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Showing posts from March, 2007

Coping with stress

I'm probably not the best person to have undertaken a project like this website. When I first started and everything was going smoothly, maybe then I was the guy for the job. But when rough times hit, the stress set in. A lot of people if they got an email saying "Why are my hits going down?" they'd shoot out a quick reply. Me, I'm an introvert and an email like that stresses me out and makes me want to avoid my email! Aggh! And my stress isn't just from this site. And not even all of it is bad stress. For example, my wife and I are trying to buy a house. Now, when we finally do it will be an amazing, awesome thing...but in the mean time, the process is very stressful. I need to get better at handling stress and at handling the problems associated with them as opposed to just trying to avoid them...not just with this website but with stress in general. I apologize to anyone who this has affected and hope you can understand that I am a real person wi

Windows Cleaner [PPP]

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The following is a MaceCraft.com advertisement... I'll admit I don't know much about cleaning a house. Granted, I know all the basics like doing the dishes. But let's say there's a big stain on the carpet...NOW WHAT? I have no idea...Some sort of stain remover I guess. Do we have any? Who knows?! What I am better at is cleaning the computer. Yeah, the computer needs cleaned too! Well, if you're not as knowledgable on the topic, consider jv16 PowerTools to be the stain remover of the computer world. It's also the dish detergent. In fact, it's like 20 tools in one, including a Software Uninstaller, Registry Cleaner, File Cleaner, History/MRU Cleaner etc. Sound complicated? Well, it is...I'm not gonna lie...but jv16 PowerTools makes it a lot easier to deal with.

Last Premium Blog Update

I've decided in light of things going on to remove my donate button. So, this will be the last update for a few donations I've received in the past few days. Stay tuned in a few minutes for a progress update. In the mean time, here they are: - Clickworthy Links , - Pastoral Ponderings , - Beta Blogger for Dummies

Just Moved [PPP]

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As many of you know, my wife and I have just moved. That's always fun. Gotta find a new grocery store, a new bank, a new post office, a new pizza joint...need I go on? Well, we used Google's local search tool to find a lot of these things in our new area. You type in what you want and your City, State and it brings up some choices and maps them out for you. This is probably the best form of small business advertising , just making sure your name and location is out there for the people who need it the most.

Good News?

I've come up with a strategy that should increase the Random Blog button hits again. I have no idea if this will get it back to where it used to, but it will certainly get it to more than where it's been. This process is in its preliminary stages, but I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress!

Grand National [PPP]

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The following is a Grand-National.me.uk advertisement...scroll down for more posts... Grand National is England's biggest horse racing site. Have you heard of the Kentucky Derby? Of course you have! Well, the average person in England hasn't heard of our derby, but they've certainly heard of the Grand National . Well if that's the biggest horse race in England, then this site is the biggest horse racing site. They've got everything you need to know about the race: important dates, archives of winners, this year's competitors...everything short of accepting bets on the race! (I think that'd be illegal?!) So please check it out!

Mad at StumbleUpon

It's still a great site, don't get me wrong. An excellent way to use technology to feed your boredom. The problem is they stole my Gmail Address book and spam invited everyone on there to join StumbleUpon. It told me they were going to check for those in my address book and anyone who had an account, they'd add to my friend's list. My Gmail Address book isn't just people I specially added, it's basically everyone I've ever sent or received an email from. So, sorry for the spam if you were effected!

Finances for Women [PPP]

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The following is a ReproductiveAccessSolutions.com advertisement...scroll down for more posts... Do you know in many other countries around the world it is national law that a working women receive a full paid 6 week vacation and maternity health insurance ? Well, it's not like that here. If you're a working woman, there's a fairly good chance that your company will not do this for you. Sure, they can't fire you...they have to save your job for when you come back...but there's nothing that says they have to pay you in the mean time. That's where ReproductiveAccessSolutions.com comes in...offering help and solutions to these "moms in the middle" as they have termed it.

Stumble Upon

A friend of mine introduced me to Stumble Upon this week. I had heard of the site before, but never thought to give it a go. It works kinda like the Random Blog button, except it doesn't just cycle through blogs. Well, after a day or so of using it, I've found a bunch of cool sites with it. I'll do a more in depth post about it later, but if you're interested, try it out!

Big Web Links [PPP]

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The following is a BigWebLinks.com advertisement...scroll down for more posts... Big Web Links Directory reminds me a lot of the premium blog service that I offer here on my site. Who knows maybe they stole the idea from me! Unlike a ton of other directories out there that sort results by various factors, this site sorts them by contribution amount. The idea really worked for me here, so I'm sure it's working for them. Without a doubt the great sites end up near the top, because they're the ones willing to contribute the most. You don't make a big contribution if you have a crappy site. Just look at my Top 100 list, there are some of the best blogs around on there, especially near the top of the list. So kudos go out to Big Web Links Directory for a great idea and good luck!

