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I would not pay $399 a pound for this, but if someone offered me a cup of it, I think I would at least try it. What about you? #coffee

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Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans – Not your regular cup of Joe

My coffee this morning was made from beans that were eaten and passed through an Indonesian civet. My brother-in-law (who gave me the rare coffee) and I both agreed that it tasted like . . . well, like a strong cup of coffee.

If I had paid $399 for a pound (http://amzn.to/KopiLuwak-399lb), I think my mind would've made it out to be a more exotic experience.

I am going to take a look at Pinterest, finally, this week.

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Tiffany said it well below...

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Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking Sunday at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles, said of Whitney Houston, "You could feel her as well as you could hear her. Lots of artists can hit notes, but they don't hit us...." --> Are you just making noise or are you influencing, impacting, inspiring someone else?

Question: Who out there looks forward to Valentine's Day and goes all out with it? What do you like do? I ask because everyone has their favorite holidays, and not-so-favorite. #valentinesday #valentine

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” George Patton
#quote

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Sometimes that is all we can do - hang in there.

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Just hang on...

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What do you think? Does brainstorming work? How do you brainstorm?

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(Tue04) Does brainstorming really work?

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/30/120130fa_fact_lehrer

Hat tip to +Bill Meade

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I like it! Instant photo upload on iOS!

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We called Instant Upload Google+'s killer feature because of how much easier it makes photo sharing. Apple's own iCloud instant upload feature has a 1,000 photo limit, but this allows unlimited uploads to Picasa albums. It was a secret weapon for Android before, but now iOS users get the benefit as well. #googleplusupdate

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Builder confidence up..... little by little. #realestate

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Builder Confidence Increases for Fifth Consecutive Month

The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) increased four points in February to 29, the highest level since April 2007.

The increase marks the fifth consecutive month of an increase for a total of 15 points since recording a 14 in September 2011.

The HMI closely tracks single-family housing starts over its history and NAHB expects single-family starts to rise slowly in 2012 to 500,000, a 16% improvement over 2011.

#realestate

I like this Texas weather, but it is going to cause trouble in the Spring and Summer with mosquitoes and such.

Tonight I am going to finally play around with Pinterest. +Pinterests #pinterest

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Good news!

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BREAKING: Weekly jobless claims fall to 348,000, the lowest level in nearly 4 years. Housing starts and building permits rise in January.

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Good news...I'll take it.

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41 Lessons Learned From My 41 Years on This Planet

I decided to take an evening off from the serious posts and do a fun brain-dump of my life lessons. Hope you enjoy this tour round my grey matter ;)

I may never discover what potpourri is for. Stephen Hawkings doesn’t know either. That makes us equals in my books.
Most people don’t know what they want to do when they grow up. And most folk never will. The the fun part is the journey so try to do as many jobs as possible. It’s easier to filter out the those you don’t want to do.

Love is a Battlefield. And you carry the battle scars for life.

Fear of the unknown and worry about what might happen in the future are excuses for inaction.

Nobody has a bloody clue what’s going on, anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Everybody is winging it. It’s just some people look more confident than others.

Saying nothing and having a quizzical look on your face is highly recommended. You can never put a foot wrong.

Family are more important than work. Workmates are not mates. Don’t lose sight of which ones are important.

Being fired from a job is one of the most exciting things that can happen. I only regret waiting until my 30s to start getting fired.

I was a lot better looking than I thought when I was 20.

Having to report to a boss is life sapping. Most bosses have been promoted far above their ability.

Having to be the boss is life sapping. All your employees actively do things to ensure your objectives will fail.

Regretting things in the past is pointless. You can’t change it so move on.

The music I liked as a kid has never been beaten since. And nothing that came before it was as good either.

Nobody actually looks good naked. That’s why dimmer switches were invented.

Every five years I change into someone better than I was. I’d hate to meet me when I was 20. By 100 I’ll have been 20 different people.

