Tip of the Day

Don't forget that blogs don't usually become successful overnight. They take time to build a following and an overall presence on the web.

That's why you need to keep to your blogging schedule even if you get discouraged because you're not seeing the kind of hits you'd like. Remember that each unique post you make is another opportunity to appear in someone's Google search. It takes time to appear in Google's indexing, but once you're there you have a good shot of cathcing someone's eye and finding a new reader.

So keep posting, keep the faith and keep writing about what interests you. People are bound to notice your consistency and enthusiasm eventually!

Helium Knowledge: A Definitive Summary

Alright, I've been writing on Helium.com for about a month now, and I've formed some pretty solid ideas about

• how much money you can earn
• the quality of the content
• the future prospects for the site.

Having said that, I'm going to lay out everything I've discovered about Helium.com, what it is and what it could be for you as a writer.

Earnings

I currently have 56 articles written and earning money at Helium.com. After about a month, most of my articles are doing well in the ranking system, a bunch are number one or close to it, and a few are at the bottom of the pack because they stink.

My biggest earner is an article on insulating your home; it has earned $1.19 in one month, 50 cents of which came in one 24 hour period because it was "featured" on the Helium home page.

In time, these earnings could go up, especially as more people visit the site. But realistically, you're never going to make very much money on Helium. With a 25 dollar minimum balance required in order to request payout, it can be very discouraging to watch the pennies slowly roll in, even after amassing a good amount of quality articles.

Now, some people on the site have written a thousand articles, and I'm sure they're doing significantly better. Some of the most prolific writers at Helium could earn "tens of dollars a month" according to the CEO. But those kinds of numbers will take a long time to build, and honestly, I think your time would be better spent maintaining a blog of your own.

You can post your articles to both Helium and your blog without restriction

So some might say, why not? You'll make a little extra money by posting your blog content on Helium, and by posting your blog's address on your Helium profile you might even get some extra traffic.

But consider that for every view of your Helium article, Helium.com is making the real money while you earn a few cents every few days (if you're lucky). And for what? So you can be grouped with a massive collection of other "writers" who either cannot compose in proper English or simply don't care to?

My final assessment of Helium is that you don't need 'em: not for traffic, not for prestige, and certainly not for money.

The True Value of Helium.com

Helium.com does have it's place in the world of a budding Internet Publisher. It can be a great place to cure your writer's block. Surf around Helium, and when you see a topic that you could have written better, write it!

But maybe you should just post it to your own blog, enriching your blog's content and your bank account, and not Helium.com's.

Helium can be fun when you see your article move closer to the number 1 spot in the ranking system, but it can be frustrating and annoying when you see your article drop 5 spots below other articles that are clearly inferior to yours. And when I say "clearly inferior," I'm being kind. Some of these "articles" are literally a single word answer to some unasked question, not an article by any stretch of the imagination.

The ranking system really doesn't give you much of an idea as to how good your writing is. If some of the contributors to Helium.com rank as carelessly as they write, then the ranking system is meaningless, or worse, a tool by which the masses can anonymously attack better writing when they see it. Not that I'D have to worry about that, but you get the point.

The Future of Helium.com

I don't know whether Helium will flourish in the long term. If their success depends upon becoming a source for actual knowledge, a go-to source that people will turn to when they want information, then I can safely say that Helium.com is a sinking ship.

I wouldn't go there for instructions on tying shoes, or even hitting the broad side of a barn. I have read articles there that say chocolate isn't so bad for dogs, when really, it'll kill them. I mean, it's just plain wrong, and it wasn't even fun to read.

Helium has no real way of filtering content, ensuring quality and accuracy in their articles, or retaining good writers. Helium will never be a reliable source of useful information or good writing, and so will attract only aspiring writers, NOT information seekers. And for the sake of any information seeker who stumbles upon a Helium article, there should be a huge disclaimer: These People Don't Necessarily Have Any Clue What They're Talking About.

Use Helium as a source of inspiration for your own blog posts, by all means, but be aware that Helium won't pay much of anything and won't give you useful feedback on your writing.

Hola Amigo! Quieres Dinero?

I thought it might be cool to provide a couple links for any spanish speakers out there who would like to get into Internet Publishing.

Amigos, hay una bitácora nueva que se llama "Gane Dolares," que ayuda a personas que hablan espanol y quieren ganar dinero en internet.

Y si quieres vivir una vida mejor, la verdad es que debes aprender ingles, y pronto! Por eso, hay una bitácora que te gustará: Inside English.

Buena suerte en su recorrido a ser rico, amigo.

Designing a Logo

It's a good idea to customize your blog and give it a distinctive look, so it'll make a lasting impression on your viewers. A unique layout of graphics and design is key to standing out above all the other websites on the internet.

But how can you come up with an awesome logo to introduce your blog to your viewers?

The people over at cooltext.com provide a number of button and logo templates to help get you started. Enter your own text or title and emboss it, set it on fire, make it glow like a neon sign, or choose from any of their other cool designs. You can also make your own custom buttons, which is sweet.

Other useful sites for online text and image customization include:

• 3dtextmaker.com
• Brilliant Button Maker
• Gif Works

Porkchop sandwiches!

This is kinda old, but it's so awesome I had to post it. If you haven't seen the GI Joe parodies, you're in for a huge treat.

Feast your eyes on this. Porkchop sandwiches!!!

Unrelated Ads on your Blog?

This is a problem we've all had to deal with before. You blog about fishing and your targeted advertising is all about spa treaments, or puggles (God forbid), or Head On.

It wouldn't be that big of a deal except that your readers are interested in your content, and when your advertising doesn't relate to that content, it's less likely to interest your readers.

So what can you do?

Copy down the url of the offending advertiser, log into your AdSense account, and add that url to the filter list.

Within a few hours, the filter should take effect and more relevant advertising should be available to your readership. Everybody wins!

Holiday Posting

The holidays are a time for relaxing at home and meeting with friends and family. But don't neglect your blogs during these potentially high traffic periods on the web, or you could miss out on a lot of new visitors.

It's all too easy to sit around, eat, drink, and not update your websites. I suggest my own course of action, which involves sitting around, eating, and drinking with a laptop in front of me. The best of both worlds!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Day!

Check out the Old Time Christmas blog. The way Christmas was meant to be!

And have a Merry Christmas!

Nascar Sucks

So I'm sittin' here at 6 in the morning because I can't get a full night's sleep to save my life, when suddenly it hits me:

Nascar sucks.

Yeah that's right, I said it. I know millions of people enjoy Nascar, and they drive thousands of miles and camp out and replace their birthdays with Nascar events, but that doesn't change a damn thing.

What's that you say? Nascar is cool, and it is really I who suck?

ENHHHHHH [buzzer noise], wrong. I don't suck, Nascar sucks.

