I've been an Amazon.com Associate since the beginning. I'm not sure when they started their program, but it's been over ten years that I've promoted Amazon's products and services. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Andrea, an Associates Account Specialist (is that for people who can't get jobs with the post office? I'm kidding.. relax...), that informed me my account was being closed. First of all, let me say this. I am... Continue Reading

You already know that most small businesses fail. It's a warning that's been given out to every entrepreneur with an idea, drive and the imagination to succeed for as long as people have been saying, "I should be working for me." Well, here's something you probably don't want to hear. Most blogs die too. People start them with the best of intentions. They tell themselves that they'll write every day, they'll pick up masses of... Continue Reading

I'm going to tell you a secret. It's the secret of continued success that every successful publisher knows and benefits from them. Here it is... The secret of continued success is.. to be successful. I know, it doesn't sound very helpful, does it? Continue Reading

When it came time to plan a summer vacation with my family, Mary and I decided we would just do a local Colorado trip rather than fly somewhere. I researched places that would be within driving distance and came upon Glenwood Springs, a popular tourist destination smack dab in the middle of the Rockies. They are famous for having the world's largest Hot Springs pool and it is a beautiful location. Instead of driving, I... Continue Reading

Ah... Kauai. We were here two years ago and had a great time. I think we did all the touristy stuff that week. Helicopter ride. Driving around both coasts... etc. Last year we went to Maui, and although beautiful, it doesn't match Kauai for beauty. Maui was also way overpriced and I can't see going there again just for a vacation. Anyhow, I don't think I've ever been in such need of a vacation and... Continue Reading

We arrived on Maui on Tuesday afternoon, snagged our rental car and made our way to the hotel. We're staying on the west side of the island in the Ka'anapali area. It's absolutely gorgeous here. From my fifth floor balcony I can see the ocean, the mountains, palm trees, sandy beaches and a beautiful landscape. It's 6 am Hawaii time as I blog this (my body says it is 10 am MST) and I've enjoyed... Continue Reading

It's a basic AdSense strategy. One page. One topic. One group of nicely targeted ads. But what if your website covers more than one topic? Suppose you have a blog that's about cars, for example, and occasionally you like to write about satellite radios or travel destinations. Is it enough to put an off-topic post on a separate page or should you put it on a whole different website? You'll need two pieces of information... Continue Reading

Friday the 13th? This is your lucky day! I'm not superstitious, and I believe that this Friday the 13th is going to be a huge winner for you! Why? Because I've just had the opportunity to speak with Brad Fallon of Stomper fame, and he is doing something that is about to rock the Internet marketing world! (And it won't cost you a dime, so breath easy, ok?) Continue Reading

I'm sure you've heard the 'buzz' about social networking and Web 2.0. Millions of people have signed up for their own MySpace site, including me! Have you actually discovered how to make *REAL MONEY* with it and generate TONS of free traffic with MySpace and other social networking sites? Recently I managed to get hold of a "private" two-hour telephone conversation featuring two 'under the radar' experts discussing how they are driving BIG traffic and... Continue Reading

The results of my experiment are in! Over the past week, I've told you a bit about the power of video to get traffic to your web site. Now I can demonstrate conclusively that video does indeed work to get your pages listed higher in the search engines, thereby driving more traffic to your sites. Watch this 4-minute video that shows you exactly how I got over 2700 new visitors to my web site in... Continue Reading

Arrived in Washington, DC today for Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar. I'll be writing about my experiences this weekend. I've already encountered many friends, some fans and some folks that I hadn't met before. But that's another story. There's something wonderful about coming to this city, especially for someone who isn't jaded by living inside the Beltway. Continue Reading

Just the other day I was telling you about Glenn Dietzel from Awaken the Author Within. I had the opportunity to spend a couple days with Glenn. We had a fabulous time getting to know each other and at the last minute decided to put together a podcast as I was driving him to the airport so he could catch his flight home. Since we recorded this in the car, I am calling it a... Continue Reading

About eight years ago, a friend turned me on to the music of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Their work can be described as bombastic and theatrical rock and roll with a distinctly classical feel created for the Christmas season. Continue Reading

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

About a month ago, Mary got pulled over for speeding. The cop let her off the hook for whatever reason, but he noticed that the tags on the minivan had expired. I always take care of tag renewal and recalled that I had just sent a check in a few days prior. The city record showed that the tags had been expired for 8 months. Mary got a ticket and we had a court day... Continue Reading

It was on the same exact date last year that a friend and I drove to Wichita, Kansas to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform their annual Christmas concert. This year, we were fortunate enough to have the show come to the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. If you have never heard the TSO or been to a TSO concert, you are missing one of the greatest holiday treats of our generation. Simply put, it... Continue Reading

It seems like forever since we last had a family vacation. You might remember our last trip was a doozy. Since that time, I have traveled to Boulder, Colorado and Reno, Nevada on business. But this is the first chance we have gotten to pack up the minivan and hit the road! We left town around 10 am this morning and pulled into Louisville, Colorado (just outside Boulder) around 7:30 pm MST. It was an... Continue Reading

Oh, the humanity! Man Allegedly Assaults Taco Bell Employee With Chalupa DES MOINES, Iowa -- A man who claimed he didn't get the taco he paid for has been charged with assault for allegedly pelting a Taco Bell clerk in the face with a chalupa. Nancy Harrison told police she was working the drive-through Thursday night when Christopher Lame, 24, ordered some food. He later came into the store, complaining he didn't get the taco... Continue Reading

