When the entire financial market thinks that real estate is slowing down, the real estate industry always seems to beat forecasts. Sales of existing homes rose 0.3% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.92 million units. According to the National Association of Realtors, the March increase followed a bigger 5.1% jump in February. The two months are the first advances after 5 consecutive months of decline.
What it means for the seller
Price your house according to market trends and you'll be able to sell.
What it means for the buyer
Don't expect for prices to come down any time soon. Buy now as the appreciation continues to climb. The median price of a new home rose to $218,000 last month -- that's a gain of 7.4% from a year ago. This is despite the slowdown in a lot of markets. Slow sales doesn't necessarily mean a drop in home appreciation.
What it means for the agent
Treat your customers with respect, buyer or seller, small or big properties.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Fishing Report: Gulf of Mexico 04/16/06, Sanibel Causeway 04/17/06
Easter Sunday was a great day for fishing!
My church has services on the Sabbath (Saturday); hence, we were one of the few people that were boating. The Gulf of Mexico was clear of the usual boat traffic and the water was crystal clear. We set the course to an artificial reef and caught American shad all day long! It seemed like every cast was a fish. They were biting so hard, I was finding myself opening the fish bucket over and over again. I caught three fish with the same live shrimp. We kept roughly about 30 fish (10 per person limit). I returned more than I could count... A duck in the middle of nowhere saw me throwing some fish back and took one of them.
After heading home, two of the group went to fish the Sanibel causeways/canals and caught some snook, and ladyfish. Three of the group hit the river and landed some sheepshead. Sadly, I couldn't join them on their late night fishing adventure as I had some work to do at home.
If you want to eat the best tasting fish -- seek out the American shad. You can catch them with shrimp. Their meat is so soft and sweet! The scientific name for this fish is sapidissima, which means very delicious or most savory.
My church has services on the Sabbath (Saturday); hence, we were one of the few people that were boating. The Gulf of Mexico was clear of the usual boat traffic and the water was crystal clear. We set the course to an artificial reef and caught American shad all day long! It seemed like every cast was a fish. They were biting so hard, I was finding myself opening the fish bucket over and over again. I caught three fish with the same live shrimp. We kept roughly about 30 fish (10 per person limit). I returned more than I could count... A duck in the middle of nowhere saw me throwing some fish back and took one of them.
After heading home, two of the group went to fish the Sanibel causeways/canals and caught some snook, and ladyfish. Three of the group hit the river and landed some sheepshead. Sadly, I couldn't join them on their late night fishing adventure as I had some work to do at home.
If you want to eat the best tasting fish -- seek out the American shad. You can catch them with shrimp. Their meat is so soft and sweet! The scientific name for this fish is sapidissima, which means very delicious or most savory.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
You need a Sabbath rest
Every day we put our bodies to the test. If you're like most workers, you work 5 days a week and average at least 40 hours a week. Or if you're a student, you go to school and average roughly about the same amount of time in the classroom. Put social, financial, and family matters into the mix -- your putting your body through a physical, emotional and mental overload on a weekly basis. And the bad part is, you may not know it because you're used to it.
Your body needs rest from the daily activities and the daily stresses of life. Every week, I take one day off from everything --- from working, from schooling, and yes, even from fishing. This one day of rest, I concentrate on spirituality and on family. This one day of rest is referred to as my "Sabbath".
The history of the Sabbath
Have you ever asked why we have seven days in a week? If you don't know why we have seven days in a week, don't worry, most people don't know either. In fact, most historians disagree how it really started. What they do agree on is that one of the most earliest texts regarding a seven day period can be found in a Hebrew book called Genesis. In that book, it describes the world being created by God in six days and in the seventh-day, God rested and made it holy.
God showing us an example
Why did God make the seventh-day holy? Why did He have to rest? The answers to these questions are simple. He wanted to show us an example that we need a healthy, weekly rest from our daily work and our normal pleasures. In fact, on the seventh-day (Saturday), He proclaims in other books like Exodus (ch 20), that the seventh-day is to be kept holy and that you should remove yourself from your worldly worries. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 58, He asks you to remove yourself even from your normal pleasures (ie: golfing, fishing).
Did you know the Sabbath is in the Ten Commandments?
Most scholars agree that the majority of the laws created by our forefathers are based on the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments' influence is global -- millions of rules and regulations try to instill the spirit of the Ten Commandments so society can be civilized.
You may not know this, but the fourth commandment is to keep the Sabbath holy, six days you will labor and on the seventh-day, you will rest. So is breaking the Sabbath considered a sin? Yes.
Sabbath made for mankind
In the book of Mark 2:27, it states that the the Sabbath was made for mankind (the Greek states mankind; hence, not for Jews alone). And man was not made for the Sabbath. In other words, God created the Sabbath as a gift to mankind -- an allowance of rest. It is not to limit you, but to enhance your life. It shouldn't be considered a hindrance. The ability to rest for one day, to get rid of thoughts of work, financial issues, and schooling is a blessing.
