TOPIC #5: ONLINE FANTASY SPORTS!

Every few months -- one sport ends and another sport's season begins... That's going on right now as the Basketball Season winds down and heads into the playoffs and the Baseball season starts up again.

So, another way to make some loot online -- Play AND WIN Fantasy Sports!

I know, I know -- easier said than done and, in most cases, you'll be going up against people who do this for a living -- but that doesn't mean you can't learn on the fly and try to cash in as well.

Two years ago, Fantasy Football had been something I had zero interest in.  Not anymore.  I knew nothing of what players' values, stats, abilities -- nothing.  I learned on the fly and joined two fantasy leagues.  I paid $25 per team through WWW.ESPN.COM and WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM and ended up winning one of the leagues.  

The Process:

1.  Stalk all the Fantasy Sports Bloggers and Websites -- they do this for a living -- all you have to do is mimic their pickups/drops and ideas.  

Some great sites:

www.fantasycafe.com

www.fantasysharks.com

2.  Make a List of your top picks.  Go through position's 25 best (depending on what sport you choose) and OVERALL top 100 or so.  Again, depending on the sport -- you may need more players to be familiar with.  

3.  Choose your league -- you can either do a public league through sites such as: www.espn.com or www.yahoo.com or www.cbssports.com or you can do a Private league -- so get some friends!

4.  Set your draft date!  The day of that draft -- familiarize yourself with your list.  When the draft actually takes place you'll need to know your players fairly well because decisions will need to be made quickly because of time limits most drafts install.

5.  Pick Your Team!  You'll need to come up with a strategy -- best players available or most important positions.  For example -- you'll need to decide if you take a ShortStop in Fantasy Baseball who's one of the best at his position -- but not a better hitter than, say an Outfielder.  Or an Outfielder.  The outfielder may have better stats -- but he plays a position plush with options and other players of his caliber -- this is the idea behind choosing your strategy.

6.  Once you've got your team -- GET READY FOR THE SEASON!  Guaranteed you'll want to watch more games and talk about the sport more as the season progresses and your team gets better!  

7.  Be Aware that you can always IMPROVE YOUR TEAM -- Trades and Pickups are the only ways during the season to do this.  So, checking the guru's pages, watching games, and checking out stat sheets is a great way to keep up to date with which player is killing it and which one got hurt or is slumping.  

8.  TRASH TALK!  One of the best parts of fantasy sports is that -- since you're not actually out there playing -- you can still feel proud of your team and their achievements -- so TALK TRASH as much as you'd like!

9.  WIN AT FANTASY SPORTS!  

If you're able to check off this last one -- CONGRATS!  And just remember that another sport is gearing up just as quickly as your current season winds down -- so get ready and get to it all over again!

TOPIC #4: Selling Stuff On Ebay!

There seems to be a growing theme on this site -- how to make money or save money using the many benefits of the Internet.  

Now, we're tackling the topic of MAKING MONEY THROUGH EBAY.  

Many many people do it and -- chances are -- you've even bought something on Ebay before -- so you should be somewhat proficient in its function.

www.ebay.com

The basics:

1.  Ebay is an online community where people can use it -- and businesses -- as their own virtual world flea market.  Sell what you've got.  No matter what the subject or price -- you can practically sell anything.  

2.  The process to start is simple.  First, you'll need to establish a user profile.  That's as easy as punching your name, email, and preferred user ID into the various pages on Ebay's site.  

3.  If you want to be a SELLER then you'll have to navigate to that link on Ebay's main page.  

4.  The biggest question is what do you want to sell?  The best part is that you can sell a little of any and everything.  Have old DVD's laying around the house -- sell em.  Have old books you no longer want to read -- sell em.  Clothes, gift certificates to stores you don't shop at, the list goes on and on.  You can sell em or let people bid on them..  the choice is yours.  

5.  The vital info you'll need to give Ebay is your bank account info or PayPal info.  For PayPal -- you can get that account setup at www.paypal.com.

6.  Once you've done the dirty work -- away you go.  Take a pic of your product -- and add that to your product page.  Chooses the specifics: Pricing, Bidding, Shipping Options.  

7.  WAIT... WAIT... WAIT... and WATCH WATCH WATCH.  

8.  People will -- hopefully -- check your product out and make their bids.  And before long your product will be gone and sold.  

9.  And the process -- once you've made the exchange (money for product) -- will be over.  

BUT YOU CAN MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY!