Not be confused with my groundhog day rant a couple weeks back, this entry concerns itself with the title of the Bill Murray film from 1993. Caddyshack was funny. Ghostbusters was trendy. The Razor's Edge was dramatic. But Groundhog Day is Bill Murray's finest hour and comes in at #10 on my list of The 15 Best Movies Ever. Groundhog Day is the story of Phil Connors (Murray), a cynical weatherman who feels he is... Continue Reading

We departed from Conway, Arkansas around 10 am. About five hours later we pulled up to our home. The month flew by. It seems like yesterday I turned to Mary and said, "Are we really going to do this?" Now, it is over. We high-fived and I said, "We did it!" 2 kids 1 dog 31 days 1 packed minivan 1 flat tire 4720 miles 15 tanks of gas 103 hours of driving 16 hotels... Continue Reading

A completely uneventful driving day. We traveled from Knoxville, Tennessee to Conway, Arkansas today, covering 550 miles of Interstate 40. Fortunately, the weather was very nice. The mountains helped add to the scenery as well. We arrived in Conway around 7 pm or so, grabbed dinner at Fazolis, and checked into the Best Western. Tomorrow we complete our journey and hope to be home in time for Wednesday night service at church. I can't believe... Continue Reading

We checked out of the Red Roof Inn around 9:30 or so and drove a few miles to Paramount's King's Dominion Theme Park in Doswell, Virginia. I purchased tickets online last night to save a few bucks. We checked Socrates into the kennel at the park and went on our way. Our first stop was the Spongebob Squarepants 3-D attraction. It was a standard theater/simulator ride with 3-D effects. The ride was very jerky, but... Continue Reading

I'm not sure how to put today's experience into words. As i reflect on our visit to Gettysburg, I feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of information and emotions that I have yet to fully assimilate. We started the day by checking out of the Red Roof Inn in Harrisburg and driving to Gettysburg. It was around 1 pm when we arrived at the visitor center. I examined the CD audio driving tours and settled... Continue Reading

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

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

Today was a driving day. We left Boston, MA, and drove through Connecticut and New York on the way to Lyndhurst, New Jersey. If the weather holds up, we'll be visiting Ground Zero tomorrow. Now then. On with the contest! Win a software collection Here's how to enter. So far, we have staying in Jacksonville, MO; Champaign, IL; Dayton, OH; Cleveland, OH; Niagara Falls, Canada; Bennington, VT; Bernardston, MA; Saugus, MA; and now Lyndhurst, NJ... Continue Reading

I am so exhausted after today! We walked the "Freedom Trail" in Boston with our friends Ro and Kyle. Starting at the Bostom Common (the first public park in the U.S.) and ending up at the Bunker Hill monument, the Freedom Trail meandered, twisted and turned for over two miles through over a dozen historical sites that captured the essence of the struggle for our Nation's Independence. We started by driving to the mass transit... Continue Reading

We started the day at Ro and Kyle's Bed and Breakfast. What great people these two are, and what a blessing it was to spend the night with them, enjoying good food and conversation. They are planning on driving to Boston on this weekend to spend more time with us exploring the sites. We hit the road around noon and set course for the Boston area. We weren't in a hurry and figured that we... Continue Reading

We left the Best Western in Niagara Falls this morning and I had a brief run-in with the general manager. When I looked at my itemized bill, I noticed that I was being charged $5.00 for each local call I made. He explained that local calls are free, but any call over 30 minutes was subject to a $5.00 charge and that this information was clearly printed in the hotel information. Well, I had called... Continue Reading

Started the day in Dayton, Ohio. It really is getting hard to keep track of where we are at any given moment. The cities and hotels are becoming one big blur. After breakfast and the daily schlep to the van, we went to the United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There were two massive hangars of airplanes, including the original Wright "B" Flyer flown by Wilbur and Orville Wright. We saw... Continue Reading

Man, am I beat. It has been a LONG day, but quite enjoyable. The kids did a lot of their school work in the room this morning while I took a walk around the area. I am determined to continue exercising while we are on this trip lest I move up a waist size. We got going around noon and set course for St. Louis. I did not realize that the mountains/hills went this far... Continue Reading

It is late on Saturday evening and we are preparing for a sem-spontaneous trip to Red River, New Mexico. It has been SO darned hot in Oklahoma City (it hit 109 degrees today!) that we need a break from it. So we'll be leaving first thing in the morning and will return next Sunday. It is approximately 8.5 hours driving time. Figure in 1.5 hours for rest stops, food, and walking the dog, should put... Continue Reading

As many of you know, my wife and I homeschool our children. We are considering doing something "crazy" this fall. We're tossing around the idea of taking a month-long family road trip, driving from Oklahoma City to Maine, and back again. We would be stopping at tons of historical sites and make it a "teaching" trip. We'd spend extended periods of time in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Boston, trying to soak up as much of... Continue Reading

What a great day to be an American! I want to personally say "thank you" to those of you who are veterans or are currently serving in our bold and proud armed services. I don't take my freedom lightly and am grateful for those who have sacrificed much for so many. As I was driving down I-35 today, there was a uniformed gentleman on the overpass at 15th street, waving an American flag and... Continue Reading