It's all changed. It happened so fast, we hardly even noticed. But looking back, it's incredible how different everything is today. When I started out in Internet Marketing, no one had any idea who I was. No one needed to. All they had to do was know where my websites were and enjoy the content I was putting up. It was impersonal and it worked both ways. My users might only have thought of me... Continue Reading

With all the speculation that John McCain would select Mitt Romney to be his running mate in the 2008 election, I find it rewarding to see that he has chosen far wiser. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been thrust into the limelight as McCain has selected her to be his Vice President should he be elected in November. I am very pleased with this selection for a number of reasons. Continue Reading

I'm currently in Los Angeles for the annual Book Expo America, otherwise known as BEA. Why BEA? I have a book coming out on August 1st and I showed up to support my publisher and do some networking. Now I must confess. I am a trade show junkie. I love the vast conference centers with aisles and aisles of vendors hawking their goods and services. I'm especially a sucker for the freebies and swag. It's... Continue Reading

Whenever something big happens in the world of online advertising, I'm left scratching my head and wondering what it means for me. It doesn't get much bigger than Microsoft offering tens of billions of dollars for Yahoo!. So what does that mean for me... and for you too? At the moment, nothing. Yahoo! has rejected Microsoft's bid and probably holding out for more money. If the deal goes through, it won't happen overnight. Even then... Continue Reading

You can have a great idea for a web site. And developing the site can be a very rewarding experience. But without one thing, it doesn't matter how nice your site is... That thing is traffic. Traffic is really the "life blood" of our business. Without traffic you can't make sales, you can't generate affiliate commissions, you can't build a list... (you get the picture). So today I want to focus on traffic, and tell... Continue Reading

Did you know Google is on track to make $14 billion in ad revenue this year? And while no one knows the exact percentage they are paying out to AdSense publishers, it is estimated to be in the ballpark of 60%-70%. Only Google knows for sure. And you know I am big fan of AdSense. I've made a lot of money with it. BUT, and that is a big BUT... ... there ARE alternatives to... Continue Reading

What is The Secret? No, no... not THAT Secret. That's an email for another day. MY secret is actually going to be revealed live at Armand Morin's Big Seminar on Friday morning. And the buzz is building. Everyone is asking me "What IS it, Joel?" My reply? You'll have to wait until Friday to see... just like everyone else. Continue Reading

I hate it when it happens. I'm sure you do too. You've set up your site, you've optimized your ads, you've watched your income rise and at last you're getting your rewards. Each month you receive a nice fat check from the generous people at Google. And then all of a sudden, the numbers start to shrink. You haven't changed a thing. Your ad units are still in the same places. You're still discussing the... Continue Reading

I regularly receive questions from my readers and subscribers. In fact, I get WAY too many questions to even begin to address them all. Today, I have a question for YOU! In fact, I am soliciting your input. First, a little history... Continue Reading

Three months ago, I told you that my cholesterol levels were high. My LDL (bad cholesterol) was approximately 138. My total cholesterol was 214. My primary care physician immediately wanted to place me on Lipitor. I told him that I was not eager to get on this medication as I heard it had some long-term side effects. I also do not like the idea of becoming dependent on the chemical compound du jour. So I... Continue Reading

I don't like fishing. I couldn't care less if I ever catch another fish the rest of my life. However, my alter-ego, Zorigon, enjoys fishing quite a bit. It's even more enjoyable when I am providing fish for my son, BRMadcat. Sound weird? It's just another day in the alternate universe known as World of Warcraft Continue Reading

What makes you tick? What is the source of the "fire in your belly" that keeps you dreaming and reaching for... whatever it is? What is the one thing that you care about most and would give anything to have, be or do? That is your passion. Continue Reading

The numbers are bad. If you are fan of the television show, Lost, you know exactly what that phrase means. However, in my case it means something entirely different. Continue Reading

In the midst of a global war on terror, it's good to see the President coming out for some of the battles on the home front. WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush reignited debate over evolution by advocating teaching concept of intelligent design in schools. That view promotes the idea that an unseen force is behind the development of humanity. Scientists claim intelligent design has no supporting evidence and is an attempt... Continue Reading

I came across an interesting new site today. It is called GreenZap.com. Basically, GreenZap is looking to be an alternative to PayPal, providing for online payments of merchandise through their system. But what's interesting about them is that you can also earn Webcash just by referring people to them. If you click the link below and sign up for a free account, they will deposit $25 in Webcash in your account. No strings attached! Check... Continue Reading

I am a Type-A personality. My mind typically goes 100 MPH and I tend to thrive on being busy. I may even be somewhat addicted to stress, as I do some of my best work under pressure. Because of this, my blood pressure has tended towards borderline and I don't always chill out so easily. My next-door neighbor at work is Dr. Mark Morgan. Mark is a chiropracter and practicioner of alternative medicines. He has... Continue Reading

Look out folks, another anti-arthritis drug has been linked to cardiovascular problems. Pfizer says a new study found an increased risk of heart problems with the painkiller Celebrex. Last month, Vioxx was withdrawn from the market. You know what this means, doncha? Unleash the ambulence chasers! The sue-happy attorneys now have more red meat with which to deepen their pockets and chase the price of medical care and drugs higher and higher. Essentially, the study... Continue Reading

