August 24th, 2008
INTRODUCTION
PERHAPS the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.
You don’t want to hear this, you are content in your general ignorance. You have been brainwashed into thinking that your personal views are the only correct views so any dissent makes you uncomfortable, if not down right irritable. However, after the initial shock that world does not revolve around you has worn off, and you begin to see you do not get to dictate to the world how it should live and what everyone should believe, you will begin to open you mind to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, you are not right all the time.
As a long and violent abuse of power, is generally the Means of calling the right of it in question (and in Matters too which might never have been thought of, had not the Sufferers been aggravated into the inquiry) and as the King of England hath undertaken in his own Right, to support the Parliament in what he calls Theirs, and as the good people of this country are grievously oppressed by the combination, they have an undoubted privilege to inquire into the pretensions of both, and equally to reject the usurpations of either.
As long as “We the People…” stand aside and do nothing as fellow Americans are having their right trampled upon, as long as we watch in silence as the hammer of our might is wretched from the people, wielded to create pale reflections of what we think we are by careless, clumsy and brutal hands, as long as we stand aside and allow those who are our representatives to the world act with disdain towards the trillions of other inhabitants of this earth we must all share we are implicit co-conspirators in their tyranny, enablers of injustice both at home and abroad. We cannot sit idly by and watch our power, the people’s power, taken away and given to a group of so-called representatives with little to no clue of how the average person lives, how we survive.
In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided every thing which is personal among ourselves. Compliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. The wise, and the worthy, need not the triumph of a pamphlet; and those whose sentiments are injudicious, or unfriendly, will cease of themselves unless too much pains are bestowed upon their conversion.
I do not seek to sway political views. My incongruity is with the powers that be on all sides. I wish to remind my fellow Americans of the things that unite us as a people. I wish to open your minds to the possibilities of all we still could be. It is this authors’ humble opinion that our political parties are necessary, both right and left, to compliment and balance one another, in order to ensure that all people are represented and all values devotedly held are worth fighting for and should be fought for.
I am just an average conservative hippie veteran living in a very blue pocket of a very red state.
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August 23rd, 2008
More money can mean better:
- Health Care
- Relaxing Vacations and Adventures
- Education for your children or yourself
- Better home than you have now
Best of all it can reduce stress from not having to worry about money!
Many of us have problems in life that additional cash will help solve the situation. Did you know that 80% of problems in life could be simply resolved with additional cash.
Your first step to becoming financially secure is getting involved in real estate as an investor. Now you must take the next step “Stop chasing money”.
John Michael, the founder of Stealth Educational Services has a vary simple but phrase he loves to use.
Money has twelve legs and you have two - It will always out run you when you chase it.
Fundamentally, there are two areas to focus on to build wealth and generate cash.
1. You must develop skills and strategies to reduce your expenses along with maximizing your life style.
2. You must develop skills and strategies of generating additional revenues.
You will need to learn how to use:
OPM - Other Peoples Money
OPT - Other Peoples Time
We all have life expenses such as:
- Food - Meals
- Auto Insurance
- Auto gas and oil
- Rent or Mortgage payments
- Along with other purchases
You easily spend $2,000, $5,000, $10,000, or even more every year on these expenses.
Did you know that for every dollar that you make tax deductible you can receive approximately 15 to even 50 back from the government and yes it all depends upon your tax bracket and tax rate. The easiest and fastest way to get tax breaks you will need is to simply start a small business.
As a real estate investor, you have a small business!
This should be your goal for your financial strategy as a real estate investor over the next 12 months:
- $50,000 to $100,000 income from real estate investing
- Cut your tax bill in half
- Reduce your auto insurance by 1/3
- Save $1,000’s on your next purchase of a car
- Reduce your food cost by 10%
- Decrease your health cost up to 20%
- Open your KEOG retirement plan
- Improve your credit
- Protect and shield your assets
Just to name a few.
You may have to work full time and do real estate investing part-time for several months until you get the ball rolling. You will need multiple sources of income to become successful as you grow and start your carrier as a real estate investor.
Let me give you another set of goals that you should shoot for as well:
- Build wealth in real estate
- Develop multiple sources of income and residual income
- Make money while you sleep
- Develop a profitable real estate investing business
- Earn at least 15% on your investments
- Use your real estate investing business for tax deductions
- Use compounding of money and time to build wealth slowly
- Become worth more to an employer until you are able to fire them
Stop chasing money, it is not how much money you “earn”, it is what you “learn” to do with the money that matters.
