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When getting into anything, it helps to do a little reconnoitering of the facts, even for a professional developer such as Isaac Toussie. And for the appropriate socioeconomic context in which to put such information, it helps to reference governmental findings such as census reports.

New York’s median yearly household income is almost forty-three and a half thousand dollars, compared with the national average of just under forty-two thousand every year. The state median family income also comes out ever-so-slightly ahead of the national figure at over fifty-one thousand versus just over fifty-thousand per annum. As might be expected, per capita differences post the same general ratios at almost twenty-three and a half thousand to over twenty-one and a half thousand, respectively.

Some more facts and figures need to be taken into consideration for a well-rounded appraisal of realty trend lines in New York, but these pertain more specifically to real estate: the median value of owner-occupied housing units is well over a hundred and forty-eight thousand dollars, almost thirty thousand dollars more than the national average of only over one hundred and nineteen thousand. Curiously, the asking price for housing units statewide compared to nationwide posted only a slight difference of about five thousand dollars, at well over ninety-four thousand dollars to only over eighty-nine thousand, respectively.

Average sales prices for homes in the Empire State have usually been between two hundred and three hundred thousand dollars for four bedroom units, the most expensive category of housing. However, extremely dramatic spikes and drops have been posted periodically, such that gains of up to over seven hundred thousand dollars were reached. Such surges and declines have not lasted more than a year, and because the drop-offs have only very rarely fell past previous baseline levels, they may have been viewed as simple market corrections instead of anything more ominous. In fact, other categories of housing – that is, one, two, three, and even four-bedroom units – have held rather steadily for a decade, rising only gradually from an average of around one hundred thousand to no more than two hundred thousand almost a decade later. When considering just one and two-bedroom homes, prices have only appreciated around fifty-thousand dollars in eight years.

It can be deduced that New York’s residential real estate market is fairly stable on the whole. The recent economic woes affecting the nation have certainly made an impact, but residential realty statewide seems to have endured it fairly well, all things considered. After all, this is the capital of the world we’re dealing with here!

That means that New York City will forever be bustling with economic activity, and the state along with it in a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats fashion. Local developers like
Isaac Toussie find home prices of half a million not at all unusual, and should be thought of the “entry-level” price one should expect to pay, even for somewhat dilapidated structures in some of the city’s worst neighborhoods. Rents are arguably even more incredible, with people actually leasing out their walk-in closets as rooms!

From Greek vases to Italian marble statues, people just can’t get enough of quality museum replicas for their homes and offices. It’s small wonder, of course, that folks should wish to surround themselves with timeless classic beauty. Indeed, museum replicas can lend style and even authority – the authority of tradition, the gravitas of high culture – to any setting, imbuing a sense of significance to one’s own endeavors in such an environment.

Bronze sculpture is also favorite among museum replica connoisseurs for just those reasons. Don’t laugh; it’s true. Such showpieces symbolize one’s erudition and, even, personal nobility. Art certainly communicates those qualities, anyway, on behalf of their owners. And here’s the curious thing: it all sounds so crass, ironically, given the high-minded perception that usually surrounds art!

The very act of wishing to link oneself with some past glory seems pretentious at best and downright absurd at worst. Yet it’s a fine line between true aesthetic appreciation of the informed sort and mere fashionable accessorizing of one’s residence or workplace.

Museum replicas let us all to play the part of a refined collector of antiques – not “antiques” in the now commonly debased sense of someone’s grandmother’s grandmother’s quilt abandoned at a yard sale, but treasures of the ancients now ours to enjoy. The pottery of ancient Greece isn’t only gorgeous but bear witness to one of the most intellectually remarkable civilizations of humankind.

And who has not gasped at the craftsmanship of a David, an Augustus Caesar, or an Ecstasy of Saint Teresa? These are some of the most prized examples of Italian inspiration anywhere, for all time, and owing one puts us in touch with the human capacity for imagination, the cultural heritage of our species. They lift us from the everyday into a realm of the spirit.

“Multimedia” and “virtual reality” used to be big buzzwords throughout the second half of the ’90s, before the “dot bomb” when internet start-ups were going up like crazy and the stock market couldn’t get enough of them, throwing money at almost every one in a confident shotgun way.

And now those days are long gone, having moved onto the next big bubble (which was, by the way, subprime mortgages, something that’s still a crisis the world over), but virtual reality and multimedia have only become better and better – though full sci-fic implementation is still quite some way off. That’s because a lot is involved in comprehensive sensory replication, though for many, the “rated-G” audiences of families on a vacation package, say, something like the New York Skyride by serial entrepreneur Zalman Silber would be just fine (it is, briefly, an IMAX-like helicopter fly-over of famous city landmarks synchronized to motion seating). But in research and development labs around the world, all the biggest names in consumer electronics are busy figuring out how to apply declassified military technology in a relevant way to ever more immersive videogaming and other kinds of entertainment.

