The Art Of Diecast Collecting

Collecting diecast vehicles consists of acquiring specific items based on your particular interests, such as airplanes, cars, trains, ship models, etc. Although some people just accumulate them, this is a passionate hobby for most folks, in which the genuine collector organizes carefully those items to catalog them and proudly display them. The depth and breadth of every collection is as unique as every collector is, and they are the ones that determine if a collection will focus on a specific subtopic within their area of general interests or if they only want to accumulate determined items. As an example, a collector may collect diecast vehicles trying to accumulate any or all of them, while another individual could prefer collecting only a model, brand or marquee. Diecast vehicles and toys are an example of a collection that is never-ending. When you start collecting these vehicles it is like traveling back in time until the early decades of the 20th century when manufacturers such as Tootsie Toys in the United States, or Dinky Toys in the United Kingdom first produced the first diecast toys. Because the term “diecast” refers to any product produced using the casting method, the first models on the market were small cars or vans without plastic windows. Over time, the vehicles were made of plastic and metal, more commonly an alloy of zinc and aluminum, including not only cars but also scale models of airplanes and trains, although automobiles are still the favorites among all of them. With more than 50 popular brands including Altaya, Bandai, Brooklin, CMC, Dragon Wings, Exoto, Guisval, Ixo, Jada, Johnny Ligntning, Kyosho, Lledo, Matchbox, Minichamps, Norev, Plasticos Argentinos, Racing Champions, RCCA, Revell, Tekno, Tomica, UT Models, Vitesse, and the popular Hot Wheels introduced by Mattel, among others.

Like with other popular collecting fields, diecast collecting has specialized commercial dealers that trade vehicles and related accessories. In fact, many individuals start collecting cars as a hobby to become dealers at a later date, either turning this hobby into a profession, or as a means to get extremely rare vehicles for their own collections, while they help other collectors in their pursuit of showcase-model cars. In the United Kingdom, there are teams specialized in visiting small and larger toy fairs to acquire incredible cars, in good conditions from Dinky Toys and Corgi, the main British collectibles companies. Dinky Toys was first introduced in early 1934 by Meccano Ltd of Liverpool, England, presenting a new line of modeled miniatures, as diecast vehicles were first known.

Corgi Toys began producing scale model cars until July 1956 under the supervision of Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in Swansea, Wales, along with Dinky Toys, and the American Tootsie Toys, which is one of the most wanted brands of collectors worldwide. However, there are many other popular manufacturers from the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc.

Rarely a diecast collector completes a collection because new models of cars are always available, and collecting never stops, you can always expand or start an entirely new collection in a subtopic, such as cars, then sport cars, vans, etc. From Hot Wheels to Matchbox and from Bandai to Tomica, including all the other brands, diecasts models include popular automobile marques. Packard, MG, Morris, Hillman, Austin, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Citroen, Opel, Triumph, Talbot, Gwynne, Vauxhall, Reliant, Singer, Bristol, Wolseley, Innocenti, Healey, Siddeley, BSA, Darracq, Crossley, Jowett, Frazer Nash, Northern, Renault, Ford, Chrysler, and the classics Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce, just to name a few.

Broadening a collection is not that hard, even when focusing on a single marquee, because there are different models from the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, etc. Hence, every diecast Collector has a world of possibilities when gathering diecast models from almost any period of time as early as models from 1885, when the first automobile driven by internal combustion was introduced by German inventor Karl Friedrich Benz, to actual models in modern car showcases. Diecast vehicles come in various scales, the most popular ranging from 1:28 to 1:64 scale, although many collectors prefer focusing their collections on the 1:43 and 1:50 scales. Diecast toys were originally designed for children, but the collecting boom started during the 1950’s when grown children stated to keep their cars instead of throwing them away and adults discovered them as valuable collectible items.

