Wednesday, November 24, 2010

10 of the Most Expensive Private Islands You Must See!



Want to know how the rich and famous live? Well, there is nothing that spells success than owning your own personal island paradise. We can just imagine how private islands, with their bare beaches, spectacular 360-degree views and delirious isolation, are coveted by billionaires and celebrities alike.
The main objective here in owning an entire island is the word "private." It gives one a feeling of seclusion, isolation, away from the prying eyes with a huge body of water serving an effective barrier to the outside world. However, owning a private island is now getting scarce. Most have been turned into resorts and others into government conservation areas.
Nonetheless, there are still private islands which one can rent, for a considerable sum of course. So just to give you a fair idea of how much a nigt on these islands could cost, here's a list:
*The Soneva Fushi in the Maldives (about $600-$3,000 a night), each guest has only a small patch of beach, but it is truly private, with dense vegetation between residences.
*The half-mile beach of Little Dix Bay ($300-$3,600 a night), Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, is reserved for the resort's guests. And guests staying in one of the 12 villas at Le Taha'a (about $900-$2,500 a night), Society Islands Archipelago, get a patch of beach entirely concealed by rock walls.
*Then there's Richard Branson's Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands, is a 74-acre paradise that can be rented for about $46,000 a night. The entire Guana Island can also be rented for around $19,000 to $26,000 a night.
*Las Alamandas, Mexico has only six villas on this 1,500-acre estate owned by Isabella Goldsmith on Mexico's Pacific Coast. The Las Alamandas landing strip is accessible from either Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo airport. For total beach privacy, pick up a lunch packed by the staff and hike to one of the secluded surrounding beaches. Too relaxed to hike back? Use the walkie-talkie you're provided and a staff member will give you a ride. About $400 to $2,000 a night.
*Le Taha'a, Society Islands Archipelago
About 380 miles west of Tahiti in the Society Islands Archipelago, Le Taha'a is a privately owned island that is a five-minute boat ride from the main island of Taha'a. The resort offers 48 over-water suites and 12 beach villas where rock walls surround private sections of beach. About $900 to $2,500 a night.


*Kamalame Cay/ Kamalame Cove, Andros, Bahamas
Only 20 beach villas dot this mile of private beach that makes up Kamalame Cay resort off the coast of Andros Island, protected by the third longest barrier reef in the world. Accessible only by private ferry or seaplane, the beaches of Kamalame Cay are shared only with other guests of the resort. For total solitude, book a week in the villa at Kamalame Cove, a 7,500-square-foot private peninsular on four acres attached to the mainland of Andros Island by a narrow strip of beach. The villa holds up to eight guests. About $800 to $3,500 a night.
*Guana Island, British Virgin Islands- With no more than 30 guests sharing the private 850-acre island of tropical forests, mountains, valleys, and, of course, beaches, you won't have to try very hard to find yourself alone on the sandy shore. Fly into the Virgin Islands Beef airport (which also accommodates chartered planes), where a boatman will be waiting to whisk you off to the iguana-shaped island that gave Guana its name. The entire island rents for between $19,000 and $26,000 for up to 32 people. A guest room or bungalow? About $700 to $3,000 a night.
*The Beach House, Barbuda - With only 20 suites on this virtually private island in the Caribbean, you'll get the attention (when you want it) and privacy, with your own personal butler service. Horseback ride, snorkel or just sit in silence on this practically deserted stretch of Barbuda beach. About $750 to $1,300 a night.
*Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara, Nha Trang, Vietnam- Extensive, private tropical gardens overlooking the Nha Trang Bay are the highlight of this peaceful resort. Boasting about 250 days of sun a year and soft, white sand, Evason, accessible only by boat, owns a stretch of beach reserved just for guests. About $650 to $2,500 a night.
*Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands- Little Dix Bay was established by Laurance Rockefeller in 1964, and the resort stays true to its founder's vision of escape from the ordinary. The half-mile of soft, white-sand beach is reserved for guests. For an even more private experience, take a water taxi to one of the surrounding hidden beaches. About $300 to $3,600 a night.
So did we whet your appetite yet? Go for it now.

