The best way to live a good life

Living the good life can mean something different for everyone. However, there is still a general understanding as what this idea entails to most human beings living in the modern world. The good life, in its most simple form, is a series of never ending satisfaction that only grows more powerful as time goes on.

The good life consists of wanting to get out of bed every morning, excited to take on whatever each day has in store for you. It has nothing to do with the material possessions or artificially induced sensations. The good life is based on the compassionate deeds you perform, the personal goals you strive to achieve, and the legacy you decide to leave behind as a result of the mark you made on the world around you.
Who could forget that episode of Entourage when the private jet was taking off and Kanye West debuted the chorus of the single “The Good Life?” What he was talking about was not the money the characters had attained but the celebration of everything they had been through, their recollection of their success as a team.
Far too many people get tangled up in the past and future, wondering what is going to happen to them and contemplating the “if’s.” They become numb to the little moments that are unknowingly the building blocks of time. Time, after all, is actually our single most advantage to living life to the fullest.

This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle; wonderful, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it. – Thomas Carlyle

Here are several simple ways to live the good life.
1. Slow Down
Urgency and haste instantly diminish accuracy, awareness and happiness. There is a big difference between getting things done and getting things done effectively.
2. Appreciate Life’s Simple Pleasures
The best things in life truly are free. From a quiet ocean sunset to sleeping in on a rainy day, life’s greatest simple pleasures can only be purchased if your mind is conscious of their arrival.
3. Foster and Nurture Relationships
A happy and fulfilling life is a life that is shared with people that you enjoy being around the most. Cherish those relationships and treat your friends as you would like to be treated.
4. Be Self Sufficient
Depending on other people for your own tranquility will only cause anxiety and frustration. Embrace your freedom and self-sufficiency. At the end of the day, the only person who can tell you what you really want or need is yourself.
5. Learn About Different Things
As many great men have said in the past, the day you stop learning is the day that you die. Every day is a chance to learn something new about the life you wish to attain or the person you wish to become. Keep inquiring and exploring. A jack of all trades is far more equipped than a master of only one.
6. Concentrate on Your Passions
Your passion is what you love to do every day because it gives you a sense of worth and fulfillment. This can be concentrated into your true life purpose, which is the key to real wealth on this earth. Use your passion in the most productive and universal way possible and you will discover the reasons behind your most important endeavors and goals.
7. Travel to Distant Places
Humanity has been blessed with a beautiful place to live. Experience all the natural and cultural wonders it has to offer. There are places in this world that will open your mind to realities you have never even imagined in your wildest dreams. These realities will inject your conscience with healthy, new perspectives.
8. Talk to Strangers
Meet new people who are like you and different from you in every way you could have imagined. This will help you embrace the gift of individuality and realize the role you play in society. Understanding these people will increase your knowledge of how the world works and the types of people its experiences creates.
9. Exercise Your 5 Senses
Sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Each provides a gateway to rewarding personal experiences, so use them to truly make you understand what it means to be a living, breathing human being. See the most beautiful things, hear the most pleasant sounds, taste the best food, smell the finest scents and touch the nicest pair of tits.
10. Use What You Have
Success is not the byproduct of limitless resources. Success happens when you stretch the limits of the available resources. Don’t focus on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have and how it can help you get the rest.
12. Assist Others
What goes around comes around. You have no idea what type of fulfillment and security you will attain for yourself after you help other people more and more.
13.  Be Clear on Your Goals
The sky is the limit but to get there, your goals need to be made crystal clear by believing in them with all of your heart and soul.  You will never get where you want to go if you don’t know what you want and don’t think you have what it takes to get it.
14. Make a Decision
Each time you wait to make a decision, you are wasting your time and an opportunity is passing you by. Stop being indecisive and start listening to your gut. Decisions are how we learn about how to effectively build the life we have always dreamed of.
15. Practice General Time Management
Trying to achieve your goals without doing a little time planning is like sailing the open ocean without a compass and map. Sure it’s fun but at the end of the day you need to remember why you are out there in the first place.
16. Be Spontaneous
Opportunity sometimes knocks at unexpected times. Make sure you have enough flexibility in your schedule to respond accordingly.
Be spontaneous and step outside of your comfort zone at any chance you get. Experience new things that you may have been afraid of but always wanted to try for your own personal satisfaction. The most euphoric activities tend to seem incredibly scary at first glance.
17. Be present
One of the biggest problems people have in this world is that they are so trapped in the past or the future that they refuse to take control of their life by acknowledging the moment right before their eyes.
They are constantly worrying about other things; their body is there but their mind is somewhere else. Be present in each and every moment, it will make you a much happier and inspired human being.
18. Think More, Talk Less
The more you think and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss. And when you do talk, make sure you do so with worth, meaning and conviction.
19. Own Up to Your Actions
Judge yourself based on how you act on your responsibilities and promises. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you. Always remember that you are in the drivers seat so keep your hands on the wheel and stop texting.
20. Keep Your Promises
Not doing so guarantees loneliness and failure. Stay true to your word as that is what your character is based off of and how you will always be remembered.
21. Always Find the Positive Lesson
Every negative outcome holds a positive lesson. Remembering them is the key to greatness.
22. Forget Perfection, Find Satisfaction
There is no such a thing as perfect, there is only perception. The idea of it is based on your own definition. Instead of always searching for perfection, strive for the things that satisfy your individual wants and needs.
23. Work Hard
Being lazy and doing the bare minimum only guarantees mediocrity and dissatisfaction. Work hard to get closer and closer towards your goal every day.
We all need to work to make a living, so why not make this life-consuming activity as consistently fun as possible? Make sure your work is something that drains your energy but also makes you feel like you are making good use of it.
24. Sleep Well
A tired mind is inefficient and unhappy. No one can perform to the best of their ability without rest.
25.Laugh
As the good old fashioned saying goes, those who laugh more are the ones who live longer. Stop taking life so seriously and realize that everything that makes you nervous or uncomfortable may really just be there to make you laugh.
26. Be Here Now
Right now is the time that you can use however you want to. Right now is life. Don’t miss it. It is an entire world waiting to be shaped by your own desires.

