Paul Rapa - Seeking Alpha 'Paul Rapa' Tag RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/author/paul-rapa Microsoft: The Bing Will Ring in the Bling http://seekingalpha.com/article/140977-microsoft-the-bing-will-ring-in-the-bling?source=feed 140977 Wow, just think of all the words I was able to rhyme with the word that Microsoft (MSFT) has slated for their new search engine "Bing." Trying to come up with a smidgen of words to describe Microsoft's predecessor "MSN Search" would have been futile at best.

I was really impressed by Bing's ease of use and quick results. Can this be the Google (GOOG) killer that the world has been waiting for? It is too early to say, however, it is definately a step in the right direction. Bing has added a myriad of colors to their basic search page, and the engine is able to add relevant information to search results.

]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:52:51 -0400 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

Wow, just think of all the words I was able to rhyme with the word that Microsoft (MSFT) has slated for their new search engine "Bing." Trying to come up with a smidgen of words to describe Microsoft's predecessor "MSN Search" would have been futile at best.

I was really impressed by Bing's ease of use and quick results. Can this be the Google (GOOG) killer that the world has been waiting for? It is too early to say, however, it is definately a step in the right direction. Bing has added a myriad of colors to their basic search page, and the engine is able to add relevant information to search results.


Complete Story »]]> GOOG MSFT YHOO Paul Rapa Review of 'The Fast Track to Becoming a Millionaire' by Michael Masterson http://seekingalpha.com/article/133092-review-of-the-fast-track-to-becoming-a-millionaire-by-michael-masterson?source=feed 133092 I’ll have to admit Michael Masterson’s “The Fast Track to Becoming a Millionaire" makes for a good read. The book is full of personal stories of success attained by common ordinary people with nothing but ambition on their side. This book was published in 2006 and some chapters tout real estate investing as one of the springboards to success. In all honesty, very few people were able to predict the drastic slowdown in our economy brought on primarily by the real estate crash. You can be assured that any book published today will omit real estate as a stepping stone towards wealth.
This book is catered more toward those in the marketing community, as many chapters deal with direct marketing and copywriters. It would have been ideal if Masterson had a myriad of stories from a plumber to the local baker. By focusing on varying professions the message of becoming a millionaire would have resonated in a more suitable manner.
For example, Masterson could have included the story of Babe Ruth, an orphan who had the drive and imitative to succeed over all others in the game of Baseball. Another example would be Yogi Berra who served in the D-day invasion of Normandy and went on to win numerous World Series with the NY Yankees. John Madden, the NFL Sportscaster who recently retired could not play professional sports due to an injury. However he parlayed the love of the game into announcing and became one of the most successful to boot. Elvis Presley came from a very poor family and was a truck driver before his rise to fame. There are many stories in sports and entertainment as well as other fields where the individual is able to overcome a lack of income and excel to stratospheric heights.
One downside to this book is that, Masterson touts many investment vehicles paying interest rates from 6 to 10% which could be found in 2006. However today one is lucky to lock in rates of 3% on sound investments. Thus these investment vehicles can no longer be included as part of the strategy needed to becoming a millionaire. Again we cannot really hold Masterson to account because this book was published in 2006. However it would be nice to have a book that is timeless. That one can look upon year after year, decade after decade no matter what the current economic conditions are.
Nevertheless, “The Fast Track to Becoming a Millionaire“ incorporates a chapter on common business etiquette that will go a long way on improving one’s business prospects in this uncertain future. This Chapter in itself makes the book well worth it to any potential reader. By incorporating the characteristics that Masterson alludes to motivation, a strong character, and determination, one can indeed go very far towards at the very least developing a solid character that would go a very long way toward eventually realizing their dreams of becoming a millionaire.

This book is available from Agora Book Publishing.