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How To Trade Forex With The “Rhythm Of Profit” By Doing The Opposite Of The Herd



In Forex Trading most traders choose to enter and exit trades in a way that is not in the “rhythm of profit” This rhythm is partly a psychological mindset that is different from what is “normal” behavior. But it is also a very specific technical analysis method to enter and exit trades at the points that tend to give maximum profit and high probability for consistent winning. Once you see how this works and experience it for yourself it can transform your Forex trading business quickly and empower you to finally get the results that you always knew was possible but just could achieve consistently. Even many “professional” Forex traders end up scratching their heads in confusion as they look for many different reasons to enter and exit trades which fail to put them into this natural rhythm. You can see right on the charts that this rhythm working as far back as you care to test on any time frame. Why isn’t everyone doing this? Maybe the same reason everyone isn’t forming the world’s most successful companies like Microsoft, Facebook, or Google. This is for the few people whose eyes are open to opportunity and transformation.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Art of Collecting Art

Art of Collecting ArtWorks of art such as paintings and sculpture reflect the mind and soul of the artist. In the history of human civilization, great artists were not only able to capture their own thoughts and feelings through art, but also the significant signs of their times.

Artworks are objects or artifacts of visual communication. Just look at any picture of Leonardo da Vinciʼs painting La Gioconda, also known as Mona Lisa, and one can derive information such as the way women dress during the 16th century, or perhaps, by looking at the paintingsʼ background, on can gain insights on how places look during that period. Paintings and sculptures, being the top mediums of artistic expression, are products and end-results of the artistʼs creative process.

The motivation and drive in collecting art is as diverse as the colors present in any painting. Among the top reasons for collecting art is usually attributed to the thrill, the excitement and sheer pleasure of acquiring an exquisite drawing, painting, or sculpture to add to oneʼs own personal collection. In general, artworks are seen as luxury products and commodities whose price and value in the art market are dependent on factors such as aesthetics, quality, supply, historical significance of the artist and the artwork, all of which contribute to what makes certain pieces of art collectible and highly prized.

Most professional art collectors and dealers are always on the move, looking for artworks of young and relatively unknown artists, which they think, have the potential to make it big in the future. Buying works of art at a relatively lower price and selling them at a profit has been a standard in the art market. However, to have the foresight and the eye to spot good art usually takes time, money, and lots of experience. According to art market analyst Nicholas Forrest: “As a general rule people should invest in high quality artworks by artists with a good track record that have proven to be committed to their career progression. If you are going to be hanging the artwork in your house then it is also important to purchase something that you like looking at although this should not be the primary deciding factor. The art market will always react positively to iconic, high quality artworks as these works will be the most desirable and the most in demand.”

On the other hand, like in any other hobby and interest, practically anyone can start collecting art. Herb Vogel, a retired postal worker, together with his wife Dorothy, a retired librarian, are both passionate art collectors and through the years have amassed more than 4,000 historically significant works of American art with their modest income. Their art collecting habits were grounded on two rules: affordability and size that is small enough to fit their one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. In the Vogelʼs case, the primary impulse for collecting is based on an intuitive love for art rather than for financial investment and profit. Jack Cowart, a curator for the National Gallery of Art, sums up the Vogelʼs path towards art collecting: “They went to art that was very difficult for the general public to understand; to artists who had no money, who were on the front edge of the avant-garde. It was all done for love, at whatever price, at whatever cost, even if it displaced them from their own apartment.”