Two trends appear ready to finally come to fruition: 3D and kinetics. First, three-dimensional technology is one of the most heavily explored fields in home electronics, and it seems poised for a prime-time debut in the form of immensely advanced television screens that require no 3D glasses to view 3D imagery. Secondly, the multiple billion-dollar videogaming industry has been pivotal in developing kinetic controls, whereby user commands are conveyed not through a physical interface but through the user’s own body movements. These two advances are being marketed right now by some of the biggest names in the business, famous labels such as Nintendo and Microsoft, companies that have a proven record of success in most of the things they do. A far cry from the likes of Zalman Silber!

Besides entertainment, the most obvious other uses for these technologies would be in real estate as well as education. Teaching subjects like chemistry and physics are sure to be revolutionized by the implementation of intuitive user controls and interactive 3D graphics that do not need a special interface. Wholesale property investment already makes broad use of virtual reality by providing 360-degree views and video walk-throughs of real estate to would-be buyers from around the world. Using virtual tours over the internet, possible buyers can consider from the comfort of their own homes whether an actual site visit is warranted, though property is also often bought only on the basis of the virtual tour!

The all-important first date. Such getting-to-know-you can be greatly enhanced by an amusement ride, and the most exhilarating one of all must be the Skywalk by Zalman Silber. A serial entrepreneur who made his first big fortune with New York’s infamous Skyride, a much ballyhooed but modest thirty-minute movie of helicopter flyovers, Sydney, Australia’s Skywalk is a much more visceral affair – and for a first-date, visceral is where it’s got to be at!

No, get your mind out of the gutter – “visceral” here simply means heart-pounding thrills which, studies show, make dates more attracted to one another. Yes, really: the more physically exciting the activities the more likely dates are to view one another as being physically attractive. Scientists have paired up total strangers of the opposite sex and asked them to secretly rate one another’s attractiveness. Then each pair was put through a roller-coaster, sitting side-by-side, and asked again to rate one another’s attractiveness after the ride. The second set of responses were almost always substantially higher than than the first set!

So if you want to make a great impression, make sure to get her (or him!) engaged in some kind of physically exhilarating activity with you – such as the aforementioned Skywalk from Zalman Silber. Found at the top of the Sydney Tower, the Skywalk is simply a catwalk with glass flooring that provides visitors with a panoramic view of the city a thousand feet above street level. Being a catwalk, everything is out in the open, with no windows between guests and…nothingness. The Skywalk offers not only a bird’s-eye view of the Harbour City but all the visceral feelings to go with it as well!

And if the simple fact of being up so high doesn’t get your date’s heart throbbing, make sure she looks down! Visiting the Skywalk is a perfect first date because the Skywalk is the perfect ice-breaker. Don’t be surprised if she reflexively grabs your arm! Even though everyone is tethered by cable to sturdy metal support structures, the frequent gusts of wind can be strong enough to make one forget all the safety features built into the experience. Afterward, you and your date can retire to the conventional observation deck of the Sydney Tower to enjoy the romantic view while sharing fond memories of your Skywalk. Or better yet, purchase another set of tickets to really jack up the excitement and send her emotions through the roof!

Looking to sell your company and retire off the proceeds? Think again. Because of these recessionary times, banks are unwilling to lend cash – meaning that it is harder and harder to sell your company simply because buyers usually can’t borrow more than sixty percent of the selling price.

Everyone is skittish. And many company owners are not rueful of not having sold when they had that proverbial chance. It’s harder than ever just to stay in business, and while the actual value of your organization may not have declined much, if declined at all, it’s simply an extraordinarily bad time to be in business – or to try to sell one, even a successful one.

And unfortunately for numerous owners, they increasingly need to work out alternative payment schedules, more akin to a loan except where profitability is concerned. However, all isn’t lost if you’re determined to sell your company.

For one thing, the tax rate right now is at historic lows, though many experts expect it to go up, to twenty percent from the current fifteen capital gains rate, in another year or so. This means that your after-tax income from a sale right now could be higher than if you wait for the economy to improve and take a hit from increased taxes.

Of course, it’s tough to let go of the notion that your business is still worth what it was during the economic boom years of just five years ago. But it’s essential to cut your losses, as it were, while you still can and get out before you put any more time, or even money, into a business when all you wish to do nowadays is retire to the good life. After all, isn’t that why you’d worked so hard through the years?

Headaches? Squinting? It could possibly be warning signs of declining eye-sight. So what do you do next? You head out to see an eye doc (of course) and it can be that you will require glasses or contact lenses. Now there is always the option of laser surgery but this posting will not talk about that.

Go for the glass? Specs have been around for decades – think Benjamin Franklin, an iconic wearer of eyeglasses. Eye glasses are either made from plastic or glass. The frames for them also come in a selection of materials. And, if you’re concerned about not finding the proper frames, don’t worry they at present have frameless types. And if you are one of those people who can’t even think about putting their finger in their eye and cringe at the thought of it, spectacles may be your best option.

