming server. Most songs are simply numbers, which is when the song was originally recorded. This can be a bit frustrating as far as remembering what particular tune you liked.

I can see the Ekoms Top jam band gaining a huge following in the coming year simply because they are bringing the “good old” in your face jamming art back to life with some of the most creative jamming you have ever heard. Visit Ekoms Top Jam Band web site to check out their tunes.

--

Jam Band Ekoms Top

Source: http://www.articletrader.com