A place to list my thoughts on my activities and my business endeavors and so much more...
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Newgie - Ranking news to bring you what you want
Newgie.com approaches this process in a different way and it lets us the reader, determine which stories are the most Âimportantt & news worthyÂ. The news still comes from the same sources that people are used to using, but instead of viewing the news as provided by the media, we the Newgie user can view the news based on ÂnewsinessÂ. This "newsiness" is determined by our fellow Newgie.com users. By focusing on normalmmal routines and actions that people use when they read the news, Newgie concentrates on their interest in the story. The desired result should be that the Newgie user can easily find the news stories that are the most interesting, current, and of course the most important from a new worthy stand point.
Personally I think this system has some great merit. When ever I go to another "big time" news media site, I get what they think I want to see. At Newgie, I can get what we all are actually interested in, by using the methods they have developed. The site is very well laid out and easy to navigate. Signing up is a breeze and the RSS feeds are very simple to subscribe to and you can get what you are looking for and what is important to be reading.
Technorati Tags: RSS News Feeds, Newgie, News Feeds
Family and online business. Does it mix?
I have been bit by the "guru's" and their sales pitches and even had to bite back a few times. I am continuing to try to grwo my mian site into a good Adsense income that I use to supplement other activities online as I learn more about it and have been fairly sucessful with that so far. I have met and exceeded my 6 months goals and have now set a new one for the next six months which is to double the current goal.
Recently my youngest sister has approached me on whether I can help her with developing an internet income. I question my wisdom in this choice as I have agreed to give her a hand but this could be scary stuff. I sent her an eBook the other day on Adsense and the basics of using it and when I asked her if she received it or not? Her answer was "yes I did, but what do I do now"? My answer was rwad it and learn?????????? Oh boy, what did I get my self into! I'm sure she'll do fine but this may be a slow painful process! Good thing she's my baby sister.
Technorati Tags: Internet Marketing, Making Money Online, Google Adsense
Thinking about getting married? How about a PayPerPost Wedding?
Were I single I'd be standing in line for this opportunity, because if it's being done PayPerPost style, it's likely to be an event that won't soon be forgotten. If you know of someone looking to get hitched and and want to have a payperpost wedding they need to check this one out...this outta be cool!
Technorati Tags: PayPerPost Wedding, Weddings, Las Vegas Wedding
Wisdom against the pitfalls of online sales promotions
Tidbit #1 – All online marketers, and especially the really good ones, can sell you the proverbial “boat in the desert” if you let them. I consider myself a fairly well versed individual in the ploys of salesmen, but have fallen for a couple of “less than what was represented online purchases” because of my eagerness to get ahead of the curve. Don’t fall for the “he’s a guru and can be trusted” because it’s not always true. Check with the people in the forums before purchasing anything and you’ll probably be able to get some opinions from the group as to the “worth” of the product you want to purchase.
Tidbit #2 - Wait for at least a day or more before buying a product. Often these products are going to be able to be downloaded and you can get an opinion often from someone who did purchase right away. If it doesn’t feel right to you, it probably won’t be.
Tidbit #3 – If you do purchase something and it comes in the mail, don’t open it immediately. Once you do as with most software or digital products, you open it, you bought it. Leave alone for at least a day if you can to be sure it’s what you really wanted. Sometimes a restocking fee is much cheaper then that package is you bought that you really didn’t need after all (learned this one the hard way).
I will add some more to this in a later post but the same things that apply in the real world apply to online purchases as well. Buyer beware, don’t fall for the big sales pitches, and avoid “impulse buying” without the facts. There’s nothing worse than spending your hard earned dollars on another item to help you earn money, only to find out you could have gotten it free or didn’t really need it to grow your business. To your success!
Technorati Tags: Internet Marketing, Making Money Online, Buyer Beware
Sunday, October 29, 2006
PayPerPost - a short story...
He had started to monetize the blog with Adsense and was doing well with that program but thought to himself there must be another way to increase his income with another method. While perusing one of the Adsense forums he belonged to, someone mentioned a program called PayPerPost.
This was a unique program in as that you could look at the opportunities they had available, choose what you wanted to write about and get paid for doing it. There are a lot of things that can be said about PayPerPost, but in my eyes, they have all been mostly positive. I have never been sorry I joined and I happily provide links and posts for their customers. We all win!
I have earned about $330 so far and I have over $200 pending, all for writing in my blog which I would do anyway. I am glad for PayPerPost, as they provide me with some extra spending money that I can use to further promote my internet ventures. The blogger thought this was so cool! He joined the program and has lived happily ever after!
Technorati Tags: PayPerPost, Paid Blogging, Blogging For Cash
Friday, October 27, 2006
Weight loss and diabetes update...
Living with diabetes is very manageable but the problem typically only worsens over time. It starts affecting various organs in your body in an often silent way and can cause irreversible harm if not caught an managed properly. So what do I do?