Private company limited by guarantee

Private company limited by guarantee

In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee (LBG) is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A company limited by guarantee does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as guarantors. The guarantors give an undertaking to contribute a nominal amount (typically very small) in the event of the winding up of the company.[1] It is often believed that such a company cannot distribute its profits to its members but (depending on the provisions of the articles) this is not actually true.[2] Converting a limited company to a Community Interest Company (CIC) removes this doubt entirely, as CICs feature an asset lock which prevents the extraction of profits. However, a company limited by guarantee that distributes its profits to members (nor CICs) would not be eligible for charitable status.

Until 1981, it was possible in the United Kingdom to form a company limited by guarantee with share capital.Like a private company limited by shares, a company limited by guarantee must include the suffix "Limited" in its name, except in circumstances specifically excluded by law. One condition of this exclusion is that the company does not distribute profits.

Common uses of companies limited by guarantee include clubs, membership organisations, including students' unions, residential property management companies, sports associations (such as the PGA European Tour), workers' co-operatives, other social enterprises, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities (such as Oxfam), and at least one political party (the UK Independence Party[4]). The railway infrastructure provider Network Rail, domain name registry Nominet UK, England and Wales Cricket Board and IXPs LINX (London Internet Exchange), and LONAP (London Access Point) are also companies limited by guarantee. Australia also has companies limited by guarantee, Cricket Australia being one example. One of the largest companies limited by guarantee is Bupa, the healthcare company, which has 10.7 million customers in more than 190 countries and which employs more than 52,000 people around the world.

When incorporating multi-stakeholder organisations, this form is sometimes preferred over the industrial and provident society because company law allows multiple classes of member with separate voting constituencies.