People that observe the Sabbath is marked as God's people
In the Old Testament book of Exodus, God declared that the Sabbath was the sign between Him and His people. That sign or mark still continues on today. In the New Testament, in Hebrews 4:9, it states, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God"; hence, it applies to Christians of present time. In fact, the word described as Sabbath-rest in this New Testament verse is sabatismos (Greek for seventh-day rest).
Why do Christians rest on Sunday instead of Saturday (Sabbath)?
Most Christians go to church on Sunday because they base that tradition from the Catholic Church. In the early years of the Catholic Church, they chose Sunday as the false Sabbath to get away from Judaism. Pastors now will say it is due to a celebration of Jesus' resurrection, even though the Bible doesn't say to celebrate the first day. Some will say we will never know because the calendars were changed, even though that's a false assumption as seven day weeks remained constant and only the dates changed.
Most Christian pastors that have historical knowledge understand that the true Sabbath is Saturday. In over 60+ languages, Saturday is considered the Sabbath. For instance, in Spanish, Saturday translates to Sabado (Sabbath). The truth is, Sunday keeping is so in-depth in the layers of Protestantism, most congregations would have to admit they were in the wrong all this time.
My pastor told me the Sabbath is no longer needed due to Calvary
Aside from love, why did Jesus have to die for the world? Because He could not get around the Law. Either He had to condemn everyone to eternal destruction or He had to make a sacrifice. The Law still exist now. Christ dying on Calvary was to fulfill the law's requirements -- either man had to die eternally or God had to sacrifice Himself. In the New Testament verse of Matt 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
Respectfully tell your pastor to read John 14:15 -- "If ye love me, keep my commandments." You may want to also introduce him to Isaiah 66:22-24 when it talks about worshiping God in heaven from one Sabbath to the next: "...from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.
If the Sabbath was only limited in the Old Testament, why is it in the New Testament? Why is it in the future heaven? If "every day can be holy", how come God specifically outlines this day to be kept pure from normal work?
Conclusion
Rest on the seventh day from your typical work and keep your mind away from your worldly distractions, and from your own pleasure. If you are still young and you have a lot of energy to give, I suggest you do what Jesus did -- volunteer to do good things on the Sabbath such as helping with charities or find a place to celebrate nature and enjoy God's creation.
I celebrate my Sabbath using the same method God setup in Genesis (sunset to sunset), which starts on Friday evening and ends Saturday evening.
I can honestly tell you, as I have grown older, I've found the benefits of the Sabbath to be priceless. Not only does it reduce my stress level, it enhances your personal relationship with God and with your family.
Did you know? Sabbath keepers are also considered by modern scientists to be one of the longest living groups in the planet. You should check out National Geographic's study on why Sabbath keepers seem to live longer than the rest of the general population.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
News: Why socialistic France is rioting
You may have seen the latest riots going on the news about France. Across the country, unions and other rioters are protesting against new market reforms that's being pushed by the government. If you are flipping the channel and not learning anything, STOP!
There are valuable lessons to be learned from this situation: a lesson of capitalism vs. communism/socialism.
What law is the French government trying to pass?
French labor laws protect employee interests significantly through union and trade agreements. Even if you're a smoking pothead and you don't do any work, your employer still can't fire you. The government is trying to change this because businesses are not hiring or are outright leaving the country.
Businesses want to have the ability to terminate non-performing employees without being hindered by union or trade agreements. Specifically, the new law will let businesses have better control of hiring and terminating if they are tenured less than 2 years.
Why are the people rioting?
The Communist-backed labor unions are upset and have launched violent riots against the French government. Their point of view: the government should take care of workers regardless of their performance.
Why should we care?
So we identify what socialism is and not seek after it. We should not let the government control how people should be hired or fired. French socialistic policies have given them 23% unemployment among their young adults and an overall of 9.6% unemployment across the nation.
The United States, despite its debt, is the most economically powerful country in the world. This is largely due to its people's attitude about freedom. People want freedom to leave their companies if they want to and vice versa, companies want to terminate workers if they want to. Our economic success shouldn't be credited to Clinton or Bush, but through our comprehensive and collective set of employment laws designed and modified throughout the years.
The United States has found the right balance of employer and employee responsibilities. Our unemployment rate of less than 4.8% in the nation is a testament to this. We let market forces (supply and demand) work through the economy. Anyone can setup a business in the United States. But in France, new businesses tread carefully -- if at all.
But welfare just sounds so good!
Essentially, that is what the French has. If you don't want to work, don't worry, you're covered -- your employer still has to pay you. We need to avoid this idea that the government or the employer should be taking care of us. The people that you should be depending on is God, your family, and yourself.
