Find Your Noble Ancestors

Are you interested in genealogy and family search? Would you like to find out if you belong to an ancient noble family? 3 years ago I started doing serious research about my family, and came all the way back to the founder of our family who was made a Marquis in the year 1141. In the process I have collected more than 2000 pages of documentation and made friends all over the world! In this brief article I would like to tell you about some of the most important things to remember when you are looking for possible noble ancestors.

First of all, you need to collect and systematize the knowledge you already have. This means to search written material already available, interviewing family members and relatives, trying to find physical items relating to your family history and if possible summon a family meeting.

Second, you need to start using the Internet as a genealogical tool. You need to learn how to use search engines and telephone directories to do genealogical research. You will also need to find and use specialized Internet sites that deal with noble genealogy and nobiliary issues such as heraldry (the science that studies armorial bearings). In many cases you can find sites specialized in the nobility of specific countries, and they will provide you with lots of valuable information.

You will also want to search libraries for books related to your family search, and from many libraries you can buy photocopies from the books you need. In some cases you will want to own a specific book related to your family history, and you will need to search antiquarian book shops.

Several Internet sites have specialized in heraldry, and at one site you can search among the coat of arms of more than 130,000 families.

But if you are serious about finding out if you belong to an ancient noble family you must know what to look for. I am offering all readers to download a FREE chapter called "A nobiliary primer", explaining many difficult terms and nobiliary issues.

Popular Con Games And How To Recognize Them

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Popular Con Games And How To Recognize Them
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The object of any con game is to cause you to part with your money or other thing of value.

Most con games are initiated by people who approach you on the street or call on you at your home.

Be suspicious of ANY plan, idea, scheme, business deal or whatever that requires you to part with your money on short notice.

THE PIGEON DROP
Cons like the "pigeon drop" are very common. In this scam, the victim is approached by a person, or persons, claiming to have found a large sum of money. The suspects tell the victim they would like to share the money with the victim, but ask the victim to put up some of his own money as a gesture of good faith. Packages, bags, or whatever are switched and the victim ends up with a wad of paper or the like and the suspects are nowhere to be found.

ROCKS IN THE BOX
In the "rocks in the box" scam, the victim is approached by a suspect who offers to sell him a new TV, VCR, or similar item--at a very low price. Once the victim parts with his money he finds himself stuck with a box containing bricks or other junk used to simulate the weight of the claimed contents of the box.

BANK EXAMINER
The "bank examiner" con is commonly practiced on older females.

In this scam the victim is contacted, usually by phone, by a person claiming to be an officer of the bank at which she has an account. The caller claims that due to computer malfunction or other problem, the bank needs to verify certain information.

During the conversation, the caller tries to obtain needed information about the victim's account balance, recent account activity, etc. The caller will also try to determine if the victim lives alone, etc. If the phony bank officer gets the needed information he will thank the victim, and tell her he will call her back if there are any problems.

After a short time the phony bank officer will call the victim again and tell her that the problem has been caused by a bank employee that they suspect of stealing from customer's accounts, including the victim's. The victim is asked if she would assist the bank in catching the dishonest employee. The victim, wanting to help nab the crook, often agrees. She is then given the "plan" by the phony bank officer.

He tells the victim that a "dummy" account has been set up in her name for this event. She is to go to the bank and to the suspected dishonest employee and withdraw $3000, the amount stolen from her account. The phony bank officer tells the victim that the dishonest employee, knowing that the withdrawal will cause the victim's account to be overdrawn, will have to steal the money from yet another account to make up the difference.

The phony bank officer tells the victim that the dishonest employee's actions will be monitored on closed-circuit TV, and this is how he/she will be caught.

The victim is assured that her account is fully insured and she will suffer no loss due to the employee's dishonesty. The victim follows through with the plan and withdraws the agreed amount. The victim then meets the phony bank official at a pre-determined location.

The phony bank official then takes the money from the victim, telling her that it actually came from the "dummy" account and not her account, and that it is needed as evidence.

The victim is given a receipt for the money and of course neither the money, nor the bank officer is ever seen again!

BAIL BOND SCAM
The victim is contacted by phone by a person claiming to be a friend of a relative of the victim. The victim is told that the relative has been arrested for an outstanding warrant or some other minor charge, and needs money to get out of jail. The "friend" asks the victim for the bail money. If the victim agrees, the caller will arrange for himself or another person to pick up the money.

