You’ll have to rewind the video a few times but you’ll probably come to my conclusion: Rick Santorum is a racist. He really did almost break out the n-word. In fact, it sounds like he said the whole first syllable before stopping himself.

America can forgive a lot of people but having a racist as president won’t fly. If the Republicans pick Rick Santorum as their nominee, Barack Obama will just have to play this video a few times on national television and Santorum will be toast.

Here is the Rick Santorum racist video:

Post from: EveryJoe

Some say the solution is for the government to redistribute the wealth, perhaps by taxing the top money-makers at a higher rate. Real estate businessman Trevor Bolin, author of Take Charge and Change Your Life Today (www.bolininternational.com), says there’s a better way and it’s one that will make more people happier – and wealthier.

“I went from the bottom 10 percent at age 17 to the top 2 percent at 28 by making some changes in my life,” says Bolin, who owns three realty companies in British Columbia.

“The system is very simple, but not all of the steps are easy. It requires self-discipline and changing bad habits, but it’s all possible if you follow the steps. And I promise, following through on just one will dramatically affect your life.”

Some of Bolin’s strategies:

• Commit. Vow right now that you will follow through 100 percent on every step you take toward changing your life, whether it’s making more money, losing weight or becoming a better parent. Commit to succeeding, not just surviving. Know that luck has nothing to do with it – it’s hard work, attitude and giving back. Committing 100 percent means that, if you decide to read a book on investing, you won’t quit after three chapters. If your goal is to drop 20 pounds, don’t stop after 10.

• Change your attitude. Just as negative thoughts have the power to negatively affect outcomes, so do positive thoughts. Start each day with positive thoughts, and change negative thoughts to positive ones throughout the day. This may be hard at first, but the more you work at it, the easier it gets. Rather than wake up cursing the rainy day, be grateful for it. Water is one of our most valuable natural resources, and rain is cleansing. Remind yourself each morning of all the good things in your life – your health, your home, your spouse. Tell yourself that your meeting today is going to be engaging and productive, or your job interview is going to go well.

• Figure out your “Y.” Your Y is your reason for everything. It’s shaped by the past, formatted for the present and goal-formatted for the future. It’s reflected in every decision you make. If you don’t know your Y, your decisions will be made on the basis of habit, what you learned growing up, and what your immediate needs are. But if you’ve decided your Y is that you want the peace and security of financial success, you’ll be guided by that every time you make a choice.

• Set goals. On a piece of paper write down all of your goals, short-term and long-term. Next, number them 1, 3, 5, 10 or 20 based on how many years it should take to achieve them. Losing 20 pounds? That might be a 1. Buying a new car? That could be a 3. Now, take your top five 1 goals and write down why you want them and how you plan to achieve them. Do the same thing for each set of goals. Having goals is vital and keeping them in front of you will help keep you on track toward achieving them. Most important – be sure to cross each one off as you achieve it. Take it from me, there’s no better feeling.

Paying yourself first – saving a portion of every check – and giving back to society, whether through service or philanthropy, are also key to Bolin’s roadmap for changing your life.

“It’s all about having a plan,” he says. “You can create success as long as you’re putting a plan into motion.”

Trevor Bolin owns three realty companies in British Columbia, including one in his hometown of Fort St. John, which was named the No. 1 RE/MAX small-density office in the world. He’s also chairman of Bolin & Co. International Training, which offers coaching and seminars for business people. He has served three terms on the Fort St. John City Council.

Post from: EveryJoe

1. Start a Blog
It’s free to start a blog. Even if you don’t have an audience, write everyday for the practice of it.

2. Work for Free
Be willing to work for free for the first few years. You have to get your name out there before you can expect to make money.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice
To get better at a sport, you practice. To get better at sports writing, you also have to practice. Make it a goal to write at least 2,000 words everyday.

4. Read Everything
To stay on top of the sporting world, you’ll need to read. A lot. You can’t be a sports writer unless you know everything that is happening.

5. Don’t Give Up
It’s not going to be easy. You will fail multiple times before you eventually land your dream gig. Never lose faith.

Become a Sports Writer

Post from: EveryJoe

1. Sell stuff
You probably have valuable stuff laying all around your home. Hold a garage sale and you’ll be surprised how much money you can make.

2. Donate blood and plasma
Call around and see if there are any blood banks around you that will offer money in exchange for your blood or plasma.

3. Panhandle
Yes, panhandle. Begging on the street can actually bring in more money than you’d imagine. Some panhandlers make more than $100 an hour.

