Make them smile with flowers

Making somebody smile isn't always easy, especially when the person you want to make smile can't see you. That's why I recommend a Fresh Flower Delivery to make that special somebody in your life smile. It's now easier than ever to order flowers online and have them shipped to either a home or office. Why not brighten up somebody's day with a lovely bouquet of their favorite flowers with a special note attached? It's an easy way to let them know you're thinking of them.

Blog post sponsored by Make Money Blogging.


Sustainability and Advertising

As a citizen of the Earth, I am always on the lookout for new companies that, in addition to the bottom line, want to make the Earth a better place or at least not damage it further. Thos.Baker premium teak outdoor furniture is such a company.

On the front page of the Thos.Baker website is an explanation of their sustainable harvest procedures, which are overseen by an Indonesian government agency tasked with preserving this natural resource. The teak furniture is gorgeous and I feel better buying from an ecologically aware company, such as the sponsor of this post.

Teak is resistant to rot, warping, shrinkage and swelling, and the natural teak oil preserves the wood so it can be left outdoors indefinitely. In fact, many parks in England are furnished with teak benches nearly a century old.

AdVolcano: Cost Per Term Advertising



There is a new advertising network called AdVolcano. Advertisers pay for cost per term (CPT), a fixed rate for a set time. This CPT model is similar to classified ads in that you know what you are paying for ahead of publication. You may even choose the sites to run your advertisements versus having to settle for run of network placement, where you are not sure what sites are displaying your ad.

The CPT model is especially helpful to small marketers on a fixed budget. By using CPT, you avoid the inherent problems of pay per click (PPC) , such as click fraud.

Make the most of your internet advertising, let the professionals at AdVolcano, sponsor of this post, plan your next media buy free of charge, complete with a no-obligation guarantee.

My, My, My Generation. What's Yours?

The Generations
Millennials     13-24, also called Generation Y and Echo Boomers
Generation Next 16-25
Generation X 25-41
Boomers 42-60
Matures 61-75
What is with the deal with Generation Next and Millennials covering basically the same age group? What happens before 12 and after 76? I am fairly certain that many live to be 76, and I know we do not spring into existence when we turn 13.

Perhaps we ran out of labels. I would suggest Wired Ones for the under 13 group and Seasoned Ones for the 75+. I am SO glad they put another generation between me and the Seasoned Ones. LOL

Integrated Treatment Program for ADD

Press Release:

Dallas Five-Year-Old with ADD Finds Relief with Integrated Treatment Program

ADD Health and Wellness Center’s customized treatment program focused on the full range of medical and non-medical options

DALLAS, TX, May 10, 2007 – Five-year old Shelby couldn’t pay attention. She didn’t listen and always had that glazed-over look. Her parents worried she suffered from attention deficit disorder (ADD), just like her dad, and would need medication to help control the condition. They wanted to find alternative treatment options but had no idea where to turn.

A common condition in the U.S., ADD/ADHD is estimated to affect up to 7 percent of U.S. school children, or around 4 million. ADD has a strong genetic link so parents and children often share the condition. It’s estimated that 8 million adults have ADD, but only 25 percent know it. Many struggle to find the right treatment options.

“ADD is almost as inheritable as height,” said Theresa Cerulli, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for the national ADD Health and Wellness Centers. “In families, if a child has ADD there’s almost always a parent with the condition.” Adults and children with ADD can be forgetful, fidgety, distracted and have difficulty following through on instructions.

Drugs are the single-most common treatment for ADD/ADHD and related conditions in this country. Shelby’s parents Annette and Eric Miguez were familiar with the medical treatment options, but they wanted to know about other treatment choices for Shelby, including effective alternative therapies.

Based on a friend’s suggestion, they visited the ADD Health and Wellness Center in Dallas. The Center is a unique, one-stop care facility where medical treatment, testing and counseling for ADD and related conditions are integrated. At the Center, treatment tools include nutritional counseling, psychologists and social workers offering individual and group therapy, education and coaching as well as medical treatment.

After an initial evaluation and assessment, the Miguezes worked with Dr. Karen Friedman, a psychologist at the ADD Health and Wellness Centers, to create a customized treatment program for Shelby focusing on behavior modification. Through non-pharmaceutical treatments like coaching, counseling and nutrition therapy, an effective integrated program was created for their daughter.

The Miguezes quickly learned how to manage and modify Shelby’s behavior with positive reinforcement using a powerful technique called the “token system.” When Shelby achieved specific goals in her program, she received pink chips. The chips were special because her mother made them for her.

“The token system is an effective technique because it focuses on positive reinforcement and well-defined goals,” said Dr. Friedman. “It’s like giving a child with poor eyesight the glasses she needs to see. ADD/ADHD children need something external to help modulate their behavior.”

