Since I'm heading overseas, as we speak, I thought i'd throw on some recent international issues:
TEHRAN, Iran Feb 24, 2007 (AP)— The Iranian foreign minister said Saturday the United States was in no position for another war, and maintained that negotiations not threats were the only way to resolve the standoff over its nuclear activities.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was responding to Vice President Dick Cheney, who renewed Washington's warning to Iran earlier Saturday that "all options" were on the table if Tehran continues to defy U.N. demands to halt uranium enrichment.
Mottaki said the U.S. could not afford to settle its differences with Iran by launching a third war after Afghanistan and Iraq.
New Mortgage Product, at least it's new to me
Yesterday, February 23, 2007, 3:42:38 PM Steve Dalton (Synergy Homes)
My friends over at First Federal Trust Mortgage introduced a new mortgage product to me. I guess it goes like this. It's so new I guess they don't even have it on their website yet.You buy a home, let's use round numbers, and it costs $250,000. You put your normal down paymennt and closing costs on the table and purchase the house.Now, you set up your paycheck to go as a direct deposit into a paydown of your mortgage balance. Following? This pays down your mortgage perhaps twice a month quite a bit. Then you write checks to pay all your bills for the month, from that same mortgage line, which increases it perhaps right back to the spot or just less than the spot it started on the 1st.Why? Because it will be paid down at least for parts of the month, and the interest is computed daily, so in the long run you reduce your interest outlay and pay-off the mortgage quite a bit quicker than the 15 or 30 year term!I'm told it's the rage in Australia. Anyone know more? Comment at will, I'm listening.
Indiana soldier died during 2nd month in Afghanistan - FayObserver.com
Today, February 24, 2007, 4 hours ago
Indiana soldier died during 2nd month in AfghanistanFayObserver.com, Fayetteville NC - 3 hours agoA central Indiana soldier who died in Afghanistan had gone to that country last month as part of the American anti-terrorism effort. ...
Turkey PM denies anti-Shia alliance
Today, February 24, 2007, 13 minutes ago
Erdogan says
Albania thanks US for supporting Kosovo plan - Xinhua
Today, February 24, 2007, 2 hours ago
Albania thanks US for supporting Kosovo planXinhua, China - 1 hour agoFor years, Albania has been the strongest supporter of Kosovo's independence, although it said it had no territorial ambition over the province.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Top Ranked Marketing Blogs
Ok,it's a bit shameless but I would much prefer to just repeat this list from Viral Marketing since these are indeed great sites and I know a couple of my real estate professional buddies are reading today.
I tried once to go to each site and then do a summation, that took way too long, go yourself.
I added a couple that I think were overlooked too:
Active Rain "Art of Marketing You" Group Blog - Great stuff is posted ten or fifteen times a day focused on marketing real estate professionals.
Synergy Thoughts - Marketing and Real Estate and Home Building in Northwest Indiana
I know it's shameless self-promotion!
The Viral Garden's Top 25 Marketing Blogs - Week 43
Here's the standings for Week 43:
1 - Seth's Blog -
2 - Creating Passionate Users -
3 - Gaping Void -
4 - Duct Tape Marketing -
5 - Marketing Shift -
6 - Daily Fix -
7 - Converstations -
8 - New School of Network Marketing -
9 - The Viral Garden - This is where I got the list in the first place - He's also the guy that started the Z-list
10 - Influential Interactive Marketing -
11 - Drew's Marketing Minute -
12 - Coolzor -
13 - Logic + Emotion -
14 - Church of the Customer -
15 - What's Next -
16 - Jaffe Juice -
17 - Marketing Headhunter -
18 - Brand Autopsy -
19 - Diva Marketing -
20 - Marketing Nirvana -
21 - Spare Change -
22 - Pro Hip-Hip - Hip-Hop Marketing -
23 - Hee-Haw Marketing -
24 - Experience Curve -
25 - CK's Blog -
I tried once to go to each site and then do a summation, that took way too long, go yourself.
I added a couple that I think were overlooked too:
Active Rain "Art of Marketing You" Group Blog - Great stuff is posted ten or fifteen times a day focused on marketing real estate professionals.
