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Archive for August, 2007

The Pleasures of the Mind

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007

Spanish Proverb

“The pleasures of the senses pass quickly; those of the heart become sorrows, but those of the mind are ever with us, even to the end of our journey.”

Some people don’t see the need to improve themselves or, more especially, to improve their brains or their thinking. With regards to their mental capacity, some mistakenly believe that it is what it is.

But, we can all improve our minds. We can learn to read with more comprehension and retention. We can learn to improve our memory. We can conquer our fears.

We can achieve whatever we desire, if we put our minds to it.

As you know, there are techniques out there, such as the Law of Attraction or the Science of Getting Rich, that require a certain way of thinking.

But, to get there, you may need to train your mind to improve your focus, so you are better able to participate in those kinds of programs.

And, even if you don’t believe in those programs or ideas, it is still extremely beneficial to improve the workings of your mind.

So, if you have not done so already, please follow the links in this post and try some of the exercises described therein.

I would love to hear back about your results!

Posted in Brain Power | 1 Comment »

Updating the Hot Blogs

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

Tonight, I’ve updated my listing of Hot Blogs.

My initial list was of sites that I read most often. Since starting it, I’ve discovered that I don’t read all of them that often. On top of that, I wanted to make room for those blogs that I read who also enjoy reading my blog (and link to me.)

Motivated self-interest or just sharing the link love? I’ll leave that to you to decide.

Since I’ve pretty much already forgotten who I deleted (though they all remain in the Blogs O’Plenty list), here are the new ones I have added:

ChrisBlogging: I’ve had his arch-nemesis Chris Bloczynski dot Com listed, but not him, despite the fact I read both almost daily. And, to crank up the guilt factor, I’ll point out that only one of them links back to me.

Exit 78: New* blog discovered last week.

I Do Things: New blog discovered through the Drunken Virals. She makes burgers and links to me, so that’s makes a good blog in my book.

The Laidback Buddhist: I linked to one of her posts. She linked to my blog. I added her to the Drunken Virals. She commented here. Now I am linking to her blog. By my count, I’m ahead 3 to 2. Oops–almost forgot–I commented on her blog. That puts me in the lead 4 to 2. Not sure why I’m keeping score. Maybe I’m just mentally preparing for the next dueling review…

So, now all the rest of you know what it takes to be in my list of Hot Blogs. That means some of you are on some shaky ground, eh? And, that also means potential opportunity for someone that wants to knock someone else out of the list.

*New to me. It’s actually been around for two years.

On another topic…

Back on July 28th, I wrote: “Right now, the #1 result on a Google search for “dcr blogs” is the Davis College Republicans, but I’ll knock them out of that spot soon enough.” Well, check it out for yourself, and see who’s at #1 (and #2!) and who has been knocked down to #3. That’s right, I single-handedly knocked the Republican Party down not just one but two notches. Four notches if you want to count the supplemental results. Three weeks. Count ‘em and weep. Who rules the blogosphere now? Doug will probably enjoy that.

Posted in Blogging | 14 Comments »

3 Tips for Better Proofreading

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

I have previously mentioned the importance of proofreading your comments, and countless other blogs have hammered home the importance of proofreading your posts.

For those of you who now realize the importance of proofreading, here are three tips that can help you become a better proofreader.

1) Step Away. Take a break and walk away from your post (or comment) for a few minutes. If it’s not time-critical, save it and wait a day before proofreading. The important thing is to get your mind off it for a short period. When something is fresh in your mind, you have a tendency to read what you meant to write instead of what you actually typed. Flushing it from your mind with some other thought or activity can reduce that tendency by a significant amount.

2) Use Word Processor Tools. Write your post in a word processing program, and then use the program’s spell-check feature to check for errors. You still need to proofread carefully so as not to miss things the spell-check may overlook, such as correctly spelled words used incorrectly.

3) Read It Backwards. This is my favorite. Read your post backwards. Start with the last word and work your way through the text backwards. Mind you, you don’t want to read the individual words backwards, just the text. For example, you wouldn’t read the last sentence like this: “.txet eht tsuj ,sdrawkcab…” That wouldn’t make any sense! No, you’ll read it like this: “text. the just backwards, words individual…” This way, you are focusing on the individual words (and their spelling) rather than the content. This way, too, you reduce the tendency (by a very significant degree in this case!!!) to read what you meant to write rather than what you actually typed.

