Algreen Agua Rain Water Collection and Storage System Review

Collecting rainwater sounds like something only a hippie would do, but they might actually be onto something here.

The Algreen 81002 Agua Rain Water Collection and Storage System, 50 Gallons is pretty much a big 50 gallon vase with a water hose attached to the lower part so the water can be let out for use easily.  But, why collect rain water?  Well, there are a few good (and surprising) reasons.

First, if you live in an area where droughts are common and water is rationed by your city to the point that it restricts you from being able to water your plants, wash your car, or even your lawn, the rain that does fall can easily be used for any of these purposes.

In the event of natural disaster where municipal water service is shut off, having a rain collection system could be a life saver.  You may not realize this, but a 2,000 square foot home with a water collection system at the bottom of every roof drain can net you around 1,200 gallons of water!

Finally, if you do a lot of work outside, one of the best benefits of collecting rain water is that using it for outdoor tasks can lower your water bill.

This product gets a thumbs up for being stylish; it’s not a big eyesore and it more than fulfills its purpose to the tune of holding about 50 gallons.  You may be able to find others that hold just as much or more water than this does for less money, but most of the ones I’ve seen are eyesores.  Get a rain water collector that you’ll be happy with the first time.

Berkey Light Water Filter Review

You never know when disaster will strike and your water service could be cut off and the Berkey Light Water Filter is the best water filters out there.

This system can make almost any type of water that you can think of drinkable due to the powerful and efficient filters that it comes with.  It can filter up to 4 gallons of water an hour and can make even the most contaminated water safe to drink.  It can remove the following contaminants from your water:

Lead

Mercury

Aluminum MTBE

Herbicides

Pesticides

Chlorine

E. Coli

And many others.  Filters to remove 95% of fluoride are also available.

At just over $200, this product is well worth it to make sure your family never has to go without clean water to drink as long as you have access to water that can be filtered, whether it’s from a stream, pond, or even water you know to be polluted.  The gravity design doesn’t require any type of pump or electricity to function, making it perfect for emergency situations where you are without power.  The Black Berkey  filters are good for 3,000 gallons of water each and the great thing is, the filters can be cleaned up to 100 times with a 3M Scotch Brite pad.

If you’re looking for a drinking water solution for emergencies or if you want cleaner water to drink and cook with in your home, the Berkey Light Water Filter is for you.

The State of Florida is facing a financial crisis more serious than anything else it has ever faced.

With an estimated budget shortfall of $2.3 billion, the State of Florida is one of eight states where a deficit of over $1 billion is expected. The budget shortfall is being blamed on everything from lower collections on documentary stamp taxes from a slumping real estate market to reduced sales taxes on the sale of automobiles. Dramatic reductions in tourism, consumer spending, and corporate income have all led to lower sales and corporate taxes. And in particular, for the first time in decades there are fewer newcomers entering the state.

Florida property taxes are still very high. Voters have seen little relief from Amendment 1 passed earlier this year. While the collapse of the Florida real estate market has brought down taxable home values, this has been negated by higher tax rates and the introduction of new taxes that are not based on the value of the home. The bottom line is that Florida homeowners still face massive Florida Property tax bills – even in a depressed real estate market.

Florida homeowners insurance is still expensive and hard to find. Legislation passed in 2007 put much of the risk of a major Florida hurricane on the backs of Florida taxpayers. The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund offered cheap reinsurance to insurance companies in exchange for taking on $12 billion in additional risk. Now the Cat fund says that it doesn’t have the borrowing capacity to meet its obligations – estimating a possible shortfall of up to $15 billion.

The State of Florida was so concerned about the inability of the Cat fund to raise money to cover a major hurricane earlier this year that it paid Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Company $224 million. In return, Buffett’s company guaranteed that the state would be able to raise $4 billion in bond debt if a major hurricane produced enough damage to trigger the Cat fund.

The situation at Florida’s state run insurance company – Citizens Property Insurance Corporation isn’t much better. Citizens Insurance covers some of the riskiest homes in the State of Florida and doesn’t charge enough to Florida homeowners for the risk that it takes. It has $433 billion of property exposure on its books with a $4 billion surplus on hand to pay claims.

Policyholders of Citizens face two issues. First there is the risk that Citizens can’t meet its primary claim obligations for lower level storms because of its own trouble raising cash in the bond market. Second, once losses reach a certain level, Citizens will look to the Cat fund for reimbursement after a series of major Florida storms – a fund that just might not have the cash needed by Citizens.

While all of these developments in Florida are serious, there is really nothing new about a government that doesn’t live within its means and takes on obligations that it doesn’t have the cash on hand to meet.

What is new and frightening is the fact that the state can’t rely on the bond markets the way it has in the past. In effect, Florida has used up its credit card.

Why is it so hard for states like Florida to borrow in the current bond markets?

Quite frankly, it used to be easy for state and local governments to issue bonds. It was a simple process and no one thought twice about it. That’s all changed since the collapse of the subprime mortgage market.

Despite a very low bond default rate, it is very difficult to attract bond investors these days. Companies that used to insure new bond issues have had their ratings downgraded. That’s caused bonds to be less liquid and not attractive to investors. And it makes states like Florida have to offer higher payments for interest and principal in order to sell out a bond issue.

With severe revenue shortages and a frozen bond market all Floridians should be demanding that the state keep tightening its belt. That process is already underway. But you should also expect strong resistance to spending cuts from those who believe that there is no such thing as too much government.