Synergy Thoughts - Marketing and Real Estate and Home Building in Northwest Indiana
I know it's shameless self-promotion!
The Viral Garden's Top 25 Marketing Blogs - Week 43
Here's the standings for Week 43:
1 - Seth's Blog -
2 - Creating Passionate Users -
3 - Gaping Void -
4 - Duct Tape Marketing -
5 - Marketing Shift -
6 - Daily Fix -
7 - Converstations -
8 - New School of Network Marketing -
9 - The Viral Garden - This is where I got the list in the first place - He's also the guy that started the Z-list
10 - Influential Interactive Marketing -
11 - Drew's Marketing Minute -
12 - Coolzor -
13 - Logic + Emotion -
14 - Church of the Customer -
15 - What's Next -
16 - Jaffe Juice -
17 - Marketing Headhunter -
18 - Brand Autopsy -
19 - Diva Marketing -
20 - Marketing Nirvana -
21 - Spare Change -
22 - Pro Hip-Hip - Hip-Hop Marketing -
23 - Hee-Haw Marketing -
24 - Experience Curve -
25 - CK's Blog -
How To Blog for Dollars!
I was bragging a bit lately about blogging and making a few bucks. I'm still learning the ropes but I figured I'd take my own advice and write what I've learned so far, and if you as a reader know some stuff I don't then comment away!
I'll make the post by way of a list and basically make it chronological for memory sake:
I'll make the post by way of a list and basically make it chronological for memory sake:
- 18 months ago I heard of these "blogs" and asked my staff and people under 30 what they were. Actually very few people knew. They knew myspace but they really didn't see much of a business idea. Well there is one. There's a big one! After some research I found that www.blogger.com will let you host a blog free and you can write every day or multiple times a day. Why? Great question, could be a journal, could be a list of thoughts, could be a series of ideas that others bounce around, could be advice ... it's you and that makes it custom to you.
- Now the next step in my education was when I read somewhere that blogs, there are about 60 million right now, are suitable for search engines. Due to the fact that they feature regular input and lots of information that is custom they search really well. If you write a blog about Bonita Springs Real Estate, and the information in that blog changes often and features photos and links, then you will search pretty high.
- In November I bumped into www.activerain.com and signed up right away. Man, have I learned a lot there. First, when you blog on active rain, you generally help push active rain up the search engines. So, if you blog about Bonita Springs Real Estate on active rain, and point your links to your website and your "other blog" then you get the benefit of active rain's rankings. So every time I wrote a post on active rain, I linked to my outside blog and to my company website. We immediately saw a 14% increase in traffic.
- While on active rain I ventured to the blog dashboard. Lo and behold there's a link to "Most Subscribed" bloggers. These are the top 40 or 50 people of the 16,000 on active rain that post and are read by others. Yowee, I began to read things about Search engine optimization and links and rankings that I'd never even heard of. So I would highly recommend subscribing to my blog there and to a bunch of those highly ranked people. Typically if you subscribe they will subscribe to you as a favor too. The more you blog there the more readers and comments. Again pushing you up the rankings.
- Links - Generally every website and every blog should feature links to other websites and blogs that you host and to other blogs and websites that you venture to often. I will feature you if you send me all your links. Please set up links to all my sites too:
- http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com
- http://reasonbellpundit.blogspot.com
- http://bangaloreindiatrip.blogspot.com
- http://daltonsbriefs.blogspot.com
- http://www.synergyhomes.com
- http://activerain.com/blogs/synergysteve
(More later today)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Your next President
Supporting Hillary? A little refresher sent to me this morning:
Just a quick refresher course lest we forget what has happened to many "friends"of the Clintons.
1-James McDougal - Clinton 's convicted Whitewater partner died of an apparent heart attack, while in solitary confinement. He was a key witness in Ken Starr's investigation.
2 -Mary Mahoney - A former White House intern was murdered July 1997 at a Starbucks Coffee Shop in Georgetown . The murder happened just after she was to go public with her story of sexual harassment in the White House.
3- Vince Foster - Former White House counselor, and colleague of Hillary Clinton at Little Rock 's Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound to the head. Found in Fort Marcy Park, lying on his back, arms by his side, no bullet found, ruled a suicide.
