 |
 |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 0 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 1525 |
| Visitors Out: 1987 |
| Total Visitors Out: 3672 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Drummin’ Up Some Link Love #9 |
| 2007-06-11 04:44:06 |
Hey link love fans! It’s that time again for adding new members to my Drum Corps:
iwebis
Found an interesting collection of blogging tips, Quick Links to Useful Blogging Info, that is a must read.
Seeds for Wealth
Find out how to make the most of online communities with How Communities Make You Traffic and Money.
NoHeat.com
While browsing this very useful blog, I came across a post that reminded me of a very useful tool: Wordtracker.
So if you’re new to blogging or site development, be sure to check this thing out.
Reference Maunde
In its own words: Everyday something freaky, something bizarre, something amazing, something astonishing. Find out what the most sensitive part of the body is, and if there are any sounds the human ear can’t hear.
Digital Inspiration
Another blog that has a lot of offer, making it hard for me to choose a post. But I finally decided to highlight “Remove Unwanted Clutter from Firefox Right-Click Menu” because my right-click menu ...
|
| |
|
| Ping Pong Ball Superhero |
| 2007-06-05 06:36:23 |
UPDATE: the original video was removed from the original source site, so I’ve updated this post with another equally amazing ping pong stunt video.
This guy should sign on as one of the X-Men.
Technorati Tags: video, ping pong, stunts
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| And The Winner Is |
| 2007-06-04 08:44:25 |
I’m a few days late making this announcement, so it’s high-time for me to announce the winners for my contest. I had nine total entries for my contest (hmm, that’s one for each 10 days my blog has been alive for my 90th birthday. Coincidence?).
The order the entries came in was the slot they were assigned. I asked my wife to select a number between one and nine (the “slots”).
The first number she chose is the first prize winner: $25 Google AdWords coupon and banner ad space on my blog for 30 days. The second prize winner gets the other $25 Google AdWords coupon.
First prize goes to: Jason of BlissLogs
Second prize goes to: Greg of Stratz’s Blog
Congratulations, guys! I’ll be contacting you with the coupon codes. (Greg, I have your email address; Jason, I’ll use your blog’s contact form.)
Many thanks to everyone for entering my first contest. I really do appreciate the time you took in getting the word out about my blog.
Technorati T...
|
| |
|
| Locate Your Readers With IP Android |
| 2007-06-03 19:02:42 |
Ever wonder where you readers are coming from, I mean, geographically? Maybe you’ve seen those widgets on blogs you visit that show those tiny red dots to represent where they’re located. Or perhaps you can get an idea from your traffic analysis.
With IP Android you can do the same thing by entering an IP address, but when combined with Google Maps you can practically see their backyard!
Looks like I’m going to have to take better of my lawn.
Technorati Tags: ip, google maps, locate
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| Drummin’ Up Some Link Love #8 |
| 2007-06-02 19:04:36 |
Here’s this week’s edition of Drum Corp inductees:
Bobbarama
He has an interesting ongoing project called Fictionary - a dictionary of mangled words that were redefined after adding or subtracting just one letter.
The Thinking Blog
This well-known blog has recently started a guest-blogger campaign. The latest entry discusses how the technology in the movie Minority Report has become a reality.
zenhabits
I’d say this blog’s doing pretty well with over 9,000 feed subscriptions! Too many great articles to reference here, so go indulge yourself.
Demo Girl
Molly offers a unique approach to introducing you to new online destinations. As the blog’s name implies, she offers “demos” of a particular site using Flash to give you a more indepth look.
Hunter of Genius
Another blog with multiple topics (I love that), this one covers things about the Web, politics, and more. It introduced me to iCommons where you can use your powers for good.
Want to be a Dr...
|
| |
|
| View It All At Once With Split Browser |
| 2007-06-02 07:38:51 |
First, you had to open up multiple browser windows if you wanted to have more than one site accessible at the same time. That got messy, real quick.
Then tabbed browsing came onto the scene — one window with multiple “mini” sessions going on. Better.
