Well, this past Sunday some “enterprising” individuals decided to steal my 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara from my gated community.

Before photo of my 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara (TJ)

By the grace of God it was recovered by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department three days later when it was used in a string of robberies.  Luckily the thieves did very little damage to the JEEP when I got it back.

2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara (TJ) After Theft

2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara (TJ) After Theft. Interior was completely covered in mud.

So the thieves were packing a 30-06, machete, night vision goggles, drugs, booze, a trunk full of copper wire and tools when they we caught trying to rob Autozone.

Good to go!

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You may have noticed I recently installed the DISQUS Commenting system across The Free Advertising Blog, Top Affiliate Marketing Blog and here.  This is a pretty robust commenting plugin with some builtin social network marketing capability (ie. Twitter and CoComment).

With one DISQUS account I can add all my blogs and manage their comments within one central repository.  No more creating profiles for every site under the sun to get your message out to the broadest audience possible.  If you're running a number of blogs the ease of management using DISQUS can save you a great deal of time

Installation is a snap too.  I use WordPress across all of my blogs and the DISQUS plugin is just as easy to install as any other WordPres plugin.  More to come on customizing this commenting system in the future.

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Early this month Google released a beta version of the new Google Adsense interface for selected publishers.  The Google AdSense Team reports that the new Google Adsense interface provides:

• Comprehensive performance reports: View your daily stats in graph format, and gain insight into new metrics such as the amount you're earning from different ad types, targeting types, and bid types.
• Quicker account maintenance: We've streamlined the process for a number of common tasks to help you get things done more quickly. Whether you're trying to update your contact information or make a change to a number of ad units at the same time, you'll find that these types of tasks require fewer clicks and less account navigation than before.
• Prominent help links: There's now help content available on every page, so you'll be able to quickly find answers to your questions while navigating through your account.
• Easier access to online resources: Visit the redesigned Resources page, where you can find the latest content from the Inside AdSense blog, our YouTube channel, and our Twitter account, all within your own account.

So far I like the new look and added analytical features.  Here's a visual look under the hood of the new Google Adsense interface:

It took some getting used navigating around in the backoffice but it works for me.  So what do you think of the new Google Adsense interface?

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Ahh, the joys of being a small business owner or vendor when everybody wants a "break" or a "special deal" on your product/service.  Yes, at some point in our life we've all been "That" customer. 

There is a fine line between negotiating a fair price for a product/service (like the 2010 Ducati 1198 S for $21,795 I'm trying to get a better deal on)  and trying to gouge a vendor for the product/service they provide.  Nowadays, especially in these trying economic times, vendors are afraid to stand by their price structure because of a singular misconception:

"If I refuse to negotiate my price, I'll lose all my customers."

I think this is completely backwards.  When a reputable vendor stands behind their product or service 110% they garner my complete respect..  For me confidence is everything when it comes to selecting a vendor for just about anything I'm working on from logos, and web designs, to custom coding and more.  The more confidence you exude in your product/service the higher the perceived value of your product/service will be in the eyes of your potential customers.

Sure, there are obviously times when negotiating a fair price with your customers is necessary, but only if it's beneficial to you.  After all, the only reason you're even in business is to make money. 

So stand your ground vendors!  Be confident and assertive because no customer will ever feel slighted by a price that is reasonable and relative to the perceived value of the product/service.

Now please enjoy the below video for a humorous parody of 'The Vendor Client Relationship'.

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Early this morning I received an alert to check out a relatively new penny stock, Blast Applications (BLAP).  I should have investigated the alert a little further but I was rushed for work and pushed it aside to review later.  Later, as it turned out, was after the market closed for the day…and it was a good day for BLAP.

After an explosive day on the market Blast Applications  closed at $0.0529 gaining a whopping 245% from the previous day’s close.  Whoops, I  missed a great entry point on this penny stock!  As it turns out this massive gain comes following last Fridays new announcement that Blast Applications was accepted into the coveted Apple iPhone Developer Program to develop applications for sale on the Apple iTunes App Store.  Blast Applications CEO, Dino Luzzi, recently stated:

"With nearly 2.4 billion dollars worth of applications sold for smart phones, the market potential is enormous. Having the ability to sell our applications through Apple's iTunes App Store is a huge step towards that market." 