There is computer software that is made just for collecting diecast vehicles. Anyone who has a small or large diecast vehicle collection can easily keep track of what vehicle they have, the color, condition, cost, value, scale and lots of other info for each record (vehicle). This is the most easiest to use software of it’s kind, and it is made 100% for diecast collecting. The software is described in detail and you can download a free demo version of it at this website address:

By Robert W. BenjaminCopyright 2006 You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your website as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Indian IT minister says government will not censor social media

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Indian Information Technology (IT) minister Kapil Sibal said at a Mumbai IT summit that the government has no plan to censor social media. “We have never had any intention nor did we ever say we are going to censor social media,” he said, “but we do believe that all media must obey the laws of this country”.

Sibal’s government had planned last year to introduce guidelines to prevent “blasphemous material” on the internet. Google suggested the plans were unconstitutional and against the freedom of speech. Google later removed offensive contents when the court ordered.

21 companies including Google and Facebook were brought to court regarding some of their sites’ content last year. The court found the companies responsible for developing means to counter unacceptable content. Sibal said it had nothing to do with the government; “It is between the complainant and those who have been called”.

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‘Kama Sutra’ worm set to strike

Friday, February 3, 2006

Computer security experts warn that a malicious computer worm, dubbed “Kama Sutra,” is set to wreak havoc this Friday, February 3rd on Microsoft Windows computers worldwide. Kama Sutra is designed to destroy files that end in .doc, .zip and .pdf.

The Kama Sutra worm has been spreading through cyberspace since January 16, packaged in emails with subject headings such as: “give me a kiss” and “crazy illegal sex.”

When users click an email attachment, their PCs become infected with destructive, self-replicating software. The worm affects Microsoft Windows operating systems and is programmed to go to work on the third of every month, overwriting or corrupting Microsoft files and others such as Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

“This one can damage your office files, your Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and your PowerPoint presentations,” Tino Klironomos, a computer retailer, said. “(The files will be) all gone, history.”

Computer security company LURHQ reports that there may be hundreds of thousands of machines already infected with the worm, which also goes by the monikers “BlackWorm,” “CME-24,” “Blackmal,” “Mywife.E” and “Nyxem.”

To prevent the worm, Windows users should arm themselves with anti-virus software. People can also protect their PC with up-to-date anti-virus gear and firewall protection. Free anti-virus tools are available from many anti-virus organisations. These tools can detect and remove the Kama Sutra worm from an infected machine.

Experts say: “Make sure your virus definitions are up to date. Besides being careful about opening email messages and attachments, users should back up their most valuable computer files on an external device such as a CD, zip drive or DVD.”

Steve Bass at PC World says: “Stop worrying. If you update your virus program signatures regularly, and do a weekly AV scan, I don’t think you have much to worry about…”

Other advice is not to open any messages with the subject headers “crazy, illegal sex”, “give me a kiss” and “hot movie.”

The worm will not affect machines running on non-Windows operating systems such as Mac OS X or GNU/Linux.

Many security systems reported a very small amount of vandalism, even though the threats were very high.

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What Parents Can Do To Fight Child Obesity?}

What Parents Can Do to Fight Child Obesity?

by

Nick Mutt

Child obesity is one of the alarming situations in most of the countries in the world. Obesity among children can lead to several health problems. So it is always advisable for parents to take action against child obesity before its too late. You must carefully monitor what your children eat. The aim should be right food, right quantities; junk food to be restricted or chucked out completely.

Fitness trainers say that the number of obese and overweight children coming in for weight reduction programs is on the rise. In this article you will find some useful dietary guidelines to overcome child obesity.

1. Salads are good to replace snacks. Include fruits and vegetables in salad your child love to eat.

2. Fruits and vegetables must be included in diet. Vegetable soups can be served in breakfast.

3. Milk shakes are healthy substitutes for colas. Try not to keep cakes, chocolates and sweets at home.

Encourage your child to take an active part in sports and outdoor games. To lose all the flab accumulated by eating, sleeping and watching TV, your child needs some intensive weight reduction program. If the family members have high BP or diabetes related to obesity, children should be encouraged more so to lose the flab so that those diseases dont bother them. Strict diet of vegetable soup and fruits must be given, and chocolates, soft drinks, etc., to be completely banned.

Lifestyle measures to combat child obesity:

1.Limit time spent in front of the TV

2.Eat healthy food. Try fruit salads and vegetable soups.

