Posted on November 10, 2008 08:00 AM
Every Internet business -- every business of any sort in fact -- starts in the same place.
In the future.
Most entrepreneurs think first of how they want their business to look when it's all set up. They imagine the products prepared, the marketing streams in place and the revenue flowing in while they relax and cash the checks. Continue Reading
Posted on September 25, 2008 08:00 AM
This is a hugely exciting time to be an online publisher. It used to be the case that if you wanted to earn from ads on your website, there was only one thing to do.
You signed up to AdSense, pasted in the code, optimized the units and brought in traffic while following your stats.
You still have to do that.
But these days that's just the beginning.
Continue Reading
Posted on September 15, 2008 08:25 AM
If you were publishing a newspaper, you wouldn't care who read it. As long as the number of readers was nice and high, it wouldn't matter too much to you whether they all read one article or absorbed everything from cover to cover.
That would be true even if you were publishing a free newspaper.
Continue Reading
Posted on July 31, 2008 11:40 PM
I was all set. Today was going to be the day. I knew from the pre-orders on my new book, "Click Here to Order: Stories of the World's Most Successful Internet Marketing Entrepreneurs", that we were on the verge of making history with an instant best-seller. And then... it happened. I received a call from my publisher, David Hancock. David is not one to be given to overexcitement, but there was something in the sound... Continue Reading
Posted on June 11, 2008 12:46 AM
I need to back up a bit because I left out Sunday from my journal. On Sunday, I spoke at Chris Howard's "Ultimate Wealth Symposium" on the grounds of the Sydney Olympic Park. I had a fantastic time sharing my story with 800 or so people. I've got to say, the Aussies are a bit difficult to get moving, but I think everyone had a good time and learned a thing or two. I also... Continue Reading
Posted on May 30, 2008 11:21 PM
I decided to bring my son with me to the Book Expo in Los Angeles. I knew that I had a pass to get in, but I was told that I would need to purchase a pass for Z. Turns out it would cost me $230. When we arrived at the conference center, I decided that I would find a friendly face behind the exhibitors registration desk and see what I could do. I asked... Continue Reading
Posted on May 21, 2008 12:31 PM
Today's show featuring special guest, Google AdWords expert, Simon Leung. Along with Dan Nickerson, we discuss AdWords tips, present a top ten list of bad AdWords headlines, talk about Joel's travels to California and we make the monkey fly... again. Check out this episode! Continue Reading
Posted on April 27, 2008 10:38 AM
I was helping my wife clean out the closet yesterday and I've got a feeling I didn't pick up a box correctly.
Yesterday afternoon, my lower back began hurting... all the way down at the base of my spine.
I tried heat. I tried ointment. I tried advil.
I managed to sleep through the night without any trouble, but man am I hurting today! Continue Reading
Posted on March 31, 2008 12:59 AM
If you were publishing a newspaper, you wouldn't care who read it. As long as the number of readers was nice and high, it wouldn't matter too much to you whether they all read one article or absorbed everything from cover to cover. That would be true even if you were publishing a free newspaper. You'd just want know how many people your publication reaches so that you can charge advertisers the right price. Online... Continue Reading
Posted on March 18, 2008 02:44 AM
Behind closed doors.
It's terminology that says "you weren't invited and you'll never know what was said."
That's too bad, because some of the biggest secrets are spilled behind closed doors.