Most TV is completely pointless. It took me a long time to realize that non-productive time watching soaps really didn’t feed my mind or my bank balance. All it is is the lettuce in an advertisement sandwich.

You don’t need the latest gadgets. You’re just been exploited by marketing departments and advertisers to think you just can’t live without these things. Drive your car until it falls apart.

Most people are generally quite nice and up for some banter. You can find common ground with just about anyone.

I will never like classical music. This does not mean I’m a Neanderthal. It just doesn’t float my boat. Ditto rap music. Sorry Snoop - but I do dig your style.

Everyone is looking out for their owns interests. When push comes to shove people become selfish and will shaft you at the first opportunity. Don’t let this way you down, but likewise don’t be the one to get caught saying I didn’t see that coming.

People who don’t buy a round of drinks after you bought the last round deserve a slap in the face. I will never talk to you again if this happens. Never. Ever. Ever. This rule will not change.

There is no point worrying about what people think. You’d be surprised to realize how little they do think. And it’s rarely about you or me. Its usually about food or smartphones.

Most people are really just big babies. They continuously try to see what they can get away with due to their inherent selfishness, just like a child. If you let them away with this once then they’ll continue doing it.

Very religious people make very boring dinner guests.

Nearly everybody will try to avoid conflict. They’ll freeze or try to make flight. I’ve discovered it pays to stand up to people who are bullies or oppressive to you. The person who is more belligerent and persistent will win the argument or discussion. Perseverance is a virtue.

Starting up your own business is easier than you think.

As I grow older I like more of the things my parents like. Music, films, art, everything.

I may never understand why some people walk really fast to work. You’d swear they really loved their job.

Brainstorming sessions are a way of avoiding work. Everyone knows this.

Look before you leap, but don’t look too long.

Academic knowledge is great in small doses. Applying what you learn in real world situations and testing what fails and succeeds is much more beneficial.

I don’t like pictures of cute animals. That does not make me evil. It just means I’m thinking of other things.

All governments are flawed. I’d love to think politicians are a cut above the rest but most are veering towards corruption or being outright zealots. Zealots believe they champion causes for the greater good but usually only satisfy their moral codes. At least corrupt politicians can be paid off and do some good for some portion of society.

The state of the shoes you wear tell a lot about the person you actually are. They are the furthest thing from your head. All women know this at some sub-atomic level. All men who wear tuxedos with casual shoes don’t.

The shower in swanky hotels are always better than the one you have at home.

All creativity involves destruction of some kind. Even bushfires occur so that fresh growth can happen.

You only truly fall in love once. Anything after that is a compromise.

Don’t do what everyone else does as it’ll only get you the same results. You are an individual after all so apply your individual flavor to everything you do.

Working late nights and long hours in a job will not get you the big promotion & pay increase. Bosses will just see you as the big Patsy they can’t afford to replace or promote as they’ll need two people to do your job.

Painting, music and dance are primitive art forms. We’re hardwired to enjoy doing them. Anything else we fill our hours doing in our civilized society will never compare to those three art forms.

I’m just one person spending one hour to write this one little list. Every person you pass by, see or interact with each day could make up just as big a list too. We all have stories to tell though some choose not to share them.
This is a full excerpt of my own thoughts, not rehashed quotes. If I see any of these turned into memes then may be the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits. Just sayin.

Full post on my blog at: http://product-ivity.com/41-lessons-learned/

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So True! Relationships in life and business everything.

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This is a very inspirational read for solo entrepreneurs and small online business owners. The message is the same ~ it's all about the relationships you build with people ~ but it's so well said here that it's worth the read!

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Zig's among the best of them! #zigziglar

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<3 this! People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar

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This is really amazing. I thought the smallest theoretical storage unit was 1 bit per atom. #IBM rocks!

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Shrinking data storage to the atomic level
[ http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=81745 ]

IBM researched for years a way to cut down the data storage size to the smallest theorethical limit we have to this day, and they succeded.

