Pareto's Law

I've been reading a business book called The 4-hour Work Week, which has really opened my eyes on a couple of things. The book is about improving effectivity and efficiency to the point where you only need 4 hours a week to perform all your work tasks, allowing you to free your life to live it up and do whatever you want.

The first point I'd like to discuss regarding this is Pareto's Law or the 80/20 rule. You may have heard of this, but essentially much of business falls into this 80/20 rule. 80% of your revenues comes from 20% of your customers. Or 80% of your revenues comes from 20% of your products. And 80% of your headaches comes from 20% of your customers, etc. etc.

So, one way to start improving effectiveness is to focus on the pieces that matter, and discarding the rest. If 80% of your problems come from 20% of your customers - then shed those customers. Just drop them. You've just improved your life and your business. With all that time freed up, you can now focus on more important matters - like looking at the 20% of your products that produce 80% of your revenues and further promoting those. Or supporting the 20% of customers that produce 80% of your sales.

The point is not to just make a lot of money - the point is to free up your time so you can spend your money. Your job is not your life. Your career is lame no matter what it is. Life offers so much more than work - get smarter, streamline your business and your time, and then you can see what life has to offer. To have complete freedom is hard to imagine, but it is attainable.

Tennis and Technology

Tennis is a game that has remained fundamentally unchanged since its beginnings in 1875. Babolat Racquets are still creating world-class rackets, as they have since they first shook hands with the creator of the game. The major controversy is still clay versus grass, and the game has still been shaken to the core by politics (even though it's now on the forefront of gender politics rather than government).

Tennis shoes are an important part of the tennis player's gear, allowing the player to quickly react to the incoming ball. K Swiss tennis shoes are a refinement of the standard tennis shoe. The first leather tennis shoe (debuting at Wimbledon in 1966), K Swiss is a premium tennis shoe. It is not only worn by athletes on the courts and track, but s also worn as a fashion statement. In fact, wearers sometimes have two pairs of shoes: One for their sports and one for everyday wear. It's a popular shoe not only for its appearance but for how comfortable it is.

The game has been a recipient of the space age in a number of subtle ways. The least subtle way has been in the tennis racquets where graphite strings and metal frames have increased the performance of tennis stars past the original cat gut and wood. With athletes looking for every edge that they can get, the increased power of strikes thanks to the new racquets has vitalized the sports, and made endorsement deal so much sweeter, even in a sport where there are ostensibly limited opportunities for advertising.

Although the rules and courts haven't changed much, the technology has. Tennis is still an exciting sport, where the stakes usually spill past the court. It may not be one of the biggest sports, but people still watch tennis, and probably always will.

Looking for some nice property in Point Loma?

The housing slump has hit all levels of housing, creating a unique opportunity for those looking for new housing. Although its effect on the lower-end homes has been remarked on, its effect on higher-end homes has been almost ignored. In San Diego foreclosures apply to all homes, even those on Point Loma.

Point Loma features some of the most expensive real estate on the West Coast. Featured in MTV's Real World San Diego, Point Loma is known for its golf courses and military presence (featuring both a naval base and the Space and Naval Warfare Center, as well as a cemetery for fallen soldiers). There is also the Cabrillo National Monument, which celebrates the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European explorer to see San Diego Bay, which features the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. For those interested in more current affairs, there is also a Sports Arena, featuring anything from hockey games to rock concerts.

Point Loma real estate is family-friendly, but still upscale. With a population of just over 45,000, it has a small town feel, making it great for those looking for place to raise children. For families looking for the future of their children, Point Loma Nazarene University is on the peninsula. The military presence isn't felt as heavily as one would think, and adds to the feeling of security, both in terms of physical security and that there is a stable economic base.

At the same time, there is everything you would ever need nearby. There is plenty of beach; it is a peninsula, after all! For those interested in boats, the marina is known for its yachts. And you can find just about anything for sell in the Midtown District, which features almost every consumer good known to man. With San Diego a short drive away, with its own stores, universities, and sights. Just a little further away is Mexico, making Point Loma near just about anything you would ever want it to be near.

It's a sign of just how nasty the housing slump has gotten is that some of this gorgeous property has shown up on the San Diego foreclosure lists. Although there is more to Point Loma than just the swanker properties, and it is known for its seedier side, there are nonetheless a number of housing opportunities in the upscale parts.

There a number of foreclosure properties in San Diego, with a wide variety of options available. It's important that you not only inspect the property in question, but that you also spend a day looking at the nearby area, ensuring that the property is what you are looking for. After all, even with the slump, a home is still a home, and you need to feel comfortable in any house that you buy; you will be spending a lot of time there, and it just doesn't pay to be somewhere you don't like. Wherever you live should be a home, not merely a house.

GamblingPHD

One of the more interesting gambling sites I've run across is Gambling PHD. It's a site that offers some interesting articles on gambling, as well as some interesting links. It's also a great place for revews of Online Casinos.

Gambling PHD approaches the gambling site from a different perspective. Instead of acting as merely the splash page to a game, the site acts as a mini-portal, allowing gamblers to not only go to suggested links, but to also read articles about gaming, from its history to psychology to basic rules. There is even a section regarding the signs of addiction and what to do if you become addicted! Although it could use a slightly better design, the site is perfect for what it does, which is to get you playing as quickly as possible without looking too foolish for your first time, or to give experts a slight edge, and any experienced gambler knows that even the slightest edge can be valuable.

Gambling PHD is definitely one that you should check out. It offers some decent information, as well as some great games, as well as a quick reviews of the Online Casinos. You should check it out at least as it could be an interesting addition to your gaming links.

Big iPhone Zealot!

I've had the iPhone for about 2 months now, and honestly, it is BY FAR the best cellphone I've ever owned or used. Apple has done it once again, revolutionizing the functionality and usability of a digital piece of hardware - first the MP3 player and now the cellphone.

And it's not just that the iPhone is a sleek phone with internet capabilities and a cool interface. I can use the iPhone for much of the tasks I use my laptop for! The iPhone uses Apple's Safari web browser. This is a full functioning web browser capable of viewing any website clearly on the iPhone. You are not limited to mobile versions of websites. You don't have to scroll around a webpage because it can't fit on your cellphone's display. You can use the iPhone to view any webpage, and then use the iPhone's intuitive features to zoom in and out of the page, and flip between multiple web sites.

As an internet entrepreneur, the iPhone is ideal. I can check my websites, statistics, google searches, etc all on the iPhone. And if I'm near a WiFi spot, the iPhone will try to connect to the wireless network for internet connectivity rather than rely on its cellphone AT&T connection for improved performance.

Most of my work is performed via email, so the iPhone is also ideal in this respect. It connects to my gmail POP server and downloads new emails whenever I switch to the mail application on the iPhone.

Of course, the iPhone is also a 4GB iPod, so I can work out in the gym with the iPhone, listening to music, and if an incoming call comes in, the the iPhone pauses the music, and allows you to answer the phone, with the earphones still in.

The iPhone has other great features, a stock ticker, weather, maps, notes, camera, calendar, etc.

The iPhone is the greatest phone ever in my opinion, and I would highly recommend looking into it!

Now I wonder how the new MacBook Air is? That looks pretty impressive too, I may have to get one...