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While we’re on the topic of marketing… a little self-marketing experiment. I took the plunge and put some of my music up on youtube. You can check out my youtube channel here, or check out the song Change For You:

Wondering about where you can gather current information on Pennsylvania mortgage rates? Then get over to MyHomeLoanMortgages.com, where they have tons of information on mortgage rates in every state. You can click through for even more detailed info on your own city. You’ll find info on local mortgage brokers and real estate agents, along with interesting tidbits such as: in PA there are currently 60,362 homes for sale! This is a handy tool for starting your buying or selling process.

There are thousands of people out there who are really into fantasy sports such as fantasy baseball. I know guys at work who spend hours and hours working on their fantasy rosters. It’s really hard — you are competing against scores of other players, and your ability to win is dependant on both your skill and your luck. Kind of like managing a team for real. So, if you really want to win your league, you need to look for an edge. And if that edge can save you time as well, so much the better.

That’s where Fantasy Sports Prophet’s Fantasy Baseball software comes in. This software is loaded with features. First off, you access it from anywhere (including work, although I’m sure no one works on their fantasy teams at the office…)! The software will rank players using predictive modeling developed by math geniuses with phd’s. It has a draft tool which helps you draft the right players for your team, as well as ongoing team roster management. The software keeps you current with what is happening to your players. See the detailed player card data available below:

Overall, this is a minor investment which not only saves you time, but can also help you win any cash reward your fantasy league provides. Even better, you can buy the software now for a special $10 off– just use promo code BMC200 when you order. Good luck with your team!

2 oysters, Sheldon and Pearl, were planning to finally retire after years working down on the farm.  Pearl’s been robbed, some clown broke in and stole her jewel while she was asleep. Sheldon says “Don’t worry, I brought you some nice grains of sand. You can work on another piece”. Pearl must be really mad about the whole thing, she’s really clammed up on him. Now, in all seriousness, Gulf oysters on the halfshell are a popular treat for many people out there. But you need to be aware that there can be serious risks to consuming raw shellfish if those critters haven’t been handled properly. Ask anyone who has paid the consequences… The good news is that the Gulf Coast oyster industry has taken steps to minimize and ideally eliminate the risks involved with oysters. They have developed a number of innovative post-harvest treatment processes which involve freezing, pasteurization, or high-pressure processing. These processes can greatly reduce risks for at-risk consumers (who include those with diabetes, stomach disorders, liver disease, and more).

First things first… you can Click Here for a Chance to Win a Nintendo® Wii™!. Everyone wants a Wii, everyone from my 3-year old nephew to yours truly. So what’s the catch? Well, this sweepstakes is being run in order to promote something. You have to register to receive information on another cool thing which you’ll probably be interested in… high speed internet… for life! Let me explain: this company called Charter appears to be auctioning off high speed internet service for life. The auction begins on March 12, and starts at just $10 (there is no reserve on the auction, but I’m sure the pridce will rise rapidly from there).  Imagine if you won that, and could dump your expensive monthly bills forever for one payment.

So here’s the question– how do you put a value on a long-term internet service offer such as this? I think you would approach it as a time-value-of-money equation. 1) Months of service you would expect to receive, 2) What you would expect that service to cost if you were paying for it monthly, and 3) Your ‘discount rate’, ie. what is the opportunity cost of your money. You would then compute the present value of all of those payments, and use that present value to establish your maximum bid price. Just by way of example, let’s say that you’d expect to receive 10 years (120 months) of service, which would otherwise cost you $80 per month, and your opportunity cost is 10% (annualized). I just ran the numbers in excel and computed that the present value in this case would be $6,053.69. So any price less than this would be a good deal (in this hypothetical example). Work out the numbers yourself and see how much YOU would pay for that deal.

In order to participate, you have to qualify for the offer based on your zip code (since you have to live somewhere where Charter offers service). If you’d like to learn more, you can check out the rules. 

I’m not really a big light beer drinker. I much prefer full-bodied (and full-taste!) European-style brews. However, every once in a while, an occasion calls for light beer. For example, that might be the only type available, and like the ancient saying says, “any beer is better than no beer”. I haven’t had a light beer in a few months, since there are usually more preferable alternatives. My last one was at a party a few months ago, where I was also planning to drive home from, so the light beer was a good idea. I think it was a bud light, but can’t be sure about this since it was a while ago.

Now here’s something cool: how would you like to take a 10-question survey for the chance to win $300? It’s really pretty simple: just text the word beer to 247365 in order to start the survey. Then answer the questions posed. Your chances of winning are going to be about 1500 to 1 according to the contest organizers. That’s really not that bad for something which doesn’t cost you anything. The contest runs from Mar 1 08 through Mar 14 08. Your mobile carrier’s standard text messaging rates will apply. Get to it– share your expertise in beer with these people!

Do you have a powersports business (motorcycles, ATV’s, or boats)? Looking for a better way to manage your inventory? You should, since good inventory management can help you improve your cash management. Commander Business Management Systems offers inventory management software just for you, including their super PartSmart interface. Commander is a business management system which will help you improve the operation of your service department. Some of the features you might be interested in include Electronic Microfiche (forget about paper catalogs, get all of the part images up on your computer screen where you can’t spill coffee on them), and an electronic parts finder. There is a short learning curve and low license fees.

Springtime is coming fast, which means many people will be soon be relocating (assuming they can sell their houses!). That means they’ll be hiring moving companies. One of the things people who move a great distance have to deal with is auto shipping– getting your auto collection out to your new place. This is especially a problem if you have more cars than people in your household, and you’re moving a great distance. CarMovers.com can help you with that. They offer free quotes, and run a site with a ton of info on relocating. For example, they have a helpful section on how to properly prepare your car for relocating (tip: remove your EZ Pass or you’ll be charged every time the moving truck goes through a toll plaza!). Give them a look if you are planning a move soon.

Remember the first time you tried raw oysters? For me, it was on a vacation down in New Orleans where we tried some Gulf oysters. It was an odd experience, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but on the other hand, everyone else was doing it! Combined with a cold beer and some ever-present Tabasco sauce, it was a great experience. Not something we can do to often here in my land-locked home state, however, something I look forward to trying again on my next trip to the Big Easy. Maybe even this year. The whole raw thing is what puts many people off about oysters. But did you know there are post-harvest processes designed to keep you safe? These include either individually quick-freezing the catch, low-heat pasteurization, or heat-cool pasteurization. Less than 10% of oysters sold in the US are treated this way, but Louisiana oystermen are leading the way in adopting these new technologies.

This is an age where anyone can start an online business. Really, anyone– even if you really don’t know much (or anything at all) about web coding or web development. If that sounds like you and you have a business idea for something you want to sell online, you should pick out an ecommerce storefront like that offered by Americommerce. They give you a set of easy-to-use tools to quickly build a storefront you can get on the web fast. You don’t have to know html. If you have an existing site, you can even import your site, and also you can import your product catalog. One of their cool features is that you can operate multiple stores from 1 central interface. This means that you can simultaneously operate ‘cellphones4you’, ‘handbags4you’ and ‘gadgets4you’, without having to undertake 3 separate development efforts. They offer a 14-day free trial, so there is nothing to lose if you want to try it out.