Under section 5 of the Companies Act 2006, new companies cannot be formed as a company limited by guarantee with a share capital.

                                

Asset-backed security

An asset-backed security (ABS) is a security whose income payments and hence value are derived from and collateralized (or "backed") by a specified pool of underlying assets. The pool of assets is typically a group of small and illiquid assets which are unable to be sold individually. Pooling the assets into financial instruments allows them to be sold to general investors, a process called securitization, and allows the risk of investing in the underlying assets to be diversified because each security will represent a fraction of the total value of the diverse pool of underlying assets. The pools of underlying assets can include common payments from credit cards, auto loans, and mortgage loans, to esoteric cash flows from aircraft leases, royalty payments and movie revenues.

Often a separate institution, called a special purpose vehicle, is created to handle the securitization of asset backed securities. The special purpose vehicle, which creates and sells the securities, uses the proceeds of the sale to pay back the bank that created, or originated, the underlying assets. The special purpose vehicle is responsible for "bundling" the underlying assets into a specified pool that will fit the risk preferences and other needs of investors who might want to buy the securities, for managing credit risk – often by transferring it to an insurance company after paying a premium – and for distributing payments from the securities. As long as the credit risk of the underlying assets is transferred to another institution, the originating bank removes the value of the underlying assets from its balance sheet and receives cash in return as the asset backed securities are sold, a transaction which can improve its credit rating and reduce the amount of capital that it needs. In this case, a credit rating of the asset backed securities would be based only on the assets and liabilities of the special purpose vehicle, and this rating could be higher than if the originating bank issued the securities because the risk of the asset backed securities would no longer be associated with other risks that the originating bank might bear. A higher credit rating could allow the special purpose vehicle and, by extension, the originating institution to pay a lower interest rate (and hence, charge a higher price) on the asset-backed securities than if the originating institution borrowed funds or issued bonds.

Thus, one incentive for banks to create securitized assets is to remove risky assets from their balance sheet by having another institution assume the credit risk, so that they (the banks) receive cash in return. This allows banks to invest more of their capital in new loans or other assets and possibly have a lower capital requirement.

Trading asset-backed securities

"In the United States, the process for issuing asset-backed securities in the primary market is similar to that of issuing other securities, such as corporate bonds, and is governed by the Securities Act of 1933, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Publicly issued asset-backed securities have to satisfy standard SEC registration and disclosure requirements, and have to file periodic financial statements.

"The Process of trading asset-backed securities in the secondary market is similar to that of trading corporate bonds, and also to some extent, mortgage-backed securities. Most of the trading is done in over-the-counter markets, with telephone quotes on a security basis. There appear to be no publicly available measures of trading volume, or of number of dealers trading in these securities.

"A survey by the Bond Market Association shows that at the end of 2004, in the United States and Europe there were 74 electronic trading platforms for trading fixed-income securities and derivatives, with 5 platforms for asset-backed securities in the United States, and 8 in Europe.

"Discussions with market participants show that compared to Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities, many asset-backed securities are not liquid, and their prices are not transparent. This is partly because asset-backed securities are not as standardized as Treasury securities, or even mortgage-backed securities, and investors have to evaluate the different structures, maturity profiles, credit enhancements, and other features of an asset-backed security before trading it."

The "price" of an asset-backed security is usually quoted as a spread to a corresponding swap rate. For example, the price of a credit card-backed, AAA rated security with a two-year maturity by a benchmark issuer might be quoted at 5 basis points (or less) to the two-year swap rate."

"Indeed, market participants sometimes view the highest-rated credit card and automobile securities as having default risk close to that of the highest-rated mortgage-backed securities, which are reportedly viewed as substitute for the default risk-free Treasury securities.