I couldn't agree more.  I don't have an Apple iPhone but I do have an Apple iTouch which is also an amazing device with thousands of useful applications.  Right now I use a slick ETRADE application to monitor my stocks when I'm running through airports or on the road.  And here's something else for you…Steve Jobs recently announced:

"The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone." 

Wow.  The demand for quality applications is staggering so I think it's safe to say Blast Applications is well poised to profit from a piece of the market. 

And it gets better.  Earlier today Blast Application announced it has officially launched newly acquired and fully developed website, www.tweexchange.com.  According to a press release by Blast Applications

Tweexchange.com is the fastest and easiest way to search Twitter Usernames and Internet Domain Names at the same time. Tweexchange.com also unveiled a new integration with GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar. Through the Domain Name search, users can Backorder and Register Domains using GoDaddy. If a name is taken and is currently listed for sale on Sedo.com, members can also try to purchase names through the site using the Sedo API.

As a domain investor I think this a very progressive concept for overall brand recognition.  Every business would naturally want to match their Twitter account name to their domain name but with over 50 million users on Twitter you may be out of luck.  Tweexchange.com assists web developers and business owners towards acquiring the best domain name for their website.  Nowadays a matching Twitter account with your domain name could significantly increase the resale value of your web real estate.  Cross-referencing Twitter and GoDaddy with Tweexchange.com also enables their members, for a fee, to be notified when Twitter Usernames and Internet domain names become available from being in a suspended state.

With these facts in mind and looking at the great support levels for BLAP I decided to order 27,450 shares of BLAP.  I'm really NOT a regular investor in penny stocks but I feel this particular stock, along with bankrupt CITGQ.PK, offer excellent profit potential. 

I'll keep you posted.  God bless!

About Blast Applications, Inc.

Blast Applications, Inc. (“Blast”) is a premier creator and developer of applications for iPhone®, Twitter® and Facebook®, that allows users to have more fun, be more productive and make social media sites easier to use and more intuitive than before. Social media sites are growing fast all around the globe. Blast Applications has a unique opportunity to monetize the web surfer’s dedication to sites such as Twitter® and Facebook®, and through direct advertising programs tied to the Company’s tools and applications. For more information visit www.blastapplications.com.

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Thankfully The Worker, Home Ownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has been extended and has even expanded available tax credits for home buyers.

The tax credit was scheduled to expire on 1 Dec 2009 but is now extended until 30 Apr 2010. Good deal.  In addition, if you're toiling through a long short sale process (like I've been) don't sweat it!  .  If a signed contract is entered into before 30 Apr 2010 you'll still be eligible for the credit if you close on the house by 30 June 2010.

There's much more jammed into the new Worker, Home Ownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 but I won't bore you will all the minute details.  If you're in the market for a new home or even thinking about , purchasing your first home I encourage you to visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-worker-homeownership-and-business-assistance-act-2009

Now is the perfect time to get yourself into a new home.  Get to it! 

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I walked out to my parking stall yesterday morning and low and behold….someone stole my beautiful  2009 Yamaha YZF R6.  First thing I said was, "Bummer."  Then I did the whole looking around the parking lot bit as if just maybe it was moved somewhere else.  Hahaha, you know what I'm talking about.

I love this island but bikes tend to "disappear" quite a bit here on Oahu.  In fact, Oahu has ranked as the top area for stolen motorcycle claims in the country for the last 3 years.  Super duper, that's an awesome record to hold!

Anyhow, luckily for me I took out quite a bit of gap insurance from Safe-Guard Products International and Total Loss Protection when I bought the bike from South Seas.  I must have haggled with the sales rep for 45 minutes on why it was in my best interest to invest in all the additional gap insurance.  Thankfully the sales rep was convincing and I paid…and now here it is a year later and I'm counting my blessings. 

With the amount I'll receive back from the gap insurance and GEICO I'll have roughly $16k to purchase a new bike.  So, today I ordered a Matte Black 2010 Ducati 848 from South Seas. 

The Ducati 848 is beautiful and delivers 134 bhp, which is roughly 34 bhp more than my previous Yamaha YZF R6.  I cannot wait to get my hands on this bike but unfortunately it will not be released until February-March of 2010.  So until then I'll have to suffer from severe withdrawal.  And for this bike I'm investing in LoJack for Motorcycles and a Scorpio Alarm System. 