Bestest Blog of the Day: 03/20/2007

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Echoes of Grace ...a review by Skittles It is with extreme pleasure that I present today's Bestest Blog Of The Day to Echoes of Grace .This blog is a mixture of everything. As Grace herself says, it's "Life at it's Best and it's Worst. Headaches and Heartaches, Laughter, Fears and Anguish. Life." It's obvious that Grace has been through some hard times, which is maybe why I was drawn to her blog in the first place. In the posts Wet Fur and Dream Of Peace you can catch a glimpse of some of that. In her post The Fall she very openly discusses going through depression after losing an amazing 130 pounds. This blog has a lot more to it though. See what she has to say in Five Reasons Why I Blog . It is a testament to loss and moving on, making new friendships and the common bonds that tie bloggers together. She goes with that theme again in Blog Blessings . All bloggers will get a chuckle out of But Honey I'm Blogging . I bet you can guess what that one&

Open Floodgate [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... The following is a sponsored post. Whether you are an artist, a composer, or a writer of short stories, you probably have the same objective in mind: you want to make sure that your product is received by the general community, and that you get the maximum amount of exposure possible among shrewd and discriminating consumers that are looking to purchase exactly what you have to offer. This can be a difficult thing to do, because there are few networks available to connect consumers with artists, and that is a sad thing. Fortunately, artists, writers, and composers can now broadcast their skills and talents like never before. Plus, consumers can now access the freshest, most creative, and most unique pieces available today. How you ask? By reading further in this post! I recently found a website called OpenFloodgate while looking for art to purchase for our new home. It was one of the best sites I’ve ev

Rerun Sunday: 03/18/2007

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A Normal Life ...by guest blogger Gale from "L'esprit de l'escalier" "Who is a wise man? He who learns of all men." --The Talmud The quote from the Talmud says almost everything you need to know to know about why bazza's blog deserves a Bestest Blog nod. I found the quote on Bazza's site, A Normal Life , which abounds in common wisdom, good humor, and heart. Bazza is a humanist, and I mean that in the best sense of the word. He's one of the most genteel souls I have met in cyberspace. He has well crafted opinions on a range of topics: history, art, music, architecture, classic cars, and football, to name a few. But it's not his style to shout anyone down. Bazza lifts up the people and places he profiles in his blog and elevates other bloggers up with gracious comments. I first met bazza when he surprised me by stopping in on my book blog. See, I had designed it as a best-books-for-women site, all pink and dishy-- a place where only men co

Diamonds [PPP]

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The following is a BrilliantDiamonds.com advertisement... When I bought my wife her engagement ring, it was quite a process...an education really. There is a lot to know about Diamonds . Luckily, I was able to find a retail jewelry store where they taught me what I needed to know. However, I don't think this is the norm. A lot of places want to get you in and get you to leave with empty pockets. Luckily BrilliantDiamonds.com is willing to teach you about the four C's (color, cut, clarity, and cost). And once you learn and are ready to make an informed Diamond purchase, they have an extensive inventory for you to peruse.

More about the weather

This snow kinda blind sided us here in Jersey. A drive that usually takes me about 30 minutes took me 140 minutes today (that's 2 hours and 20 minutes). The very last part of the drive I was doing about a tenth of a mile every minute...that's only 6 miles per hour! Ugh. Glad to be home, stupid snow!

Insurance Leads [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... With the priviledge and fun of owning a new house comes the responsibility and pain of having to get home insurance. Ick, I went through this last year with getting my first car and car insurance! Well, QuotesAuction.com is offering $200 worth of insurance leads for all of your insurance needs (home, car, health, or life). I'd like to at this point apologize for the unnecessary rhyme of the last sentence. Insurance leads and insurance needs. QuotesAuction.com is a fine site for this kind of stuff and I'm sure they're not paying me to be a poet! I gotta stick to the facts, like their easy on the eyes layout and navigation.

Movin on Up

We're checking out homes in Maryland tomorrow morning--at least that's the plan--although the weather right now isn't too conducive to driving. I'm hoping it'll warm up a little for tomorrow, so we can get a chance to visit all five properties that we are interested in, and hopefully put in an offer very soon.

Find a Better Savings Account [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... Good Afternoon, Today, I'd like to encourage everyone to Compare online banking, find a savings account or checking account and earn more interest today with SavingsAccounts.com . Money can be a constant source of worry and stress, and one of the best things you can do is make your money work for you with investments. Although a savings account doesn't necessarily have the highest interest rate among all investments, it IS one of the lowest risk investments, and your money is never tied up. Now, with savingsaccounts.com you can actually find a pretty impressive interest rate, so you can earn more money from the money you've already got! It's a win-win situation, so check it out today. Thank you for reading this sponsored post.