But all is not lost, Nascar. Chin up. There is a slight modification that could be made that would interest me. I would watch Nascar on TV (but I still wouldn't attend the events) if the drivers would get "co-pilots" whose job it is to disable the other cars in the race with whatever weapons and tools they can contruct out of a junk yard.

I'm talking about throwing scrap metal, pipes, old tires and maybe even towing junked cars into the road to muck up the other drivers and win glory on the racetrack.

Nascar, I know your business is struggling, so take note and save yourselves while there's still time.

ING Accounts

The days of depositing your money into a normal checking account at the bank are over. If you have money sitting in a savings account earning a typical 1 or 2 percent interest, you're losing out on some easy, automatic money.

The secret is in the ING Direct Orange accounts, which you've probably heard of on TV advertising 4.5% on the money you deposit.

I heard these commercials too, and I thought, what's the catch? So I looked into it and found out a few things.

First of all, the only drawback to an ING Direct account is that ING Direct isn't what they call a "brick and mortar" bank, meaning there's no building you can walk into and take your money, like a normal bank. That's the single "downside," if you can even call it that.

Your Orange account is FDIC insured, so there's no risk involved. It's simply a high yield savings account, with no minimum deposit, no hidden fees of any kind no restrictions on taking your money out.

In fact, your money remains in the checking account you already have.

You can make hundreds of dollars more every year just by opening an ING Direct savings account. That's the bottom line. I just took advantage of a particular offer where I opened an account and they threw 25 bucks into it just for being a new account holder.

Makes a lot more sense than the old-fashioned banks. Literally!

Look Beyond Adsense?

It may be a good idea for you to find other means of monetizing your blog besides Google Adsense.

Some blogs benefit from supplementing Adsense through programs such as Amazon Affiliates, where you can feature books and merchandise that you mention in your posts, and collect a commission if any of your readers click through your link to make their purchase.

There are other advertising affiliate programs, like Yahoo and Amazon's Omakase ads, but keep in mind that you cannot include other brands of targeted advertising on the same page as Adsense, as this is a breach of the Adsense Terms of Service.

When considering finding other means of monetizing your blog, also keep in mind that "excessive advertising" can get your Adsense account cancelled, and while there are other advertising programs out there, none pay so well as Google Adsense, so you wanna stay on their good side!

Avoiding Blogger Burnout

Consistency is one of the most important traits a successful Internet Publisher can have, especially for college students who have classes to keep up with.

The biggest killer of consistency is blogger burnout. You get to a point where it doesn't seem like you're making any progress, or you just don't feel like making that nightly post, and your all-important schedule is broken.

But you've got to maintain your schedule. This means making that nightly post even if you don't feel like it, but it also means going out with your friends when "work time" is over. You have to use your free time to relax. Blogging and updating, particularly when Adsense is involved, can become an obsession. You have to make sure you don't overdo it by forcing yourself to spend your free time away from the computer.

Carry a notebook, so if you're out somewhere and you get a great idea for a post, you can jot it down. Don't forget that living a fun and varied life can add to the flavor and perspective in your blogs.

There comes a point where you just have to be able to say, the blogs will be fine for the weekend, I'm going skiing. Or, I could spend a few hours optimizing my Adsense advertising, but I'm gonna go to the park with my dog instead. And when you return, you'll have fresh energy and ideas to help you keep to your schedule and build your Internet Publishing empire.

Making Money on the Internet: Ebay Stores

What do you need to do in order to earn a good living as an Internet Publisher? As a college student, you can be successful in this business if you have

• drive
• ambition
• writing ability
• a strategy.

The last one might be the most important. Having the right strategy can mean the difference between making a few pennies a day through Google Adsense alone, or earning an ever-increasing dollar amount through a diversified collection of websites and money-making methods.

One cash generating method is opening an Ebay store, providing items that you can find locally and making them available to customers across the country and around the world.

• Integrate your websites and blogs to feed into and promote your Ebay storefront.
• Offer to use your Ebay store to sell other peoples' stuff and collect a commission.
• Sell your old books and textbooks for WAY more than the stupid college bookstore will give you for buy-back.

Look into wholesale distributors, yard sales, thrift shops, and going-out-of-business sales. These places are treasure troves of good cheap stuff that someone, somewhere is gonna pay you more for than what you paid for it. The way you find those particular buyers is through an Ebay storefront of your own. It's just one more building block in the foundation of your Internet Publishing empire.

Open an eBay Store

Awkward Camera Work

This is completely off topic, but I couldn't believe what I just noticed on Inside the Actors Studio with Dave Chapelle. James Lipton brings up the subject of Chapelle's sketch with the Blind African American White Supremacist who doesn't know he's black.

And immediately, the cameraman zooms in on an older blind white woman wearing black sunglasses in the audience! Zooms in for a solid 6 seconds on this poor blind woman who's enjoying the show.

And I thought, that's some nice camerawork. That's pure instinct, you can't teach that.

A Workable Blogging Schedule

As you become more experienced in the art of Internet Publishing through blogging and website publishing, you'll begin to wonder: just how many websites and blogs can I juggle effectively before it all comes crashing down?

You need to be able to update and improve your blogs consistently, multiple times a day, with quality content. This may mean staying in on Thursday nights just to sit on the computer and get some posting and updating done, and you have to be willing to pay that price if you want to be successful.

It helps to develop a rigid schedule and stick to it. Write down your blogging schedule on an average day: you might post on two blogs at 6 in the morning, spend an hour or so around midday updating links and writing an in-depth piece on another blog, and then update a few more later that night. The more time you can devote to updating your blogs and websites, the closer you'll be to becoming a true Internet Publisher.

Reason # 532 to be an Internet Publisher

It's better than saying you work at Walmart.

Funny Sign

Three Chicks

Amazon Affiliation to Monetize Your Site

Not all websites are well suited for Adsense. Some pages might be bigger earners with product placements from Amazon.com.

By filling out an application and submitting your website to Amazon, in much the same way that you became an Adsense publisher, you can become an Amazon Affiliate and begin listing the Amazon products of your choice on your website.

A particularly good example of a blog that makes good use of Amazon.com links is The Science of Salvation blog. This blogger makes his daily posts, and any books referenced in those posts he provides for sale through Amazon links, thereby offering his reader the best price from a reputable company, but also making himself a decent commission from Amazon on each completed sale.

A combination of Amazon affiliation and Google AdSense may be the way to go, or some percentage in between. This is something that you have to experiment with and find out what works best for your site.

Save Money This Christmas

Buy everyone on your list books from cheap online books dealers. They're in brand new condition but most are way under 10 bucks, I'd say the vast majority are 75 cents plus like 3 bucks shipping.

Check it out. These two are used book sellers right here on blogspot:

Bessie's Books
Sarah's Used Books

Adsense Terms of Service

Once your website is approved for Adsense, whatever you do, do NOT click on any of the advertisements. Google is not kidding, and trust me, if you click on your own ads they will catch you.