The ADD Health and Wellness Centers’ treatment programs generally involve the entire family, which doctors, therapists and counselors have found to be most effective. In Shelby’s case, Dr. Friedman worked directly with her parents to create the program and coach them on administering Shelby’s treatment in the comfort of their home. After the initial assessment Shelby never visited the Center.

Shelby and her parents noticed an immediate change when a few simple changes were made to her diet and daily activities. For breakfast, protein replaced sugars and processed foods. And Shelby’s day was structured around a programmed schedule so she knew what to expect and could remain comfortably focused.

“It’s amazing to the see the turnaround in Shelby,” said Annette. “It’s like night and day. She is much more focused. Her teachers immediately noticed an improvement, as did her Tae Kwon Do coaches. By focusing our time and energy on this treatment program, we’ve made huge progress.”

Other important treatment components available at ADD Health and Wellness Centers include:
  • Neuropsychological evaluations and diagnostic clarifications
  • Education and counseling
  • Behavioral and cognitive treatment for ADD and other co-existing conditions
  • Academic tutoring and placement specialists
  • Coaching services
  • Support groups
  • Social skills groups
  • Skills-based group treatment
  • Intensive workshops
  • Medication therapies
  • Complementary and alternative non-medication therapies
  • Nutritional counseling and supplementation
About ADD Health and Wellness Centers: ADD Health and Wellness Centers, Inc. is dedicated to individualized, comprehensive, accessible, results-driven treatment for ADD and related conditions. The ADD Health and Wellness Centers are located in Greater Dallas, Boston, Austin and Houston, and more than a half dozen Centers are scheduled to launch around the country in the next year.

For more information, visit www.ADDhealthandwellness.com.



This press release contains some extremely good news for many parents who have been forced by school professionals to medicate their child so that the child could remain in school. The Integrated Treatment Program is a holistic treatment for the child with ADD or ADHD. Using nutritional changes, behavioral adaptations, time scheduling, and a token system, remarkable changes have been seen by many parents.

It is estimated that four to six percent of the population in the USA have ADHD. ADHD is one diagnosis applied to children and adults who display certain behaviors over a period of time. The most common features include inability to remain on task, poor impulse control and extreme hyperactivity. These behaviors must appear before age seven, continue for six months, and create a true handicap in at least two areas of the child's life, such as school, home or social settings.

ADHD does not go away as the child ages, and is not limited to children. More than one-half of children with ADHD will grow into adults that have significant problems with ADHD symptoms and behaviors, which may impact their family lives, employment and ability to socialize.

For millions of Americans, life just became a little easier to handle. For the rest of us, we will be blessed with the contribution these individuals with ADHD make to society.

Individuals with ADHD:
  • Ansel Adams (1902-1984) — Photographer
  • Alexander Graham Bell — (1862-1939) — Inventor
  • Hans Christian Anderson — (1805-1875) — Author
  • Beethoven — (1770-1827) — Composer
  • George Burns — (1896-1996) — Actor
  • Admiral Richard Byrd — (1888-1957) — Aviator
  • Agatha Christie — (1890-1976) — Author
  • Winston Churchill — (1874-1965) — Statesman (Failed the sixth grade)
  • Bill Cosby — (1937-present) — Actor
  • Leonardo da Vinci — (1452-1519) — Inventor, Artist
  • Walt Disney — (1901-1971) — Creative
  • Thomas Edison — (1847-1931) — Inventor
  • Albert Einstein — (1879-1955) — Physicist
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower — (1890-1969) — U. S. President, Military General
  • Michael Faraday — (1791-1867) — British Physicist, Chemist
  • Malcolm Forbes — (1919-1990) — Forbes Magazine Founder & Publisher
  • Henry Ford — (1863-1947) — Automobile Innovator
  • Benjamin Franklin — (1706 - 1790) — Politician, Elder Statesman
  • Galileo (Galilei) — (1564-1642) — Mathematician, Astronomer
  • Georg Frideric Handel — (1685-1759) — Composer
  • John F. Kennedy — (1917-1963) — U. S. President
  • Meriwether Lewis — (1774 -1809) — Explorer
  • Abraham Lincoln — (1809-1865) — U.S. President
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — (1756-1791) — Composer
  • Sir Issac Newton —(1642-1727) — Scientist, Mathematician
  • Louis Pasteur — (1822-1895) — Scientist
  • Anna Eleanor Roosevelt — (1844-1962) — First Lady
  • George Bernard Shaw — (1856-1950)—Author
  • Socrates — (469-399 B.C.) — Philosopher
  • Steven Spielberg — (1946-present) — Filmmaker
  • Henry David Thoreau — (1817-1862) — Author
  • Leo Tolstoy — (1828-1910) — Russian Author
  • Jules Verne — (1828-1905) — Author
  • Woodrow Wilson — (1856-1924) — U. S. President
  • Frank Lloyd Wright — (1867-1959) — Architect
  • Orville Wright — (1871-1948) — Airplane Developer
More information about new ADD/ADHD treatments, please visit ADD Health and Wellness Centers, sponsor of this post.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2006

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who died in service to our country. Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday in 1971, to be celebrated on the last Monday of May.