Well the first thing is to learn about the disease. I have found a wealth of information on the web about this affliction that I am now adding to my repertoire of health struggles. I also am working with my doctor on this issue and the obvious first step for me is to lose some weight. I’m not morbidly obese or anything but have an over grown stomach and can easily stand to lose 30 lbs. without probably even noticing. The doctor wants me lose 60!
I have lost about 20 lbs. over the last six weeks so far and will continue to try to lose about 3 lbs. a week until I reach that goal. I am hoping that I can avoid medications for treating my problem, especially where I am just over the line of being diabetic. Time will tell, but for now eating less and getting more exercise is on the menu!
Technorati Tags: Weight Loss, Diabetes, Diabetes management
Mortage Refinancing - Good or Bad?
Getting a home loan is really not that difficult but you need to be aware of the possible pitfalls when refinancing your loans, especialy if doing so online. There many out there who would take your money in a fruadlent manner and you need to remain aware and learn how to spot them. There can be hidden costs, especially in your closing package and with processing fees, that you need to be aware of before doing business with any company doing mortgage refinancing. A place like PersonalHomeLoansMortgages.com has a lot of informational material and tools to help you with understanding and researching you next mortgage. They have an extensive mortgage directory and forums with helpful content to answer your questions. They also are affiliated with SecureTrust which guarantees compliance with FTC, DoNotCall & Can Spam regulations. You can never have too much infomation when it comes to mamanging your money.
Technorati Tags: Home Loans, Mortgage Refinancing, Mortgages
New home sales - Michigan market stabilizing...
It has been predicted for months prior to this that the bubble could burst at any time and that people were financing too much of their homes value in the hopes of generating some extra cash or paying off large debts that had accumulated. Done wisely this can be a great thing for the home owner but not done wisely, well lets hope you don't need to sell your home in the near future.
It has become a heavy buyers market for the near future it appears and while this last month new home sales has been on a slight increase, the housing market is still much slower than more recent past history. Use caution and common sense when refinancing or taking out 2nd mortgages, you won't regret the decision.
Technorati Tags: Home Loans, Mortgage Refinancing, Mortgages
Monday, October 23, 2006
Trivia Blog – The Quest For Knowledge Continues
Personally I am happy with my ignorance of trivia and knowing enough to appear intelligent without really giving away the truth. But I know a few people that are big into this information game and this site has a lot of the “obscure” trivia facts that most people could care less about but the information junkies thrive on. One of the latest posts is information on the Eiffel tower. Now unless you are French or a trivia player, I don’t care how many people died during it’s construction, but if you need to know, the answer is there.
The Aviva Directory Trivia Blog is broken up into categories, and I’m sure you can find some of those little “tid bits” of knowledge that you want to challenge those of us with less “information brain cells” on this site.
Technorati Tags: Trivia Blog, Aviva Directory, Find New Trivia Information
Fall pond or water garden cleanup chores
In our area of lower Michigan, the leaves are at about their peak right now and are quickly starting to drop. This means that already and for about the next 4 weeks, leaf litter cleanup from the pond will be a daily task until they are done falling. Unfortunately though it must be done or suffer the consequences of the mess in the spring and believe me when I say that you don’t want to have to re-balance your water PH in the spring if you don’t. I was lazy one year and it took me the better part of the spring and summer to get the PH and alkalinity back under control from all the leaf rot over winter. Needless to say, I replaced a lot of fish that year and I prefer to not have to deal with that again. http://www.wm8c.com
Take care of your pond and it will take care of you!
Technorati Tags: Fall Water Garden Care, Fall Pond, Fall Pond Cleaning
2nd Annual Home Office From Hell contest
Technorati Tags: Find Office Space, List Office Space, Office Space Contest
Injection Molding IS/IS NOT Matrix
These should not be mis-construed as the answer to all your problems, because in many cases your particular problem will require that you do a much more in-depth problem search and resolution than one of these lists will provide. But again, for the brand new process technician or engineer it can shorten the process of troubleshooting injection molding problems by eliminating some of the more obvious items that could not be. Hence the term IS/IS NOT. This matrix will help you define what your problem "IS" or "could be" and what your injection molding problem "IS NOT" or "probably won't be" when deciding what to do to solve your problem.
Finish reading this article at http://www.wm8c.com/plastic_injection_molding_xii.htm . You will find a whole serries of injection molding related articles on my main site.
Technorati Tags: Injection Molding Basics, Basic Injection Molding, Injection Molding, Learn Injection Molding, Plastic Injection Molding
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Can't see at night? How about "night vision"?
Well, even though it's illegal to hunt at night in every state that I know of for deer, it is very important to know their habits and since deer are very nocturnal and do much of their traveling after dark, it would be very interesting to know what those habits are during the pre-season scouting that one does for deer. Many people go and do what is called here in Michigan "spotting" using high powered lights to see which fields the deer are traveling around.
