Our iPhone development team is responsible for some great apps in the iTunes app store. iVote Mobile was in the first batch of 500 apps that were released in the app store when it first went live in Summer of 2008. Last holiday season, iFart took the world by storm. It has gone on to become one of the most frequently mentioned iPhone apps in the world. Our team was among the first to develop... Continue Reading

Since Apple has opened the iTunes App Store, my company has released a number of applications. iVote was one of the first 500 apps released. iFart has gone on to become what is perhaps the most-often referenced app in iPhone history. And we also had the pleasure of creating apps for Mashable, Charles Trippy and MC Hammer, among others. I love creating apps and we've got some pretty cool stuff on the way. Continue Reading

In the fifteen years I've been doing business online, I've done just about everything. In the beginning, it was all about content sites. My first domain, WorldVillage.com, is still online. In fact, it's getting a facelift soon. I started adding games to the site and soon launched ClassicGames.com. The site was acquired by Yahoo! in 1998. As I became enamored with saving money online, I decided to build my own bargain-hunter site in 1999. DealofDay.com... Continue Reading

Nearly one year after the release of iFart, the app continues to sell like clockwork. I believe that iFart is also the most-referenced app in iPhone history. It seems like every week one media outlet or another is referring to it. A Google search for iFart now turns up 106,000 results. Continue Reading

A few months back, Twitter announced their Verified accounts program. Essentially, they would put a "Verified" badge on accounts that were deemed to be genuine. This is especially important for people with a high profile, where there are bound to be imposters. For the past two years, I have had at LEAST seventy (70) or so imposters. Usually, they sign up with a derivative of my name, post my photo on the profile, and proceed... Continue Reading

Alright, so maybe it wasn't the legal dispute of the century. But you've got to admit, for two little iPhone flatulence apps, we sure did make a stink! As you may recall, the fun and games began when Air-O-Matic, the creators of Pull My Finger, contacted me with a demand for $50,000. Why? They claimed that my use of the phrase "pull my finger" in a small portion of our online marketing campaign was responsible... Continue Reading

The Internet has been good to me. No, I'll say that differently. The Internet has been fantastic to me. It's changed my life, brought me some incredible deals and continues to deliver a reliable and generous revenue stream. It's allowed me to build a successful business and lead the kind of life I've always dreamed of. I don't know where I'd be without the Web. Still selling encyclopedias probably. Or disc jockeying at weddings. We... Continue Reading

I've made a lot of money out of Internet marketing. I live in a beautiful home in a wonderful part of the country. I work with some fantastic, clever, creative people who together generate more profit-making ideas than we know what to do with. And most importantly, I have an amazing family and while I do have a busy life, being my own boss gives me the freedom to enjoy time with them. I feel... Continue Reading

Twitter divides people into two camps. To those who use it, it's a whole new Internet. There's the Web of pages and content, and there's the Twitter of people and connections. Both are valuable and both are enjoyable, but they do different things and they do them in different ways. To people who aren't on Twitter though, the service looks completely bizarre. It's a place where people go to tell strangers what they had for... Continue Reading

By now, you know that I am the creator of the world's most-talked about iPhone application, iFart Mobile. Although most people know me these days as the best selling author of "Twitter Power - How To Dominate Your Market One Tweet At A Time" and a successful internet entrepreneur, my staff and I eagerly jumped into iPhone development as soon as the app store launched. If you have been following me on Twitter, you are... Continue Reading

Apart from Twitter's own terms of service which prohibit obvious things like harassment, transmitting viruses and spamming other members, there really aren't many rules to the site. You can essentially use Twitter however you like. However, for people and businesses who want to use Twitter successfully (eg: build a following and grow their circle of influence), there are a number of best practices that can be observed. I cover many of these in my book... Continue Reading

When I was working on Click Here to Order, I had a problem. How could I describe all of the accomplishments achieved by the people I was interviewing? Although each of the marketers I spoke to was usually best known for creating one unique model, which they were now sharing with others, almost all of them had hugely rich pasts as well. Continue Reading

I'm scared of change. There, I said it. It's not big news though. Everyone is scared of change. Change is a scary thing. It means giving up what you have now for something better that you can only hope you'll have in the future. It's risky. It's dangerous. It's disruptive. It's also thrilling, exciting... and inevitable. Continue Reading

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately. I've been from California to New York, to Utah and Seattle, and to Denver more times than I can count. In theory, none of that traveling should be necessary. Twitter, after all, is the ultimate networking tool. I can be sitting anywhere and by firing up Tweetie on my iPhone, find myself swapping tweets with Tim O'Brien of the New York Times or exchanging ideas with best-selling... Continue Reading

It had to happen. The world was waiting for it. And then it was unleashed on the world like a tazmanian devil on steroids. Yes, I am talking about none other than iFart Mobile, one of the world's most-talked about applications for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch MP3 player. Continue Reading

I like to think I've come a long way since I first started turning The Dallas/Fort Worth Software Review into WorldVillage.com. I now have a string of profitable websites. I speak regularly at conferences across the country. I've produced a top-selling iPhone app. And I've written a bunch of books, including a New York Times bestseller. But I know I didn't do any of this alone. Not only did I always have the support of... Continue Reading

This week, I had the pleasure of being asked to speak to Microsoft employees on the subject of Twitter. Eckhart Boehme invited me to talk about how businesses are using Twitter, demonstrating that Microsoft is taking a very engaged position on social media. I was treated quite well by Eckhart and his team, and I met a number of very bright Microsoft people. The campus is ENORMOUS. I saw buildings numbered all the way up... Continue Reading

I've been a fan of UStream.tv ever since I discovered them a little over a year ago. Every Wednesday, I do a live show with my co-host Dan Nickerson. It's called Joel Comm LIVE! UStream has proven to be innovative as they continue to add cool features for broadcasters, including the ability to bring in co-hosts from other locations, add titles and also play YouTube or local videos within your program. Continue Reading

I had the opportunity to be a guest on the Denver Morning Show today. The show broadcasts on Channel 2 out of Englewood, CO and is anchored by Tom Green. (Not THAT Tom Green.. the other one...) The interview was to focus on my new book, Twitter Power, and I certainly had a skeptic in Mr. Green! The set was typical as you would expect of a local news program. It's always fun to watch... Continue Reading

My team and I came up with the idea for an iPhone fart application in summer of 2008. We knew it would be a hit. We just needed to develop it. We took great pride in developing iFart Mobile. It was more than another iPhone application. It was a true entertainment machine with a unique interface. It didn't LOOK like an iPhone app. When we submitted the application to Apple, it was put "in review... Continue Reading

I use Twitter very naturally. I rarely schedule a tweet. If I have something to say, I say it. If I feel the notion to reply to an @joelcomm tweet, I reply. If I want to take photos while on the move, I'll use Tweetie and Twitpic. And if I want to talk business, I talk business. I am not on Twitter all the time, but I also do check in at least once/day to... Continue Reading

