LennyP's Blog About Whatever

Took The Hub Challange

2011-03-16T22:20:00.002-05:00

I've been on HubPages for about 4 years now. It has made me some decent money for the small bit of effort that I have put into it. In the end, internet marketing is a numbers game. The more content you put out there, the more opportunity you have to earn money online.

This is why I decided to take the Hub Challenge. In a nut shell, the goal of the challenge is to write 30 hubs in 30 days. Their is no direct reward but I see it as a great opportunity to motivate me to create more content and learn what HubPages can do for me.

You can read more about my decision to take the 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge here.

In the first few days I've posted articles on the following subjects.
LOTRO classes
Jobs in Social Psychology
Laser Tag System
Revenue Sharing Social Bookmarking Sites

Over the course of 30 days I should get a better understanding of what subjects work and what promotion techniques work best. I am going to try a wide variety of tactics to get a better understanding of how to make the most of HubPages.

After those thirty days I am going to bring my focus back to further developing my own properties and improving them with what I learn from this experiment.

Squid Stop-Revenue Sharing Social Bookmarking Site

2011-03-01T07:34:00.003-05:00

SquidStop is a social bookmarking site that users can use to create links for their content. Similar to popular sites such as reddit and digg but with the added bonus of revenue sharing. Also unlike those sites they don't discourage users to submit their own sites. They actively encourage it.

The main benefit you will get from SquidStop is backlinks to your targetted content. In order for your content to be found by the search engines your sites need to have backlinks. Each link you provide with SquidStop will help users and the search engines find your content more easily.

Additional traffic is not the main focus but it is an additional bonus that social bookmarking provides. Revenue sharing is also a secondary bonus but it does not hurt to have as many income streams as possible.

SquidStop is a pretty new site but it already has achieved authority status with Google. In the future I expect its influence to grow even further. Sign up today to build links, attract traffic, and earn through Revenue Sharing.

Join SquidStop

Earn Money Asking and Answering Questions With Webanswers

2011-02-28T04:11:00.005-05:00

About a week ago I came across a new website to earn passive income with. Webanswers is a site where users post and answer questions similar to Yahoo! Answers. The main difference is that Webanswers is an AdSense revenue sharing site. When visitors click on ads you will receive earnings through your AdSense account.

In the short time that I have been a member I have already seen earnings in my account. Some of the top earners are earning over $700.00 in one month. It may not be a way to retire but it makes a decent additional passive income stream for people who enjoy to share knowledge about subjects they know about with users who have related questions.

Join Webpages today if you would like to earn passive income asking and answering questions.

Here are some recent questions that I have been awarded best answer to.
What is wrong with no child left behind?
How do you getr referalls for your affiliated sites?

Speaking to Myself

2011-02-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

I have no one to blame but my self but this blog has gone pretty much dead. I have not updated it in nearly two years and my traffic is down to almost nothing. Perhaps I should just shut it down but that seems like an entirely huge waste. When I started I thought I could use it as a speaking stone and maybe thats what it will be now. Not quite a personal blog about every mundane event of my life but my reactions to newsworthy items and events that can hold meanings to others.

Anyone who followed this blog might remember that I was trying to adjust to life in Bloomington, Indiana. Since then I have moved to Iowa living outside of yet another college town. Basically the same crap as before but a little colder.

Much of my free time is being used playing Magic the gathering. I might start publishing some tournament reports but as of late I have been running into the worst of luck. Variance can be a bitch.

If anyone is left out there please leave a comment so I know whether or not this blog is all alone.

Squidoo, Create Content and Make Money

2009-05-21T13:41:00.002-05:00

Previously I told you about Hubpages where you can publish hubs in order to generate traffic and revenue. A very similar site to this is Squidoo. Instead of creating hubs you create lenses but they are about the same thing. It is a place where you create content and make money from people clicking on the ads. You also get well indexed backlinks for your sites and another source of visitors.

The main difference is that Squidoo allows affiliate links and promotional advertising. If you want to promote your site or product then Squidoo is definately the better choice. They also have a much larger choice in advertising modules.

So far I find that I am getting less traffic for my lenses as I do for my hubs but the backlinks are already helping me rank for my terms. It is well worth it to add to your arsenal of SEO and wealth building tools.

My Latest Hubs

2009-05-16T01:16:00.001-05:00

Recently I wrote about the advantages of becoming a member of Hubpages. Today I wanted to share with you my latest hubs that I have writen.

Motor Swaps for the 92-95 Honda Civic-Guideline to available motor swaps for an eg Civic and their benefits.
Best Import Cars of all time-An update to my previous post here.
Magic:The Gathering Booster Draft Explained-General overview and strategy guide for Magic booster drafts.
Legend of the Seeker Character Guide-Introduction to each of the featured characters in the hit television show.

I hope you enjoy them. Leave comments and tell me how I am doing.

LennyP Rises Again

2009-05-15T19:34:00.002-05:00

I took a long time off from blogging. Originally my personal life became a little hectic and I was not really able to blog. After getting out of the habit it became really hard to get back in the groove. Now I am back. First I created a poker blog, then I started using Hubpages, and now I am blogging here again.

Long time readers may remember that I was living in Bloomington, Indiana. Last summer I moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is as much of a hell hole as the name suggests. In about a month I will be moving to Iowa City, Iowa.. Anyone who is still reading this blog after all of my time off I truly apprciate your support.

Make Money and Drive Traffic With Hubpages

2009-05-13T21:39:00.002-05:00

Several years back I signed up for Hubpages but never bothered to fully use it or fully find out what it was about. This was a mistake on my part. Just recently I took a second look and began to look into how Hubpages can benefit me both as a blogger and financially.

Wether or not you have a blog already, it would benefit you to publish articles, or hubs as they are called there. at Hubpages.

For people who don't have a blog, or their blog does not attract many viewers, Hubpages is a great way to make money by publishing content. You recieeve 60% of all revenue generated by your content. Best of all you choose what type of ads you want to display from Adsense, Amazon, Kontera, or Ebay.

No need to worry about building up a site from scratch because Hubpages is already amongst the 200 most popular sites on the web. There size is the reason hubs, including ones you publish, rank so well on Google resulrs. No need to worry about building links because Hubpages is already a PR6 site.

There strong rankings and huge traffic is why Hubpages is also attractive to webmasters who already have an established site. You can insert links directed at your own pages, as long as you don't abuse it, and send link juice and traffic back to your own pages. And unlike article directories, you make money at the same time.

Beyond their hubs there is also a very active community established there that will help you network, make new friends, and grow your brand. I regret taking so long to realize what I was missing out on and I wish that you don't continue to make the same mistake. If you like drop by and make me your friend
.
LennyP's Hubpages Profile

It Pays To Socialize

2008-06-21T09:31:00.004-05:00

How many people belong to Myspace or Facebook? Yuwie is very similar to these sites with a few exceptions. You can set up a profile and share pictures, videos, messages, blogs, and everything else with your friends just like you do on those other sites. Take a look at my profile and see that the functionality is about the same.

Now for the differences. The first and biggest difference is that, unlike other networking sites, Yuwie pays. For each view you make or receive you are paid. Think of how much time and effort you have put into contributing to Facebook or Myspace to never receive anything while they make millions.

Another big difference is that people are just plain friendlier. Since it pays to make friends, everyone wants to be your friend. The control panel is also much easier to use, making
everything you do much simpler.

Besides making many new friends and contacts, which is the most important aspect of social networking, the income potential can be great. For each person you refer, you get credit for their views. You also get credit for your referral's referral's views up to 10 levels deep.

Take a look at the following chart to see how much money this could make you. Assuming you refer just 3 people, and those 3 people refer 3, then those refer 3, through 10 levels, and each referral gets 1000 page views for the month, and the month's RSR is $0.50.

Of course, you may not have the same results, but you are sure to make more than you are presently making with your current networking site. Why not register now and stop making them rich off of your hard work.

It's Been Awhile

2008-05-26T01:04:00.002-05:00

It has been a very long time since I've updated my blog. A lot has occurred in my life in that time and I won't go into that now. However, it has occurred to me that my blog is something that I would like to get back to updating. I'm not naking any promises that I may not keep but I do know my blog is something that I am never going to completely forget about.

In the near future, my life is going to be going through many changes, and hopefully some of them will be chronicled here. The Bloomington chapter of my life is coming to an end in a few short days. Sometime in July I will be moving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama as my significant other was accepted there as a Ph.D. student. When I move there I will be starting in a new career that I will tell you about as it develops.

Expect to see my site updated soon with more posts as I have much to share.

Magic Tricks and Illusions To Blow Your Mind

2007-05-31T23:26:00.001-05:00

Recently, I came across a cool site created by a member of my forum. Magic Trance is an enterntaining site with brain busters, card tricks, illusions, and other magical content. It will even tell you your future. If you are feeling really smart you can test your brain power.

If you are looking for something to provide some quick enterntainment, or enjoy magic tricks and illusions, I recommend that you visit this site. The most impressive magic card trick can even read your mind.

Hopefully this site continue to grow. As entertaining as it is, is is still pretty small. With more games, illusions, and tricks, I can only see it getting better.

Coloring-Stay in the Lines

2007-05-26T22:31:00.001-05:00

I remember when I was about 6 years old my parents ran a booth at a local flea market and they would drag me along while they did it. To help curb the boredom that always set in, my parents would supply me with coloring books. Coloring in pages of these books became my favorite way to pass the time. After a while I developed a particular way of doing it. I would trace the outlines with a darker color using strong pressure. Then, I would lightly color in the insides using lighter shades of the same colors. In time I grew tired of regular colors altogether and started to favor the lighter colors.

Now that I am a father myself, I have passed on the joys of coloring to my son. He takes a far different approach to coloring pages. His style would be more described as a speed colorer. He uses a few colors and quickly fills in the general area of the shapes with no real sense of design. It is very hard for me to accept because the golden rule was always stay in the lines. To go outside of my carefully traced lines was to ruin the entire piece.

No matter what there style, I would recomend any parent buys their child a few coloring books. Splurge and buy them the biggest box of crayons that you find. Any expert colorer will tell you that the 8 crayon box does not cut it. The bare minimum is 64. Coloring can be a strong introduction for your child to art and expressing themselves.