Anything else is a communistic dream of equality, and in this sinful world, it won't happen. In fact, it'll just be abused.
Conclusion
Socialism is bad.
Communism is bad.
Labor unions that support either of the above are bad.
Evidence:
France: 9.6% unemployment (23% unemployment of young adults)
USA: 4.8% unemployment (4.2% unemployment of young adults)
Reference:
http://www.bls.gov
http://www.boston.com/
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Business Tip: Measuring Customer Satisfaction
If you ever worked in a customer service oriented business, you know the importance of measuring customer satisfaction (CSAT). By in large, most industries want happy customers to get repeat business and better word of mouth marketing. What's a company with no repeat business and bad word of mouth marketing? A bankrupt one. Whether your company is a clothing store, or a computer store -- you want to know what the customer thinks of you.
Proper steps of measuring customer satisfaction (CSAT):
1. Find your customer population.
2. Get a random sample.
3. Survey the random sample.
Find Your Customer Population
Let's take for example that you own an Internet service provider with 1 million customers. You want to measure whether your customers are happy with the service. To find the correct population, you need to remove yourself and other non-paying accounts (ie: employees).
Get A Random Sample
A random sample is a subset of the population that is non-bias and represent all possibilities. Let's take for example the ISP company that has 1 million customers. We need to get a sample size from it without choosing from a "bias" approach.
A common "bias" mistake that ISP companies use to measure CSAT is to survey only the customers that contact the help desk or customer service desk. This approach is flawed. The majority of the people that contact the help desk or customer service desk has problems and they are already not satisfied in one way, shape or form.
Survey the Random Sample
Surveying requires proper wording, and proper timing. Your wording and scoring should be easily understood and should be non-biased against or for the company.
One of the worst CSAT scales I've ever seen came from a former client where they measured CSAT surveys from 1 to 10. This subjective measurement does nothing for you. Many people consider "5" as adequate and "6" as good. A preferable approach is: "Bad, Fair, Neutral, Good, or Very Good".
Timing also is important. For instance, if you're doing phone surveys -- you really don't want to survey your customers when they are at work and they are not answering their home phone. Neither would you want to survey people when they are eating dinner or sleeping. For mailings, you would probably want to survey customers right after the peak seasons, where you want to measure your "true" customer base.
Conclusion
Surveys can be a great and positive tool for your company, especially if it is done right. Consult with a statistician or a math professor if you think you need to start surveying customers. A math wiz can tell you about other survey factors such as margin of errors and confidence levels. If you fail to consult a credible third party before you survey, you may fall into what I call the "survey trap" -- where you make decisions on flawed data.
On a personal experience, I've seen clients in the survey trap and I think to this day, they are still in it. They are constantly terminating contracts, employees, and other problems for the sake of percentages and numbers that show up on their computers. There are legal consequences for these issues as well -- terminating employees for bad survey data can cost millions in unemployment hearings, wrongful termination suits, and co-employment lawsuits [co-employment is when a company has some control in a contractor's business/employees].
Proper steps of measuring customer satisfaction (CSAT):
1. Find your customer population.
2. Get a random sample.
3. Survey the random sample.
Find Your Customer Population
Let's take for example that you own an Internet service provider with 1 million customers. You want to measure whether your customers are happy with the service. To find the correct population, you need to remove yourself and other non-paying accounts (ie: employees).
Get A Random Sample
A random sample is a subset of the population that is non-bias and represent all possibilities. Let's take for example the ISP company that has 1 million customers. We need to get a sample size from it without choosing from a "bias" approach.
A common "bias" mistake that ISP companies use to measure CSAT is to survey only the customers that contact the help desk or customer service desk. This approach is flawed. The majority of the people that contact the help desk or customer service desk has problems and they are already not satisfied in one way, shape or form.
Survey the Random Sample
Surveying requires proper wording, and proper timing. Your wording and scoring should be easily understood and should be non-biased against or for the company.
One of the worst CSAT scales I've ever seen came from a former client where they measured CSAT surveys from 1 to 10. This subjective measurement does nothing for you. Many people consider "5" as adequate and "6" as good. A preferable approach is: "Bad, Fair, Neutral, Good, or Very Good".
Timing also is important. For instance, if you're doing phone surveys -- you really don't want to survey your customers when they are at work and they are not answering their home phone. Neither would you want to survey people when they are eating dinner or sleeping. For mailings, you would probably want to survey customers right after the peak seasons, where you want to measure your "true" customer base.
Conclusion
Surveys can be a great and positive tool for your company, especially if it is done right. Consult with a statistician or a math professor if you think you need to start surveying customers. A math wiz can tell you about other survey factors such as margin of errors and confidence levels. If you fail to consult a credible third party before you survey, you may fall into what I call the "survey trap" -- where you make decisions on flawed data.