Our company is serious about mobile marketing. From iPhone applications to text marketing, we're involved in developing products and services that leverage the power of mobile. I recently spoke at JV Alert Live and discussed various mobile applications that we've developed in order to illustrate different mobile business models. The session was broadcast live on Ustream.TV. The camera-man didn't do the best job of following me around, but you can enjoy the replay below. Continue Reading

A few weeks ago when iFart was at the height of its popularity, I was contacted by Rob Walker. Rob writes the Consumed article for the New York Times Magazine, published every Sunday. He thought that the success of iFart was an interesting barometer of American pop culture and asked if I would do an interview. Of course, I was delighted to provide whatever information he wanted. The article was just published in today's edition! Continue Reading

There are all sorts of reason I love my work. I get to be my own boss. I work with some fantastic people. I get nice checks from Google and others every month. All of those things are fantastic. Continue Reading

A few weeks ago we announced the release of our Mobile Syndication Solutions turn-key system where anyone could easily get their own iPhone app developed for a fraction of the going rate. I'm excited to say that a new app using this system has just been unleashed into the Apple iTunes App store. Not only that, but it is for a musician that you all know, none other than Grammy-Award winning MC Hammer! The HammerTime... Continue Reading

On today's broadcast Dan and I discussed the latest goings-on at InfoMedia HQ. We messed around with the co-host feature of uStream.tv and found out how difficult it can be to have a discussion with a 20-second delay! Dan created a new list featuring the top ten worst ideas for iPhone applications. It's funny stuff. Watch the replay below and be sure to leave your comments! Continue Reading

He's been President for just twenty-four hours, but we're already seen a global impact. On today's show we discussed the top ten signs that Obama is President. We also introduced our new Mobile Syndication Solutions service for those who want their own iPhone application. I also have a new sound button to push, which makes Dan crazy. All that and more on this edition of Joel Comm LIVE! Continue Reading

As of this writing, There are over 13,000 applications in the iTunes app store. There are games, utilities, novelty apps, lifestyle apps, social networking, weather and several other categories. New apps are appearing every day. Some apps are original, but many are just more of the same. That's why I am excited to announce an entirely new genre of apps. Several months ago I and my team were considering ways to deliver our content to... Continue Reading

Today on the show, we celebrated the success of iFart Mobile, the #1 application in the iTunes iPhone app store. The monkeys took over the set, we gave away prizes, gave demos of some apps and read a Top Ten list. It was a fun time and I really appreciate those who join us each week for Internet marketing insanity! 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 said I was going to go into silent mode regarding our sales, but so many people have asked me what happened through Christmas Day that I have decided to release stats just one more time. We left off December 23rd with stats current from our release date on 12/12 through 12/22. Everyone is curious about what happened next. You may be shocked. I know I was when I saw the numbers. Continue Reading

AdSense has a weakness. It's not very good at handling images. Fill your blog or your website with pictures of your cat, your family or your vacation in Yosemite and you might please your readers, but Google won't know what to make of it. Unless you have a sizeable amount of text on your Web page, its robots won't be able to decide what you're talking about. You'll get Public Service Ads that don't earn... Continue Reading

Well, we've done it. A combination of marketing, timing, quality and providence has landed our application as the #1 best-selling app in the iTunes app store. I appreciate the coverage we've received through media outlets and blogs. Now that we've hit #1, I am going to post one more set of stats to add to those previously posted here. Continue Reading

It's been an interesting week in Apple-world. A few months ago, a news story broke that Apple was rejecting certain applications based on their "lack of utility." The application that made news was a fart app that allowed the user to simulate flatulence noises on their iPhone. Like most guys, I have to laugh. I don't know why. It's in our genes, I guess. Anyhow, at the same time, similar applications were submitted to Apple... Continue Reading

I had the privilege of speaking to one thousand people at a seminar this weekend. One the things I hear from attendees again and again is how "real" I am on stage. I take that a compliment, because to be otherwise would be to act "phony." After considering these kinds of comments, I wonder how many people aren't "real" on stage or some other part of their lives. I think one reason that speakers/performers struggle... Continue Reading

Google doesn't just have the best search engine on the Web. It doesn't just have the best contextual advertising system on the Web. Heck, it doesn't just have the best advertising system of any form of media in the world. It also has the best corporate slogan. "Do no evil" is a great attitude for any business. Continue Reading

It's been assumed that the more followers you have on Twitter, the more power you have. However, I think true Twitter power comes from the ability to have your followers follow your links. That's why I am not using TinyURL to shorten my urls any more. I am using Twitpwr.com. Dan and I discussed this new site on Joel Comm LIVE! today. We also answered questions and revealed our new iPhone application. Watch the replay... Continue Reading

There are two ways to write a blog. The first is to sit at the computer and type up the first thing that comes into your head. If you have interesting ideas, fun experiences and can write well, that can certainly work. There are plenty of bloggers who make a good income writing about themselves, their lives and their families. But it isn't easy. Continue Reading

Here's a new time-waster that may be fun. The application is called Photoswap. The concept is simple. Take a photo with your iPhone and send it. Photoswap will send it to a random user who is also taking a photo. They get your photo, you get theirs. Continue Reading

I've been a huge fan of Amazon.com since Bezos launched the site out of his garage. When the pundits said "It'll never work", I said they were clueless. Of course it will work. I spend more money on Amazon then any other online store, as do many of you. I'm also a huge fan of my iPhone and I've used it to shop at Amazon many times. I joined Amazon Prime a couple years back... Continue Reading

I recently had the opportunity to do a book signing at our local Barnes & Noble store in Loveland, Colorado. The team at the store was very friendly and accomodating, setting up an area for me to do a couple presentations, interact with customers and sign books. They ordered plenty of copies of Click Here to Order and The AdSense Code, so there was enough for everyone. They placed a nice sign on the table... Continue Reading

If you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing. It's a great rule to follow when you're offline. Online though, saying nothing just isn't an option. As an online publisher, you have to publish. You have to keep a steady stream of new content appearing on your website so that your users will keep coming back, your ads will keep appearing... and your money will keep rolling in Continue Reading

Online publishing is a business. Like any business it requires work. It requires paying taxes. And it requires investments of cash to keep going. That last hurdle is the one that many people stumble over. They think that because the only equipment they need to set up an online publishing business is a computer, that's the only expense they'll ever need to pay. Wrong. Continue Reading

What would you say if I told you that you can boost your profits by typing just 140 characters? (That's about the length of this paragraph.) If you're smart, you might say "Which ones?" If you're really smart though, you'd say "I know." That's because the power of Twitter isn't a secret any more. CEOs are using it. Bloggers are using it. Marketers are using it. Everyone's using it (including me) and not only are... Continue Reading

Stuck for a blog post? Fed up writing how-tos and list posts? Want to write a piece of content that will not only be original, unique and genuinely interesting but which is almost guaranteed to deliver at least one return link from a targeted traffic source? So try Continue Reading