Now, you can have it all with Split Browser, a new Firefox add-on that enables you to split a tabbed window in Firefox containing multiple sites. When you select it from your right-click context menu, you’re given a choice of splitting the window into one of four sections: right, left, above, bottom. Your choice will move the content you’re currently viewing into that spot while leaving another window behind.
Sure, control-tabbing from tab to tab isn’t that difficult, but I can see this thing coming in handy when writing a post in one half of the window and the material I’m writing about in the other.
And if you’ve upgraded to the latest version of WordPress, you’ve no doubt seen the ab...
|
| |
|
| Fidgeting With Widgets |
| 2007-05-31 06:38:07 |
If your blog needs a little pick-me-up, you could try a new theme, or you might consider using widgets. SpringWidgets and Widgetbox can help you with that.
What’s a widget? It’s something that you can plug into your blog or desktop that can do things like: deliver information to you or your readers, allow you to chat with others, stay on top of stocks, watch a tree grow. Yes, watch a tree grow (check out Arbor Day on SpringWidgets). Practically anything goes when it comes to widgets, so you’re sure to find something that interests you.
Their true impact is that these widgets can help people deliver information effortlessly to other like-minded individuals. That means, as bloggers, you can make your blog’s content as a widget of its own with one of these services and offer it to others to put on their blog.
Each of these sites offer galleries making it easy to search for things that interest you. I can’t make a fair comparison as to the number of categorie...
|
| |
|
| Just Two More Days To Enter My Contest |
| 2007-05-30 06:08:26 |
There are just two more days left to enter my contest. The winner will receive at least a $25 Google AdWords coupon and banner ad space on my blog. It could be $50 worth of Google AdWords coupons (if Google ever responds to me).
So while you still have time, click on over to my post to read up on the details!
Technorati Tags: contest, birthday, google, adwords
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| Newly Added 7Social Plugin |
| 2007-05-30 06:03:07 |
Since I upgraded WordPress to 2.2 I noticed the Share This (the plugin that normally sits at the bottom of each post allowing readers to submit the posts to a number of destinations) does not work the same as it did before the upgrade. Specifically, the pop-up window doesn’t appear, rather a page shows up.
I’ve read up on a possible reason why it doesn’t on the author’s site. I upgraded my other blog with the same things and it works fine over there, so I don’t understand why it would be a problem over here.
Anyway, I’ve replaced it with the 7Social plugin. It seems to load fast and, in some ways, operate more efficiently and with more options.
If you feel the urge to click on your favorite destinations, please let me know if your experience, while I decide if I should keep this or not.
Technorati Tags: upgrade, wordpress, plugin, sharing
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| Create Huge Images With The Rasterbator |
| 2007-05-30 04:48:45 |
And I’m talking HUGE — as in poster size or even wallpaper for rooms huge.
The Rasterbator (funny name, I know — let’s not go there) is a free download enabling you to take any image and blow it up to practically any size. It does this by printing off pieces of the image you want and then you putting them together like an oversize puzzle. Just enter the dimensions of the paper you’re printing to, and how large you want to make it.
So now you can post on your wall that picture of your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, child, your favorite band, celebrity, yourself, the MeAndMyDrum header (okay, that was a bit over the top, I admit). But check out the gallery to get an idea. Pretty cool.
There’s an online version available, but the servers are in such high demand that you’re better off using the downloaded version. Requirements: .NET Framework 1.1 and Adobe Reader.
Technorati Tags: software, review, wallpaper, poster
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| Know Your Readers Using Quibblo |
| 2007-05-29 01:10:21 |
You’ve probably noticed the poll off to the right. I used a free service call Quibblo to create it. It’s extremely easy to create a poll, survey, or quiz. What’s more you can customize the colors to fit your blog’s or site’s theme.
Analyzing traffic to my blog can tell me one thing, but it doesn’t quite give me what I would call a complete picture. Specifically, I want to ask directly why people are coming to me so I can do a better job of giving them a reason to return. I can no longer depend on my rugged good looks alone.