You must have a good plan for building wealth!
More wealth and cash can make life more exciting, dynamic, and fun.
“Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.” By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
John Michael is the author of “Getting Started In Real Estate Investing”
In addition, you can review his book at: http://jmichaelrei.com
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August 23rd, 2008
Before the iPod many people blasted their Boom Boxes and Portable Stereos in Public. Now we see a little less of that these days, as the new iPod is about to outsell the all the boom boxes ever produced. Can you believe that one consumer personal high tech device could eliminate all that noise? Many older people are quite happy to see the quiet come about and are glad to see the kids are dancing along not bothering anyone. Of course if they knew what these kids were dancing too, well perhaps they might change their minds a bit; who knows?
Some say this is only the beginning of the human civilization peace and quiet. How so you ask? Well so far the quiet has been noticed and iPods are only on their original roll out, in fact they had completely ran out for Christmas in 2005. The iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and iPod Mini was out of stock in just about every retail box store outlet and also on the online company store too.
Now they are making the iPod as fast as they can, but cannot keep up with demand and this trend is still a baby learning to walk. A baby who will grow up and learn to dance on an iPod in a town near you. A peaceful quiet town with out all that Gangster Rap with eardrum breaking thumps. Thin on this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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August 15th, 2008
Q: I have a great idea for an amazing new product. There is nothing like it on the market and no competition that I can find. I think it will be a huge success and so does everyone I tell the idea to. I’m willing to bet the farm on this one. What do you think my chances of success are?
A: I’m a lousy poker player, mainly because I can’t help grinning like the village idiot when blessed with a winning hand or frowning like a sad clown when dealt a dud.
I also never make odds on the success of “amazing new products” because more often than not the only thing that’s amazing is the way the product is totally ignored by the buying public. In my software business there have been times when we came up with what we thought was an amazing idea for an amazing piece of software - a piece of software so amazing, in fact, that we knew that all mankind would sit up and take notice, then line up to write us checks.
After hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars spent developing the product we were amazed to find that the only people who thought the software was truly amazing was us.
We made mankind yawn. Quite an amazing accomplishment, if I do say so myself.
It worries me that you say there is nothing like your idea on the market. While you may think that is a good thing, it might actually mean that there is no market for your product. The same holds true for a lack of competition. A total lack of competition might mean that there is no demand for such a product.
Rarely does a product come along that revolutionizes an industry. Rarer still does a product create a new industry on its own. So, how can you tell if your amazing new product really is worth gambling on? The truth is, you can never be 100% certain that your idea will sell. No matter how enamored you are of it or how much your friends rave about it, the success of a new idea depends on a number of factors, many of which are beyond your control.
Such factors include:
The viability of the idea: is this really a product that you could build a company around? Does the idea have the potential to generate revenue or customer loyalty? The people implementing the idea: the right team can make even a mediocre product a huge success (ever heard of Windows). Inversely, a bad team couldn’t sell ice water in Hades. Pick your team carefully. The right people really do make all the difference. The demand for such a product in the marketplace: will this product fill a need or satisfy an itch? The competition: is the market already crowded with competitors? If so, what will it take to move your product ahead of the pack? The depth of your pockets: even an amazing product requires a ton of cash to go from drawing board to store shelf. The availability of other resources required to take the product from the drawing board to the consumer: do you have the time, the drive, the perseverance, the knowledge, the contacts, the support, and a hundred other things required to bring your amazing idea to fruition? The list wouldn’t be complete without sheer luck and timing. And a thousand other things.
Before you invest too much time and money into your idea, do a little research to determine if it’s an idea that’s really worth gambling on:
Research the market for similar products. Again, if there are no similar products on the market that might mean there is no market for that product. If there truly is nothing exactly like your product, research similar products that fill a similar void in the consumer’s life. Learn all you can about such products: pricing, market share, track record, etc. Research the competition. As mentioned earlier, if there is no competition there may not be a market for a product like yours. If there is competition, research the competition fully (little guys and big guys) to help determine if you can realistically compete for market share. Identify your target customer and ask them for an honest evaluation of the idea and its marketability. Avoid friends and family as they usually just tell you what you want to hear. If your target customer is a 35 year old female, pitch your idea to every 35 year old female you meet and gauge their response. Just don’t break any stalking laws in the name of market research… :o).
