The most recent film starring the American icon, the Harley Davidson motorcycle, was called ‘Wild Hogs’. Named after the nickname given to its riders in the 1970’s, this family comedy with an all star cast including John Travolta didn’t quite meet its hyped expectations. Falling flat in plot and more importantly, script, the movie was a disappointing attempt at capturing the lure of the Harley and the thrill of the open road. It should have been no surprise. Putting Disney together with Harley Davidson was a little like asking John Carpenter to do a remake of Bambi. ‘ Nice death scene, but it didn’t quite capture the mood of the original!’

Hollywood however, has had a love hate relationship with this most unlikely of stars for more than half a century. It unwittingly threw the spotlight on what had been an American standard of industry, only to demonize the name to the extent that The Harley Davidson Motor Company nearly went bankrupt. As with most relationships though, time heals all. It would be the elevation into cult status of the very same movies that nearly destroyed the company, that would raise the phoenix of Harley Davidson from the fire, and turn it into the iconic symbol that it is today.

As with the careers of most movie stars, early appearances and bit parts are mostly forgotten. You may catch a glimpse of a Harley in WWII movies. (The motorcycles were supplied to the army as utility transport during both World Wars until the Jeep took over as the main utility vehicle in 1942). The big break for the Harley Davidson came in 1953 when it was cast alongside, or should I say under, Marlon Brando in The Wild One. The movie, which told the story of Jonny, the bike gang rebel, reflected the tone of rebellion sweeping America at the time amongst the nations teenage youth.

Unlike today however, 1950’s society was not one driven by youth culture. The impact of the openly anti-establishment images that the genre portrayed did not spark a boom in sales for Harley Davidson as it would later achieve for such products as Ray-Ban sunglasses following the 1982 movie Top Gun. The effect in fact, was the opposite, leading the motorbike manufacturer into a period of declining sales. Conservative, middle America in the 50’s was not willing to support what Harley Davidson had become and the youth generation that idolised the films and their stars were not yet in charge of the finances to supplement their dreams.

Whilst commercially Harley Davidson was in trouble, its portrayal in movies continued to flourish. The notable peak in came in 1969 with the movie ‘Easy Rider’. Once again cast as the bad boys favourite mode of transportation, the Harley Davidson Chopper cruising the open highway, will always epitomize freedom and rebellion. Maybe it is this dichotomy of emotions, so fundamental to American history and the ‘American Dream’ that has been the backbone of the Harleys endurance.

The nineties saw Mickey Rourke and Don Jonson take up the gauntlet, although in this film it was Mickey Rourke’s character that bestowed the Name Harley Davidson to the title of the film. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man once again cast the character of the rough neck to, yes you guessed it, Harley Davidson.

As the nineties progressed, the teenagers that had idolized Marlon Brando and those early biker movies in the 50’s were maturing into the wealth of America. Like an old friendship lost but never forgotten, it was these middle aged rebels of yester-year that would rekindle the corporate fortunes of Harley Davidson. they customized their bikes to stand out in a crowd and create for themselves a separate identity apart from the rest of the corporate clones. They were rebels that may have succumbed to the corporate ladder but now had the finances to relive the youth they could never afford.

So, it is with somewhat of a saddened heart, that the movie that was to portray the story of this revival and tell the story of those 50’s youth reborn, should have turn out to be such a damp squib. Maybe Harleys executives still feel the pinch of the bad boy image and this is why they turned to Disney to tell the story. Personally, I think they should have gone with Tarrentino, the guts and the glory, the true Harley Davidson.

About the Author

When it comes to Harley Davidson Motorcycles , merchandise, Harley Davidson parts, new and used Harley Davidson bikes, www.lookcyclesusa.com is the place to shop

When we think of the business empires that were started in garages, images of computer whiz-kids immediately come to mind. But the trend of giant Oaks from little acorns goes back much further than this. As far as motorcycles are concerned, they don’t come much bigger than Harley Davidson and Honda, who as the pioneers of the motorcycle culture held a commonality in that their dreams were born on different sides of the globe from a dislike of bikes.