Originally know as Decoration Day, it is believed that Memorial day started in the United States after the Civil War to remember fallen Union soldiers. This might be true, because eight southern states hold a separate memorial day for fallen Confederate soldiers.

About 5,000 people attend the Memorial Day ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery each year. A small American flag is placed on each grave and the President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute).The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday.
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Blog Your Blessings Sunday : Desiderata

Great Skellig Island, Ireland 1977Great Skellig Island, Ireland
Photograph by James P. Blair
National Geographic


Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann c.1920


The Blue Panther Experience is host for Blog Your Blessings. Click this link, grab the blogroll code, add the code to your blog, leave a comment on Blue Panther Experience and post your blessing. Quick and easy.

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The First Step Takes 28 Days

Twenty-eight days is a long time if you are a child waiting for summer, an couple on vacation, a pregnant woman waiting for birth or a teenager waiting to turn 18.

Twenty-eight days might also seem like forever if you are withdrawing from drugs. However, then, think of it: 28 days is not a long time, if, at the end, you get your life back, have learned new behaviors, dealt with all physical symptoms and have effectively ended your addiction.

Lao-tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Take the step, the first step. The First Step Drug Rehab program includes:
  • Detoxification and Withdrawal
  • Self Control and Communication Exercises
  • Sauna Cleansing Process
  • Study Improvement
  • Drug Free Remedies for Discomforts
There are many new treatments for addiction. If you have a need for drug rehab, please visit First Step Rehab, sponsor of this post.

Spending More and More Time Online

Netpop | Play is a new study from Media-Screen that explores how users of broadband interact, communicate, and entertain or are entertained online. The media genres of games, movies, music and television are covered by this study, which, according to Media-Screen, will help marketers:
. . . understand how fans of mass media are engaging in entertainment online and how their actions, comments and home-grown content are shaping the new digital media landscape . . . (read more)
These findings may surprise some, especially employers who discover the "spare time" equals "their time." LOL
  • Users of broadband are online 48 percent of their spare time, over 1.5 hours per weekday.
  • Over half of this time is spent on communication and entertainment.
  • Search engines and social networking sites influence the same number of people as magazines and newspapers.
  • Almost half of younger users find new entertainment through social communities and by visiting review and video sharing sites and blogs. Only 25 percent admit to discovering new entertainment through television.
  • Sending email and visiting web sites for personal reasons are now more popular than watching television.
More findings of the study, according to The Center for Media Research (Research Brief » Blog Archive » Americans Spend Half of Their Spare Time Online):
  • Online versus offline sources used to learn about bands, TV shows, movies, games and web sites
  • Community-based activities such as rate/review a product, publish a personal page, upload a video or audio file
  • Influence of user-generated sources and content
  • Fan-related activities
  • Entertainment content accessed online by psycho graphic group
  • Demographics of population and usage among gender, age and income

Carnival of Blogging Chicks on Sunday

This Sunday is The Carnival of Blogging Chicks at Texas RV Travel blog.

The topic is: What are your plans for summer?

You can share vacation ideas, great ideas for keeping the children busy during summer, plans for home improvements projects, you name it. Email to cybercelt at cooladz dot com.

Deadline is noon Sunday, but I am flexible.

Understanding the Cultural Landscape

This is a great article that hits on something marketers really need to understand, the cultural landscape in which we move, which include the minutiae of our daily life as well as our wants, needs, feelings, attitudes and obsessions. The article is well-written and includes an example of the success of understanding this landscape.

Advertising Age - CMO Strategy - Understand the Ecosystem of Consumer Demand
Listening to Customers or Studying Them Isn't Enough if You Really Want to Incorporate Your Brand Into Their Daily Lives. By Erich Joachimstahler and Agathe Blanchon-Ersham. Published: May 21, 2007
When studying the ecosystem of demand, the real motivations of young men emerge. All their activities, many of their daily goals, activities and priorities, are focused on the single-most-important occupation of young men: to get the girl.

Improvement without Discipline

I know that Employee Performance Management has long had the stigma of punishing those employees that didn't perform as well as they should. What's great about the Discipline without Punishment® system is that it encourages your employees to improve their performance by taking personal responsibility. Grote Consulting, the developer of the Discipline without Punishment® system, is a leader in Performance Management Consulting, and after working with them, I'm sure you'll see why. There's no reason your company can't be working more efficiently with better productivity, and I know Grote Consulting can help you achieve that goal.