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CIT Group like so many other lenders made some seriously bad decisions and got caught up in the subprime mortgage debacle that came to a head towards the end of last year.  Although the centennial bank holding company received 2.3 billion from the government under the Troubled Asset Relief Program last year the government did not award CIT a separate program that would allow it to issue debt at low interest rates. 

On November 1, 2009 CIT Group Inc. (CITGQ.PK) shares plunged 65% to .25 cents after the lender filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Almost immediately following on November 3, 2009 CIT Group announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court scheduled a hearing to consider prepackaged plan of reorganization for December 8, 2009.  That is good news.

According to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal about 700 companies have a total of $3.9 billion in undrawn revolvers from CIT. Many are small businesses that obtained revolving facilities of about $10 million to $50 million in size. CIT is the sole or main lender to two-thirds of these companies, and a failure of the lender would leave many without access to funds.  With this in mind the the prepackaged plan of reorganization scheduled for December 8, 2009 could very well fall in favor for the bank holding behemoth. 

At just .$018 as of November 6, I'll take a significant risk and order 9,600 shares upon market opening this Monday.  At worst I'm only out $1700 but there is the potential for a nice return over the next six months.

About CIT Group (CITGQ):

CIT is a bank holding company with more than $60 billion in finance and leasing assets that provides financial products and advisory services to small and middle market businesses. Operating in more than 50 countries across 30 industries, CIT provides an unparalleled combination of relationship, intellectual and financial capital to its customers worldwide. CIT maintains leadership positions in small business and middle market lending, retail finance, aerospace, equipment and rail leasing, and vendor finance. Founded in 1908 and headquartered in New York City, CIT is a member of the Fortune 500. www.cit.com

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Always looking to squeeze even more inexpensive low end grunt and acceleration out of my 2009 Yamaha R6 I decided to upgrade my stock air filter to a K&N Air Filter. I ordered it directly from K&N for 69.00 +S.H. Not a bad price for some easy horsepower.

On it's own the K&N Air Filter provides a noticeable increase in horsepower and acceleration while providing exceptional filtration…and then I came across this…. 

THIS MIRACLE MOD cold air intake is AWESOME!!! As quoted by Performance and Perfection Miracle Mod will:

• Increase your bike’s performance by 4 to 7 horsepower and 2 to 4 ft/lb of torque
• Lower air intake temperatures up to 50°F
• Horsepower is instant from 2000 – 15000+ rpm (more power at all times)
• Your bike will run at cooler temperatures and cool down faster.
• This modification feels stronger than a full exhaust system or gear change.

All this for the paltry price of 149.00! This was an absolute no brainer modification for my 2009 R6.  Getting the airbox out proved to be a bit of a hassle on my 2009 R6 so I took it in to the shop and they had it out in minutes flat..  It took roughly 4 days via 2-day air mail to get my brand spanking new air filter fitted with my custom Miracle Mod back from Performance and Perfection.  From purchase to returned product Performance and Perfection provided a professional and expedient service.  Thanks a lot Brian!

Here's some pictures of what my Miracle Modded air box looks like from Performance and Perfection:

Putting the Miracle Modded filter back in the bike was performed by my dealer again and only took a few minutes to install with a little tug and pull here and there. Other bikes are probably a little easier but I had some fuel lines to contend with.  As for performance….WOW!  What a noticeable difference the new K&N Air Filter with Miracle Mod makes.  It literally feels like riding a completely different sportbike.  Low end power all the way up through 5th gear is amazing! 

I can't recommend this easy upgrade enough for whatever sportbike you're riding.

Miracle Mod works.

Next on the list is a Akrapovic Full Exhaust with a Power Commander V.  That's going to cost a little coin so I think I'll let Google Adsense pay for that!  More to come on that project.

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I recently launched a new website www.GodBlessIsrael.com to show solidarity with our Jewish brothesr and sisters in Christ.  In a world where many of Israel’s neighbors oppose their very existence I feel it’s important as Christians to show our support for them.  After all, we as Gentiles share in God’s covenant with Abraham as revealed in Romans 4:16-17:

"The promise is according to grace in order to be guaranteed to all Abraham’s descendants, not only to [the Jews] but also to [Gentiles] who share the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations."