No one likes to be shut out, but that is precisely what happened to me. Continue Reading
Posted on February 24, 2008 12:28 AM
I'm in Las Vegas for Affiliate Summit and am looking forward to the a few days of networking and learning. And while I have nothing to say about the conference yet because it hasn't started yet, I do have an experience to share with you. As you know, I enjoy blogging about my customer service experiences... especially the bad experiences. Why do I do this? I place a very high value on customer service and... Continue Reading
Posted on February 18, 2008 12:28 AM
Last week, I sat down in my office with several members of my team and we began doing a brain dump of all the great ideas for sites, services and products that we had. We filled my fairly-large whiteboard in no time at all. The fact of the matter is that we have more ideas than we have time or manpower to accomplish! But ideas are not exactly in short supply, are they? There are... Continue Reading
Posted on January 20, 2008 12:32 AM
Does American Airlines have good customer service? Once again, I find myself on the "I can't believe this is happening" end of a telephone conversation with a customer service rep. Here's the story. I had booked a flight using reward miles to fly someone from Dallas to Denver in a couple weeks. As it turns out, he is going to drive here a few days early and won't require the initial leg of the flight... Continue Reading
Posted on January 11, 2008 03:18 AM
I love quick and easy changes that make a significant difference.
A few months back, I learned of a contextual advertising service that was compatible with Google AdSense.
It took me less than 15 minutes to place their code on my pages.
In my first month, I made an additional $1000 just from that fifteen minutes.
Not bad!
And it gets better... Continue Reading
Posted on October 31, 2007 05:04 PM
What if I told you could pick the brain of a former Google employee for $100. Would you seize the opportunity? Frankly, I can't imagine anyone with even the slightest curiousity not taking advantage of that offer. What if I told you that this person was on the original Google AdWords team? I don't know about you, but I'd pay over $1000 to hear what this person has to say! Well, I've got some bad... Continue Reading
Posted on September 11, 2007 12:46 PM
I know I am opening myself up to criticism for this post, but it's been on my mind and I really just want to put it out there.
I dislike the way multi-level marketing has been done by many companies.
I don't dislike multi-level marketers, mind you (well, most of them anyway). I just think that business model has proven destructive to many individuals and families. Continue Reading
Posted on July 18, 2007 08:59 AM
Bada-bing bada-boom.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Yeah, probably not.
But it seems like everyone is talking like a New York mafia thug in all the emails I have been receiving about The Site Stealer.
It's all in good fun, of course...
... but it's fun with a purpose. Continue Reading
Posted on June 27, 2007 12:40 AM
A couple months ago, I shared the Bookwise opportunity with you. It appeared to be a solid MLM with potential.
I've seen some people jump on board this, but the past few weeks I've been skeptical that they could really make it work.
I've been using the domain BookWiseProfits.com to build my BookWise business.... until today. Continue Reading
Posted on June 5, 2007 01:08 AM
I can't take it any longer.
I've seen a few trends taking place in Internet marketing lately, and I don't think they are right.
It's time to take off the gloves because I've got something to say.
I'm throwing caution to the wind because I think someone has got to stand up and speak the truth. If I take heat for it, so be it.
Here goes...
Continue Reading
Posted on May 4, 2007 06:15 AM
Writer's block.
Like the cement barricade at the end of an unfinished highway, the writer's block stands before me... mocking me... challenging me...
It happens to everyone, but I sure didn't expect it to hit today.
Because content creation is such a critical part of making money with your blog, writer's block can be the site owner's worst nightmare.
What do I write about today?!?!