Shiny Red Hippos-Ranking Can Be Easy

2007-05-14T15:59:00.000-05:00

At one of the marketing forums a newbie poster was bragging how he ranked high for several of his carefully picked keyphrases. His message was that if you followed his advice you too could rank for any phrase that you wanted. My problem with his post was the keyphrases he bragged about were just about worthless. Nobody searches for them.

This post is my attempt to show if you pick a keyphrase that no one looks for, and no one is interested in chasing, you too can brag about ranking high. How many people search for shiny red hippos? Absolutely 0. Doing a search at Google reveals only 108,000 resultsfor shiny red hippos. Not a lot of competition.

So now I have a term in shiny red hippos with very little competition for. WIth a few targetted links with related anchor text my site should rank easy. How will I benefit? I won't. With nobody searching for shiny red hippos nobody will ever find this post.

If I will not benefit from this you may ask why I am doing this. My purpose is to show that it takes no skill and provides you no benefit to rank for terms that bring you no traffic. Before listening to someone brag that their site ranks well for many keyphrases check if there is any competition or traffic for those terms. More important then getting a site to rank well is targetting the right terms in the forst place.

Update: I had better results than I could have imagined. In less than six hours this post achieved a #1 ranking at Google. I guess no I can call myself an SEO expert.

Buy A _____ Sites

2007-05-13T03:12:00.000-05:00

Frequently I see sites that offer you the abillity to buy the image of some fill in the blank object for you to buy links on. The latest one I have seen is Buy A Nation. Here you can buy a nation and recieve a link from that nation pointing to your website.

Before buying a link here I have to ask myself a couple of questions. First, "When all of the nations are sold what benefit would the owner have in continuing to buy links to promote their site?" The answer is there is no benefit. You can rest assured that noone will continue to invest in a project that has outlived there source of income. The second question is "What benefit would I recieve being listed with many unrelated sites?" The answer is none. Links are worthless without relevancy. These sites provide none of that.

Perhaps if you have a site related to nations you could see some benefit. That still does not resolve the issue of an unmotivated webmaster. Your link building budget can be used much more wisely.

Exposing Discworld

2007-04-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Recently a friend of mine has introduced Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books. Terry Pratchett is both a hugely popular and critically acclaimed author from England. He has sold over 70 million books, has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his continued service to literature, and even holds the title for most shoplifted author.

Discworld takes place in a flat fantasy world balanced on the back of four giant elephants who are themselves carried on the back of a giant turtle. It combines elements of fantasy, comedy, satire, and science fiction to provide an unique experience. If you are looking for a something refreshing to read I recommend that you give this series a try. From the first book The Color Of Magic, to the upcoming 37th book, I shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett has provided a huge world to be explored.

Get Paid While Making Your Opinions Known With Surveys

2007-04-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't it be great if you could affect the decisions that are made by major companies regarding the products that they offer? By taking marketing surveys you can do that while getting paid at the same time. With the power of the Internet you can find hundreds of sites offering to pay you money to take surveys.

The problem becomes telling the real opportunities from the scams. With proper research you can find which ones are legitimate paid surveys and which ones are not.

The first trap to look for is companies that require you to pay them a fee before they will send you surveys. A legitimate company pays you, not the other way around. Run, don't walk, from these companies.

It is imperative to do your research first. Look for well established companies with proper credentials. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

This is not saying that surveys are to be avoided. By spending a bit of my time taking them I have earned some extra pocket money while affecting future products. It is exhilarating to see a product you helped shape at the stores. I've made a few mistakes along the way, but it has also been an enjoyable experience.

New Look

2007-04-06T03:24:00.000-05:00

I've finally taking advantage of the new features that Blogger offers. Most notable are the addition of news feeds and videos. Hopefully, this will add a little more to your experience. I've also changed from the dots template that so many have complained about. It holds a warm place in my heart but I've had it longf enough and could use a change. Let me know what you think of the new look and features. I sincerely hope that you like them.

Making A Forum Active

2007-04-02T22:38:00.000-05:00

When starting a new forum the hardest thing to do is making it active. No matter how nice the design is, and how well you promote it, with out an active community you will have a very hard time turning visitors into members. People only want to join a forum that is active.

This may seem like a catch-22. Without members you can not have activity and without activity you will not have posters. The trick is to make your newly launched forum look active through several methods.

The first and most active poster should be yourself. If you can't be bothered to post how can you expect others to. Instead of simply posting with one username, you can post with several. It may seem underhanded but can give the illusion of activity.

Next ask your friends and colleagues to help you. Many times they share the same interest as you and can make a strong contribution. Some people have had great success launching their forum with a posting party. Invite everyone over, provide some food, drink, and entertainment, and let the posting commence.

After this you may still want to bring in more posters. Paid posting services are one possible technique. Be very careful of who you hire. Far too many paid posters are willing to do cut and paste jobs and other shay tactics. I ussually like to test them out with a small sample package.

What I find works better than paying for posts is doing post exchanges with other forums. Admin Fusion and The Admin Zone are two great places to find them. The great thing is that you can monitor what you recieve and give back posts of equal value.

By utilizing these techniques you can greatly increase the activity level of your forum. Now when visitors find your site they will find a vibrant community that when they visit they will be compelled to join.

What's Not Going On

2007-03-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

My girl and I don't get to go out as often as we might like. It' s kind of a shame, given the whole you're only young once thing, but that's just life I suppose. However, even when we do get to go out it seems like it's always the same thing. We go to dinner and/or to a movie, and/or to a bar. It's certainly more fun than spending our Friday nights watching TV or writing blog posts during prime out-going time, but lets face it, that stuff is expensive and doing the same thing every time just gets kind of dull. You would think that in a college town there would be more things to do, but there just really aren't. We're too old for frat parties and have no interest in whiny indie emo music, but we're too young for wine tastings and dinner parties. Back home there were more options; clubs, shows, basketball game, etc. but here in small town America the options just fail to abound. During the day it's a little bit better; we can go bowling, ice skating, and take Quentin to the museums, but at night we're still stuck. I'm so glad we're going home in a couple of weeks and will be able to get out some, because doing nothing around here is really suffocating us both.

Bathroom Reading

2007-02-27T23:14:00.000-05:00

I'm sure there isn't a guy out there who hasn't picked up a men's magazine. Be it FHM, GQ, or Maxim, you know you've picked one up and thumbed through their pictures of fashionably dressed guys and barely dressed girls, including celebrities you never realized were really so good looking like Christian Aguilera, who we had all forgotten was hot until February's Maxim was kind enough to remind us about. Men's magazines are a great way to keep up with the not-exactly-newsworthy things going on in the world. They're loaded with all the gossip people are talking about as well as plenty of interesting but in the grand scheme of things irrelevant stories. Another fun feature is their hilarious top-whatever lists, such as this months feature in list Maxim of the top 12 fake foreigners which ranged from Prince Akim, to Borat, to Apu from The Simpsons. They're also a great way to learn about the new shows that you might be missing otherwise, all the new movies coming out, and whatever music happens to be popular at the moment.

In addition to the fun stuff, you can also get some really valuable advice from men's magazines. They have all kinds of tips for how to hit it off with the ladies and how to impress your boss. On the down low, you can get some great fashion advice from these magazines. They give you all kinds of tips about how to look your best without having to act like a girl about it. In addition to just helping you turn heads when you go out, being able to be fashionable can also be a major advantage in the corporate world. This months GQ has a really fantastic article on how to buy a suite, which are particularly important because they're such an investment and such a staple of your work wardrobe. You can also probably cut out a picture of a haircut that will look fantastic on you to take with you to the hair cuttery next time.

Men's magazines really do make for some great entertainment. If you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years, I suggest that you crawl out and pick one up next time you swing by the newsstand.

Is Debt Consolidation the Right Choice?

2007-02-27T17:17:00.000-05:00

Debt seems to be a problem for many americans. I am a proponent of only buying what you have the money to pay for but sometimes when it comes to education, housing, or medical expenses, the need makes it neccessary to borrow money for these large expenses. Borrowing money is not a good way to relieve your self from economic trouble but for these type of expenses are necesities that need to be addressed.

Whether you are overwhelmed in debt, or just have too many bills to pay, a debt consolidation company can help relieve some of the burden. What they promise is to consolidate all of your seperate loans and debts into one easy payment. From an accounting stand point the benefit is immediate. Then the question becomes if they are saving you any money. Many times what they are doing is adding on fees and charge a much higher interest rate than you are paying. Then they simply stretch out the payments over a longer period to make the cost seem lower.

As is the case with all money matters; research is key. Make sure when you use one of these services that they are actually saving money. Before resorting to these steps there are other options of relieving your debt that may prove usefull. If you still think you need to consolidate your debt the best place to start at is the National Foundation of Credit Counselors. This is a non-profit organiztion that actually works with the credit card companies. Most important of all is to simply live within your means and credit problems will never become a problem.

Spot The Block

2007-02-26T23:34:00.000-05:00

Have you guys seen those ridiculous commercials on Cartoon Network, where they have cartoon characters from various shows singing about "Spot The Block?" Well they're absolutely ridiculous and I've been exposed to them far more than any sane person would ever want to be, due to my 4 year old's over the top love of cartoons. However, what they're plugging is actually something valuable and worthwhile. "The Block" is actually referring to the food nutrition labels which are required to be displayed on all products intended for consumption in the U.S. This helpful tool was created by the FDA to help consumers better understand the nutritional content of the foods they eat. If your trying to watch your weight, they allow you to check on the fat and calorie content of anything your thinking about eating, and might even provide you with encouragement to go ahead and put the Twinkies down before you start.

Food nutrition labels allow you to keep an eye on your intake of potentially harmful elements. Cholesterol is also something worth watching, as too much of it can lead to heart attacks, much as too much sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure. Even if your not watching your weight, it's still a great idea to keep an eye on the amount of nutrients your food contains in order to be sure your getting everything you need. Even without taking a vitamin supplement, you can greatly increase your overall health by being sure to consume enough Vitamins A and C. Getting enough Calcium is also very important, especially for the ladies out there, as that's the best way to prevent Osteoporosis.