If you feel compelled please visit http://www.GodBlessIsrael.com, Register on the blog and leave a blessing for God’s chosen people and the nation of Israel.  As the Lord tells us in Gen. 12:2-3: 

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

 Thank you and God bless you.

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Luke 12:15 – Then he said to them, "Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

As a brand new stock investor I’ve just tasted my first dose of financial hindsight or as I now realize greed. Thankfully this time it was a painless lesson from the Lord.

After the market collapsed late last year literally dozens of high quality stocks tumbled far below their true value. Experienced investors had a literal smorgasbord cleaning up and fattening their portfolios with excellent, profitable and well managed companies held hostage in the global market turmoil.

For new investors such as me it was probably the absolute worst time to enter the market…or so I’ve been told. All in all I’ve bought roughly 6-8 stocks and have fared pretty well (up 240%) thus far with the good Lords blessing. I’ve learned what to look for in stocks, how to read in between the lines of press releases and how to remain emotionally detached with my stocks. What I’m still learning, as I’m sure many are, is how to become a more confident investor.

Back on February 2, 2009 my first financial “opportunity of a lifetime” arrived by the name of: Ashland Inc. (ASH).

ASH is a distributor of chemicals and plastics, and a manufacturer of chemical specialty and performance products. Most notable of these products is their brand Valvoline, maybe you’ve heard of that.

Anyhow, back in February ASH was trading at a paltry $7.28 when in February 2008 the stock traded at $45-$47. In June 2008 it peaked at $58 before the financial collapse pushed the stock all the way down to a criminally low price of 7.34.

This was and still remains my best stock purchase to date…but I’d didn’t fully pull the trigger. With all the data I had pored over I decided to be cautious and bought a mere 80 shares. After all, this was my first stock purchase.

And then ASH skyrocketed.

It absolutely destroyed projected targets and continued to climb. Now seven months later ASH closed $43.82 and continues to climb.

As I reflected on my decision in utter agony thinking about how much money I could have made investing in hundreds of shares of ASH I realized that sometimes hindsight is 20/20 greed.

I thank the Lord for his generosity and many blessings in my life. Here I am with a stock up 480% and I’m annoyed I could have made more money with it! Tsk, tsk.

As Jeremiah. 6:13; 8:10 tells us "everyone is greedy for gain.” Forgive me Lord and thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson as a Christian investor…

Fortune favors the bold. Just kidding, it everything I have is from the Lord and it is always enough.

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I love my 2009 Yamaha R6 but like all things I own that consume gas I wanted more power and acceleration.  After some quick research online on how to squeeze as much inexpensive horsepower out of my R6 as possible, I came across the Vortex/Regina Sprocket Power-Up Kit on www.KneeDraggers.com.  After reading a few rave reviews on this sprocket and chain modification for the R6 I purchased it from KneeDraggers for $229.00 with free shipping and handling.

Vortex/Regina Sprocket Power-Up Kit

The stock 2009 R6 comes with a 525 chain size.  The Vortex/Regina Sprocket Power-Up Kit is a 520 conversion.  That might not seem like much but every little bit helps squeeze out some hidden acceleration.  As for the back and front sprockets I decided to go 1 up/2 down, any more than that and I would be spending more time shifting than necessary.

I didn’t have the tools (or experience) to perform the 520 conversion so I took it into my dealer (South Seas Honda Yamaha BMW) for a professional install.  It only took about 2 hours to install so with $150.00 spent for installation the total cost of this 520 conversion came to $379.00.  And let me tell you it’s worth it!

Acceleration from rest is remarkably faster than the stock setup and roll-on acceleration pulls just as hard.  Lifting the front end up is considerably easier in first gear and even highway speed wheelies on the 600 are now possible with the right amount of finesse finesse!

However, with the new sprocket gearing your speedometer and odometer will be completely off.  With my 1 up/2 down ratio my speedometer was reading roughly 12mph faster than it actually was, which obviously threw my odometer readings way off too.  To compensate for this I purchased SpeedoHealer from HealTech Electronics Ltd. for $115.00.