Here's how I handle writer's block. Continue Reading
Posted on March 29, 2007 01:03 AM
I recently received an email from a reader. May I share it with you? "Joel, I appreciate your newsletters and great tips. Out of all the so-called gurus, I feel like you deliver more real value in your email than anyone else. But I am feeling very confused about all the different ways you discuss to make money. You tell us about a new software tool that is the supposed answer to our problems, but... Continue Reading
Posted on February 21, 2007 04:50 PM
I've got a room with a view! My family and my office staff are finally settling in to our new home in Colorado, and it is stunningly beautiful. Every morning I awake to a new view of the mountains and every evening the sun sets behind them. This isn't heaven, but it will do for now. :-) I've put a webcam in my office, so you can see just a small portion of what I... Continue Reading
Posted on January 7, 2007 09:13 PM
I just got up from the television set to come write this entry, abandoning the program I was watching. I've been a fan of The Apprentice since the first season. I thought Trump's choice of Bill Rancic as his first apprentice was solid. Since then, the show has had fewer truly qualified contestants. I thought a new location would be an interesting twist on previous seasons, so I began watching the first episode of The... Continue Reading
Posted on January 4, 2007 09:38 PM
It was a moment in time... ... and it went by in a flash. Did you miss it? Don't feel bad. Thousands of people did. Three months ago, I leveled the playing field as much as it could possibly have been leveled. On October 10th, the Instant AdSense Templates VRE Building System hit the web with a fury, and became one of the most-talked-about and valuable products of the year! On October 15th, the product... Continue Reading
Posted on December 20, 2006 04:19 PM
Building a successful website doesn’t happen overnight. You have to create the pages, write the content, optimize your ads, drive traffic. You can be up and running within minutes but to earn the sort of revenues that make the whole thing worthwhile (and more) you’re going to have to invest time. And much of that time is going to be spent troubleshooting. A poorly-designed, badly-optimized site might make a little bit of money. A site... Continue Reading
Posted on December 8, 2006 08:03 AM
I'll be the first to admit that I have made some mistakes in my life. Hey, I'm human and I don't expect to always get it right. It was a mistake for me to tell people about Mike Filsaime's report, "The Death of Internet Marketing" before it was actually time to do so. Ooops. My bad. Sorry, Mike. It was a mistake to accidently use another marketer's trademarked name in reference to a different marketer's... Continue Reading
Posted on November 29, 2006 05:24 PM
I am blogging from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where I am my family are awaiting an 8:55 pm departure to Oklahoma City. We've been here since 1 pm and our first flight was cancelled. With bad weather in Chicago and OKC, I'm not sure we're going to make it home tonight at all. Such is life, right? So I thought I'd make the best use of my time and write for a bit. In particular... Continue Reading
Posted on November 28, 2006 12:38 AM
The information age really does move at the speed of light. Technology is advancing faster than we ever conceived possible. I've been online for 26 years now. In 1980, I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. This machine had 4K of RAM (not 4MB... 4K) and a cassette player that was used as a storage device. There wasn't even a floppy disc drive! I owned a 300 baud modem that I used to dial into... Continue Reading
Posted on November 25, 2006 04:05 AM
I’m always going on about the importance of great content. I don’t apologize for that. You can have ad units that are perfectly optimized, blended completely into your site and packed with high-paying ads. But if your content’s garbage, no one’s going to click on them because no one’s going to come to your site. I meet so many people who dream of getting rich with AdSense but never give a thought for building a... Continue Reading
Posted on November 22, 2006 07:48 AM
Like most things on the Internet, marketing can be divided into two distinct periods: Before Google and After Google. Before Google, getting a link to your site on other sites took a huge amount of work. You'd have to write to each publisher separately. You'd have to try different CPC networks until you found one that worked for you. And you'd have to create a new Web page just for reciprocal links. After Google... well... Continue Reading
Posted on November 6, 2006 04:59 AM
Most new businesses fail.
It’s a fact we’re all familiar with... and as entrepreneurs, one we all ignore.
It’s easy to do. For one thing, online those statistics probably aren’t that bad. With AdSense, you’re almost guaranteed some income. Use the right strategies and techniques, and there’s no reason why that income shouldn’t be very good indeed. Continue Reading
Posted on August 5, 2006 06:13 PM
Bionicles. A Lego creation that has an incredibly rabid fan base and has spawned numerous made-for-DVD videos and a comic book series. Why am I writing about Lego Bionicles? Because my son has been collecting them for years. And because he just dropped over $100 on the newest sets to hit the market and is incredibly upset. So much so that he is returning them to the store, disheartened and disappointed. I suggested that he... Continue Reading
Posted on July 14, 2006 11:19 AM
I picked up a copy of Crash on DVD this week because I had heard that it was a fantastic movie. Mary and I watched it last night.