Well another option for this is one that many do not think about are night vision optics. These used to be so expensive that they were never a consideration by most hunters, but with the prices coming down so far now, there affordable to most average hunters today. The ability that night vision optics give you is that you now have a way to see the animals after dark but not disturb them in their natural surrounding the way that "spotlights" do. This gives you the chance to watch them do what they normally do and where the normally go, which is great information for when hunting season does finally arrive.
Optics of many types be they binoculars, hunting optics and scopes, range finders or many of the other types of standard optics that most hunters use and need for their sport, you can find them many places on the web at good prices. Good optics can mean the difference between having extra meat in the freezer after hunting season or not. The have become our "advantage" or the animals we respectfully hunt every year. There is nothing more important when hunting deer which is my favorite sport, than a good pair of binoculars, range finding equipment, and a good quality rifle or shotgun scope. To you success and good vision!
Technorati Tags: Quality Optics, Hunting Optics, Night Vision
Deer hunting update as of 10-21-06
Well the worst thing that I feel can happen to any hunter happened to me that Thursday evening. He came in upwind from me and didn't smell me, but when he hit the opening, he definitely seemed to "sense" something as he looked right at me and stopped dead in his tracks just out of range. I remained motionless and once he figured he was seeing things he started walking again. When he about 25 yards out I grunted to stop him, put the pin on the boiler room and fired. When I shot he was still looking my direction and must had seen the arrow in flight or "jumped the string" as we say and he went low. With him going low, the arrow hit high but below the back bone where there isn't really anything vital to hit. Crap! I watched him run off and disappear from sight.
I got down shortly after and found my arrow right away, as it passed cleanly through. As I feared, there was no blood trail to follow because of the high hit. I looked for almost an hour and found nothing. Finally about 75 yards from where I had shot him, I found blood where he had evidently stopped for a few minutes. There was quite a bit but as I followed that trail within 40 yards it stopped again. Another two hours that evening produced nothing more.
I picked it back up in the morning and walked everywhere along that trail and any others I thought he could have taken but there just was nothing more to be found. I probably covered a good 1/2 mile square that morning. A lost deer, and my worst nightmare. It's an unfortunate fact of hunting, but I don't like it none the less.
Technorati Tags: Archery Deer Hunting, Archery Hunting Michigan, Archery Practice, Hunting Tips
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Vonage voIP - Get your answers here
It's simple to sign up if you aren't already a member and all you need to do is go to the Vonage forum site and create a new account. It's free.
Technorati Tags: Vonage, Vonage voIPSoftware, voIP
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
HyperVRE, does it do what it says?
It wasn't long until I learned that if I was going to create multiple niche sites to bring in Adsense revenue and other sources of cash, I was going to have to change my strategies. And just like any other business endeavor, I knew I should continue to do what worked. "Repeat what works," I kept telling myself. Well - I finally figured out what worked! But the bad news was that I was still doing it all manually. It was taking me days and days to repeat the process of "what worked". Trying to create site after site was getting a little ridiculous when I'd spend over a week creating just one site. I knew that I could hang with a lot of the 'beginners' in the marketing crowd by doing things manually. But if I was going to jump one step ahead of them, I needed to change something soon.
I just checked out Matt Callens incredible software called HyperVRE, and this could be the first time that I have used a free software more than I do my other paid programs. While I could go on about the features and how they have benefited my business, I think you really need to see HyperVRE for yourself and what this software really can do. For now, he is giving this software away for free, so take a look before he starts charging for what is currently free.
Technorati Tags: HyperVRE, Adsense Site Software, Create Adsense Sites
My daughter is having a wedding!
What we learned from that first experience with planning a wedding is that you can never learn enough about how to properly plan a wedding so when the big day finally arrives, everyone won't be scrambling around trying to make sure everything is taken of and everyone can just enjoy the wedding. If you can afford a wedding planner, great but on our limited budget for weddings, it wasn't in the cards to go that route the first time and won't be for our second daughter either. That means that from start to finish, all the way to the honeymoon, the more you can learn, plan and budget ahead of time, the better off the whole event will end up to be when it the special day. The bride and groom deserve the best day you can possibly give them within your means.
When you are working on a smaller budget, they are many things you can do to save money up front, but you need to be aware of all the choices you have if you are going to that. For example, when getting your invitations, you can instead of having them printed, can be purchased or made, or you can go with a combination of both by purchasing the blank invitations and printing them yourself using one of the many programs available on computers today.
The same thing is true with the flowers and other decorations. You can go with real or imitation flowers, but you need to plan ahead on how you want to do that, and you also need to know what's available to work with. If you want to go with imitations, which often are more practical in the long run, you can make all of your bouquets up well ahead of the wedding date. This will save a lot of stress and hassle when it's time to do the decorating. If you want to go with real flowers, often depending on the time of year, discount flower warehouses are a great source of savings. The only thing that can be an issue is that you will be limited to the types of flowers available at that time of year in your area.