PHONY C.O.D. SCAM
The suspect will scout a neighborhood to find a suitable unoccupied home. He will check a city directory publication to determine the name of the homeowner. He will put the name on a phony shipping label and attach that to a box containing rocks or similar type debris. He will then return dressed in an "express delivery" type of uniform. He will pretend to knock or ring the doorbell at the unoccupied house. Getting no answer, he will then go to a next-door or nearby neighbor and ask them to accept the package and pay the C.O.D. fee.

HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAM
The suspects drive to the victim's house in a contractor type vehicle and dressed in workman's clothing. They tell the victim they have just finished a large roofing job (or driveway resurfacing, etc.) and have some materials left over.

They tell the victim they will use the leftover material to repair the victim's roof, driveway, or whatever, at a large discount. If the victim agrees, the suspects will do a quick, shoddy, job with cheap material.

These con artists usually travel from town to town perpetrating this scam, staying away from their hometown where they would surely be caught in a short time.

Carl Ellis is the owner of The Guardian Company. He has published a brand new and unique e-Book, "753 Family Safety Tips, Tricks, and Pointers... 'You Can Use EVERY DAY To Protect Yourself, Your Property, AND Your Loved Ones!' "

== The Guardian Company offers a unique service ==

Scenario for Survival

Does your business have an emergency response plan? What about your family crisis response plan? Who needs to know your whereabouts in an emergency? Spouse? Children? Parents? Boss? Coworker? What if the phone lines are down? What if the Internet is not available? The chilling scenes of the terrorist attack at the Russian school are enough to compel us to think about our own situations.

In business, we have contingency management, "con-man." For the Army I helped write and exercise contingency plans. In our personal lives, we should also consider in advance those times when life throws us a curve, when things don't go the way we planned.

One very useful technique is to do mental "what if" drills in order to anticipate situations before they occur. Use your "over the horizon" radar to look into the future. Then run different scenarios through your mind. What if there was a bomb threat while you were visiting another office and everyone had to evacuate the building? You have to take your mother to the hospital in a few minutes and your car keys are in the building with your cell phone and all your money. Your coworkers are in the same situation. Whom could you contact? What are your options?

Large companies hire people to gather information, look into the future, and think up plausible scenarios of challenges and opportunities the company may face in the future. The company is then able to do contingency planning. You can benefit from those techniques, too.

Why not apply a "what if" drill to a few scenarios for yourself and your family just in case you are ever caught up in an ordinary emergency situation or terrorist activity. In the Army Operations Center, we did recall drills. We had a recall plan where within a very short time everyone could be called back to work. It works like a chain reaction. The person at the top of the list calls two or three people and each of those call two or three people, and quickly any number of people can be contacted. Prayer groups and others have also used this technique to contact many people in a very short time.

Think of your personal and professional responsibilities. How many telephone numbers do you know off the top of your head? Do you have them written down or stored in your cell phone or PDA so others can make the contact if you are unable to? Should you establish a notification chain so that with one completed phone call, everyone who needs to know can be notified? What if the phone lines are down? Is email available? If you can only reach a coworker, will that person know whom else to contact? This is a very practical "what if" drill you can conduct immediately. What if you were caught up in an emergency situation tomorrow? Would you be better prepared than you were yesterday?

"What if" drills can boost your confidence. Even if the challenging events you encounter in "real life" are not the precise scenario you thought up, you will have practice in creative problem solving. Stuff happens. Looking "over the horizon," anticipating, and doing "what if" drills will ensure that you are prepared.

How to Make Cooling Neck Ties

Have you ever used a cooling necktie? If you have I bet two things surprised you. How they helped you keep cool and how much they cost. About $8 each. Ouch!

This article shows you how to make your own, for just a few cents.

Supplies you will need:

1 yd cotton fabric that is at least 42" wide and a maximum of 45". This will make 8 ties

Wash the fabric before use.

Water absorbing polymers these are available at hardware's for gardening or you can purchase them at Watersorb http://www.watersorb.com If ordering from Watersorb, order the medium granules.

A tape measure.
Sewing machine.
Scissors.

1. Cut or tear strips 4 1/2" wide by the fabric width eg. 45".

2. Fold fabric in half, right sides together, on the long edge sew the long seam.

3. Turn over and iron.

4.Mark the centre and stitch along it. Now you have a tube about 2" wide and 42" - 45" long.

5. Drop in 1/8 tsp of crystals on each side of the seam. You can roll up a piece of paper to use as a funnel to make it easier.

IMPORTANT: At first only make a test tie with the brand of polymers you're using to make sure its the correct amount after it's soaked.