SpeedoHealer v4

SpeedoHealer is one slick piece of electronics.  It’s a plug and play device that plugs directly into your 3p plug.  Cailbrating and programming your SpeedoHealer to your correct sprocket gearing is fairly straightforward thanks to their online calculator.  Once you have it set up properly you can regain 100% accuracy in your speedometer and odometer readings.  In addition, SpeedoHealer has a Top Speed Memory button you can press to display  your last true top speed on your speedometer.

SpeedoHealer will fit almost every bike on the market.  If you have an older bike and aren’t interested in resale value you can just have someone pace with you to get your true speed.  However, if you’re thinking about selling your bike someday the $115.00 price-tag is money well spent to keep your bike from depreciating that much faster.

So there you go.  If you have a 600 sportbike I feel the 520 conversion is well worth the added performance.  However, if you have a litre bike I would probably stick to your 530 (or whatever you have) over the 520 conversion.  It’s too much wear and tear with all the horsepower a litre bike puts out in my opinion.

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Seriously people of America…this is a stickup.  What in the world is going on here?!  Look, I’m no economist but are we really going o sit back and let this ridiculous “stimulus package” get passed without a peep?  The worst part is even some professional economists are unsure whether it’s even enough:

“It’s possible that this won’t be enough to jump start the economy — that, in fact, policy makers will have to come back and provide more help to the economy before all is said and done,” Mark Zandi, economist with Moody’s economy.com, told ABC News in an interview.

Well that’s super.  Now let me tell you what some of this one trillion ($1,000,000,000,000) “stimulus” plan entails.

• $500 tax cut for most workers – (Didn’t we already try this?   Last year’s $600 rebate checks failed to “stimulate” the economy.)
• Dog Parks
• Federal Building Reparations
• Water Slides
• Frisbee golf courses

A few months back we were told if the $700+ billion financial institution bailout (Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)) was not passed immediately the earth would stop on it’s axis, the stars would fall out of the sky and life as we knew it in the US would cease to exist.  So after much debate it was passed…and the credit sector did not rebound and no stars fell out of the celestial heavens…that I’m aware of.

So after that monumental debacle of a precedent was set,  money seemed to flow out of the capital on what seemed like a daily basis in bailouts and beggar handouts at your expense.  Now, after the zombie mantra of “change” has finally started to wane we get whacked with a near one trillion dollar stimulus plan.

God help our children who will have to shoulder much of this epic burden.

The housing market has tanked, many hard working Americans now find themselve’s jobless and we see the US government taking more and more control of the commercial sector and centralizing it’s power.  Is taxing the American citizens another one trillion dollars really going to make things any better?  I’d rather just roll the dice and ride it out at this point.  What do you think?

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I just picked up my new Raven 2009 Yamaha YZF R6 and this bike is incredible. Specs:

Engine Type
	599cc liquid-cooled inline 4-cylinder; DOHC, 16 titanium valves
Bore x Stroke	67.0 x 42.5mm
Compression Ratio	13.1:1
Carburetion	Fuel Injection with YCC-T and YCC-I
Ignition	TCI: Transistor Controlled Ignition
Transmission	6-speed w/multi-plate slipper clutch
Final Drive	Chain
Chassis
Suspension/Front	41mm inverted fork; 4-way adjustable, 4.7-in travel
Suspension/Rear	Single shock; 4-way adjustable, 4.7-in travel
Brakes/Front	Dual 310mm floating disc; radial-mount 4-piston calipers
Brakes/Rear	220mm disc; single-piston caliper
Tires/Front	120/70-ZR17
Tires/Rear	180/55-ZR17
Dimensions
Length	80.3 in
Width	27.6 in
Height	43.3 in
Seat Height	33.5 in
Wheelbase	54.3 in
Rake (Caster Angle)	24°
Trail	3.8 in
Oil Capacity (with oil filter change)	3.6 qt
Fuel Capacity	4.6 gal
Fuel Economy**	40 mpg
Wet Weight	414 lb
Other
Main Jet	Not Applicable
Main Air Jet	Not Applicable
Jet Needle	Not Applicable
Needle Jet	Not Applicable
Pilot Air Jet 1	Not Applicable
Pilot Outlet	Not Applicable
Pilot Jet	Not Applicable
Primary Reduction Ratio	85/41 (2.073)
Secondary Reduction Ratio	45/16 (2.813)
Gear Ratio – 1st Gear	31/12 (2.583)
Gear Ratio – 2nd Gear	32/16 (2.000)
Gear Ratio – 3rd Gear	30/18 (1.667)
Gear Ratio – 4th Gear	26/18 (1.444)
Gear Ratio – 5th Gear	27/21 (1.286)
Gear Ratio – 6th Gear	23/20 (1.150)

