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If you have ever been seriously late in paying a bill you may have had to deal with a collection agents. They can sometimes be pesky as they will send frequent letters and call repeatedly to your home or place where you work. The best thing to do to avoid being visited by collection agents is to pay your bills on time.

There is a set of rules which monitors the actions of collection agents which is called the Collection Agents Act. Any business that employs collection agents has to follow the guidelines of the Act. If that business does not follow the rules that are laid out by the Collection Agents Act they may have to give up their bond, have their collection license suspended or even cancelled, and can have their bond forfeited in order to pay compensation to those who had financial losses.

According to the Act people employed in this profession are prohibited from doing a variety of actions. The collection agents can not collect more money than what is owed or add any fees to the debt of the debtor. They can not make the debtor pay without giving the information to the debtor such as name of the creditor, the balance that the debtor owes, and the identity and authority of the party who makes the request for the payment. The collection agents can not use the telephone to call debtors before 8 in the morning or after 9 in the evening and can not call on Sundays and holidays. They are required to give information which is correct as not to mislead the person who they are trying to request payment from. A debtor’s employer can only be contacted to verify that the debtor is employed or if payments that have been specified by court order in garnishing wages have been made. Agents also have no legal course of action as they can not send the debtor any documents that look like legal court documents.

Within the scope of their restrictions the agents can still get in touch with you by ways of phone, in person, or by mail. Sometimes in any of these instances the agent will do so many times until the debt is paid. It is their job to make sure that the debtor pays the bills from the company in which they are employed. Collection agents can be seen in a negative light considering they can be annoying at times contacting you many times but know that they are just employees of the company in which you owe the debt to. By paying your bills in a timely manner than you will not have to deal with collection agents.

I have noticed that there are so many jewelry stores in the mall and around town that they are starting to do more promotional marketing techniques to gain customers. I have heard more radio spots and have noticed more advertisements in the local newspapers. I have not spent much time looking at the deals because we patronize a small local family store.

The last time I was in the mall I was surprised to see that the sales clerks from one of the jewelry stores were handing out colorful gift bags to the people walking buy. As I approached the area a sales clerk handed me the bag and stated it was a gift. In side was a jar of jewelry cleaner, as well as a soft cloth for buffing your jewelry. The clerk explained that they were handing out the jewelry cleaner to celebrate 25 years in business. I asked if the jewelry cleaner was safe for all jewelry and the clerk assured me that any piece of jewelry would look better after being cleaned. There were directions included for the use of the jewelry cleaner.

In a different area of the mall another jewelry store was advertising that they would exam and clean your rings for free. There were sales clerks standing in the mall inviting people to come in for the cleaning and examination. I thought this might be a good idea because I had not had my diamonds checked for a while. The sales clerk took my ring and started examining the diamonds and then placed it in the cleaning solutions. They said that it would take about 10 minutes and that I could browse while I was waiting. They had beautiful pieces in the cases, but I was not in the market for jewelry.

When the clerk gave me my ring back I was impressed with how much it sparkled. I had not noticed how badly it needed cleaning. The clerk handed me a supply of jewelry cleaner cloths that can be used to dry clean your watch bands and other pieces that you may not want to get wet.

I had come to the mall to pick out a birthday present for a friend and I had run into two marketing schemes for jewelers. There was a small kiosk that was selling watches with unique bands. This seemed like a perfect gift for my friend. The watches were on sale and with each purchase they were giving bottles of jewelry cleaner.

I have never had jewelry cleaner before and in one day I had two bottles of it along with a cleaning cloth. I decided that I would include the cleaning cloth for watch bands along with my friend’s gift.

telephone calling

I have mixed feelings about telephone calling. If I am calling friends or family I have no problem picking up the phone. I’m actually quite reliable in terms of keeping in touch with high school friends and people we’ve met along the way. However, when the phone rings I definitely must admit that I cringe.

I don’t know what it is about a ringing telephone that sets me on edge, and the silly thing is, I have call display - I can look and see who’s calling before I even pick up the phone. But that ringing sound always fills me with dread - I don’t know what it is.

When a family member lets me know that a telephone call is for me, I immediately get on the defensive, demanding ‘who IS it??’ The worst possible answer for me is a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘how should I know?’ That just drives me around the bend.

It’s not the actual act of talking on the telephone that bothers me. Otherwise I would have equal trepidation about telephone calling as well. Somehow, it’s simply telephone answering that truly fills me with angst. I have received bad news over the telephone from time to time, but I think what may be at the root of my avoidance is the number of people I know who view telephone calling as a mere past-time - a way to get through a long and boring day. And somehow I am often chosen as their hapless victim.