The art of collecting works of art is a product of passion, commitment, and vision. From the rich and famous high-profile art collectors to the passionate amateurs, once bitten by the art bug, there is no way but to keep on expanding oneʼs own collection. For the serious and the brave, collecting works of art has become a lifetime project where each purchase and acquisition has its unique story behind it. Thus, in this viewpoint, one can best appreciate the priceless beauty of owning a collection of artworks. One of the worldʼs top art collectors, Charles Saatchi would say: “Art is no investment unless you get very, very lucky, and can beat the professionals at their game. Just buy something you really like that will give you a thousand pounds' worth of pleasure over the years. And take your time looking for something really special, because looking is half the fun”.

by Natasha Silverman

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Learning Forex Currency Trading Online

There has never been a better time to learn Forex currency trading online. Although there are many Forex training materials available online there are very few that will actually produce measurable results for most people. In the Forex trading industry there are many different approaches and strategies being taught and used. A few people are having extraordinary results with consistent profit and today's technology enables any Forex trading entrepreneur to have access to the knowledge that those traders are willing to share.

A good place to start learning for free is in a forum. However, it has been my experience that some of the most popular Forex trading forums are inhabited by some of the more negative minded people in the industry. Newcomers who even make a slightly positive comment about Forex trading will sometimes be attacked by the obviously unhappy people who resent the idea that it is possible for others to easily succeed. Most forums will actually damage your ability to succeed rather than help. That is why our Forex trading forum was formed with the intention of helping and encouraging only. Negative comments are simply deleted and users who consistently display negative attitude are permanently banned.

A Forex video training course is one of the most effective learning tools for enabling students to master the art of trading. As opposed to live seminars which are also more expensive, Forex training videos can be viewed at any convenient time and replayed again and again. There may be sections that warrant repeated viewing while other sections can be viewed briefly or skipped. The video format for learning has proven to be extremely effective for learning trading principles quickly.

Live web conferences are another amazing tool for aiding the process of learning Forex trading. In a live web conference or webinar participants can interact in real time hearing the presenter speak and seeing her screen while explaining or demonstrating Forex trading entry signals. The presenter can also pass the screen sharing feature to any participant so that he can ask questions about what he is seeing on his charts. This medium has accelerated the learning process tremendously for many Forex trading students. It is this kind of technology that makes learning Forex currency trading online a very enjoyable and effective process.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Quest for the Perfect Forex Broker

Finding the ideal Forex broker is a lot like finding the ideal spouse or relationship. You may make a list of all the qualities that you desire in a partner but then when you are faced with the reality of what is actually available in reality, your criteria may become more flexible. Since the last time I researched Forex brokers about three years ago there have been some positive changes in the industry. At the same time the two brokers where my accounts were held have had some negative changes. One has increased their negative rollover swap rates to more than twice the amount of their positive rates. The other has made negative changes to their margin policy and their privacy policy.

The criteria that a beginner looks for in Forex brokers is usually quite different from the criteria that an experienced trader looks for after trading successfully for a period of years. For instance a beginner may look for the lowest minimum account size, the lowest PIP spread, and the highest leverage. An experienced trader may not consider any of these things but may be primarily interested in the company's integrity, type of business model, country of location, regulation, and type of trading platform. A beginner may only look for brokers who provide free charts. A professional trader might subscribe to several professional charting services and may never use charts provided by a broker. A beginner may be lured by the biggest ads in a trading magazine. A professional trader may trade with a broker that does very little advertising but has a reputation that is known by word of mouth.

When choosing a Forex broker it has become critical to consider the stability of the country where the company is based and the type of regulation, if any, that oversees the Forex trading industry of that country. In the U.S. the spot Forex market is still unregulated which allows brokers to adopt business practices that may be less than ethical. Some traders look to Switzerland, a country that has traditionally been know for its strong banking industry and financial strength even in times of international conflict. In today's high technology world it is easy to open an account in an overseas country and make wire transfers easily and quickly.

Wherever you choose to open your Forex trading account the choice you make is certainly worth some investigation and research. It is wise to have some criteria in mind and talk with the customer service representatives from several brokers. If you have done your due diligence you will feel much more confident about the long term success of you Forex trading business.