After Google cancels your account, all the work you've done on your site is for nothing, because it's tough to get a new account; not only that, but if you do manage to get a new account, and you put the Adsense code on your old pages that you put so much time and effort into, they'll cancel your NEW account.

So please. Do yourself and everybody else a favor and don't click on your own ads.

But what if you click one by accident?

Simple. Make sure you report it right away as a violation to Google. Explain in professional, simple and polite terms that you clicked on your own ad accidentally, and give the day and time of the infraction.

Make sure to tell your friends and family not to click on your ads just for the sake of earning you money, either! Google will catch any kind of suspicious activity, and you have to assume that your friends and family don't know what the rules are, so just politely let 'em know. Or not so politely, depending on how good of a relationship you have with them.

It's simply not worth the risk of getting your account cancelled, so be honest and be careful what you click!

Interesting Advice

Making Extra Cash With Surveys

There are always going to be slow times with internet publishing, and everybody is looking for ways to make a few extra bucks on the side.

But you're not going to make quick cash filling out surveys. That's the bottom line.

And if you give your email address to the wrong survey site, you'll be flooded with tons of spam. Having to pick through pages of spam to find your real email gets old REAL fast, trust me.

That said, some surveys are actual scams, whereas some are up front about what you have to do and what you'll earn. Usually, what you'll earn are coupons, "prizes" of dubious value, gift certificates, etc. But not cash.

So if you enjoy filling out surveys and would like to earn points toward prizes, then by all means, go for it. But think of it more as a hobby, and not cash flow.

If you're interested in doing surveys for cash, I'd suggest looking into a local marketing or product testing firm. There are legitimate companies out there that will pay you and your friends to try new products like deodorant, shaving products, toothpaste, etc. Normally, you do have to go to the company and try the products there, so they can observe and ask you questions; but they pay quite well, too.

So check your local yellow pages and ask around. You can get paid for trying products, but it's probably not going to happen online.

Still want a puggle?

This is a sweet picture of a vicious puggle, but it's also a great example of how to promote your blog through photography.

It's hard to sell pictures, but to give them away with your blog's web address on them? Priceless! ...or at least worth a few bucks on your Adsense account.

Making Cash Online

It happens to all of us once in a while. Whether you got a speeding ticket, you wanna go skiing this weekend, or you forgot to buy one of the books for a class you're taking, we could all use some quick cash.

Here are a few great ways to make some quick cash on the internet:

Sell all your old books, music and movies on Half.com. It's affiliated with Ebay, and your user ID for Half.com can also be used for Ebay. I use Half.com myself, and there's no easier way to make a quick buck.

They pay for shipping; you simply print out a shipping label and bring your book or movie to the post office. In some areas, you can even leave the package in your mail box with some money, and the postman will take your package and leave your change. Now THAT'S postal service.

Another quick way to make money on the internet is by reselling items on Ebay. See what's selling on Ebay, then check the prices at your local discount stores. Going-out-of-business sales are great places to find cheap stuff to resell on Ebay for a profit.

Perhaps the method of making money on the internet with the most potential for earnings is Internet Publishing. Create a blog about something that interests you and equip it with Google AdSense. Post all your interesting and original ideas, home videos, and political theories, get Google AdSense to accept your website, throw the html code on there and watch the money roll in! When you can make money in your sleep, you know you're doing somethin' right. Or something illegal. But anyway...

Always be on the lookout for what you have locally, whether your own creations or the best deals at your local stores, and throw them online for a quick buck!

Blog about your Major

Can't think of a theme for your blog? Why not post about your academic major?

Essays and thesis papers are great places to find material for posts. You're also likely to get lots of new ideas and inspiration from the assigned reading for your classes.

Let's face it, your major is your area of expertise and, hopefully, the subject about which you're most passionate.

Use that knowledge and passion to write top notch posts that people are gonna love.

The Post that Makes You Famous

When you've written a really great post, sometimes it'll be picked up by a big website that features the best blogs on the web, and by linking back to your site, you're bound to get a HUGE increase in hits.

But will you be ready to harness those hits for the long term?

I was fortunate enough to be featured as one of the "Best of the Web" on "Comment is Free," the official blog of the British newspaper, The Guardian. It wasn't an amazing post (you can check it out here), but it was something that fit their bill for the day, and it sent a ton of visitors over to my other blog.

If you want to make the most of your big break when it comes, you've got to be ready for it beforehand. You want to make your new visitors "sticky" by providing them with content that they'll want to come back and see over and over again.

Make sure you've optimized your Adsense ads, and always keep a nice, clean, attractive blog. And no matter what, keep writing and improving your content, because great content is what will keep new viewers coming back "again, and again, and again," to quote the evil emperor Commodus from Gladiator.

AdSense: Maximizing Revenue

One great way to make the most of your AdSense revenue is to use the "competitive ad filter."

This function is available within your Adsense home page, under the Adsense Setup tab.

You can add the website addresses of advertisers that you want to exclude from appearing on your website, normally because they are in competition with your own page.

However, as bloggers we don't really have that much competition showing up on our Google ads. I've seen a couple advertisements appear on my page for other blogs, but they're normally specialty blogs of some kind, and if a viewer wants to head over there it's no skin off my back.

Where this filter becomes really useful is in excluding advertisements that are low profit for you. I don't want advertisements that pay me one cent for a click, because why lose a viewer for a mere cent? It's simply not worth it. So as you identify advertisements that pay next to nothing for a click, consider adding them to your filter list.

Another way the filter can help to maximize your Adsense revenue is to weed out off-topic advertising. I make no attempt to do that here, as you can see from the Britney Spears and the Replacement Windows advertising... if I've written about it, you might see it pop up, making for some awkward combinations.

But it's alright to be smarter than me. If your blog is about race cars, filter out the ads about ballet and bicycling.

Helium for Writers: Article Deleted

I recently had an article deleted from Helium.com for "meaningless content." Keep in mind that I didn't create the topic, I merely contributed an article under the given heading of "The Names of the Magi." Other people were all serious, answering things like "Balthazar, Melchior and Casper."

Here's my deleted article:

The Names of the Magi

"Frank, Joe and Tom.

"Funny story, actually. For a while, Joe wanted to be called Armatron, because he was fantastic at doing the Robot, but Frank and Tom wouldn't go along with it so Joe eventually gave up.

"They were like, "Joe, we're Magi, you have to stop doing the Robot. It was funny the first time, but now it's just getting kind of awkward." So Joe reluctantly agreed. He WAS damn good at the robot, though. No one could ever take that from him.

"Later, it turned out that Joe had been severely dehydrated, so then the whole Armatron thing wasn't so funny after all."

Deleted for "meaningless content"?! Was it off topic? Yes. Ridiculous? Yes. Meaningless? Yes.

