How to Buy Probate Properties

(WikiHow) Probate properties are owned by the estate of a deceased homeowner and are often sold below market value to property investors and potential home-buyers. However, the process of purchasing these properties isn’t always quick -- lasting anywhere from 6 months to several years. This article identifies the avenues used to buy probate properties and specific laws that may apply to a probate property sale in some states.

Continue reading at:  http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-Probate-Properties

Is Paypo a scam?

Paypo  is  a  very  high  converting  product  &  basically  sells  itself  due  to  the  100%  affiliate  commission  structure.  That  means  that  you  can  make  your  money  back  with  your  very  first  sale. Is that a good thing?

So far, the site promises unlimited $10 instant payments to your PayPal account. I will assume that you will not receive the entire $10 due to administrative fees. Nevertheless, it still appears to be an easy way to make money online. 

The greatest part of this program is that it requires you to pay a one-time $10 fee via PayPal. Basically, this is how you get paid. For example, someone buys into the program through your affiliate link and you get paid instantly. Furthermore, the program promises not to impose any offers, monthly feed, or pyramid like schemes.

Overall, I am not a big fan of affiliate marketing as a lot of these programs are hyped up to take people money and waste their time.  However, Paypo seems to a good plan for helping people to help one another.

So If you interested in giving this program a try, click https://bit.ly/getpaidwithpaypo to get started

If you have any questions, email enlightn1@gmail.com

Why Market Research Matters

Market research is vital to an company's long term success. Market research will keep a company's brand alive while those companies who fail to conduct research will see their brand die off.

Market research should be on a company's priority list for the following five key reasons:

Market research focuses on customer satisfaction

Quality management teaches that the customers determine what the next product or service to be created. There is an old saying that the customer is always right. This means that a company must keep the lines of communication open between themselves and their customers through research. They must also work hard at understanding and continuously meeting and/or exceeding their customers' needs. 

Market research keeps you focused

When used properly, marketing research should reveal what’s most important to consumers and helps a company prioritize and maximize its time effectively. It can refine both  short-term and long-term marketing goals, helping owners and managers feel less  overwhelmed in the long run.

Market research allows companies to pursue the most lucrative business opportunities

 

Every business owner want to grow their business but often do not know how to do so. Market research helps analyze opportunities to prioritize those with the highest revenue potentials 

Market research keeps a business relevant and looking ahead

A business can be compared to a swimmer in the middle of an ocean with no land or life preserver in sight. The swimmer has two choices: "Swim or Drown". Like the swimmer, a business must find the energy it needs to stay afloat. This means that a business must assure that its brand will continue to win the favor of its customers. Conducting regular research with consumers and customers helps a business to adapt and evolve its brand to meet long-term needs. While focusing on short-term results is necessary, focusing too much on the short-run limits your brand’s longevity and relevancy in the future. If you are not able to keep up with the ever-changing needs and wants of the consumer, someone else will..

Market research improves decision-making capabilities and reduces risk.

Market research can provide insight about  market conditions, products,services, audience, competition, and more. Using a comprehensive research library, can boost decision making with greater skill. By having research to backup  marketing decisions, a brand can be optimized and any risk for failure will be minimized.

15 Things You Did Not Know About Cucumbers

 They taste good in a salad and make a wonderful fragrance. Cucumbers are packed with many wonderful benefits. Here are the following 15 uses for cucumbers.

 

1. Fat busting: Do you ever wonder why women put cucumbers on their eyes to relieve puffiness? The photochemical in cucumbers makes the collagen in your skin tighten, thus the lack of puffiness. Did you know that you can rub a cucumber on a problematic spot of cellulite anywhere on your body to lessen the visibility of it? Did you also know that it has the same effect on wrinkles? 

2. Defogger: Do you get annoyed when you get out of the shower and you have to fight the fog on the mirror? Try rubbing a slice of cucumber on the mirror before you hop in and not only will you get a fog-free mirror, but you’ll have a nice smell that will boost your mood.

3. Headaches: If you suffer from headaches from chasing your kids pets, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc., or had a little too much wine with dinner and want to avoid a hangover; then eat half of a cucumber before bed. Cucumbers are high in B vitamins, sugar, and electrolytes, and they replenish the nutrients missing in your body to help you avoid a hangover or to beat that headache that’s been threatening to take over.

4. WD-40 replacement: Did you know you can get rid of a squeak by rubbing a cucumber on the hinge? 

 

5. Crayon on the walls: Take an unpeeled cucumber and rub the crayon off of the walls in the event that your kiddo left you some art. You can also use this technique to erase a pen mistake.