No matter what you want to do, you need to plan the wedding. You won't regret it and it will make the day very special for all of those involved. I don't want my daughters special day ruined because we didn't plan properly.
Technorati Tags: Wedding Plans, Bride, Groom
Our next embroidery adventure
I started pricing a number of very small enclosed trailers and the least expensive one we could find was about $1500. That trailer was 4 1/2 feet by 5 feet. We also needed a trailer that was very light so that it could be pulled around with my wifeÂs small car. So thatÂs where the DIY person inside of me once again took over. We now have finished the trailer and are ready for the show this weekend at a final cost of just over $500. With a bit of luck we can make most of that back with this weekends show.
Technorati Tags: Enclosed Trailer, DIY Enclosed Trailer, Small Enclosed Trailer
Cruising in the Caribbean and Bahamas
One resource you can use to do this is the Warm Islands website. Here you will find hundreds of articles on the countless destinations, things to do, and things to eat in the Caribbean and Bahamas for a tropical vacation. The tropical climate with a rainy season from June to September makes the beach and crystal clear waters of the Caribbean the ideal place for a family holiday or first and second honeymoon. There are a number of top hotels to choose from and the all inclusive package ensures that everything is free. From fresh fruits breakfast to evening cocktails enjoy the very extensive menu of both local and international cuisines.
Caribbean travel specials are wide ranging and it is important for potential vacationers to make thorough enquiries before finalizing on a travel package. This helps compare tour deals and find an affordable and feasible travel special. They include family fun package specials that may offer free rooms or exotic waterfront or beach accommodations at reduced rates. Others offer romance packages or single parent family specials that waiver the prerequisite of two adults in order to avail of discounted rates. Specials may offer discount rates for children's bookings and complimentary babysitting services. There are numerous packages that are also made available at special rates.
All of the major cruise lines have tour packages available to help you travel throughout the region, and you can also check their sites for their ongoing specials to book your best deal on the trip of a lifetime. If you are thinking about taking a cruise, like warm weather, blue water, and white sandy beaches, then maybe the Caribbean is worth your consideration before booking that next trip. I’d still rather go on a Canadian fishing trip, but my wife is worth the reconsideration of the Caribbean or the Bahamas too!
Technorati Tags: Caribbean Vacation, Caribbean Cruise, Bahamas Vacation
Target practice on live deer?
I have been “practicing on does that have come into the apple pile to eat though to get ready for the big shot when it does come. What do I mean by “practicing”? Well what I am doing is drawing up and placing a sight pin on the “boiler room” of the deer. I don’t release an arrow when I’m “practicing”, although I could legally take a doe should I choose to do so. By doing this, I can accomplish a couple of things. One is just getting used to drawing up on a live target because no matter how much I practice on a 3D target, it’s never quite the same. Two, it gets you used to the feeling of even the small amounts of adrenaline flowing through your body that happens to most of us when deer are close in. It gives you a chance to mentally “rehearse” your shot when it’s not a “do or die” situation rather than trying to do it only when the big chance comes and making the mistakes it’s easy for anyone to make under pressure. You can prepare mentally by reminding yourself to bend at the waist if your hunting from a tree stand when aiming, and to breath through your nose and exhale before triggering the release, and most anything else you might want to prepare yourself for. I’ve believe I could have taken 3 deer this year while practicing, although I haven’t actually added anything to the freezer. Try it next time you are in the woods. It’s just another way to be ready for the “real thing”!
One word of caution…I’ve never had it happen but make sure you can legally take any animal your practicing on just in case something went wrong and you accidentally released an arrow. I’ve never had it happen, but the chance is always there so you must be prepared for that if you decide to practice on the real thing.
Technorati Tags: Archery Deer Hunting, Archery Hunting Michigan, Archery Practice, Hunting Tips
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Playing Poker and on-line Gambling
I watched on TV now and then with shows like the "Super Stars of Poker", but I still didn't get a good grasp on the poker rules for this particular game. So the only thing to do was to go online and search for rules and hopefully a description of the strategies to play it.
What I found out is that Texas Hold'em Poker is currently the most popular form of poker to be played currently and is the type of poker played in the World Series of Poker. The game of poker has a long history. Card games are believed by some to have initially developed in China over 1000 years ago, and spread throughout the world.
Numerous variations of poker began to appear during the early twentieth-century, and Texas Hold'em poker developed out of the original Âcommunity card poker games that are first recorded around 1919. In Texas Hold'em Poker, each player is initially dealt two cards face down, and the dealer then deals five Âcommunity cardsÂ, which can be used by all players to form their hands.
