Saint Patrick Special on all your office print need

www.instacolorusa.com

www.instacolorusa.com

Hands For Hire | Home Repair at a Reasonable Cost | HotSpotSCV

If you’ve got home repairs to be done, call Hands For Hire at 661-313-2005 or visit http://www.handsforhire.biz and we can get you on track. We offer a wealth of handyman services. Professional, clean, reliable, safe, on-time and friendly are what Hands for Hire stands by. We’ll take your “to do” list and quickly turn it into a “done” list with quick and efficient repairs. That means you can get back to enjoying your day.

Got a leaky faucet? We’ll take care of it. Need a new toilet installed or a ceiling fan repaired? We’ve got you covered. At Hands For Hire we can handle virtually any job around the house that needs to get done.

Hands for Hire was established in 2008 and we’re continuing to grow, providing top-of-the-line service throughout the Santa Clarita Valley and beyond. When you hire Hands for Hire, our well trained employees will show up on time in a clearly marked Hands for Hire vehicle. All of our work is satisfaction guaranteed! At Hands for Hire we strive to achieve 100% customer satisfaction the first time. If you are not happy with the results, we will work with you until you are satisfied.

Copper Eagle Patrol & Security I Safety and Security I HotSpotSCV

Copper Eagle Patrol & Security (www.coppereaglepatrol.com) offers reliable service in security patrol, alarm response, on-site guard service, surveillance, investigations and more.

Copper Eagle has been providing top-notch service in the SCV since 1987 and has helped to make the Santa Clarita Valley one of the top five safest cities in the nation! When you contract with Copper Eagle you can rest assured you’re in good hands because the company’s employees are licensed, insured and bonded to provide the best in service for residential, commercial and industrial needs.

With the largest patrol fleet in the Santa Clarita Valley, Copper Eagle Patrol & Security offers continuous employee training and education, competitive pricing and top quality service. Copper Eagle’s website will show you how private patrol and security services can protect your home, business, valuable possessions, and most importantly – you.

For more information, visit http://www.coppereaglepatrol.com or call 661-251-6999.

Tax Preparation SCV | Accounting Firm | Valencia | Canyon Country |Investments

Visit this blog for tax tips, accounting services or other important info regarding investment strategies and also visit our website out at:  http://www.Avtaxman.com or contact us for a free consultation. Avtaxman & Associates has the lowest “guaranteed” price in Santa Clarita for tax preparing and accounting services such as accounts
reconciliation, accounting clean-up & organization and auditing.

With the economy still “SHAKEY” and the stock market going up & down like a roller coaster, many are seeking guidance in “HOW” to keep their savings and assets secured. More important than how is knowing where and when to move them so they could be safe and still earn and grow. Being full service means Avtaxman & Associates is skilled in the operational side of business too. Our associates have worked for and within many Fortune 500 corporations and have expertise in adjusting and reorganizing capital assets to maximize earnings and profits when necessary. Just FYI, I do my own investments and have tapered my losses to less than 11% during this past down-slide including utilizing other investment strategies that are sky-rocketing over 38%.

Avtaxman and Associates is a full service accounting firm specializing in tax preparation and tax reduction strategies in addition to business efficiency and all around expenditure reduction to maximize profits and strengthen companies. Our rates are half what any other firm or company charges because we refuse to gouge clients in need of assistance…especially in this economy. So, if your company wishes to cut accounting expenses in half including reducing tax liability in the process, Avtaxman & Associates is the firm for you. With over 25 years experience, we give ”Big Business Expertise at a Neighborhood Price”. Avtaxman and Associates is
owned and operated by a Santa Clarita resident.

City of Santa Clarita | Assessment Ballot | Landscape Maintenance District | Canyon Country

Visit this blog for important info regarding the City of Santa Clarita and recently proposed fees for Landscape Maintenance Districts and assessments being proposed or imposed by the city also. To that end, a “yellow” ballot was sent to nearly 15,000 households proposing an assessment and possible take-over of select LMDs in Canyon Country and other areas. This ballot proposes “additional” maintenance and up-keep for medians all over the city even though we already pay for this in our taxes.

After I received my ballot in the mail, I went to City Hall and spoke to a person in the LMD Department to get clarification. Although he agreed our taxes already pay for these services, he insisted we need to pay more fees because of the recent upgrades from the Federal Stimulus Act. Pardon me but, didn’t we just upgrade these medians 2 years ago and now we are doing it again? Why?

In short, everyone that received a “YELLOW” Assessment ballot needs to mark “NO” and send it back. We refuse to pay more taxes and fees for something we already pay taxes for!!! Then, they will raise the fee 3% every year no matter according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). We already pay the highest taxes in the U.S., what is state and city officials doing with all OUR tax money? In addition to sending your “YELLOW” ballot in with “NO” on it, you can also protest this fee at a public hearing on September 13, 2011 at City Hall at 6 PM.

This is a public service message from Avtaxman and Associates. Avtaxman and Associates is a full service accounting firm specializing in tax preparation and tax reduction strategies. Our rates are half what any other firm or company charges because we refuse to gouge clients in need of assistance…especially in this economy. So, if your company wishes to cut accounting expenses in half including reducing tax liability in the process, Avtaxman & Associates is the firm for you. With over 25 years experience, we give ”Big Business Expertise at a Neighborhood Price”. Avtaxman and Associates is owned and operated by a Santa Clarita resident.