However contact lenses have some advantages over eyeglasses. One advantage, the rain, I believe you know what happens. Two, fog, eye glasses tend to fog up. Three, slipping down your nose when you perspire, etc.

Whichever you go for, the most fundamental issue is the fact that you see clearly.

A webinar is a webcast that offers limited interactivity, for instance audience polling or a brief Q&A session afterwards. If you think about it, however, the state of today’s webinars are hardly far removed from something such as amusement rides like Oztrek by New York entrepreneur Zalman Silber. These are IMAX-like experiences that are passive, with no audience interaction, the only difference from a traditional movie screening being the synchronized motion seating effects involved.

But a webinar is more an online workshop than multimedia entertainment. Something like the Army Virtual Experience, or VAE, however, works to combine both aspects, possibly portending the future.

The VAE is really a mobile infantry combat simulator that allows participants to get a small taste of soldiering under extremely hostile environments. Created by the United States Army in conjunction with American software developer Zombie Studios, full-sized Blackhawk helicopter and full-sized Humvee vehicle simulators are employed to further develop the sense of realistic immersion. It is a mobile infantry combat simulator, available in a handful of different versions from full-sized to traveling packages suitable for indoor or outdoor installations. It was developed as a response to the increased appetite of young American males for electronic forms of entertainment, augmenting traditional advertising efforts on television. In two years and costing almost twenty million dollars, the VAE has been deployed at a variety of sites throughout forty states at venues ranging from NASCAR races to music festivals.

Available in different versions, the full VAE requires just under twenty-thousand square-feet of room for all the various aspects of the simulation technology involved, from the aforementioned life-sized replicas of Army hardware to the various computers and networking equipment necessary for bringing it all together to life. It’s a long ways off from the kind of passive technology deployed by amusement rides such as the Oztrek by serial entrepreneur Zalman Silber. Employing a humongous IMAX-like screen with motion seating that is activated in synchronization with onscreen events and actions, this type of immersive experience is purposefully safe and innocuous, suitable for the general family-oriented audiences it seeks. By contrast, the VAE leans heavily towards young males, with an emphasis on fire-and-forget gameplay. The full-version starts off in a traditional manner akin to something like the aforementioned Oztrek, with a twenty-minute ride in which video briefings are given by various soldiers of the United States Army explaining their areas of expertise and specialized duties as well as their personal goals outside of the military. But the similarity to yesteryear’s virtual tours soon ends as participants go on to engage in any number of war-fighting scenarios from inside life-sized Blackhawk and Humvee simulators.

Taxes and all of those forms… We should face it, tax forms can in most cases be complex. There are scores of questions many people ask when they get or need to send out tax forms. One of the more in demand questions is, if you receive a W9 form request, what exactly should you do with it?

Well if you get a W9 request then according to the Internal Revenue Service you absolutely need to answer it, providing that person looking for it is responsible to give you a 1099 form (this is an information return). If they are not required to give you a 1099 form (information return), well that would be a entirely different story.

So what happens if you will not reply to the tax form W9 request?

If you will not respond to the tax form W9 request you will be subject to a fifty dollar penalty and in addition future backup withholding. Backup withholding? you might ask, well if select not to give the information needed to a required filer of an 1099 Form (information return, not to be confused with a 1040 form) they are required to withhold up to 28% which is remitted to the government.

In the popular culture, horse racing tips have traditionally been akin to great Florida real estate deals or fantastic bridge sales in Brooklyn. But the world wide web has allowed for the proliferation of computerized horse racing systems, not basic programs that ran your input through a set of magical algorithms but dedicated servers that can be contacted in real-time for near instantaneous updates right from the track.

Best of all, modern racing systems like these allow you to bet anytime, anywhere – even at work (or church!), as long as an internet connection is available. Evidently working on somewhat similar models that has been successfully utilized by the hobbyist day trader, you can now bet and seriously handicap your game thanks to the power of 21st Century “cloud computing.”

Precise details are understandably vague, as no one likes to divulge trade secrets, but what is claimed are a number of advantages: real year-long staking records, consistent profits, and better than three-fourths strike rates. Such near-miraculous results come from a close analysis of a number of factors, for example the ages of the runners, the classes involved, and also the overall number of competitors in the field. The main difference, besides any improved methodologies, seems to be an ongoing maintenance that ever fine-tunes performance and results.

Also unlike the old handicapping programs of old models, it is no longer a basic matter of paying for software once. Such a powerful service can only be feasible under a subscription model, as ongoing improvements need to be made. Essentially, it’s like hiring a money manager for one’s portfolio of stocks and bonds and other holdings – only we’re talking horse racing here! Finally, in the spirit of our times, try-before-you-buy trials are available. It’s now possible to easily see for yourself whether the horse racing system actually works!