Blog post sponsored by Make Money Blogging.


Is Destiny Calling You?

For all you lip syncing video cam folk out there, Video yourself lip synching Destiny Calling by Melody Club and post it on YouTube:

Official UpStage™ by Samsung Contest web site

Contest starts 5/21/07 and submissions end 6/18/07 11:59pm ET. The finalist will be picked to compete on YouTube to see who rocks out the best. Voting on finalist starts 6/25/07 and ends 7/8/07 11:59pm ET.

You choice of prizes, superstar trip to LA or outfit your multimedia studio.

Banking With a Conscience

The Co-operative Bank invests in financial products that are ethical, ecologically sustainable and morally accountable. They turn business away, £10m worth of business last year alone, that do not meet their ethical and sustainability policies.

The Co-op's financial products, including loans, are bound to their ethical policy, so customers know that the money they borrow does not come from companies that pollute the Earth or abuse human rights. In fact, the Co-operative Bank, sponsor of this post, is carbon positive, which means they are offsetting all of current carbon emissions plus an extra 10 percent to cover past emissions. Co-operative Bank was also the first bank in the UK to offer full-service Internet banking.

Their loan products include personal loans, flexible loans and career development loans. Here is a complete listing of their personal products:
  • Current Accounts
  • Credit Cards
  • Mortgages
  • Savings & Investments
  • Student Accounts
  • Accounts For Children
  • Car Insurance
  • Home Insurance
  • General Insurance
  • Life Assurance
  • Income and Health Insurance
  • CIS Pensions
  • Offshore Banking
  • Travel Services
  • Vehicle Rescue
Safe, sustainable, ethical -- banking with a conscience from Co-operative Bank.

Social Networking Increasing

According to an April research report released by Fox Interactive Media, social networks have changed the way that people interact with each other and with media. Members of the 15-34 demographic is using social networks more than they use other forms of communication and entertainment. Read more about it at WOMMA Research Blog.

Word of Mouth Marketing Association -- WOMMA - WOMMA Research Blog - 70% of Americans Aged 15-34 Use Social Networks



Sell Yourself Subliminally

Visit Subliminal-CDs.com and view the 120+ professionally produced subliminal CDs. These CDs were developed by Bradley Thompson, the self-help guru who pioneered the famed Subliminal Power tool, installed on 220,000+ computers worldwide.

The subliminal CDs are for helping with all facets of your life. Topics range from improving your concentration, to helping overcome fears and phobias, to improving your self image, to helping your child develop better study skills, to enhancing your sports performance to curing addictions.

If you would like to would you like to learn more about the world of subliminal messaging, sign up for the four-part mini-course for free at http://www.subliminal-cds.com, sponsor of this post, or read about the subliminal messages included in each CD, on each individual product page.

Using subliminal messages to change destructive behaviors and to improve mental functions is as easy as listening to a CDs while you sleep. There is no simpler way to sell yourself subliminally than by using these CDs. Learn to relax, improve your vocabulary or become more confident starting today.

Do You Know a Gamer? Are You One?

Online Gaming 2007: The Virtual Landscape, a study recently completed by NPD, provides an up-to-date analysis of the online gamer.

Advertising Age - Who Is Today's Gamer? You Have No Idea

Advertising Age took this report and used it to generate demographic profiles of the gamer(s).

80 percent middle class
54 percent console owners
44 percent casual gamers
42 percent women
41 percent movers and shakers
40 percent virtual shoppers
20 percent little kids
17 percent gamblers
1 percent penny pinchers

Read the report for a few surprises.

Make It a Special Father's Day This Year

Mother's Day is gone and next holiday on the agenda is Father's Day. I find that locating gifts for men is not always easy, especially if your father does not have a hobby or outdoor sport interest, you may be out of luck.

I found this website, Gourmet Gift Baskets, which have all type of baskets perfect for Father's Day gifts. Pick a spa basket, gourmet pizza making basket, golfing basket or a BBQ cooking gift basket. You may even have them make up a special basket just for your father.

If you cannot find a great Father's Day gift on Gourmet Gift Baskets, sponsor of this post, then I guess you will be stuck with giving a tie or wallet, again.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday : Walk With Beauty


As I Walk with Beauty

As I walk, as I walk

The universe is walking with me

In beauty it walks before me

In beauty it walks behind me

In beauty it walks below me

In beauty it walks above me

Beauty is on every side

As I walk, I walk with Beauty.


Traditional Navajo Prayer


The Blue Panther Experience is host for Blog Your Blessings. Click this link, grab the blogroll code, add the code to your blog, leave a comment on Blue Panther Experience and post your blessing. Quick and easy.