I use these labels all the time, both to keep an eye on my own health, and so I can be careful about what my son is consuming. I suggest if your not familiar with them, that you do a little background check and spend some time learning about how these can labels be valuable to you too.

Heard Any Good Conspiracy Theories?

2007-02-24T12:50:00.000-05:00

Seems any time you will listen someone has another conspiracy theory. Are these the crazy ramblings of schizophrenics and gun toting militants or are there forces at work behinf the scenes secretly controlling everything. There is just about one for everything form the mundane to the most serious matters of national security.

One of the silliest conspiracy theories has to do with Korea. Apparently there are some Koreans who believe that the Japanese changed the romaniztion of Corea to Korea during their occupation so that Japan would always come first in alphabetical listings. The Japanese are very prideful people and always want to come first, even to the point of changing history in text books, but they had no control over the international standards of rominazation that were established during that period in history.

Some conspiracy theorists worry that everything is going to harm them in some way. Have you heard the chemtrail conspiracy theory? Since the 90's people have been claiming all sorts of things to the trails that follow airplanes. Some think that we are being sprayed with poison. Others think that it is a form of weather control or cure for global warming.

Most famous of cospiracy theories are the ones involving government cover up. Some will tell you that we never landed on the moon or that 9/11 was done by our own government. The fact that our government has been caught red handed in cover ups such as Watergate only helps to fuel these claims.

So what do you think about these theories? Are their forces conspiring against us or are these people just nut jobs. If you have heard any good theories feel free to share them.

Those Crazy Cats!

2007-02-21T17:13:00.000-05:00

Don't you love those funny internet videos that you find on websites? Sometimes after I have a long day there's nothing I want to do more than kick back and have a good laugh. Free internet videos are a great way to do that without having to surf through hunderds of cable channels or to pay for video rentals. The best ones, i would say are of animals, and of course we all know that the best animals around are cats.

I didn't know how delightful watching cats playing could be until I had my own, but there have been so many times that I wished I had a camera to catch the ridiculous things that they do. When I moved, my cats had to go live with a family member, where they will be staying until we get an apartment that allows pets. But sometimes looking at other peoples cats can be a wonderful pick me up. Mercifully, free funny cat videos and pictures are available on all kinds of fantastic websites. Whether you want to find adorable kittens, cats in sinks, or videos of cats doing ridiculous things, if you want it, it's out there for you. Enjoy it.

Late Night Goosebumps

2007-02-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

Do you believe in ghosts? I'm not sure whether I do or not, but I must say that some of those American Haunting shows on TV really give me goose bumps. I've never encountered a ghost or been in a haunted house, but as I listen to people recount their experiences on "A Haunting in (wherever)," on TLC I'm almost always certain that they must have experienced something real. Watching those kind of real true ghost stories late at night is always a great way for me to ensure myself of restless sleep and nightmares.

Shared hallucinations are a real phenomena documented by psychologists around the world, but hallucinations don't produce eerie images in the backgrounds of your photos, make objects fly off shelves, or scare off the priests. It also adds credibility to haunted house stories that the houses often upon later investigation turn out to be built on places that seem like they would be very likely to be haunted. For example, the house which was the sight of the true Amityville horror was later discovered to have been built on an Indian grave yard, and a haunted house in Maryland haunted by the ghost of a soldier turned out to have been built on the site of a civil war hospital. Finally, parapsychologists have spent the last 50 years tyring to discover scientific methods to investigate the paranormal and have really come up with some exciting ways to measure it, such as by looking at changes in the electromagnetic fields of a room, and by recording temperature changes in places thought to be paranormally active. Though the study of the paranormal is not acknowledged by most main stream scientists, consistent findings like those discovered using these methods add a great deal of legitimacy to the study of ghosts and the investigation of ghost stories.

I'm not really certain that I believe in ghosts because I've never encountered one myself, but given the spine tingling experiences of so many real people, I'd much rather just keep it that way and enjoy hearing the fascinating stories that others have to tell.

Why are people still using dial up instead of broadband?

2007-02-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

It continues to amaze me that in this day and age some people continue to use dial up. Are these the same people who show up in the statistics as the ones who still use black and white tv's and don't have indoor plumbing? Honestly, you might as well just go live under a rock. I understand not everyone uses the Internet as much as those of us in the blogging community, but how do people live that way? It's kind of barabaric.

Dial up is unbearably slow. Wether you use cable, dsl, satellite, or whatever your experience is so much better with a form of broadband. Who has time to wait hours for a 10 minute video to load? Or even to wait for pages to load? I prefer instant access when surfing the web. The cost is just too cheap not to make the upgrade. Whether here in the United States or in India, these days anyone can afford broadband. Black and white televisions are ancient technology and so is dial up. Get with the times and upgrade already.

Psst...I've Got a Secret

2007-02-15T14:25:00.000-05:00

Everyone has a secret that they want to let out and share with others but are too afraid to share it with others. Maybe it is embarrassing or you don't know what your friends will think. Many times if you can share that secret with others it can relieve a burden and let you better deal with it.

Secret chest lets you post a secret completely anonymously. Then others will post advice regarding your secret. In a unique twist social bookamrking, the most sincere and compelling secrets get voted to the top.

Even if you don't have a secret to share it is still interesting to read what others have to share. Some people have a very shady side that I'm sure that they normally would not expose to others. Others are going through very hard times that most of us can relate too. Possibly your words of encouragement can help them out. I know that I will be returning to this site and I hope you do too.

0% APR Credit cards

2007-02-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

We all see the offers for Zero APR credit cards. There are some things you have to be careful of when choosing these cards. Due to ever increasing deregulations the credit card industry has become more shady than ever before. What seems like a great offer now might turn up to be a horrible deal done the line.
What begins as a great introductory rate may soon change to as high as a 30+% rate in a s little as a few months. You are probably smart enough to realize this and plan to switch to the next offer that comes along. This tactic actually is bad for your credit score because constantly opening and closing lines of credit reduces your score. It is better to find a card that will maintain a good rate and stick with that.
Of course the permanent rate of the card is easy enough to tell and you probably already realize that the rate won't stay at 0%. If you read the fine print they have several options to raise your rate. Have you ever had mail lost in the system? I have and one late payment will give them the right to up your rate sky high. Even if all of your payments are made on time if your credit rate is to change, or employment status, or you go through a divorce, really for any reason they can change your rate. That's right, even if you make all of your payments your rate can be changed.
Basically, 0% credit cards can be nice to have. Just don't use them as a way of controlling your debt. If you already have a high credit card debt you will be much better off paying them off then simply transferring your debt from card to card because eventually it will catch up to you.

Living Touch

2007-02-14T03:23:00.000-05:00

Living Touch is a very infromative blog about ways to live a healthier life. The thing I like most about the advice they give is that most of their recomendations are on natural ways of being healthy. Todays society is too focused on the quick fixto their problems. Nature is not about the qwuick fix and neither is being healthy.
Natural remedies are the best because medical sciemce just foucuses on covering up the symptoms. In reality the problem is ussually something that your system is lacking. Ancient civilizations were able to understood this but somehow we have lost sight of this fact. Asian culture probably understands this better than the west and that is why you can find great advice in the Asian Culture category of his blog.
Of course some people could care less about being healthy and just want a quick fix in order to loose weight. Living Touch also covers on weight loss strategies. I can save you the time of reading that. Eat less calories than you burn. You can either starve yourself or eat sensibly and exercise but that is all there is to it. I hope you find someone from this blog to help you live a healthier more natural life.

Save Money and Feel Better About Yourself

2007-02-14T03:08:00.001-05:00

One thing that so sad about today's society is that nobody is willing to do things for themselves. Many times people will pay others to do a simple task when they could have easily done it for themselves. What I think people should do is do a little research so that they can be self sufficient.
One area that you can learn to do for your self is basic automotive maintenance. It is so simple that even a monkey can do it. Why do you think they call them grease monkeys. By learning how to take care of your car you can save your self a lot of money and be aware of what is going on your car to avoid problems that may be brewing.
Another way to save a lot of money is learning how to do home improvement yourself. By taking on projects around the house you can make a huge difference in the value of your house and save thousands in labor. Things like remodeling your kitchen or bathrooms can be done at very little material cost and create many times more in additional equity.
After learning to do things for yourself you will not only save money but you can take pride in the work you have done. Nobody will ever put the same effort into a project as you will for ones for yourself. More often than not the work you get from others is of low quality. That is why i recommend that everyone becomes a do it yourselfer.

Happy Valentines Day

2007-02-14T02:47:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy valentines day. I hope you have someone special t oshare it with. I also would like to send a very special happy valentines to my someone special.

Gaspirtz Cartoons

2007-02-02T21:42:00.000-05:00

Do you like this cartoon? This, and many more cartoons, can be found at Gaspirtz cartoons. Oliver Gaspirtz was born in Germany and resides in New York. His work has appeared in many major publications such as the National Enquirer and Sun and has been featured in over 20 exhibits around the world. His humor tends to be a little dark but is hilarious nonetheless.

Blogging Is The Way To Go

2007-01-28T05:43:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing how many people have started blogging? Indeed blogs have become so universal that one can no longer ignore them. Take for example all these friends I have who run their own blogs: Helen Constantine, Mickey Temp, Sharon Steele, Dave Abigail, Kathy Bright, Casper DoGood, Charlene Coop, Edwina Warner, Eva Gardner, Glenn Alvarez, Jane Nicole, Gina Turner. And then of course there are those who are running several services on their blogs. For instance: Web review, Major Major blog, Random Articles, Directory Owners Interview Blog. Clearly the day of the blogs is here.

The reason that TIME magazine chose YOU as the person of the year was because of the power of citizen journalism -- primarily driven by blogs. So, what are you wasting your time for? Go over to one of the free services like blogger or some other, or get your own word press blog.

What is very lovely about the blogosphere is the way you can actually generate an avalanche of a response to your thoughts. Just be true to yourself and post something that you truly believe in. And quite literally, the world can be yours.

Of course, if you are a non-tech person, you will face some initial hesitation in getting this entire process going. Not a problem, blogging technology is notoriously easy to use. In many senses it is an entry level CMS. Something like a content management system for the masses.