I don’t remember where I learned the last tip, but it’s one I have used for years.

I hope these tips help you in your proofreading!

Posted in Blogging | 6 Comments »

Not So Secret

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
–Mark XI:24

By thought, the thing you want is brought to you. By action, you receive it.
–Wallace D. Wattles

When you make a failure it is because you have not asked for enough. Keep on, and a larger thing than you were seeking will certainly come to you.
–Wallace D. Wattles

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
–Napoleon Hill

There has been much ado as of late about “The Secret.”

But, calling it “The Secret” is more a marketing ploy than a realistic description. It is no secret. It hasn’t been whispered among an elite few from generation to generation. It has been right there in the open all along, as the quotes above show.

The only secret is that there is no secret. Success requires thought and hard work.

Thought alone will not help you. Wishful thinking and daydreaming of riches and glory will never amount to anything more than that.

Hard work alone will not achieve success. Plenty of people work hard each and every day, yet never rise far above their position.

Success takes thought plus action. Neither alone will achieve success.

Think. Act. Achieve.

Or, perhaps it might be better said:

Believe. Act. Achieve.

Remember, BAA! Whenever you lose your way (like a lost sheep), remember to BAA!

Posted in Motivation | 3 Comments »

I am Rich!

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007

According to my spam, I am now rich! Woohoo!

I am removing the Short Term Goal of a new computer and software from my sidebar. I’ll just get that out of my $300,000 when I earn that.

Instead, I am going to replace that with my Money from Spam counter, where I will track how much “money” I have made thanks to spam.

I figure this may be more interesting than counting down to a new computer and software.

Today, I received in my spam, an offer from a law firm who will pay me $54,020.00 for referring a sufficient number of people to them in a year’s time. Good as gold, right? So, that goes into the count.

Also, I am pleased to announce that I have won the European Email ID Lottery with a prize of $1,000,000 Euros. According to a currency exchange calculator I used minutes ago, that is $1,346,196.84 dollars. Gotta love that exchange rate!

I am up to $1,400,216.84 just for reading my eMail. Cool, eh?

On top of that, I have been approved for a loan of $243,000.00.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Posted in Internet | 13 Comments »

Be Unreasonable

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007

Here is a quote that I have liked for a long time:

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
–George Bernard Shaw
Maxims for Revolutionists

It’s interesting where that quote keeps popping up. Most recently, I read it in The 4-Hour Workweek, the book I won from Chris Bloczynski dot Com.

By the way, be sure you don’t forget about my “$15 for Fame” drawing!!!

Posted in Motivation | 4 Comments »

Half Here!

Monday, August 20th, 2007

Sorry for the lack of posts today. My Internet provider is having problems this evening, and I can only reach about half the sites I try to reach.

Curiously, I can reach sites where I can spend money, but not the sites where I can check to see if I’ve made any money. Conspiracy?

Nah. Probably something to do with the thunderstorms this evening. They didn’t hit us, but they affected the surrounding areas. And, if I could actually check the weather websites, I might have a better idea as to what areas were hit. At this point, I’m guessing perhaps that the storms had some effect on the Internet service.

Or, it could be coincidence.

At any rate, hard to do much online when you can’t browse many websites!

Posted in Internet | 2 Comments »

Why the Buy-Me-a-Beer Plugin is Not “Internet Panhandling”

Sunday, August 19th, 2007

In what is no doubt a linkbait scheme, blogger Ben Cook writes, “…I just can’t get past the fact that you’re essentially panhandling. Instead of a busy street corner you’re using your blog. Instead of a hat or a cup of change, you’re using this plugin. Bottom line though, you’re begging for money.”

To answer those that argue they are providing a valuable service to their readers, he has this to say, “It’s either valuable or it’s not… period! If you don’t place enough value on it that you don’t think you can sell it, then why in the world would I value it enough to donate money after the fact?”

So sad, really. He makes some interesting arguments, but unfortunately he is 100% wrong. That’s old-style thinking. Sure, it’s still applicable in many situations, but, in others, it’s just the old way of doing things.