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Need Help Finding Funding for Remodeling?

We have been thinking of remodeling part of our home after my son leaves for college. My son and stepson have basically trashed the two spare bedrooms and spare bathroom. We would like to remodel that half of the house to take away the hallway, adding space to the smaller bedroom and opening up the area.

While trying to find information on home equity loans and how to fund remodeling projects, I found a website that has much Remodeling Loan Information. This website offers programs to fund entire projects, with no payments due during construction. All you need to do is complete a short form and you will receive Construction Loan Information and quotes from three sources.

While visiting ConstructionLoanCenter.com, sponsor of this post, you may want to read some of the information online about Construction Loans, Remodeling Loans, Lot Loans, and Equity Based Construction Loans. You may complete an application or contact them with questions.

SnagAJob has the jobs that are right for you!

You can find a job with SnagAJob's huge list of employment opportunities – all from top employers! Anybody can walk through the local mall looking for help wanted signs, but its much easier on SnagAJob.com because all the jobs are in one place. It's easy to search their database of jobs, pick out the opportunities that you like, and apply for the jobs that match you best. With SnagAJob you'll find quality employers from national companies to smaller local businesses. It really is that simple. You'll be on your way to a new job before you know it.

Blog post sponsored by Make Money Blogging.


Blog Gossip May Be Helpful to Network News

A recent trends in online news consumption (Hitwise US News and Media Report), shows that the share of traffic leaving the News and Media industry for Multimedia sites increased by 196 percent from April 2006 to March 2007.
  • Print News sites received 29.7 percent more Google traffic in March 2007 than in March 2006.

  • Broadcast Media sites received 35.9 percent more Google traffic in the same time period.

  • News Aggregators were significant sources of traffic for News and Media websites.
LeeAnn Prescott, director of research at Hitwise, said
News events in 2006 exposed Internet users to emerging sources of online information... search engine results from news video services... like YouTube and blogs were more likely to contain the information they sought, ... hastening the growth of non-traditional news sources.
Additional key findings from the report include: The market share of visits to the top 10 News and Media websites declined by 3.8 percent from March 2006 to March 2007, indicating that news consumption is beginning to fragment. For a copy of the report please visit HitWise here.


Exceptional Trade Show Graphics With No Headache

The last thing you need to worry about when prepping for a trade show is whether or not your trade show graphics will attract attention. And when I order from ExhibitDEAL, I don't have to worry about it. I know their in-house designers are right there to offer their creativity and expertise and help create a trade show display that will give me that much-needed edge over the competition.

Blog post sponsored by Blogging for Pay


Monetize Your Blog Part 2

On the top right sidebar, you see the heading, Sponsors, followed by these two links:

17to40 has cheap car insurance

UK House Insurance


I was paid to place these links on three of my blogs for a period of one year. I found these advertisers through Money4Blogs.com, a site which appears to be down at this time.

However, the Money4Blogs site is run by Endsleigh, an independent intermediary that provides insurance and financial products. While browsing their website, I found that they have an affiliates program.

If you have a blog that fits the topic of insurance or financial services, especially if you are located in or have a readership from the UK, and you have a well-established blog with a decent page rank, you would want to sign up as an affiliate of Endsleigh.

Monetization Tip: Notice that I have placed my sponsors at the very top of the sidebar. If you are being paid for a link, you should feature that link prominently so that it is quickly located, easily read, and gets top billing on your sidebar. The advertiser expects this courtesy. If you are not crazy about the links, do not accept the pay and hide them in your sidebar. That is not honest or ethical.

Mirelly , You Are In For Such a Surprise!

Welcome to Seduce a Celeb, an online reality dating show where GoFish users have the ability to win a date with a HOT Hollywood celeb, such as Mirelly Taylor. GoFish.com is running a contest that, if you win, GoFish will pickup the tab for the entire weekend in Hollywood.

Mirelly Taylor from Kiss Me Again, Serving Sara, Las Vegas and Numb3rs has uploaded videos telling you what Mirelly really likes in a date. GoFish users will be able to vote until the three finalists, which Mirelly will select.

You must film yourself as you dance, as you kiss, then you reveal your best pick up line with confidence. This video should be serious if you are. You want the GoFish users to vote you up and you want to stand out among the others standing in line for this date. Upload your Free videos at GoFish.com.




Not interested in a date with a celeb? You should visit GoFish.com, sponsor of this post, for some of the funniest video entries into this competition. If you do not enter, one of these guys are going to win.