]]> Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:19:32 -0400 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:
I’ll have to admit Michael Masterson’s “The Fast Track to Becoming a Millionaire" makes for a good read. The book is full of personal stories of success attained by common ordinary people with nothing but ambition on their side. This book was published in 2006 and some chapters tout real estate investing as one of the springboards to success. In all honesty, very few people were able to predict the drastic slowdown in our economy brought on primarily by the real estate crash. You can be assured that any book published today will omit real estate as a stepping stone towards wealth.
This book is catered more toward those in the marketing community, as many chapters deal with direct marketing and copywriters. It would have been ideal if Masterson had a myriad of stories from a plumber to the local baker. By focusing on varying professions the message of becoming a millionaire would have resonated in a more suitable manner.
For example, Masterson could have included the story of Babe Ruth, an orphan who had the drive and imitative to succeed over all others in the game of Baseball. Another example would be Yogi Berra who served in the D-day invasion of Normandy and went on to win numerous World Series with the NY Yankees. John Madden, the NFL Sportscaster who recently retired could not play professional sports due to an injury. However he parlayed the love of the game into announcing and became one of the most successful to boot. Elvis Presley came from a very poor family and was a truck driver before his rise to fame. There are many stories in sports and entertainment as well as other fields where the individual is able to overcome a lack of income and excel to stratospheric heights.
One downside to this book is that, Masterson touts many investment vehicles paying interest rates from 6 to 10% which could be found in 2006. However today one is lucky to lock in rates of 3% on sound investments. Thus these investment vehicles can no longer be included as part of the strategy needed to becoming a millionaire. Again we cannot really hold Masterson to account because this book was published in 2006. However it would be nice to have a book that is timeless. That one can look upon year after year, decade after decade no matter what the current economic conditions are.
Nevertheless, “The Fast Track to Becoming a Millionaire“ incorporates a chapter on common business etiquette that will go a long way on improving one’s business prospects in this uncertain future. This Chapter in itself makes the book well worth it to any potential reader. By incorporating the characteristics that Masterson alludes to motivation, a strong character, and determination, one can indeed go very far towards at the very least developing a solid character that would go a very long way toward eventually realizing their dreams of becoming a millionaire.

This book is available from Agora Book Publishing.


Complete Story »]]> Paul Rapa A Politics-Proof Portfolio http://seekingalpha.com/article/99475-a-politics-proof-portfolio?source=feed 99475 As we get closer and closer to Election Day, there is no greater fear weighing on the public’s mind than the economy. The next U.S. President will inherit an economy in recession, with mounting national debt and systemic investment issues on Wall Street. The magnitude and scope of this financial crisis has been unprecedented, catching America off guard. Our country cries out for leadership in this time of tumult, and it will take someone with strong leadership abilities to bring America out of our current recession and into a brighter future. Hearing that call, both Presidential candidates are offering solutions on how to get the markets back on track. On some points they agree, and on many more they differ, but here we will explore how to build a portfolio that uses the coming election as a uniter not a divider, bringing together a collection of stocks that we believe will prosper no matter who is elected President of the United States of America.

Both Parties Agree: This Strategy Works

]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:34:09 -0400 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

As we get closer and closer to Election Day, there is no greater fear weighing on the public’s mind than the economy. The next U.S. President will inherit an economy in recession, with mounting national debt and systemic investment issues on Wall Street. The magnitude and scope of this financial crisis has been unprecedented, catching America off guard. Our country cries out for leadership in this time of tumult, and it will take someone with strong leadership abilities to bring America out of our current recession and into a brighter future. Hearing that call, both Presidential candidates are offering solutions on how to get the markets back on track. On some points they agree, and on many more they differ, but here we will explore how to build a portfolio that uses the coming election as a uniter not a divider, bringing together a collection of stocks that we believe will prosper no matter who is elected President of the United States of America.

Both Parties Agree: This Strategy Works


Complete Story »]]> CLNE D DSCM EXC JNJ NOC Paul Rapa Why eBay Should Steer Clear of AOL http://seekingalpha.com/article/68559-why-ebay-should-steer-clear-of-aol?source=feed 68559 It was announced yesterday that AOL (TWX) was acquiring social networking site Bebo for $850 million. Knowing that many in the United States have probably never heard of Bebo and if they have, it is far far behind Facebook and Myspace (NWS), perhaps AOL's purchase of Bebo was a prelude to being acquired by Google (GOOG). After all, Google has their own social site, Orkut, that lags very far behind as well, and would love nothing more than to combine the two.