On a personal experience, I've seen clients in the survey trap and I think to this day, they are still in it. They are constantly terminating contracts, employees, and other problems for the sake of percentages and numbers that show up on their computers. There are legal consequences for these issues as well -- terminating employees for bad survey data can cost millions in unemployment hearings, wrongful termination suits, and co-employment lawsuits [co-employment is when a company has some control in a contractor's business/employees].
Monday, April 03, 2006
Iran Shows Off Its Weapons
For the past couple of days, Iran has stepped up its propaganda. Fearing that they may be invaded in the near future, they started demonstrating their new weapons. They claim their weapons technology can hit vehicles and buildings, and is undetectable by radar.
I went ahead and tried to verify Iran's claims on whether they had this capability. I went and added all the descriptions they gave on TV and Google'd it. This is what came up:
The United States trembles in fear.
I went ahead and tried to verify Iran's claims on whether they had this capability. I went and added all the descriptions they gave on TV and Google'd it. This is what came up:
The United States trembles in fear.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Immigration Reform
Immigration reform is needed in the United States. We need to protect our borders, our ports, and make sure there is no criminals like people that work for drug cartels, or terrorists going through them.
With that being said, we should be friendly to law abiding citizens of other countries. We should allow them to come in the United States to visit or to work with little or no hassles. We shouldn't force law abiding citizens of other countries and corner them to where they have to break immigration law in order to work and pay taxes in the United States.
Aren't Immigrants Going To Take Our Jobs?
Americans should welcome immigrants' ideas and skills. Immigrants work jobs from the lowest level to the highest -- affecting a broad scope of the economy. For instance, the agricultural industry in the United States would be severely affected if there were no immigrants (legal or illegal) working. Would you pay for a tomato for $10.00/each? No! Would you want new house prices to increase far above its current levels? No! Immigrant labor help reduce costs across many industries. More than we give them credit for.
Also, immigrants create jobs. Google and Intel are just two famous companies that were co-founded by immigrants. There are thousands more... Immigrant-owned companies create American jobs.
Anti-Immigrant is Anti-American
Poor and rich families alike from European countries moved to the United States without any serious immigrant hassles. They now form the backbone of the power bloc since the inception of our country. The fact is, unless your heritage is from Native American Indians, you have no justification to have any discrimination against immigrants. United States is a relatively young country (230 years old) compared to other countries like France (1520 years old). It still is a New World --- and to this day, people around the globe wants to work in America and achieve the American dream.
With that being said, we should be friendly to law abiding citizens of other countries. We should allow them to come in the United States to visit or to work with little or no hassles. We shouldn't force law abiding citizens of other countries and corner them to where they have to break immigration law in order to work and pay taxes in the United States.
Aren't Immigrants Going To Take Our Jobs?
Americans should welcome immigrants' ideas and skills. Immigrants work jobs from the lowest level to the highest -- affecting a broad scope of the economy. For instance, the agricultural industry in the United States would be severely affected if there were no immigrants (legal or illegal) working. Would you pay for a tomato for $10.00/each? No! Would you want new house prices to increase far above its current levels? No! Immigrant labor help reduce costs across many industries. More than we give them credit for.
Also, immigrants create jobs. Google and Intel are just two famous companies that were co-founded by immigrants. There are thousands more... Immigrant-owned companies create American jobs.
Anti-Immigrant is Anti-American
Poor and rich families alike from European countries moved to the United States without any serious immigrant hassles. They now form the backbone of the power bloc since the inception of our country. The fact is, unless your heritage is from Native American Indians, you have no justification to have any discrimination against immigrants. United States is a relatively young country (230 years old) compared to other countries like France (1520 years old). It still is a New World --- and to this day, people around the globe wants to work in America and achieve the American dream.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Boating Tip: Roughing Out Bad Weather
Being on a boat in bad weather is the last place you want to be. Every boater knows that he needs to check weather conditions before leaving the dock, but despite our best radar and satellite technologies, weather forecasts from time to time still get it wrong.
Having travelled by boat in the Pacific for almost a decade plus a few years in the Atlantic side, I have some lessons to share about bad weather. In fact, I experienced my first severe weather by ship when I was 5 years old. Seeing waves reach the third deck, and hearing of other ships sinking definitely etches that experience as a permanent childhood memory.
Modern boats are designed to withstand heavy waves. In most occasions, you can safely bring the boat home as long as you know what you're doing. Incidents that involve the boat being tipped over or capsized are usually the result of the operator far more than the result of the boat's structural integrity.
So here's some tips on helping you survive severe weather:
1. Start praying. Pray that you and the people with you live another day.
2. Put on your life jackets now!
3. Chart your course to the nearest shore or dock. Do NOT attempt to reach your
original marina if there's a place to dock significantly closer.