4. Perform on the Street
Play an instrument or show off a talent on the street and watch the tips roll in.

Panhandle for money

Post from: EveryJoe

Identify Deductions
Before you start number crunching, be sure you know what expenses to write off; you don’t want to miss out on a single tax-deductible expense. The list is quite long, so take the time to read it thoroughly and highlight anything that applies to you. You can find the Top 500 Itemized Deductions on the IRS website.

Organize, Organize, Organize
Now that you know what to deduct, it’s time to organize the information. You’ve filed tax-related documents in a single file all year – that’s as organized as you need to be, right? Wrong. If your receipts are a hodgepodge of charitable donations, business lunches and vehicle records, take the time to separate them out. This will save you a lot of headache come input time.

Keep Track of W2s
By law, employers must submit W2s to employees by Jan. 31 of each year. If you failed to receive yours or can’t seem to locate it, contact your HR department or supervisor. File it immediately when you receive it.

Find Discounts for Software
Preparing taxes at home is much cheaper than working with a professional, but that doesn’t mean you should pay full price. Look for tax coupons from websites like CouponSherpa.com and save on software packages to make your tax prep even more affordable.

Save on Professional Help
Taxes are never straightforward, but business owners and people with multiple real estate properties are much less likely to be audited when they work with a tax professional. If you work with a chain agency like H&R Block, be on the lookout for deals and discounts; they run rampant this time of year.

Analyze Your Refund
It’s tough to compete with the glee of receiving a hefty tax return, but not owing anything to the IRS is the sweetest gift of all. If your withholdings are too high, you’re missing out on monthly income. If they’re too low, you’re living the high life until an abrupt wake-up call on April 15. Ultimately, you want to break even with Uncle Sam, so use the IRS Withholding Calculator to determine the optimal deduction from your paycheck.

Spend Refunds Wisely
It’s tempting to treat yourself when you get a refund, but the biggest treat of all is financial security. Thankfully, 43.8 percent of Americans intend to stash away expected refunds this year, up from 42.1 percent in 2011, according to the National Retail Federation’s Tax Returns Consumer Survey. Paying down debt, donating to a charity, and adding to emergency savings are all wise ways to spend your refund.

Post from: EveryJoe

“Eye of the Tiger” is owned by Rude Music Inc. and was made famous in Rocky III. Rude Music Inc. says that Gingrich has used the song ever since 2009. They reportedly have evidence that he used the song in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In addition to unspecified damages, Rude Music Inc. also wants the judge to order Newt Gingrich to stop using the song immediately.

You can listen to the song below … but be warned that it will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Post from: EveryJoe

Not only does the 30-year-old paralegal claim the sexual assault occurred, she also says that she got pregnant and subsequently had an abortion as a result of the attack.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating the allegation, and Kelly has not been charged with any crime as of yet. However, he has “strenuously” denied the charge through his lawyer.

The alleged rape occurred back on Oct 8 when the two allegedly met on the street, had drinks at South Street Seaport, and then went back to her law office (because her boyfriend was home — so they couldn’t go there).

More details are sure to come out on this story soon.

Image: WENN (Raymond Kelly and son, Greg Kelly)

Post from: EveryJoe

Though Wikipedia is going dark over SOPA/PIPA tomorrow. Many companies actually support SOPA, from ABC to Visa.

Allison Boyer of BlogWorld has a good piece about Why SOPA Scares the You-Know-What Out of Me that talks about a lot of worrisome loopholes. You should also read this article from Daily Kos about the repeated blows SOPA and PIPA suffered over the weekend.

A quick Google search will pull up tons of articles and commentary on the legislation. Read up (be sure to read the actual bills too) and form your own opinion instead of listening to what the mainstream media might be telling you.

Related posts:

• Wikipedia to Go Dark on Wednesday to Protest SOPA & PIPA

Post from: EveryJoe

Many people believe with these bills, we’d be heading down a slippery slope and the legislation could threaten free speech. Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales has decided to send a message by going dark for 24 hours on Wednesday, Jan. 18 in protest of SOPA and PIPA. Wikipedia is joining many other websites, such as Reddit, and businesses that are stopping operations for the day in an effort to increase awareness about the two bills.

Post from: EveryJoe

Lack of Updates
If you have a Twitter page for your business that isn’t updated regularly, people may think your business is unreliable. Or they may think your business is out of business.

Sounding Like Spam
If all you use Twitter for is to talk about your products without any other sort of interaction, your company may get a “spammy” reputation.

Customer Service
People may begin to use your Twitter page as a sort of customer service. Unless you have the time to answer questions on Twitter, this could quickly turn into a hassle.

Is Twitter right for your business?

Post from: EveryJoe