There have been rumors circulating that AOL and eBay (EBAY) would be a very good fit. My personal thoughts is that the union would be a disaster. AOL has been plagued with problems since their merger with Time Warner. AOL has been on an acquisition phase for the past several years. However, their acquisitions has seen Time Warner price continue to plummet.TWX closed yesterday at the very low price of $14.51 share.

]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:16:48 -0400 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

It was announced yesterday that AOL (TWX) was acquiring social networking site Bebo for $850 million. Knowing that many in the United States have probably never heard of Bebo and if they have, it is far far behind Facebook and Myspace (NWS), perhaps AOL's purchase of Bebo was a prelude to being acquired by Google (GOOG). After all, Google has their own social site, Orkut, that lags very far behind as well, and would love nothing more than to combine the two.

There have been rumors circulating that AOL and eBay (EBAY) would be a very good fit. My personal thoughts is that the union would be a disaster. AOL has been plagued with problems since their merger with Time Warner. AOL has been on an acquisition phase for the past several years. However, their acquisitions has seen Time Warner price continue to plummet.TWX closed yesterday at the very low price of $14.51 share.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY TWX Paul Rapa A Solution for eBay and Its Frustrated Seller Community http://seekingalpha.com/article/67369-a-solution-for-ebay-and-its-frustrated-seller-community?source=feed 67369 Not a day passes by without word spreading of another eBay seller boycott. If you were truly to believe each seller, eBay (EBAY) is the most evil of all companies. There is never a word of praise for the company that made them what they are today. Before eBay existed, these sellers were likely selling their wares at various markets throughout the United States. Yes, they would freeze on cold days and sizzle on those days that were scorchers. If they sold their wares through trade shows, etc, they would pay steep fees. Then along came eBay and turned them all into instant business gurus. The sellers started to whine with each seller increase, albeit it a few cents there a few cents here. These sellers lambasted eBay. "How dare such a company take food from our table" was their common mantra. Little did they see the improvements on the site.

]]> Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:58:05 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

Not a day passes by without word spreading of another eBay seller boycott. If you were truly to believe each seller, eBay (EBAY) is the most evil of all companies. There is never a word of praise for the company that made them what they are today. Before eBay existed, these sellers were likely selling their wares at various markets throughout the United States. Yes, they would freeze on cold days and sizzle on those days that were scorchers. If they sold their wares through trade shows, etc, they would pay steep fees. Then along came eBay and turned them all into instant business gurus. The sellers started to whine with each seller increase, albeit it a few cents there a few cents here. These sellers lambasted eBay. "How dare such a company take food from our table" was their common mantra. Little did they see the improvements on the site.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY Paul Rapa eBay News: Skype, Oprah and Reuters http://seekingalpha.com/article/67016-ebay-news-skype-oprah-and-reuters?source=feed 67016 An excellent development occurred for eBay (EBAY) on Monday March 3rd. Skype has teamed up with Oprah and bestselling author Eckhart Tolle for an exclusive, Skype-sponsored, worldwide online class. For starters, this is huge news as it allows Skype to enter the U.S household. Oprah appeals to many viewers in the United States. Although Skype is well known in Europe and Asia, it is virtually unknown in the United States. Oprah wouldn't team up with Skype if she felt it was a fly by night outfit. Thus, I believe this is ground breaking news. One of those little cracks that fall through and barely create a whimper until millions of households throughout the U.S. begin to familiarize themselves with Skype.