The best advice I can give you when it comes to amazing new product ideas it’s best to follow your head and not your heart. It’s a lesson that took me years to learn. If I had a nickel for every amazing new product I’ve invested in I’d go play a few hands of poker.
Here’s to your success!
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August 15th, 2008
Recently, I was trying to explain the reason why I made money in both the Real Estate and the Stock Markets between the years 2000 and 2005, yet the economy was not really doing that great. So I did some research and I found charts that show the Dow Jones industrial average over the last 10 years. I also found charts of the Fed Funds rate and Real Estate home sales over the same period. When I compared the charts I found some interesting correlations between the current real estate market, the fed funds rate and the stock market.
I saw that the last time the Real Estate market had so much inventory was in January of 1996. When I looked at the Fed funds rate in that same year, it was also rising between 4.75 and 5 percent and that is where they are now exactly 10 years later. So if we look at the stock market at that time it was also reacting the same way as it now. With all of this research, if you believe in the money movement strategy which stipulates that wealthy investors tend to move money between stocks, bonds, real estate and money markets. Where do you think the Stock market is heading? I strongly believe that we are going to see some very bullish activity in the stock market over the next 2 or 3 years.
For more information please visit my website.
Dave Perry
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August 15th, 2008
Casinos have often been a way for local governments and entrepreneurs everywhere to earn a highly lucrative salary. Epitomised by the huge popularity and revenue of Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States, the industry has provided financial booms all over the world. Casinos lure in customers with the promise of unimaginable wealth, amazing entertainment and the glamour and excitement that has become synonymous with the industry. Now that same excitement and huge wealth is being generated in the virtual realm of the Internet. Without the limits of space and employees, online sites have created a brand new and rejuvenated face for casinos everywhere. New games, new experiences and new opportunities have made the online casino industry one of the most profitable around.
But much like the real life casinos bring in huge revenues for their surrounding areas, so have the online versions found ways of distributing and generating extra revenue. Due to the huge boom in popularity, a similarly large number of companies and online giants have been quick to jump on the bandwagon. Due to the number of online casinos competition between companies has become intense, with each one desperate to attract new members. Some are lured by off line advertisements and huge bonus offers, but most are found through affiliate programs.
The online casino affiliate program offers a casino experience to Internet users of all levels. All that is required is a site, some space on which to place advertising and the will to market external sites. Casinos offer their affiliates a cut of the players profits that they pass on to them. Affiliates may be offered anywhere between 20 and 30% of the money a player generates during their lifetime on the site. In turn the affiliate then takes on the risks and potential gains that are associated with casinos. Whilst most will not charge affiliates when a player gains money, some will so affiliates should make sure beforehand what their situation is. Unfortunately whilst the online as well as real life casinos can create a huge amount of money through games that favour the house, because it is gambling there is also the chance of losing money.
Affiliates don’t have to endure the stresses and strains of owning a casino, but still have the opportunity to earn a cut of it. If an affiliate can find a failsafe program, in which they will never lose money, there is the chance to earning some serious cash. Casino gamblers win and lose huge sums each year at the virtual tables, by joining an affiliate program any website owner can get a percentage of the casinos fortunes. Unlike the gamblers that the affiliate coaxes in, they have none of the risk or financial dangers associated with casino gaming. Just a regular income from a reliable source, which depending on the number of guests can amount to a large subsidiary paycheck.
If you’re making money from a casino affiliate program, learn how to promote poker affiliate programs at http://www.epokeraffiliate.com/
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August 13th, 2008
How to know a house sold in your neighbourhood? There is one easy way to find out, ask your local realtor. A realtor has in their database all the information of active, sold and expired listings. We can search specific dates, streets, and features for any type of property that is residential.
Keeping an eye on the solds in an area will keep you abreast of the real current real estate market. If you are planning on selling your home this type of information is crucial. Most vendors that I meet already have a price in their mind of what they want to sell their home for. They usually base it on what they have seen active on the market. This information might help you understand that when you do put your property on the market, where you stand, it doesn’t however give you a good indication of what someone is willing to pay for your home.