By bikes, I mean of course, the pedal variety. In 1903 William Harley and Arthur Davidson with the help of Arthurs brother, Walter, took their first steps on the road to glory in an attempt to conquer the hills of Milwaukee with a motor powered bicycle. Their first attempts failed, but by 1904 they had improved their design enough to be able to enter a race at the state fair. They came fourth, and within two years had moved from their garage to their first company factory address. The address in Chesnut Street, now Juneau Avenue, is still their corporate headquarters today.

Although separated by a generation, Soichiro Honda also began his career surrounded by bicycles. His father, a blacksmith by trade also owned a bicycle repair shop where Soichiro grew up with a fascination for all things mechanical. After a six year apprenticeship on an auto repair shop in Tokyo Soichiro returned home to set up his own auto repair shop but it was his adaption skills in adding a piston engine to a bicycle that would start him on the road to success.

By the time that The Honda motor Company was formed, the Harley Davidson Motor Company was a world leader in motorcycle production. They had supplied custom bikes to the army through two World Wars until the Jeep took over as the utility vehicle of choice. In 1952 under increasing competition , Harley Davidson applied for a 40% import tariff on foreign motorcycles. The application led to charge of restrictive practices against the company. This would be the first of a string of events that would lead the company into decline during the following decades. Through Hollywoods portrayal of the bikes in outlaw biker movies such as The Wild One in 1953 starring Marlon Brando and later, in the now cult movie, Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, the Harley Davidson name became synonymous with rebellion and illegality. What we view today as an integral part of what makes a Harley special, was, at the time, damaging sales of the bikes and threatening the very future of the company.

Things got worse in 1969, when the company was bought by American Machinery and Foundry. AMF attempted to streamline production resulting in a labor strike that let to the manufacture of sub-standard machines. There unreliability became a standing joke and the bikes gained nicknames such as ‘hardly driveable’ and ‘hogly ferguson’ It was from this last nickname that the riders of Harleys would later be called ‘Wild Hogs’.

It would take a group of thirteen investors to lead the recovery in the fortune of Harley Davidson motorcycles. Bought in 1981 from AMF, they implemented new manufacturing protocols and regained the reliabilty standards of the companies early models. Funnily enough though, it was the depiction of the bikes between the 50’s and 70’s that would finally give Harleys the cult status they hold today.

They say that ‘What doesn’t kill you, will make you stronger’. Well, whilst Marlon, Peter and Jack’s portrayals came close to ending this American icon, it was the cult status of the era and these films, that would endure to provide the maturing ‘baby boomers’ with their piece of nostalgia.

Harley Davidson became the custom bike to own through the nineties and its stock price soared. No longer the evil machine of rebellion, the bikes had become the symbol of a generation of achievers looking to recreate the image of their teenage heroes.

In todays 24/7 society, with Blackberrys and pagers, mobiles and handhelds, hitting the road on a Harley, with nothing but the sound of the exhaust in your ear, is the new dream, for a new generation looking to escape their 100mph lifestyle, by doing 120mph alone on the open road instead! Go Hogs!

About the Author

When it comes to Harley Davidson Motorcycles , merchandise, Harley Davidson parts, new and used Harley Davidson bikes, www.lookcyclesusa.com is the place to shop

Panama and Guatemala are not the first names that spring to mind when you think of offshore tax havens and second passport jurisdictions for expatriation. Areas that probably spring to mind first are the salubrious locations of Monaco, the Bahamas or Switzerland. But these playgrounds for the rich and famous have been coming under attack recently from European government and in so doing so have left many to look further afield for their privacy.

One of the pitfalls in this has been though, that through the proliferation of information and services provided on the internet, the scammers are out in force. Their aim, to take your money and run. Due to the secret nature of many of the enquiries made, little or no recourse can be found once the money is lost.

