Amazon (Amazon.com), created and originally operated as an online bookstore, is overtaking Ebay (Ebay.com) a number one online retailer. Amazon has opened doors to more than a million outside merchants who might other otherwise set up small shops with Ebay.

Busy shoppers would rather skip time consuming auctions and the opportunity to wait seven days to purchase the handbag or luxury vehicle of their dreams only to be outbid at the last minute.

Now Amazon prepares to launch the ultimate competition is successful; an online payment system, comarable to Ebay’s subsidiary Paypal.com. This has investors researching if Amazon is the new retailer to purchase now.

Take a peak at some facts from MSN’s MoneyCentral.com:

Amazon’s growth story

Numbers from the most recent quarter:

- Amazon’s sales jumped 35%, and that’s after the impact of currency changes was stripped out. In contrast, eBay’s revenue was up just 13%.

- In North America, Amazon’s revenue was up 35%, or nearly three times the growth in overall Internet retail sales tallied by comScore. In contrast, eBay’s North American   revenue grew 12%, simply in line with the market.
- Amazon finished the quarter with more than 81 million active customers, up 18% from a year ago. The number of outside merchants on its site also grew 18%, to 1.42 million. In contrast, active registered users at eBay crept up only 0.7%, to 84.5 million. For the past five quarters, the number of active users at eBay has shrunk or grown by less than 1%.
- Amazon’s global page views increased 4% in June, while eBay’s were down 11%, according to Deutsche Bank (DB, news, msgs). Visits to eBay’s U.S. Web site have been down in nine of the past 11 months.
- Amazon generates nearly twice as much revenue as eBay
- Amazon stock advanced more than 16% in the past year while eBay’s has fallen more than 25%. Amazon shares were trading recently at $88; eBay’s shares were at $26.75.

Read the complete story at MSN’s MoneyCentral.com.

LP Kisses and Hugs…

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Millionaires on a Budget - Are Material Possessions What Keep the Poor Poor?

YAWNS, Young and Wealthy but Normal, is what the Sunday Telegraph of London calles young millionaires who live frugal.Labeled the Anti Paris Hilton… LOL

Rik Wehbring lives in San Francisco and survives on $50,000 a year and yes… he is a millionaire. Wehbring is “frugal by choice”. He does not own a television, drives a hybrid toyota Prius, and spends his free time listening to music on his $20 MP3 player.

“I don’t need a lot of material possessions.” exclaimes Wehbring.

YAWNS are very modest people and very environmentally conscience. Like investing mogul, Warren Buffet, who is one of the world’s wealthiest, with a net worth of $60 billion, who lives in a modest houme he bought 50 years ago and gives a lot of support to charity.

Financial Values of YAWNS - Young and Wealthy but Normal:

1. Live below your means: Don’t spend money you don’t have. This sounds like a no-brainer, yet
many of us have a hard time putting it into practice, no matter how
much money we have. Don’t rely on credit cards, and invest wisely. The wealthy know that
it’s much better to earn interest for themselves than to pay interest
to someone else. Creating a budget
can help you get your finances on track. It’ll allow you see where your
money is going and how you can manage your expenses to live within your
income.

2. Remember that stuff does not define self-worth: Living on $50,000 a year is an accomplishment and obviously let’s us know that Rik Wehbring places value on other things that are not material. Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine suspects that YAWNs, like anyone else, find fulfillment in personal
relationships and social causes because those are things that last.

Ray Sidney, 38, a former software engineer at Google, made bank when
the company went public in 2004. Instead of living it up, he quietly
retired to Stateline, Nev. He says he probably doesn’t qualify as
frugal — he owns two planes to shuttle between home and the Bay Area
– “but I could certainly live a more fancy-pants life than I do.”

With
his means, there’s a lot of temptation to buy, buy, buy. But the habits
he learned years ago as a strapped student are well-ingrained. “I only
buy things I know I’ll use,” he says. “Why buy something to just sit
there and take up space?”

3. Give back:

“You start to realize: What’s the point of spending money when you
can think of so many better ways to use it?” says Sidney, who has
helped fund a high school football field and helped pay for a local
arts center, among other donations. With his latest pet project, he’s
aiming to do something for Mother Earth: He’s building an affordable,
eco-friendly housing development in Nevada.