6. Halitosis killer: Take a slice of cucumber and put it on the roof of your mouth. Hold it there with your tongue for 30 seconds. The photochemical that you love for cellulite and puff reduction will also kill the bacteria that is causing your bad breath.

7. Tarnish remover: If you’re finding tarnish on your stainless steel kitchen faucets and appliances? Rub it off with a cucumber slice. Not only will it remove years of tarnish, it will leave it streak free and your hands will thank you, and your kids won’t be put at risk from a dangerous chemical.

8. Energy booster: If you’re feeling tired in the afternoon, grab a cucumber. There are just enough carbohydrates and B vitamins to give you a longer-lasting and healthier boost of energy than soda, coffee, or those health hazard energy drinks.

9. Got the Munchies? Did you know that European trappers ate cucumbers for energy and to keep from starving to death? Slice some up and take them in a small plastic container to the movies if your theater doesn’t offer healthy alternatives to munching on butter soaked popcorn.

10. Frugal facial: Slice up a cucumber and boil it in a pot of water. The chemicals inside of the cucumber will mix with the steam. Remove the pot from heat and lean over it, letting the steam hit you. Your skin will be more radiant and healthy, and you will feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

11. Shoe polish: Cut a slice off of your cucumber and rub it on your shoe. It will not only shine it up, but it will repel water.

 

12. Pest control: Put three or four slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and place them in your garden. The chemicals in the cucumber have a reaction that pests hate. You won’t smell it, but it will drive them from your garden all year long. Replace them periodically.

 

13. Sunburn: Sometimes sun block doesn’t always protect your little ones from sunburn. If you have burnt little kiddos you don’t have any aloe, rub some cucumber on them. Many doctors even use cucumber to treat patients with irritated skin and sunburns.

14. Blood pressure: Cucumber has been long used to treat high blood pressure. If you have it, add cucumbers to your daily diet. There is also ongoing research into the use of cucumbers for lowering cholesterol.

15. Constipation remedy: The seeds of a cucumber are a diuretic. If you’re constipated, try eating a cucumber. If you suffer from chronic constipation, add cucumber to your daily diet.

 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/HealthLifePro

MIT's Gmail Visualization Tool

Remember Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker that exposed how phone & internet companies including the government are using our data to spy on us? Well, it appears that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Media Lab announced a new tool that uses your Gmail metadata to build a visual map of the web you've created with others. The tool, called Immersion, has been gaining national attention.

Immersion is a visualization of the social webs we create when we send and receive emails. In light of the uproar that Edward Snowden created, Immersion gives ordinary individuals a glimpse at how our email data and cell phone data can be used by government analysts to build a profile on us by visualizing the people we make the most contact with.

According to the tool, the more frequent email contacts are represented by a large bubble. The less frequent contact are represented by smaller bubbles. Bubbles that are connected with lines represent networks. Nevertheless, an analyst can quickly discern a target’s social affiliation.

Currently, Immersion is available as an online tool. Users can access it by going to: https://immersion.media.mit.edu/

Please note that you must have a gmail account in order to use the tool.

The Legend of the Straw Man

The Legend of the Straw Man

It has been brought to my attention that during the 1930’s, the United States began issuing its citizens what is known as a ‘birth certificate’. Surprisingly, these certificates of live birth may additionally be a type of corporate document used to hold every citizen as collateral for government debts. Whether this may be a conspiracy or not, it does appear that this action of the government is contradictory to its constitution. In other words, they have made us virtual slaves.

A straw man is metaphorically described as an entity that has the shape of a living man, but has nothing but (symbolically) worthless straw inside. In fact and according to US laws each one of us is actually two people. Meaning, one that lives and breath, and one that is in form of birth certificate and SS #. Therefore, it is our straw men that work for us, buy our houses and cars, and borrow money for us.

Nevertheless, I am not bothered by being required to have these documents to prove my nationality. However, I do find it very disturbing that my government may be using my identification to secure debts. Question is, “If I am to be collateral, will my nation’s creditors (other nations) take possession of me in the event of default?”  Hmmm…I think not…at least not over my dead straw man.

Source: www.infomaticfilms.com

A Simple Analysis of Bitcoins

A Simple Analysis of Bitcoins

Most Bitcoin traders, miners, and merchant alike are still feeling the effects of the Bitcoin bubble crash of April 10, 2013. From a price of $13.30 per unit at the beginning of 2013, Bitcoins rose to an astounding high of $266 per unit. Such a movement caught global attention as the virtual currency surpassed  both the price of a one ounce bar of silver and one share of a gold ETF (NYSE:GLD). In addition, the Bitcoin market capitalization rose from $500 million USD to over 2 billion USD.