Even though the conditions for the experiment were extreme (close to absloute zero temperatures) "the research team said that a similar effect can be accomplished at standard room temperature, with as little as 150 atoms."

1 bit of information can now be stored in 12 atoms. 1 byte (8 bits) requires 92 atoms. To put things in perspective: Current technology requires around 1 million atoms to store 1 single bit. We're speaking orders of magnitude shrinkage here.

As much as I'm excited about this technology it's also a given fact that this won't reach our homes at reasonable prices for at least the following 5 to 10 years, which is actually not that bad at all!

We're definitely taking a look into the near future. Soon enough we won't be speaking of Terabytes but Petabytes of information stored in Solid State Drives, which means RAW, uncompressed and native High Definition video/audio as a standard.

If you want a great explanation of how this whole process works you should definitely check out Professor Moriarty's in-depth video from Sixty Symbols:
World's Smallest Magnetic Byte - Sixty Symbols

#Science #technology
.

Sales of existing homes up 4.3% in January - Economic Report - MarketWatch

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Groups really is the only way to manage FB noise.

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Yep. Just as I expected. Did you?

For some reason I stared at this picture for 5 min. It must evoke some emotion in me from my own childhood or something.

Some people change when they see the light, others when they feel the heat. ~ Caroline Schoeder So true! #quotes #wisdom

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Grow Your Google+ Page. #googleplus

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Posted by +Toby Stein:

Best Practices: Sharing
We get a ton of questions about how pages can share in a way that grows their audience, spurs engagement, and spreads information and brand awareness. Check out this awesome post with plenty of ideas, tips, and tricks.

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Once we have the foundation for happiness, we can nurture it daily...
#gratitude #wilde #happiness

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12 Things Happy People Do Differently

1. Express gratitude.
2. Cultivate optimism.
3. Avoid over-thinking and social comparison.
4. Practice acts of kindness.
5. Nurture social relationships.
6. Develop strategies for coping.
7. Learn to forgive.
8. Increase flow experiences.
9. Savor life’s joys.
10. Commit to your goals.
11. Practice spirituality.
12. Take care of your body.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/08/30/12-things-happy-people-do-differently/

Do you like Irish Music? Here is a nice collection by The Chieftans. You can also check them out on Spotify. http://open.spotify.com/track/0mJUlq032X62cqj9tZ5ObD
#irishmusic

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Great rendition of Led Zeps Whole Lotta Love by +Michael Kiwanuka . I personally don't pay much attention to the words, but the music is great!

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Take 5 and give it up for +Michael Kiwanuka and his band.
Absolute killer diller version of Led Zeps Whole Lotta Love --- with a SITAR.
Play it loud.... then go check out Michaels own tracks. They're knockout.

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#googleplusupdate

Today we are launching a set of great improvements to help the over a million sites who use +1 button and badges for Pages better connect with their users.

We’re launching a personal G+ badge to help influential individuals grow their follower audiences. We’re encouraging more sharing from +1 by automatically expanding it into share mode on click. And, we’re making it easier for users to follow a brand by making it a one click action from page badges.

Personal badge: https://developers.google.com/+/plugins/badge/personal-config
Page badge: https://developers.google.com/+/plugins/badge/config
+1 Button: http://www.google.com/webmasters/+1/button/
G+ Developer Forum: https://groups.google.com/group/google-plus-developers/

Check it out, let us know what you think, and let us know what else you want on the Google+ Developer Forum!

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Keep it up! There are many indicators of the economy, and housing is an important one. #homesales

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It always makes my day to hear that pending home sales are up. In my market, if homes are priced right and in good condition, they are selling. How's your market?

Today is Leap Day! Anyone out there born on a Leap Year?

Julius Caesar's astronomer discovered that there are actually 365.2425 days in a year and decided to compensate by adding one extra day to “Februarius” every four years.