Now, I'll play poker or other card games for M&M's and tooth picks, but I don't play for money because I believe that gambling in general is wrong. Not for the reasons you might think though. I don't think there is anything wrong with the games themselves, but I have an issue with a culture that promopeopleeope to risk money on things they can't afford to. Gambling has ruined countless lives because they can't stop once they started. It's just a form of entertainment, but not everyone is capable of stopping with the entertainment value of the game. Enjoy playing poker, but don't play with fire if can't afford to be burnt.
Technorati Tags: Texas Hold'em, Poker Rules, Play Poker
Chrysler 300C and 300M luxury automobiles
Know what I drove for years? A Dodge Omni. Fantastic car, but not exactly something you looked forward to when it comes to creature comforts. Enter my "children are grown" years. As the kids moved on, I decided that I wanted to treat myself to a luxury car. Two reasons I wanted to do that. Car insurance premiums aren't an issue and the payment doesn't seem so bad when you don't have to feed four kids anymore.
I decided to go with A Chrysler 300M. Why? Two reasons. I wanted to buy American at the time and I have a brother-in-law that works at a dealer that can give me some great discounts! I have had my 300M for a coupe of years now and I love it. It has been primarily trouble free and is a great ride. Someday, when I decide to trade this in, I"m thinking about going with the newer 300C. I love the look of the car and and it's a fantastic ride. Treat yourself to a nice car someday, you'll love it.
Technorati Tags: Chrysler Luxury Cars, Chrysler 300M, Chrysler 300C
Like to Drive Luxury Cars?
They provide a full line of automobiles and the aim of the specialist sales is to supply vehicles into specific market sectors. Some of those market sectors are: Police/Emergency, Chauffeur, VIP, Tax Free/Diplomatic & Security CarsBecause the majority of our sales are direct to the customer, we are able to target exactly where we aim to sell the vehicles covered under our programs.
As you enter the market of luxury vehicles, the Audi A6 and A8 are two top of the line luxury sedans that they provide such as the Saloon and the Avant. The A8 series gives the ride and comfort you would expect from the top luxury car makers of the world but it also provides a sports car feel that is unique in it's class. So if you are in the market for new luxury cars, give Audi a look, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Technorati Tags: Audi Luxury Cars, Audi A6, Audi A8
Website Article Wizard
The templates provided with the program are ok, but nothing to write home about and that's why I then also purchased these Website Article Wizard Templates from Colin Fu. He has created these templates specifically for use with the Website Article Wizard. Put both together and you have a killer combination for creating your next adsesne project. Oh by the way, Adsense is Alive! and you can get your free report to read all about it.
Technorati Tags: Adsense, Google Adsense, Adsense Tools, Make Money With Adsense, Website Article Wizard Templates, Website Article Wizard
Friday, October 13, 2006
Site Construction Management Software
If you are involved in management and more specifically in the construction industry, then you know how important it is to be able to manage your projects in real time, keep track of your deadlines and subcontractors, in general keep your customers project on time and them happy. The right way to do that in this day in age is software. For this opportunity, Procore Technologies has a unique solution to help you manage you projects.
Procore Technologies has developed an "online version" of construction project management software that you can access anywhere you can access the internet. There is no software to keep on your computer and no risk of losing vital customer information if your computer or hard drive crashes because it's all kept safe, secure, and backed up daily at Procore Technologies. All you need is a user name and password and your in. Update your project online and know that it's all going to be there available for you when you need it.
It's a fully functional professional grade project management software program that will serve your every need for your construction project, be it the addition to the home down the street or the newest skyscraper in your local city. Procore Technologies has a solution for you.
Technorati Tags: Site Construction Software, Construction Project Management Software, Online Construction Software
DIY - Do you like to build things "yourself"
Later when I was around the age of 9 or 10, I received the neatest thing since sliced bread and that was my erector set. Now this was cool! I could build giant buildings (well acouple of feet tall anyways) or cars, trucks, cranes, you name from "steel". I was now a construction worker! I was only stopped by my imagination. As I entered Jr. High and High School, I took every shop class I could get my hands on and got to play with real power tools!
As I grew older, got married, and had children, I still had a love for building things and playing with power tools. But i found myself short of funds to buy certain things we wanted or needed. This is where the DIY came in. Becasue of all of the things I learned growing up, I could now put them to use to build some of the things we wanted but couldn't afford to buy.
Now that I am older, I can typically buy most of the things we might need if we chose to do so, but it was much more fun to build it and save some money along the way. Don't be afraid of DIY. It's worth the time and effort and can save you a lot of money while doing it. I even put many of my projects on my website now to share with others and earn cash for doing that too. Gotta love it!
Technorati Tags: DIY Projects, Save Money - DIY, Do-It-Yourself
Fantasy Football League
Well now I know why. Not only does he love the sport but he has a serious love for Fantasy Football and looks forward to late summer as he fires up his league for the fall season. I got wise to his after work extra curricular activity when I heard him talking about trades that involved players from different teams. No the cats out of the bag but he loves doing it and last year he won his own league. No you can't fix it so that you can win just because you are the person running it (I asked!) as you might think. It looks like a great way to spend a little time and even make a little money while you are doing it.