Curiosity Killed Your Account

It can be very tempting to click on your own Adssense ads. Believe me, I know.

I mean, what exactly IS the soulmate calculator? Will this link really help me find the love of my life? Is my automobile gay? And then of course there are the "free Britney Spears and Paris Hilton videos."

Well, your prayers have been answered and so have mine. The Google Preview tool is here!

Made specifically for AdSense publishers, the Google Preview tool allows you to right click on your own page, select Google AdSense Preview Tool, and a new window will open with your page, plus a selection of sample advertisements that you can actually CLICK on and see where they go!!

The advertisers won't be charged for any clicks within the preview tool, nor will you earn money per click or inflate your page impressions.

Woohoo!

Amazon Omakase and AdSense

Whenever you get advice online about what is allowed under the Adsense terms of service and what could get your account shut down, always take it with a grain of salt.

It's fine to seek advice from blogs and other websites, but when it comes down to it, "I read online that this was okay" isn't gonna get your Adsense account reinstated.

So if you're unsure about whether something is allowed on a page with AdSense, contact Google to be safe.

That said, I'm going to give you some advice on what is and what isn't okay to have an a page with Adsense. It's okay to have a product link as an Amazon Associate on the same page as targeted advertising from Google.

But, you can't make use of Amazon's new Omakase targeted advertisements on the same page as AdSense advertisements. This will violate the terms of service and could result in your account being cancelled.

It's always better to be safe than sorry, though, so again, email Google if you're unsure about something just to be safe!

Google Changes Adsense Graphics

Some of you internet publishers out there may have noticed something different about your Adsense advertisements.

Rather than the customary "Ads by Gooooooogle" along the top of an ad, new graphics such as "Google" in colored letters and sometimes just a big animated letter "G" have been showing up.
These vary by page impression, and sometimes have the effect of making your ads less "blended" than the simple "ads by goooogle" that you probably designed your layout around.

A big colored label makes the ad stick out more than a small, simple label, especially when the new graphic utilizes a white backround on a page with a black backround. I mean come on, that's a little pushy of Google if you ask me. But it appears that testing has shown these new graphics to actually increase click-through rates.

I think any increase in CTRs may actually be a short term phenomenon. Any time you change the look of an ad, especially the heading of an ad, you're bound to make people take a fresh look at it, and maybe even change their basic feelings about checking that advertisement out based on its new "introduction" to their senses. But like anything else that heralds an advertisement on a regular basis, the jaded web surfer is likely to tune it out because of all the junk ads on all the made-for-adsense pages out there.

So in the end, if it all comes down to making a nicely blended website with useful and integrated advertising, then publisher control will trump fancy graphics any day of the week. With the possible exception of Saturdays.

Penguin Society

Checkin' That List

"You've been bad this year, HAVEN'T you. But you won't need coal to keep warm where you're goin'. Hell."

Those Zany Family Circus Kids

Ah, the humor in everyday family life. So wholesome. So true.

We're Gonna Need More Cowbell

Just a little cowbell to brighten your day. You're gonna want some more cowbell, babies.

The Amish

I recently made a trip down to Pennsylvania, and I saw lots of Amish people there. Amish people rule.

They have a custom whereby the Amish teenagers are allowed to leave their Amish communities for a while and try out regular American living in big cities, partying and going crazy, basically like an Amish spring break. This custom is known as Rumspringa. And I mean these kids get DOWN, no holds barred, "let's see what this debauchery is all about" style.

But amazingly, 99 percent of the Amish kids return to their communities to live in the Amish way, with no electricity, no TV, no cars, no NOTHING. And anything that happens on Rumspringa... well,

Animal Lovers

Saskatoon makes no apologies for it. They like eating meat. Period.

Save Money: Insulate Your Home

You're gonna think I'm crazy, and maybe I am. But I'm telling you, insulating your home is fun.

Every drafty window you seal, every door frame you patch up, is money in your pocket. How tight can you make your house this winter? You just gotta try it to find out. Plus, saving cash is always fun.

Now, I prefer the duct tape method, because it's fast, effective and awesome, but I''ll get to that later.

There are plenty of inexpensive ways to insulate your home, using things you have around the house or can easily obtain at Home Depot.

The biggest loss of heat from a home is through the windows, especially skylights or windows on the north side of the house. If your windows are old and drafty, you could save big bucks by replacing them. New windows are so far superior to the old windows present in many homes that they'll easily pay for themselves in heating costs.

You can help to improve the insulating quality of any window by sealing around the edges of the frame with clear silicone. You'll need a tube of construction grade silicone and a cheap silicone gun from Home Depot. Squeeze a generous amount into the gaps around the frame and those cold, annoying drafts are sure to stop.

If you plan on keeping your windows closed for the winter, you might want to consider buying a window insulating kit. It consists basically of adhesive and oversized saran wrap. The saran wrap is stretched across the window and secured around the frame of the window. It's so clear and smooth, you won't even notice it's there. Seriously.

This method works well for skylights, too, which are the biggest single cause of heat loss in a home. Heat rises and escapes out the skylights, so if you're going to seal anything for the winter, seal those skylights!

Here it is, my favorite method of home insulation. Duct tape. If you need a quick fix for a drafty window, get out a roll of duct tape. Cover the gaps around the frame with strips of tape, and also make sure to seal the gap around the track where the window moves up and down inside the frame. You're gonna fall in love with duct tape ALL over again when you see how well this can work.

You can also save money on energy costs by insulating the hot water pipes in your basement. Pipe insulation can be found at Home Depot, and is cheap and easy to apply. Cover all your hot water pipes, including the pipes that feed your forced hot water heating system. Now sit back and watch the energy savings roll in, you brilliant, brilliant person.

Always be on the lookout for drafts and gaps around doors and windows, and winterize any doors and windows that won't be in use until Spring.

You must be psyched. Insulating RULES, and now you've got some insulating to do.

Vacations: It's About That Time

It's gettin' cold, and it's bound to get colder. Everybody's less healthy in the middle of winter, and the best way to make the rest of the season tolerable is to take a vacation someplace warm.

Arizona is home to a colorful variety of natural beauty, sports and leisure activities, and vibrant historical sites.

Whether you're the adventurous type or simply looking for a beautiful and relaxing getaway, Arizona has something for you.

The golf enthusiast can find many world-class golf courses suited to any skill level in the Phoenix-Sedona area, designed by golfing greats like Jack Nicklaus II, Hale Irwin and Robert Trench Jones, Sr.

Got a history buff in the family? See the spot where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday fought one of the most famous gunfights in history at the OK corral in the legendary town of Tombstone, south of Tucson. Or plan a visit to one of the many authentic ghost towns dotting the desert sands of the Mojave Desert. This area of Arizona is also home to the battlegrounds of the famous Native American chieftains Cochise and Geronimo, as well as many US Army outposts that date from this time period.