These groups will demand that Florida lawmakers increase taxes rather than making additional cuts in spending. Don’t make the mistake of not anticipating where this could lead. Many items that are currently exempt from Florida sales tax could suddenly be taxable in this crisis environment. Expanding the sales tax could lead to new taxes on everything from Internet sales to various types of consulting services. All of which would dramatically increase our own cost of living and make it that much harder for Florida to emerge from this recession.

And never underestimate the risk of Florida legislators dealing the final death blow to the state – instituting a state income tax.

It is our job to make sure that never happens!

If there is one lesson that all governments need to learn during the current financial crisis it is this – there is nothing wrong with the “pay as you go” system. It will always stand the test of time no matter how shaky the bond markets are.

About The Author:
Michael Letcher is an executive and is a CPA. Florida consumers use his on line guide to find low cost Fort Lauderdale homeowners insurance. Subscribe to his free monthly newsletter and get all the facts about Fort Lauderdale home insurance by visiting => http://www.homeinsurancebuyers.org

The finger of silence is one of those successful marraige tools that you pick up over the years that nobody tells you about when you get married. I always invoke the finger when I haven’t yet downed the requisite amount of coffee necessary to kickstart my brain into normal daily function.

The wife usually invokes the finger when she is carrying in bags of things that have department store logo’s on them. And so it works for both of us. Yesterday I watched in amusement as the Right Reverend Obama spoke to an audience of his peers. (Crooks, con men, shysters, hucksters, thieves, quacks…I mean Democrats.)

It looks like the Right Reverend has decided that he is going to talk us into submission, telling one whopper after another nonstop until November, when it will only be two years until he has to be renominated.

Now last week he said that his spending increase was actually a tax cut for middle Americans, (the most abused term ever coined), that he was fighting the war on terror, (one minute out of every sixty), that health care needed to be passed, that jobs was his number one priority, and that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell needed to be repealed.

Then yesterday he told his audience that they shouldn’t listen to cable news, which is just a rehash of last years feud with FOX. He managed to remember CNBC, and MSNBC, but his main criticism was aimed at FOX, because nobody watchs the other shows. (Killer Keith Olbermann’s act is down 44%, while O’Reilly is up 55%, and even Democrats rate FOX as the best source of news.)

The Right Reverend doesn’t want you to watch FOX because you might actually get to thinking that HOPE and CHANGE are just so much BS, and under his “leadership” the country is going to hell in a handbasket.

He’d rather you watch Obama approved television, such as NBC, CBS, and ABC. That’s where his brown nosing lackeys pontificate on what’s good for you and the country, because youse is too dumb to figger it out for yerselfs.

This morning the Right Reverend is at a prayer breakfast, no doubt telling the audience what God wants, and he’s just the humble messenger. “If you won’t listen to me…then listen to what God wants…and you won’t find that message on FOX.” (Or will we?)

Now I won’t ever claim to be a god squader, but I do remember the concept of free will, which clearly states that you have a choice in how things go, which means that there must be an alternative argument. If you don’t ever listen to the alternative, how are you going to know what the right decision is? And who says the Right Reverend is on God’s side? (When all your friend’s are atheists, there is a high chance that you are too, even if you’re wearing the collar, and quoting all the right chapters and verses.)

It’s that old “watch what I do, not what I say,” and the public is catching up fast. No wonder the Right Reverend is running scarred. Instead of hearing the sweet flutter of twenty dollar bills, he is hearing the tinny clang of spare change in the collection basket.

Keep your eyes open, your ears tuned, and your synapses firing, even as the Right Reverend dangles his pocket watch back and forth, back and forth…no one can be hypnotized against their will.

My good friend the Greedmaster once told his followers that one of keys to weight loss was “Sitdowns.” When asked by a BBW what a “Sitdown” was, he replied, (in true Greedmaster style), that a “Sitdown” was when a Lardassian got the urge to stand up and go get some ice cream, to just “Sit their fat ass down.”

So I have coined “Doodaoppozit.” Whenever the Right Reverend tells you what you should be doing, (which is anytime his mouf is open), “Doodaoppozit!”

About The Author:
Unless you want dangerous criminal mooks to attack, rob, and maybe even kill you or your loved ones, buy pepper spray and a stun gun.

Read More Vibratex Rabbit Habit Reviews

For over 20 years, the name Vibratex has been associated to quality.  It is a company committed to women’s health, comfort, and pleasure, as well as producing superior-quality toys made of the safest materials available in the market today.  All of their vibrators have high quality engines that are quiet and very long-lasting.  The controllers are intuitive, sensitive and offer an extensive range of vibration intensity that every woman will appreciate.  Keeping their female customer in mind, Vibratex packaging is always attractive and conservative.

The Vibratex Rabbit Habit is the most popular style of vibrator ever made!  Why?  Because it incorporates the top four things that turn women on the most:

1. The flexible ears are designed to give direct clitoral stimulation
2. The rotating pearls stimulate the first one-third of the vagina where women have tons of sensitive nerve-endings.
3. A gyrating tip curves to massage the G-spot.
4. A soft squishy tip that makes it ultra comfortable for penetration.

This fabulous toy is great for both the beginner and the expert user.  The two separate rheostats on the Rabbit Habit allow the user to choose their preferred levels of intensity and vibration.  Made from elastomer that contains no phthalates, this purple passion creator is high quality and made to last.

Read More Reviews