4. Make sure your distress signals are ready such as flares, and that the VHF radio is set to channel 16. Other boaters may have problems (ie: engine issues) and you may be the closest one that can help. The Coast Guard often gives weather advisories on channel 16 as well.
5. Stow and secure all belongings. The weight of your belongings and the weight of your passengers is especially important to smaller crafts -- make sure it's balanced.
6. Close all hatches, doors, and panels. Don't invite water in.
7. Keep a sharp lookout. Watch out for other boaters and obstruction.
8. Head into the wind and approach waves at a 45 degree angle to reduce stress and better control.
9. If there is lightning, make sure everyone avoids electrical and ungrounded components.
10. Watch your speed and adjust as necessary. Find the right balance between being bounced around and having control.
I hope you never have to use these tips...
~Capt. Don Sausa
Fishing Report: Caloosahatchee River 03/19/06
Fishing for 12 hours on the river produced lots of fish: 7 snappers, 3 ladyfish, 1 spotted sea trout, 1 sheepshead, and a gazillion catfish. But we couldn't snag any snook!
When we ran out of shrimp, we went home (2:30 am). Just before we set the boat back on our homeward course, snook started jumping. Oh the irony! Why do gamefish only pop up when you have no bait?
When we ran out of shrimp, we went home (2:30 am). Just before we set the boat back on our homeward course, snook started jumping. Oh the irony! Why do gamefish only pop up when you have no bait?
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Fishing Report: Caloosahatchee River & Sanibel Causeway 3/12/06, Gulf of Mexico 03/15/06
3.12.06
My fishing trip on Sunday landed two sheepshead (15" and 10"). I lost a snook near the Sanibel Causeway. The moment I casted into the water, it took the bait in seconds along with my line and hook. The most challenging thing about snook is their ability to speed across the waters and their tendency to bring your line against rocks, pillars, and other holes to snag you. The amount of pressure they bring against your line is incredible, it feels as if you're dragging 30-40 pounds of weight and your line zig zags back and forth in the water.
3.15.06
I decided to take a trip to an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico several miles out with a couple of friends from church. Staying there from noon-8pm produced several bites. Several times large fish came in to take the bait only to lose it as they take it to the reef. I got a 17" sheepshead but my friend Howard got a 22" sheepshead -- a record on my fishing trips!
As much as I love to eat sheepshead, I have quite a few in my fridge already. My target from now until April is snook. The season doesn't open again until September, so snook is the most desired gamefish by anglers right now.
My fishing trip on Sunday landed two sheepshead (15" and 10"). I lost a snook near the Sanibel Causeway. The moment I casted into the water, it took the bait in seconds along with my line and hook. The most challenging thing about snook is their ability to speed across the waters and their tendency to bring your line against rocks, pillars, and other holes to snag you. The amount of pressure they bring against your line is incredible, it feels as if you're dragging 30-40 pounds of weight and your line zig zags back and forth in the water.
3.15.06
I decided to take a trip to an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico several miles out with a couple of friends from church. Staying there from noon-8pm produced several bites. Several times large fish came in to take the bait only to lose it as they take it to the reef. I got a 17" sheepshead but my friend Howard got a 22" sheepshead -- a record on my fishing trips!
As much as I love to eat sheepshead, I have quite a few in my fridge already. My target from now until April is snook. The season doesn't open again until September, so snook is the most desired gamefish by anglers right now.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Remembering William (Bill) Davis
An old friend from CallTech/Teleperformance recently died Friday due to a failed robbery attempt. William Davis, known as Bill his friends, died from an accident related to the robbery.
He was an intelligent, outspoken, and unique individual that loved his wife, played good chess, and was one of the few that could sometimes beat me on foosball. I will miss him greatly.
Goodbye old friend.
He was an intelligent, outspoken, and unique individual that loved his wife, played good chess, and was one of the few that could sometimes beat me on foosball. I will miss him greatly.
Goodbye old friend.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Vinton G. Cerf votes for VeriSign to monopolize .COM domains and increase fees
Widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet," Vinton G. Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet. This week he is also known as the main supporter for VeriSign's monopoly on .COM.
In one bold move, Cerf and 8 others voted to give VeriSign the right to increase domain name fees to 7 percent in four of the next six years. Here is my message to Vinton G. Cerf:
Vint,
The most recent agreement that you and other ICANN members gave VeriSign potentially gives them higher profits at the cost of all Internet .com users. Already, they are making hundreds of millions of dollars from other domain resellers. Costs to run server farms are going down, especially with faster chips and costs for memory dropping. Even labor costs for VeriSign has dramatically dropped over the past years, as they have transitioned a lot of their personnel into third-party offshore locations.
So it begs the question -- why would you allow VeriSign to increase fees at the burdens of Internet users?