There are many traditions and superstitions associated with Leap Years and Leap Days. According to an Irish legend, women have the privilege of proposing marriage in a Leap Year, and any man that refuses must offer a gift in recompense. People born on a Leap Day are known as Leaplings or Leapers. Each country has to have a policy about when a February 29th birthday is legally observed in a non-Leap Year!

How do you observe your Leap Year birthday?

#leapday #birthday

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Parents, check out this post on helping children with their "why". Without it, they will shipwreck.
#parenting

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If you have children you need to read and implement this :)

Here is a really good article on Google's new privacy policy that went into effect today. #google

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If you are a Realtor and have not looked at Foreclosed Homes as a niche, you might consider it. #REO #Realtors

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How to buy a foreclosed home tips.

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80's Break Dancing. Good stuff....

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enjoy this it is one of my most favorite clips i loved this stuff when i was young

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This is pretty cool about life, persistence, planning, envisioning, etc. -- worth reading.

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Life is like a game of chess. Try to see 2-3 moves ahead.

A new Best Buy was opened in my senior year of high school. I wanted to work there more than anything. So, one Thursday I walked in and applied, and then I found the hiring manager, smiled, and introduced myself.

"Sorry, we aren't hiring, but we'll keep your application." I thanked him and strolled around the store and then left.

The next Thursday, I come in again and see him. "Hi, remember me from last week, just checking to see when I can start."

"Sorry, again, we aren't hiring, we'll let you know if we are." I thanked him and left.

The next Thursday, I strolled in, smiled as I saw him and said, "Hi again! Just checking to see when I'd be starting this job."

"For the THIRD TIME, we are NOT hiring." I smiled, thanked him, strolled around the store a bit, then left.

The next Thursday, I walked in smiling, and he was near the door. He gave me the most stern look I have ever seen as he saw me enter.

"Didn't I tell you that we aren't hiring???" He paused for 10 seconds, staring at me, and I'm just smiling back.

"GET OVER HERE and do an interview with me, NOW."

10 minutes later he put me on the sales floor and for the next four hours, I was working my dream job.
------------------------------------
I share this story with you because it's the most powerful story I have about determination and forecasting, something that is critical in chess. Even before that 1st visit to the store to apply, I already KNEW I would be working there; in my mind the pieces were already in place. The hiring manager just didn't know it yet. I looked a few moves ahead and saw myself in that position.

Last summer during Vidcon, I was 100% sure after meeting the +Revision3 people that I would be on that network. They just didn't know it. I set up my chess board. I checked in every couple of weeks with the show developer, I cleaned up my format and put the pieces in place, and just waited for the call.

I was partnered with them in November and the show started in February.

There are many life lessons to be learned from chess, and this is my main one. Don't focus on your current situation in life; focus on where you WILL be, and move accordingly as if you're already there.

I suspect that if more people took the time to look ahead with their goals and work on them as if they've already achieved them, there would be a lot more happiness in the world. I know I'm happy.

So life...Checkmate. I win.

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Very good explanation of G+ 's roll in all this information and social network stuff.

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Yes, Google+ is Google's answer to Facebook, but not in the directly competitive sense many journalists assume. Google+ is core to Google's mission "to organize the world's information", and that's a better frame for thinking about this service.

Here are 35 slides to help kickstart a different perspective on what Google+ really is - a "shared interest graph."

I tried to make this tour as easy as possible with some nice images along the way. Credits for all those nice images are on the last slide.

#interestgraph #socialnetworks #facebook #twitter #influence #informationnetworker #socialgraph #influencegraph

Check out my Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/upgrademycredit

Here is an excerpt from +Guy Kawasaki's interview with Business Insider:

"You're writing a book about Google+ that will come out March 8th. So tell us, why do you love Google+ so much?

I love the quality and the interaction of the commenting. I think the comments come in faster and better than any other service. I love that you can have photos in line in a large way. I love that you can edit your posts and comments after you've posted them. On Twitter and Facebook, once it's there, it's there, and there's no editing. I edit almost every one I do. I love the notification system on Google+. If someone mentions you, you get notified via Gmail. That's very useful for someone like me.