If you do not possess your own blog, then now is a good time to do so. Look at some of my other friends who run their own blogs: Madlaine Made, Maria Robins, Mike Horner, Tyran Mike, Noel Page, Ted Nestle, Terresa Hopkins, Zoe Martini, Ajeet Khurana, Joy, Kendall, and get a good idea of what you could do.

New Skyline Forum

2007-01-22T15:49:00.000-05:00

Ever since gaining it's fame in Gran Turismo, every little fan boys dream has been to own a Nissan Skyline. Not just any Skyline but the vaulted GT-R incarnation. The thing that made these car so coveted, apart from the awd and twin-turbo v-6, was the fact you could not buy one in America. For awhile, you could have Motorex import one, until they got into legal trouble. That left the only option to import one and jumping through countless hoops to have it registered. Coming this fall, you will be able to buy a domestically sold Skyline GT-R at your local Nissan dealer. Start doing your research now, because in a short time, the GT-R will be the tuner car to have. The forum to get all of your GT-R information will be Skyline Forums.

Free Php Link Directory Template

2007-01-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

I would like to share with you a free template for the PHP link Directory version 2 free script. If you do not already have the scrip t it can be downloaded for free here. Here is a demo of the Foxxy Directory template. If you like it then please download it. The only requirement is you do not remove any of the footer links. Otherwise it is yours to do whatever you want with it.

Review of Speed Blog

2007-01-11T22:26:00.000-05:00

Today I came across a great blog for motorheads such as myself. The Speed Blog is a motorsport blog covering almost all forms of racing. Some import and drifting coverage would be nice, but everything else is covered from club racing to F1. It even announces the birthdays of your favorite drivers.

Gearheads would do well to visit this blog. Whether you want race coverage, entertainment, profiles, or motorsport news, it is all there. The only thing I could do without, is the Nascar coverage. Nascar isn't even a sport. It's a bunch of rednecks on a sunday drive, going around in circles. But hey, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. Overall the good outweighs the bad.

Things I've Learned About Gold Fish

2007-01-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

Now that I am living in Bloomington, I am no longer allowed to have furred pets. This meant sending mny cats off to live with my aunt-in-law. Being accustomed to having a pet, I needed to get new ones. Reptiles seemed like much too much work for too little reward. So I decided on gold fish. Fish aren't that rewarding but they are low maintenance. Purchasing 2 goldfish I learned a few things I never knew before.

1.Goldfish are not disposable.Going in I had this idea goldfish frequently die and you just buy new ones. What I learned is that with proper care they can live more than twenty years.
2. For every gallon of water you should have a pound of sand.
3. For every gallon of water you can have an inch of fish.
4. Goldfish have needs to. Adding new things, or giving them a change in food, makes for happy fish. The more you make their lives intersting, the more active and rewarding they will be.
5. Fish don't make terrible pets. They can't play with you like a cat or dog, in fact, you can't even touch them, but they can be rewarding in their own way.

Now I'm not here to say fish are the best pets ever. Cats are the best pets ever. The point is they are intersting and rewarding in their own way.

Some Sports Are More Dangerous Than You Realize

2007-01-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

You probably already know that football is an injury prone sport. In fact it is #1 in the report issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission of most dangerous sports. What might surprise you is some of the other sports that made the list. Sports such as golf,bicycling, and even swimming. Even what is more surprising is the sports that didn't. Not one martial art was listed.

Experts attribute the safety of martial arts to the training and discipline involved. Before young students are ever allowed to engage in any dangerous activity they must spend weeks or even months training. One such art that is growing rapidly in popularity is Muay Thai Kickboxing.

No matter what art you chose I recommend you get your children involved in martial arts. The confidence that they gain will help them more for the rest of their lives than any other sport. Plus, we know bullying is becoming more prevalent than ever before. Give your children the skills needed to defend themselves.

Disclosure Policy

2007-01-08T13:24:00.000-05:00

This policy is valid from 08 January 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact ricerboy77 at yahoo dotcom.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Launched a New Blog

2007-01-06T02:32:00.000-05:00

I created a new blog for my directory. This blog will contain announcements regarding my directory, site reviews, and webmaster tools and advice. If you would like to view my blog it can be found here. All feedback is greatly appreciated.

I Need To Give In And Buy a Cellphone

2007-01-05T00:02:00.000-05:00

For years I've fought off buying a cell phone. 99% of people you encounter using them are annoying. This is probably because if they weren't annoying you would never notice them in the first place. Now my job requires me to have a cell phone. You would think that if an employer required you to have something in order to do your job they would provide it. They don't. For the past while I have been using my girl's phone. Of course this creates problems because she does not have use of the phone when I have one.

Coming to the realization that I need a cell phone led me to a very valuable resource. Cell phone selection has never been easier than with Wirefly. They offer great prices, wonderful service, and free shipping. Plus if you are in any way unhappy they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Even if you already joined the masses in buying a cell phone, Wirefly also has many accessories, plans, and ring tones for sale. Take some time to check out their site and you will not be disappointed.

Directorycontest-May the best Directory Win!

2007-01-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Mike Dammann has started a directory contest.It is simple you will have to rank first in google for keyword directorycontest.com .May thhe best directory win.Onsite optimization is not allowed in contest.First prize is 2000$.Visit directorycontest.com for more info!

Sue Happy America Finally Affects Me

2006-12-28T21:57:00.000-05:00

I just got served legal papers saying that I am being sued. Legally I probably shouldn't go into details other than I have no chance of losing. I just wanted to share something I found out that you will probably agree is ridiculous. The person filing the suit doesn't even have to make up their mind how the alleged situation happened.

Basically, the person suing me says I did something/neglected to do something that led to the situation they want to be rewarded for. In the very same set of documents they are suing someone else for doing/neglecting to do something else. The alleged situation could only happen one way or another. We both could not have contributed to the situation.

Shouldn't you at least have to make up your mind how it happened? What gives a person the right to sue someone when they KNOW they had nothing to do with anything. In fact, they were the victim in the situation. I've already lost so much faith in the legal system and this is just another straw.

Help on Choosing A Host

2006-12-26T01:29:00.000-05:00

When I started my directory it was very important for me to find a good hosting site. You want to find one that is both reliable and won't break the bank. Hostgator is definitely a good one. Other than their top notch service, another great thing about them is that they constantly offer coupons.

Host Gator Hosting Coupons is a great resource to find the latest coupons. Not only do they offer coupons, they also are a great all around resource for researching your hosting options. They have a list of recommended hosts to make the decision easier for you.

Research is the most important thing you can do when you choose hosting. No matter how cheap someone may be, if their servers are constantly down, they will not be doing you any good. Customer support is another very important option. You want to find someone who will be there to help you. Taking your money should not be their only service.

Merry Christmas Everybody

2006-12-23T04:22:00.000-05:00

I have been away for Christmas. With that, last minute shopping, and helping my mom out , I have not been able to get to blogging. After Christmas this blog will be back to a post a day. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Hoildays.

Hez Got Nawz Dog!

2006-12-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

One thing I can not stand is when people use the word NOS wrong. Nos is not a thing to have. Nos is a brand that makes nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is dollar for dollar the best money you can spend to make your car fast. Bolt-ons only yield a small gain in power. Turbo kits give extreme gains at extreme cost. For the price of a bolt on you can receive turbo type gains. One great resource for both information and ordering is Nitrous Direct. With a little research you can add serious power to your car and not sound like an uninformed ricer.

Best General Directory by LennyP

2006-12-14T23:09:00.000-05:00

My directory is now almost near completion. In case you missed the link in my first post about it here is the link Best General Directory by LennyP. I have a template and I have the features functioning correctly. I hope it can be a good resource for both webmasters and the general public. After I get my logo finished the next step is promoting it to take over the world. All feedback on how it can be improved are greatly appreciated.

Theological Pondering About Holy Trinity

2006-12-13T23:07:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I was wondering about the whole holy trinity. I don't even know if all Christians believe in it or if it is just a catholic teaching. You know the sign of the cross? In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit, amen. That is the holy trinity. The idea that god is three entities in one.

First pondering. Did Jesus exist before he was born to Mary? If God is three parts wouldn't the son always exist? If so how can he die for us when he was just returning to the form he was in since the beginning of time.

Now, if Jesus did not exist until he was born to Mary, was there a holy duo before hand. Either way I don't know where the beginning of the holy spirit was because he doesn't get the same press as the father and son.

*Disclaimer* This is in no way an endorsement of any beliefs. It is just a pondering regarding theology.

Decided to Start a Directory

2006-12-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Last night I made the decision to start a directory. Maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe there are too many directories already. I just thought it would be fun to try. If I can break even and have a little success getting noticed that will be good enough for me.

However it is not as easy as people say it is for a novice. I bought a domain and got hosting. Next step was just to install a script and set it up. This has become the hard part. Every step of the way that should has been filled with head aches. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever get it set up. I am by no means a computer expert and every question I asked gets answered like I have some clue what they are talking about.

Hopefully I will be able to get it sorted out. As it stands I have something up. You can view it here Best General Directory by LennyP.

About PayPerPost

2006-12-10T22:53:00.000-05:00

PayPerPost is great because you get paid to blog. PayPerPost is a program that pays you money to write blog posts. You can write about anything you want because you choose the opportunities. When you see a topic that fits into your blog you can write about it and get paid. Other than a few simple guidelines you are free to say whatever you want.

PayPerPost is not about selling out your blog. Some people think you are feeding your readers what an advertiser tells you to. That is not the case. Most advertisers only care that you talk about their product or service. Saying something positive is not required.

The best reward of using PayPerPost is it helps you overcome writers block. Sometimes, no matter how hard you think, you can't think of anything to write about. With their long list of ideas writers block is a thing of the past. Everyone who writes a blog would benefit if they gave them a look.

LennyP's Blog About Whatever Now Has A Pet Monkey

2006-12-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

My blog now has a new pet monkey adopted from BunnyHero Labs. His name is Lenny The Monkey. I hope you enjoy playing with him. BunnyHero has many pets who need a new home so go ahead and adopt your own and improve an animals life.