4- Ron Brown - Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported to have died by impact in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of Brown's skull resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being investigated, and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with prosecutors. The rest of the people on the plane also died. A few days later the air Traffic controller committed suicide.
5- C. Victor Raiser II- Raiser, a major player in the Clinton fund raising organization died in a private plane crash in July 1992
6-Paul Tulley - Democratic National Committee Political Director found dead in a hotel room in Little Rock , September 1992. Described by Clinton as a "Dear friend and trusted advisor".
7-Ed Willey - Clinton fund raiser, found dead November 1993 deep in the woods in VA. of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. Ed Willey died on the same day his wife Kathleen Willey claimed Bill Clinton groped her in the oval office in the White House. Ed Willey was involved in several Clinton fund raising events.
8-Jerry Parks -Head of Clinton's gubernatorial security team in Little Rock . Gunned down in his car at a deserted intersection outside Little Rock . Park's son said his father was building a dossier on Clinton . He allegedly threatened to reveal this information. After he died the files were mysteriously removed from his house.
9-James Bunch - Died from a gunshot suicide. It was reported that he had a "Black Book" of people which contained names of influential people who visited prostitutes in Texas and Arkansas ..
10-James Wilson - Was found dead in May 1993 from an apparent hanging suicide. He was reported to ! have tie s to Whitewater.
11-Kathy Ferguson- Ex-wife of Arkansas Trooper Danny Ferguson, was found dead in May 1994, in her living room with a gunshot to her head. It was ruled a suicide even though there were several packed suitcases, as if she were going somewhere. Danny Ferguson was a co-defendant along with Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit. Kathy Ferguson was a possible corroborating witness for Paula Jones.
12-Bill Shelton - Arkansas State Trooper and fiancée of Kathy Ferguson. Critical of the suicide ruling of his fiancée, he was found dead in June, 1994 of a gunshot wound also ruled a suicide at the grave site of his fiancée.
13-Gandy Baugh - Attorney for Clinton's friend Dan Lassater, died by jumping out a window of a tall building January, 1994. His client was a convicted drug distributor.
14-Florence Martin - Accountant & sub-contractor for the CIA, was related to the Barry Seal Mena Airport drug smuggling case. He died of three gunshot wounds.
15- Suzanne Coleman - Reportedly had an affair with Clinton when he was Arkansas Attorney General. Died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head, ruled a suicide. Was pregnant at the time of her death.
16-Paula Grober - Clinton's speech interpreter for the deaf from 1978 until her dea! the Decem ber 9, 1992. She died in a one car accident.
17-Danny Casolaro - Investigative reporter. Investigating Mena Airport and Arkansas Development Finance Authority. He slit his wrists, apparently, in the middle of his investigation.
18- Paul Wilcher - Attorney investigating corruption at Mena Airport with Casolaro and the 1980 "October Surprise" was found dead on a toilet June 22, 1993 in his Washington DC apartment. Had delivered a report to Janet Reno 3 weeks before his death.
19-Jon Parnell Walker - Whitewater investigator for Resolution Trust Corp. Jumped to his death from his Arlington , Virginia apartment balcony August15, 1993. He was investigating the Morgan Guaranty scandal.
20-Barbara Wise - Commerce Department staffer. Worked closely with Ron Brown and John Huang. Cause of death unknown. Died November 29, 1996. Her bruised, nude body was found locked in her office at the Department of Commerce.
21-Charles Meissner -Assistant Secretary of Commerce who gave John Huang special security clearance, died shortly thereafter in a small plane crash.
22-Dr. Stanley Heard - Chairman of the National Chiropractic Health Care Advisory Committee died with his attorney Steve Dickson in a small plane crash. Dr.! Heard, in addition to serving on Clinton's advisory council personally treated Clinton's mother, stepfather and brother.
23-Barry Seal -Drug running pilot out of Mena Arkansas , death was no accident.
24-Johnny Lawhorn Jr. - Mechanic, found a check made out to Bill Clinton in the trunk of a car left at his repair shop. He was found dead after his car had hit a utility pole.
