Wikinews interviews Victor Kline, leader of newly registered The New Liberals party in Australia

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Wikinews interviews Victor Kline, leader of newly registered The New Liberals party in Australia
October 5th, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

On June 3, the New Liberals were officially registered as a political party by the Australian Electoral Commission, enabling them to run candidates for federal elections in the country.

While the party has been in existence for over a year, with member Karen Porter having run in the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election as an independent candidate, the party applied for registration on December 16.

The party has already faced legal barriers for registration. It shares the “liberal” moniker with Australia’s governing Liberal Party, who called the New Liberals a “cynical attempt to piggyback” on their own name, even presenting a survey from Crosby Textor of over 2000 voters that claimed over two-thirds of voters could percieve a connection between the parties, in an attempt to prevent the party’s registration. Ultimately, the Australian Electoral Commission decided that, on balance, the name of the New Liberals was “sufficiently visually and aurally distinct” from the Liberal Party’s name, and registered the party.

Wikinews spoke with the New Liberals’ party leader Victor Kline via email about the plans of the New Liberals and their policies and values.

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Scrap Yard Near Me 5 Considerations For Getting The Most Value From Your Car

October 4th, 2021 in Cash Management | No Comments

First off, you need to know what kind of metal do scrap yards buy?

Scrap yards usually buy metals that are used in industries like automobiles, steel, and other mechanical works. It includes copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, lead, iron, steel, stainless steel, and brass. Still, all junkyards won’t buy everything that comes in their way. They all have certain limitations and areas of business.

There are also scrap yards that buy almost every broken thing that is past its functional lifespan like home appliances, electronic equipment, old cars, trucks, motorbikes, boats & yachts, airplanes, etc. If something can be sold, they’ll be ready to buy it, at their own price.

If you are wondering what they would do with those ‘useless’ things, they tear apart larger appliances and sell useful parts to brokers. Scrap vehicles and their parts may be sold to brokers or to the mechanics in need of spare parts.

This industry is much bigger than what most people think it is. That’s the reason those who deal in it earn lucrative profits over selling broken and malfunctioning goods and articles.

Below are some practical tips that will enable you to get more money off your old car if you decide to sell it to your nearby junkyard for quick cash:

Know The Value Of Your “Old Car”

There is simply no way you can earn top dollar for your scrap car if you don’t have any idea what it’s worth. What seems to you a heap of old rusted metal can be a gold mine to others. So, it’s important to do a bit of study and research and arrive at an educated guess about how much money you can get from your old car. It’s perfectly fine not to know the exact amount. But if you reach the neighborhood of the actual value, you will have enough knowledge to haggle your way to the best deal. Now, the scrap yard dealers are no kids but knowledge will give your power, and knowing the real value of your stuff will prevent you from settling for less.

The best way to find the value of your old car is to browse through the internet and see what people are demanding and offering. For instance, you can search “old sedan car value” or “old car scrap value” and there will be several results for you to sample.

Make sure you go through at least ten search results so that you can end up with consistent information. It won’t take much time but you will be armed with a weapon that will come in handy at the negotiation table.

Check Local Prices

In an area where there are many dealers under a small radius, it’s best to make calls around to check metal prices before taking all the metal (in this case, your old car) to a junkyard. If you don’t know the exact location of a scrap yard, find them by searching online for “metal scrap yard near me” or doing other relevant queries.

Scrap dealers don’t spit out the exact quote for the merchandise but they surely will give you a minimal figure on how much they pay per pound for which kind of metal. When you make calls to several dealers, it will be enough for you to know which one offers the best money.

Here is a pro tip: the size of a scrap yard does not necessarily mean it will give the best value for your old car. Bigger yards are not supposed to be better all the time. You may find a small-time dealer to earn top dollar.

More Scrap Means More Negotiating Power

If it’s possible logistically, try to haul all your scrap to the scrap yard in one trip. Most places do not have any limit of intake per day or month. It means they can take as much as they like until the deal is sweet for them.