Tucson itself is home to a bit of television history as well. The Tanque Verde horse ranch is the working luxury ranch/resort where the hit comedy "Hey Dude" was filmed. It's certainly worth a look, and you can go for a horseback ride through the desert at sunset while you're there.

If you're looking to make your fortune digging for gold, the Superstition Mountains may be the place for you. Less than an hour's drive north of Phoenix, the Superstitions are the home of the famous Lost Dutchman's gold mine, which is still sought after by modern day prospectors.

And of course, no American vacation is complete without a trip to the Grand Canyon in the northwestern corner of the state. The views here are spectacular year round, with horseback treks to the bottom of the canyon and rafting trips down the mighty Colorado River making this a vacation destination the whole family is sure to love.

And hey, there's nothing like a good, inexpensive domestic vacation and a few days of sun to get us through till Spring! Arizona rules.

Writing for Cash: Helium

Massachusetts-based Helium.com is an up-and-coming website that allows writers to post their articles and get paid for the ad revenue that they generate.

The revenue is based on targeted advertising through Google Adsense, but the exact figures on what a single page impression earns a writer is not revealed.

The idea is that as Helium grows, it will become a source for information-seekers, and that through their writer-based ranking system, the best articles written by the best writers will "rise to the top."

Helium is in its earliest stages, though I see a few potential problems on the horizon that will have to be sorted out. For example, the quality of writing on Helium is frequently low, as articles are not weeded out for quality except though the ranking system. Some articles appear to have been written by non-native speakers of English and some consist of a single word: yes.

Another issue I see developing is that there is no incentive to be accurate in your articles. If it sounds good, it will "rise to the top" and earn more money, whereas an article featuring accurate information but consisting only of a couple sentences may drop in the rankings. I don't necessarily see people going to Helium as a source of information when there are 10 articles on "the dangers of chocolate for dogs" and 5 of them say chocolate is alright, 5 say it's poisonous, and of those only 3 use paragraphs and punctuation.

But only time will tell whether Helium is a financial success or not.

There's no doubt, though, that Helium is free and fun to use. You can write and receive feedback on your efforts, and earn some money in the meantime. It's also a great way to come up with ideas to post to your own website, and since the rights to everything you write remain yours (you grant Helium non-exclusive rights to your work), you can do whatever you want with it.

So there's really nothing to lose, and lots of experience and good times to gain.

Stupid Movie Review: Apocalypto

The Movie Review in Question

First of all, I'm not defending Mel Gibson per se, I'm attacking a stupid movie review, linked above.

Of Mel Gibson's new movie Apocalypto, Bruce Kirkland of the Calgary Sun writes:

"As a filmmaker, Mel Gibson is an 'anti' and not a 'pro' person, so his films are violent, brutal and reactionary.

"In Braveheart, he was anti-English (with good reason, if you look at the English conquests through Scottish eyes). And in The Passion Of The Christ he was anti-Semitic (his recent alcohol-fuelled, anti-Jewish rant was no surprise). "

Hold up. All this proves is that Kirkland is an "anti" and not a "pro" movie goer. For me, Braveheart was pro-Scottish and The Passion of the Christ was pro-Christian. (Well, The Passion was more complicated than that, since there were many positive portrayals of Jewish people and one supreme portrayal of a bad Christian, ie Judas; it was more a movie about good and bad than Jewish person or non, but it's an extraordinarily violent interpretation of an historical event, and one which I wouldn't recommend seeing more than once, if at all. But that's a subject for another post.)

But I mean, is Kirkland kidding? What does it take for a movie to be "pro"? The rise in Scottish nationalism and pride after the release of Braveheart was immense; the "anti" factor, the rise of hatred for the English? Non-existent.

Kirkland continues:

"Once the chase [sequence in Apocalypto] is on, any pretense that Mayan culture will be explored is thrown out. Gibson portrays Mayans only as brainless, bloodthristy savages. "

Pretense of exploring Mayan culture? Was he expecting a documentary? I'm sure we're all distraught and concerned that Bruce Kirkland's expectations were violated, and Mel Gibson has probably taken note. But I wonder how Kirkland would carry his theory of Mel Gibson as an "anti" film maker into all this. Anti human sacrifice? Anti allowing-the-killing-of-one's-family?

All art is a story of oppositions, and hence the dynamism that compels us to the artistic experience: good versus evil, light against dark, "anti" and "pro." The story where everyone is the hero is no story at all. Ever seen a movie before, Bruce?

I don't know if Apocalypto is a good movie or not, but man, watch out for those contrived, disingenuous movie reviews that want to keep you from a movie you might actually like.

She's On Your Trail

Get them pigeons, Katie!!

Katie Pointing

Hey look, a Construction Cone!!

Katie and the Dachsund

Katie in the Park

Katie the Wirehair Pointer

Coming Later Today:

Exclusive pictures of the most high-class breed of dog in the world, the Deutsch Drahthaar.

The Drahthaar is a German hunting breed that is generally classified in the United States as a Wirehaired Pointer, although the purebred Drahthaar consists of four equal parts Wirehair Pointer, German Shorthair, Griffon, and Poodle Pointer. Quite a pedigree.

So check back for a photo essay of a day at the park with Katie the Drahthaar!

Wii have a problem...

I was playing on my new Nintendo Wii yesterday, Wii tennis actually, and there were two incidents worth hearing about.

First, you should know that once I get into something I'm into it nonstop until I get sick of it, all day long and through the night. So I was playing this tennis game for hours, kind of making a joke of the fact that I wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything else. And I was havin' a blast, just laughing and jumpin' around like an idiot for hours.

Now this started to annoy my younger sister, who kept saying she was tryin' to sleep and she had to get up early and blah blah blah. So around 8:30 she comes into the room to see if I'm sick of it yet, and I smack her in the face with my backhand. My tennis backhand, accidentally. This, needless to say, didn't go over too well.

After that I was all fired up, and by 11 PM I had been playing on that damn thing for almost seven hours straight, so my hands and arms were pretty weak and tired. So in a last ditch attempt at a power serve, I lost my grip on the damn controller and spiderwebbed my 3 month old Hitachi flatscreen. Cracked it like a broken windshield. I haven't slept since.

So anyway, keep the door locked and use the safety straps.

Awesome Vacations on a Budget

Boston Massachusetts is a great vacation destination! And getting the most out of a vacation for the least amount of money is one of the secrets to living well and acquiring wealth.

No matter what your interests, hobbies, or vacation-styles, there's something here for you.

For skiers, hikers and mountain bikers, the Blue Hills Reservation in Dedham is ideal. With over 7000 acres of forests, fields and streams during the summer, and skiing during the winter, this can be your one-stop vacation destination!

The historic North Shore of Boston is another great place for a day trip. The North Shore of Massachusetts is home to some of the best beaches, fishing spots, world class restaurants, and historic landmarks in the world.