Sexy Chick With a Big Gun

2006-12-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

Koolanoo.com has made this entertaining James Bond 007 La Femme Nikita style video complete with sexy black cat suit. Koolanoo is the world's first Jewish social network. Unless you are Jewish you may not have a whole lot of interest in joining but the video is at least worth watching.

James Bond Video

Great Christmas Product For The Kids

2006-12-08T00:45:00.000-05:00

Delight your child this Christmas with a personalized letter from Santa Claus that they will remember for years to come. Santa personalizes each letter with your child's name, best friend's name (optional), hometown, and state! The letter, of course, is postmarked from North Pole, Alaska, which is sure to thrill your child even more. Santa signs his name on the bottom of every letter so your child knows that Santa took the time to write during the busy Christmas season. Each letter is printed on beautiful heirloom-quality acid-free linen paper and mailed in an individually embossed envelope with authentic gold foil. Each letter costs just $9.95 (and includes shipping), so order today! Click here to order your kids letter today!

Review of IncParadise.Com

2006-12-07T21:50:00.000-05:00

IncParadise.Com is a blog dealing with small businesses. As someone who is trying to get my own small business started it is very useful. They cover topics such as getting financing, customer service, and operations. Most interesting to me was this post. Basically, they let you know how you can skip the whole long process of incorporating your company by buying a corporation that filed all the paper work but were never made active.

The layout is very clean and simple to follow. It seems pretty new so there is not an abundance of information. However, the information that is there is very good. Any small business owner, or future small business owner should give it a look.
free business info

How to Bid On Ebay

2006-12-07T03:22:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find yourself angry because you bid on Ebay and then at the last seconds someone outbids you. Does it really get your goat that they didn't give you a chance to bid higher? If you ever felt this way you are not bidding right on Ebay. The person who won just knew how to use Ebay better than you.

Ebay is not a traditional auction where you keep bidding higher until you win. It is a fixed time auction. This means whoever has the highest bid in when it closes wins. To bid before the closing seconds is foolish. All you can achieve is driving up the final price you pay because of other inexperienced bidders.

The proper way to bid is determine the absolute highest amount you are willing to bid. Then submit your bid in the final 10 seconds. Some people have a sniper program do it for them but it is just as easy to do it manually. By following this advice you will never over pay and you will get the best price possible.

Vote For Your Favorite NFL Team and Help Feed Someone

2006-12-06T02:59:00.000-05:00

Click For Cans 2006

By showing support for your favorite NFL team you can help feed the homeless. Campbell's is donating cans of soup for the winning team and the team that shows the most improvement. Just how much soup? As much as the team weighs. So if you are willing to do the research you can find out what team weighs the most and vote for them. Or just vote for your favorite team and take pride in them winning something, even if it is not the Super Bowl.

Time To Overcome Writers Block

2006-12-05T00:35:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to post the last post about nachos. I figured it was too irrelevant. That has been my problem. Once I got behind in posting, every time I tried to think of something so great too make up for the delay. That only set myself up for failure. Nothing could be good enough so nothing was posted. For the next 30 days I am going to post something every day no matter how irrellevant. Hopefully that will get the juices flowing and bring this blog back to life.

Nachos Are Great

2006-12-05T00:34:00.000-05:00

I am eating nachos. They are delicious. The end.

DC Sports Continue Their Losing Ways

2006-11-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

In today's news Alfonso Soriano signed a 8 year $136 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Not only did the Nationals fail to re-sign their key free agent, they got nothing back for losing a perennial all-star. Earlier this summer, they had the opportunity to trade him and get some quality prospects. Instead, they did not trade him and let him go for nothing.

This continues a long tradition of DC's sport franchises commitment to mediocrity. The most pride you can take in DC teams is pride in former players who went on to greatness elsewhere. No DC team has won a championship in DC since 91. That is why I can't be a fan of my hometown's teams. If ownership can't be committed to winning I can't be committed to them.

Dains Find Innovative Cure For Speeding

2006-11-10T03:07:00.000-05:00

Warning!

Some guys just don't know how to slow down. Concerned danish citizens are attempting an innovative approach to slowing down motorists. Maybe we should use the same tactic in America.

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

2006-11-01T16:26:00.000-05:00

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country
protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal
immigration. Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders,
might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay
indefinitely. Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these
protests.Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me
in your house, you insist that I leave. But I say, "I've made all the beds and
washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors; I've done all the
things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I
broke into your house).According to the protesters, not only must you let me
stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan, educate my kids, and
provide other benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do your yard work
because he too is hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part.) If
you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will
picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be there.It's only
fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying
to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest, um, except for well, you know.And
what a deal it is for me!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of
the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being
accused of selfishness, prejudice and being an anti-housebreaker. Oh yeah, and I
want you to learn my language so you can communicate with me Why can't people
see how ridiculous this is?! Only in America....if you agree, pass it on (in
English.) Share it if you see the value of it as a good simile. If not, blow it
off along with your future Social Security funds.

I don't know where this was originally published. I found it on a message board and the source wasn't quoted. This writer perfectly explained he absurdity of the illegal immigration debate.

Trick or Treat, Give Me Cash.

2006-10-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

My son was just asking me to go to wwwdotunicefusadotcom, or something close to that. You might be wondering why a four year old would want to go to Unicef's website. That is because the commercial on Cartoon Network told him to. He was thinking there would be fun games. He also thought that Unicef was associated with trick-or-treating, something he's already looking forward to. Must have been a pretty cool commercial.

I did not see the commercial myself. What I can tell you is that it was promoting Unicef's new gimmick to turn Halloween into a charity drive. Instead of letting your kids enjoy Halloween, they want you to turn your kids into panhandlers asking for money for other little kids. There's nothing lower than parents dragging their kids into their own political causes which the kids couldn't possibly understand. It's also pretty low to turn around and ask someone who's doing something nice for you to give you even more. Your effectively asking for something else which they weren't offering, and then making them feel bad if they don't want to give it up. That's what the crackheads do if you hear out their sob-lie and give them a dollar. Couldn't you just give me five? NO! Now I wish I hadn't given you one.

Halloween is for kids to enjoy themselves. Not to give out healthy foods because you don't believe in candy. Not to distribute religious pamphlets. Not even for grown people to dress wildly and get drunk. It is for the enjoyment of kids. Probably, because it is simply for the enjoyment of kids, is why it is a dying holiday; it doesn't involve shoving a religious message down anyone's throat or honoring some political cause. But my how quickly I would shut my lights off and blow out my jack-o-lantern if people started hitting up my house for cash after I already spent my hard-earned money to buy candy so I could give it away. That WAS my contribution.

I'm not denying that Unicef is a solid, reputable, organization which really does help children world wide. I'm not saying that people shouldn't give them money. What I am saying is that stealing kids holidays for any reason is wrong, that's what this is, and it's not something to be supported.

The Japanese Are Just Wrong Sometimes

2006-10-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

In this video unsuspecting japanese school girls stop to pet a cute dog. Little do they know there is a hidden camera filming right up their skirts. Lesson of the day, think first before petting a dog while wearing a skirt.

10 Good/Bad Things About Living In Bloomington

2006-10-09T19:17:00.000-05:00

At the end of August I moved to Bloomington, Indiana from Germantown, Maryland. This helped me realize that people are people wherever you go. Some are good, some are bad. This doesn't mean there aren't still some major changes to get used to. Some good, some bad. First the bad, because I prefer to focus on the negative.

5 Bad Things about Living In Bloomington

There is nowhere good to eat. Every restaurant that I have tried has either had bad food, bad service, or both. Apparently, in Bloomington the simple fact that someone is making your food for you is enough. Expecting it to be of high quality, served quickly, or for you to be showed any type of attentiveness as a customer is expecting too much.
There is absolutely no shopping. The big draw in our mall is Target. If you want anything, especially clothes, to shop anywhere nicer you will need to get used to traveling or become a savy online shopper.
Addresses make no sense. All they are is a mere suggestion of where you might find something. The location you are looking for may or may not be on the same street as the physical address is. Forget the rules you learned about the order of numbers and letters. CJ might follow J, and 8 might be after 11. Street names change for no rhyme or reason. The street you follow may have 4 or 5 names. If you forget all rules of logic and reason, then maybe you can have success finding your way around.
No daylight savings time. What kind of anti-social state decides that it is not going to participate in daylight savings time with the rest of the country?
Bloomington is lily white. The really weird thing about having white people is you see white people doing jobs you would never see white people doing back home. The landscaping crew at my apartment complex is all white. The only other group represented here is Asians but they do such a good job of sticking together you barely notice them.

5 Good Things About Living In Bloomington

Bloomington is lily white. While not a good thing in itself, the lack of illegals and people who can't even speak the language is refreshing. Remember what I said about white people work jobs where you normally don't expect them? Now imagine being able to order fast food and the person taking your order understanding English.
Great scenery. Bloomington is mostly a college town. In case you don't know, it is the home of Indiana University. With a college town comes college girls. Lots of them. More eye candy than you probably need in a day. For the females, I would imagine lots of young men in their physical primes would be appealing to you too.
Cheap cost of living. I'm paying half as much for my 2 bedroom apartment with rent which covers all utilities, including cable, internet, and phone, as I paid for rent alone in Montgomery County for a similar apartment.
Don't have to worry about terrorists attacks. Living near D.C., I always realized I lived in the target zone for terrorist attacks. Terrorists don't care about B.F.E. Indiana. That's one less thing to worry about.
People are more pleasant. Not necasserily more friendly, but they at least don't have a unwarranted sense of self-importance that people in Montgomery County are plagued by.

Starbucks Without the Starbucks

2006-10-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

What is your favorite part about Starbucks? For some, I hear, they feel every time they go to Starbucks they feel part of the Starbucks community. That is exactly the part I hate about Starbucks. I can't stand the pretentious customers. I can't stand their pompous staff. I can't stand the irritating music they play because they want to create an "artsy" environment. I can't stand their exclusive language for a simple cup of coffee. What I do like is their coffee.

Imagine a world where you could enjoy Starbucks coffee without all of the Starbucks experience. Now that world is a reality. Starbucks now offers you the option of buying all of their products from the comfort of your own home. No pretentious customers. No annoying staff. Just great coffee. Click on the banner to learn more.