Technorati Tags: Fantasy Football, Play Fantasy Football, Fantasy Sports
Joint venture learning project
This has also forced me to learn about some new subjects while doing the article research for the project so it is something I can also use for my own website as we go along. We basically are researching a niche area to do the project on, which we do by finding ten niche areas of interest. Then everyone submits their ten niches to the group and we vote on all of the choices, and the highest rating wins the project subject choice.
Then we all write articles for the chosen group niche for an ezine that we provide with the project site. The site is developed and put online for the live production. We work with affiliate programs in our niche area and hopefully as we get launched, we will start to earn so money with is then split amongst the group. What a great learning opportunity.
Technorati Tags: Internet Marketing, Joint Venture, Website Creation Project
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Epson Printers - Love them or hate them?
We have 3 PC's in our home online at any given time. The main connection to the outside world which is my computer, my wife's laptop for her embroidery business, and my radio shack (no not Radio Shack the store, but my ham radio shack) downstairs. Seems like everytime we bought a new computer they wanted to give us a "free inkjet printer" with the package because they have become so inexpensive now, that they are literally a throw away item.
My first Epson inkjet printers were a marvel of modern science to me. Having first owned and Epson ribbon printer and having a number of them where I worked at the time, it seemed only natural that we bought Epson inkjet printers to replace them. I was extremely happy with my Epson printers and until about 5 years ago, they were the only printers that I owned. The only issue I had with them at the time was how fast the cartridges ran out of ink because they were very small. I even tried as I'm sure many have done, to go the route of refilling my own cartridges to save on expense but quickly became dis-enchanted with that process.
Then about 6 years ago, HP started coming out with a series of photo quality printers that used a very "large cartridge" in comparison to the Epson cartridges. At last, as viable option! Well guess what, all good things really do usually come to an end and HP started changing to the smaller cartridges like everyone else as the higher quality printers were introduced.
Currently I have 4 working printers in my home, an Epson, two HP's, and a Canon. I think they are all great printers but they all have the same problem. They all print wonderful quality photos but they all run out of ink way too fast. Ever wonder why printers became so inexpensive? Because they don't make their money off the printers anymore, they all sell "ink"!
Technorati Tags: Epson Inkjet Printers, HP Inkjet Printers, Inkjet Printers
Instant Adsense Templates - Volume II
Well yesterday, he released the latest edition of the Instant Adsense Templates package. This group was not down loadable via the internet so I will have to wait for the DVD's to arrive to make my judgments about this set of templates and other items Joel was offering with his package. The bonus that came with the package looks pretty good this time around also.
Why was I willing to risk my hard earned dollars a second time? Because Joel showed me that he had integrity enough to deal with my dissatisfaction as a customer the last time. He appears to have addressed the issues that many of us complained about with the original set and though I will have to wait for a final judgment when they arrive via mail, I like what I see initially. Stay tuned for round two and my post on what the templates really end up being with regard to quality this time around.
Technorati Tags: Adsense, Google Adsense, Adsense Tools, Make Money With Adsense, Instant Adsense Templates, Joel Comm
PayPerPost on TechCrunch
PayPerPost is the latest to hit the blog advertising circuit and they have been doing some pretty crazy things to promote their program. I have been a part of PayPerPost for about 3 months now and I have my own opinions about blog advertising and paid blogging in general.
I blog for two reasons. The first is because I like to write about anything that interests me and that can be a diverse variety of things. If I wanted a blog that specialized in SEO, I would have created one, or maybe even something like TechCrunch. But to be honest, my first blog which is not this one, was simply in the vein of what blogging started out as and that was weblog or online journal.
Well it has evolved much since then. Many people use their blogs as their main website. Me, I use my blog for all kinds of things, I use it for talking about things that interest me, I use to talk about things I think about, and if someone is willing to pay me to review their product and then write a review on it, I'll do that too. If that makes me a non blog purist like some of the people knocking blog advertising, then I say to heck with them. My blog is for what I want it to be and not what the "true bloggers" as they like to call themselves say I should do or write about. Sell my soul for a buck, nope. Sell my thoughts for advertising, yup!
Technorati Tags: PayPerPost, Blog Advertising, Paid Blogging
Go Detroit Tigers!
The third is that "occasionally" the Detroit Tigers will produce a winning team and they won't be that way by the conventional means that most teams win by. The will be the under dog that comes from now where and beats a team like the New York Yankees in 4 games as the wildcard team. The were 10 games in the lead going into September and then they can't even win their division pennant but off they go to play the Yankees and beat the pants of of them! Last year you would have said the "Tigers who"? Last night they beat the A's who basically didn't show up to play. Speaking of which, it's almost game time for game two.
GO DETROIT TIGERS!
Technorati Tags: Detroit Tigers, Major League Baseball, World Series
ACC- do you have a favorite college?