Each small New England town, from Salem to Gloucester, is vibrant with four hundred years of rich cultural history.

Got a history buff in the family? Be sure to visit Salem village, where the infamous Salem Witch trials took place centuries ago. Stroll down cobblestone streets, board a colonial ship sitting in the harbor, tour the witch museum, or dine in one of many fine dining establishments that the city has to offer, many of them right on Pickering Wharf in Salem Harbor. You might even pay a visit to Nathaniel Hawthorne's authentic House of Seven Gables. Salem has something for everyone!

Next, be sure to tour Beverly's Gold Coast, where wealthy ship captains and leaders of industry kept their summer residences. President Taft kept his summer White House here, at what is now the beautiful Lynch Park; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Oliver Wendell Holmes lived in Beverly, and today the legendary American author John Updike makes Beverly his hometown.

Be sure to tour the coast from Beverly up toward Gloucester along scenic Route 127, stopping along the way at the numerous lands of the Trustees of Reservations and the innumerable scenic vistas by the ocean. In historic downtown Beverly Farms, spend some time exploring the exceptionally fine dining and boutiques.

In Gloucester, the historic fishing seaport of New England, you can visit the memorial to fishermen lost at sea, and the now-famous pub, The Crow's Nest, where the movie The Perfect Storm was filmed.

No trip to the North Shore of Massachusetts is complete without spending a day at Crane's Beach, in historic Ipswich. Originally the summer estate of Richard Crane, founder of Crane Plumbing, the property is now owned by the Trustees of Reservations. Spend a weekend at the luxurious Inn at Castle Hill and bask in the class and style of a bygone era, or simply relax in the sun of Crane's Beach, voted one of the 10 best beaches in the world by "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous".

Once you spend some time on the North Shore of Massachusetts, you'll want to come back year after year to take in everything that this beautiful and historic region has to offer! And you'll be psyched about all the cash that's left over.

Fast Money Online?

Here are a few great ways to make some quick cash on the internet:

Sell all your old books, music and movies on Half.com. It's affiliated with Ebay, and your user ID for Half.com can also be used for Ebay. I use Half.com myself, and there's no easier way to make a quick buck.

They pay for shipping; you simply print out a shipping label and bring your book or movie to the post office. In some areas, you can even leave the package in your mail box with some money, and the postman will take your package and leave your change!

Another quick way to make money on the internet is by reselling items on Ebay. See what's selling on Ebay, then check the prices at your local discount stores. Going-out-of-business sales are great places to find cheap stuff to resell on Ebay for a profit!

Perhaps the method of making money on the internet with the most potential for earnings is creating a successful blog, and equipping it with Google AdSense. Post all your interesting and original ideas, home videos, and political theories, get Google AdSense to accept your website, throw the html code on there and watch the money roll in! When you can make money in your sleep, you know you're doing somethin' right!

So always be on the lookout for what you have locally, whether your own creations or the best deals at your local stores, and throw them online for a quick buck!

Whoa

17 shopping days till Christmas...

Internet Publishing for College Students

If you're a college student in a liberal arts program, chances are you enjoy writing. It's also likely that you're completely broke, but you don't want to go get some crappy job in a college town that thousands of other students like yourself are competing for.

That's why internet publishing is ideal for college students. You have lots to say, you're well educated, you can write, and you know what's cool.

So why not start a blog and throw Google Adsense on there? Get inspiration from other blogs and write a few posts. Enlist the help of your friends who may have specialized knowledge in certain areas, and get them to write a few posts for you, too.

Get a feel for the potential in internet publishing and see where you can go with it.

Promoting Your Blog: Photography

It's hard to make a living selling pictures, even if you're a great photographer.

One way to monetize your artistic abilities is to provide your photos on a blog, and include your website address on the photo itself.

It's a great way to pull traffic in to your blog, and to get your name out there as a photographer.

Who knows what opportunities might arise!

Enhancing Google AdSense with Images

The Holy Grail of internet publishing: maximizing the click through rate (CTR) on your websites.

As you attempt to improve your CTR, you'll be walking a fine line between making your content and your advertising appear to be one cohesive unit, and tricking your readers into clicking the ads; ie, using AdSense as it is meant to be used and violating the terms of service.

That said, it has been proven time and again that having images next to or above your large rectangle advertising helps to improve the CTR.

Now you never want to blur the line between your own content (the images) and your advertising, but placing pictures near targeted ads is a perfectly viable means of making your ad space more attractive, and therefore more profitable!

Get that money!

New Car vs. Used Car

Here's the bottom line: there are very few cars that are worth buying brand new. Everyone knows that a new car loses thousands of dollars in value the moment you drive it off the lot.

But here's another fact. You should NEVER lease a car. You're pouring money into an automobile and you're not building equity in it as you should be. You're lining someone else's pockets.

So what's the solution? Always buy a used car. If you're willing to spend 20 grand on a new car, you're going to be shocked at the quality of car you can get for 15 thousand used. I'm talking about the difference between a brand new XTerra and a Mercedes SUV with 20 thousand miles on it.

This is one example where the right move is perfectly clear. You can spend less and appear to have spent more. You can save your money and have a nicer car.

So please. Never lease a car. Buy slightly used, look like a high roller, and be on your way to BEING a high roller all at the same time.

What Kind of Person Are You?

As you can see, we've switched gears here at Alfred's. It's all about making that cash flow.

So what kind of person are you: rich or poor?

Now I don't mean how much money do you have in your bank account. There are some people who appear rich but are actually impoverished, and there are some people who drive crappy old junkbox cars and are wealthy.

How is this possible? Simple, really. Because it's all about cash flow.

If you take your total monthly income, reduce it by your tax percentage (about 1/3 or 1/2, depending on your income), then subtract your monthly expenses, where do you stand? Are you in the red? If so, you're living the life of a poor person.

The way to live the life of positive cash flow can often be accomplished by changing your mindset. Do you want to live richly but be on your way to the poor house? Or do you want to appear less well off and actually be on your way to wealth?

Forget about the flashy car, expensive dinners, Starbucks every morning, over-the-top vacations. That money belongs in your pocket, not the pockets of a car dealer or your local Starbucks.

Monitor your daily expenses. The Starbucks run, getting lunch out every day, huge car payments: these are holes in your ship that need to be patched.

So it's up to you. Are you gonna patch those leaks, or will you go down with the ship?

Google Currency Converter

The best, safest and most accurate currency converter is provided by Google.

Sure, there are tons of currency converters available on the internet, but Google's currency conversion feature is easy to use and the most reliable that you'll find.

If you need a currency converter for your Palm Pilot, you could try the FXPilot by OANDA.

This program automatically updates itself with the latest conversion rates, and features a "cheat sheet" feature for travelers!

Now the only problem is having any currency to start with...