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Due to the current financial debacle we’ve been witnessing these past few weeks I’ve been forced to re-evaluate how I invest what the good Lord has blessed me with. I’m no Warren Buffet…yet…so for the immediate future I’ve decided to sit on the sidelines and invest my capital in more secure alternatives rather than the stock market. Have I lost faith in the stock market entirely? No, but since I do not have decades of stock experience and hate the fact of someone else managing my money I’m sticking with a tried and true plan to weather this financial storm. Here’s my simple plan…free of charge:

1. Checking Account With Charter Bank: http://www.charterco.com/personal/turbo.cfm

Under the Charter Turbo Checking Account you’ll earn 6.01% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on all balances from $0 – 25,000. This is NOT an introductory offer provided by Charter making them probably the highest entry level checking accounts you can find. You’ll earn 1.01% APY (rate of 1.01%) on all amounts above $25,000, and 0.25% APY on all balances if the requirements are not met each statement cycle.

• 6.01% APY* on balances to $25,000
• 1.01% APY* on balances above $25,000
• 0.25% APY* if requirements are not met**
• No ATM Fees Nationwide
• Overdraft Privilege
• Free Online Bill Pay

To earn the 6.01% APY on this high interest checking account, you must:

• Make at least 13 debit card transactions monthly (excluding ATM transactions)
• Receive one direct deposit or ACH auto debit monthly
• Receive your monthly statement electronically (e-statement)
• Access on-line banking at least once before month end

From a marketing perspective I’ll probably redirect my direct deposits from Commission Junction, Shareasale, Linkshare, Google Adsense and Yahoo! Publisher over to Charter Bank and redistribute the balance over $25K to other investments (i.e. Money Market Accounts, CDs, etc.).

2. WaMu Online Certificate of Deposit Investing (CD): https://www.wamu.com/personal/certificate_deposit/online_cd/default.asp

I know you see Wamu and are probably thinking that’s a bad pick. However, with JP Morgan Chase running the show now I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Just before this acquisition WaMu was running a lucrative promotion to get some much needed capital. The’re CD Online will earn you 5.00% APY on a 1yr turn with a minimum deposit of just $1000.00. As far as I can tell there is no cap on that. That is a pretty good rate by any standard so you’ll probably want to lock yourself into this great rate for a year before JP Morgan pulls the plug.

3. EverBank Yield Pledge Money Market Account: http://www.everbank.com/001MoneyMarketYP.aspx

At the time of this post EverBank has the highest APY out of any of the entry level Money Market Accounts I’ve seen. If you set up a Yield Pledge Money Market Account you’ll earn a hefty 3.82% APY and as a bonus you’ll earn 4.65% APY for the first three months. Most decent MMAs are between 3.0% (like the raved over ING Direct) and up to about 3.75% (like OnBank). With the Everbank MMA you’ll need to invest a minimum of $1,500 but you can invest up to $50,000. In addition, unlike some MMAs which seem to charge you for everything there are no monthly fees as long as you keep your balance over $1,500. Otherwise you’ll be charged a monthly fee of $4.95.  There is a $6/month transfer and withdrawal fee but that is also negligible.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only novice investor who is a little leery about investing in the stock market at the moment. Unless you really know what you’re doing it may be more prudent to just hang in the wings and slowly grow your money in safe havens for a while. Hopefully this will help you identify some solid investment opportunities to grow your nest egg. Otherwise just dig a hole in your backyard or stash your dough under the mattress for safekeeping!

*To review the very best Checking Account, Savings Account, Money Market Account and Certificate of Deposit rates available please visit http://bankcd.com/. The list is updated daily and I’m sure you’ll find some amazing rates that will meet your short/long term investment goals.

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OK fellow online marketers I have a question to ask you. If you were given $20,000 to start a new online business from scratch what would be your approach?

Over the years a lot has been said about starting a successful online business from scratch. However, this often excluded those individuals who already have a sizeable amount of upfront capital to start with and want to hit the proverbial ground running.