Are you fan of Duke University or Boston College and a football fan? You can see the game you want "on ACCSelect.com". ACC Sports has it all for you so just stop by, pick your school and your sport and watch the game you've been waiting for. Or maybe your into volleyball or swimming, or maybe even wrestling. Its all on ACC Sports
Technorati Tags: ACCSelect, College Sports, Atlantic Coast Colleges
Vacation in December - where to go?
So where do we go? Luckily, living in Michigan, we are within driving distance to many warm and fun places to visit in the month of December. Places such as Florida (maybe a return trip to Disney is in order), or Texas (hmmm...Whitetail deer hunting, nope the wife wouldn't enjoy that) or even Arizona where my wife has some family we could visit.
At any rate, it's time to spend some time on the web looking for options for a trip during my winter vacation. See you in the sun in Florida! Check out my main site for your favorite hobbies, or maybe a custom embroidery item for Christmas? http://www.wm8c.com
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Looking for real change of scenery at work?
I have been working as a Process and Project Engineer for about the last 21 years now but there was a time in my career where the adventurous side of me got the best of me and I actually moved and worked in Europe for 3 years. I worked for a company called AMP which is based in Pennsylvania, and I was working in their Dutch operation in the metal stamping division. Now this came partially about because my wife is Dutch born and had family there, so that country was a natural choice for us. The culture shock was great but the learning experience was something I have never regretted or would trade even to this day.
For many of the English speaking world, that be a bit drastic so you might prefer working in the UK which would allow you to keep your main language, although I must warn you that the true English language is it's own learning experience. Michael Page is an international recruitment agency that has offices all around the world. They have all sorts of info on salary surveys, CV (resumé) writing, interview techniques and more. You can learn about requirements to owrk in the UK such as how the get a bank account, visa, and the cost-of-living for the UK. Check it out...
Technorati Tags: Working In The UK, Work In Europe, Work Overseas
Europe/US Working Capital Survey
2005 European Working Capital Survey
The latest survey on the working capital situation of the largest 1,000 European companies by sales reveals for the year 2004 a further improved performance, with a year on year drop of 3.3%. European corporations still continue to pay attention to working capital management as a way to drive liquidity and returns. Each working capital component contributed last year to the overall improvement.
A more refined working capital analysis shows a higher proportion of sectors reporting improved year on year performance, suggesting a lower magnitude in weighted reduction changes. Among those that have shown the biggest meaningful working capital improvements last year were Aerospace & Defense, Distillers & Brewers, Food Retailers and Telecoms, while Auto Manufacturers, Commodity Chemicals, Electrical Components and Industrial Diversified were flat or deteriorated.
A detailed country analysis reveals improved DWC performance across nearly every European country. Among the major economies, Italy and the UK saw the biggest working capital improvements last year, but their performance was more mixed when compared with 2002. France and Germany registered further DWC reduction, but at a substantially lower rate than in 2003.
While progress has been achieved, an initial benchmark and comparative information analysis reveals that the largest European companies still have in total close to €480bn of cash unnecessarily tied up in working capital. In addition, implementing best practice working capital strategy and processes would also result in annual cost reductions of up to €16bn, translating into an improvement of 3.2% in the total reported EBIT. The value of this cost potential would add an extra 27% to the working capital cash potential.
The introduction of Collaborative Working Capital Management would translate into further cash and operating cost opportunities that have not been factored in our above estimates. Going forward, the working capital picture is likely to be more discriminating across companies and sectors. A cause for concern is a possible management attention shift out working capital towards growing the business, the investment, and the bottom line at a time when corporate liquidity is much improved and the rate of working capital improvement reaches a point of diminishing returns.
2005 US Working Capital Survey
The latest survey on the working capital situation of the largest 1,000 US companies by sales reveals for the year 2004 a further improved performance, with a year on year drop of 2.5%. While showing a lower rate than in 2003, this means that US corporations still continue to pay attention to working capital management as a way to drive liquidity and returns. Each working capital component contributed last year to the overall improvement.
A more refined working capital analysis shows a higher proportion of sectors reporting improved year on year performance, suggesting a lower magnitude in weighted reduction changes. Among those who have shown the biggest meaningful working capital improvements last year were Aerospace & Defense, Computers, Containers & Packaging, Cosmetics/Personal Care and Food, and Broadline Retailers, while Air Freight, Pharmaceuticals and Telecoms deteriorated.
While progress has been achieved, an initial benchmark and comparative information analysis reveals that the largest US companies still have in total up to $460bn of cash unnecessarily tied up in working capital. In addition, implementing best practice working capital strategy and processes would also result in annual cost reductions of up to $23bn, translating into an improvement of 2.9% in the total reported EBIT. The value of this cost potential would add an extra 40% to the working capital cash potential.
The introduction of Collaborative Working Capital Management would translate into further cash and operating cost opportunities that have not been factored in our above estimates.