3.Baked foods are a better alternative to fried stuff

4.Try sweets cooked in milk rather than oil or ghee

5.Include more pulses and vegetables in your diet

6.Cut out red meat; try seafood

7.Fix regular times for meals

8.Snack on fruits and fruit juices

9.Go outside and play more. Try jogging at least two or three times a week. Cycling is also a good option.

Parents, teachers or fitness experts can only guide the kids but the initiative and motivation should come from kids. What they need is correct guidance and ideal role models. Parents and teachers should play these roles and the results will be excellent, for everybody to see.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

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Argentine footballer Mascherano announces international retirement

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Argentine footballer Javier Mascherano announced retirement from international football after losing 3–4 against France in the Last 16 knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup yesterday.

Mascherano made his international debut on June 17, 2003, at the age of nineteen. Since then, he has won 147 international caps with Argentina, a national record. Mascherano has featured in four different FIFA World Cup tournaments, since the 2006 World Cup.

After the match, 34-year-old Mascherano said, “It’s time to say goodbye and for the younger players to step in.” He also said, “Personally, from now on, I will be just another fan, it’s over” ((es))Spanish language: ?En lo personal, a partir de ahora, seré un hincha más. Se terminó.

In the last four years, Mascherano has won the silver medal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2015 Copa América ((en))America Cup and 2016’s Copa América Centenario.

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Civil Rights lawyer Oliver Hill dies

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Oliver Hill, an American Civil Rights lawyer died today at the age of 100. Hill was attending breakfast, when he died “peacefully,” said a friend of Hill’s family, Joseph Morrissey. The cause is not yet known.

“As a pioneer for civil rights, an accomplished attorney, and a war veteran, Mr. Hill’s dedication to serving the commonwealth and the country never failed,” said Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine in a statement released to the press.

Hill won African American teachers the right to have equal pay in 1940, which was the first civil rights case he won in his career.

He was also the first African American to be elected to the city council in Richmond, Virginia in 1948.

Hill also filed several lawsuits against racial segregation in the U.S. public school systems in 1954. Those lawsuits later became as the ‘Brown vs. Board‘ which overturned laws dating back to 1896 which ruled that separate schools for African Americans and White Americans were “unequal.”

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The Benefits Of Living In Apartments In Colombo

byadmin

Sri Lanka is an inviting tropical paradise that has been a travel destination for Europeans, Americans, and people from the United Kingdom for centuries. This area is also home to a diverse group of people from all over the world, many who are enjoying this relaxing island country and its economic and business potential.

While there is the possibility of buying or leasing a home, many people choose to move to the luxury apartments in Colombo. This world-class city features some new developments that offer a true aesthetic and living experience that is both breathtaking as well affordable.

The Apartment Advantage

Many of the luxury apartments in Colombo are more like condos than what many Westerners would consider an apartment. This includes all the upgrades that would be expected in a designer home from natural stone countertops to private balconies that highlight the Colombo skyline and overlook relaxing natural spaces. Of course, on the upper floors of apartments in Colombo, there is always the view of the ocean to consider, which is not possible from homes not located on the coast.

The Options

With the new apartment complexes that have been designed to provide a full in-facility living experience for all residents, sizes of apartments can include two bedroom up to four and five-bedroom suites in the penthouse apartments.

This means they are a great choice for a single, a couple or even those with a family, allowing those interested in the apartment to choose the floor plan and size that is the best option for their needs.

Some of the top developments are truly self-contained cities. They include meeting rooms, hotels, shopping malls and entertainment, all contained on the lower floors. This is a great option for anyone, offer an amazing place to live and enjoy life. Click here for more information.

Timothy Dalton to voice a character in Toy Story 3

Friday, September 11, 2009

Disney president John Lasseter has announced that British actor Timothy Dalton will be voicing a character in Toy Story 3.

Dalton, who previously starred as James Bond in Licence to Kill and The Living Daylights, will star as a thespian hedgehog called Mr. Pricklypants in Toy Story 3, a film which is due for release in June 2010. Mr. Pricklypants is described as “a hedgehog toy with thespian tendencies”.