Can Google+ become as big as Facebook one day?

Absolutely. No question in my mind. It's hard to predict someone overtaking something that has a billion users. On the other hand, five years ago we said MySpace would control the world. Let me put it this way: I think it's easier to be a search engine adding social networking than a social network adding a search engine. Google is adding this social component to search. It totally makes sense. I think it's going to be a long time before people go to Facebook and type in "Hockey" to find the score for a game."

Click link below to read the complete article.

Sometimes life adds interesting twists.

Story:

We have an Australian Shepherd (Maverick) that is smart as a cookie, lovable, beautiful, perfectly house trained, you name it -- except one factor, he is very protective. He is protective of my four children to a fault. We have had him for 2.5 years, since a puppy, and unfortunately, there have been a few incidents where he has bitten someone approaching our house, or coming in without one of us letting them in. We know it was only as a protective means for he hasn't / doesn't act that way in any other circumstances. We finally, painfully, decided we must give him away when one of my son's friends was bit last week. (the bites are not that bad, or gnawl-like, but a bite is a bite). I would keep him, but my children are getting tired of having to worry about it.

Here is the nice, fortunate twist. The next day after deciding to find him a new home, the person who sold Maverick to us just popped by unannounced; we had not seen her since we got Maverick. We told her about Maverick and a big smile came across her face. In her car was Maverick's sister (Angel), and she was looking for a new home for her because her owners had a death in the family and couldn't give her attention any longer. What a coincidence? Needless to say, she does not have a history of any biting whatsoever. My kids begged me successfully, and we took her. We are still looking for a home for Maverick with less activity and kids coming and going, and more space to run around and let out his energy. He is really a great dog and will be missed. My kids are at least consoled with the presence of Angel.

Moral of the story? Hhhmm.... how would you express the moral of this story?

#realstory #dogs #pets

What to say when you talk to yourself!!!

http://JohnMaxwellTeam.com - Join the John Maxwell Team, receive free daily coaching videos from John C. Maxwell. #motivation

Today is National Cereal Day!

What is your favorite cereal? Do you have a special way of preparing it?

Cereal, peanut butter, and crunch'n on a carrot, have probably been my No. 1 eat-when-in-a-hurry-or-there- is-nothing-else-to-eat foods, especially during college and my 20's. I would rather have a bowl of cereal during a movie than popcorn. (of course, now it is all organic, whole-grain, low or no sugar, with rice milk. ha! )

Apples new iPad3

What do you think?

#apple #iPad3 #iPad

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A good summary of FB and G+ differences. I agree, and it is the way I am using them. #google+

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Public World

Here's the problem, Google+ and Facebook have similar functions with a totally different purpose. Facebook is a place you would go to see what your family/friends are up to, this is called the existing social graph, where small group of people share information about them to the people they know. While on the other side of the fence, Google+ focuses on the creation of an interest graph, where a person shares to a large group of people (public posting) based around the discussion of shared interests.

Public sharing is the key, ask +Mark Traphagen, +Denis Labelle, +Gideon Rosenblatt and +Gabriel Vasile. The only post I keep in my circles are personal family pictures, which I keep in my "Family" circle, the rest are in the wild. This is where Facebook is scrambling with their "Open Graph" and the area where Google+ already won. The exciting social graph is a dying breed, the core of Facebook's business, the branch that keeps the network together is falling apart, the reason why Facebook dramatically changes their look towards the "Open Graph". But, will this work? Will people accept Facebook's entry into the public world?

The problem here is that Google+ is compared to something that it's not, the existing social graph.

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Happy IWD! Life wouldn't be the same without ya! :-)

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Woman
I love you, yeah, now and forever

Happy International Women's Day to all women on Google+.

I dedicate this post to my wonderful mother, my amazing sister, my best friend Yuko and to the love of my life.