Online publishing has all sorts of advantages. You become your own boss, you have your own schedule, you get paid to produce content and bring in users. It's all great fun... and you can do it without leaving your house or having to cope with office politics. It's those last benefits that can look so appealing and be a little dangerous too. Social networking sites have made it so easy to chat with other people... Continue Reading

I often talk about the different tools that you can use to complement the AdSense units you put on your site. Sure, AdSense is always going to be the most effective ad system on your pages. But you also want to earn for your impressions, and from affiliate links too. A mixture of different revenue generations systems will help to increase the value you receive for your users. Continue Reading

There are two reasons that people will visit your website. They'll visit to read great content. And they'll visit to feel part of a community. There's one way in which you can add valuable content to your site, get that content for free and build up your community at the same time. By receiving comments. Continue Reading

I'm amazed that there are people out there -- somewhere -- who aren't making money from AdSense. It's not as though you need a doctorate in computer studies and a professorship in literature. You just need a website and an AdSense account. And ever since blogging came along, the website bit has been a breeze. It takes all of about five minutes to sign up on Blogger and it's a perfect match for AdSense. Continue Reading

Click Here to Order continues to sell very well and is showing up in more and more stores. I'd love to hear your CHTO Sitings if you spot it in your city or town. However, thanks to my friend Michael Copeland, I've discovered a way that you can read my new book for free and get some extra bonus material along the way! How can that be? Continue Reading

Today we released v1.1 of iVote, the mobile application for the iPhone. The app has been out just a couple weeks and we've already surpassed 10,000 users. Even more exciting is that there have been over 500,000 votes cast via this application and we're picking up steam! People love voting on the dozen or so new questions we add to the application each day. You can read some of the recent results on the official... Continue Reading

I'm very excited about the first day that our new iPhone application has been live. We've had about 2000 people download and use the application already and it seems to be catching on very quickly! Here's a news release that is going to hit the wire on August 22nd in which we reveal who iPhone users would vote for if the election were held today. Check it out here --> Obama vs. McCain Want to... Continue Reading

When Apple released the iPhone in 2007, they effectively announced "game over" to the rest of the cell phone world. With the release of the 3G and the iTunes App Store, Apple puts another nail in the coffin of wannabees who will arrive late to this party. The moment I saw the App Store, I realized that I had to begin producing applications that the installed user base of 10,000,000 iPhone users would embrace. I'm... Continue Reading

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

Social Media is all the buzz right now. It started with MySpace, continued with YouTube and has brought about Facebook, Twitter and a host of other sites promising the help people interact in new ways. These sites have become very popular and two were purchased for a tidy sum. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp purchased MySpace for $580 million and Google bought YouTube for for $1.65 BILLION. I'm sure the boys from Facebook and Twitter have... Continue Reading

Want to spend a day with me and my team in our Colorado offices? You can win it in the "Click Here to Order" contest! My new book, "Click Here to Order, will be available on August 1st. In celebration, I am giving away thirteen prizes, including signed copies of the book, telephone consultations and a grand prize day with me in Colorado. Find out how to enter now! Click here! Continue Reading

While attending an Internet marketing conference in Chicago, I spent a lot of time networking with my peers. As I sat at the dinner table last night, I noticed that a bunch of us were twittering on our handhelds. Simon Leung, Donna Fox, Eric Farewell, Anik Singal and several others had their PDAs or phone out and were twittering away... sometimes to each other other, even though they were sitting across the table from each... Continue Reading

The long-awaited day has arrived. Not only is Apple releasing the brand new iPhone 3G phone, which promises to do everything but do your dishes, but they are also releasing the new iPhone 2.0 firmware which promises to bring new functionality to current iPhone hardware. I woke up early today and plugged in my iPhone to find that the 2.0 update had rolled out to my area. I told iTunes to download v2.0, backup my... 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

Around noon on May 22, 2008, I was at Denver International Airport waiting for a plane to Dallas. My phone rang and it was my daughter calling from her school to tell me that Loveland and northern Colorado was under a tornado warning. Apparantly a tornado had been spotted and they had the students go to the safest place in the building. A tornado? On the front range? I spent 21 years of my life... Continue Reading

In March of 2006 I attended Yanik Silver's Internet Marketing Underground seminar in Washinton, DC. It was a life-changing date with destiny, for it was there that I met my future JV Partner, Eric Holmlund. I was also impressed by the high caliber of people who attended this seminar. It seemed that there was an awful lot of success in the room filled with over 300 people. Two years later and Yanik does not disappoint... Continue Reading

I'm not a big fan of the major airlines. In fact I have written several entries that demonstrated poor customer service by United and American. However, I had a uniquely good experience on United a couple days ago and wanted to share it with you. I was traveling to Los Angeles with Joel Ownby and Tim Prince, en route to Yanik Silver's Internet Underground conference in Los Angeles. The three of us board the 737... Continue Reading

Last summer, Revenue Magazine did an interview with me to discuss The Next Internet Millionaire. Lisa Picarille put together a great piece that you can read here. But one of my favorite things about the article were the photos taken by Alison Rose Williams of Fort Collins. Revenue hired her to come on location and take some shots of me for the magazine. While she was there, I asked if I could pay her to... Continue Reading

So I've got this great idea for a screenplay. The story goes like this... Due to severe beatings she had received as a child, a thirty-something year old woman develops a strange phobia and doesn't leave the bathroom for two years. I know, bizarre, yes? It gets more interesting. The woman spends the majority of her time on the toilet. Yes, on the toilet. In fact, she spends SO much time on the toilet that... Continue Reading

Wow, what an incredible day! Wait until you hear this. I thought it was going to be a day like every other day. But you never know what kind of curve balls life is going to toss your way. Here's how it started... First of all I wake up and find this email in my box from a producer at a MAJOR cable network ... "Congratulations on your show, 'The Next Internet Millionaire.' We've reviewed... 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

I've just spent an incredible three days in Las Vegas at the Affiliate Summit. This gathering of nearly 3000 people was one of the largest concentrations of affiliate marketers in history. While I did enjoy some of the workshops, the greatest benefit was from networking with others in the industry. I finally got to meet famous bloggers such as Amit Mehta, John Chow, Andrew Wee and Zac Johnson, just to name a few. All these... Continue Reading

A few months back, I launched this groundbreaking Internet marketing course to the world... The Secret Classroom ... and the feedback has been fantastic! I regularly receive emails from people telling me what an impact this course has had on their online business. I wanted to take a moment today and share one of these emails with you. I think it says way more about the value of The Secret Classroom than I could ever... Continue Reading

I am finding Facebook to be a great tool for networking and connecting with people. Since I started using last fall, I have connected with old friends, family members, new associates and some pretty big names. With Facebook, you can make contact with people who might otherwise be very difficult to reach. I've added over 1000 friends, started a handful of groups and have discovered how to post items so others can see what I... Continue Reading