Hauling your old car to a junkyard will put you in an advantageous position where you can hustle and make the dealer give up to your demands. If you have some more back at home, let the dealer know. This little trick will get you even more money. Scrap dealers love large volumes because it reduces logistical costs and they could yield more metal in less time. The bottom line is, the more you bring in, the more power you will have to get the best value.

Split Your Metal

It’s best to split your metal according to their value and nature before hauling it all to the scrap yard. If you have metal with some type of casing on it, you should remove it before trying to sell it. It’s important on two fronts.

The first and foremost is that if the dealer had to separate the metals, he’d use this extra work as an excuse to pay you less for your scrap. It’s the general rule of thumb.

The second and more important thing is the variation in the value of different metals. In bulk, a slight difference can yield significant money. Split the metal and negotiate for the price of each kind. That’s the trick.

Get A Truck Or Rent One

Hauling a lot of metal is not an easy task. It surely does not go into little cardboard boxes. If you don’t have a truck to take your old car to a scrap dealer, here is what you can do without sweating much.

Number one is to check around your circle of friends and family and see if someone has a truck and he or she is willing to loan it to you for a day. In return, as a token of goodwill, you can offer to wash it or get the interior vacuumed on your way back to them.

If this does not work out for some reason, you can always look around and rent a truck. Many movers offer regular trucks for hauling goods and articles and the rentals run as low as 20 bucks a day for in-town use.

Beware Of Suspicious Moves

This scrap yard business is not like a modern enterprise procuring articles or raw material and demands a market-oriented price for their goods. There are not many odds to find an honest and trustworthy scrap yard dealer who would be upfront with you and offer you the real value for your old car. Maybe, you already know that. The world we live in, we need to constantly look out for our potential interests in order to materialize them.

No License

Laws and regulations to conduct business in the scrap industry vary from state to state. At the very least, they are obligated by law to secure a license before starting their shop. This is regular permission granted by competent authorities to all kinds of businesses which allows them to operate in an area after fulfilling certain criteria. Usually, there is a fee to be paid to acquire such a license and get registered with the state.

Depending on your state laws and locality, there is a chance that a special scrap metal license had to be issued in order to transact business legally.

To avoid any inconvenience, it’s best to contact your state and find out if any special permit is needed or you can ask the scrap yard dealers to show you all the legal paperwork.

Dealing with illegal business can land you in serious trouble. So, be sure before taking your old car to a scrap yard.

Misdirection

Dishonest and shady scrap dealers will do everything in their power to confuse you. The main motive behind this misdirection is to pay you as little as possible for your metal (or in this case, your old car). If you are having a hard time determining what’s best for you, a scrap dealer is not the right person to ask for guidance, because it will be the surest way to get ripped off.

Another trick that almost all scrap dealers have up their sleeves is to scam you of your precious metal by rushing through the deal. They will try to close the deal without answering any question you might have in your mind. They come off as “take it or leave it” guys and offer an upfront price without telling you why.

A fair dealer will ask you if you have any doubts or second thoughts about your scrap and give all the information you need. He won’t try to rush through the deal and show eagerness of ripping you off. He will offer you a price after discussing the properties of your scrap and explain why he is doing so.

Towing Cost & Quotes

When a scrap dealer provides you a quote for your old car you need to sell, make sure to ask whether the cost of towing is included in the quote or not. A standard practice in the market involves no hidden charges or fees, which means the scrap dealer needs to be upfront and covers the towing fee in the quote. In your own interest, be sure to ask specifically about the inclusion of the towing fee in the quote.

The best way to get a fair deal for your car from a scrap dealer is to call multiple shops and compare prices before hauling your car to a dealer. Honest dealers are mostly fair in their dealings and cover all the expenses in their quotes. You will find many scrap dealers in your area when you search online for “scrap yards near me”. Call a couple of dealers that are at the top of the search results to get the best price for your car.

Shady Tow Truck Drivers

Many big scrap dealers have their own fleet of trucks and other trailers for hassle-free transportation. It helps them in cutting logistical costs. But, not all own their own trucks, and some work in partnership with local independent truckers and pay them a fee for each vehicle they pick up.