Sitting in the parking lot at Pier One imports, waiting for Mary while she "runs in for just a minute" to pick up something or other. The kids are bickering in the back seat, alternating with making strange noises. We're going to take a family photo for our Christmas letter today, if we can get the dog to be still long enough. Later this week we head to Chicago for my nephew's Bar-Mitzvah. It's going... Continue Reading

The mainstream media stranglehold on the delivery of news is falling apart. Fox News, conservative talk radio and the Internet have proven that there are alternative means to deliver new information. Fox regularly attracts more viewers than CNN, MSNBC and CNBC COMBINED. And now this story... Tribune Co. Announces Steep Circ Declines In Los Angeles and Chicago on Day After News of Fuller's Retirement Click here for the entire story. It's a beautiful thing. Continue Reading

I watched the President last night and was inspired. It is so refreshing to have a man in the White House who is "real". I know, I know. The Dems will scream about how "stupid" I am for believing the "lies" of the Bush administration. Save your breath. Your comments will be deleted. After surviving eight years of the worst Presidency to ever curse the White House, I can spot a liar and a con... Continue Reading

One of my all time favorite movies is The Truman Show. In fact, when I get around to it, it is the next movie due up in my series of The 15 Best Movies Ever. (Yes, I am LONG overdue...) This past week, I was in Borders Books and I wandered into the sci-fi aisle. I've been doing a lot of non-fiction reading lately, so I thought it would be a good time to find... Continue Reading

Call me Mr. Wonderful. No, its not Mary's pet name for me. And no, I don't have a super-inflated sense of self. Mr. Wonderful has been my alter-ego these past two weeks in City of Heroes, a massively multiplayer online game recently released by Cryptic Studios. The fictional location of Paragon City has had a difficult time lately. What with an alien invasion and several gangs of thugs battling it out for control of the... Continue Reading

Right on time, the Bush campaign 2004 has released their first set of television ads. The ads are extremely positive and a wonderful alternative to the nasty attack ads the democrats have been running. However, the democrats are having an absolute hissy fit that there are images of the World Trade Center in the Bush ads. They claim it is "insensitive" to use the terrorist attack as a political event. Once again, they fail to... Continue Reading

As the World Wide Web enters its second decade of existence, .com has become a ubiquitous surname. From the obvious pets.com and business.com to the unique sendmeadollar.com and hollywoodjesus.com, it is clear that .com has become King of the domain roost. .net and .org have been around almost as long, but they are like the red-headed stepchildren at K-Mart. (No offense to red-headed kids, but all offense meant to K-Mart.) .net was initially intended for... Continue Reading

I have love. I just don't know where to put it. What can we forgive? It's been a couple weeks since my last review in the series titled, The 15 Best Movies Ever, but I now know why it has taken me so long. Initially not on my top 15 list, but a runner-up, I have been wanting to watch Magnolia for several weeks. Tonight I finally got the opportunity to do so. It is... Continue Reading

Let's face it. Since Michael Eisner took the helm at Disney, the "Walt" has literally been taken out of the Walt Disney Company. In the past decade or so, Disney's motion picture studio has continually promoted and released dozens of films that are anything but family-friendly. The theme parks have celebrated alternative lifestyles by promoting "gay days". Money has become the absolute bottom line and many supporters have protested this direction. Well, things are shaking... Continue Reading

Today we visited The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. As a Jew, I have been wanting to see the museum for a long time. I knew it would be a "must see" if I ever made it to Washington. I'm not sure I can put my experience into words, and perhaps it is best that I don't even try. I don't want to minimize my visit into simple cliches. I'll sum up by saying this... Continue Reading

We got to sleep in a bit this morning. After the kids did their schoolwork and I did some work, we went to lunch. Next stop was the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Museum and Library, south of the city. It is a beautiful building designed by I.M Pei. I was only two years old when President Kennedy was assasinated, so this was a great opportunity to learn more about this man that was much loved and... Continue Reading

My faith in the American public is slowly being restored with this news from the Hollywood Reporter newswire. Fox News gains, other news networks fall NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox News Channel was the only cable news service in August to grow in viewership from a year ago, gaining 20% in primetime and 29% across the entire day, according to Nielsen Media Research. By comparison, CNN fell by 9% in primetime and total day... Continue Reading

Well, I have been playing Star Wars Galaxies for three days now. I can safely say that this stuff is digital crack. Highly addictive and just plain fun. See that strapping young lad above? Yup, that is my alter ego, Mmoc Leoj. Already sharp with a pistol and an up and coming rebel, I have ventured forth on many missions, encountering a good number of beasties and critters. I have met some very nice... Continue Reading

While on vacation in Enid, OK, we took the kids to see Finding Nemo. It may just be the BEST Pixar animated feature to date! As they have done with several recent flicks, Pixar first taunted us with a short film. Knick Knack was their very first computer animated short film. This story of a snowman in a snow globe pining for the disproportionate blond from Miami had me in stitches for several minutes. 'Nuff... Continue Reading

This has been one crazy week. We run three web servers on a T1 line. This week, every single one of them crashed, a couple of them more than once. I've seen a power supply blow and begin smoking. I've had a motherboard go bad. I've got two hard drives that are failing. It has been an insane week for web servers. When WorldVillage.com failed this week (ie: smoking power supply), I decided it was... Continue Reading