6. Mark 4 1/2" from the centre and seam again.

Now you have 2 pockets with crystals.

7. Add another 1/8 tsp of in both sides and seam 4 1/2 inches from the first set of seams again. You will now have 4 pockets. Hopefully!!

8. Fold in raw edges and sew across to finish. If you prefer you can make the ends diagonal.

Care instructions:

* Place in cold water approx 30 min, until crystals become gel.
* Tie around head or neck. Tie will be more effective if placed in the refrigerator before use or soaked in ice cold water.
* Regenerate by soaking 1-3 minutes.
* Do not freeze
* Dehydrate to store
* Hand wash only with a mild soap

Spending Time With Chuck

I have been waking up thinking about something that happening to me and my son Chuck. I have decided to write it down while it’s on my mind.

Chuck was seventeen, we had him when I was seventeen, a child dad . This was not a good combination I thought I knew it all ,he knew he did. Needless to say we had not been getting along very well for quite a while.

My wife told me, honey you need to find a way to spend more time with Chuck. Well I have not been spending very much time with him the last few years. Honey he will be grown and gone before you know it, I said ok. Chuck is my oldest son. I have seven children, fourteen grand kids and Five great grand children.

So I have decided to start spending more time with Chuck now the question is, doing what?

We tried golf, he tried to hard and all we did was argue. Then we tried fishing but the rest of the kids wanted to go along. That was ok, but it was not what I wanted. How to spend time with Chuck.

Two weeks later a friend of mine ask me to go sailing with him that Saturday as he needed a crewman.

He had a real nice sailboat a Catalina 22. The rules were that he had to have two people on his boat to race. His normal crew had something to do and couldn’t sail that Saturday so he ask me. I told him that I had never sailed on a sailboat, he said that was ok. He would show me. I ask can I bring my son Chuck along? He said yes no problem. We went, Chuck nor I knew anything about sailing and we a great time.

On the way home we talked about a lot of things. One thing that was brought up was, why don’t we get us a sailboat, then we could learn to sail together.

The next week we looked in the paper (bet you thought I was going to say internet, there wasn’t any internet back then) the paper.

SAILBOAT FOR SALE the ad read. Dad let’s go look at it. First we called had it in the paper for $850 said that would take $600 cash. We went to look at it.

It was a Dolphin. Not to bad, a two person sailboat 5 years old and in good shape. We got it.

Chuck was very proud of that boat. We joined the sailboat club to go racing (fours hours to go three miles) Breaking the speed records. Chuck got some books from the library about the racing rules. The next week he told me. Keep going dad we have the right-of -way and he yelled starboard boat. Yea we are doing ok.

The last race was November 15th It was cold and windy about 35mph. The race was to start at 1pm. We got out to the lake at 11am. Got the boat unloaded and got the sail up. The wind was blowing about 35mph and boat was pulling hard. Chuck was going to park the car but I told him to come on. We would sail the boat to the dock and come back and park the car. He said let me get the life preservers, I said no come on let’s go we will be right back.

As we got under way, damm this wind must be blowing harder than I thought. Thrilling but a little scary if you know what I mean. In just minutes we were quite a ways out. I tried to turn around but a nearly turned the boat over. The only way that I could turn around was to go across the lake to the other side and get out of the hard wind. Man what a ride the temp was 45 cold but exciting we were right on the edge.

We got turned around no easy feat and headed back. We have decided to put the boat up we didn’t want any more of this. Cold wet and a little scared. A gust hit us. What am I doing in the water. It’s ok Chuck will come back and get me. I heard Chuck yell stay there dad I will go and get the boat. We were both in the water and the boat was moving away from us. We both tried to swim after it but we could not get close to it. The waves were one to two feet high, the wind just moved the boat away from us.

I looked around it was two miles to land that way, and two miles that way. Four miles that way and that way. I always thought when I heard of someone drowning how could anyone get in that kind of trouble. Now I know.

Chuck we are in a lot of trouble. We may be ok if we can survive for 30 or 45min. I think that the crew will be out to put the racing pylons in place. They will surely see the boat with the sail down it the water, and know that there is a problem.

I read somewhere that if you are in an emergency like this stay away from each other Chuck was trying to hold me up. I pushed him away. I told him we are in a lot of trouble and we will have to save ourselves.