Tax Preparation SCV | Accounting Firm | Valencia | Canyon Country

Visit this blog for tax tips and other important info regarding accounting services and
also visit our website out at:  www.Avtaxman.com or contact us for a free consultation. In addition to Avtaxman having the lowest “guaranteed” price in Santa Clarita for tax preparing, we also offer the same for accounting services such as accounts reconciliation, accounting clean-up & organization and auditing.

The month of August is typically the time when companies evaluate current vendors, customers and revenue projections. Considering the importance of these, I also believe the accounting firm your company is currently using should also be evaluated. Is the firm own and operated in Santa Clarita? Is the firm knowledgeable? Are the people doing the work degreed or otherwise educated? Are they charging us too much like a big CPA firm? Lastly, is this just a satellite office for a firm outside Santa Clarita? Why is any of this important? Let’s keep our community working! Let’s keep our money here!

Avtaxman and Associates is a full service accounting firm specializing in tax preparation and tax reduction strategies in addition to business efficiency and all around expenditure reduction to maximize profits and strengthen companies. Our rates are half what any other firm or company charges because we refuse to gouge clients in need of assistance…especially in this economy. So, if your company wishes to cut accounting expenses in half including reducing tax liability in the process, Avtaxman & Associates is the firm for you. With over 25 years experience, we give ”Big Business Expertise at a Neighborhood Price”. Avtaxman and Associates is
owned and operated by a Santa Clarita resident.

1st Image Photography SCV|Web Site|Bob Messina

Angie, her mom and I have been camping in the Eastern Sierras this week with no cell or internet contact.

Margolis/West Graphics will create our new website. Our site is down at this time. See my blogs posted on http://www.hotspot.com/1st Image for sample photos I have taken recently.

Will let you know when our new site is up.

Bob Messina

Tax Preparation SCV | Accounting Services | Valencia | Canyon Country

Visit this blog for tax tips and other important info regarding accounting services and
also visit our website out at: www.Avtaxman.com or contact us for a free consultation.

In addition to Avtaxman having the lowest “guaranteed” price in Santa Clarita for tax
preparing, we also offer the same for accounting services such as accounts reconciliation, accounting clean-up & organization and auditing.

One question that always arises with new clients is, “do I really need a CPA firm?” As a matter of fact, NO! Actually, any experienced and degreed accountant can perform all the same tasks as a CPA including preparing & signing financial documents, preparing expenses prior to and during tax preparation and performing audits. The only thing that a CPA can do that others can’t is:

…a CPA is able to give commentary at the end of an audit which is generally tips or instructions for improving or correcting certain problems found during the audit. That said, since the introduction of SOX 404 (Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002), no one gives any advice now because it carries a liability if something goes wrong in the future. So,
this is why many companies are leaving high priced CPA firms and hiring
Accounting & Tax firms like Avtaxman & Associates to save money and to get the level of service they expect.

Avtaxman and Associates specializes in tax preparation and tax reduction strategies in addition to business efficiency and all around expenditure reduction to maximize profits and strengthen companies. Our rates are half what any other firm or company charges because we refuse to gouge clients in need of assistance…especially in this economy. So, if your company wishes to cut accounting expenses in half including reducing tax liability in the process, Avtaxman & Associates is the firm for you.

With over 25 years experience, we give ”Big Business Expertise at a Neighborhood Price”. Avtaxman and Associates is owned and operated by a Santa Clarita resident.

1st Image Photography SFV|Creative Images|Bob Messina

High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a technique of combining multiple images of one scene into one image.  Images are taken with correct exposure, one or more underexposed and one or more images overexposed.  HDR software (I used Photomatix 4.0.2) combines the images into one image.  Software also allows for individual selection of image manipulation.  It is best to use a tripod to capture the images.  You must shoot in RAW mode. While on vacation in Sedona, AZ recently, I wondered how to capture images when I don’t have a tripod.  I had my Canon 40 d camera with me.  Using the “Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)” mode in the menu, I tried taking 3 images of the same scene using the highest speed continuous mode.  It did not work like I expected .

Last week, before the SCV Chamber mixer, I took a series of photos at Bridgeport Marketplace using my EOS 1ds, Mark III after getting back from Canon for repair.    Solution is to set the camera on the highest rapid fire setting possible, and set the camera to take images at under, right on and over exposures.  On the Mark III I hold down the Mode and AF Drive buttons simultaneously and turning the wheel on the back of the camera to establish the 3 exposures which for this project I set at 1-1/3 over and 1-1/3under.  Obviously the key is to hold the camera as steady as possible while taking the 3 images.  I had some duds but was able to get 3 good sets of images to work with.  I tried taking images in manual, aperature priority and shutter priority modes.  There are drawbacks to each, especially when it comes to depth of field issues in Shutter priority mode since the camera is setting the aperature.  In aperature priority you may have shutter speed issues if your ISO is not set high enough since the camera is choosing the shutterspeed.

HDR software brings out the best of each image.  The overexposed image has shadow information not seen well in the properly exposed image.  The underexposed image brings richness to the final image such as a darker sky, especially if you don’t have a polarizing filter or the filter does not work well in the situation you find yourself.

Attached are images I created.  Hope you like.

Bob Messina

http://www.1stimage.com  (to be redone soon)