After you create your poll, you can embed it in your site or blog, link to it directly on Quibblo, even make it publicly available on Quibblo’s site for everyone to respond to.
If you have a few seconds, I’d appreciate you answering those questions on the right. Thanks!
Technorati Tags: poll, survey, quiz, online service, blogs, blogging
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| JellyJumper: Another Addictive Game |
| 2007-05-29 00:24:27 |
In my quest to find an addictive game before Brown Baron does, I’ve chosen JellyJumper. Your role as this jelly-formed jumper is to bounce around on a keyboard while attempting to land on the right keys.
Each level is more challenging than the previous one. Some keys have special abilities like making you jump higher or in the opposite direction. Other keys that are the ones to avoid sometimes are stationary while other times they move around. If you land on the wrong key, then SPLAT!
This game is completely safe for kids and grown-ups will have fun playing it, too. And with school being out, it’s good to have some place they can go to online that isn’t violent.
Technorati Tags: games, kids, family
Bang the drums!
...
|
| |
|
| Steps To Success With Career Ramblings |
| 2007-05-28 02:24:23 |
I posted an article here a couple of months ago about successful job hunting. In it I provided steps you can take to help improve your chances of finding your next best job. I’d like to add CareerRamblings.com to that list.
At the helm of this informative blog are John Anthony and Jane May. Their collective experience is prominently displayed throughout the variety of tips and news topics meant to keep you abreast of things happening in the job market. Not to be confused with a site where you’d find job listings; rather, it’s a resource that will prepare you in your job search and bring meaning to your career development.
For example, take Learn To Get A Job By Marketing Yourself. This offers a checklist of things we should be doing without even thinking about it, yet oftentimes overlook them. Polish up your cover letter and resume, speak professionally, and don’t forget about the all-important handshake. Any of these ring a bell? On a personal level, the handsh...
|
| |
|
| Talkin’bout Web Generation |
| 2007-05-27 08:10:20 |
I was looking over my collection of bookmarks and noticed that I have collected a few nifty online generators — sites designed to do something for you. These could either take the boredom out of a task or provide you with something that perhaps you just don’t have the skill for or time to do on your own.
Mycoolbutton: We’ve seen them everywhere, those shiny little buttons that are indicative of “Web 2.0″. This site creates them for you, giving you control over the color, size and even the ability to add an icon from their list of offerings (e.g., del.icio.us, YouTube, Technorati, and others).
Sloganizer: If you’re having trouble thinking of a slogan for your site or blog, be sure to check this site out. Give it a word(s) to build on and it will integrate it with a possible slogan. Every once in a while it gives you something that may not make sense, but at least it will get your creative juices flowing. An alternative site to try is The Advertising S...
|
| |
|
| Drummin’ Up Some Link Love #7 |
| 2007-05-26 04:16:24 |
Looks like I’m long overdue with announcing my latest drummers. So I’m doubling up this week. I’ve also created a page that houses all the inductees to my Drum Corps for your browsing pleasure.
People have asked me how they can become a member. Basically, it comes down to if I find your blog to be informative, thoughtful, entertaining, or a combination of all three. So as I browse I make note of places that fit this checklist and later choose the next batch.
Brown Thoughts
He made my debut list of drummers at the beginning of April, but since he generously donated his $25 Google AdWords coupon to my contest, I had to give him a shout-out again.
Confessions of a Freeware Junkie
Gotta love the free stuff you find on the Web, but only if it’s meant to be fun, educational, and useful. You can find that on Rob’s blog.
Julie Anne Bonner
Well written and in-depth articles about blogging and making money online. Her blog has recently undergone a new design, so t...
|
| |
|
| 8 Revealing Facts Of Me |
| 2007-05-25 07:32:52 |
My friend Mike of Ordinary Folk has challenged me with a tag. This one’s about revealing eight facts about myself. He didn’t say they had to be true, so I’ll let you decide fact from fiction.