Psst... want to know a way to get tons of free users to your website instantly? And when I say tons, I mean the sort of numbers that will crash your servers, send your page views spiking through the roof and make you dizzy when you look at your AdSense stats. Here's how to do it... Just get your Web page on the front page of Digg.com. I didn't say it was an easy way... Continue Reading

In November of 2005, I went to Armand Morin's Big Seminar for the first time. My eyes were opened to brand new possibilities, and I can say without reservation that it was one of the most significant events of my life. Since that time I have gotten to know Armand as a friend and a mentor. I've been a guest speaker at Big Seminar, he has been a guest teacher on The Next Internet Millionaire... Continue Reading

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

Have I mentioned that I love living in Colorado? Yes, I guess I probably have. I finally got around to resizing some photos that I have taken with my iphone since we moved here last year. Continue Reading

I make no secret of it. I am a 43-year old man who loves playing computer and video games. And why not? I was a teenage when Space Invaders, Asteroids and Centipede took over the arcades. I was sixteen when I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. It was great for primitive gaming. And I've got a great collection of old computer software in a special room in my basement. Perhaps I'll do a video... Continue Reading

Well, here we are on the brink of another New Year. I've recapped the highlights of 2007 on my blog As we enter 2008, I am more committed than ever to provide you with the best content... the best books... the best software... the best reviews... the best sites for making money online... the best of everything! 2007 was a groundbreaking year in many respects, but 2008 is shaping up to be even bigger. I... Continue Reading

I'm at Will Rogers airport in Oklahoma City, getting ready to make the trek home to Colorado after a week of visiting with family and friends. I've had some time to reflect on the year and would like to take a stroll down memory lane. The year started with a crazy idea. I knew that others had dabbled with the idea of doing an Internet reality show, but no one had really taken the concept... Continue Reading

It was only a matter of time. Google is coming out with their own phone. But Amazon has beat the Big "G" to the punch with their own electronic device. It's called Amazon Kindle, and it appears to be a contender for the coolest device of the 2007 holiday shopping season. Imagine being able to access thousands of books wirelessly and read them on a crystal clear display anywhere you go. Continue Reading

It's not always easy thinking up something to write about. However frequently (or otherwise) you update your site, you have to think of a topic, decide whether your users will find it interesting, estimate whether it will bring in ad clicks and turn it into content. Often, that's not a problem. You might be bursting with things you want to say. Sometimes though, you'll be left scratching your head and wondering what on earth you... Continue Reading

I use Google Alerts to let me know when someone is writing about me or one of my web sites. It's a great way to keep tabs on you or your brand. Anyhow, I got an alert today and discovered that one of my AdSenseChat.com members had written a blog entry about me. It's always interesting to see what other people think. It's actually pretty amazing to hear another perspective, especially from people who don't... Continue Reading

I recommend a lot of products to people, and sometimes I get emails from readers complaining that they can't possibly buy everything I recommend. I don't expect you to. Not all of the products I recommend suit everyone. All of them though will help someone. If you decide not to buy a product I recommend, that's fine. Just make sure that you're not turning down something that could genuinely help your site to grow and... Continue Reading

There's no doubt that Google is challenging Microsoft's dominance of the desktop. Search, office applications, email... the list goes on. But here's a surprise that was discovered as an easter egg hidden in Google Earth... ... The Google Earth Flight Simulator Continue Reading

I have a confession to make. I haven't watched the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon in years. And I honestly feel like I am missing something. As a child, I would watch the show religiously, year after year. I remember the parade of celebrities, Jerry Lewis' banter with his guests, Ed McMahon, the volunteers answering phones, and of course, the magical toteboard that would light up with huge numbers indicating that the cure for... Continue Reading

I did it. I bit the bullet and picked up an iPhone. I've been a faithful Treo 650 user for two years, but the buzz regarding Apple's new device won me over. So I ponied up $599 + shipping and tax to get one of these puppies in my hands, though I was unsure of what I would find once I actually got to try it out for myself. I may now render the verdict... Continue Reading

I've been doing a lot of radio interviews lately. The media is very interested in The Next Internet Millionaire and I feel like I am spending hours on the phone! Well, I just got off the phone for a radio interview and was asked what is the first thing that anyone who wants to create an Internet business should do. My answer came with great clarity and without hesitation... Continue Reading

You are invited to a one-of-a-kind webinar that you are going to love! On Tuesday, July 17th, you have the opportunity to listen in and watch as I interview Sheila Simkin, a seasoned world traveler who has been just about everywhere and knows how to travel the world on a budget. There is no one quite like Sheila. Not only does she blog her adventures on her site, but she provides tips that even the... Continue Reading

Video is definitely the wave of the future online. Our world has already become accustomed to television and movies, so it makes sense that video will become a dominant force for information delivery and entertainment on the web. Naturally, this is one reason I've chosen to launch the reality show, The Next Internet Millionaire, on the Internet. But I just came across something very cool on YouTube. Continue Reading

It's one of the biggest challenges of building a profitable online publishing business. It's also one of the most important. Generating traffic. There's no easy way to do it. Yes, you have to have good content. Without that, you're never going to get the sort of traffic that arrives naturally, comes back and gives you referrals. But even good content isn't enough. It doesn't matter how good your content is if no one knows you... Continue Reading

"Take this job and shove it... I ain't workin' here no more" And so went the lyrics of the popular country-western song belted out by Johnny Paycheck. It is a common practice to place a phone call to a local radio station and ask them to play this song when you "fire your boss" Let's face it. It's a fun tune. And more people than ever before are telling their bosses to "take this job... Continue Reading

You asked. I answered. You have made it clear that you want direct answers on a number of topics related to Internet marketing, AdSense, list building, advertising, joint ventures, affiliate programs and any number of other topics under the sun. I believe that video is the wave of the future, and I intend to use it to its maximum potential. That's why I am pleased to announce the launch of AskJoelComm.com, a video-based blog designed... Continue Reading

I was on the phone with Armand Morin last night, and I've been thinking about something he said ever since. We talked about the great ebooks that are out there... We talked about some of the cool software tools that are now available... And of course, we talked about AdSense. But here's what he said that stuck with me. Continue Reading

I love to write my own newsletter. It gives me an opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings with you in a very personal way. However, my friend Eric Holmlund has written such a brilliant piece that I have asked him if I can reproduce it in its entirity. Being a great guy, Eric said no problem. With no further ado, here is Eric's post... ---------------------- I want to tell you about a young woman... Continue Reading

What's the truth about global warming? Is it as the media is currently reporting and as Al Gore's movie says? Or is it an issue being driven by a political agenda? I am skeptical, as I have already read much that debunks "An Inconvenient Truth" as "A Magnificent Lie". And now, a group of dissenting scientists have gotten together to create a documentary that makes it look like a tremendoes hoax. Whatever you currently believe... Continue Reading

There's something you should know about me. It's kind of embarrassing, actually. I am terrible with my hands. More specifically, I am not mechanically inclined. In simple english, don't ask me to build stuff. Don't get me wrong. I can fix absolutely anything Continue Reading