25-Stanley Huggins - Investigated Madison Guaranty. His death was a purported suicide and his report was never released.
26- Hershell Friday - Attorney and Clinton fund raiser died March 1, 1994 when his plane exploded.
27-Kevin Ives & Don Henry - Known as "The boys on the track" case. Reports say the boys may have stumbled upon the Mena Arkansas airport drug operation. A controversial case, the initial report of death said, due to falling asleep on railroad tracks. Later reports claim the 2 boys had been slain before being placed on the tracks. Many linked to the case died before their testimony could come before a Grand Jury.
THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAD INFORMATION ON THE IVES/HENRY CASE:
28-Keith Coney - Died when his motorcycle ! slammed into the back of a truck, 7/88.
29-Keith McMaskle - Died stabbed 113 times, Nov, 1988
30-Gregory Collins - Died from a gunshot wound January 1989.
31-Jeff Rhodes - He was shot, mutilated and found burned in a trash dump in April 1989.
33-James Milan - Found decapitated. However, the Coroner ruled his death was due to "natural causes".
34-Jordan Kettleson - Was found shot to death in the front seat of his pickup truck in June 1990.
35-Richard Winters - A suspect in the Ives / Henry deaths. He was killed in a set-up robbery
THE FOLLOWING CLINTON BODYGUARDS ARE DEAD:
36 -Major William S. Barkley Jr.
37-Captain Scott J . Reynolds
38-Sgt. Brian Hanley
39-Sgt. Tim Sabel
40-Major General William Robertson
41-Col. William Densberger
42-Col. Robert Kelly
43-Spec. Gary Rhodes
44-Steve Willis
45-Robert Williams
46-Conway LeBleu
47-Todd McKeehan
Maybe I should be scared that I won't be supporting her against John McCain?
Just a quick refresher course lest we forget what has happened to many "friends"of the Clintons.
1-James McDougal - Clinton 's convicted Whitewater partner died of an apparent heart attack, while in solitary confinement. He was a key witness in Ken Starr's investigation.
2 -Mary Mahoney - A former White House intern was murdered July 1997 at a Starbucks Coffee Shop in Georgetown . The murder happened just after she was to go public with her story of sexual harassment in the White House.
3- Vince Foster - Former White House counselor, and colleague of Hillary Clinton at Little Rock 's Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound to the head. Found in Fort Marcy Park, lying on his back, arms by his side, no bullet found, ruled a suicide.
4- Ron Brown - Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported to have died by impact in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of Brown's skull resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being investigated, and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with prosecutors. The rest of the people on the plane also died. A few days later the air Traffic controller committed suicide.
5- C. Victor Raiser II- Raiser, a major player in the Clinton fund raising organization died in a private plane crash in July 1992
6-Paul Tulley - Democratic National Committee Political Director found dead in a hotel room in Little Rock , September 1992. Described by Clinton as a "Dear friend and trusted advisor".
7-Ed Willey - Clinton fund raiser, found dead November 1993 deep in the woods in VA. of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. Ed Willey died on the same day his wife Kathleen Willey claimed Bill Clinton groped her in the oval office in the White House. Ed Willey was involved in several Clinton fund raising events.
8-Jerry Parks -Head of Clinton's gubernatorial security team in Little Rock . Gunned down in his car at a deserted intersection outside Little Rock . Park's son said his father was building a dossier on Clinton . He allegedly threatened to reveal this information. After he died the files were mysteriously removed from his house.
9-James Bunch - Died from a gunshot suicide. It was reported that he had a "Black Book" of people which contained names of influential people who visited prostitutes in Texas and Arkansas ..
10-James Wilson - Was found dead in May 1993 from an apparent hanging suicide. He was reported to ! have tie s to Whitewater.
11-Kathy Ferguson- Ex-wife of Arkansas Trooper Danny Ferguson, was found dead in May 1994, in her living room with a gunshot to her head. It was ruled a suicide even though there were several packed suitcases, as if she were going somewhere. Danny Ferguson was a co-defendant along with Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit. Kathy Ferguson was a possible corroborating witness for Paula Jones.