I really wanted to like it, but I feel like it fell short. When I learned that it was awarded "Best Picture" by the Academy, I was amazed once again at how out of touch Hollywood is. Continue Reading
Posted on July 4, 2006 10:06 PM
With all negative political discourse taking place between our leading parties...
With all the bad news regularly reported in print and TV media...
With all the whining and moaning about the economy...
America is still the best country in the world!
God bless America on this, our 230th birthday. :-) Continue Reading
Posted on June 30, 2006 11:14 PM
Who knew one week ago that my 500Words.com site would have caused such a stir?
Take a look at all the places that are buzzing with news of the site...
Revenews
Warrior Forums
Digital Point forums
It's interesting to see people's reactions to the site. Some are knee-jerk and others are very well thought through.
Anyhow, here's the good news... Continue Reading
Posted on June 15, 2006 09:21 PM
Who would have thought that my post about Arbonne would have generated so much discussion? Admittedly, it does get heated from time to time. But I have allowed the post to be a forum for free speech as long as people keep it clean and don't abuse each other. If you try to read it, expect to spend at least an hour... it just keeps going and going... A few months ago, I put up... Continue Reading
Posted on May 7, 2006 11:29 PM
Lara Croft is back. And this time she means business. Back in the late nineties, Lara Croft came on the scene in the game Tomb Raider. A female "Indiana Jones"-style character, Lara spelunked tombs in ancient ruins of Rome, Mexico, Egypt and Atlantis, fighting off creatures and bad guys while on the hunt for priceless artifacts and treasure. Rather than just shooting to kill stuff, Tomb Raider challenged the player mentally with a series of... Continue Reading
Posted on April 6, 2006 04:05 PM
There are two things you can't avoid in life. Death and taxes. And McDonalds. Ok, THREE things you can't avoid in life. Out of the three, one of them signifies the end, one of them tastes bad and one of them becomes more prominent every April. I hate taxes. But I am a good citizen and I pay my taxes. "Render unto Caesar" ... yada yada yada If you haven't filed your return yet, April... Continue Reading
Posted on March 26, 2006 01:05 PM
As you may know from my blog, I am currently attending Yanik Silver's Underground Internet Marketing Seminar in Washington, D.C. I'm meeting so many brilliant and fascinating people, and I'm constantly learning more about ways to grow my business, and ultimately help YOU grow your business online! Anyhow, I just got back from lunch at Subway. Subway is NOT my restaurant of choice. I ate there by default. You may like it, but it's blech... Continue Reading
Posted on March 25, 2006 07:39 AM
I can't tell you how many times people have walked up to me at Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar and said, "You're Joel Comm!" Usually, I get a dumbfounded look on my face, look down at my badge to confirm their suspicions, smile, and look back up them... saying, "why, yes I am!" It's an incredilby humbling experience, actually, because I'm the same guy that I was before anyone thought of me as the AdSense guru... Continue Reading
Posted on February 24, 2006 11:33 AM
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
Posted on February 3, 2006 11:47 PM
In November 2005, I saw Dave Lakhani speak for the first time at Armand Morin's Big Seminar. Dave's presentation on how to use press releases to get noticed by the media and as tool to generate traffic really caught my attention. I had the privilege of spending some time with Dave this past weekened in Raleigh, NC, and found out a few things. Not only is he a brilliant PR strategist, but he is a... Continue Reading
Posted on January 27, 2006 10:11 PM
Yes, people will talk. And the things they will say are quite interesting.
Ever since my AdSense ebook has come into the spotlight, my name has become more well known. Once your name is "out there", commentary and opinion is not far behind.