I could blog all day long. There, it’s out in the open. Maybe some day I will join the ranks of the elite blogs that rake it in.
I do whatever the voices inside my head tell me to do. Trust me, it’s safer that way. But I must confess that it really ticks me off when they cut me out of the conversation!
I suffer from short-term memory loss, so I sometimes repeat things that I think I’ve said for the first time.
I could blog all day long. There, it’s out in the open. Maybe some day I will join the ranks of the elite blogs that rake it in.
Heroes is my favorite TV show right now. The season just ended so I hope I can find enough gossip on the Web to tide me over until next season. Interestingly enough, I really don’t watch that much TV anymore, but I...
|
| |
|
| I’ve Been Granted The Title Of Co-Author For Blog About Your Blog |
| 2007-05-25 06:47:02 |
I’ve been blogging for over two years, but I don’t think I’ve ever written as much as I have in such a short amount of time as I have in these past 90 days. But then, I haven’t gotten this excited about it since I created MeAndMyDrum, which has really opened up some doors for me.
After contributing a few articles to Blog About Your Blog, I was invited to become an official co-author for them on their MyBlogLog community. In case this is the first time you’ve heard of BAYB, it’s a blog with multiple contributors and a great way to gain readers and exposure for your blog.
It’s quite a lively community. I’ve already received some feedback to several of my posts. They also have a regular theme called “Comment Friday”, which receives a lot of feedback. Visitors can comment on just about anything.
Get new ideas, make new friends, click on over to Blog About Your Blog.
Technorati Tags: blog, blogging, blogosphere, exposure, commun...
|
| |
|
| Take Your Bookmarks With You |
| 2007-05-24 07:55:11 |
Portable Bookmarks is a portable bookmark manager enabling you to, well, take your bookmarks with you anywhere. The most obvious choice would be a USB drive, but if you’re the stationary type, it will work just fine on your PC. And while you could even take it with you on a CD, I’m not sure why you’d want to.
The software has a small footprint so you can easily install it on any removable device. I can see this being a benefit to business travelers, but even more so for IT personnel. At my office, our IT guys login from a DOS prompt or external drive on the network to access the files they need. It would be so much easier for them if they just kept their links stored on a thumb drive. And if they did it using Portable Bookmarks — even better.
When compared to online bookmark managers, the difference is quite apparent. Don’t get me wrong, I love using online services such as Diigo, but what Portable Bookmarks offers you is something different: security, syn...
|
| |
|
| Reach Mobile Users Anytime, Anywhere |
| 2007-05-23 04:44:40 |
BUZmob is for user, corporate, and media content publishers who want a mobile feed publishing service — for free. You can easily add your blog’s content without changing it, thus putting you in control.
I submitted my feed for MAMD and it is quite easy. Just enter your blog’s URL, select or enter the URL to your feed and submit. You also have the choice of adding a button from their site to post on your’s. What this button does is simplify the process of making a bookmark for visitors viewing your content from their mobile phone.
Mobile visitors can view your posts, leave comments, view images. And on the horizon will be video clips.
Technorati Tags: buzmob, mobile, cell phones
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| My Contest Award Has Increased In Value |
| 2007-05-22 07:34:06 |
I didn’t want to take the chance of this update getting lost further down the page, so I decided to make a new entry.
Brown Baron of Brown Thoughts (formerly known as my good friend, but now as my really, really good friend ) has thrown his Google Adwords coupon worth $25 into the pot!
I have to check with Google to know if both coupons can be used on the same account. If so, then there will be a grand prize winner claiming $50 worth of Google AdWords coupons and banner ad space on this blog. If not, then the grand prize will be a $25 coupon and banner ad space, and second place will be the other $25 coupon.
Be sure to subscribe to my feed so you don’t miss out on the updates!