Seduce a Celeb will run on GoFish.com over the next 14 weeks. Check out the hilarious video submissions at GoFish now! Emmy Award Winning Producer, Scott Sternberg, and Andrew Firestone from The Bachelor are also part of the show. Seduce a Celeb is an online first! The online audience actually becomes part of the program through the submission of user videos.



How to Monetize Your Blog

Many people stop by this blog, on their quest to earn money from their blog. They see sponsored articles, text links, blog directories, blog rolls, and no follow badges on the sidebar. It is, I am sure, confusing.

What you see on this blog is a series of works in progress. I have text ads, auction ads and affiliate links on my blog. I write sponsored posts that review websites, services and products. Some of the advertisers want a link to their site, their logo in your post and 50 words. The advertiser may want you to shoot a video, post it to YouTube and embed it in your post. Or, the advertiser wants a critique of a new product that you must download and try.

I monetize my feeds by placing advertisements in my feeds. The same ads are shown on my blog.

****************************************************************************
Over the next few days, I will be reviewing the programs I use to monetize my blog. I will share this information in the hope of helping your journey. If there is a particular question, service or method you want discussed, please drop a comment.

Consumer Generated Media Ad Contest

XLNTads is a network that connects the creators of Consumer Generated Media (CGM) with brands that wish to use CGM for advertising.

XLNTads will launch with up to 15 major brands in July. To celebrate, XLNTads is having a contest, with top prize of $5,000, for the best CGM campaign to promote XLNTads.

XLNTads invites YouTube producers and Internet videographers to create a video ad that explains XLNTads. Ten runners-up will receive "Final Cut Studio II" software or cash equivalent of $1,200, and all entrants will gain VIP status on XLNTads. If you are a videographer or aspiring producer, sign up and set your profile up so others may you and our work. Entries will be accepted until June 1.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday : Peace

Photograph by Eileen Trainor

A Muslim Prayer for Peace

In the name of Allah,
the beneficent, the merciful.
Praise be to the Lord of the
Universe who has created us and
made us into tribes and nations
That we may know each other, not that
we may despise each other.
If the enemy incline towards peace, do
thou also incline towards peace, and
trust God, for the Lord is the one that
heareth and knoweth all things.
And the servants of God,
Most gracious are those who walk on
the Earth in humility

Submitted by Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed,
Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America
http://www.seasonofprayer.org/

The Blue Panther Experience is host for Blog Your Blessings. Click this link, grab the blogroll code, add the code to your blog, leave a comment on Blue Panther Experience and post your blessing. Quick and easy.

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M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e as Terrorist

Mickey Mouse, pastels, hand puppets and teaching terrorism? I thought this was a joke. I did not believe the video clip I saw was real. It was a children's show in Palestine, advocating violence, suicide and terrorism. This means that the generational curse is being passed to the children earlier.

PA pulls Hamas TV children`s program with mock Mickey Mouse advocating violence - Haaretz - Israel News
Mustafa Barghouti said the use of the cartoon character in such a role represented a mistaken approach to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation.
"The world loves children and this [show] is just going against the grain of humanity," Diane Disney Miller told the New York Daily News.

Venture Alliance Partners A/S

Venture Alliance Partners A/S (Venpar) is a provider of private equity. The goa of Venpar is to help entrepreneurs and investors build sustainable, profitable companies.

Venture Alliance Partners believe that investors should be granted an opportunity to earn large capital gains on their investment and that entrepreneurs should have large stakes in their companies that can generate great wealth.

The venture capital marketplace remains the key to Venpar's success. You are just one click away from that success. Visit www.venpar.com, sponsor of this post, for more information.

Swan Song for Music Industry?

eMarketer.com - The Music Industry Enters Uncharted Territory
eMarketer estimates that the worldwide market for recorded music, live music and music licensing will reach $67.6 billion by 2011, up from the 2006 total of $60.7 billion," says Paul Verna, eMarketer Senior Editor and author of the new Global Music: Tuning into New Opportunities report. "Over that period the industry will grow at an average annual rate of 2.19%."
The million dollar question is: Will the digital segment sales compensate for the losses in physical sales of CDs? No, according to this article. Any new growth will come from online and mobile music, live concerts, and licensing of music for use in commercials, TV shows, films and video games.

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Advance Restaurant Finance

Advance Restaurant Finance (ARF) provides short term, working capital for restaurants and retail merchants in all 50 states. ARF secures short term, small business loans for small to medium-sized restaurant owners and retail merchants. These loans may have terms of 26, 40 and 52 weeks with varying rates.

ARF helps those who, for one reason or another, have been denied financing by a bank. ARF helps business owners secure business loans instead of partners and liens. Visit Advance Restaurant Finance, sponsor of this post, today to start the process by completing a short credit application. Then you fax this month's bank statement and most recent three months' credit card statements. Sounds easy? It is! Remember Advance Restaurant Finance (ARF) the next time you need to replace your walk in freezer or pizza oven.