So how do you know when you have "arrived"? Continue Reading
Posted on January 26, 2006 11:31 PM
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
Posted on January 7, 2006 09:34 AM
It's been at least seven years since I have attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Since I was coming into town for the Affiliate Summit, I thought I'd come to town a day early and enjoy free entry as a member of the press. It took little arm-twisting to convince my good friend, Dave Taylor, to join me on this excursion. Continue Reading
Posted on December 14, 2005 12:40 AM
Two totally conflicting stories out of Hollywood today that explain absolutely everything you need to know about how out of touch Hollyweird is with the American mainstream. Continue Reading
Posted on December 4, 2005 11:21 PM
Here's an interesting story out of Pakistan. Pakistan censors poetic salute to Bush by Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad (12/05/2005) A poem in a school textbook has been removed by embarrassed education officials in Pakistan after it was found that the first letters of each line spelt out "President George W Bush." The 20-line anonymous poem, The Leader, lists the qualities of "a man who will do what he must" and bears a passing resemblance to... Continue Reading
Posted on December 2, 2005 10:03 PM
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
Posted on November 25, 2005 05:15 AM
"Bush is stupid" is always a great way to start a conversation. Seriously... bold, definitive statements are the doorway from which we can expand our knowledge base and increase in wisdom. Continue Reading
Posted on November 8, 2005 03:01 PM
I just got back from one of the the most educational and inspiring seminars of my entire life. My friend, Jeff Walker, suggested that I go to Armand Morin's Big Seminar in Los Angeles. On his advice, I registered just a couple weeks ago. It cost $2000, but I trust Jeff and took his advice.
Words cannot describe the weekend I just experienced. Continue Reading
Posted on October 15, 2005 05:52 PM
It's one of those days. My eyes are watery. My nose is stuffy. My body is achy. And I don't want to do anything.
The common cold strikes once again. Continue Reading
Posted on October 3, 2005 11:28 PM
Mary was out of town at a conference yesterday, so I wanted to find something fun for the kids and myself to do together. Last week, I found out that a new place opened up on Northwest Expressway in Warr Acres, OK, where an old Wal-Mart used to be. It is called "Incredible Pizza". I asked a friend about it and was told that they opened up about six months ago. They described it as... Continue Reading
Posted on September 6, 2005 12:32 PM
Liberal democrats and the mainstream media have been incredibly quick to bash President Bush and the Federal Government for their handling of the rescue efforts in New Orleans. Sid Blumenthal, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , and Molly Ivins shots off condemnation pieces within 24 hours of this tragedy, revealing their true colors once again. Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling for a 9/11-style investigation of Katrina, seeking to point fingers and cause disruption for the President... Continue Reading
Posted on September 4, 2005 02:27 PM
After many months of exploring the huge world of Azeroth, Riathamus, my human warrior, has reached level 60 of World of Warcraft. I have seen every region, visited virtually every nook and cranny and encountered hundreds (thousands?) of baddies. I have upgraded my weapons, my armor and my skills close to the maximum. So now what? My interest level has declined exponentially. It's been a fantastic journey from newbie at the Northshire Cathedral. I must... Continue Reading
Posted on August 3, 2005 10:34 AM
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
Posted on July 25, 2005 09:45 PM
You never know which blog entries are going to stir the most controversy or interest. Here are a few posts in which the conversation seems to keep going and going and going... To Arbonne or Not to Arbonne - My simple evaluation of the way the company conducts business online has turned into an all out battle of the Arbonners vs. Anti-Arbonners. I have NEVER said Arbonne was a bad business. In fact, I am... Continue Reading
Posted on July 20, 2005 07:51 PM
I was 13 years old in 1977. The release of Star Wars that year had whet my appetite for sci-fi space movies. So when Disney released The Black Hole in 1979, I had to go see it. I can't remember if I liked it or not, to be truthful. I recently purchased the movie on DVD, thinking it would fondly remind me of my childhood. Instead, it put me to sleep. Seriously. Waaaay asleep. Mary... Continue Reading