A potential scam bell rings when a scrap dealer agrees to pay you a certain amount and you agree to progress the deal. When the tow truck operator shows up at your door, he’d say that your car is pure junk and does not yield what the scrap dealer is offering you. The tow truck dealer may have his eyes set on the difference if you succumb to his coercion.

The other potential way to scam you is when the scrap dealer agrees to get the towing costs from the deal but the tow truck operator asks you to pay him upfront. He might want to get a double-dip or he could be working with the scrap dealer to rip you off.

If you suspect any activity that does not correspond with what you have agreed to do with the scrap dealer, call him right away and clear things out before paying the tow truck operator or handing him your old car.

Title Transfer

Even when a vehicle cannot be driven, you need to transfer the title from your name to the scrap dealer. In addition to this, you need to contact immediately your local department of motor vehicles and cancel the registration. If you carry on with your idea of selling your old vehicle for cash, still, you will be liable for it.

Before the tow truck operator loads up your old car on the flatbed, make sure to remove all your personal effects. It includes registration and tags of your vehicle and other paperwork.

When a scrap dealer offers you that he’ll take care of all the paperwork, steer clear of such claims. Potentially, it could be a setup for a scam where they take your car and then charge for storing your vehicle on their lot. If you resist and try to fight your case, they will send your old car to a collections agency, which will hurt your credit score.

It’s not worth it to take unnecessary risks while selling scrap to a dealer. Before closing the deal, make sure you double-check all the points. To avoid surprises in the future, everything should be done 100% correctly.

Negotiate

Last but not least, don’t take a bow when you are negotiating to sell your old car (or scrap). This is the surest way to get the best price. Never accept what dealers offer you upfront, even if it exceeds your expectations. They are professional hustlers and do bidding for their own interest all day long. Ask for more whenever you think that you are underpaid. This is truer when you have a lot of metal to sell.

There is no guarantee if you will be offered a better price, but it does not cost much to ask for more.

While negotiating, dealers will set traps in your way. To get the best value for your old car, you need to best those traps and get to the top.

Following are certain ways a dealer lure you into accepting an inferior deal:

Read more aboutScrap Yards

Wikinews’ overview of the year 2007

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Wikinews’ overview of the year 2007
October 3rd, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Monday, December 31, 2007

What would you tell your grandchildren about 2007 if they asked you about it in, let’s say, 20 year’s time? If the answer to a quiz question was 2007, what would the question be? The year that you first signed on to Facebook? The year Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse fell apart? The year author Kurt Vonnegut or mime Marcel Marceau died, both at 84?

Let’s take a look at some of the international stories of 2007. Links to the original Wikinews articles are in bold.

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As increase in digital music sales slows, record labels look to new ways to make money

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As increase in digital music sales slows, record labels look to new ways to make money
October 2nd, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Every September, the Apple iPod is redesigned. Last year saw the release of the iPod Nano 5th generation, bringing a video camera and a large range of colours to the Nano for the first time. But as Apple again prepares to unveil a redesigned product, the company has released their quarterly sales figures—and revealed that they have sold only 9m iPods for the quarter to June—the lowest number of sales since 2006, leading industry anylists to ponder whether the world’s most successful music device is in decline.

Such a drop in sales is not a problem for Apple, since the iPhone 4 and the iPad are selling in high numbers. But the number of people buying digital music players are concerning the music industry. Charles Arthur, technology editor of The Guardian, wrote that the decline in sales of MP3 players was a “problem” for record companies, saying that “digital music sales are only growing as fast as those of Apple’s devices – and as the stand-alone digital music player starts to die off, people may lose interest in buying songs from digital stores. The music industry had looked to the iPod to drive people to buy music in download form, whether from Apple’s iTunes music store, eMusic, Napster or from newer competitors such as Amazon.”

Mark Mulligan, a music and digital media analyst at Forrester Research, said in an interview that “at a time where we’re asking if digital is a replacement for the CD, as the CD was for vinyl, we should be starting to see a hockey-stick growth in download sales. Instead, we’re seeing a curve resembling that of a niche technology.” Alex Jacob, a spokesperson for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the worldwide music industry, agreed that there had been a fall in digital sales of music. “The digital download market is still growing,” they said. “But the percentage is less than a few years ago, though it’s now coming from a higher base.” Figures released earlier this year, Arthur wrote, “show that while CD sales fell by 12.7%, losing $1.6bn (£1bn)in value, digital downloads only grew by 9.2%, gaining less than $400m in value.”