Suddenly, as quickly as it rose, Bitcoins crashed in value from what many economists called - a “bubble’. Like most economists, I would tend to believe that the Bitcoin bubble was created by panic buying that was sparked by the financial crisis in the nation of Cyprus.

What caused the bubble?

The Cypriot crisis created a global fear that our governments could at any time step in and seize our hard-earn cash and allowance it out to us as if we were little irresponsible children. In addition, there were calls from Russia demanding its citizen to repatriate their offshore capital (1). The response was panic buying of Bitcoins from all across the Eurozone.

 Source: Tyler Durden, www.zerohedge.com

There was also speculation that the merger of US based, CoinLab (1) and Japan’s MT.Gox (2) would ease investment fears from American and Canadian investors. Such a merger would have created better liquidity as the North American investors try to move their cash to and from the Mt.Gox exchange.

What caused the crash?

I believe the crash was brought on by rumors that the Cypriot government was in talks on April 10 to sell its excess gold reserve in order to raise euros that would finance its bailout deal with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (4). Nevertheless, it is just my opinion that this monetary action created a bearish sentiment in the Bitcoin markets as investors felt that the Cypriot banking system would recover from the deal.

Macroeconomics.

Macroeconomics teaches us that the price of a product or service is determined by its available supply and level of demand. Bitcoins by all means, fall under this rule. When predicting the price movement of Bitcoins, I find the macroeconomic method easier because of its simple fundamentals.

             According to macroeconomics, a product like Bitcoins has a supply (S) that is in circulation and a level of demand (D) placed on it by investors, merchants, and consumers. The supply and demand chart is used by economists to predict price movements. In the above chart, the point where the supply curve intersects with the demand curve is called the Equilibrium. It is the equilibrium where the market price (P) and market quantity (Q) of a product is set. 

Nevertheless, the price of Bitcoins will increase only if the global demand for it increases or if the global supply of it decreases. And the price of Bitcoins will fall only if the global demand for it decreases or if the global supply of it increases.

Economic Analysis of Bitcoins

I have mentioned earlier that in the beginning of 2013, the price of a Bitcoin was $13.30 per unit and by April 10, 2013, it reached a high of $266 per unit and then crashed. The chart below shows an economic picture of this event.

 

Figure 1: The Bitcoin Bubble

The Bitcoin Bubble

According to the chart see Figure1, the move from P1 to P2 was caused by a rightward (increase) shift in the demand curve. It is understood that this shift was created by a fear coming from Cypriots, other Eurozone members, and Russians that feared their private savings and personal capital were under the threat of being seized by their governments. Since Bitcoins are decentralized- meaning no government has jurisdiction over them; fearful investors and depositors flocked to the virtual currency for safety.

 

 

Figure 2: The Bitcoin Crash

The Bitcoin Crash

According to the chart see Figure2, the move from P1 to P2 was caused by a leftward (decrease) shift in the demand curve. It is understood that this shift was created by a restored confidence in government and banking from the Cypriots and other Eurozone members. It may also be assumed that the crash could have been brought on by the DDOS attacks and excessive trading on the Mt.Gox exchange servers which cause serious delays in trade transaction; causing the exchange to temporarily shut down and spooking traders into selling their Bitcoins (5).

Determinates of Bitcoin Demand

I believe these five economic factors can affect the global demand for Bitcoins.

1.       Government seizure of private assets – This is perhaps the main reason why Bitcoins exist and will continue to exist. Nobody wants their life savings or hard earn cash taken from them. It’s bad when a thief does this, but it is devastating when your government does it. Cyprus showed the world what happens when a government and banking system can’t manage their debt (it takes it out on its people). Nevertheless, I believe this is a key sign to watch out for. If governments start taking people’s money by force; expect Bitcoin prices to soar!!!

 

2.       Price speculation and manipulation – I see this as the second determinate of Bitcoin demand. I also see this as a threat to Bitcoins. Just my opinion, I believe Bitcoins were meant to protect its user’s privacy from abusive government and banking regulations. Personally, I believe the current market price is overvalued. However, this new trending currency has a global potential to rival the current fiat system. Naturally, a few investors see the Bitcoin popularity as a multi-million dollar opportunity and of course; buy, mine, and hoard as many Bitcoins as possible.

 

 

These actions artificially drive up the price of Bitcoins as these ‘speculators’ try to manipulate the market. Without any major geo-political event or financial regulations affecting Bitcoins, speculators have free reign to abuse the Bitcoin market. Nevertheless, I believe this is a key sign to watch out for. If there is no other global situation like Cyprus; expect Bitcoins prices to drop!!!