NBA Cutting Corners

2006-10-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

With the basketball season approaching quickly, you will start seeing me blogging about the NBA. Basketball is by far my favorite sport. No other sport has the same drama, passion, and athleticism. Man, I love this game.

That is why it saddens me to see them cheapening this game. No, not the influx of players who cant shoot, or don't understand how to play defense. They are replacing the game ball with an indoor/outdoor type ball. Basically the kind of ball I would give to my 4 year old. With all the billions the NBA makes, why is it that they can't afford to use a real leather basketball? Shaq Daddy is outraged, and so am I.

Read the full story here

My Blog Gets Personal

2006-10-05T20:35:00.000-05:00

A reader told me that my blog should be more personal. That is why I am posting one of those personal surveys you find everywhere. Maybe this will give you as the reader a better understanding of me as a person. For the most part I think sharing my views gives a strong understanding of who I am. My views are the result of my lifetime of experiences. In the future I won't be doing any more of these. If you like them enjoy, If not, don't worry, it is the last one.

Here goes. Enjoy it for what it is.

Ultimate 'About Me'

001. What is Your Name? LennyP
002. How old are you? 29
003. What is the link to your website, blog, or myspace? LennyPwhatever.blogspot.com

General
004. What is your height? 5'11
005. Do you have any siblings? 2 brothers, Bob and Chuck, and 1 sister, Stephanie
006. What is your eye colour? blue/green
007. What is your hair colour? dark
008. Do you wear glasses or contacts? contacts, vanities a bitch
009. Are you right handed or left handed? left handed in a right handed world
010. Do you have any piercings? I used to have my ear pierced but it has since healed
011. Do you smoke? proudly so
012. Do you swear? huge potty mouth
013. Do you get along with your parents? dont't not get along
014. Your heritage sicilian/irish/german
015. Your fears fear of being a coward
016. Goal you would like to achieve this year make my blog succesful
017. Most overused phrase on an instant messenger lol
018. Best Physical Feature too many to pick just one
019. Your bedtime whenever I cant stay awake any longer, ussually when most people are waking up
020. What time do you arise in the morning? morning?
021. First thoughts waking up? damn it's late
022. Do you shower daily? If I need to be presentable

This Or That?
023. Bright or dark room? darkness reigns supreme
024. Chocolate or vanilla? chocaholic
025. Dogs of cats? thought of myself as a dog person until my girlfriend got a cat
026. Pepsi or Coke? Coke, Pepsi is nasty
027. McDonalds or Burger King? it's a mood thing but I'm in the mood for McDonalds more often
028. Ant or Dec? ???
029. Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea? Cool Nestea Baby
030. Cappuccino or Coffee? Coffee, cappucino is pretentious

In the last month have you...
031. Drank alcohol? yep
032. Gone to a mall? unfortunately. College Mall in Bloomington is tres weak
033. Eaten a box of Oreos? Ussually they come in a bag. We buy a bag a week in my household
034. Eaten sushi? Yes. They don't have good sushi in Bloomington either
035. Been on stage? can't say that I have
036. Been dumped? happily involved for 8 years
037. Gone skinny dipping? nope
038. Stolen Anything? Thieves should be shot

Have you ever...
039. Laughed for no reason? lol
040. Been caught doing something you weren't supposed to do? who told you?
041. Been in love? with my biscuit
042. Fired a gun? in Boy Scouts
043. Been drunk? haven't we all
044. Been called a Tease? no I know what I want
045. Been beaten up? I've dished out more punishment then I've taken
046. Shoplifted? I stole some candy and magazines when I was little

What was the last....
047. Furry thing you touched? a fluffy bunny
048. Thing you've said? I think out loud so it was a fluffy bunny
049. Song you've listened to? a song on the depeche mode cd my girl was playing
050. (Who was the last) person you've spoken to on the phone? a customer
051. Movie you watched? Kamikaze Girls
052. Thing you were doing before this? shopping
053. Time you cried? I honestly can't remember
054. Song you've sang? probably something corny
055. Time you looked at the clock? before I started this
056. Food and drink you've had? White Castle's cheeseburgers and chocalate shake
057. Flavour of gum you've chewed? Icebreaker
058. Shoes you've worn? Nike's
059. Store you've been in? Kroeger's

Favourite...
060. Planet? Pluto, it will always be a planet in my eyes
061. Age you've been so far? 21, I've just been getting closer to death since then
062. Season? Christmas
063. Number? uno nuno
064. TV show? Flavor of Love
065. Flower? girls seem to like roses

Random...
066. How much cash do you have on you? $55
067. What's a word that rhymes with 'door'? whore
068. What T-Shirt are you wearing? plain white
069. What brand of shoes are you wearing? Nike
070. What did your last text message say? don't text
071. What were you doing at midnight last night? something at the computer
072. What's your current desktop picture? the one that comes with windows xp
073. What's a word that you say a lot? the f word
074. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Black
075. How is the weather right now? cold, but at least it's not raining which it seems to do every other day here
076. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? their face or butt depending on what way they are facing
077. Are you too shy to ask someone out? I don't need anyone but my biscuit
078. Can you do a headstand (not using a wall)? no
079. Who would you like to see right now? my family
080. How many pillows do you sleep with? one
081. Would you go on a date with someone on MySpace? nobody but my biscuit
082. How do you want to die? performing acts of carnal knowledge
083. What do you want to be when you grow up? have a definite direction
084. What country would you most like to visit? Japan
085. How many CDs do you own? 0. I had several hundred that were destroyed and have felt the need to buy more
086. How many things, in your past, do you regret? Nothing. Anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger
087. Do you think you are attractive? I look good and I like me
088. Do you believe in yourself? I look good and I like me
089. Do you want to get married? I don't believe in the institutionaztion of something so personal

In a boy/girl...
090. Favourite eye colour? brown
091. Favourite hair colour? brown
092. Short or long hair? long, short hair is for boys
093. Height? 5'4ish
094. Weight? 120ish

Take This Survey | Create a Survey Tjshome.com

"100% of the Shot's You Don't Take Don't Go In"

2006-10-04T04:33:00.000-05:00

Wayne Gretzky, the famous hockey player uttered these poignant words. Not only did Gretzky lead the NHL in goals, he led it in shots, and in missed shots. That is because in order to be great you have to try even when you might fail. He might be considered a jock, but his words show he definitely understood what it meant to be great.

Most of us will never be a great hockey player. Heck, I don't even like hockey. That shouldn't stop any of us from living like The Great One. We can use this philosophy in all aspects of life. The surest way to fail is not to try. Trying is what gives you the opportunity to succeed. Next time you have an idea, but think it will never work, try it anyway. Regrets for what you could have done are always the worst to have. Never let doubts hold you back. If you have an idea, go for it. If it doesn't work at least you can figure out why.

These words can even help you in your personal life. If you see a girl you want to talk to, talk to her. Maybe she won't be interested, but at least you will have more confidence for the next girl. Eventually one will at least be bored and give you a chance. The guys who meet the most girls aren't the richest, or most attractive, or the ones with the biggest penis. The guys who meet the most girls are the ones who have the confidence to talk to the most girls. Girls, the same applies to you. If nobody is asking you out, ask a guy out. So many guys are intimidated by girls they are interested in. Control your own destiny.

Life is all about taking chances. When you have experienced failure, then you can appreciate success. Enough with the cliches. The puck is in your hands. Do with it what you want.

Red light cameras

2006-10-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

Red light cameras are a violation of our rights. You have the right to face your accuser. Good luck getting the camera to appear in court. All they can do is produce a photo of you entering the intersection after the light turned red. They don't have the intelligence to determine if you had a valid reason, such as moving for an emergency vehicle. They can't even determine if it was you who was driving the car. You can be punished for someone else's crime. How would you feel if your car was stolen and you received a ticket in the mail? Talk about adding insult to injury.
Red light cameras are not about public safety. Red light cameras are about revenue. City's even go as far as to shorten the time between when the signal turns yellow and when it turns red to trick motorists into tripping the cameras. The safety of motorists should never be risked like that for revenue. We all already pay taxes. Our city's should not be fining us to enable administrators fat cat lives.
These people, however, came up with something you can do about it. Avoid Costly Traffic Tickets. Make Your Car Invisible to Red Light and Speed Cameras. With this product you can protect yourself from overzealous government entrapment. It works by creating a glare on your car that makes your tag illegible in the pictures taken by red light cameras. We should all fight this violation of our rights through the legal system, but until government starts listening, protect yourself.

One month anniversary

2006-10-02T15:46:00.000-05:00

On Spetmember 2, 2006, I began this blog. Now it is one month later. When I started I didn't even know if I would be doing it a month later. I think it is time to reflect on my progress. So far I am happy with the results. To my surprise people are actually reading what I have to say. It is good to know I can share my thoughts with people on the other side of the world.
Now I would like some feedback from the readers. What have you enjoyed the most about my blog? What have you liked the least about my blog? What would you like to see more of in the future? What would you like to see less of? I hope I can get some quality feedack so that in the future my blog can be the best it can be.

How to make money on forums

2006-10-01T01:27:00.000-05:00

Over the past several years, I have spent way to much of my time lurking on forums. Rarely do I ever contribute. Digital Point Forum has changed that. Shawn, the owner, had the brilliant marketing idea of revenue sharing. Basically, when contributing to the forum you get rewarded with half of the adsense on any thread you start or post in. The key is not to clutter the board with junk. DP has very strict rules and useless posts will get you banned with the swiftness. Contribute with something worthwhile and you will be rewarded. You won't get rich from posting, but you will get paid infinitely more than the other forums I read. The knowledge gained there might make you rich though.
What knowledge can you gain? Digital Point is a webmaster forum that covers all aspects of web design, marketing, and monetization. Most beneficial to me is there is an entire section devoted to blogging. If the idea of making money from forums is interesting to you, you will also find countless threads of people paying you per post in their forums. They do this to build up content. I have not tried this yet, but if I find a forum that interests me I will definitely try it. Anytime you can share knowledge and gain financially sounds like a win-win to me.