There are a few especially persistent individuals who will call several times a day, to the point where it becomes obvious that I am avoiding their calls. I don’t know what it is about telephone calling that makes these people think it’s okay to harass someone so voraciously - I can’t imagine the same people repeatedly coming to my door and ringing the doorbell time and time again, when it was obvious that I was home and just not answering their calls. So, I don’t really understand where they get the gall when it comes to telephone calling. When it gets especially bad, it gets to the point where I feel like a hostage in my own home, never knowing when an onslaught of ringing might strike. My husband tells me that I just need to answer the calls and be firm with them - set limits and boundaries. But that’s easier said than done. Once I finally give in and answer the call, I’m stuck! Some of these people will hear me say I have to go, and just continue to ramble on without a breath - I wonder if they’d notice if I just hung up the phone? Perhaps the time is coming for me to test that theory. Perhaps I could put an end to my fear of telephone answering once and for all!

Asthma Treatments

Asthma can be very debilitating for adults and children who are not being medically managed properly. Asthma treatment has progressed immensely throughout the past few decades, but according to online asthma resources, over 500,000 people are hospitalized every year and 4,000 die. Asthma treatment must be individualized for the patient according to age and severity of symptoms. Asthma can be hereditary, but can also result due to exposure to allergens and various environmental chemical triggers that enter into the respiratory system, and cause constriction of the bronchiole airways and excessive production of mucous. Asthma attacks can also be triggered by a anxiety and stress as well, or even excessive laughing, and symptoms usually become worse with respiratory infections or during exercise. Shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing, waking during the night from coughing, and chest tightness are cardinal symptoms that signal an asthma attack is imminent, and will progress if symptoms are not treated immediately.

There are many different types of asthma treatments available, both over-the-counter medications and those prescribed by a physician. For cases of mild or intermittent asthma, over-the-counter-bronchodilators may be all that is needed. Moderate to severe cases usually require asthma treatment that consists of an inhaled corticosteroids for long-term treatment and prevention of symptoms. These medications decrease inflammation in the lungs and decrease sensitivity to irritants. A short or long acting bronchodilator is prescribed for immediate relief of symptoms should an asthma attack occur, and many asthma treatments use a combination of therapies. Immunotherapy may also be an option for children and adults whose asthma is cause primarily by allergies. Immunotherapy is an effective asthma treatment that works by exposing the patient to increasing amounts of specific allergens over a period of a few years reducing and/or eliminating symptoms altogether.

Asthma sufferers should consult their physician if symptoms are not controlled by present asthma treatments. If rescue inhalers are being used frequently, either over-the-counter or prescribed medications, then asthma is not controlled and a change in asthma treatment is in order. Adults and children with asthma should not have to limit activity or exercise, on the contrary, people with asthma should be encouraged to exercise regularly to strengthen the heart and lungs. When asthma is under control, rescue inhalers are not needed and symptoms do not occur, even during exercise. There are many resources regarding various asthma treatments available online and from your physician, as well as from asthma and allergy centers across the nation. Breathe easy.

Bad Company

If you’re not familiar with the great rock band Bad Company you soon will be! Since it’s inception in 1974, Bad Company has set the standard for classic rock n roll. The band was originally led by vocalist Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke, and guitarist Mick Ralphs; Rodgers and Kirke were previously members of the influential band Free, best known for “All Right Now” from their album Fire and Water. After Free disbanded in 1973, Rodgers and Kirke joined Ralphs, who was previously with Mott the Hoople, and Boz Burrell from King Crimson, to form a new band called Bad Company. Soon the band was signed on with a new label, Swan Song Records, by Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant, and their self-titled debut album was released in 1974. The album began selling at frenzied rates and soon hit the top position on the Billboard chart soon thereafter with the number one single “Can’t Get Enough”.

During the next eight years, Bad Company released more chart topping albums, Desolation Angels, Straight Shooter, and Run with the Pack, featuring chart topping hits like “Rock n Roll Fantasy”, “Shooting Star”, “Feel Like Making Love”, “Burnin’ Sky”, and “Running with the Pack”. The band disintegrated in 1982 after a succession of crazy arena shows, and the death of Led Zeppelin’s drummer John Bonham. After a hiatus, Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page formed the Firm in 1984, and Bad Company got a new lead singer, Brian Howe. The 80s brought out a slightly different sound with the release of the next four albums, including the platinum Holy Water. After Howe left Bad Company, the band decided it was time to get back to the original gritty rock and blues that the band was first founded on with new lead singer Robert Hart.

Original lead singer Paul Rodgers is back with the band again joining Simon Kirke as they set new tour dates and perform Bad Company classics. The band continues to be one of the most influential, along side Led Zeppelin, whose bluesy rock compilations graced the charts for over two decades. Bad Company fan sites abound with lots of interesting facts about the band, interviews with band members, discography, photos, and Bad Company tour information. If you have never seen Bad Company on tour, now is your chance - and with original lead singer Paul Rodgers! Keep checking on the official Bad Company website, www.badcompany.com, and other fan sites such as www.allrightnow.com for all the latest. Rock Steady!!