Five days ago, I wrote about my experience with American Furniture Warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was not a glowing moment for their customer service team. This morning, my home phone rang and my wife informed me that American Furniture Warehouse wanted to speak with Joel Comm. I had been anticipating a call from them. Surely they monitor the web for mention of their name, and just 48 hours after blogging about my experience... Continue Reading

NOTE! - This issue has been resolved by American Furniture Warehouse customer service as of February 22nd. Please see this blog entry for the rest of the story. We now return to you the initial entry as originally posted... American Furniture Warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado is officially on my "naughty" list. I write this entry today as an open letter to Jake Jabs, owner of this furniture chain. Since we moved to Colorado this... Continue Reading

Clutter. Our lives are full of it. And to be honest, I've never experienced more clutter in my life than right now. As I type this, movers are hauling my "stuff" into my new home in Colorado... ... and I can't believe how much stuff there is. I feel like I am being overtaken by boxes and furniture. And just when you think they've brought it all in, there is more. Clutter. 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

Change. It's one thing in life we can depend on. And it can be the thing that frightens us most. I've known people who don't like the least bit of change in their lives. They are most comfortable in keeping the status quo. Change implies risk. And risk... well, sometimes things don't turn out the way we hope they will. And sometimes they do. Continue Reading

As I travel to conferences and receive email from people, the questions I am asked have a recurring theme. One of the most frequent questions is not so much about technology as it is about individuality. The question is, "What kind of web site should I build to make money online?" And that, my friends, is the wrong question. The right question is not about web sites or keywords. The right question is about you. Continue Reading

I have selected five random winners for The AdSense Code Sightings Contest! I received dozens of entries and posted a handful of the photos on the web site. I then randomly selected five entries, each of whom will now receive one year entry into my Premier AdSense Coaching Club. And the winners are... Continue Reading

It was a typical day at CNN. Kyra Phillips was delivering the news and went to a live feed of President Bush speaking on the anniversary of the Katrina hurricane disaster in New Orleans. Kyra decided it was a good time to take a potty break. Unfortunately, the sound engineer failed to turn off her microphone. This entertaining video shows President Bush, but the true star is Kyra as she flushes the toilet and proceeds... Continue Reading

Citibank credit cards - I have them in my wallet. Why Citibank? Because these are American Airlines Aadvantage credit cards, and I charge absolutely everything in order to earn as many air miles on American Airlines as possible. I do a lot of traveling and enjoy flying free or upgrading to First Class when I can. But I am really upset with Citibank at the moment. Continue Reading

On September 27th, I am going to award FIVE people with a free one-year membership to the Premier AdSense Coaching Club, my members-only site designed to help people increase the profitability of their web sites. How can you enter to win one of these five memberships? Easy! I present you with... The AdSense Code Sightings Contest! Here's the deal... Continue Reading

The word page fun continues as the blogosphere is discussing 500Words.com. Today, PRWeb phoned me to create a podcast interview which you can now listen to online or via itunes. Check out writings by Adam Viener, Brad Waller and Jim Kukral Continue Reading

Everyone has their pet peeves, present company included. Being Saturday, I had to go to the store for a couple different things. I needed to pick up a framed poster at Hobby Lobby and I took my son to Best Buy so he could spend a gift card. At Hobby Lobby, I approached the checkout lanes and found there was only one girl handling all the customers. I took my spot in line behind the... Continue Reading

If you've been following my life at all, you know I've been working with my mother to help her build her website, TravelsWithSheila.com. Acting on my advice, my mom has issued a press release today. Continue Reading

I am leaving Las Vegas after speaking at Carl Galletti's Internet Marketing Superconference. It has been a great weekend of learning, networking and hanging out with friends. Before I spoke on Saturday, I ordered some breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The portion was very large and I just didn't want to eat it all. So when I took the platform to speak, the first thing I did was ask if anyone was hungry! A lady... Continue Reading

A few weeks ago, Andrew Fox phoned me and asked if I would speak to him for a bit about my AdSense strategies. I've known Andrew for a bit, having met him at Big Seminar in Los Angeles last year. (Remember, I always say how important it is to network at these seminars?) Anyhow, Andrew is a great guy... and he's pretty darned smart, too! Beating me to the punch, Andrew has put together a... Continue Reading

I recently received a phone call from Jason Dinner, an associate of Mike Filsaime's. Since Mike is a superstar in my book, I wanted to hear what Jason had to say. As it turns out, Jason and Dennis Mecca are putting together a fantastic, content-packed, live educational teleseminar series. And it won't cost you a dime. (I like free!) The series is called the Accelerated Success System Continue Reading

I like the food at The Cracker Barrel. It's usually pretty good, whether we go there for breakfast or dinner. They have done a great job of positioning themselves as the "Old Country Store", a combination restaurant/retail shop, where every store is positioned on a major U.S. interstate. And every store looks virtually the same. Continue Reading

Last week, I wrote about my encounter with Vern Troyer, the actor who portrayed "Mini Me" in the Austin Powers movies. It didn't go all that well. Regardless, I just received the photo that was taken with Vern and I want to share it with you... because I know how much you care. :-) Continue Reading

I offended Vern Troyer, the actor who played the role of "Mini Me" in the Austin Powers movies. Why would I do such a thing? I didn't mean, to, but it happened anyhow... If you've been following my blog, you would know that I've been in D.C. attending Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar. Yanik was very clever in putting the seminar together. He gave the entire thing an "Austin Powers" secret agent feel, which each attendee... Continue Reading

I'm coming to you live from Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar in Washington, D.C. I'm sitting in my hotel room with Tim Carter and Christopher Knight. We've just enjoyed a long meal at a fancy-schmancy restaurant a few blocks from the JW Marriott. And, of course, we've all got our laptops jacked in as we catch up with our email and discuss ways to capture more doubloons! But I have another reason for blogging tonight... Today... Continue Reading

I am just thrilled with my mom right now. A few days ago I wrote about her new blog, TravelsWithSheila.com. Since starting her blog, she has been dilligently working hard to create new content and understand the entire blogging process. I love the way she has taken the bull by the horns and is really wanting to excel with this project. Continue Reading

When I was sixteen years old and purchased my first computer (A Tandy TRS-80), my mother asked me "What are you going to do with a computer?" Many years later, she now knows exactly what I will do with a computer... My mother has been slow to adapt to new technology, but I have nudged her along gently and she now can't imagine not using the Internet to research her adventure travel escapades. Continue Reading

I was flying at 30,000 feet, gazing out at the horizon and the cities below. I was somewhere between Raleigh and Memphis, but I wasn't sure where. I wondered exactly what city I was looking down upon from so high in the sky, and I thought of my recent dabbling with Google Earth. If you haven't used Google Earth yet, you are missing out on an extremely cool application that allows you to soar across... Continue Reading