Drinking tea, doing some blogging, and listening to one of my favorite work/study mixes at 8Tracks.com Check it out. It is meant to be background, work/study type music. #music #8tracks

1 in 4 High School Seniors Smokes http://t.co/z3onBPe8. Why? After decades of education of the facts, why are so many still smoking?

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I am sure this is going to be all over G+, but I wanted to be on the bandwagon. Check it out. I love Google+ ! #googleplus #guykawasaki #wtp

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Great New Book for Making The Most Out of Google+

One of my favorite business book authors, +Guy Kawasaki just released (today) a new book about Google+ called “What the Plus! (Google+ for the Rest of Us).”

I started reading it last night, and I have to say, Guy just has an amazing way of making everything just make sense. Plus, I really love some of his research and insights into why you should be on Google+ in the first place, and why you need to really learn how to make the most of your presence on there. Really insightful, informative, and written like only Guy can.

You owe it to yourself to check What the Plus! out (for a limited time it’s available as a FREE downloadable PDF or you can get the Kindle or iBook editions for just $2.99).

Here’s the site (with download links): http://whattheplus.com

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If your mortgage is with BofA, check this out.

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3 Ways Pinterest Can Damage Your Small Business. Need to be aware

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This is pretty cool. A whole mural out of nothing but Rubik's Cubes.

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Just Interesting News.....

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BREAKING: Twitter acquires Posterous!

Microblogging company Twitter has acquired regular blogging company Posterous. I guess Twitter realizes that 140 characters just isn't enough.

http://blog.posterous.com/big-news

* * *

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Thoughts and Forecast for real estate in 2012.....

#realestate

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Sales of existing homes are expected to increase between 2% and 5% in 2012, compared with last year, according a recent forecast from Freddie Mac.
•A recent survey of about 1,000 Re/Max real-estate agents found that 39% of agents think prices have hit bottom in their market, while almost three-fourths of agents think home prices in their markets will have stopped declining by the end of 2012.
•The number of improving housing markets rose to 76 in January, from 41 in December, according to the Improving Markets Index, from First American Financial Corp. and the National Association of Home Builders.
Nationwide, home prices are expected to be relatively flat in 2012, said Alex Villacorta, director of research and analytics at Clear Capital, a provider of real-estate asset-valuation data for financial-services companies. Indeed, 2012 seems to be a turning point before a healthier and sustained recovery in 2013!!

Check out Gavin's morning routine. Some good tips in his very short blog.

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Realtors: check this out on using social media to sell a home.

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Love this. +Team Ludlow-Keller Williams Realty +Seth Price

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NY man sues Apple over Siri not working as touted. What do you think, is Siri working like you expected, or want to? #siri #apple

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Two new Google+ updates. #googleplus

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Two awesome Google+ updates

Google Docs in Google+ Hangouts: https://plus.google.com/117272804393056744845/posts/CycRaZE29r9

Rearrange photos and move photos between albums https://plus.google.com/105106962406858998302/posts/GF32yr7eMAa

#googleplusupdate

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I believe it is true. The beginning of the end, or, just the beginning...

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Headline says "Real Estate BOTTOM REACHED IN 2011! ***********************************************************************
Yeah! Where do you want to be now that the market is turning? www.GoWithExperience.com

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I believe it is true. The beginning of the end, or, just the beginning...

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Headline says "Real Estate BOTTOM REACHED IN 2011! ***********************************************************************
Yeah! Where do you want to be now that the market is turning? www.GoWithExperience.com

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Good news, but I still think we should walk cautiously until the end of the year! IMO #economy

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Weekly unemployment claims hit a four-year low, suggesting further strengthening in the labor market, while producer prices, boosted by energy costs, rose by their largest margin in five months in February. Read the full story here: http://cnb.cx/ym73Wh

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To sell or rent your house, that is the question. #realestate

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I thought I would pass on a phone service I use that works as virtual phone service with all features, including auto-assistant, and has apps for Android, iPad and iPhone. On your smart phone it serves as a second number. Check it out.