All About Sharing

You see, long before anyone had ever heard of blogging, there was this concept of “try before you buy” called shareware (not to be confused with crippleware or demos).

You could use the software, make sure it worked for you, and then send the author the requested shareware fee for the software. If it didn’t work, you didn’t send money.

This later expanded to websites too, where authors might ask their readers for a voluntary subscription to help support the site.

So, now we have the “buy me a beer” plugin, where bloggers can ask their readers for a voluntary contribution.

The Ultimate Try Before You Buy!

Some see that as begging. Others see it as a “tip jar.” I like to think of it as try before you buy.

With information, how do you know it’s useful until you’ve read it and tried it (where applicable)? Sure, I could close up my blog and ask people to pay a subscription, but then why blog at all? If you charge a fee, you’ll have returns. No matter how fantastic your information may be, you will always have people that won’t be satisfied and will want a refund. So, you’ll have to take time to deal with that. And, what if someone’s browser can’t view your blog properly? You’ll have to deal with that or issue a refund. That can be too much work, especially for a small blogger.

Determining Value

On top of those problems, there is also the issue of determining value.

Let’s say you run a bricks and mortars business and that I have a tip that can save you $10,000 per year. What would that be worth to you? Maybe 10%? So, I could charge $1,000 for that info, right?

Okay, but what if you own ten businesses? That information is now worth $100,000 to you? Should I charge $1,000 or $10,000?

Should I have an application process before I let you buy my tip, so that I can determine how much you will pay?

Or, maybe I price it based on how many businesses the average person owns. Let’s say that number is two. So, now the business owner with ten businesses is getting a heck of a deal, but the business owner with one business is getting ripped off.

Now, on the other hand, what my tip offers is a savings of $10,000 per year and an additional $10,000 per year in profits. So, if you’re business is struggling, while $10,000 in savings will be an enormous help, you still may not be able to afford to pay me $1,000 for the tip. Perhaps you can only spare $100.

Of course, I could give you the tip, and ask that you only pay what you feel it was worth to you, or what you can afford. That way, you–the customer–have little chance of getting ripped off, but I risk getting nothing at all.

Wouldn’t you say that’s a rather customer-focused approach? Let the customer use the information, let the customer determine the value of that information and let the customer pay according to his own schedule or ability. And, unlike a “make no payments for 12 months” offer, the customer will never need to worry about hidden fees or interest charges or a balloon payment at the end!

More Than Meets the Eye

When was the last time a begger gave you something more valuable in return for your contribution to him or her?

That’s the other thing that separates the Buy Me a Beer plugin from panhandling.

You see, there are a number of bloggers that use the plugin that (sometimes secretly, other times not so secretly) reward their contributors with something more valuable in return.

For example, if you want John Chow to post about you, it’s going to cost you $400 for a review. Or, right now, you can buy an ad for $200. But, Blog Sonar got a mention and a link for being the Biggest Beer Giver of the Week. Not a bad deal for $30, eh?

Conclusion

Panhandling? Nah.

In his conclusion, Mr. Cook asks, “However, when’s the last time you watched a TV show and at the end they said, hey if you liked the show please send us $5.” I guess Mr. Cook has never watched PBS!

Besides that, is there really much of a difference between asking for a voluntary contribution or asking people to buy something from your sponsers?

Posted in Blogging | 11 Comments »

Drunken Virals

Sunday, August 19th, 2007

Bryan at OneMansGoal.com posted his latest viral list of links on Saturday, and included my blog on it. (Thanks Bryan!)

He selects links based on who has posted on his blog recently. The idea is for readers to copy the list, add their own links and write about it to encourage their readers to do the same. (Bryan explains it better.)

Some people don’t like this, because Google doesn’t like it. Well, Google is so yesterday.

But, in any case, I thought it would be more interesting to do something other than a simple list. So, I copied Bryan’s list and added my own links to it. I have added links to people who have commented on my blog recently (I hope I didn’t miss anyone!) or blogs I read.

And, naturally what comes to mind when you talk of viral links? Why, drunken sailors, of course! Why? I don’t know.

So, I took those links, and put it to lyrics. This should be fun, and hopefully you’ll enjoy it because I’ve spent way too freakin’ long on this!!!

So, here goes…