Feeling generous but
strapped for cash? You may not have the bankroll of millionaires, but
you have just as much time in a day as they do. Give of yourself if not
of your wallet. (See “A dozen creative donations” for more no- or low-cash ways you can give to charity.)

Whatever
your financial situation, being charitable and socially conscious can
be rewarding — not to mention that it’s good karma.

Let us know how you plan on giving back.

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LivingPlush.com opens the gates…
All LP Members can now submit events to the LP Calendar.
So if you feel your Seasonal, Monthly, Weekly or One Time affair exudes the LP Lifestyle… The Spectacular Event will be approved and displayed via the LP Calendar.

To Add Events to the LP Calendar:

1. Visit LivingPLush.com
2. Click on LP Calendar
3. Locate Date you would like to add your event.
4. Click the + Button in the Upper Right hand corner of date box.
5. Enter Brief Description of Event. Include Locations
– example: Miami Beach, Florida – USA
6. Enter Full Description: Enter HTML Code for the Event here.
Please choose appropriate sized photos
7. Select the Date
8. For Recurring Events (weekly, monthly, daily):
Click Repeat Tab – Select Recurring Dates

9. Click Save

All Events are Subject to Approval by the LP Media Team.

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Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count - Could affect fertility, especially in overweight and obese men, researchers report

SOURCE - http://health.msn.com/health-topics/sexual-health/mens-sexual-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100211543&GT1=31028

Harvard research proves that ½ serving of soy daily reduces sperm count and increases infertility in men. Although the relationship between soy and sperm count has not been proven, researchers speculate that soy increases estrogen levels which may interfere with other hormone levels.

“There have been a lot of interest in estrogen and isoflavones in particular and a potential relationship to fertility and other reproductive disorders,” said lead researcher Dr. Jorge Chavarro, a research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Moreover, the link between soy and sperm concentration was strongest in men with higher sperm concentrations. Men who have normal or high sperm counts may be more susceptible to soy foods than men with low sperm counts, Chavarro said.

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Health Food Imposters

July 28, 2008 –

Source - http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25819734/?GT1=43001

Natural, organic, fresh, low- or no-fat, to contain no preservatives or to have more vitamins – we see these titles daily in supermarkets, food advertisements, magazines, etc. But what does this truly mean and how do we know that the foods are truly best for us and our goals?

Flax, walnuts, and soy

Omega 3 Fats are “Good Fats”. Flax, Walnuts and Soy are great resources to obtain an omega 3 called ALA which lowers the risk of heart disease.

But there are two other omega 3 fats found in fatty fish, DHA. This fat lowers heart disease risk, and it potentially lowers the risk for depression, asthma, postpartum depression, dementia, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. It also is essential for brain and vision development in babies and small children. You need at least two servings a week of salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines.

For those vegan or organic fans concerned with mercury and pesticides, look for plant-based form of DHA, such as Gold Circle Farm Eggs, Silk Soymilk Plus DHA, Oh Mama! Nutrition Bars, Rachel’s Yogurt or Cabot Vermont Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese with DHA. Aim for a total of at least 200 milligrams of DHA a day.

Yogurt

A friend of mine, Doctor of Pharmacy, is constantly preaching to me about probiotics… LOL

My constant reply is that I eat yogurt (Activa) daily. MSNBC gives us this little bit of information to support both myself and well educated compadre.

Yogurt can be a great health food — it’s rich in calcium, which helps prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. It also contains healthy bacteria, called probiotics, that keep your digestive tract in tiptop shape, lowering risks for everything from diarrhea to colon cancer. But the flavored or fruited yogurts have the sugar equivalent of a candy bar, and the designer yogurts with made-up bacteria names are just expensive hype.

Save your money and buy plain, nonfat yogurts that contain the tried-and-true bacteria, such as L. acidophilus. Then flavor it at home with some jam or fresh fruit.