]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:27:44 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

An excellent development occurred for eBay (EBAY) on Monday March 3rd. Skype has teamed up with Oprah and bestselling author Eckhart Tolle for an exclusive, Skype-sponsored, worldwide online class. For starters, this is huge news as it allows Skype to enter the U.S household. Oprah appeals to many viewers in the United States. Although Skype is well known in Europe and Asia, it is virtually unknown in the United States. Oprah wouldn't team up with Skype if she felt it was a fly by night outfit. Thus, I believe this is ground breaking news. One of those little cracks that fall through and barely create a whimper until millions of households throughout the U.S. begin to familiarize themselves with Skype.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY Paul Rapa What's Behind eBay's Settlement with MercExchange? http://seekingalpha.com/article/66710-what-s-behind-ebay-s-settlement-with-mercexchange?source=feed 66710 After several years of battles in the media and the courts, eBay (EBAY) has finally settled with MercExchange. Originally, MercExchange’s founder, patent lawyer and engineer, Thomas Woolston, argued in court that eBay was illegally infringing on various patents that he had created. One of the patents in questions was the very popular “Buy it Now" technology prominently featured on many eBay auctions. Woolston promised to do everything in his power to have the courts issue an injunction against eBay. His goal was an immediate injunction to prevent eBay from using the “But it Now” feature until they promised to pay for the license.

]]> Sun, 02 Mar 2008 02:43:28 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

After several years of battles in the media and the courts, eBay (EBAY) has finally settled with MercExchange. Originally, MercExchange’s founder, patent lawyer and engineer, Thomas Woolston, argued in court that eBay was illegally infringing on various patents that he had created. One of the patents in questions was the very popular “Buy it Now" technology prominently featured on many eBay auctions. Woolston promised to do everything in his power to have the courts issue an injunction against eBay. His goal was an immediate injunction to prevent eBay from using the “But it Now” feature until they promised to pay for the license.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY Paul Rapa Can eBay Capitalize on Kijiji's Potential? http://seekingalpha.com/article/65820-can-ebay-capitalize-on-kijiji-s-potential?source=feed 65820 With each passing month, eBay's Kijiji service continues to gain users at an unprecedented rate. Kijiji New York alone has over 22,000 ads. What is impressive is that Kijiji's ads last one week and there is a limit of 25 ads per person. Thus, the majority of ads are not from spammers. Craigslist, possibly feeling the heat, has extended their ads to last 30 plus days. Additionally Craigslist is so cluttered that one gets lost visiting the site.

Many people still do not even know that Kijiji exists as advertising has been limited. However, Kijiji's clean interface and easy to use map make it a prime favorite to overtake Craigslist in the not too distant future. Now if only eBay can make money from the site. Note to eBay: Please at least start putting some display advertising on the site. If you wait too long, there will be too many users and we will start hearing the crying whining pains of "We will boycott Kijiji if ads appear." eBay is allocating a lot of resources to Kijiji. One can also say that eBay's 25% investment in Kijiji was used to learn the classified trade. Thus Ebay needs to monetize the site and soon.

]]> Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:36:55 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

With each passing month, eBay's Kijiji service continues to gain users at an unprecedented rate. Kijiji New York alone has over 22,000 ads. What is impressive is that Kijiji's ads last one week and there is a limit of 25 ads per person. Thus, the majority of ads are not from spammers. Craigslist, possibly feeling the heat, has extended their ads to last 30 plus days. Additionally Craigslist is so cluttered that one gets lost visiting the site.

Many people still do not even know that Kijiji exists as advertising has been limited. However, Kijiji's clean interface and easy to use map make it a prime favorite to overtake Craigslist in the not too distant future. Now if only eBay can make money from the site. Note to eBay: Please at least start putting some display advertising on the site. If you wait too long, there will be too many users and we will start hearing the crying whining pains of "We will boycott Kijiji if ads appear." eBay is allocating a lot of resources to Kijiji. One can also say that eBay's 25% investment in Kijiji was used to learn the classified trade. Thus Ebay needs to monetize the site and soon.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY Paul Rapa Why is the Media Neglecting eBay's StumbleUpon? http://seekingalpha.com/article/65433-why-is-the-media-neglecting-ebay-s-stumbleupon?source=feed 65433 Has anyone out there reported lately on eBay's (EBAY) StumbleUpon? For a site that has grown to over 4.5 million users from 2 million at the time of eBay's acquisition, you think StumbleUpon would at the very least make a dent in the media. We hear news about Skype, StubHub, an occasional Shopping and Rent.com blurb. However, never a whimper on StumbleUpon.