I can float and Chuck can tread water but it is so cold and the waves are so high. I must remember to keep the top of my head down under the water and wait until a wave goes over my head then take a breath. It’s going pretty good oh man it’s cold. Cough- Cough where did that wave come from. Chuck are you ok. Chuck, sorry dad thought I heard you but the wind. I didn’t know .Yes I am ok. Dad- yes, are we going to make it. I have not seen any boats on the lake. Do you think that I should try to swim to shore. No let’s wait and see if the crew comes out. How long has it been, 20 minutes dad.

It goes on and on. It seems like hours float, tread water, see if Chuck is ok, float again.

I am floating, I here a boat motor. I know that we have made it. I heard my son holler throw me something that floats and save my dad, he is up there. I relaxed I was saved I saw the boat getting dimmer and dimmer as I started to sink. All at once a hand hit me in the chest I grabbed it and he pulled me from under the water.

On shore waiting for the ambulance the guys told me they saw the Dolphin floating into the dam. They thought that it had broken loose from its mooring. So they launched their boat and went after it, but when they saw the sails in the water. They knew it was an emergency, standard procedures. Head up wind that’s were the boat had to come from and hope that you are time to save whoever is in trouble.

So that’s what they did then they went tearing across that lake. When they saw my son he told them give me something that floats And save my dad. He is that way. They said they did not see me. Then there he is.

He just went under quick hold my legs. He reached under the water and touched my chest and grabbed me, he said he thought that something broke his arm is was grabbed so hard. He had a black bruise on that arm for a week

My son made a quick recovery. The doctor told me I nearly didn’t make it. It was a good thing that I had quit smoking the year before or I probably wouldn’t have. We were in the water only 45 minutes. It seemed like hours.

Chuck and I have sailed for years since then. We have had many boats over the years and had many sailing experiences. But none like this.

Chuck and I haven’t ever said anything about this. But I thought that I should write this down before I forget it Because it’s been 28 years and my memory is not what it use to be.

Playgroups Online and Offline

Staying at home with your kids is a rewarding experience. Sometimes you and your kids need interaction with the outside world. One way to do this that is both a benefit to your children and yourself is to create or join a playgroup. This gives your child(ren) valuable interaction that is needed to develop his/her social skills. In addition it gives you an excellent opportunity to converse with adults. We all know what it's like to be at home all day with no adult interaction.

Playgroups can be found or formed at local community centers, church organizations, and mutual friends and online. If you have friends or family with children the same age then you have the makings of a possible playgroup. If not, then you can go to your community center, church or online playgroup search to look for other moms with the same interests.

In addition to setting up playdates, this is a good avenue to set up girls’ night outs with other moms.

Setting up playmates:

Rotate the play date host from each playgroup mom. This will allow the children to interact in different settings.

Keep the day/time consistent so that it will not interfere in the children’s' schedules (nap, sleep, mommy time)

Schedule public play dates at your local park, story time at the local bookstore, swimming pools, etc... This will take the monotony out of it.

Bring the necessary change of clothes, diapers, and snacks.

Going Online to find playgroups:

Playgroup matching sites are springing up on the Internet. These allow you to look for other moms looking for playgroups to join based on city and/or zip code. One such playgroup search is at MommiesCloset.Com's Playgroups database. This site as with others allow you to both join existing playgroups and to create playgroups for other moms to join. Some site such as the one mentioned above, allow you to search by zip code giving a defined radius to limit your search (i.e. 30 miles from 90210). Many moms are finding these sites extremely useful.

Once you have your playgroup, just remember to enjoy yourself and make it an enjoyable experience for your children.

Seven Simple Tips About Child Custody Issues

The following advice comes from my heart and my personal experience. I am not a lawyer. I did graduate from college with a degree in Communications, however, that does not qualify me to offer professional legal advice. If you read this article, remember you must consult an attorney to get help for your specific situation.

There are numerous, diverse issues surrounding legal custody of your children. Laws vary from state to state. Each individual situation is different depending on your personal circumstances, such as: marital status; employment; income; other financial resources; family support; relationship with other parent; past history of abuse or domestic violence; arrest record; and past role in children's life.

The following ideas are only some suggestions to consider if you are fighting for custody of your children or if you fear that you may have to battle the father/mother of your children for custody.

My first suggestion comes from my own terrifying experience.

1 - Don't think you will never have to fight for custody of your children.

Don't assume you know the father/mother of your children so well, that you have no fear of being forced to fight this man or woman to retain your parental rights. Don't foolishly trust everything the father/mother of your children tells you.

If they were planning to file for custody of your children, do you really think they'd let you know in advance? Obviously if they gave you with any type of a warning, you would have time to obtain your own lawyer and try to beat them at their own game. So of course, they're going to lie about their intentions if they're planning to seek custody of your children.