12-Bill Shelton - Arkansas State Trooper and fiancée of Kathy Ferguson. Critical of the suicide ruling of his fiancée, he was found dead in June, 1994 of a gunshot wound also ruled a suicide at the grave site of his fiancée.
13-Gandy Baugh - Attorney for Clinton's friend Dan Lassater, died by jumping out a window of a tall building January, 1994. His client was a convicted drug distributor.
14-Florence Martin - Accountant & sub-contractor for the CIA, was related to the Barry Seal Mena Airport drug smuggling case. He died of three gunshot wounds.
15- Suzanne Coleman - Reportedly had an affair with Clinton when he was Arkansas Attorney General. Died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head, ruled a suicide. Was pregnant at the time of her death.
16-Paula Grober - Clinton's speech interpreter for the deaf from 1978 until her dea! the Decem ber 9, 1992. She died in a one car accident.
17-Danny Casolaro - Investigative reporter. Investigating Mena Airport and Arkansas Development Finance Authority. He slit his wrists, apparently, in the middle of his investigation.
18- Paul Wilcher - Attorney investigating corruption at Mena Airport with Casolaro and the 1980 "October Surprise" was found dead on a toilet June 22, 1993 in his Washington DC apartment. Had delivered a report to Janet Reno 3 weeks before his death.
19-Jon Parnell Walker - Whitewater investigator for Resolution Trust Corp. Jumped to his death from his Arlington , Virginia apartment balcony August15, 1993. He was investigating the Morgan Guaranty scandal.
20-Barbara Wise - Commerce Department staffer. Worked closely with Ron Brown and John Huang. Cause of death unknown. Died November 29, 1996. Her bruised, nude body was found locked in her office at the Department of Commerce.
21-Charles Meissner -Assistant Secretary of Commerce who gave John Huang special security clearance, died shortly thereafter in a small plane crash.
22-Dr. Stanley Heard - Chairman of the National Chiropractic Health Care Advisory Committee died with his attorney Steve Dickson in a small plane crash. Dr.! Heard, in addition to serving on Clinton's advisory council personally treated Clinton's mother, stepfather and brother.
23-Barry Seal -Drug running pilot out of Mena Arkansas , death was no accident.
24-Johnny Lawhorn Jr. - Mechanic, found a check made out to Bill Clinton in the trunk of a car left at his repair shop. He was found dead after his car had hit a utility pole.
25-Stanley Huggins - Investigated Madison Guaranty. His death was a purported suicide and his report was never released.
26- Hershell Friday - Attorney and Clinton fund raiser died March 1, 1994 when his plane exploded.
27-Kevin Ives & Don Henry - Known as "The boys on the track" case. Reports say the boys may have stumbled upon the Mena Arkansas airport drug operation. A controversial case, the initial report of death said, due to falling asleep on railroad tracks. Later reports claim the 2 boys had been slain before being placed on the tracks. Many linked to the case died before their testimony could come before a Grand Jury.
THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAD INFORMATION ON THE IVES/HENRY CASE:
28-Keith Coney - Died when his motorcycle ! slammed into the back of a truck, 7/88.
29-Keith McMaskle - Died stabbed 113 times, Nov, 1988
30-Gregory Collins - Died from a gunshot wound January 1989.
31-Jeff Rhodes - He was shot, mutilated and found burned in a trash dump in April 1989.
33-James Milan - Found decapitated. However, the Coroner ruled his death was due to "natural causes".
34-Jordan Kettleson - Was found shot to death in the front seat of his pickup truck in June 1990.
35-Richard Winters - A suspect in the Ives / Henry deaths. He was killed in a set-up robbery
THE FOLLOWING CLINTON BODYGUARDS ARE DEAD:
36 -Major William S. Barkley Jr.
37-Captain Scott J . Reynolds
38-Sgt. Brian Hanley
39-Sgt. Tim Sabel
40-Major General William Robertson
41-Col. William Densberger
42-Col. Robert Kelly
43-Spec. Gary Rhodes
44-Steve Willis
45-Robert Williams
46-Conway LeBleu
47-Todd McKeehan
Maybe I should be scared that I won't be supporting her against John McCain?
Monday, February 05, 2007
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