Whole Grain Cereal

“Whole Grain” is the new gift from the heavens. After spending years following Atkins, South Beach Diet and many other low (NO) carb eating plans, dieter globally are happy to be able to once again indulge in pasta, rice, cereal and bread. But before we move to fast…

MSNBC reports:

Adding a dusting of whole grain to Cocoa Puffs does not convert it into a health food. First and foremost, don’t believe anything you read on the front of the box. Always turn the container over and look for three clues:

• In the ingredients list, look for whole grains — like whole wheat, brown rice, oats or rye — in the top items.
• In the nutrition panel, look for cereals with no more than seven grams of sugar.
• Buy cereals that contain at least five grams of fiber.

Cereals that meet this criteria include shredded wheat, some of the Kashi cereals, Grape-Nuts, Ezekiel 4:9 and some of the Barbara’s Bakery cereals.

Looks like back to the drawing board.

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Quantas Airlines Lands Jet with Gaping Hole in Fuselage

July 25, 2008 –

SOURCE - http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080725/wl_asia_afp/philippinesaustraliaairqantasincident

A trip to Melbourne turns dangerous when a loud “crack” is heard by the stunned passengers right before plunging 20,000 feet. Passengers, originally picked up in London with a stop on Hong Kong, describe this as an “absolutely terrifying” experience.

“There was a terrific boom, and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down,” June Kane, a passenger from Melbourne, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“We were told that one of the rear doors, a hole had blown into it, but I’ve since looked at the plane and there’s a gigantic gaping hole in the plane.”

“It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm,” she added, speaking from the Philippine capital.

Qantas chief executive officer Geoff Dixon said initial inspections showed the aircraft had sustained a hole in its fuselage, and it was being inspected by engineers.

He said the flight crew performed emergency procedures after oxygen masks were deployed and there were no reports of any injuries.

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Vince Vaugn brings in $14.73 to the studios for every $1.00 me makes. Toby Maguire ranked #2 with $13.44 gross income for each dollar and Julia Roberts placed 3rd with $13.19.

“That’s because until recently his salary was relatively low, and the films he was in, like `Wedding Crashers’ and `The Break-up,’ had modest budgets yet did extremely well at the box office worldwide ($285 million and $205 million, respectively),” Forbes said.

4th - $ 12.73 - Brad Pitt

5th - $12.16 - Naomi Watts / Matt Damon

6th - $11.56 - George Clooney

7th - $10.48 - Jennifer Aniston

8th - $9.90 - Hugh Jackman

9th - $9.50 - Ben Stiller

EDITORIAL:

It is quite funny how now that the US economy is screaming for a shining light at the end of the tunnel, the financial media demi-god Forbes compares the talent that makes them the most money… profit… gross profit. LOL

In brighter days, media’s focus was more on who makes the most money… Like the highest paid.

Of course… Forbes did take time to point out that “Highly paid, highly bankable Will Smith — who reliably led the July Fourth weekend with a $66 million debut for “Hancock” — ranked 21st with a gross income return of $5.64 for every dollar spent on the big-budget superstar.” SOURCE

Editorial:

You get what you pay for… Mr. Will Smith just happens to be expensive and worth every penny.

LP Hugs y Besos a Mr. Will Smith y su esposa Jada Pinket Smith.

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LP Digital Advertising - Myspace Promotion Packages

Friend Request - Friend Comments - Bulletin Blast

LivingPLush.com - Living PLush

Now that you have a Myspace Profile…

…Your Potential Fans, Clients, Friends neet to see it.

Gold - LP Myspace Promotion Package

2500 Friend Request

500 Friend Comments

100 Bulletin Blast

Flat Rate: $500

Silver - LP Myspace Promotion Package

1000 Friend Request

200 Friend Comments

50 Bulletin Blast

Flat Rate: $250

Also Available:

Platinum - LP Myspace Promotion Package

5000 Friend Request

1500 Friend Comments

500 Bulletin Blast

Flat Rate: $1500

Starter - LP Myspace Promotion Package

400 Friend Request

50 Friend Comments

25 Bulletin Blast

Flat Rate: $75.00

View Complete

LP Digital Advertising Rate Sheet

www.LPDigitalAdvertising.com

Contact: Media@LivingPLush.com

…to Begin a True Myspace Experience.

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