Going forward, the working capital picture is likely to be more discriminating across companies and sectors against a background of strong business activity. A cause for concern is also a possible management attention shift out working capital towards growing the business, the investment and the bottom line at a time when corporate liquidity is much improved and the rate of working capital improvement reaches a point of diminishing returns
Author: Marc Loneux
Marc Loneux is a Chief Financial Analyst at the REL Consultancy Group RELs methodology is about generating cash improvement from working capital and operations to deliver strategic flexibility and competitive advantage. Every program is customized to the needs and goals of the individual client based on an in-depth understanding of your particular industry, corporate structure and business environment.
Technorati Tags: Working Abroad, Work In Europe, Work Overseas
Latest PayPerPost controversy...
Now along comes PayPerPost. They ask me to review advertisers, advertiser products, and the advertisers pay me for doing that. I can choose what to review and what not to. This is just another way for advertisers to generate linking and advertisement for their sites and the value of those links to them can be great. So if I was willing to do this for free in the past, why would it be an issue now that I'm getting paid to do what I do anyway, and that is write about things that interest me including online opportunities, and if blog advertising is a way for me to generate some disposable income along the way, so be it.
Doesn't seem like spam to me, but just some good free enterprise. I have a metal detector that I received from an advertiser for reviewing their product and it's cool. I'll write about it any day.
Technorati Tags: PayPerPost, Blog Advertising, Paid Blogging
DIY - Build Your Own Enclosed Trailer
So what was the answer? A small covered or enclosed trailer to haul our gear and supplies around. We were looking for a fairly small enclosed trailer as we planned to pull it with my wife's Dodge Stratus and it couldn't have a lot of tongue weight and needed to be very light. We were looking for a trailer between 4 x 4 & 4 x 6. I started pricing other enclosed trailers and the smallest one we could find was 4 x 5 and sold for $1500. Not bad as covered trailers go but more than I wanted to pay.
That's when I decided to try and build one. I have a bad habit of being cheap and figured I could build something for much less. The search was on for a small trailer that we could enclose ourselves. We finally found what we were looking for at Harbor Freight and it was a 4 x 4 utility trailer that weighed in at less than 100 lbs. Perfect. Now all we had to do was find a way to enclose it to protect our gear as we traveled to different shows around the area. Read the rest of this how-to article here at http://www.wm8c.com/diy_enclosed_trailer.htm
Technorati Tags: Enclosed Trailer, DIY Trailer, Small Hauling Trailer
Thursday, October 05, 2006
VoIP Demystified
These day, most businesses today must contend with complex communications environments that feature a wide variety of communications methods. People communicate with each other through many different combinations of phones, voice messaging, e-mail, fax, mobile clients, and rich-media conferencing.
Many times these tools are not used very effectively as they should be. The resulting problem is that people end up on information overload and ineffective communication that can delay or slow decisions and reduce productivity.
By following the various links about VOIP on the site, you will quickly find that almost any question you might have will likely be found there. There are numerous topic choices and multiple pages listed with information so you are sure to find what you are looking for.
Technorati Tags: VoIP, VoIP Communications, Voice Over Internet Protocol
Michael Cheney's Newest Project
So that's what he did. He accepted our challenge and has begun working on this new project as the answer to what we requested. If you are interested, you can go here for more infomration http://www.11daystolistprofits.com . If you are just starting out, this is the place to get some great information from one of the best known internet marketers out there today.
Technorati Tags: List Building, Internet Income Opportunity, Michael Cheney, Make Money With Lists, Internet Marketing
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Gas turbine engines...how do they work?
Have you ever wondered how a gas turbine engine works? I have never honestly given it much thought until I came across a site that just happened to have a page explaining the principles behind how a gas turbine engine works, and the site belongs to Rolls-Royce. Guess what? They build more than "cars for royalty" and I never knew that either.
They have an interactive quick guide that explains the process of a gas turbine engine works and I even got to fly through one! Well not exactly, but I did get to watch a video that took me on a "tour" through the engine and how it works. It starts out from the front of the turbine and goes through the entire engine and I promise the fans won't chop you up either. Check it out and you might even learn something new like I just did!
Technorati Tags: Gas Turbine Engine, Rolls-Royce, Jet Engines, Learn About Gas Turbine Engines
Adsense update for October...
I had set some monetarty goals back in March and I have since tripled my orginal goal. Added together with some affiliate income that I've managed to scrape up I had a pretty good month and in total, exceeded my earnings goal in September by 5 times.
I also found a great piece of software to help improve your Adsense earnings. You can check it out here and it's called HyperVRE . It has help me on my quest into the world of Adsense. Oh in case you are wondering, Adsense is not dead and in fact Adsense is Alive!
Technorati Tags: Adsense, Google Adsense, Adsense Tools, Make Money With Adsense, Internet Marketing, Hit Tail