 

 

  

3.       Competition from alternative digital currencies – I see this as the third determinate of Bitcoin demand. I also see this as a threat to Bitcoins. As an open source technology, alternative forms of digital currencies can be created by any skilled developer. Because of Bitcoins popularity, many copycat developers are seeking to develop their own versions of the crypto-currency in order to capitalize on the trend. The results are variants with names like Litecoin, NameCoin, NovaCoin, FeatherCoin, and ChinaCoin (5).  Fortunately for Bitcoins, these variants are not accepted in the same market places where Bitcoins are exchanged for goods and services. If they were, then they could create an aggregate effect on global supply of crypto-currencies and crash Bitcoin prices down. In other words, too many alternative currencies can decrease demand by drawing money away from Bitcoins. Nevertheless, I believe this is a key sign to watch out for. If alternative crypto-currencies are accepted in the same places where Bitcoins are accepted; expect Bitcoins prices to drop!!!

 

4.       Acceptance of Bitcoins by consumers worldwide – I see this as the fourth determinate of Bitcoin demand. I also see it as crucial to Bitcoin survival. So far Bitcoins are used to purchase items like electronics, clothing, and food. Bitcoin are also used to purchase services like web hosting and guitar lessons. However, acceptance can only grow once more people get over their fear and ignorance of this revolutionary technology. Nevertheless, I believe this is a key sign to watch out for.

 

 

 

5.       Trading of illicit products and services – I see this as the fifth determinate of Bitcoin demand. I also see this as the lifeline of Bitcoins. There are many pundits of Bitcoins that claim Bitcoins are a scam and eventually will fail. However, I dispute their claims because Bitcoins do have practical uses. The Tor Network was created so that its users could sell products and services anonymously. In fact, the Tor Network is what gives Bitcoins their famous hallmark; anonymity.  The network was also created as a last outpost for people wishing to challenge their oppressive governments. Obviously, they needed an anonymous medium of exchange. This why Bitcoins and the Tor Network have become a perfect pair.

 

Even if the government tries to ban Bitcoins, the price will never go to zero. Governments must learn that banning an item will only create a black-market for it. In fact such actions by the government will be viewed as a threat to civil liberties. As long as the internet and the Tor Network exist, Bitcoins will always hold a value. Nevertheless, I believe this is a key sign to watch out for. Remove the internet and the Tor Network; expect Bitcoin prices to crash to zero!!!

 

My Analysis

In order for the price of Bitcoins to return to the $266 price of April 10, 2013, we must see an event similar to the Cyprus crisis; which would shift the demand curve greatly to the right. In addition, this event could spark a fury of buying activity from speculators seeking to profit from the crisis.

In my opinion, I don’t see the price for Bitcoins returning to its previous high unless some government decides to seize its citizens’ bank accounts. My educated guess for Bitcoins would be to expect a sudden pull back to $60, then a steady increase to $200 price levels as other Eurozone nations and the North American nation of Canada a face similar crisis like that of Cyprus (7).

 

References:

1. Durden, Tyler. Rethinking Money With Bitcoin Quadrupling Since Cyprus. Zero Hedge. [Online] 4 7, 2013. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-04-07/rethinking-money-bitcoin-quadrupling-cyprus.

2. CoinLab. Bitcoin Price Reaches All-Time High after Mt. Gox Announces CoinLab Partnership. CoinLab. [Online] 2013. http://coinlab.com/.

3. Mt.GOX. Trade with confidence on the world's largest Bitcoin exchange! Mt.GOX. [Online] 2013. https://mtgox.com/.

4. Reuters. Cyprus to sell around 400 million euros worth of gold. Reuters. [Online] 4 10, 2013. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/10/uk-cyprus-bailout-gold-idUKBRE9390NW20130410.

5. Burn-Callander, Rebecca. Yesterday's bitcoin billionaires are today's virtual vagabonds. Management Today. [Online] 4 11, 2013. http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/go/howto.

6. BTC-e. News. BTC-e. [Online] 2013. https://btc-e.com/news.

7. Thomas, Jeff. If Cyprus Is the Bellwether, then Canada Is the Red Flag. GoldSeek. [Online] 5 9, 2013. http://news.goldseek.com/GoldSeek/1368125054.php.

8. The Tor Project. Anonymity Online. Tor. [Online] 2013. Anonymity Online.

9. Bitpay, Inc. The world leader in Bitcoin Business Solutions. BitPay. [Online] 2013. https://bitpay.com/.