Building Communities Through Communication

It's interesting that technology has created tighter communities than there used to be. We are now capable of doing whatever we want and still maintaining contact with those communities. The advent of the cell phone, instant messaging, and e-mail are arguably some of our greatest accomplishments, as they allow communication as long as the person is near an electronic device.

E-mail is something that a practically unlimited number of uses, as it allows for sharing information in a myriad of forms, from URL links to documents to images. It's just a matter of compiling the information, putting it in a form that can be transmitted and then transmitting that information. It can be used to quickly move information around, and move up almost any decision-making process.

Cell phones have become incredible tools. Besides enabling communication almost everywhere, they can be used to take pictures and provide vocal information, either storing that information until a cell tower can be found, or for immediate transferral.

Instant messaging has some limits, but its ability to share files with some short snippet of information can explain the file being shared. Also, it can be used to discuss some information, offering better context for the information provided, and thus clarifying the communication.

Alone, they are powerful. Together, they allow a practically unlimited ability to communicate. And that ability to communicate creates tighter communities.

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...

eHarmony...has lots of ugly people!

If you think about it, online dating makes a lot of sense. The internet has revolutionized the way people can connect to information - products, news, etc. It seems the internet would be an extremely efficient way to connect to a significant other.

I'm always seeing commercials for eHarmony so I thought I'd try it out.

It's interesting, you fill out the profile and then the system connects you to people it thinks you may like. Unfortunately, I don't like ugly, obese, desperate 30+ somethings. I don't know how to tell eHarmony to stop sending me those matches.

I feel bad because I keep hitting the "Close Match" button, which basically is a rejection of the poor girl. Some of these girls must get A LOT of these rejections. So I felt bad and stopped hitting that button, but then all the matches just pile up and become unmanageable.

I'd have to say about 50% of my matches have semi-interesting profiles. And then of those 50%, about 2% are attractive. So, of every 100 girls, there's only 1 that becomes very interesting. Of course, every other guy must think the same thing so we all try communicating with the same girl...

Not sure how you win at this game yet, but I'm gonna keep playing and I'll give an update on this at a later date!

TalkTalk.co.uk Phone Company

Check out this new UK based phone company, TalkTalk.co.uk. TalkTalk is unlike any other phone company I've heard of, these guys offer free broadband with their phone service! They have different plans for just UK Callers, UK & International callers, UK & mobile callers, and UK, International, & mobile callers, each of which can provide savings to the customer.

And with all the plans, except for the Talk1 plan, you get free internet broadband service! The highspeed broadband deal delivers up to 8MB of download speed, and up to 40GB of monthly usage. But it's just not about free broadband, their regular phone plans can save you money with free landline calls on evenings and weekends within the UK, unlimited calls to other TalkTalk members, and unlimited anytime calls to 36 international destinations (this depends on the plan you choose).

TalkTalk also has plans to reduce the costs of dialing mobile phones! This is something that they are working on and will be announcing some time in the future.

If you are currently with BT, Tiscali, or NTL/Virgin, you may be able to save money while improving your service by switching to TalkTalk.

Minivans Rock!

I've been thinking about minivans lately. I see commercials detailing the massive amounts of features these minivans have now, like back seats that can swivel 360 degrees, multiple LCD televisions, etc. So what if we can hire a driver to take my friends and I around town in our new minivan. We can swivel one set of seats to face the other, and place a little card table in between. Now four people could comfortably face each other and play a game of poker. We could put the movie 300 in the DVD player, drink martinis, and play poker while our driver cruises us to a fancy restaurant for dinner.

Why isn't this possible?! I'm going to make minivans popular among housewives and 30 year old playas!!

Poker Zealot

Yes, I can't help but really love this game. I think it's a great game of mental toughness, patience, concentration, even acting...

I've recently found this incredible site: FlopTurnRiver.com. It's not a gambling site, it's more of a poker community, reviews, and poker information site. You can't actually play poker there, but you can read all about it. And everything they offer there is complete free. You can spend several hours everyday perusing their site and not make a dent in a month. But below are some of the highlights.