Cat of Wisdom

Adsense on Google Pages

I've been doing an experiment with websites created in Google page creator lately, and comparing them to a blog created on blogspot.

The first thing I've noticed is that a blog on blogspot gets WAY more traffic than a website with similar content. This may be simply because blogs are updated on a regular basis and are therefore more popular, and appear to be more current. It may also be because there is a blogspot community, whereas pages created with Google page creator are out fending for themselves in the barren wasteland of the internet.

Google page creator seems to be geared more toward people who have little to no experience with web design, and no knowledge of html code. Whereas on a blog like this, you have to do some work with html to add a custom header, Google pages is basically just cut and paste, using nothing more than Paint or Photoshop, if need be.

That said, I think Blogger is a lot more customizable than Google page creator. Blogger may be more technical, but the final results just seem a lot more solid and professional than anything I've been able to come up with on Google page creator.

Some people might like the fact that Google pages is more automated, but the downside to that is that images can slide around all over the place on their own, and things can just go really wrong really fast.

Blogger is a great way to get your information on the web quickly and in an attractive format, as well as being a decent stepping stone to more advanced web applications and design. Holla atcha boy.

Everybody's Doin' It

Increasing Traffic with Helium

No, I'm not talking about inhaling helium to make your voice higher, although that is funny and may increase traffic.

I'm talking about the new writing/information website at Helium.com that allows you to contribute your articles on a number of given titles like "Best Vacation Destinations" or "How to Insulate Your Home," or to write titles of your own if no similar topics exist.

After writing an article, your article is rated and ranked by fellow members, and in turn you rate other articles, so the best rise to the top.

The best part is, you get a share of the advertising revenue. How much you can earn depends on how many articles you write and how good those articles are, but it's not going to make you rich by any means.

Put your blog name and web address in your profile, and increase your visibility by writing a few good articles. Use the existing titles and topics as inspiration for content on your own blog during a dry spell, and make a few bucks while you're at it!

Get published instantly, and get paid for your writing!

Making the Bigtime with your Blog

When you've written a really great post, sometimes it'll be picked up by a big website that features the best blogs on the web, and by linking back to your site, you're bound to get a HUGE increase in hits.

But will you be ready to harness those hits for the long term?

If you want to make the most of your big break when it comes, you've got to be ready for it beforehand. You want to make your new visitors "sticky" by providing them with content that they'll want to come back and see over and over again.

Make sure you've optimized your Adsense ads, and always keep a nice, clean, attractive blog.

And no matter what, keep writing and improving your content, because great content is what will keep new viewers coming back "again, and again, and again," to quote the hit movie Gladiator.

Using YouTube to Promote Your Blog

One of the best parts of having a blog is coming up with cool ways to promote it.

If you like making videos or have caught something cool on film, edit it to include your web address and upload it to YouTube!

I'm sure you've seen internet movies that include a web address right on the sreen throughout the whole film, and this is a good thing. But even adding your web address as an end title is a great way of getting your blog recognized, and it's easy, too.

You'll need a video editing program like Windows Movie Maker. Upload your video footage, and click "add title" to your movie. Drag the title to the end of your film, and you've got a tag on your video promoting your website!

You can add effects to make a smooth transition from the actual video to the display of your web address. I recommend fading the video out to black, then fading your web address in from black, and fade out to black again to wrap the video up.

And remember, the better, funnier and more interesting your video, the more hits you'll get on youtube and the more people that'll come to your site!

More Adsense Tips

It's called optimization.

Once you have a blog up and running, and you've got AdSense on it, you'll probably want to get away from the skyscraper and leaderboard ad configurations. And you'll also want to configure the color patterns of your advertisements so that the ad link matches the other links on your page, the backround matches your backround, and the text matches your text.

You want your advertisements to appear as part of your page, rather than ads that scream, "Hey look at me, I'm an advertisement, IGNORE ME!" When ads stand out, your readers may develop what it known as "ad blindness," where they will focus on your content and completely ignore the advertising.

But you want to provide content as well as useful and relevant advertising as a service to your readers.

You can optimize your colors by taking the following steps.

1. Identify your blog's colors. You need to be able to identify the backround and link colors by a six digit alphanumeric code (letters and numbers) so that you can then customize your Adsense ads to use those same color identification numbers.

Go to your blog's template settings, and click on fonts and colors. From here, find the colors you want to match from your blog, click on them, and write down the color codes.

2. Match your Adsense colors to your blog. Now go into your Adsense homepage, click Adsense Setup, and select Adsense for Content. Next, select "Ad unit" and click "continue."

Now you should see a color pallet next to boxes with the six digit alphanumeric codes. Plug in the codes you've written down, and watch the new colors pop up. Make the border and backround color the same.

The more your content and advertising looks like a coherent unit, the more pleasing your website will be to the eye of your reader, and the more likely they are to make use of your advertising!

Making Money with Adsense

Everybody wants to earn money through writing, and internet publishing is a very accessible way of doing just that.

Here are a few tips for starting your own internet publishing business:

1. Start a blog. It's quick, it's easy, it's free. You'll have an instant audience. How much this audience grows is completely dependent upon your own efforts. How much time do you want to invest in writing posts? How creative can you be about promoting your blog? Do you have anything to talk about that people will want to hear about? ie, not Nascar?

2. Get AdSense. This is a fast and simple way to monetize your blog. Just write a few posts, and try to capture the breadth of the topics you wish to cover, keeping in mind that Adsense will crawl your page and find keywords from your posts, which will then determine what kind of ads will be targeted on your site.

So if you plan on having a blog about independent film making, don't write your first three posts about Walmart wedding supplies, or (God forbid) Nascar.

3. Write about what you know. Think about your interests, your field of study, your job, your passion in life. If you write about what you know and love, that will come through in your writing, and you'll actually enjoy posting frequently. It can be a highlight of your day if you write about what you love, and NOT about what you think will be most profitable (although if what you love has to do with science, personal finance, computers, or Los Angeles personal injury attorneys, you're golden.)

4. Post frequently. You want to write posts of a high quality, and yet quantity is also important as it drives up traffic. Lots of the most popular blogs post 4 to 5 times a day, and some post up to a dozen. Granted, these blogs often have teams of writers working for them, but you need to know how the big dogs play if you wanna roll with 'em.

Now I'm not suggesting that you should write posts about nothing, or worse, Nascar (last Nascar dig, I promise), but you should try to provide a few posts a day, and never go more than a few days without updating, or folks will just plain lose interest. As you probably already have. Moving along..

5. Promote your blog. Your blog is a virtual storefront for your inventory of knowledge and charm, to turn a phrase, and once you build up a few Pulitzer-level posts, you'll want to think about promoting yourself. Look into making bumper stickers with the name of your blog, so you can stick them on random cars, and also street graffiti, and maybe even streaking naked through your hometown while holding a sign with your blog's address on it.