The first rule that should be applied when looking for an offshore jurisdiction or service is to identify who you are dealing with. In terms of second passports or citizenship applications this should always be a licensed lawyer in the country you are looking to relocate to. Anything less than this and you will probably be waving goodbye to your money offshore, but into some-one else’s bank account! At least with a lawyer, you will know that they have been vetted by their countries authorities and there will be a procedure in place for recourse in the event of mal-practice.

The second rule which relates to citizenship or expatriation for tax purposes, is that you will be expected to appear in person when making an application. Not only this, but you will be appearing at a government office, a large building, flying the flag of the nation you are in. It sounds ridiculous to mention it, but there are so many tales of people who actually turn up in a country to apply for a passport and are taken to a little third floor office some-where in an obscure building and hand over their money after signing a few ‘legal’ documents.

The third rule is that your lawyer should always be present with you when the application is being made. He will be able to cover all matters regarding any assets you may be transferring into the country through offshore trusts or companies. In places such as Panama you are able to register under the ‘pesionada’ provision, giving you a multitude of discounts as a retired citizen. To do this you must show an income from a pension, trust or similar account. You can register at any age over eighteen as long as the income is sufficient.

I mentioned Panama and Guatemala at the beginning of the article because these are two of the lesser known jurisdictions for offshore tax havens. Saying that, Panama at one time had more offshore companies on its register than all of the Caribbean countries combined. Many of these were lost in the eighties when a combination of General Manuel Noriegas dictatorship and the formation of the first IBC companies led to a departure of many companies to the Caymans and Bahamas. Since stable government has been restored, Panama has once again become a prime location for offshore trusts and companies.

Finally with regards to second passports, there are a few no-nos to look out for and avoid. These include anything that purports to obtaining a diplomatic status passport, a passport from a third world African nation other than South Africa or an obscure nation that will require you to obtain a visa to enter a country like the USA or UK. Also avoid anything that involves marriage and adoption to enable you to obtain a passport. All these methods will put you in harms way should you attempt them. If you keep to the rules mentioned here you will safely find a lawyer in the country of your choice who will guide you successfully to your end goal. Good Luck and Bon Voyage!

About the Author

www.panamalaw.org are a Panamanian based law firm that specialize in offshore trust and offshore bank account formation. For information on residency and obtaining a second passport Panama Legal can guide you through the legal procedures.

The Federal Reserve in the United States has now cut their prime interest rate three times in as many weeks in an attempt to stave off a recession that many believe has already arrived. Unfortunately the US Real Estate market, which is dominated by long term fixed rate mortgages will not benefit from these cuts in the same way as home-owners in European countries do.

The problem lies in the historic nature of mortgage lending which varies considerably in the US from the standard model used across Europe. In the US it is commonplace to take out a mortgage with a twenty-five year fixed rate at the time of purchase, rather than rely on the fluctuating standard variable rate mortgage that is more commonplace in the UK and across Europe.

The resulting affect of an interest rate cut in the UK would immediately see a benefit to existing home-owners in terms of lowering their monthly repayments, whereas in the US a rate cut only provides a stimulus to new borrowing that can be now be obtained a the new, lower rate. Whilst this makes first time borrowers more likely to step into a weak real estate economy, the total affect has less of an impact on consumer spending than a similar rate cut by the E.C.B. or the Bank of England.

One thing is certain though. A recession in the US is very bad news for the global economy and whilst the sub-prime credit crisis which originated in the US may have little direct effect on the economies in Europe, the knock-on effect of a US recession has historically seen recession across the major economies around the world.

The question is then, why are the European Central Bank and the Bank of England refusing to move on interest rates? Surely a cut in the E.C.B rate would take pressure off the dollar which in turn would have a positive affect on the price of oil and help cut rising energy costs across the globe. It would also stimulate both the british and European property sectors, who are currently balancing of the knife edge of a collapse that hasn’t been seen in the UK since 1989.