What is Bankers' acceptance

Bankers' acceptance

A banker's acceptance, or BA, is a promised future payment, or time draft, which is accepted and guaranteed by a bank and drawn on a deposit at the bank. The banker's acceptance specifies the amount of money, the date, and the person to which the payment is due. After acceptance, the draft becomes an unconditional liability of the bank. But the holder of the draft can sell (exchange) it for cash at a discount to a buyer who is willing to wait until the maturity date for the funds in the deposit.

A banker's acceptance starts as a time draft drawn on a bank deposit by a bank's customer to pay money at a future date, typically within six months, analogous to a post-dated check. Next, the bank accepts (guarantees) payment to the holder of the draft, analogous to a post-dated check drawn on a deposit with over-draft protection.

The party that holds the banker's acceptance may keep the acceptance until it matures, and thereby allow the bank to make the promised payment, or it may sell the acceptance at a discount today to any party willing to wait for the face value payment of the deposit on the maturity date. The rates at which they trade, calculated from the discount prices relative to their face values, are called banker's acceptance rates[1] or simply discount rates. The banker's acceptance rate with a financial institution's commission added in is called the all-in rate.

Banker's acceptances make a transaction between two parties who do not know each other safer, because they allow the parties to substitute the bank's credit worthiness for that who owes the payment. They are used widely in international trade for payments that are due for a future shipment of goods and services. For example, an importer may draft a banker's acceptance when it does not have a close relationship with and cannot obtain credit from an exporter. Once the importer and bank have completed an acceptance agreement, whereby the bank accepts liabilities of the importer and the importer deposits funds at the bank (enough for the future payment plus fees), the importer can issue a time draft to the exporter for a future payment with the bank's guarantee.

Comparison with other drafts

When a draft promises immediate payment to the holder of the draft, it is called a sight draft. Cheques written on demand deposits are examples of sight drafts. When a draft promises a deferred payment to the holder of the draft, it is called a time draft. The date on which the payment is due is called the maturity date. In a case where the drawer and drawee of a time draft are distinct parties, the payee may submit the draft to the drawee for confirmation that the draft is a legitimate order and that the drawee will make payment on the specified date. Such confirmation is called an acceptance — the drawee accepts the order to pay as legitimate. The drawee stamps ACCEPTED on the draft and is thereafter obligated to make the specified payment when it is due. If the drawee is a bank, the acceptance is called a banker's acceptance.

The Money market

As money became a commodity, the money market became a component of the financial markets for assets involved in short-term borrowing, lending, buying and selling with original maturities of one year or less. Trading in money markets is done over the counter and is wholesale.


There are several money market instruments, including treasury bills, commercial paper, bankers' acceptances, deposits, certificates of deposit, bills of exchange, repurchase agreements, federal funds, and short-lived mortgage-, and asset-backed securities.[1] The instruments bear differing maturities, currencies, credit risks, and structure and thus may be used to distribute exposure.[2]

Money markets, which provide liquidity for the global financial system, and capital markets make up the financial market.

Participants

The money market consists of financial institutions and dealers in money or credit who wish to either borrow or lend. Participants borrow and lend for short periods, typically up to thirteen months. Money market trades in short-term financial instruments commonly called "paper". This contrasts with the capital market for longer-term funding, which is supplied by bonds and equity.

The core of the money market consists of interbank lending—banks borrowing and lending to each other using commercial paper, repurchase agreements and similar instruments. These instruments are often benchmarked to (i.e., priced by reference to) the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) for the appropriate term and currency.

Finance companies typically fund themselves by issuing large amounts of asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) which is secured by the pledge of eligible assets into an ABCP conduit. Examples of eligible assets include auto loans, credit card receivables, residential/commercial mortgage loans, mortgage-backed securities and similar financial assets. Some large corporations with strong credit ratings, such as General Electric, issue commercial paper on their own credit. Other large corporations arrange for banks to issue commercial paper on their behalf.