Amazing Hidden Secret To Blogging Success

2006-09-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

In the past few weeks I've jumped feet first into blogging. As much time as I've put into blogging, the most time has been spent reading other blogs, and learning how to be a better blogger. Time and time again, I've read articles claiming to have some great secrets to how to make your blog a super great success. Most of these articles have covered the same information time and time again.
Reading through it all I've discovered the one secret that none of them contain. Here it is. There is no secret. Success comes down to two things; great content and letting people know about that content. These two topics have been covered extremely well by bloggers with years of experience. I can't possibly add any new insight but maybe these ideas or new to someone reading this.
First, before anything else, you need great content. Without anything to write about your blog has no purpose. If you have something you are passionate about, usually the content will take care of itself.
Presentation of the content is also very import. People won't read your blog if it is too much work to do so. Grammar and spelling are very important. So is the visual presentation. You don't want a garish presentation or text that is hard to read. This is something I'm still trying to improve upon but it goes a long way. You don't want someone to find your page and then click away without ever reading it.
But how do you get people to read your wonderfully well laid out content? You have to let them know about it. That means getting the word out. One great thing about the internet is that it is very viral. If you let one person know about your blog and they like it, they will tell another, then another, and so on. In time your readership will grow exponentially if you get the word out.
The first thing you can do is tell your friends and family that you have started a blog. They are a built in audiece. They are already interested in you. Out of pure friendship they will check out your blog. Don't just stop there. Ask them to advertise for you. If they have a blog, ask them to put a link to your blog on their blog.
Link building is one of the most important things you can do. The more links that point to your site the more access points your blog has. Submit to directories. Ask people who blog about similar topics to you to link to you. Search engines love sites with many incoming links.
Ah search engines. So much is talked about search engine optimization. SEO is about getting your page to rank high in search engines. Search engines bring in traffic from people who are looking for what you are writing about. They want your information. I won't write much about SEO because there is so much out there. The key is figuring out what you are talking about, identifying those keywords, and using them frequently. If you would like to know more just do a search for search engine optimization and you will find a plethora of information.
Another way to get your blog noticed is commenting on other blogs. The best part of scouring the net for blogs to comment on is you get to see what is working for other people. The most important thing about commenting is to keep it on topic. Nobody likes receiving spam. If you keep the comment on topic, and offer valuable insight, people will come back to your blog to see what else the brilliant author has to say.
After you have quality articles you can join socail bookmarking sites such as the ones you see in the scroll down list below this post. They can bring a ton of traffic just make sure your server is up to the task and you have something to add. Sometimes they can be a little cliquish, and shun the outsider, but eventually you will break through with your quality content. For me, I have had the most success with reddit. Use several and see what works for you.
In summary, the secret to blogging success is that their is no secret. Be wary of any site offering some unkown secret. In the long term, hard work is what pays off. Write quality content, let others know about it, and eventually you will find your audience. Be prepared to be in it for the long haul and continue blogging. Success will be yours.

Streets are for cars

2006-09-25T22:32:00.000-05:00

Notice to all pedestrians, streets are for cars. Not too recently, great minds came up with an invention called sidewalks. Sidewalks are great things. They give pedestrians a safe place to walk without being hit by cars. You should not walk on streets except at designated crosswalks. Even when in a crosswalk, it is only safe to cross when the light says cross. Most importantly parents need to learn about the benefits of sidewalks. You might not value your life, but that gives you no right to endanger your children.
Sure, no matter what pedestrians have the right of way. But in the end, who is going to be more inconvenienced if you don't follow my advice? The motorist who has to explain to the police that it was an accident; or the dead pedestrian? Sometimes I have to question if I really feel like stopping for some inconsiderate pedestrian. Maybe when you decide to get in my way I might decide not to stop.

Cops Don't Deserve Our Respect

2006-09-23T19:55:00.000-05:00

"Police officers are just doing their jobs." That's the common defense I usually hear for cops. Nazi storm troopers were just doing their jobs too. At least they had some kind of goal they were trying to achieve. Police are just trying to feed their own egos.
You have to ask yourself, "Why does one become a police officer?" Do they want to help others? If that was the case, he would have become a paramedic, or a firefighter, or maybe even have joined the Peace Corps. An individual becomes a police officer to have power over others. Their whole lives they felt insignificant and found the one job they are capable of doing to have power over others. If they had the skills and mental stability to get a better job they would.
Why do we as a society allow sociopaths to be the enforcers of justice? If the people protecting our streets aren't mentally sound, how can the streets ever be safe? How can we as a country entrust our freedom to people who are only out for themselves?

Critique My Blog

2006-09-21T12:06:00.000-05:00

One thing I like about blogging is finding various different blogs with varied topics. Today I found a very good resource called Critique My Blog. You can read reviews of a multitude of differnt blogs plus submit your own blog for review. Also, it is loaded with helpful hints and trip on improving your blog.

California, the land of the sue happy idiots

2006-09-20T13:44:00.000-05:00

Here comes another in a long line of stupid lawsuits. California is suing 6 auto manufacturers for polluting their states with greenhouse gases from the vehicles they produce. Why not sue the farmers for the cow farts? Or themselves for their own farts? Maybe I shouldn't give them any ideas. Farts may be outlawed in California soon.
Not every problem can be resolved by suing the producer of the problem. Perhaps California should be using the millions they will waste on this law suit towards fixing their problems of traffic congestion. Marlboro doesn't make people smoke, McDonalds doesn't make people fat, and car manufacturers doesn't make pollution. Individuals do. If California doesn't want to be a polluted cesspool they need to stop polluting. All this will do is waste the tax payers and auto manufactures money.

The 15% rule does not apply to delivery

2006-09-18T02:30:00.000-05:00

Everybody knows that you tip your waiter 15% of your total bill. For the most part, this system works. If you order a coffee and a danish your bill is small and your tip is small. Order appetizers, drinks, an entree, and desert, your waiter works more and your tip is more. Works pretty well.
On delivery it doesn't work quite as well. A driver's greatest effort is usually driving to your location. Whether you order a small pizza and a coke, or you order 4 x-large pizzas, the driver still does the about the same amount of work. This is why the 15% system does not work for delivery. If you have a small order, and tip a small amount, he makes less than if he was taking another order instead.
A base tip should begin at $3.00. If the order is particularly large, then you tip more. If you have special requests you tip more. If the driver is exceptional you tip more. Most importantly, if you cost the driver time or keep him waiting you tip more. The old adage that time is money definitely holds true for drivers. The more deliveries they take the more money they make.
Nobody can make you tip more except your own moral voice. I'm just letting you know when you give 6.00 on a $5.23 order your service suffers. Drivers talk to each other. They know who the bad tippers are. If you just chose to be a bad tipper then you chose to get poor service. However, it has come to my attention time and time again people think the 15% rule applies to delivery. It simply doesn't.

Mother Nature is Helping to Improve the Illegal Immigration Situation

2006-09-15T15:18:00.000-05:00

Story Here
Last year 427 people died attempting to cross the border, mainly from exposure. I say good. Mother Nature is helping us with our problem. Now our bleeding heart elected officials want to help them. They have introduced the Border Death Reduction Act to the senate. This bill calls for beacons where border jumpers can call for help. After being helped they would then be deported. Why bother wasting our money helping them when they can just stop ever being a problem again? It's not like anyone held a gun to their heads and told them to run out into the desert and risk their lives. The only good part of the bill is that it includes stiffer penalties for human smugglers. Still, if you don't want to go through legal channels to get here and would rather break our laws and take your chances in the desert, then take your chances in the desert. Not our problem.

America, the land of the free

2006-09-13T18:44:00.000-05:00

America is the land of the free, right? That is what they told us in grade school. America is the free-est country in the world. Then why are we the world's leaders in imprisoning our population? Over 2 million Americans are incarcerated right now. 60% of those people are in jail for victimless crimes. Isn't freedom being allowed to do whatever you want to do as long as it doesn't impede on the freedoms of others? Then why are so many of our fellow Americans incarcerated. Prison is the opposite of freedom. In prison you are stripped of all your freedoms.
Did our forefathers not demand that we have the right to pursue happiness? One person's pursuit of happiness might involve getting high. Another's might be gambling. Another's might be consorting with prostititutes. Whatever someone's idea of happiness is America's government has no right denying it. As long as America continues to deny freedom to those whose happiness is not popular, and does not impede on others, we can not be regarded as the land of the free anymore.

Stereotyping is not wrong

2006-09-11T22:27:00.000-05:00

Black people are loud in movie theaters. Oh-no he didn't just say that. Am I racist because I said that? Maybe it is a socio-economic factor how people behave in a public situation? Wouldn't that be stereotyping poor people?
Let's look at a more meaningful situation where stereotypes might come in to play. Say you are in a dark alley. To your right is a group of black males in their mid-twenties dressed like they just stepped out of a rap video. To the left is a group of conservatively dressed middle aged women. Which direction are you going? I feel confident that you chose your left. Maybe the group to your right actually did just step out of a rap video and you could of met a celebrity and had a story to tell your friends. Maybe the group of women just escaped from a mental institution and are looking for prey. You never know, but what you know already told you what the safer bet is.
Stereotypes in themselves are never wrong. Your mind creates them to make sense of the world. If you did not have built in stereotypes you would never know how to react when encountering new people. Making stereotypes does not make you a racist. It just makes you a human being using an important life skill.
The danger of stereotypes is when you refuse to let go of them. Nobody ever conforms to all of the stereotypes you have assigned to them. When you have no other information to go on then your best bet is to reference your stereotypes. But you also need to make the effort to learn about each individual. Every group of people has some really great people; just as every group has people that are absolute scum. When given the chance, take the time to really know everyone you meet. You will meet people of all different backgrounds that will make your world a much more interesting place. If you happen to talk to a black person, tell them to shut up when I'm watching a movie.