And they're going to try to make their lies sound so sincere, so convincing and so honest that you could easily be deceived. The only advice I have about how to tell the difference between a lie and the truth is - go with your gut instinct. If you have any reason to believe they may be thinking of filing for custody of your children, follow your heart. If you have any doubt about how honest they're being with you, don't wait around to see what happens next. Time is critical, so don't delay taking action to protect yourself if you feel threatened or mislead in any way.

2 - Be very careful about who you trust with important information.

You may be shocked to find out how quickly word travels from what you tell your friends or some of your family members to the other parent's friends or family members. People love to gossip. Rumors spread like wildfire with little regard for you or your children.

The only way to extinguish flaming tales of your tragic situation is to keep your mouth shut. Don't share your side of the story with anyone unless you are willing to bet your life and your future with your children on their loyalty to you.

When you're hurt by the actions of the father/mother of your children, it can be very difficult to not talk about your feelings of disbelief, anger, anxiety and devastation, but it can hurt you more in the long run to share your emotions with even your closest friends and family. You never know who will repeat what you say to whom and there's nothing worse than being stabbed in the back by someone you thought you could trust.

This may be the most expensive, bitter battle of your life. Don't risk the outcome by revealing significant factors of your defense to more than a few of your closest friends or family members, who you trust with all your heart. The stakes are high in any custody case. Gambling in this situation can reduce your credibility, destroy your reputation, ruin your defense strategy and significantly decrease your chances of winning in court.

3 - Hire a lawyer. You do need one.

You're selling yourself short if you don't seek legal advice. Unless you have incredible knowledge of the child custody laws in your state, if you are not represented by an attorney, you will probably be manipulated, intimidated and mislead by the attorney hired by the father/mother of your children.

Lawyers are not cheap. Hourly rates vary from $100 to $300 an hour. Be prepared to pay anywhere from $200 to $500 just for an initial consultation, which is the first step in finding a lawyer to represent you. Once you share your side of the story with an attorney, they should tell you what they believe the chances are for you to prevail, what their strategy would be to defend you, and how much they will require as a “retainer fee.”

Retainer fees can range from $500 to $5,000 for a really good lawyer. You must pay this money up front before they will take actions to represent you. This fee is usually put into an account that your attorney uses to fund your defense. Each phone call, office visit, fax correspondence, conference call with other attorney, review of your message on voice mail, etc. costs you money. The attorney deducts these costs from the retainer fee.

4 - Seek free legal advice if you cannot afford to pay for an attorney.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, most states have free legal services available for people, who qualify for this type of assistance based on their income.

If you have time to look for a lawyer, one of the best ways to find a good attorney, is by asking friends, family, business associates - people with knowledge in this field - people you respect and trust. What you hear by word of mouth will probably give you more honest insight into a lawyer's ability than any advertisement claiming to offer the best attorneys for your case.

If you think you can't afford to hire an attorney, consider whether you can afford to lose custody of your children. The choice is yours. Where there's a will, there's usually a way. You may have to take a bank loan, remortage your house, borrow from friends or family members, sell your favorite toys, cash in savings bonds, withdraw from your retirement account, pawn your diamond ring, or cancel your cable television, cellular phone service, or other little luxuries, but aren't your children worth making any sacrifice to ensure your future together?

5 - Watch your back.

Consider every move you make with extreme caution. You would be surprised how stupid little actions you take can be twisted to appear negative or illegal. Don't do anything remotely illegal, like: lying on your tax return; taking a job that pays “under the table;” drinking and driving; associating with people who may be linked to potentially illegal activities or visiting establishments with questionable reputations.

Make an extra effort to keep your house clean, free of products containing alcohol, and full of items essential for proper feeding, bathing, teaching, and caring for your children. You never know who is watching you or when you may get a knock at the door from the local Child Welfare authorities, who received an anonymous report that you're an unfit parent.

If you believe in the "always innocent until proven guilty" concept, you may be disappointed. Better safe than sorry when it's your children, your reputation, your parenting skills, your mental stability and your life that's on trial.

6 - Never ever sign anything that your attorney hasn't read.

Better yet only sign documents related to your child custody case in the presence of your attorney.

Even though it takes less than a minute to apply your signature to a piece of paper, it can take months to reverse the terms you agreed to be signing a legal document.

7 - Remember no matter how much you're hurting and regardless of how much you loathe the father/mother of your children, a child custody case is not about you.