Would you:

• Invest it in PPC campaigns…
• Have a new product created…
• Outsource mass unique content creation…
• Setup up a blog empire…

Let’s assume this entrepreneur has a basic understanding of PPC, SEM, SEO, Affiliate Marketing, etc.

What would you do?

Post your comments right here and if you wish to remain anonymous no biggie. I’m very interested in hearing what the professional marketing community would do with $20,000.

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Last week we saw the unprecedented move by the US Federal government when they seized the assets of floundering mortgage goliaths Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  In doing so they instituted a 15 month nationalization program which was popularly viewed as a temporary necessity in order to curb the further unraveling of the national credit problem.  It was intended to preserve the capital of both public and private funds to include public pensions, which were a significant holding of both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson recently stated:

A failure of [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] would affect the ability of Americans to get home loans, auto loans and other consumer credit and business finance.

Paulson goes on to state:

The new administration must decide what role government in general, and those entities in particular, should play in the housing market.

This 15 month nationalization program is merely a bandage on an open wound needing surgery.

In an interview with CNBC Jim Rogers, CEO of Rogers Holdings, stated:

America is more communist than China is right now. You can see that this is welfare of the rich, it is socialism for the rich… it's just bailing out financial institutions…This is madness, this is insanity, they have more than doubled the American national debt in one weekend for a bunch of crooks and incompetents. I'm not quite sure why I or anybody else should be paying for this.

I tend to agree with Mr. Rogers.  Why should you and I be on the proverbial hook for 5 TRILLION DOLLARS in bad housing loans!  In essence every hardworking American taxpayer is now paying for the risky and irresponsible financial recklessness of these loan institutions who were more than greedy to reap enormous profits.  Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, NOT the American taxpayers, should be made to bare the burden their losses have created.

Even our neighbors across the pond at Independent Strategies, a London Based Economics Firm, stated:

The US government takeover…makes the US the most socialist system in the world outside of places like North Korea and Cuba.  It will have 75% of its current housing finance and the majority of its remaining capital allocation being financed with credit that is directly the result of government and federal intervention.

Unfortunately many Americans won't understand the lasting implications and ramifications of this action.  Remember the abolition of the Gold Standard of 1971 by president Nixon?

I won't even mention the 85 billion dollar federal government AIG bailout we had this week…So what's your take people?

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What is social marketing? In a nutshell, it is the process of making positive changes in a population through the marketing strategies usually used by commercial companies.  The positive changes may be anything from reduced smoking rates to conserving ecological resources.

In a world where even third world children recognize Ronald McDonald, it’s easy to see how populations could be made healthier, smarter, and better citizens through commercial influence.  A good example of social marketing can be seen in the “public service” announcements now seen on television.  Between reality shows and cereal commercials, Americans are beseeched to vote on election day or to eat more vegetables.  The hope is that the public can be convinced to make socially conscious choices the same way they are influenced to buy certain brands of food and clothing.

But how new is social marketing?  Although it is often touted as a new concept, it has actually been around for centuries.  The difference is that when we don’t endorse the cause being socially marketed, we call it ‘propaganda’.  Take, for instance, the posters tacked to every flat surface during both World Wars asking healthy young men to join the military.  Consider Adolph Hitler’s use of the radio and written media to market his beliefs to the wartime Germans.  Both examples qualify as classic social marketing, although most people no longer approve of the subject matter.

The basic steps of a successful social marketing are the same as those for traditional, consumer marketing.

1. Choose a tangible goal. For a corporation, the goal would likely be increased sales of a determined amount.  In social marketing, the goal might be, for example, to encourage a higher percentage of the local population to have their children vaccinated.

2. Analyze the market.  In our immunization scenario, the ‘market’ would be the population that is not inoculating their children.  The marketing campaign would be most successful if the social marketers know basic demographic information about these families such as race, income, geographic location, and education level.

3. Research and test the marketing materials on the desired demographic.  This could be done through focus groups, informal surveys of the population, or larger scale studies.  The product may have to be modified several times to produce a more effective package of marketing materials.

4. Determine the venue of marketing. If you were marketing to a highly literate population, newspapers, pamphlets, and magazines would be good venues for marketing. In the immunization example, the target population would be parents of young children, and thus good venues might be commercial spots during children television shows or brochures left in local pediatricians’ waiting rooms.