Just kidding about the first two; the last one, use your own discretion.

6. Comment on Other Blogs. Be social in the blogosphere and make your thoughts known about other blogs by leaving them comments. Praise a blog that you admire. Keep up to speed with other blogs so you can see what everyone is talking about. You might even get some inspiration for the layout of your own blog while you're surfing around other popular blogs.

So there you have it. The foundation for your internet publishing business has been laid. Good luck, and get writing!

Puggle Feud Erupts

I've thrown gasoline on the fire that is the puggle community. Apparently, my peace offering of two days ago wasn't enough to appease the puggle gods, and they will never love me again as they love their delightful pug/beagle mixes. So I have two things to say about puggles as a breed.

1. They're not called "puggles" because they're half pug half beagle, but because they're "pugly."

2.

....Alright

That Sinking Feeling

Shipwrecks are the perfect backdrops for good times!

Puggle Outrage

Alright, so you might remember the post I made a couple days ago showing a puggle mauling an English Bulldog. Apparently, this angered many puggle lovers, who have insisted that I post a picture of a nice cute puggle, to be fair. So, to be fair,

But keep in mind that as soon as this puggle grows up, it's gonna be a vicious attack dog.

Larry Bird

Did you know Larry Bird celebrated his 50th birthday on December 7th? Well, he did!

And in honor of this momentous 5th decade of basketball greatness, here's an offer you won't find anywhere else: Larry Bird: A Basketball Legend for FOUR BUCKS.

But there's only one copy available. Somebody's gonna grab this fast.

Snow Horse

Somebody spent a long, long time on this snow horse.

Don't Play With Your Food

Somebody spent a long, long time carving this watermelon.

Rough Night

Britney out of control?

I can't believe I was posting about Iraq yesterday when Britney Spears was off getting wild and out of control.

Have you heard? It's all over the news. Since her divorce from Kevin Federline, Britney has been going crazy with heiress party girl Paris Hilton. Her fans are concerned, and rightly so.

But whether you're a fan or not, Britney is out of control, and I think this is something that needs to be addressed at the national level.

In other news, Iran is making nukes, and in Jordan, President Bush was overheard saying-- wait, hold the phone, what's this? Britney Spears is gettin' plastered!

She rides around in cars with the likes of Paris Hilton till all hours. She wore white after Labor Day. She doesn't wear underwear. Thank you, MSNBC, for bringing this to my attention.

For the latest news on Britney's comeback, check in with MSNBC. They're on top of all the most important headlines like a drunken three-toed sloth trying to work a rubix cube in Antarctica.

The Beginning of the End?

Much has been made in the media in the past day of al Malaki, the president of Iraq, "snubbing" President Bush by putting off a scheduled meeting between the two. Adding to the tensions was a government leak which called into question the abilities of al Maliki as leader of Iraq.

Today, President Bush said that we will not make a graceful exit from Iraq: "we will remain in Iraq until the job is done, as long as the government wants us there."

Now here's a conspiracy theory for you.

It's clear that we have to get out of Iraq. Everyone knows it, including Bush and Karl Rove. So could the rising and high-profile tensions mounting between Bush and al Maliki be the beginning of an orchestrated withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, at the "request" of Iraqi president al Maliki?

Hmmmmmm....

Well, you heard it here first!

11 Minute Solo

Larry Bird

"Some postmen have dogs to worry about. And some postmen have Larry Bird to worry about."

Still want a puggle?

Schwarzenegger: "His Trigger Has All the Answers"

Wow. I just saw the movie Raw Deal, with the Governator himself, and awesomely, the cover says: "his trigger has all the answers."

Now, call me naive, but I was expecting to see a movie about a man open to compromise.

Not so. But that's when it hit me. Arnold Schwarzenegger used one of his lesser known action movies as a literal blueprint for his gubernatorial agenda. I was witnessing a dramatic interpretation, on the big screen, of his gameplan as governor, 17 years before it actually took place.

The action star bursts into the State House with an automatic rifle, knowing in his heart of hearts that his trigger has all the answers he EVER gonn' need!

Well, I think we all know how this one turns out. He comes up with a few voter referenda on various issues, all of which are embarrassingly shot down, and veers miraculously to the center on everything from environmental issues to illegal immigration.

Raw Deal was a decent movie, ending with a bizarrely touching scene in which Arnold is encouraging some old dude with his physical rehabilitation. Sure enough, the guy walks, the nurse weeps. Arnold wins a second term.

Guess there's always the chance for a decent ending, however outlandish and ridiculous the story may be...

Larry Bird: Reminiscences

John shares his Larry Bird anecdotes:

"An interesting but unknown fact about Larry Bird is that when he was about 18, he hired his little brother, who was in a band at the time, to come to his b-ball games with a guitar and an amplifier. Whenever Larry went up to dunk it, his lil brother wailed so hard on that guitar that the whole place went wild.

"But one time, when he went up for a dunk and his brother wailed on that guitar, Larry fell short and didn't even touch the rim or anything, and he was so embarrassed he vowed then and there never to play basketball again."

John continues:

"So I didn't know if Larry Bird had really gotten a basketball for his Christmas present once when he was real young, and his brother and him dribbled it so much that they wore it out that day.

"But it was true, I just saw it on a TV program.

"The next day, Larry made his gym coach look like a clown when he went up and dunked on him so bad, it looked unorthodoxed. That was the first time Larry made a grown man cry, but certainly not the last."

Fascinating. Thanks John.

Discount Booksellers

You know, I can't believe I used to pay bookstore prices for my books and movies. It just doesn't make any sense. There's always someone out there who owns a perfect copy of the book and wants to get rid of it for half price, or even greater discounts, over at Half.com.

I'm doing all my Christmas shopping with Bessie and Sarah, two great online book and movie shops who sell through half.com. I just bought a sweet hardcover copy of The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, brand new, for 50% off. That rules.

They've got "book blogs" up featuring books and movies for sale, as well as reviews and anecdotes, so check these guys out and save some serious cash this Christmas.

http://bessiesbooks.blogspot.com
http://sarahsusedbooks.blogspot.com

Tip of the Day

Ever open a can of coke or a bottle of beer, and then suddenly lose all desire to drink it? Alright, forget the beer, but it does happen with coke and other drinks once in a while, right?

Well in the past, man has had simply to forget about that unused and wasted beverage, often pouring it down the sink in despair.

Sure there have been renegade souls who will leave it in the fridge to try again later. You know the type. The loner, the rebel with a very minor cause. But it ends the same way every time: a flat, stale old drink; another battle lost.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Try taking a piece of a paper towel and crumpling it into the mouth of the can or bottle, just enough to block the entrace but not so much that it falls inside.

Throw your drink back into the fridge, and when you're ready for it an hour later, it'll still be fresh and carbonated!

And that, my friend, is real.