Once you've mastered the basics with your first sell -- get ready to make more money.  I suggest heading to used books stores, cd stores, dvd stores, etc.  Hit up garage sales and flea markets and purchase a wide variety of items.  Then try and sell them online.  

Some people will flip Ebay items as well.  Meaning -- they'll buy em from one user, clean em up, and sell em.  

Good luck and hope this helps! 

TOPIC #3: APARTMENT HUNTING MADE EASY!

Looking for a new place to live can be one of the most frustrating and tedious tasks one can think of.  Pictures never match the real life places, owners can be nightmares, and then there's the daunting task of actually MOVING!

Here's a list compiled of ways in which you can make your moving -- that much easier!

1.  The Online Apartment Hunt!

There are several options in this category.  If you want to pay for a site and membership - then websites such as www.westsiderentals.com can make sense.  But, in this day and age and economic hard times, free websites are building in legitimacy and options.  The best example is www.craigslist.com  The online sharing community has become the #1 place for owners and leasers to find their prospective renters and leasees.   

Under the HOUSING category -- you can find what you're looking for.  Houses, townhouses, apartments, condos.  Whatever you're looking for -- chances are there's a few dozen options to look at.  

However!  Be aware because pictures can be deceiving!  During a recent apartment hunt -- much time was spent scratching my head when thinking back to the pictures shown online and the real life images now before me.  

Just remember: Owners are looking to sell.  So, they want to lure you in with the perfect pictures and great "deals."  But, think of it as a trip to McDonald's after watching one of their commercials.  Their food looks amazing in HD, but guaranteed it won't look the same in real life.  

2.  GET OFF YOUR COMPUTER AND WALK AROUND!

This was the best and most rewarding option in my recent apartment hunt.  The computer could only yield so many options and most ended up as disappointments.  

The best way to find a place is to PICK A NEIGHBORHOOD you're comfortable in and want to move to.  And walk around.  That's it.  It's that simple.  

I spent 1 hour walking around and wrote down 38 numbers from different apartment buildings, condo complexes, and homes that were up for rent.  I called those number later in the day and set up the appointments for the following days.  And, in 2 quick days, I had found my place. 

3.  BE PICKY AND REMEMBER IT'S A RENTER'S MARKET!

Right now, owners need to fill their homes.  They're in a weak position and desperate for someone to pay decent rent and keep their income flow -- flowing.  

So -- YOU CAN NEGOTIATE!

Don't forget that.  Think of it as a flea market and make your best offer.  If you want Air Conditioning and the apartment you like doesn't have it -- tell them to install it and you'll sign on the dotted lines.  And if they say no... Find someplace else!  

Taking an hour and looking around should tell you that your options are plentiful.  So -- be PICKY and GET WHAT YOU WANT.  You don't need a Methothelioma Lawyer to negotiate either -- you can do this yourself.   

4.  ONCE YOU'VE FOUND YOUR NEW HOME -- Start Packing!

www.Uhaul.com has a list of their locations and prices.  Depending on how much stuff you've got -- rent the van or truck that best suits your needs.  You can get all your supplies there as well -- BOXES, BOX TAPE, BUBBLE WRAP, DOLLIES.  Get what you need and get packing. 

And start packing early -- think of it as an exam from High School.  If you leave too much to do before your move out day you're likely to feel overwhelmed.  But take it in doses and you'll be just fine.  

5.  FIND A FRIEND!  

It's as simple as offering a round of beer and a few slices of pizza and you should have your moving crew.

6.  ONCE YOU'VE MOVED IN...

Once you're unpacked and settled -- the next phase comes into play: Establishing a home.  

You'll need to change your address with credit cards companies, banks, the DMV, the Gas Company, Electric Company, Cable Company, Unions, Magazines and Newspaper Subscription Services, and the list goes on and on.  

Just take these one step at a time and don't feel overwhelmed. 

Soon enough, your move will be completed and your new home life can begin!     

TOPIC #2: Blogging Can Make Money!

As I have seen in the past few days, blogging is a legitimate way to earn some money online.  If online poker seems too risky -- blogging can be a free and, in many ways, more "rewarding" venture.

It's simple:

1.  Goto one of the many blogging websites: BLOGGER, WORDPRESS, LIVEJOURNAL.

They can be found at www.blogger.com, www.wordpress.com, www.livejournal.com

Choose a blog title, topic, and start writing.  And remember: It helps to be specific.  