Understanding the ratio of active and sold can make you more money when it comes time to selling your home. What I mean by this is that statistics show that if your property is overpriced when you first list it, you will miss the high time of your selling bubble and your home will stay on the market longer and end up selling for less then if you listed it at the beginning at a comparable price.
Ask you realtor for a comparable list of homes sold in your neighbourhood before you make up your mind of how much you want to sell your home for.
www.montreal-realestate.ca
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August 9th, 2008
Does negative thinking pay? Is it desirable for me to encourage thoughts in my mind that break down, hinder, and incapacitate me for good work? Do I want negative thoughts that inevitably bring discontent, unhappiness, and ultimate failure in their train?
Your answer will be, of course, that you do not want them. But such thoughts work insidiously, and will find an entrance into your mind if you are not extremely vigilant. The surest way to keep them out, however, is to fill the mind completely with vital positive thoughts, to think constantly of yourself as a man of unlimited possibilities, growing daily in mental and spiritual power, equipped for great things, a necessary part of God’s glorious creation, and moving forward toward a triumphant and immortal destiny.
It is difficult to construct positive thoughts out of the poor stuff from which dreams are made. A man should devote himself particularly to the practical things of life. Some men learn this lesson all too late, for, as Thoreau says, “Youth gets together the materials for a bridge to the moon, and maturity uses them to build a wood-shed.”
The habit of right thinking, when firmly established, becomes a source of attraction. Good thoughts soon become great thoughts, and the mature mind attempts even the impossible. The power of a single thought at the beginning of a day can hardly be estimated. It can change despondency into hope, and fear into courage. It can nerve the arm for great and noble deeds. It can strengthen a weak and timid character into four-fourths of a man. It is possible for it to set in motion an influence that will reach the ends of the world.
The importance of right thinking is its effect upon right doing. How many disastrous mistakes are made for lack of proper thought? How many of life’s failures are due to a careless and unwise selection of a business or profession?
It was Sidney Smith who said: “If we represent the occupations of life by holes in a table, some round, some square, some oblong, and persons by bits of wood of like shapes, we shall generally find that the triangular person has got into the square hole, the oblong into the triangular, while the square person has squeezed himself into the round hole.”
Right thinking means that which constructs, strengthens, and ennobles. It means better manhood, the pluck to do and to dare, and the heroism of mighty endeavor. It knows no limitation, but reaches out daily for new conquests. It is a power unto itself, growing through its own use.
Leigh Everett
Develop Positive Thinking
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August 5th, 2008
The first chart below is an SPX daily chart (candlesticks and right scale) and NYSE Oscillator 50-day MA (red line and left scale) comparison chart. In Oct, the NYSE Oscillator 50-day MA fell to negative 25. In Jan, three months later, the Oscillator’s 50-day MA rose over 50 points to 25 on a strong SPX rally and uptrend. Over the past three months, the Oscillator’s 50-day MA fell to negative nine, while SPX continued the uptrend. The two circles show somewhat similar consolidation periods and the first circle is a support area for a potential SPX pullback. SPX major resistance is the upper Bollinger Band, currently 1,317. It’s more likely SPX will begin a pullback from around 1,317 than rise to around 1,330 first, which the first circle suggests.
The second chart is a NYSE Oscillator 50-day MA (red line and right scale) and SPX daily performance (blue line and left scale) comparison chart. Remarkably, SPX’s daily performance is highly correlated with the Oscillator’s 50-day average performance (also shown in first chart). The second chart shows that the six times the Oscillator’s 50-day MA rose to about 25 or higher, it eventually fell to about negative 20 or lower. Moreover, the second half of the Oscillator’s 50-day MA downtrend more often than not causes SPX to fall more than the first half. Furthermore, when the Oscillator’s 50-day MA hits bottom, SPX often also hits bottom. Only six observations, which reflect the complete data, is not statistically significant. However, the Oscillator’s 50-day MA is accurate predicting both SPX tops and bottoms, and the correlations are high.
A crude estimation is the Oscillator’s 50-day MA will fall to negative 20 and SPX will fall to around 1,275, which was a previous key level. If the Oscillator’s 50-day MA falls below 20, SPX may fall between 1,245 and 1,260, where there are several major support levels. At that point, using only the Oscillator’s 50-day MA, SPX may begin a rally. Also, the SPX bearish VIX 200-day MA and the SPX bullish CBOE Put/Call 200-day MA have generally offset each other, although the Put/Call MA has been stronger. One possible scenerio is SPX will fall to around 1,260, perhaps in May, and then trade in a volatile range for several weeks, e.g. between 1,250 and 1,275 (to increase VIX), rally until Jul or Aug, and fall until Oct.