-Don Sausa
Vint's reply to my email:
Please see icann web site for responses and statements on this settlement. Also note that it is not clear whether to price increases will be passed to users or not. Many registrars charge far in excess of the registry fee. They did not lower prices for .net when its fee dropped below six dollars.
I'm not sure why Cerf thinks it is not "clear" that prices will increase for consumers. I know he is smarter than that. I suspect VeriSign's lobbying had a profound effect on the 9 board members, enough to where judgement has been definitely clouded on this matter.
In one bold move, Cerf and 8 others voted to give VeriSign the right to increase domain name fees to 7 percent in four of the next six years. Here is my message to Vinton G. Cerf:
Vint,
The most recent agreement that you and other ICANN members gave VeriSign potentially gives them higher profits at the cost of all Internet .com users. Already, they are making hundreds of millions of dollars from other domain resellers. Costs to run server farms are going down, especially with faster chips and costs for memory dropping. Even labor costs for VeriSign has dramatically dropped over the past years, as they have transitioned a lot of their personnel into third-party offshore locations.
So it begs the question -- why would you allow VeriSign to increase fees at the burdens of Internet users?
-Don Sausa
Vint's reply to my email:
Please see icann web site for responses and statements on this settlement. Also note that it is not clear whether to price increases will be passed to users or not. Many registrars charge far in excess of the registry fee. They did not lower prices for .net when its fee dropped below six dollars.
I'm not sure why Cerf thinks it is not "clear" that prices will increase for consumers. I know he is smarter than that. I suspect VeriSign's lobbying had a profound effect on the 9 board members, enough to where judgement has been definitely clouded on this matter.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Stock Tip: When Google's stock stumbled, I invested
Wall Street was going nuts against Google Tuesday, with nearly 7% of the stock price dropping due to the CFO's remarks that growth was slowing down. These remarks came from an offbeat speech -- it was not meant for any stock guidance.
Everyone knew that the product cycle of "click revenue" will plateu at some point -- the price per click will get more expensive as more companies participate, and there will come a point where cost effectiveness will be an issue; however, underneath the CFO's speech was groundbreaking news.
They will pursue other products to balance the slow growth of click revenue. Google's research and development accounts for 20% of their focus, while 80% is on their search engine strengths. With that 20% came Google Earth, Google Local, Google Base, and other technologies that are far from maturity. In fact, Google Base could become the second largest payment processor on the Internet within 3 years next to PayPal.
The main complaint against PayPal is their fees and policies; however, most people stay with PayPal because the brand name is recognizable. With the up and coming Google Base, the brand name already exist and could possibly overtake PayPal down the road.
Always Find Good News in Rough Waters
Many investors seem to have concentrated on the problem that click revenue was slowing down; hence, they sold their shares. They totally missed the solution of the problem: looking for other revenue streams. Google Base is a part of that solution. If Google develops it properly, they could invite an exodus of online merchants away from PayPal, which the online merchant community (eBay PowerSellers and others) considers as expensive.
The Price I Bought At...
I bought Google shares at $364, the price average is currently at $379. Roughly a 4% increase in less than 24 hours.
Everyone knew that the product cycle of "click revenue" will plateu at some point -- the price per click will get more expensive as more companies participate, and there will come a point where cost effectiveness will be an issue; however, underneath the CFO's speech was groundbreaking news.
They will pursue other products to balance the slow growth of click revenue. Google's research and development accounts for 20% of their focus, while 80% is on their search engine strengths. With that 20% came Google Earth, Google Local, Google Base, and other technologies that are far from maturity. In fact, Google Base could become the second largest payment processor on the Internet within 3 years next to PayPal.
The main complaint against PayPal is their fees and policies; however, most people stay with PayPal because the brand name is recognizable. With the up and coming Google Base, the brand name already exist and could possibly overtake PayPal down the road.
Always Find Good News in Rough Waters
Many investors seem to have concentrated on the problem that click revenue was slowing down; hence, they sold their shares. They totally missed the solution of the problem: looking for other revenue streams. Google Base is a part of that solution. If Google develops it properly, they could invite an exodus of online merchants away from PayPal, which the online merchant community (eBay PowerSellers and others) considers as expensive.
The Price I Bought At...
I bought Google shares at $364, the price average is currently at $379. Roughly a 4% increase in less than 24 hours.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Educated Filipinos tired of Philippines coup attempts
As you may or may not know, the president of the Philippines (Arroyo) is under threat of a coup or a rebellion stemming from the military. A segment of the marines have been influenced by politicians that's opposed to the president. About 100 marines staged a rebellion after a previous ploy was squashed on Friday (24th).
President Arroyo's influence
According to Forbes magazine, the Philippine peso was the best performing Asian currency in 2005. This is a positive recognition of President Arroyo's ability to manage the economics of the country, thanks to her graduate studies at Georgetown University, USA. She was once an economic professor and was a classmate of former US President Bill Clinton.