Consumer Generated Content Threat to Business

According to results of a survey released by Accenture, media and entertainment executives see the ability and eagerness of individuals to create their own content as one of the biggest threats to their business.
  • 57 percent of the respondents identified the rapid growth of user-generated content (amateur digital videos, podcasts, mobile phone photography, wikis and social-media blogs) as one of the top three challenges they face today.
  • 70 percent of respondents said they believe that social media, one of the largest segments of user-generated content, will continue to grow, compared with only 3 percent of respondents who said they view social media as a fad.

Mother's Day and CouponChief

Mother's Day is this weekend. If you still have not decided what to buy for mom, you may want to visit the website of CouponChief.com, sponsor of this post. They have over 1000 coupons for all types of items.

You may search for coupons by store, like ebags coupons or search by type of item for which you are looking, like flowers and gifts coupons. The coupons range from free shipping to a certain percent off the regular price.

I was looking for gifts for my stepson's birthday at the first of June. I looked under computers coupons, and I found a Sony VAIO 15.4” Widescreen Notebook PC (VGN-N320EB) for $699 with free shipping at Circuit City. This is a good deal!

If you like finding good deals or getting value-added services like free shipping, you should visit CouponChief.com today. Do not forget Mother's Day.

Volkswagen: "Oh, hidden text is not allowed?"

The Google Enterprise blog recently featured the Volkswagon website for using new Google features to power a search box on their website. Google was unaware the major car manufacturer was actually using Black Hat SEO by using hidden text.

Below is the hidden text as reported by Search Engine Land:
Volkswagen of America presents U.S. vehicle information, pricing, incentives, deals, comparisons on Eos, GTI, Jetta, New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible, Passat, Passat Wagon, Touareg, Rabbit, R32 and the GLI with links to VW dealers, owner information, Volkswagen merchandise, and VW accessories. homepage, volkswagen, volkswagon, vw.com, home, landing, top, volkswagen.com, home page, home, top, back, VWofAmerica, Volkswagen of America, Volkswagon of America, VWoA, VWofA, volkswagon.com"
Okay, so VW got their hand slapped. You may now find most of these terms in their metatags. Big change, eh? Here is the description metatag from the VW site.
Volkswagen of America presents U.S. vehicle information, pricing, incentives, deals,
comparisons on Eos, GTI, Jetta, New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible, Passat, Passat Wagon, Touareg, Rabbit, R32 and the GLI with links to VW dealers, owner information, Volkswagen merchandise, and VW accessories.
So, if metatags are important, again, then the metatag should do the job of the hidden text. It will be interesting to see if their traffic increases or decreases over the next few months.

Carnival of Blogging Chicks Carnival is Up

Carnival of Blogging ChicksGirls Can't What? blog is hosting The Carnival of Blogging Chicks on Sunday, May 6, 2007. Join us for our thoughts on Mother's Day. My entry for the carnival is here.

If you would like to join the Blogging Chicks, you must be female. Click here and follow the directions. Blogging Chicks is now a Feedburner Advertising Network. When you email Michele to join, ask for an invitation to join the FAN.


Open Free Checking Account -- Win iPod

Addison Avenue Federal Credit Union has branches in many large cities in the US. Addison Avenue FCU is offering all new customers who open a free checking account, free web billpay, and setup direct deposit, an entry into the 30 gig ipod give away! No Joke!

They are giving away an iPod each day until May 17, 2007. No purchase necessary to win! Just visit Addison Avenue, sponsor of this post, to find out all the details and fill in the web form for a chance to win an iPod.




Blog Your Blessings Sunday : Remembered Joy

My mother died in 1995. Although it was expected, I still miss her. When I found this blessing, it resonated deeply with me about my mom. I love you, mom. Your grandson grew to be a fine man and the trees you planted are now 30 feet tall.

Remembered Joy


Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free!
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,
I took His hand and left it all...


I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.


A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.


Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.


The Blue Panther Experience is host for Blog Your Blessings. Click this link, grab the blogroll code, add the code to your blog, leave a comment on Blue Panther Experience and post your blessing. Quick and easy.

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Behavioral Targeting and Email Marketing

MediaPost Publications - Toward Consumer-Driven BT - 04/25/2007
. . . intellectual capital on the part of the client, a vision of where they want their marketing to go, and a clear sense of what they want from a campaign. The norm, unfortunately, is that people start with loads of data and then try to derive a strategy from it. ...We're looking to get clients... to reverse that order.
If you use email marketing, you should read this. This is a great interview with Arthur Sweetser, vice president of marketing at e-mail optimization firm e-Dialog.