Technorati Tags: contest, google adwords, prizes, award, coupon
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| Our Blog Review Has Reviewed My Blog |
| 2007-05-22 06:31:57 |
I came across this interesting site not too long ago: Our Blog Review. As the name implies, they review blogs and they do it with an objective eye. So I asked them to review MAMD and here’s my report card:
10/10: For Content
9/10: For Viewing Pleasure
9.5/10: Overall
Sid, the reviewer, has this to say:
…but this blog is different. The contents, particularly those related to social issues, are thought provoking.
Admittedly, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. It helps to have an objective review though. Just ask them.
Technorati Tags: blog, blogging, review
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| You Could Win A $25 Google AdWords Coupon |
| 2007-05-20 22:10:00 |
UPDATE: Brown Baron of Brown Thoughts has graciously donated his $25 Google AdWords coupon as well. I need to check with Google to see if they both can be applied to the same account. If not, then I’ll have two giveaways!
In celebration for my blog turning three months old, I’m holding a contest. The winner will receive a coupon worth $25 for Google AdWords. Plus, I’ll offer free banner ad space on this blog for 30 days.
To enter the contest:
Write a post on your blog about mine. It needs to be a separate post; not included with any other. It should contain two links: one to my blog, the other to this post.
Here’s some text you could use, but feel free to edit it according to your writing style or use it to get your creative juices flowing:
Mark Sierra of MeAndMyDrum is running a contest where the winner will receive a Google AdWords coupon worth $25 and free banner ad space on his blog. He covers a variety of topics such as blogging tips, technology, politics, ...
|
| |
|
| Happy Birthday To MeAndMyDrum! |
| 2007-05-20 17:18:44 |
MeAndMyDrum turns 90 days old today! In that short time I’ve learned a lot about blogging and met some really great people along the way. In fact, the experiences I’ve had from this one have impacted the way I run my other blog about web safety.
Since MAMD was born I’ve gone from, “Ohmygosh, how will I ever get out of the 7-digit Alexa ranking” to “Hey, maybe I can improve that thing after all.”
I don’t recall the first number I had in Alexa other than the “1,8XX,XXX”, but after comparing that to what it was on May 16 (318,686), I’d have to say that I’m pleased.
My Technorati authority continues to rise and finally broke the 3-digit barrier last week (currently sitting at 104).
Google pagerank remains at 3.
To celebrate, I’ll be putting on a contest. More about that in another post, so stay tuned!
Technorati Tags: birthday, blogging, technorati, alexa, ranking
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| I’ve Been Tagged - My Most Unpopular Posts |
| 2007-05-19 08:19:35 |
My friend the Baron of Brown Thoughts has tagged me with this little ditty: what are my favorite unpopular posts?
If I were to base it solely on lack of comments, that would be quite a few posts here — although I’m pleased to see more interactivity as the days go on. So I’m going to add to that: posts that I was hoping for more comments based on my hope that they would generate more discussion.
I’d have to say there are two posts of mine that I thought to be thought-provoking and might strike a nerve with readers due to the nature of them being political.
One was one of my recent posts: 5 Sympathies For The Devil. Even though I received a few comments for it from some regulars (I am thanking you!), it was actually more successful with the trackbacks — very successful. And that was only because it was part of ProBlogger’s writing contest in which everybody and their dog copied the entries of everyone else on their own blog.
I really put a lot of thoug...
|
| |
|
| 2 Tips For Eliminating Blogger’s Block |
| 2007-05-18 19:29:39 |
You’re browsing sites, left and right. You come across something that interests you and you say to yourself, “Self, this is something worth blogging about on your blog.” But you forget to make a note of why you want to write about it. What will you do? What will you do?
Something I use to help me out is Google Notebook. This fits snugly in the lower corner of my Firefox browser. When I find something I want to write about later, I pop open it’s little window and “clip” the page I’m viewing where it sleeps until I return. (It’s also how I store my Drum Corps candidates. ) I can even save content from the page and store it in my notebook.
While in my account, I can easily move notebooks around and even add comments to those to ensure I won’t forget a thing.