Posted on July 1, 2005 01:44 PM
The news is out. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner is retiring from the Supreme Court. I know she has struggled with cancer and I wish her well with her health and family life. However, I could not be more delighted that she is leaving a vacancy on the highest court in the land. In fact, I am reminded of the elated feeling that the munchkins felt when Dorothy's house landed on the Wicked Witch... Continue Reading
Posted on May 19, 2005 11:14 PM
A long time ago in galaxy far, far away, a thirteen-year old boy discovered a new world of action and adventure which had captured his imagination unlike anything before. Star Wars hit the theaters in 1977, and I still remember sitting in the very front row, completely in awe by the images on the screen. I probably saw the film ten times in our local cinema, and waited patiently for George Lucas to churn out... Continue Reading
Posted on April 14, 2005 12:18 AM
In 1996, Eidos Interactive came out of nowhere with a game that has become one of my all-time Top 10 computer games. (Maybe I'll do a top 10 series if I ever finish my 15 Best Movies of All Time) Continue Reading
Posted on March 29, 2005 06:40 PM
It is true. I am an Arbonne consultant. (Actually, that may be past-tense by the time you read this...) For those unfamiliar with Arbonne, they are a fast-growing company focused on health care and skin care products. They claim the products are all natural and most of the people who try them truly love them. The downside is that they are ridiculously expensive. Still, you get what you pay for. For the record, I have... Continue Reading
Posted on February 28, 2005 06:10 PM
Have you ever Googled your name? I just did a search for "Joel Comm" and Google spit out 44,300 results. Of course, this is nothing in comparison to some other names. Take, for example, my friend Chris Pirillo. 241,000 results. Not bad, Chris. Then there is Bob Rankin, driver of The Internet Tourbus. Bob outdoes me with 55,200 results. How about my man, George W. Bush? 12,200,000 results. Whoa. Even John Smith has a good... Continue Reading
Posted on November 29, 2004 04:56 PM
Friends occasionally ask me which credit card I like to use. I have had dozens of cards over the years. First USA. Citibank. Bank One. Etc, and so forth. I have tried multiple programs. Cashback from Discover. Sharper Image store credit rewards from First USA. General Motors rewards (never did buy another GM vehicle). American Express privileges. And so on. I finally settled on Citibank Aadvantage card as giving me the most bank for my... Continue Reading
Posted on November 4, 2004 11:01 AM
Off the top of my head, here is what I would love to see take place during Bush's second term... Finish the war in Iraq within the first year. Level Fallujah if absolutely necessary. We MUST show strength and send a message that we are serious about taking out terrorists before they take us out. Mr. President, it is time to CLOSE our borders to illegals! There are over 20 million illegal aliens living off... Continue Reading
Posted on October 19, 2004 11:54 PM
For the majority of my life, Heinz ketchup has been a staple in my diet. It's good on hamburgers, hotdogs and french fries. But ever since discovering that Heinz ketchup is owned in part by the wife of Senator John F. Kerry, Heinz Ketchup has left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. I don't support Democrats. Why should my ketchup? Or so ask the creative folks at W Ketchup. What you have here is little... Continue Reading
Posted on October 15, 2004 06:08 PM
Charles Krauthammer, writing for the Jewish World Review, has come out with an article that precisely nails down the problem with John Kerry and John Edwards. Highlights from Krauthammer's article... This is John Edwards on Monday at a rally in Newton, Iowa: "If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up... Continue Reading
Posted on September 15, 2004 01:27 AM
After the somewhat scathing replies I got regarding my review of the Christian film, Gone, I am somewhat reluctant to step up to the plate again. Regardless (or irregardless if you want to annoy people), I will now attempt to convey my thoughts on a film I viewed today. Six: The Mark Unleashed is a futuristic end-times thriller focusing on the coming one-world government and the ubiquitous "mark of the beast" which must be taken... Continue Reading