The opposition against her
Much like the Democrats in the United States, there is opposition against President Arroyo in the Philippines coming from liberals, communists, socialists, labor unions, and left wing activists. The main issue that they have against the president is the alleged vote rigging in the 2004 elections (similar to Bush/Gore in 2000). Other issues involve unproven accusations that her family is involved in illegal gambling. Third, many uneducated Filipinos blame her for the rise in gas/oil prices.
The opposition's choices in the 2004 election
Despite all the rumors -- members of the United Nations considered the Philippines 2004 election as democratic and fair despite isolated problems. Contrary to the conspiracy theorists of the "Hello Garci" tapes, the electoral monitors of the international community didn't turn a blind eye to any problem and found the election to be valid.
The opposition found it hard to believe that their choice, Fernando Poe, Jr., was not voted in as the new president. He was a popular actor, with most of his roles played as a hero of the poor. He was gathering tremendous support on his economic policy from the uneducated masses, where he defined how to fix the Philippines economy in three simple words: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. When asked by the business community on how to reduce the nation's debt, he wanted to shrug off all the bonds, much like saying to get rid of credit card debt, just ignore the bills. This was a clear example of how well this former actor grasped economic principles.
The middle class annoyed and balikbayans angry
Throughout the United States, Filipinos are beginning to be annoyed by the idea of people power and rebellion as the answer to the country's problems. The middle class of the Philippines who are considered to be the most influencial and most educated group are simply annoyed. "Rebellion against the government should be the last resort," said Eduardo Federico, a businessman in Manila. "Running and hiding from issues will never resolve anything."
Balikbayans or overseas workers, also annoyed and angry at the stupidity of their fellow countrymen. "We need to mature as a country, we look like fools everytime we disrespect our own civil laws and elected governments," said an anonymous balikbayan.
The ignored majority: Visayas and Mindanao
There are three major island groups of the Philippines: north (Luzons), central (Visayas), and south (Mindanao). The northern part of the country is mainly considered to be the rebellious one -- with all of the previous people power uprisings held in Manila, Luzon. The Visayas and Mindanao regions are largely ignored by politicians and they are now getting weary of Luzon's attempt to be the voice for them. For instance, in Cebu last week, the coup ploys were hardly felt and no tensions were played out against the government.
The central and southern parts of the Philippines has the majority of the population and they have a considerable amount of economic resources. As more corrupted political agendas are being played out in the north by the Manila "elite", many question why Manila is the capitol.
Maturity is the hope of us all
The country is a relatively new democracy founded in the late 1940's. This latest struggle is definitely a test of its democratic maturity. It is the hope of many Filipinos that the country that is so rich in resources can some day learn to be civilized. The true test in this country isn't how well the president can hold on to power, but whether the citizens can be mature enough to learn how to trust.
President Arroyo's influence
According to Forbes magazine, the Philippine peso was the best performing Asian currency in 2005. This is a positive recognition of President Arroyo's ability to manage the economics of the country, thanks to her graduate studies at Georgetown University, USA. She was once an economic professor and was a classmate of former US President Bill Clinton.
The opposition against her
Much like the Democrats in the United States, there is opposition against President Arroyo in the Philippines coming from liberals, communists, socialists, labor unions, and left wing activists. The main issue that they have against the president is the alleged vote rigging in the 2004 elections (similar to Bush/Gore in 2000). Other issues involve unproven accusations that her family is involved in illegal gambling. Third, many uneducated Filipinos blame her for the rise in gas/oil prices.
The opposition's choices in the 2004 election
Despite all the rumors -- members of the United Nations considered the Philippines 2004 election as democratic and fair despite isolated problems. Contrary to the conspiracy theorists of the "Hello Garci" tapes, the electoral monitors of the international community didn't turn a blind eye to any problem and found the election to be valid.
The opposition found it hard to believe that their choice, Fernando Poe, Jr., was not voted in as the new president. He was a popular actor, with most of his roles played as a hero of the poor. He was gathering tremendous support on his economic policy from the uneducated masses, where he defined how to fix the Philippines economy in three simple words: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. When asked by the business community on how to reduce the nation's debt, he wanted to shrug off all the bonds, much like saying to get rid of credit card debt, just ignore the bills. This was a clear example of how well this former actor grasped economic principles.
The middle class annoyed and balikbayans angry
Throughout the United States, Filipinos are beginning to be annoyed by the idea of people power and rebellion as the answer to the country's problems. The middle class of the Philippines who are considered to be the most influencial and most educated group are simply annoyed. "Rebellion against the government should be the last resort," said Eduardo Federico, a businessman in Manila. "Running and hiding from issues will never resolve anything."
Balikbayans or overseas workers, also annoyed and angry at the stupidity of their fellow countrymen. "We need to mature as a country, we look like fools everytime we disrespect our own civil laws and elected governments," said an anonymous balikbayan.