2.  Apply for Google's AdSense or any one of the other online advertising sites (Google's seems to be best!) 

This can be tricky, but if Google approves your request -- ads can be up on your site in a matter of days.

After you've created your blog, simply go to: www.google.com/adsense

Adsense will take you through the steps to apply.  

This is the best way to earn Blogging Money.

3.  Generate Interest.  

Email friends, family, and get your voice out there -- the more your blog gets googled or yahoo'ed -- the higher your traffic.  Simply put: It's time to market your blog.  

4.  Earn Money.  Earn Your Blogging Money. 

The more traffic -- the more Page Impressions you'll generate.  The more traffic -- the more Ad Clicks you'll have -- ALL ENDING WITH MORE MONEY in your pocket.  

So, get going and get blogging.  

TOPIC #1: Online Gambling...

Most of you have either thought about it or have actually tried it.  It's a rapidly growing industry that millions of people - everyday - participate in... I'm talking about ONLINE GAMBLING.  

There exist hundreds of different types of gambling one can find online: online poker, sports betting, horse races, casino games... you can even find websites where you can bet real money on games of scrabble!

The ONLINE GAMBLING industry is booming, especially in this day and age.  People are at home more and more frequently and when they're not working - they're still looking for new ways to make money.  

Well, we checked out a variety of websites and found out the basics on ONLINE GAMBLING:

1.  Online Gambling CAN BE LEGAL.  

Of course, it depends on each individual website and each individual state/country you're playing from.  And that's the key to that answer: Where are YOU playing from?  It doesn't matter where the Online Casino resides - only where you do.  

Checks for your earnings are typically mailed from accounts outside the U.S. or through wire transfers.  Some online casinos will offer the option to apply funds back into accounts you originally withdrew from, ie. credit cards, bank accounts, etc.  

Currently, the U.S. has done little to address this issue and it has become a fairly grey area when the law is concerned.  Only Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, and Illinois have specific legislation to stop online gambling.  But that's constantly changing and recent rumors conspire that even those states may reverse their laws to allow for it... providing such websites and players pay taxes!

A great source of specific info can be found if you Google: Internet Gaming Commission.    

2.  ONLINE GAMBLING CAN BE FUN AS HELL!

I started out with $50 and within an hour had doubled my earnings.  I came back a few days later and used that money to join an online poker tournament, where I spent the next 4 hours playing in a heated competition.  But, as quickly as I won it - that's how fast I eventually lost it.  The biggest problem is that most casinos require you only "Cash Out" for larger than you start amounts.  So, if you put in $50 and get as high as $90.  You can't cash out.  You have to play more, make more, and then check out. I happen to lose every time I tried to make that last $10 to cash out.  Soon enough, that $10 become $20... $30... and before too long - I was done.  But it sure was fun in the meantime.  

3.  ONLINE GAMBLING CAN CREATE REALITY OPPORTUNITIES!

Various online poker tournaments can translate to real and huge money.  In the 2008 World Championship of Poker - winners took home MILLIONS of dollars.  The winners were invited to participate in a slew of Actual Vegas Casino tournaments and continued their trends of winning big.  

4.  ONLINE GAMBLING is... well...  A GAMBLE.  

According to an article on MSNBC, an Internet gambling site employee used codes to CHEAT in a variety of tournaments and hands and eventually won between $400,000 and $700,000.  Imagine being one of his/her innumerable victims.  There isn't any "returning of funds" or any happy ending to the guy or gal who lost $1000's because of this fraud.  It is what it is.  You lose you lose.  

  

All in all... Online Gambling is exactly how it sounds.  Be cautious.  There are hackers - ready to steal your bank account information and credit card numbers.  There are employees with codes who can cheat their way to hundreds of thousands of dollars, some of which should've been your money.  And there are more pop up ads than you can possibly fathom.  

But... if you get passed all that crap - there is fun to be had and money to be won.  It's like Real Vegas - keep away from the hustlers, the cheaters, and the distractions and you can have a hell of a time!  

A Brief Introduction:

Welcome to The Online Omniscience!

Our goal here is to tackle a wide variety of topics floating around online and either prove em' right or prove em' wrong.  

Looking to make money online?  We'll find the best ways to ACTUALLY do so!

Looking to find the most reliable news sources?  We'll help you navigate through the murky waters of online content!

Looking to kill a few hours at work?  Done and done.  

We encourage you to write in or post your queries and we'll tackle em'.  

So, welcome and let's get to work!