I am extremely impressed with the folks at TextPayMe.com. Not only is their "send funds by cell phone" service ultra-cool, but they have made good on their free Xbox 360 offer in record time! Continue Reading

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun playing guitar. No, I'm not talking about my Yamaha Strat knock-off or my Ibanez steel string. I'm talking about a plastic guitar with no strings and five frets. Huh? Continue Reading

Yesterday I wrote about TextPayMe and their free service that allows you to send and receive funds from any cellphone. It's like PayPal, only more 21st century. I also mentioned that they have a cool referral program. Simply get 36 other people to sign up with their service and they will give you a FREE XBox 306. The people who sign up get paid $5 just for signing up as well. This morning I received... Continue Reading

You've undoubtedly seen offers for free XBox 360's all over the web. Most of them make you jump through all kinds of hoops in order to get the goods. I just found an offer that anyone can take advantage of and win a free XBox 360! Seriously, read on... Continue Reading

I recently received an email from a reader lamenting how I have strayed from my political rants. Believe me, it's not for lack of material. Between the mainstream media's pathetic obsession with VP Dick Cheney accidently shooting a friend while hunting (don't get me started) and the never-ceasing parade of Democrat leadership attempting to undermine America, I could blog for hours on end. I have just become fed up with the lunacy and have focused... Continue Reading

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

When I was in Las Vegas, I spent a little time with Paul Colligan. Paul is an expert in Affiliate marketing. But recently he has began beating the drum for podcasting. Now admittedly, I have been slow to come to the podcasting table. However, after spending some time with Paul and Declan Dunn in Las Vegas, the light has turned on above my head. Ding! Continue Reading

I had two telephone consultations today. One of them was scheduled with a client. Another was spontaneous with a contact that I met at a seminar a few months back. But both of them had something in common. Each person was trying to figure out how they could create a profitable business online. Continue Reading

This morning, I had the privilege of speaking before sixty Affiliate Summit attendees in a special AdSense workshop session. The room was a bit large (cavernous, even), but I managed to communicate my strategies to the attendees just the same. Here are a couple photos taken by my friend Mark Widawer. Continue Reading

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

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

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

My favorite Aunt in the whole world is my Aunt Joan. She is my mother's younger sister and I have some fantastic memories of her from my childhood. She was always bubbly, gregarious, fun-loving and pleasant to be around. She loved her parents, her sisters, her children, her nieces and nephews and her grandchildren with a passion. Everyone knew when Joan was in the room. Her laugh was something akin to a "cackle", and she... Continue Reading

In news that has the left side of the aisle stunned, the President's economic policies are validated once again as the Federal Government reports INCREASES in tax revenue that have caused a decrease in the U.S. fiscal deficit. Continue Reading

Man, I've been wanting to get my hands on one of these babies for quite some time. Now that I've got one, you ought to see the smile on my face. The photo probably doesn't do it it justice as you can't get the overall sense of scale. But this 24" Dell Widescreen LCD Monitor is just what the doctor ordered. Crisp picture 1920 x 1200 resolution Plenty of desktop space to spare Dell charges... Continue Reading

You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. There is Yahoo Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, Aol Instant Messenger and ICQ. Now, the Big Dog of search engines has entered the instant messaging market with Google Talk. The beta is now available for download. Google Talk has a colorful and simple design, similar to their web site. Your Gmail account name is your Google Talk login. Not only can you instant message friends, but... Continue Reading

Tonight, I grudgingly sat through War of the Worlds. I went with Mary and another couple because we wanted to do something and all the other movies looked like garbage. The movie promised that I would be "on the edge of my seat". And I was. But that was only because I was slumped so far into my chair that my butt was hanging over the edge of the seat. With the exception of some... Continue Reading

I've been in a Las Vegas this week, participating in Affiliate Summit, a conference for Internet merchants and their affiliates. I dragged a couple friends along with me and we're having a great time. Monday night we went to see Blue Man Group at the Luxor Hotel (the big pyramid...) What a fun evening! Continue Reading

Well, my new dating ebook is almost ready to go. In fact, I have a web page up for it now and it is actually available now. It still needs a little fine tuning, but I think it is a great value for the money! If you are single and interested in online dating services, you'll definitely want to pick up a copy of Online Dating Secrets: The Guide for Real People Who Want Real... Continue Reading

I love my Treo 650. It is the coolest phone/PDA/camera/toy I have ever owned. But I am a bit ticked off today. The receiver portion of the phone went pffft today. I can call people and talk to them, but I can not hear them talk to me. Makes for a very uninteresting conversation. Anyhow, since it is past the 30-day warranty, the only way to get the phone replaced is to have Cingular send... Continue Reading

I have been in Atlanta, Georgia since Monday, attending an Internet conference. On Monday, I played golf with some of the guys, if you can call it "playing golf". I really stink at the game, but I had fun. The rest of the week I've been attending workshops and hanging out with some very cool and interesting people. Tomorrow I head back home. Anyhow, today is my birthday and I have been receiving phone calls... Continue Reading

I've been slaving away attempting to make sense of this thing we call the Internet. In order to put things in proper perspective, I have composed this paper which I hope will prove useful. Continue Reading

I am blogging this entry from my new cell phone/pda/camera/toy, a PalmOne Treo 650. It truly is a remarkable device and does just about everything but laundey. The keyboard is smaller than the Sidekick that I have been using, but the other features make up for this. More on my new toy, er, necessary business tool... stay tuned. Continue Reading

Finally, a documentary about the left that I can't WAIT to see. This just in from Drudge... HBO MOVIE SHOWS RADIO 'AIR AMERICA' CHAOS HBO is set to air a behind the scenes look at the launching of liberal radio network AIR AMERICA. The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained a director's cut of LEFT OF THE DIAL, a grossly entertaining docu-drama of life on the other side of the AIR AMERICA microphone. The doubts. The lies... Continue Reading

We have just returned from Spring Break vacation with the kids. It's good to be home! We spent the week in Ruidoso, New Mexico, a quaint village in the southern Rocky Mountains. Near the base of Sierra Blanca (elev 12003), Ruidoso is a blend of old west charm, mountain wilderness and desert atmosphere. Known for being the stomping grounds of Billy the Kid, Ruidoso is also home to the Mescalero Apache Indians (who operate the... Continue Reading

You know the kind I am talking about. The wife is sick, so I am up early to take them to school. The server is crashing, so I am on the phone with my webmasters attempting to resolve it. The call comes from school. My son may have chipped his tooth. He can't eat anything solid, so I pick him up and buy him a bowl of soup and take him to the dentist. Overwhelmed... Continue Reading

It is with much fondness that I bid adieu to World of Warcraft. I've been playing my character, Riathamus, for just over a month, and I have experienced a great deal of what the game has to offer. However, the game is so enormous, so huge, and so seemingly endless, that I am in turning in my two-handed mace and calling it quits. This game is simply too good. It's too beautiful. It's too much... Continue Reading