John Lasseter, Disney/Pixar Chief Creative Officer, made the announcement at a Disney Animation Showcase in London, England on Thursday. At the same event it was announced that Mandy Moore would star in a cartoon based on the fairytale Rapunzel and that a James Bond-style character will appear in upcoming Disney/Pixar film Cars 2. In August 2009, it was also announced that Michael Keaton — from the movie Cars — would voice Ken, the boyfriend to Barbie in the film.

John Lasseter originally announced the plans for the third film in the franchise in January 2008 and said that people would be “blown away” by it. He proclaimed: “It [Toy Story 3] is shaping up to be another great adventure for Buzz, Woody and the gang from Andy’s room.”

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Save Money With A Mortgage Calculator

By Sean A. Kelly

A mortgage calculator can be crucial for people who are looking to buying a home. By using a mortgage calculator, you can figure out your payments and basic costs. These tools allow you to find a payment plan that enables you to reduce your debt gradually through monthly payments of principal. First, you may like to find out what kind of mortgage works best for you. There are many choices for you. You can choose a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage. Then you may use these mortgage calculators to determine the amount of mortgage you can afford. You can also choose to determine your new monthly mortgage payments. When you decide to use a mortgage calculator you may get accurate and good information about the actual loan. The best part of using a mortgage calculator is that you may find that you have started saving substantially, may be in thousands of dollars because the mortgage calculator will educate you about different mortgage loans. You may also be able to compare and calculate the true cost of all options and proceed with the one that is the most affordable one for you. Mortgage calculators can also be used to calculate payments on debt consolidation mortgage loans and see your monthly savings. You can use the calculator to check how you can refinance the loans you have. It is simple to work out how much you can afford to borrow and exactly what your repayments would be with this magical mortgage calculator.

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The major benefit of a mortgage calculator tool is the ability to figure out what you can afford. While many people know what they can afford as far as monthly payments are concerned, they may be unsure how interest and everything else plays into the numbers. The mortgage calculator can also give you the luxury of playing with the interest rate, amount of deposit, and loan term to figure out what you can afford, and how to arrive at the loan amount that you can afford. The best part is that when you use a mortgage calculator, you not only save on your mortgage but also on agent fees. Calculating the mortgage after considering your income and expenditure is a complex task. If not a mortgage calculator, then you need to take the services of agents, which will obviously come at a cost. Moreover, mortgage calculators are tested authentic.

Now, how does this mortgage calculator tool work? Firstly, determine your balance or principal. This figure is how much of the house you’ll actually be paying on. For example, if you’re purchasing a $230,000 home, but have a $30,000 down payment, your principal is $200,000. Enter this figure into the “principal” or “mortgage” amount in the first box of the mortgage calculator. Select how many years your loan will be amortized over. If you’re unsure, enter 30 years to be on the conservative side. Enter your interest rate. For a common estimate, enter the interest rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage, and understand that if you choose an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), your mortgage payment could initially be less than you calculated. Press the “calculate” button. The calculator will give you your estimated monthly mortgage payment based on the information you provided. In short, when trying to restructure a mortgage, or to entering into a new one, the mortgage calculator can help you understand what you can do, and what you cannot afford

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Swiss court rules in favor of American account holder

Saturday, January 23, 2010

An American client of Switzerland-based bank, UBS, has won an appeal in Swiss court on Friday against providing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States with relevant information about his offshore accounts.

The Swiss court ruled that the man’s failure to complete an IRS tax form, no matter how much money it pertained to, was not in itself fraudulent behavior. The case calls into question an agreement made between Switzerland and the United States last year in which Swiss tax authorities would supply the IRS with information on nearly 4,500 suspected tax evaders and their respective accounts.

A further twenty-five similar cases are still pending; the verdicts of which may be influenced by this precedent-setting case.

The Swiss government will meet next Wednesday to discuss how to better implement last year’s Swiss-US banking accord. As it pertains to the case at hand, if they so choose, Swiss tax officials can file a further appeal petitioning the court’s decision.

UBS and the US Department of Justice both have yet to comment on the matter.

According to the US government, UBS is “hiding” over US$15 billion in assets on behalf of American account holders.

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