Posted on September 6, 2004 11:06 PM
There has been a great deal of talk about outsourcing jobs to other countries recently. I never thought that I would have an interest in the topic, but I was wrong. I have been looking for a talented programmer and web designer to tackle some new Internet projects. I found a site called elance.com, a fairly comprehensive site for finding professionals to do just about any computer/internet related job. Logo design, web design, programming of... Continue Reading
Posted on July 3, 2004 12:22 PM
Before you go any further, I must tell you that this article is NOT a movie review. Rather, it is a smack to the side of the head of Activision regarding the release of the new PC game of the same name. Available last week, amidst much hype due to the release of the movie, Spiderman 2: The Game was promised to be an extremely open-ended game where you had all of Manhattan Island to... Continue Reading
Posted on June 8, 2004 01:10 AM
Several years ago, I remember going to the theatre with Mary to see a Martin Short film called Clifford. It took us about 15 minutes to walk out of the theatre and request a refund, something I had never done before or since. It was THAT bad. We just got done watching a movie that makes Clifford look like Shakespeare. Over the years, Christian film-makers have lagged behind secular filmmakers for lack of creative scripts... Continue Reading
Posted on May 17, 2004 01:23 AM
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
Posted on April 17, 2004 12:05 AM
The Republican National Committee launched a new web game today that illustrates the massive tax increases required to pay for John Kerry's promised spending. Earlier this week the RNC unveiled the Index De Le Miserables, which calculated Senator Kerry's promised spending, promised tax increases, and unidentified tax increases. Senator Kerry's IDM was 20.46 the same as Carters MI in 1980. "John Kerry has promised $1.9 trillion in new spending and that’s just on the... Continue Reading
Posted on February 21, 2004 04:58 PM
Need something mindless to do? Check out these links.
A very good cookie
The funniest sitcom on TV
Mary's favorite tea
My previous life
Still bald after all these years Continue Reading
Posted on January 31, 2004 04:27 PM
Mary and I rarely go to the movies these days. I hate going to a crowded theater with people who talk during the film or make incessant noises as they scarf down their popcorn and jujubees. We are far more likely to enjoy a film in the comforts of our own home. We rarely see a film until it has come to DVD. Last night, we watched Seabiscuit. While I did not live through the... Continue Reading
Posted on January 25, 2004 10:14 PM
Did you know that a fast-food diet is bad for your body? Seriously.
Morgan Spurlock decided a documentary of him eating nothing but McDonalds for 30 days would make a fascinating film. What he found out was far less fascinating. After just a few days of McDonalds food, three times a day, Spurlock was sick as a dog. It may actually make for an interesting film.
Read the whole story Continue Reading
Posted on January 7, 2004 02:24 PM
Pinch me. I must be dreaming. As if suing McDonalds for hot coffee isn't bad enough, check out this story... Cable TV made a West Bend man addicted to TV, caused his wife to be overweight and his kids to be lazy, he says. And he’s threatening to sue the cable company. Timothy Dumouchel of West Bend wants $5,000 or three computers, and a lifetime supply of free Internet service from Charter Communications to settle... Continue Reading
Posted on November 28, 2003 11:40 PM
I have never been one to hit the stores the day after Thanksgiving. I have heard about the craziness, but never experienced it myself. It always made way more sense to wait until a more reasonable time to shop. I know there are some great deals for those willing to shop at 6 am, but I also know good deals can be found year 'round if you know where to look. For example, smart shoppers... Continue Reading
Posted on October 23, 2003 09:57 PM
So long New Jersey. Hello Pennsylvania. For the second time on this journey, we are in Pennsylvania. The first time we passed through the west end on our way to Niagara Falls. This time we are stopping for four nights in Philadelphia. There is so much history here and we are going to attempt to squeeze as much in as possible. I had a very hard time finding a place to stay in the city... Continue Reading
Posted on October 22, 2003 09:57 PM