Who got a new iPad today? #ipad

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Do we really even care about real wisdom these days? Sadly, I think less and less. #wisdom

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All the gold which is under or upon the earth is not enough to give in exchange for virtue. - Plato

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I had to share these wonderful pictures of Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC.
Beauty is one of the mysterious elements that touches our soul. #cherryblossoms #washingtondc

click the picture to see all 12 pictures. Absolutely gorgeous!

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Check out Pinterest's Redesign...

#pinterest

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The Pros and Cons of Real Estate Investing

#realestateinvesting

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The two sides of real estate investing | Destination Raleigh

Getting my page active and ongoing has been a challenge, as I spend all my time on my personal profile. Feel free to circle me as I develop our page more and more.. Thanks.

New Obama Executive Order Seizes U.S. Infrastructure and Citizens for Military Preparedness.

I don't usually post political stuff because politics needs the open, live forum setting to really be effectively discussed, but this irks me when presidents try to act like kings and overstep their authority, if it is true. Is this the "change" everyone voted for??? #EO

+Inlanta Mortgage Thanks for circling me, I look forward to interaction that benefits all.
#mortgage

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Yep! I have seen it happen in the past.

#realestate

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Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different.... (Prince Caspian) C. S. Lewis 

Wireless usage becoming more and more a problem..

#apple #ipad #verizon

I love Costco. I just exchanged my #keurig #coffee Maker for a new one at Costco completely hassle free without a receipt and months after original purchase.

Today is World Water Day

It is a bigger problem than most of us realize, and it is sometimes challenging to know what we can do at the local and personal level. Think about it today.

#water

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Are economists too optimistic? I am curious what you Realtors are experiencing.

#realtors

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Realtors: What do you think? Are you seeing it in your area?

#economy #realestate

Good news: Weekly U.S. jobless claims fall to lowest in 4 years.
#economy
I take any and all good news....

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Good News below

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Good news for FHA borrowers who purchased or refinanced prior to 2009

#FHA #mortgage

+Amanda Taylor Thanks for the circle. I look forward to getting to know you and some great interaction here on G+. Have a great day!

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Just passing this on.....

#HUD #FHA

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#HUD bans AmericaHomeKey Inc. from originating #FHA #loans

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Well, duh.....

My children will be paying for this dearly.

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I have a tendency to dream too much... good dreams, but dreams nonetheless. So, let this be a good reminder to work more than dream in the scale of things.

#work

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Remember ...

Signs of Housing Recovery #realestate

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1524766069001/coldwell-president-sees-signs-of-housing-recovery/?playlist_id=87185

Posted from my iPad

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I admit, I love the beauty of flowers!

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People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. ~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat

All images © Marie-Hélène Raletz

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Easter Egg idea worth checking out if you want to do something different this year.

#Easter

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(Sun06) I bet no one else has shown you how to make layered, jello Easter eggs:

http://choosetothrive.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/rainbow-easter-eggs.html

This is why you should follow me. :-)

Two Views on Social Media Strategy

Guy Kawasaki - "Just dive in", so to speak.
http://www.businessinsider.com/guy-kawasaki-explains-how-entrepreneurs-are-getting-social-media-all-wrong-2012-3

Also, check out Guy's new book on Google Plus: http://www.guykawasaki.com/what-the-plus/

Vs.

Jay Baer - Better to have a strategy of sorts.
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/is-social-media-strategy-required-or-redundant/

What do you think? I would really like to hear your thoughts.

#socialmedia #guykawasaki #jaybaer

Mortgage and Economic Updates

Jay Brinkman, Chief Economist of Mortgage Bankers Association, mentioned in an interview today that their are a few reasons real estate and mortgage lending may see some growth this year and into 2013 onward...

My paraphrase.