Bestest Blog of the Day: 03/14/2007

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The Gabbatha Journey ...a review by Jessie ! The Gabbatha Journey is adding The Bestest Blog of The Day to their list of accomplishments! Josh is the man guiding The Gabbatha Journey and he is doing a fabulous job. Such a great job that I make a trip to visit each and every day! Josh has a little bit of everything on his blog. I always look forward to his pick for band of the week . There has only been one time that I haven't enjoyed his choice. In fact he has introduced me to some great bands that I hadn't heard before. If you are looking for some American Idol Predictions you can stop by and weigh in on this list. After Josh gets done with the Bestest Blog of the Day title I think he needs to be put in charge of developing new rules for the contestants on American Idol. He is already off to a good start. While Josh has a fun blog that provides an enjoyable entertainment feel the thing that stands out the most about The Gabbatha Journey is Josh himself. From the first

Lots of new posts...

I posted quite a few posts below, very informative as to what has been going on lately and everything. Please don't forget to scroll down and read em if you are interested!

Anonymous Email [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... Have you ever wanted to send an Anonymous Email ? Maybe someone from work is pissing you off and you'd like to tell them what's what without them knowing it's you. Maybe you have a little secret crush on someone and wanna let them know how you feel without disclosing who you are. It's kinda like the high tech, new age way of passing someone an unsigned note or slipping something into their mailbox. I date someone to send me an Anonymous Email and I'll try and guess who you are!

Bestest Blog of the Day: 03/12/2007

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Trav's Thoughts ...a review by Skittles ! So far my reviews have been all about the ladies. Today I decided to switch things up and review a guy's blog and the first one that came to mind was Trav's Thoughts ! Travis is 42 years old and lives in the Pacific northwest. (Kind of unspecific there, Trav.) He says this about his blog, "So here's the thing. . .I have thoughts and I'm sharing them." And share them he does! In this blog you will find examples of some very fine writing skills, fiction and nonfiction. This Manic Monday post about some gunslingers, and this Words On Wednesday post where Travis reminisces about his first date with his wife, are two great examples of his talent. If you want to learn a little bit about Travis, you can read this meme he got tagged with. He confesses to be a Taylor Hicks fan (Soul Patrol!) and there's a brief description of his battle with Hodgkins disease. You can also read his thoughts about citizens expressing

Poker Tables [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... We've been looking at some potential furniture for our potential new place. My wife likes to look for dining room tables, coffee tables, end tables, and kitchen tables. Me, I'd rather look at poker tables . Man, how sweet would it be to have a room with some video games, a poker table, and a pool table. Well, CardRoomSupply.com can help me out with the poker tables at least. They're one of the biggest supplier in the nation!

Banners

I've been asked by a few of last week's winners where the awesome banner that they can display proudly on their sites has gone to. Well, in short, it's on my desktop which has not been connected in about 10 days now. I've been doing everything I can from my wife's laptop...where I can access my email and Blogger files. Once we get settled here I'll be sure to get those banners up and I'll let you know when I do!

Central Florida Real Estate [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... If you've been looking for office or warehouse facilities in the central Florida area, then I've got the perfect company for you. They specialize in Orlando Commercial Real Estate , and they've led the business for over 20 years. This is a very diverse company with something for everyone. For instance, even if you are not looking to own real estate at this point in your life, you can check out their special section on representing tenants. So make sure you check them out. You'll be glad you did. This has been a sponsored post.

Reduced Hits

Many of you have been complaining about reduced hits from the Random Blog Button. Let me assure you that the few who have spoken up are not alone. This is affecting everyone! Without going into too much boring coding detail, the problem arose when Blogger FORCED me to switch to New Blogger. Though everything may appear to be in working order, obviously by the reduced number of hits behind the scenes it isn't working as well. There is no easy fix here. It's not like I'm being lazy or too busy to get around to type in a few lines of code and VOILA! Granted, I have been EXTREMELY busy, and this may be delaying it somewhat, but it's not easy. Basically, I need to come up with a new coding strategy to get your hits back up to normal. Not impossible, but not easy either. Like I said in a post below, I have finally finished the move and once I get my desktop set up in here (and allow a day or so for the back to unsore itself), I will be working steadfast on the problem

Sunglasses [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... I just got the overwhelming feeling today that spring is in the air. First of all we set our clocks ahead this weekend. Secondly, I am purchasing some tickets to see a baseball. Finally, Rita's Real Italian Ice is open (yummy!) That means it's time for my outfits to change. Put the old winter coat away, and get out the short sleeved t-shirts and Aviator Sunglasses . I love wearing sunglasses in the spring and summer and OpticsPlanet.net has a GREAT selection of all kinds of sunglasses (like Shooting Glasses ). I haven't gotten a pair from there yet, but with spring literally just around the corner, I'm gonna have to get a new pair from somewhere! And why not OpticsPlanet.net, they have free shipping on orders over $29.95, a great selection, and a guarantee that they have the lowest price!