Robocup

2006-09-09T23:07:00.000-05:00

I was watching Cartoon network of all things and saw something really dorky but really interesting. Robocup is a project in artificial intelligence where they have leagues in which people program robots to play soccer competitively. The most fascinating league to me is the one where they reprogram the code in Sony Aibo dogs to enable them to play soccer. Basically, they delete the Aibo's original program, which enables them to follow you around like a real dog would, and then replace it with a new program so it can make basic judgment calls and play soccer with other Aibo's. Picture if you can a bunch of plastic dogs running pushing little balls. They even have goalie dogs.
Although I enjoy watching little robot dogs running around playing soccer I wonder how far AI has to go. Haven't these people watched T2? If we can teach robots to play soccer how much longer is it until judgment day? I do appreciate where this technology is going. Robot dogs can play soccer for us? That's great. Robot firefighters could save human lives? Even better. Robots could go and fight our wars for us? Well, it's better than humans dying in wars. I'm just worried about how far it will go. I don't mind the idea of robots going to war; I just don't want them going to war on us.
It seems to me that if we don't be careful about how far AI technology goes, it may just get out of our control. Maybe you think it's just the stuff of Hollywood, but computer intelligence is growing at a rapid pace. It is not a question of if, but of when robots and computers are more intelligent than us. The only hope I see is that they never develop human characteristics like pride and ego and that they stay content doing their jobs. If not, surely we as a race will be undone by what we created.

A real tragedy occurring in Uganda

2006-09-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

A couple of nights ago I wrote about how what happened in New Orleans was not a tragedy. Tonight I watched a documentary about a real tragedy occurring in Uganda that is not widely known about and even less is being done about. Over 12,000 children have been abducted and forced to join the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Coerced by fear and actual violence, they are brainwashed into killing machines. Typically they look for children between the ages of 5 and 12 because they younger they are the easier they are to indoctrinate.
Every day all they see is violence. All they learn about is violence. Insubordination is never allowed. To speak up is to be killed. And it's not just boys that are forced into the army. Girls are abducted too. Rape is a given for any young women. Of the escaped females, almost all have some form of sexually transmitted disease including HIV.
The children forced into the LRA are not alone in the suffering. Tens of thousand of children flee to the city's to sleep in shelters to avoid capture. Staying at home is far too dangerous. Conditions in these shelters are horrible. Packed right on top of each other they sleep like discarded trash surrounded by filth and disease. There no way they can go to school. Schools are the LRA's favorite targets. It is estimated that 80% of the population has been affected by this.
I hope by now you are wondering what you can do. First is to be aware. Now that you are aware find out more. Let others know about what is going on. Be active. Let our government know that something must be done. We spend way too much effort trying to solve the world's problems and this is one problem that needs to be solved.
Thank you for paying attention to what I have to say about this horrible tragedy.

I got a new job

2006-09-08T01:05:00.000-05:00

Today I started working at Aver's Pizza as a delivery driver. I really don't want to be a delivery driver but at least I have money in my pocket until I find a quality job. So if you happen to live in Bloomington, maybe you would like to order a pizza from Aver's. Try to remember to give the driver a good tip. They work hard and brought you your food because you didn't feel like getting it yourself.

Hurricane Katrina wasn't a Tragedy

2006-09-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

A predictable event can not be considered a tragedy. New Orleans is a gulf coast city. Also, they knew when, not if, a large hurricane hit the levees would not hold. I feel no sympathy. Many times I think to myself that it would be great to live in sunny California. Then I remember, "oh yeah, California is on a major fault line, sooner or later, everyone living there is going to die." Then I quickly decide I would rather not live there.
I have lost everything to events outside of my control. Two and a half years ago I lost everything in a fire. There was no way for me to know it was coming. Next thing I knew everything I ever had was in ashes. If I wanted to feel sorry for myself I could consider that a tragedy.
I understand what it feels like to lose everything in moments. I have also experienced the unexpected loss of loved ones. The major difference is I had no control over it. That is the tragedy of life. You lose the most important things to you and have no control over it. So why the hell should I feel sympathy for the irresponsable residents of New Orleans?

This post was inspired by Panthergirl calling it America's Holocaust here.

Neat Things

2006-09-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't like neat things? I guess it depends on how you define them. So if you define neat things as ddr, life as a web b.s. student, and technobabble, maybe you should check out Neat Things.

Feedback on my car list

2006-09-06T09:08:00.000-05:00

I posted my car list on Honda-Tech.com and this is the thread about my car list. First of all, my list is an enthusiast's list. It is not a business list like the Forbes list. Several of the vehicles on their list aren't even cars. A truck has no place on a car list. Also why would you say a list is the worst ever if you can't even give one reason why? I wrote my list because I want feedback but that is the worst feedback ever. "Worst list ever" is absolutely meaningless. If you have a better list let me see it.

Stephanie is an artistic mastermind!

2006-09-05T17:04:00.000-05:00

I added a link to my sister's deviant art page. She is really creative and worth checking out. In other news there is news about my job search. Finally, I am starting to get interviews. Nothing is certain yet so I'll keep my mouth shut for the time being.

10 Greatest Japanase Import Cars Of All Time

2006-09-05T01:22:00.000-05:00

This is my personal list of the 10 greatest japanese import cars of all time. Whenever a list like this is made someone is bound to disagree. Please feel free to let me know your opinions. This is not the 10 best, fastest, or most likely to win in a race. In my opinion, these are the 10 greatest cars when you combine performance, value, historical impact, and overall mad jdm hotness.
10. Acura NSX- This car only makes it to number 10 because of its price tag. It may not be the fastest car on the road but it will leave the longest snail trail behind it.
9. Miata- Definately not a fast car in a straight line but its lightweight and nearly perfectly balanced. The only major downside is that it is considered a girls car.
8. S2000- Cool in much the same way without being seen as a girls car. Add in the mighty veetak and you might just be able to beat someone in a straight line.
7. 240sx- Cheap, lightweight, rwd, and easy to swap a sr20 motor into for mind blowing turbo power. Played a big part in the explosive popularity of drifting.
6. RX-7- Well balanced and twin turbo power. Nearly a perfect car but hampered by peoples fears of the rotary power plant.
5. Corolla GT-S- The venerable hachiroku. Everything a cheap car should be. Light, balanced, rwd, and modifiable. What the 240sx is to drifting in the us, the 86 is to drifting period.
4. Evo- Ever since the first Gran Turismo, every fan boys dream. The ultimate street car. Now that Mitsubishi has brought it to America it is no longer a dream.
3. STi- Same as the above but with more torque and fit and finish.
2. MkIV Supra- Capable of over 1,000 hp on a stock block. Dyno's is where this car shines. Plus the Fast and Furious has forever enshrined this car as the car to have.
1. EG Civic- Probally the slowest car on this list stock. Wrong wheel drive. Just another pos grocery getter. Doesn't matter. We wouldn't be talking about imports if it wasn't for the Civic. It is the car that made the scene. Everybodies mom had one and and then everone and there mom was racing one.

Honorable mentions- Integra TypeR, Civic Si, CRX, Eclipse GSX, 300zx, and Skyline GT-R.

Heres a geeky little comic quiz I found

2006-09-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

1. Which comic company is your favorite? Image remains my favorite. They gave creators a place to truly profit from their work and gave an alternative to the big two.
2.Who is your favorite character and why? Mr. Cole Cash a.k.a The Grifter. Mostly just because Jim Lee draws him so cool but also because I can relate to his attitude and ideals.
3. Do you prefer villians or heroes? I prefer heroes because villians are usually one dimensional. Also by definition the villian is the one doing the wrong thing. In a Afgahanistani comic Osama would be the heroe and Sgt. Rock the villian.
4. If you could be any comic character who would you be? The obvious answer is Longshot. No matter the situation the luckiest one will come out on top. Like maybe I can't beat the Hulk with my strength but if he slip on a banana peel and crack his dome open then I'm the lucky winner.
5. Comic Books to Movies: Do you prefer it when the movie sticks to the comic story line or strays off with their own creative license? You have to accept that comic books and movies are two different mediums and the story needs to be told in different ways. That being said, the movie should still respect the source material.

Second post of all time

2006-09-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Not much has happened since yesterday. Haven't done anything on the job front. The good lord got one day of rest so why shouldn't I. Tomorow I will have to get real hardcore about job hunting. Of course, if anyone out there is looking for a hard working great guy to hire in the Bloomington area I just may be your guy.
The sad thing about realizing my job prospects aren't so good right now is that I decided to drop my online classes I was going to take. I would have to buy books by Monday and make 2 more payments so I dropped them. In the big picture its not that big of a deal because I can still finish my associates before leaving Indiana. I just worry if my education gets put on the back burner it may stay there.
I guess I should tell you about my education goals. My plan is to finish my associates in Business Administration while Abby attends Indiana. Staring next semester I plan to take Japanese at IU. After Abby applies to graduate school I will tranfer with her and get a Bachelor's in International Business and probally another major in Japanese.

My first post

2006-09-02T16:08:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog post ever. Maybe you already read the about me but I will tell you a little about my self. I am a 29 year old male that just moved to Bloomington, Idiana. I moved here because my girl transfrered to Indiana University as a psychology student. Other than her and my 4 year old son I don't really know anyone here yet. My neighbors seem nice but I haven't really gotten to know them much.
The biggest thing in my life right now is looking for a J-O-B. It seems there are a million worthless minimum wage jobs but not very much of anything else. Being that my girl feels it is absolutely necesary for my son to be in day care minimum wage is not going to cut it. Usually I can at least get a job as a delivery driver and make almost decent money but I've put in 8 or 9 applications and haven't even recieved a call yet. Maybe I just need to give it a little more time. I've only been looking for a little over a week.
Before I lived here I lived in Germantown, Maryland. Germantown is in Montgomery County which is a suburb of Washington, D.C.. I lived there since 1991. Pretty much it's a shithole but it was my shithole for the last 15 years. Before that I moved around a lot as a kid and it was nice to have an area that felt like you knew it. That is the hardest part of living all the way out here. I feel like I don't know anything about it. I don't even know where to look for a job because I don't even know where anything is.
Anyway that is the situation I am in now. In the future I would probally expect a lot of opinionated ramblings. I might be opinionated but given enough time, I can usually get people realizing that I'm right. Unless your my girl Abby. She always tells me my opinions are ignorant, close minded, and foolish. However, she's always wrong so her opinion doesn't matter. I love her anyway.
I'm sure by the end of this nobody is still reading but if you are let me know.