Another tool that helps me is Diigo (pronounced “dee-go”). It’s a social bookmarking site with abilities far beyond those of mortal bookmarkers (okay, maybe othe...
|
| |
|
| A Firefox Add-on Coders Shouldn’t Be Without |
| 2007-05-18 05:03:40 |
From casual bloggers to advanced programmers, the Firebug add-on for Firefox is an essential tool to help you tweak your code. While viewing a web page you click on its button to bring up its display showing you the HTML, CSS and scripts.
One of the neat things about this add-on is that you can get a feel for how something is going to look on the page without actually editing the original file. Want to see what that headline will look like in a different color? With Firebug just change the CSS values and it immediately shows up in that color. Change the spacing, text, rollover values…do it with this add-on to see what you like before you make the changes to the files on your server.
And if you are feeling mischievous, you could go to a website, change the content, hide the Firebug window, and make it look like your changes exist for all the world to see. Maybe you could go to, I don’t know, CNN.com and change an article with a friend as the subject matter and ask them how ...
|
| |
|
| Demotivators Can Be Rib Ticklers |
| 2007-05-16 07:47:32 |
You’ve seen the inspirational photos, posters, and other products that give you a reason to carry on. They can give you hope, encouragement — words of wisdom to lead you down your path to success.
But sometimes you need a dose of reality and to have someone tell it like it is. That’s where Demotivators comes in. Just like the inspirational company, this one cuts through to the core of the matter and aims straight for the funny bone.
Here are a few examples:
On Ambition: The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly
On Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles.
On Consistency: It’s only a virtue if you’re not a screwup.
These are real products. The photos look just like the motivator versions and come in a variety of sizes.
You know, Father’s Day is coming up.
Technorati Tags: posters, photos, photographs, success, motivation, demotivation, humor
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| Drummin’ Up Some Link Love #6 |
| 2007-05-15 05:10:47 |
Here’s my latest edition of the Drum Corps. As I browse, I’m continually amazed at the range of topics one has to write about. I find it an inspiring and necessary component to coming up with my own writing material. Seeing such variety can give you the spark you need when confronted with blogger’s block. I don’t recognize just anyone here, so congratulations to these new five members:
Christy’s Coffee Break - Christy’s quite the PayPerPost-er. Her writing style makes for easy reading and a reason to return.
eJabs - like MAMD, Matthew’s blog captures a piece of this and that, combined to reflect his interests and useful information.
jon lee dot see eh - another eclectic blog, you’ll find reviews for movies, games, and a bit of tech.
Internet Mastery - a varied collection of categories, tips abound for blogging and other online efforts.
SEO Refugee - as the name implies, advice on how to improve your search engine rankings as well as a var...
|
| |
|
| Keep Spammers At Bay With Contactify |
| 2007-05-14 05:27:19 |
There are many choices for bloggers to choose from when it comes to adding a contact form on your blog. Some are better than others when it comes to fighting spammers. Others are perhaps not the perfect fit for your blog’s design. I have an alternative for you that makes communications a little easier.
Contactify is not a form, but a link to a form that let’s your visitors email you without the worry of them discovering your email address. Plus, it requires them to enter a simple code to fight against automated abuse.
The service is free, and all you have to do to sign up is to provide an email address (don’t worry, they’ll protect it) and a password. In return you’ll get a unique URL that’s yours to keep.
So if you’re thinking of replacing your blog’s contact form or don’t have one and need a way for visitors to get in touch with you, then give Contactify a try.
Technorati Tags: contactify, email, communication, blogging
Share This...
|
| |
|
| All Aboard The Alexa Redirect Train |
| 2007-05-14 04:30:59 |
My friend, the Brown Baron of BrownThoughts, bought me a ticket on the Alexa Redirect Train. Destination: the city of Trafficopolis in the state of High Rankings. I encourage you to do the same on your own blog.
The purpose is to increase the traffic you receive as well as improve your Alexa ranking. Why Alexa? Well, it’s looked upon as an authority on blog rankings. And if you haven’t already decided to make money on your blog (or if you have) then having a decent Alexa ranking is good because advertisers like to advertise on blogs with a good (read: lower) ranking on Alexa.