Maybe the European Union is too diverse an economy and it is this, that is holding back the E.C.B. from action. It has always been asserted that the lack of mobility of labour in the E.U. could be a source of keeping the economies of the members on different inflationary paths, making it difficult for the central bank to act decisively on interest rate policy when by doing so, one members economy may benefit to the detriment of another. By doing nothing however, the ECB stand the risk of pushing the property sectors in many countries into decline. It can already be seen in markets such as Spain, where any fresh impetus from overseas buyers due to recent falls in property prices, has been extinguished by the strengthening Euro against the pound. As British buyers make up over 65% of this holiday property market, the nullification of any price adjustments has dampened what was already a pretty ‘wet’ market.

What, if any, action is taken by the E.C.B. will have to wait until they meet again at the beginning of April . Until then, it can be assumed that the longer they delay, the worse the overall slowdown may become.

About the Author

Neil Ebsworth is the founder of AMLASpain, the Spanish MLS for property for sale in Spain and rentals Spain

If you are a pregnant woman wanting to know the gender of your baby, - see below, to the cup of tea you will need after the delivery, the Chinese have a lot to answer for during the seven millenium of history their civilization has spanned. The Chinese Birth calendar that predicts the sex of a child shows that they do have a lighter side but in more recent years it has been the number of children born to a Chinese family that took the headlines.

There was a time when the opinion of the world didn’t matter to the Chinese. Its communist regime steadfast in its oppressive behaviour towards its people immortalized in the photo of a protester standing in front of a tank during the Tianamen Square demonstrations in 1989 was indicative of the regimes disregard for world opinion. Its similar behaviour in Tibet and Nepal has caused outrage and dismay amongst most right thinking people. So it is somewhat of a surprise that as we move towards the summer Olympics of 2008 that are to be held in Beijing that we find the government of China working so hard to distance its actions from the atmosphere surrounding the games.

Many will say that since being awarded the games much has changed in the Chinese republic and this would be true. The emergence of China as the largest, fastest growing economy and leader in manufacturing is true. The economic explosion triggered following the handing back of Hong Kong by the British government in 1997 has seen areas of China expand, not only in economic terms but also in wealth for a limited numbers of its people. The awarding of the games could be said to have been the carrot to the Chinese government to continue on its road of more openness and freedom for its people.

China however, has always been ruled by an iron fist and as the longest surviving civilization the world has ever seen, it could be said that this control is in fact a reason for its longevity. Sima Qian dated the history of the country to 2800 B.C. and in the millenia leading to the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China under Chairman Mao Tse Tung in 1949 the country was ruled by hereditary Emperors under various dynasties.

With such a long history, it is not surprising that many inventions have come from the Chinese. The advancement of its culture, epitomized by the army of Terracotta warriors discovered near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor which dates to 209-210 B.C. is just one example of how far ahead the Chinese had advanced ahead of other civilizations. A coutier, Ts’ai-Lun is credited in 105 A.D. with the invention of paper. The name, paper, came later from a derivative of the Egyptian Papyrus, a method of drying stem section of the papyrus plant to create a writing surface.

Over the centuries the Chinese are also accredited with inventions such as the compass, gunpowder, silk and as an Englishman I am unable to cite Chinese achievements without mentioning tea. Its origins believed to date from around 5000 B.C. under the reign of an emperor called Shen Nung. The emperor, a scientist himself, whose edicts included the boiling of all drinking water, discovered tea by accident. The story goes that he was visiting a province under his reign when some leaves from a nearby bush fell into the pot where the drinking water was being boiled, creating a brown coloured infusion. As a scientist, the emperor was intrigued and drank some of the infusion. He declared it refreshing, and the rest, as they say, is history!

On a lighter note, the discovery in the tomb of a 14 century emperor, of a birth calendar is supposedly able to predict the gender of a newborn baby based on the month of conception and the age of the mother to be. It just goes to show that if a civilization lasts long enough, it will try its hand at anything!

So as we look forward to the Olympics of 2008, we can but marvel at the achievements of a long and proud nation and hope that the interaction of the world in a global experience based in its country, will guide its leaders to think more kindly on its people and their needs.

About the Author

Predict the gender of your baby with the Chinese birth calendar. This ancient Chinese birth chart from the 14 century will tell you the sex of your baby!