A Presbyterian minister collapsed and died in mid-sentence of a sermon after saying "And when I go to heaven ...," his colleague said Monday. The Rev. Jack Arnold, 69, was nearing the end of his sermon Sunday at Covenant Presbyterian Church in this Orlando suburb when he grabbed the podium before falling to the floor, said the Rev. Michael S. Beates, associate pastor at Covenant Presbyterian. Before collapsing, Arnold quoted the 18th century Bible scholar... Continue Reading

If you haven't shopped at Amazon.com, you probably aren't reading this entry. Let's face it, just about everyone has made a purchase from Amazon.com at some point. But have you ever tried to contact Amazon customer service? I challenge you to find a phone number on the Amazon.com web site. Go ahead. Look. You won't find it. Why not? They don't want you to. Amazon would rather deal with customers via email. But that doesn't... Continue Reading

The body count continues to climb in what is undoubtedly the greatest tragedy of human loss in my lifetime. As of this writing, it is estimated that upwards of 44000 people have been killed by the massive earthquake and tidal waves in Indonesia. The concept of waves moving at nearly 500 mph is staggering. This graphic demonstrates how this takes place. The whole thing seems so distant, yet is brought home by the heartbreaking photos... Continue Reading

Are we creating a generation of mutants? While reality TV may be hazardous to our health, I am talking about a different danger. Recent studies have shown that electromagnetic radiation from cell phones may be causing permanent physical damage. What they are finding is that there is a significant break to single and double DNA strands when animals are exposed to this form of radiation for extended periods. Think about it. We are continually wearing... Continue Reading

I've been developing a new site with a cool gimmick. It's called DropThatName.com. Sounds kind of weird, huh? It's not like "hey my name is Rudolpho and I don't like it so I am going to drop it". Nope. Nothing like that. Drop That Name! is a place where anyone can brag about their "brush with greatness". Who doesn't like to tell tall tales of their encounter with politicians, movie stars, rock stars, authors and... Continue Reading

Over the years, many atheists and agnostics have enjoyed mocking Christians and people of religion who choose to believe in God. The most frequent criticism is that belief in God is unscientific, therefore it is foolish. What many people don't realize is that the Bible and the stories within have an incredible amount of evidence to support them. More and more scientists are recognizing that the complexity of the universe necessitates a divine Creator as... Continue Reading

I am ticked off at Target. We shop there regularly, but not today. You may ask "why Joel, why?", and I'll tell you. For years, the Salvation Army has stood in front of various department stores and chain outlets ringing their bells, spreading good holiday cheer and collecting funds for very worthwhile causes, such as feeding the hungry and clothing the poor. When I was at Target earlier this week, I remember noticing the absence... 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

Admit it. Burning deep in your soul is a desire to be a computer geek. You want nothing more than the ability to write perl code in your sleep. And on a very good day, you'd leap over cascading style sheets in a single bound. Or maybe not. In fact, one thing that stands in the way of me getting anything done is all the technical nonsense I need to wade through in order to... Continue Reading

Some sites I have recently bookmarked... Oklahoma City Astronomy Club - My son has become increasingly interested in the planets and stars, so I believe I am going to look into checking these folks out. American Oddities - You have got to see this unusual collection of photographs of homes and office buildings. What's My IP? - Need to know your IP address? Not sure what an IP address is, or why you would need... Continue Reading

Over my lifetime, I have seen a handful of Presidents come and go. From my earliest memories of Richard Nixon to our current President, each have brought their own beliefs and personality to the White House. I remember that Ronald Reagan was a man of quiet faith. Jimmy Carter was supposed to have been a born-again Christian, though his failed policies leads me to believe he was listening more to special interest groups than to... Continue Reading

It was just like any other day. I booted up my computer and started to check on my web sites. And as happens from time to time, my sites were not coming up quickly or at all. My first thought is that a server is down. I test another server and see that it is not communicating either. Now I start thinking my T1 to the office is down. So I apply the test to... Continue Reading

One of the reasons we wanted to get out of Oklahoma and visit Colorado was because of the intolerable heat. Ninety degree days just don't agree with us. Wouldn't you know it... Boulder is having a heatwave! According to the temperature gauge in the minivan, it got up to 98 degrees today! Needless to say, we didn't feel much like hiking of being outside. However, since it is so beautiful here, it is hard to... Continue Reading

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

And now, the continuing saga of the T-Mobile Sidekick, as featured in yesterday's entry. So my Sidekick finally activates around noon today. Around 2 pm, my phone number is ported from Sprint. All is well and good. (except dealing with Sprint.. but I'll save that rant for another time...) I am able to surf the web and received a couple calls. However, I immediately noticed that the "e" key sticks a bit. Sometimes it works... Continue Reading

Earlier this year, I went to my local T-Mobile store and purchased a Sidekick, a unique cell phone and PDA that is pretty slick looking. T-Mobile has a 14-day trial period, so I took advantage of it, not really sure if I would want to keep it. Plus, I had already decided that I would be returning this phone as I found I could get it cheaper on Amazon.com. The phone retails for $350, but... 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

I get ticked off with my cell phone from time to time. Spring PCS is not always "free and clear". Just 1/2 mile from my home in suburban OKC is a dead zone. Makes me crazy. Apparently, some guy in North Dakota lost it in a Verizon store. Man Hurls Phones, Causes $2K Store Damage May 14, 2004 11:40 a.m. EST FARGO, N.D. - A man who said he was fed up with his cellular... Continue Reading

When Friends came to NBC ten years ago, Mary and I loved the program. We recorded it every week and rarely missed an episode. About three years ago, we completely lost interest in the show. Tons of sex jokes and too many on-again off-again relationships contributed to changing the channel. On top of that, Survivor was scheduled in opposition to Friends. However, we did want to see how the series ended. As far as series... Continue Reading

It happened. It was bound to sooner or later. Actually, it happened right on schedule. When I was a young lad, a teenager, I remember thinking that forty was a long way off. I did the math in my head and realized that I would be forty in the year 2004. Wow, that was an eternity away. Welcome to eternity. Yesterday was my 40th birthday. I took the day off from work (do I really... Continue Reading

It's gonna get heavy folks. Hang tight. On the heels of Sunday's "Pro-Choice" march in the nation's capitol, I continue to be dumbfounded by the rhetoric of these people. Underneath the surface of "women's rights" lies multitudes of women wounded by their choice to kill their own babies. Let's face it. This argument is NOT about abortion. It is about whether or not the "fetus" in the womb is a life. If it is not... Continue Reading

Here's a new site that takes the traditional rate-a-photo gimmick and adds a family-friendly twist. CuteOrNot.com allows you to upload your own image, or the image of your pet, and vote on how cute each man, woman or pet is! I put a photo of Socrates on the site, and he is doing really well. Upload your photo and vote! Continue Reading