All you need to do is copy this list, paste it into your blog, and add other blogs of your choosing. Don’t forget to click the links after posting!
Here’s my list:
Alexa Redirect for MeAndMyDrum
Alexa Redirect for Family WebWatch Blog
Alexa Redirect for Brown Thoughts
Alexa Redirect for Ordinary Folk
Alexa Redirect for BobMeetsWorld
Alexa Redirect for News Blog
Alexa Redirect for Web 2.0
Alex...
|
| |
|
| Make Money With Bloggerwave |
| 2007-05-13 08:01:39 |
New to the scene for bloggers to make money is Bloggerwave. Unlike other pay-for-review vendors, this one’s unique in that you can immediately accept an opportunity. No more submitting a bid and waiting to hear back from the advertiser. Just click “take this opportunity” and you’re ready to start your review on your blog.
Since they’re new, their list of opportunities is still growing. But that’s good for you because you can get in on the ground floor, so to speak, and start developing your reputation as a reviewer.
Technorati Tags: bloggerwave, money, blogging, reviews
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| A Tag For My 5 Goals |
| 2007-05-13 07:06:01 |
My friend Jennifer of The Life of a School Bus Driver has tagged me with the following question: What are my 5 goals? Be they realistic, silly, personal, or professional — doesn’t matter. So here goes!
Get in shape. And I mean something other than round! Life is too short and busy to go around being uncomfortable. I backed up the other day to let someone go in front of me, and I could actually hear a beeping sound (like the trucks do). So if I lose at least 20 percent of my current weight by the end of the year, I’d consider that a good start.
Read more offline. One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to read five books before my birthday in August. I love surfing the Web, blogging, and bringing informative and thought-provoking material to my readers. But have I picked up a book? Well, yes actually…if you count moving it from “here” to “there”.
Increase my RSS subscriptions, Technorati authority rank, and pagerank. Though...
|
| |
|
| You Could Win $100 |
| 2007-05-12 05:42:07 |
BeyondThePod is running a contest where one lucky winner will get $100. If you’re a blogger you can enter to win simply by registering and writing a post about the contest.
What is BeyondThePod? Well, if you have an iPod and you’re ready to part with it (I know, hard to believe, but it could happen), then you can trade it in for cash. How does it work? You select the model you have, calculate its value, ship it, and then get your cash. Sounds easy to me.
The contest ends on June 15 and you have until then to accumulate as many votes as you can. Read more for the details. Good luck!
Technorati Tags: ipod, contest, prize, money
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| 5 Sympathies For The Devil |
| 2007-05-10 14:45:17 |
I’ve been meaning to branch out a little with my writing. When I found out about Problogger’s group writing contest, I saw this as an opportunity to do just that.
As I grow older, I continue to wonder how things have gotten so out of hand in our American society. I’m not talking about the war on terror or how the world has come to view this country. I’m talking about the absence of justice within its borders. Where are the values we once held so dear?
As children we had youth to blame for our ignorance. Even though we may have been vaguely aware of the issues of the day, we did so on the sidelines and left it to mom and dad to handle. Fast forward to today, some adults still hold tight to that ignorance and blame others for their shortcomings, and leave it to the courts to handle.
Many factors come into play that cause “ripples” to flow through our society. As they collide with one another, they compound the problem and turn into waves. I equate thes...
|
| |
|
| MAMD Featured On MyBlogLoggers |
| 2007-05-09 06:43:49 |
I was fortunate enough to win ad space on MyBlogLoggers. Along with three other friends I’ve come to know, I’ve been featured with my first real banner ad!
I also won something else that you’ll be seeing as a prize for a contest of my own. So stay tuned!
Technorati Tags: contest, prize, banner, feature, mybloglog, myblogloggers
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| SponsoredReviews Stands Up For Publishers |
| 2007-05-08 02:03:54 |
In case you haven’t heard, SponsoredReviews recently discovered and put a stop to an advertiser using a stolen credit card. This card was to be used to “pay” for a blogger’s time to review sites.