1. Rent is going up across the nation. (in many areas, it is getting cheaper to buy than rent)
2. A survey asking "how likely are you to renew your lease?" saw a larger than normal of respondents answering "no".
3. Stock market is doing well, which frees up some money for down payments, especially folks' 401K monies.
4. We are more than half way through this mess. The last half is upward.
5. Rates are still good.
6. Consumer sentiment is on the rise.

A couple of negatives are gas prices going up, the election year upon us, and foreclosures. (nothing new)

#realestate #economynews #jaybrinkman #mortgage

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New Features on Google +

#googleplus

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Upcoming Google+ Features

01. Third-party Commenting Platform
02. Vanity URLs

Source : http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/03/27/google-to-launch-third-party-commenting-platform-to-rival-facebook/

#googleplusfeaturerelease

Update on an earlier post about my Australian Shepherd (those of you who showed interest in my earlier post will appreciate this)

We found a temporary home for Maverick, our Australian Shepherd, with a person in Grandbury, TX who has serveral acres for him to run on. Really a better situation for him. He will be missed a lot!

A word of wisdom: If you are thinking about getting a shepherd type dog, please be aware they need a lot of attention and room to let out their energy. Wonderful dogs. Smart as a whip. They love to please their master, but they are usually very energetic, and need to run. They were bred to DO something. Just passing my experience on.....

#dogs #pets

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The housing market started the new year with a thud, but analysts still say the recovery could be approaching.

The art of leadership is saying no, not yes.. It is very easy to say yes..

Tony Blair

#quote

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Yet another confirmation that the bottom of the slump is upon us - if you are sitting on the sidelines looking for the best time to get into the market price wise, then now is probably it.

The way that #realestate is going, it's onwards and upwards! Do you agree, or are you a wait and see type?

Great advice for new home owners by +Jay Papasan of Keller Williams

#kellerwilliams

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John's insights are always worth considering. Check out his latest post on making money.

#ducttapemarketing

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How You Make Money - there’s a very, very small amount of everything you do each day that matters http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2012/03/27/how-you-make-money/

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Have you ever wondered what goes into determining your FICO credit score? It's not anything shrouded in mystery, but few folks could actually say more than "pay your bills on time".

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New Blog Post - How Are FICO Scores Determined?

#creditscore #FICO

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Very interesting read concerning the real estate market and why deals are not going through...

#realestate

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Nationwide, more residential deals not getting done

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I have to agree....

does that make me a genius? Ha!

#alberteinstein

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"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking."

Albert Einstein

Make sure and press the brake petal when stopping...

We are in an interesting world. The person who was driving was not allowed by the police to get out of the car until the ambulance arrived, even though I could hear her saying over and over, "I am alright, may I get out please?" When the ambulance came. She got out and walked around normally.

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Does the market still have a ways to fall?

The thing about predictions is that sometimes we make them when we shouldn't. Other times we make them, but think we shouldn't have with hindsight, and retract them - or try to.

This is the spot that +Zillow found themselves in when they revised their forecast of an almost flat real estate market this year - and are now tipping a drop in prices of about 1%. Sure, it's not a massive change, but it's significant in terms of the effect this has on buyers' confidence. They made the change after tallying the results of a survey they took among real estate professionals - who, it turns out, are by and large not real bullish about this year's price prospects.

Confidence is a fickle thing, especially in the market these days - and even minor adjustments in price expectations can have dramatic results. It's not just the buyers that second guess themselves either - it's the sellers as well. People who want to sell will be reluctant to put thier properties up for sale in a market that is on the decline. When they sense that the market has hit bottom then they will list their homes, which will increase inventories, and make it easier and better for everyone involved in real estate.

What do you think? Was Zillow too hasty in making the original prediction in the first place? Should they have revised it based on a little old survey?

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I shared this with my teens, and they really identified with it.

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Yep!

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Do not let your circumstances dictate what comes out of your mouth…instead let what comes out of your mouth dictate your circumstances.