Cutting Edge Website Services

ThinkBigSites (TBS) is a website optimization firm that offers a full range of search engine optimization, website development and website design services. TBS services include blog marketing, web hosting, reciprocal linking, pay-per-click campaigns, e-commerce, lead generation, copy writing, photography and custom web applications.

ThinkBigSites offers three types of web site development services for businesses. The Think Big Business is a five page web site and an email form, the Think Big Custom is a ten page web site and an email form, and the Think Big Ultimate includes a flash header, ten page web site and an email form. As part of their cutting edge services, TBS also offers a Think Big Marketing Blog,, which will drive more website traffic to your web site. All packages can be enhanced with TBS website optimization services.

What make TBS different? TBS staff will take the time to understand your business, your products and your marketing goals so that your website or blog will become a dynamic part of your marketing effort. If you think big about your business, remember ThinkBigSites, sponsor of this post, is your one stop shop for all types of website advertising and marketing services.

Google You Toolbar

This is a little scary. Google has a rapacious appetite for information: books, personal documents, images, and, now, your Internet history.

Advertising Age - Digital - Google's Latest Power Grab (Hint: It's Not DoubleClick)
. . . . Google is building surfing profiles for individuals. Knowing where people go will allow Google to better target them with ads, behaviorally and post-search, with ads related to recent searches. To do this, Google simply needs them to visit pages where it controls the delivery of ads. Through AdSense, it has plenty of pages in its control.

Quit Worrying About Computer Equipment

When planning your next conference or seminar, you may want to make it easy on yourself by renting the computers and any other type of audiovisual equipment that you need.

Did you know that Computer Rentals.com (CRE) could supply you with all the equipment for your next trade show, convention or meeting? Even better, the computers will arrive the site of your choosing loaded with the operating system and software you want. AND your computers will be delivered and installed by certified technicians. No more running around trying to find that one hotel technician who knows where the projector you reserved might be. No more tripping over computer wires that are not secured. Imagine walking into your meeting and having everything set up and ready to go.

Computer Rentals.com has been in business for 25+ years and is a respected name in the computer rentals industry and audiovisual equipment rental industry. CRE also offers Mac Pro rentals. CRE can help you with your computer rentals throughout the US and Canada. Visit Computer Rentals.com, sponsor of this post, and see how they can simplify your next event.


Mom's Salary Wizard at Salary.com

Salary.com has released the Mom Salary Wizard. Salary.com found that most work at home moms (WAHMs) worked an average of 92 hours a week for which, if they were paid the going rate, they would earn an average of $138,000 per year.
How much do they pay moms?If you are a working mom, the work you do, in addition to your day job, is worth $85,000 per year. Working dads are worth about $71,000 for the extra job of parenting. Next time, someone asks you what you do for a living, tell them you are worth a 6-figure salary and walk away, gracefully. WAHMs rule and they blog, too.


Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall

One of my oldest friends called me a few weeks ago. She was struggling with a son who appears to be is using drugs or alcohol. She said she was not sure, but she thought he was abusing something because his behavior and looks had changed so much. She did not know where to turn or what to do to help him.

Luckily for my friend, she found the help she needed to have her son diagnosed and entered into a drug treatment program. She called many programs directly, but she realized she might spend days on the phone before she found a facility or program that would help her son.

She finally decided to try a drug rehab referral program. At 4rehabilitation.com, sponsor of this post, she found information about the tools and resources available to help her in making an informed and intelligent decision.

Into every life a little fain must fall. Do not let the rain become a deluge that sweeps away your family. The program my friend used was 4rehagilitation.com, and their toll free number is 1-877-84-SOBER (877-847-6237).

MobiMom and the Prom Queen

MediaPost Publications - Mobisodes 2.0: My Heavy Date With Michael Eisner - 04/24/2007

Much like the 15-minute radio soaps of the 1940s or the newspaper comic strip, these shows are as regular as they are consumable. Getting a series like this into daily routine is going to be critical to the success of the format. A twice-weekly or once weekly series is too easily forgotten on a cluttered and inconvenience phone deck. Mobisode programmers should be emulating comic strips, not prime time.
Warning: you must have children or it makes no sense. If you do, its a good read even if you do not care about watching tv on your cell phone.

Agency Report 2007 : Things are Looking Up!

Advertising Age - U.S. Agency Revenue Jumps 8.8% to $28.2 Billion

Sea Change: Internet Drives Marketing- Services Gains; JWT Top U.S. Agency Brand; Dentsu Leads World Chart By Bradley Johnson
What's behind the change? No surprise: the internet. U.S. interactive-agency revenue rocketed 23.1%, driving the increase in marketing services. But digital is more than interactive shops; it's an integral part of marketing services from direct to promotion.
Link to charts, rankings and analyses in Agency Report 2007.