The positive thing to come out of this whole ordeal is the way SponsoredReviews stepped up to the plate and took immediate action. Not just with informing their users via email or on their account, but they also commented on BobMeetsWorld.
I was one of the bidders on some of these bogus review attempts. My bid was almost immediately accepted, which in retrospect tells me the thieves were in a hurry to use up their stolen goods before they were caught. Thankfully, I was notified before I spent my time on them. Other bloggers, however, already wrote their reviews.
But rather than leaving these publishers empty handed, SponsoredReviews will be paying them what they were owed. Says Jarrod of SponsoredReviews,
…it is our responsibility as a company to protect our blog...
|
| |
|
| What’s Up With Exlinks? |
| 2007-05-07 06:37:15 |
Months ago eXlinks was announced as one of the greatest link-swapping sites to have ever graced the pages of the Internet once it launched. And earlier this year they posted to their blog that they’d launch come May 1.
[goes off to check calendar….]
Yep, May 1 was last week and no eXlinks. What’s up with that?
One of the posts I made to BobMeetsWorld was about the importance of responding to your visitors to show that you value their input. eXlinks needs to read that apparently. I posted on their blog May 3 asking when they’ll be opening their doors. I returned there this evening to find, “Your comment is awaiting moderation.” Plus, their blog hasn’t been updated since April 12!
Having some news informing the public is better than no news, even if it’s not the type you were planning to announce.
Technorati Tags: exlinks, traffic, community, blog, blogging
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| Rankings Improving |
| 2007-05-07 05:49:21 |
Well, I’m not in the habit of bragging, but it appears to be an accepted practice to inform visitors of how well (or not so well) one’s blog is doing. It would seem the end goal would be to validate their time on a blog that’s worth coming to, and if Alexa and Technorati are any judge, then who am I to argue?
Alexa
In just 10 days, my Alexa ranking has gone from 818,068 to 537,446.
Technorati
I haven’t recorded the days, but my “authority” has risen to 55, with 35 fans.
Google PR
Still at 3, but it’s my understanding that that’s not too shabby given that MAMD is less than 90 days old.
I would like to have seen an increase in my RSS subscriptions, but they continue to be at 22. I’ve been fortunate to have made the list on some blogs for the feed train. I surmise, however, that some people just posted the links without subscribing?
No worries. I’m very thankful for what I’ve accumulated so far and have all my visitors to...
|
| |
|
| Twitter Me This |
| 2007-05-07 01:44:56 |
Would someone please explain to me the attraction of Twitter? To know whether someone is looking at an art exhibit, dancing to a song, their daughter is creating something — how exactly is that supposed to enrich one’s life for either the sender or readers?
I suppose it’s like eavesdropping or being a peeping Tom into someone’s life and doing so from the comfort of your own home or mobile phone. But has society stooped to such a level to find entertainment in the mundane?
Here’s an idea: instead of Twittering, read a book or write…something instead of living vicariously.
Technorati Tags: twitter, community, social
Share This
...
|
| |
|
| Manage Your Online Lists With FlexLists |
| 2007-05-06 22:07:05 |
FlexLists offers you the ability to create, store, and share your lists. Keep track of addresses, tasks, your CD collection - whatever.
As I played around with this service I was pleased to find that it kept up with me — no delays in switching screens or refreshes. When viewing my lists I wish there was a way to reorder them by dragging and dropping. But you do have the ability to give things priority and sort on that.
In addition to the ability to export your lists as CSV (comma separated values) files, I found two other methods of access that I haven’t seen on other like services. One such method is via RSS. Not only could this be a benefit to the list’s creator, but can also help with team members to stay on top of such information.
Another access method unique to FlexLists is that you don’t necessarily have to create an account to store your lists. Instead, you could use a unique URL to go directly to your content for that list. I surmise that creating an ac...
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
| |
|
 |