We did not want to go through the trial of commuting into NYC again today, so we took it nice and easy. We opted for a leisurely lunch at the food court at the mall, the kids did their schoolwork and I had a little playtime on the computer. I haven't said much about Socrates in my blog, but he is having a great time "running with the pack". He's a good dog, except when... Continue Reading
Posted on October 21, 2003 09:15 PM
We had a horrible night at the Quality Inn in Lyndhurst, NJ. It was supposed to be a non-smoking room, but the odor was there just the same. I went to the front desk and they gave me an ionizer to use in the room. We gave it a shot, but it didn't do the trick and the odor was giving Mary a headache. It was late and the kids were already falling asleep, so... Continue Reading
Posted on September 21, 2003 12:00 AM
Mary and I had a date night on Friday and went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Having grown up with the DisneyWorld ride that the movie is derived from, I was curious to see the film. While reviews have been mixed, the public has spoken by making it a summer blockbuster. I went with an open mind, very much wanting to be entertained. I wasn't. I was downright bored... Continue Reading
Posted on August 27, 2003 01:16 PM
It's stories like this that give Christians a bad name. These kooks tried to "exorcise" an 8-year old little boy of the "demon of autism" by praying over him and SITTING ON HIS CHEST for two hours! Absolutely crazy. Continue Reading
Posted on August 18, 2003 05:39 PM
Ok, so now Al Qaida is taking credit for the blackouts on the East coast. The one paragraph that really stuck out to me was this... "The statement, which Al-Hayat obtained from the website of the International Islamic Media Center, didn't specify the way the alleged sabotage was carried out. The communiqué read: 'let the criminal Bush and his gang know that the punishment is the result of the action, the soldiers of God cut... Continue Reading
Posted on August 14, 2003 02:30 AM
Here are some photos taken along the way as Mmoc Leoj has pursued a life of fame and fortune in the Star Wars Galaxy.
Banthas smell BAD!
Corky wears his Tusken Raider mask with pride. It's ugly. Say Cheese, Corky!
Goin' fishin. And I HATE fishing.
Big fictional, pixelized creatures that want to hurt me must die! Continue Reading
Posted on July 1, 2003 05:18 PM
'CBS Evening News' Hits Ratings Low NEW YORK - "CBS Evening News" marked a low point in a storied history last week - its smallest average audience in at least 10 years, perhaps ever. The evening newscast with Dan Rather, for several years third in the ratings behind NBC and ABC, has lately been losing even more ground to its rivals. Awwww... I feel SO bad for Mr. Blather and his liberal cronies that wouldn't... Continue Reading
Posted on June 28, 2003 05:29 PM
Finally, a movie that depicts the last day of Christ's life in a realistic manner. Mel Gibson has gone against the flow of Hollyweird, stepping out to produce and direct The Passion, a project that has been close to his heart for many years. This movie depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ. And it isn't going to be easy to watch. Just about every Jesus flick I have seen shows... Continue Reading
Posted on May 31, 2003 08:55 PM
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
Posted on May 19, 2003 01:59 PM
Ok, you got me. There is no such thing as a "friend" egg roll. I meant to say "FRIED". Oops. My bad. (MrsMayor hates that expression...) Continue Reading
Posted on May 16, 2003 01:04 PM
This is getting old REAL fast. We just came out of the storm shelter. We had some rotation go right over our neighborhood. Fortunately, no twister dropped down out of it. Weather throughout central and eastern Oklahoma is bad today. I'm ready for tornado season to be OVER! But I sure am glad I put in the storm shelter last year. Continue Reading
Posted on May 10, 2003 10:30 PM
Went to Steak and Ale for dinner with the lovely and engaging MrsMayor. Our waitress was very annoying. Her style was phony and patronizing (in a bad way). Food was good though. The movie, on the other hand, not so much. I like stupid movies, but this one had few good laughs and a lot of tasteless humor. Of course, the teenagers behind us were yukking it up. I was totally disappointed with the ending... Continue Reading
Posted on May 9, 2003 09:31 PM
It's just after 10 pm in Edmond, OK and it is another BAD night for storms. They have spotted a tornado about 30 miles west of here and the storm is heading this way. Sticking close to the TV... Continue Reading