Charts available at PeakTrader.com Forum Index Market Forecast section.
Arthur Albert Eckart is the founder and owner of PeakTrader. Arthur has worked for commercial banks, e.g. Wells Fargo, Banc One, and First Commerce Technologies, during the 1980s and 1990s. He has also worked for Janus Funds from 1999-00. Arthur Eckart has a BA & MA in Economics from the University of Colorado. He has worked on options portfolio optimization since 1998.
Mr Eckart has developed a comprehensive trading methodology using economics, portfolio optimization, and technical analysis to maximize return and minimize risk at the same time and over time. This methodology has resulted in excellent returns with low risk over the past four years.
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August 2nd, 2008
Discussions about how the Atkins diet works have been going on for decades, ever since Dr. Atkins published his first book in 1972. Debates about how well it really works and whether it is healthy or not continue to rage today. The main reason there is so much controversy over how the Atkins diet works is because it runs counter to all of the diet advice that most of us had been following for generations before Atkins came along.
The Atkins Approach Focuses on the Foods You Eat - NOT Calories
Traditional diets focus on calorie intake - the fewer calories you take in, the more weight you will lose. The Atkins approach focuses on what kind of foods you eat instead of the number of calories. It means no more counting calories. Instead, you need to watch your carbohydrate intake because Dr. Atkins felt that carbohydrates were what lead to weight gain. In other words, if you limit your carbs, you’ll lose weight because you will burn stored body fat in the absence of carbs for fuel.
Carbohydrates
It sounds simple, but there are a variety of factors involved. How does the Atkins diet work to get you to burn off the fat? Carbohydrates are the basic fuel for energy in the human body, and the first fuel the body will naturally turn to. So if you’re eating a lot of pastas, breads, rice, and snack foods like crackers, you will naturally burn these first. Anything extra will be stored as fat.
Proteins and Fats
Proteins and fats, on the other hand, are fuels that the body processes differently. They can also be used as fuel, but they break down into energy more slowly and aren’t as readily stored as fat in the body.
What is “Ketosis”?
Naturally, if you eat more fats and proteins your body will be working harder to convert it to energy and relying as well on some of the fat already stored in your body - it’s a sort of “double whammy” - you are working harder to convert foods into energy and you are using more of your extra body fat. “Ketosis” is the term for the body’s converting stored fat into energy when there is not a sufficient source from carbohydrates, and it is the basis for how the Atkins diet works.
Stabilize Insulin Production
The Atkins Diet also works by slowing the production of insulin in the body. Insulin is the chemical that converts sugars and carbohydrates into fuel. The more carbs you take in, the more insulin your body will produce in order to keep your blood sugar from getting too high. If you don’t use the sugars as fuel, the insulin will convert it to “storage mode” - it becomes body fat to be saved for use later when you may need it.
Today most of us have plenty of food and don’t really need to be storing away fat for use as an energy source - we probably won’t ever be lacking food. So the Atkins diet works to suppress and stabilize insulin production and allow you to burn more of your stored fat as energy. Interestingly, once you start using the Atkins plan, your cravings for sweets and carbohydrates usually decrease as your blood sugar and insulin levels stabilize.
You Won’t Have to Avoid Carbohydrates Forever
Remember, you won’t always have to avoid carbohydrates completely. There are four phases to the Atkins Diet. Each one allows more carbohydrates in your daily diet so that you won’t get bored and you will get some of the energy and fuel you need from this traditional source. If you choose to stay on the maintenance program after losing the weight you want, you will be able to eat carbs in moderation so that you don’t gain back what you lost, but you don’t continue dropping weight, either.
At first most doctors were skeptical about a diet that didn’t count calories, but today the medical community is split. Many still have reservations about how the Atkins diet works, but just as many feel the Atkins approach is sound because it takes the worry out of counting calories and has lots of protein, an important resource for muscle development and overall health.
About the Author:
Kevin Urban is the editor at Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com, an easy-to-use resource on Atkins low carb diet foods. Get your copy of dr. atkins diet and design your free atkins diet meal plan.
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