The ignored majority: Visayas and Mindanao
There are three major island groups of the Philippines: north (Luzons), central (Visayas), and south (Mindanao). The northern part of the country is mainly considered to be the rebellious one -- with all of the previous people power uprisings held in Manila, Luzon. The Visayas and Mindanao regions are largely ignored by politicians and they are now getting weary of Luzon's attempt to be the voice for them. For instance, in Cebu last week, the coup ploys were hardly felt and no tensions were played out against the government.
The central and southern parts of the Philippines has the majority of the population and they have a considerable amount of economic resources. As more corrupted political agendas are being played out in the north by the Manila "elite", many question why Manila is the capitol.
Maturity is the hope of us all
The country is a relatively new democracy founded in the late 1940's. This latest struggle is definitely a test of its democratic maturity. It is the hope of many Filipinos that the country that is so rich in resources can some day learn to be civilized. The true test in this country isn't how well the president can hold on to power, but whether the citizens can be mature enough to learn how to trust.
Fishing Report: Caloosahatchee River 02/26/06
Caught only one fish today (sheepshead) at Sanibel. Some members of the fishing group caught snapper, and grouper. Snook was seen today but not very active. We attempted to catch the tide at Cape Coral bridge in the evening to no avail. Windy conditions, rough currents, and the rain showers early this morning may have pushed the fish away from the river.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Fishing Report: Caloosahatchee River 02/19/06
Possibly one of the worst days of fishing ever via boat. For 4 hours, we caught nothing but a stingray and a 12" flounder. Going through Pine Island and the River didn't give us anything at all. Fishermen we talked to that were hitting the sandbars, mangroves, and other areas didn't hit much either today. Some notable events today: we saw manatees, a shark, and a dolphin.
From 7pm-9pm (after we get out of the boat), we went besides the Cape Coral Parkway bridge and caught catfish (4), snapper (2), ladyfish (2), and redfish (3). It goes to show, fishing conditions always change.
Manatee swimming close to our boat.
From 7pm-9pm (after we get out of the boat), we went besides the Cape Coral Parkway bridge and caught catfish (4), snapper (2), ladyfish (2), and redfish (3). It goes to show, fishing conditions always change.
Manatee swimming close to our boat.
Fishing Report: Caloosahatchee River 02/12/06
With a full moon and a season open for snook -- this Sunday was definitely a good day for fishing. We also didn't get stopped by the Florida Wildlife Commission, which was an extra plus since they've stopped us 4 times in a row in January with over 1.5+ hrs of fishing wasted.
By watching the currents and looking for spots that were easy eating for fish, we were able to find a few areas that sheepshead, snapper, and snook were plentiful. See our pictures below. Please note we were using medium action rod, circle hooks, and live shrimp as bait.
Snook, 25" - had to return because 1" below legal limit
Sheepshead, 17"
By watching the currents and looking for spots that were easy eating for fish, we were able to find a few areas that sheepshead, snapper, and snook were plentiful. See our pictures below. Please note we were using medium action rod, circle hooks, and live shrimp as bait.
Snook, 25" - had to return because 1" below legal limit
Sheepshead, 17"
Friday, February 17, 2006
Disaster Spotlight: Mudslide hits Philippines, 1500 missing, help now!
This just in. A mudslide hit the Philippines with an estimated 300 people dead and 1,500 missing! "It sounded like the mountain exploded, and the whole thing crumbled," survivor Dario Libatan told Manila radio DZMM, according to The Associated Press. "I could not see any house standing anymore."
The mudslide swept through the farming village of Guinsahugon in the municipality of St. Bernard town on Leyte Island, about 670 kilometers (420 miles) southeast of Manila. The entire village was swallowed by the mudslide.
How to Help
For $10.00, you can help one single family survive this mudslide. Your gift will be tax deductible in the United States through the ADRA mudslide relief fund for the Philippines. Act now!
References
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/17/philippines.landslide/
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Media Annoyance: Cheney News
Just a side note to CNN and other news media that seems to be stuck on Cheney's hunting accident...Move on. It's boring. There's no controversy, just boredom.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Fishing Report: Caloosahatchee River 02/05/06
Last Sunday, I was roughly 2-3 miles off before the Sanibel bridge. The best catch of the day was a fairly large sheepshead that measured 19" inches and weighed 4.25 lbs. I was using a middle-action rod, circular hook, Fireline 15 lbs, flurocarbon leader 10 lbs, and my bait was live shrimp. The fish already had a hook inside of him from a previous encounter with me. Goes to show that fish are really stupid or are really courageous.
Despite the big catch, fishing conditions were rough. We hardly got any bites until 4-5pm in the afternoon. This was partly due to the low tide and the saltinity levels in the water. A previous storm front went through the area on Saturday.
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