StumbleUpon is a terrific toolbar that searches the web for your interests. You are able to discover marvelous sites that you never knew existed. When a site is presented the user can click a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Thus StumbleUpon will then retain that information and discover more sites conducive to the user's liking. Users on StumbleUpon are not only able to access websites but video sites. There is a people's tab which gives StumblUpon the potential to be similar to MySpace (NWS) and Facebook.

]]> Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:04:37 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

Has anyone out there reported lately on eBay's (EBAY) StumbleUpon? For a site that has grown to over 4.5 million users from 2 million at the time of eBay's acquisition, you think StumbleUpon would at the very least make a dent in the media. We hear news about Skype, StubHub, an occasional Shopping and Rent.com blurb. However, never a whimper on StumbleUpon.

StumbleUpon is a terrific toolbar that searches the web for your interests. You are able to discover marvelous sites that you never knew existed. When a site is presented the user can click a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Thus StumbleUpon will then retain that information and discover more sites conducive to the user's liking. Users on StumbleUpon are not only able to access websites but video sites. There is a people's tab which gives StumblUpon the potential to be similar to MySpace (NWS) and Facebook.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY Paul Rapa Why eBay Should Acquire Drugstore.com http://seekingalpha.com/article/64869-why-ebay-should-acquire-drugstore-com?source=feed 64869 Drugstore.com (DSCM), the number 1 online Health and Beauty site, would make a perfect fit for eBay (EBAY). With a current market cap of $258 million, this site can be purchased for $500 million, a small amount to pay for a company that had positive Net Income for the first time last quarter.

]]> Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:05:13 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

Drugstore.com (DSCM), the number 1 online Health and Beauty site, would make a perfect fit for eBay (EBAY). With a current market cap of $258 million, this site can be purchased for $500 million, a small amount to pay for a company that had positive Net Income for the first time last quarter.


Complete Story »]]> DSCM EBAY Paul Rapa eBay Has the Last Laugh at Analsyts' Expense http://seekingalpha.com/article/64758-ebay-has-the-last-laugh-at-analsyts-expense?source=feed 64758 Isn't it ironic how every analyst who lambasted eBay (EBAY) for acquiring Skype for 3.1 billion dollars is associated with firms that lost billions and billions in the subprime crisis (i.e: Lehman (LEH), Merrill (MER), Citibank (C), etc). At least eBay still owns Skype and Skype is growing and contributing revenues while all of these other firms are up to their necks in billions of losses. Bank of America (BAC) invested in Countrywide (CFC) at $20 per share and is now buying Countrywide for $6 per share. How is that for an investment? Are we to trust these analysts on investment advice? Just think - if one of these analysts had asked their firms to stay away from subprime and buy Skype they would be lauded as geniuses on the Street today.

]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:43:54 -0500 Paul Rapa Paul Rapa submits:

Isn't it ironic how every analyst who lambasted eBay (EBAY) for acquiring Skype for 3.1 billion dollars is associated with firms that lost billions and billions in the subprime crisis (i.e: Lehman (LEH), Merrill (MER), Citibank (C), etc). At least eBay still owns Skype and Skype is growing and contributing revenues while all of these other firms are up to their necks in billions of losses. Bank of America (BAC) invested in Countrywide (CFC) at $20 per share and is now buying Countrywide for $6 per share. How is that for an investment? Are we to trust these analysts on investment advice? Just think - if one of these analysts had asked their firms to stay away from subprime and buy Skype they would be lauded as geniuses on the Street today.


Complete Story »]]> EBAY Paul Rapa