5. Place and promote the product.  In this step, the tested marketing materials are placed in the appropriate marketing venues.  Although this is the step most people picture when they think of marketing, it is only a small part of the overall process.

6. After a set amount of time, analyze the results.  In our vaccination example, public health officials could analyze the change in immunization rates following the marketing campaign.  An increase would make the campaign a success, while stagnant or decreasing rates would indicate failure.

7. If necessary, the campaign would be modified, reconfigured, and re-marketed.  However, because the goal is to get the target population to accept certain behavior, a truly successful social marketing campaign would mean that no more marketing of the issue is needed.  If the parents in our immunization example had dramatically improved their immunization rates and truly embraced the idea of vaccination, they would not need further convincing.

It’s important to consider in social marketing that there is a reason the behavior has not already been embraced.  The reasons may include a lack of knowledge, lack of finances, lack of time, or perceived negative effects. In the immunization example, the cause could be side effects of immunization or a lack of education about the role they play in disease control.  It is crucial that all objections to the socially desired behavior be addressed to the audience’s satisfaction.

The classic “4 P’s” of marketing can clearly be seen in the above example:  Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion.  The product is immunization, the price is perceived side effects, the placement is the venue, and the promotion is the ads and brochures themselves.  Social marketing mimics commercial marketing because in our advertisement laden world, social causes truly are just one more product being sold.  The most important goal of social marketers, and the one made most difficult by traditional marketing practices, is setting causes above and apart from the constant bombardment of marketing.  This truly will be the social marketing challenge of the new millennium.

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This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting four individuals who love Oahu hiking as much as I do: Laarni, Frank, Justin and James.  Funny part is this was James first hike on Oahu and it’s the Bowman Trail, arguably one of the toughest and most dangerous trails on Oahu.  Nothing like a nice 12 mile long expert rated trail to break in the new guy!

Me, James (in blue), Frank, Laarni and Justin

Bowman Trail is an 12 mile long (round trip) Oahu hiking trail which leads up to the Ko’olau summit.  This is an all day hike and it really will take all day.  It is a 2,400 foot climb to the summit but with all the ups and down most people agree it’s really about 4,000 feet of climbing.

James negotiating a slip and die portion of the trail.

It is a wicked roller coaster of a ride not for those who have a fear of dangling from ledges,  hanging onto a wire while ascending/descending ridge lines or slinking across a razor thin section of ridge.  However the rewards are well worth the struggle…

We started this trail at roughly 8 a.m., we meant to start it at 630 but you know how that goes.  The trail starts off with a heart pounding climb up what seemed to be a few hundred feet just to get onto the trail.  From there the trail was relatively mild…for a short way.

Early along the way you’ll get beautiful views of Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, etc.

You will get dirty on this trail fast.  It rained on us more than a few times on our ascent which makes the trail very slick in spots and creates mud pits in others.  There is no such thing as Oahu hiking without rain and mud!

There are numerous places on the trail where you will have to use rope or wires to ascend or descend the ridge.  BE CAREFUL! Near the summit of this trail the wire broke in James hand as he was descending a particularly steep segment of the trail.  Check all cables thoroughly first and turn around if you don’t feel 100% confident.

When you eventually make it to the summit you will be rewarded with amazing views of both Kaneohe and Honolulu  from the Ko’oalu Range.  Snap some photos, make some videos, breath in the fresh air and eat some grub.

Justin came through with MREs for everyone.

Don’t linger too long though since you still have a six mile descent awaiting and probably want to make it down the mountain before nightfall.

Bowman Trail Recommendations:

1. Start this trail early.
2. Bring a more than healthy supply of water.
3. Bring lots of carbohydrates, jerky, bananas, etc.
4. Just in case you’ll probably want to bring a headlamp.
5. Bring your basic first aid, tourniquet, dressings, etc…you never know.

Directions to Bowman Trailhead:

The Bowman Trail Head lies on the other side of the basketball court of the Kalihi Elementary School (2471 Kula Kolea Dr, Honolulu, HI 96819 -mapquest it) off the Likelike Highway.  You will need to park in the residential area on Naai Street.  Please be curteous to the residents.  Once you’re parked just walk up to the school basketball courts and you should see the trailhead.

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