If you're new to FlopTurnRiver or poker in general, you should start in their Beginner Poker section where they have some beginner essays to introduce you to the site and the game. There's also a beginner section in the Poker Forum called the Beginner's Circle where some of the more advanced poker players teach and advise the beginners.

FlopTurnRiver offers higher level poker strategy essays and tournament strategy essays if you are looking to learn and improve your poker and Texas Holdem skills.

Some other highlights include over 40 free instructional poker videos, several articles on poker tells, no deposit poker rooms, comprehensive poker room reviews, and of course, the very active poker forums that feature over 600,000 articles.

But for those who are interested in actually playing some online poker, you have to check out FlopTurnRiver's poker bonus code section, where you can get extra special bonuses such as their Full Tilt Referral Code, Ultimate Bet Bonus Code, and PokerStars Marketing Code. These special codes give you extra bonus dollars and perks above and beyond what you can get anywhere else!

Well, that's my review of the highlights of FTR, check them out if you have any interest in poker!

The blog is back! Long live the blog!

This blog is back to life!!! Yay! We're bringing life back to dead blogs! My name is Slumpy and I've assumed ownership of this blog. So be sure to note that starting in 2008, all entries are now made by me and not your previous owner. All of the old entries will remain here for past readers and out of respect for the previous owner. Check back as I begin to post my own thoughts!

How Anabaptist is the Emerging Church?

As most of you know, this is an Anabaptist site although we have yet to do a very good job of discussing Anabaptism, pacifism, and who discipleship influences our daily lives. But I thought I should alert all our readers of Graham's thoughts on the Anabaptishness of the Emerging Church.

"Radical" Anabaptist???

My attention was recently drawn to Southpaw, and his new blog called Radical Anabaptist. As I pondered that for a little, I immediately thought about it that the name is redundant, because throughout history, Anabaptists have always been known as radical. But then as I was wondering just what distorted scope this poor blogger has on Anabaptism, it suddenly made perfect sense as I browsed his site. On his site were (broken) links to two writers for World Net Daily, an extremely conservative, "Christian", not always reliable, news website founded by none other than Joseph Farah hisself! Suddenly it occured to me. This was a radical Anabaptist! Historically, Anabaptists were never conservative (at least not theologically). So a conservative Anabaptist truly is radical!!!! (just dont ask me to be one[a conservative])

What's the matter with Methodists??

Check out the pic of one church that apparently serves two masters. If you couldn’t tell in the blurry picture, it’s a Christian flag and a US flag right next to each other outside of a Methodist church. Just thought that might be of interest. Also, last I heard, Bush and Cheney are still members in good standing in the Methodist church. I personally believe the Iraq War is not only against the beliefs of pacifists, it is also against the Methodist's stance on just war and preemptive strikes. I am severely shocked and wounded at the lackadaisical approach taken by the Methodist church against these two men. Their actions have communicated the message that war is acceptable and right for the churches of Christ. I am a Christian, and I love my enemies Bush and Cheney with only Christ's love. However, I protest against the Methodist church for their tolerance toward these two responsible for so many deaths.
If you are a Methodist, please sign the letter of complaint to Methodist leaders.

Future of this blog.....

I was currently thinking about what I want this blog to become, and I thought I'd share a few thoughts with the readers of this blog.
What I'm trying to do right now is to get a lot of different people to be team bloggers on here. The diversity and opinions would add an interesting dimension. If you have Anabaptist beliefs and are interested, email me and let me know. Also, I would like to get a lot more discussion in the comments. We've had some, but its been pretty one-sided. I would love to have your comment or opinion. It need not have any connection with the post. I will not delete your comment ever unless I judge it to be spam. So post on! I'd love to get some debates going.....
Any ideas or anything else please feel free to email me. I'd love to hear from you!
So thanks, and may God bless you.