Expectations that CDs would, in time, become extinct, replaced by digital downloads, have not come to light, Jacob confirmed. “Across the board, in terms of growth, digital isn’t making up for the fall in CD sales, though it is in certain countries, including the UK,” he said. Anylising the situation, Arthur suggested that “as iPod sales slow, digital music sales, which have been yoked to the device, are likely to slow too. The iPod has been the key driver: the IFPI’s figures show no appreciable digital download sales until 2004, the year Apple launched its iTunes music store internationally (it launched it in the US in April 2003). Since then, international digital music sales have climbed steadily, exactly in line with the total sales of iPods and iPhones.”

Nick Farrell, a TechEYE journalist, stated that the reason for the decline in music sales could be attributed to record companies’ continued reliance on Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, saying that they had considered him the “industry’s saviour”, and by having this mindset had forgotten “that the iPod is only for those who want their music on the run. What they should have been doing is working out how to get high quality music onto other formats, perhaps even HiFi before the iPlod fad died out.”

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When Jobs negotiated a deal with record labels to ensure every track was sold for 99 cents, they considered this unimportant—the iPod was not a major source of revenue for the company. However, near the end of 2004, there was a boom in sales of the iPod, and the iTunes store suddenly began raking in more and more money. The record companies were irritated, now wanting to charge different amounts for old and new songs, and popular and less popular songs. “But there was no alternative outlet with which to threaten Apple, which gained an effective monopoly over the digital music player market, achieving a share of more than 70%” wrote Arthur. Some did attempt to challenge the iTunes store, but still none have succeeded. “Apple is now the largest single retailer of music in the US by volume, with a 25% share.”

The iTunes store now sells television shows and films, and the company has recently launced iBooks, a new e-book store. The App Store is hugely successful, with Apple earning $410m in two years soley from Apps, sales of which they get 30%. In two years, 5bn apps have been downloaded—while in seven years, 10bn songs have been purchased. Mulligan thinks that there is a reason for this—the quality of apps simply does not match up to a piece of music. “You can download a song from iTunes to your iPhone or iPad, but at the moment music in that form doesn’t play to the strengths of the device. Just playing a track isn’t enough.”

Adam Liversage, a spokesperson of the British Phonographic Industry, which represents the major UK record labels, notes that the rise of streaming services such as Spotify may be a culprit in the fall in music sales. Revenues from such companies added up to $800m in 2009. Arthur feels that “again, it doesn’t make up for the fall in CD sales, but increasingly it looks like nothing ever will; that the record business’s richest years are behind it. Yet there are still rays of hope. If Apple – and every other mobile phone maker – are moving to an app-based economy, where you pay to download games or timetables, why shouldn’t recording artists do the same?”

Well, apparently they are. British singer Peter Gabriel has released a ‘Full Moon Club’ app, which is updated every month with a new song. Arthur also notes that “the Canadian rock band Rush has an app, and the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, led by Trent Reznor – who has been critical of the music industry for bureaucracy and inertia – released the band’s first app in April 2009.” It is thought that such a system will be an effective method to reduce online piracy—”apps tend to be tied to a particular handset or buyer, making them more difficult to pirate than a CD”, he says—and in the music industry, piracy is a very big problem. In 2008, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry estimated that 95% of downloads were illegitimate. If musicians can increase sales and decrease piracy, Robert says, it can only be a good thing.

“It’s early days for apps in the music business, but we are seeing labels and artists experimenting with it,” Jacob said. “You could see that apps could have a premium offering, or behind-the-scenes footage, or special offers on tickets. But I think it’s a bit premature to predict the death of the album.” Robert concluded by saying that it could be “premature to predict the death of the iPod just yet too – but it’s unlikely that even Steve Jobs will be able to produce anything that will revive it. And that means that little more than five years after the music industry thought it had found a saviour in the little device, it is having to look around again for a new stepping stone to growth – if, that is, one exists.”