Premium Blog Updates

THE MOVE IS FINALLY OVER! All of our stuff is finally in the new townhouse. My back took another beating this weekend (basically moving all 3 days, we have a lot of junk). I did find the time and the internet (which is why you'll notice there hasn't been a post in a few days) to update the premium blog listings...so here we go: New to the Top 100: 9. Critique my Blog , 42. Blog Name Removed , 43. Clickworthy Links , 50. My Life Shelly , 77. Words That Flow , 86. The Tigers, Dream Weaver, & Other Baseball Tales Moving up within the Top 100: 4. altjiranga mitjina , 15. Peggy, as she is , 26. Bible Study Blog , 28. Coffee2Go , 31. 4Simpsons Blog , 37. Grasshopper Ramblings , Falling out of the Top 100: - Spluch , - Mary Blogging Duffy , - 365 Days , - Simple Kind of Life , - Ramblings and the Likes , - WTIT Tape Radio And the new featured blog of the week is an old favorite of mine: Critique My Blog ...Billy Mac is back in business, so be sure to pay him a visit!

Life Insurance [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... One of the greatest things about buying your own home (which my wife and I are in the process of trying to do) is that you no longer have to feel like the money is going towards nothing. When you rent, you will never see a penny of that money back. But in many cases you may actually make a profit from your house when you sell it a few years down the road. But it's something you need...another thing you need once you start getting a little older is life insurance. God forbid your loved ones be stuck if something happened to you. Many life insurance companies offer you a small "surrender value" if you decide you don't need your policy any more (making an analogy, these guys are like the renters from above). Life/Viatical Settlements help you get money from your policy by selling it to investment banks. And we're not talking chump change like the surrender value, we're talking ten

Video of my dogs

I helped my wife make this video for a Pay Per Post opportunity she did yesterday (a $100 one at that, she has good luck with things like that!). Anyway, I thought you guys might be interested to see it. Enjoy!

Singles [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... Ugh, I hating being single. Even though I haven't been single since I was 16 years old, I did not like it at all. All the pressure to try and find someone new to make you happy. If I hated it that much at a young age, I can imagine how Single Parents feel. You're older, you're alone, but you've got a child (or more) to complicate matters. But of course they deserve a companion as much as the rest of us. That's where SingleMomsAndDads.com comes in, the other dating website devoted to parents! Free sign up and lots of convenient features to help find someone special.

Super Calculator

Today, one of my students asked me if there was such a thing as a super calculator. He said he tried searching for it in Google but couldn't really find anything. Though I'm sure there are probably some really awesome handheld calculators out there that can do incredible stuff, more easily and more popular are some applications you can download onto your computer and use as a calculator. The three most popular that I have experience with are Maple, Mathematica, and MATLAB. They can each do a lot more than the regular old calculators (even the fancy graphing calculators), plus they're really fast too! I wrote a program with Maple that solves Sudoku puzzles in under a second!

Caribbean [PPP]

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The following is a PayPerPost advertisement...scroll down for more posts... I think some of us living in the US take the Caribbean for granted. A nice and warm, tropical getaway that's practically in our own backyard. Well, at worst it's a cheap plane ride away. But if you live in England where are you gonna go for a tropical getaway without breaking the bank? DialAFlight.com offers Flights to Caribbean from the United Kingdom with some of the best rates around.

Bestest Blog of the Day: 03/07/2007

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Are We There Yet? ...a review by Skittles ! Have you ever been on vacation and gotten tired of hearing your kids ask Are We There Yet? I can promise you won't get tired of visiting Linda's blog of the same name! One of the first things you'll notice about her blog is the vibrant color scheme. I'm glad she kept it that way after this post where a blog reviewer advised her to tone it down. Linda is a 911 Dispatcher. You can see the dashboard she works at in this Photo Hunt meme she did. In Stay On Line.. she explains what it's like handling an emergency call from her point of view. She is the mother of two teenage daughters. One of them, Jamie, lives with Linda's ex-husband. You can feel Linda's frustration in dealing with her ex over visitation and such in Here We Go Again . In the recent post What Was That Noise.. she laughs at how sometimes her daughter, Amanda, reminds her of herself at that age. Are We There Yet? has a steadily growing fan base due