In the United States, federal, state and local governments all issue paper to meet funding needs. States and local governments issue municipal paper, while the U.S. Treasury issues Treasury bills to fund the U.S. public debt:

1.     Trading companies often purchase bankers' acceptances to be tendered for payment to overseas suppliers.
2.     Retail and institutional money market funds
3.     Banks
4.     Central banks
5.     Cash management programs
6.     Merchant banks

Functions of the money market
Money markets serve five functions—to finance trade, finance industry, invest profitably, enhance commercial banks' self-sufficiency, and lubricate central bank policies.[3][4]
Financing trade

The money market plays crucial role in financing domestic and international trade. Commercial finance is made available to the traders through bills of exchange, which are discounted by the bill market. The acceptance houses and discount markets help in financing foreign trade.
Financing industry

The money market contributes to the growth of industries in two ways:

    They help industries secure short-term loans to meet their working capital requirements through the system of finance bills, commercial papers, etc.
    Industries generally need long-term loans, which are provided in the capital market. However, the capital market depends upon the nature of and the conditions in the money market. The short-term interest rates of the money market influence the long-term interest rates of the capital market. Thus, money market indirectly helps the industries through its link with and influence on long-term capital market.

Profitable investment

The Money Market enables the commercial banks to use their excess reserves in profitable investment. The main objective of the commercial banks is to earn income from its reserves as well as maintain liquidity to meet the uncertain cash demand of the depositors. In the money market, the excess reserves of the commercial banks are invested in near-money assets (e.g., short-term bills of exchange) which are highly liquid and can be easily converted into cash. Thus, the commercial banks earn profits without sacrificing liquidity.
Self-sufficiency of commercial bank

Developed money markets help the commercial banks to become self-sufficient. In the situation of emergency, when the commercial banks have scarcity of funds, they need not approach the central bank and borrow at a higher interest rate. On the other hand, they can meet their requirements by recalling their old short-run loans from the money market.
Help to central bank

Though the central bank can function and influence the banking system in the absence of a money market, the existence of a developed money market smoothens the functioning and increases the efficiency of the central bank.

Money markets help central banks in two ways:

1. Short-run interest rates serve as an indicator of the monetary and banking conditions in the country and, in this way, guide the central bank to adopt an appropriate banking policy,
2.  Sensitive and integrated money markets help the central bank secure quick and widespread influence on the sub-markets, thus facilitating effective policy implementation.

References

http://www.investopedia.com/university/moneymarket

http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Global_Money_Markets.html?id=wyLQ-ZNK5_wC

Make your own chritmas tree with this steps

How to Make a Vintage-Inspired Christmas Tree Skirt

This easy no-sew Christmas tree skirt will add a finishing touch to your perfectly trimmed Christmas tree. Inspired by a retro midcentury modern decor, it is a funky and non-traditional must.

Fold your large cut of felt in half and then once more, into quarters. Use a fabric tape measure or a scrap piece of yarn to determine the distance from the center of the tree to the desired edge of the skirt. Be sure to measure with the tree stand in mind. Draw a semicircle from edge to edge for your tree skirt outline. TIP: You can use a piece of yarn or string as a compass to cut a perfect circle by fastening it to the center fold corner with a safety pin, and tracing it's path with chalk.

1. Carefully cut along the line made while fabric is still folded in quarters. When unfolded it will be a full circle. Carefully cut out circle.

Unfold your felt to make a half circle. Use a circular object such as a small glass or lid and trace half circles around the edge to give the fabric scallops. Carefully cut scallops out while still folded in half. Do this around all the edges.

Trace a lid to give the tree skirt a decorative scalloped edge.


Trace and cut a straight line from the center of the skirt to the edge. Then, cut a small circle in the very center that will accommodate your tree trunk. Fake trees will need a smaller center opening than a real tree will need.

Cut a circle in the center of the skirt for the Christmas tree.


Trace and cut out the felt embellishments that will decorate the skirt. Use a medium and a small lid to trace different sized circles in the various desired colors of felt.
Trace and cut out felt embellishments for the skirt.