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Clashes leave 21 dead in Thai capital

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Clashes leave 21 dead in Thai capital
October 1st, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Fifteen deaths and over 680 injuries have resulted from clashes between Red shirt protesters and government forces in the Thai capital Bangkok.

The deaths of seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman working for the Reuters agency, and four soldiers come after almost a month of protests. Since March 12 Red shirts, so called because of their wearing of red as an identifying symbol, have occupied public spaces and have held rallies and marches in Bangkok in an attempt to force fresh elections.

According to eye witness reports the deaths and injuries are as a result of the police use of rubber bullets and tear gas against the protesters. To which the protesters responded with missiles, pushing and shoving and it is alleged firearms and small bombs.

The current clashes follow an attempt by the security forces to clear key areas in the city. A move seen as an attempt to restore authority and dignity to the security forces lost when the Red Shirts succeeded breaking of a security cordon around the Thaicom satellite television station on Friday.

Despite the courts ruling that the occupation of public spaces as being illegal and the issuing of 27 arrest warrants for the movements leaders, the protests had until today hitherto been peaceful – if noisy – with Thai security forces showing restraint in the policing of the protests, reluctant to cause bloodshed.

The Red shirts consider the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration to be illegitimate having never won an election, and as an undemocratic one imposed on the nation after the Yellow Shirts toppled the elected government of now-fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, during the 2008–2009 Thai political crisis. Red Shirt leaders have called for Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, revered by both sides, to intervene and help end the stalemate.

In late 2009, the considerable continuing influence of the ex-PM saw him take a post with the Cambodian government. Despite being deposed in the 2006 coup, the ousted Thaksin has been in exile, mostly living in Dubai. He is still influential in Thailand, using protests by the Red Shirts, with the Thai government fearing Thaksin will use Cambodia as base to campaign.

However, Thaksin published a letter on his website last November indicating that he did not intend to “go to Cambodia to help Cambodia fight with Thailand […] As I travel to Cambodia to discuss poverty and the world economic situation, I will try to preserve Thai interests with our friends in Phnom Penh, despite the Thai government still hounding me wherever I go,” he stated.

Cambodia has made it clear that they will not extradite Thaksin. Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said that regarding the jail sentence they are “not concerned about these issues […] We already clarified this case because he is a political victim.”

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Installing A Geothermal System In Elkhorn Ne

October 1st, 2021 in Audio Visual System | No Comments

byAlma Abell

Have you been struggling to pay your heating and cooling bill? If so, you’re not alone. Every day, millions of people wonder how they are going to continue covering the cost of their increasing energy bills. This has caused many of these people to look into other heating sources such as geothermal heating. However, before you install a Geothermal System in Elkhorn NE, you should take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy source to make sure that it’s right for you.

One advantage of adding a geothermal system is that it can drastically reduce your energy bill. In fact, after adding a system many people have noticed a reduction in their bill by up to seventy percent. This type of system is also very low maintenance and rarely needs to be serviced. Another advantage of a geothermal system is that it can greatly increase the value of your home and be a huge selling point if you ever decide to sell your home. Also, this type of unit is also much quieter than what conventional heating units are. Many feel that geothermal units are quieter than a refrigerator.

As you can see there are both advantages and disadvantages of a Geothermal System in Elkhorn. If you think that a geothermal system would be a good addition to your home, you should visit Accurateheatingcooling.com today to get started. However, if you decide that a geothermal system isn’t right for you or if you would like to have your current unit repaired or serviced, they are happy to provide you with those services, too. Also, when you call be sure to ask them if they have any current promotions that will provide you with additional savings.

Even though there are obvious advantages of geothermal heating, it’s important to take a look at the disadvantages of having this type of system installed before you hire a contractor. One of the biggest disadvantages of this type of heating source is the initial costs. Having a geothermal heating system installed can cost up to twenty thousand dollars and many people feel like they can’t afford them. However, many companies have financing options to make it more affordable for homeowners to purchase geothermal systems. Plus, installing a system can be more time-consuming than conventional units.

For more details Accurate Heating & Cooling.

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