Measure and cut out varying lengths of ribbon. Layout and space design before gluing anything down.
Measure out different lengths of ribbon for this retro design.

When the design is satisfactory, work around the circle using the hot glue gun to secure the design in place.
Glue down felt accent with a hot glue gun.


Use steps 1 through 5 to make a mini circle with scalloped edge to cover up work at the center of skirt. This gives it a clean finished look.

12 good reasons to live in Las Vegas Nevada

Also known as the Silver State, Nevada bordering California, Utah, Arizona, Idaho and Oregon. Being around so many states, it is a popular destination for tourism expeditions weekend, not to mention that is home to Las Vegas. If you really need 10 reasons to live in Nevada, then be prepared to be convinced.

Rates

The state of Nevada is pretty nifty for some of their differences in taxes in other states. For example, no state sales tax on food and medicine. This makes the food is a little cheaper than if you had to buy them, say, Missouri and New York, among other states. When you live in Nevada, your paychecks do not go through the wringer either, because there is no state income tax. You can still claim federal tax refunds to get this out.

Culture

The state of Nevada is a melting pot of culture. The city of Winnemucca, located in Humboldt County, is home to an annual and Las Vegas offers a plethora of cultural attractions throughout the year Basque festival. Native American culture is also strongly represented throughout the state through the Paiute tribe.

Landscape

Nevada offers a variety of landscapes of the region depending on the state you want to live. The southern part of the state is mostly desert, connecting Arizona and California. The dry atmosphere lends way to a hidden oasis called Red Rock Canyon, which features a woodland trail and a waterfall. Mt. Charleston is another beautiful wooded setting that is high enough in elevation to get snow during the winter months. Northern Nevada experience the four seasons, showing that even the desert can seem like a different world.

Entertainment

Whether you live in Las Vegas and Reno, you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment. Comedians, concerts and sporting events are popular points north and south of the state. In fact, the fight MMA is very popular in the city of sin, as is boxing. Manny Pacquiao's visit frequently and Sly Stallone also has a residence here.

Food

If you do not like the game or hang out at live events, you certainly fall in the food choices in this state. There is absolutely everything you can imagine in Nevada from one city to another. You can enjoy traditional cuisine cowgirl in northern Nevada in several restaurants in the country, or you can go to the big cities of Reno and Las Vegas in search of a more sophisticated and accessible kitchen. Las Vegas and Reno promote low prices for their food. You can get a steak dinner in any city for less than $ 5 at the time of publication.

purchases

Purchases in the state of Nevada vary by region of the state you live in. If you live in the northern half of the state, it can be difficult to find commercial quality beyond the chain stores. However, the cities of Las Vegas and Reno offer a multitude of shops, making these hot spots still popular cities for residents who live hours away. Shopping malls and specialty stores boutiques as "zoot suit" are common.

Education

Post-secondary education in the state is of high quality. There are several trade-oriented universities in the state and universities also offer dental degrees and other credentials of eight years. UNLV has a massive dental school with a laboratory on site that offers help and give off their practical training in the field of dentistry students.

Holiday shows

The festivities in Nevada are huge due to the sizes of the two main cities of the state. For example, fireworks shows in Las Vegas last several hours and can be seen over the city. During the holiday season, many of the small towns in northern Nevada launch community events that bring together community members. Volunteer firefighters outside Winnemucca in the region of Paradise organize a party every Christmas where the whole family is welcome.

Faith

You do not have to be religious to live in the state of Nevada, but if you are, you probably will not have any problem finding a house of worship. All religions are welcome in the state and find that no matter where you go, there are a variety of religions and beliefs here. This is because many people around the world visit Las Vegas and many decide to stay forever.

Gambling Games

The entire state of Nevada legalized gambling, which means that not only have to go to Vegas to play slots or tables. In fact, the game is so widely accepted in the state, you can sit and play the machines at many grocery stores while waiting for your family to buy. You can even bet laundries.