Want to do a good deed? Here's an opportunity to help someone in need with one click. Coty-Girl is a dog that was featured on 11Alive News in Atlanta, GA. Coty-Girl has been diagnosed with Cushing's Disease and she requires a very expensive diet. Her owner is strapped for cash but knows that Coty-Girl needs the food. Prescription Diet is currently running a contest for a one-year FREE supply of food for the winner. Coty-Girl... Continue Reading

A few days ago, I posted a humorous photo of two penguins and asked people to submit a humorous caption to go with the photo. It has been one of the more popular entries on my blog, so I decided to do a spin-off and launch a photo caption site! Check out Caption-This.com, where you can enter a humorous caption for a different photo each day. There is also a referral feature built in so... Continue Reading

This is hilarious. Wal-mart cashiers are not necessarily the nuclear physicists of the world (and neither am I), but Alice Regina Pike of Georgia apparantly believes they are dumber than a box of rocks. The 35-year-old woman tried to pass a $1 million bill at one of Walmart's superstores. The Covington Police Department reports that Pike was attempting to pay for $1671.55 in merchandise with a $1,000,000 bill. The Wal-Mart clerk called over her manager... Continue Reading

What happens when you combine one the best-selling rock albums of all time with one of the best films of all time? Strange stuff. Filmed in 1939, The Wizard of Oz is an enduring classic from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Who hasn't delighted in the wonderful tale of Dorothy Gale and her journey into the weird and wonderful land of Oz? Dorothy, Toto, Tinman, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the... Continue Reading

I saw The Passion of the Christ last night. I have to agree with something Glenn Beck said after viewing the film. It's unreviewable. Yet, there is so much to say. I hope you will endure my babbling to find something worthwhile in the words to come. By now, you have heard about this movie. I have been writing about it for nearly 9 months now as the opening day has drawn closer. One entry... Continue Reading

Odd thoughts that have intersected my mind... If you owned your own soccer replica jersey you could "bend it like beckham. This would be a good thing. If you liked soccer. I don't. Which is worse? Bunions or plantar warts? Shopping online has brought new meaning to buying stuff over the counter. Lets face it. Who wants to go to a clerk and ask for dandruff shampoo or feminine hygeine products? I always tell Mary... Continue Reading

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

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

Careful! Cellphones can be hazardous to your health! Especially explosive phones... KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- A Malaysian man was shaken and scalded Tuesday after his mobile phone exploded beside him while he was sleeping, the national news agency reported. Mohamed Radzuan Yasin said he was recharging his cell phone and placed it on his bed near him before he took a nap. Three hours later, he was jarred awake by what he described as a... Continue Reading

I was listening to talk radio this morning on the way to work and the host began discussing a story that I had heard about on the Glenn Beck Program the day before. The story centered around a Cleveland, Ohio TV news Anchorwoman and some indiscretions that occured when she was in Florida with her husband several months earlier. Essentially, this "anchorette" got blotto and entered a wet t-shirt contest at a local bar in... Continue Reading

I have been wanting to get my hands on a PDA/phone that would allow me to have wireless access to the web and email. The technology is finally at a level where the download speed is tolerable, so I have been shopping around for a unit. Today, I took a leap of faith and purchased a T-Mobile Sidekick. T-Mobile allows you to try out their products for 14 days. If I am not happy, I... Continue Reading

Groundhog Day? Not the movie, the holiday. (Thought I WILL be talking about the movie as I continue my series on The 15 Best Movies Ever). Why talk about ">Groundhog Day today? Because from what I just learned, the great majority of you have no earthly idea what day it falls on! Somehow, Mary and I got into a discussion about Groundhog Day and she asked me when it was? I said, "Seriously? You don't... Continue Reading

When I look back on the past few years of technological advancements, several computer-driven products cause me to wax eloquently. My iPaq 3835 has been a trusty PDA for almost two years. But it has lost its shine and there are newer models that have stolen my affections. My Dell laptop rocks, but in a mere few months I am certain its big brother will find me coveting at its front door. My Pioneer CD... Continue Reading

It is my belief that the large majority of voting democrats have little to no idea what the radical wing of the party really stands for. The party that for so many years has rallied their voters based on fear and lies continues to do so while the masses sleep. MoveOn.org, an organization that is unable to live up to its own name as they are still living in the crushing Presidential election of 2000... Continue Reading

Here are a handful of links for your surfing pleasure: Free Online Lookups - very cool stuff - find out which of your neighbors donated to a federal election campaign, get a zip code based on phone area code, and locate the post office nearest to any location. Like I said, cool stuff. The Daily .WAV - download sound files for your PC Word Spy - Just what IS bluejacking anyway? I Work with Fools... Continue Reading

Here are some links to start your weekend off right... Relevant Magazine Online - Finally, a Christian magazine that "gets it". God is not stuck in time, and neither should we be. Learning how to relate God's truths to our culture requires being a participant in the culture, but yet not OF it. Great publication both on the web and in print. Where's George? - Play with your money. It's ok. George won't mind. High... Continue Reading

Hello. My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. By most standards, The Princess Bride should have been no more than a mere blip in the history of cinema. The fairy-tale story of the handsome hero, of the beautiful damsel held against her will by an evil prince, and of the sappy happily-ever-afters undoubtedly attached to the end has been endlessly repurposed by Hollywood again and again. However, when Rob Reiner... Continue Reading

Mary and I had the opportunity to escape for a rare "date night" last night, and what a great night it was! We started the evening with dinner at Cascata Ristorante, a fine Italian dining establishment in Edmond. The atmosphere was charming and it was a pleasure to be waited on by a very professional wait staff. It all looked quite good so we decided to order two plates and share them. We ordered the... Continue Reading

We had a casual morning, taking our time to get packed up and on our way. Packing is such a hassle and I do not look forward to "the big schlepp" each time we leave. I have streamlined the procedure a bit more with each stop, but we are also acquiring more souveniers along the way, so the van is getting more and more stuffed. We left our hotel around 12:30 pm and went to... 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

Our time at the Conwell Inn has been great. The room is very nice and they have had some sort of breakfast downstairs every morning. When I took the dog out this morning, I was pleased to see a hot waffle iron and cups of batter. I surprised Mary and the kids with fresh waffles to get the day off on the right foot. Unfortunately, Mary hasn't felt good the past couple of days, so... Continue Reading

It was another walk in the footsteps of our Founding Fathers. The city of Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was composed and signed. We can trace much of that which makes America great to the heart of this old city. We started the day by hopping a bus downtown. If I had known how crowded the bus would have been, I think we would have taken a cab. Anyhow, we arrived downtown and... Continue Reading

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

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

The room at the Red Roof is great, but we have the world's worst Internet connection. It doesn't matter if I use AOL or MSN, and it doesn't matter which number I dial. The phone lines here STINK! The absolute worst I can ever imagine. Ok, done ranting. Today we went to Plymouth, the site where the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. It was a one hour drive through Boston and into Cape... 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

Finding a church to worship at while out of town is always a challenge. You just never know what you are going to get. As it turned out, I opened the yellow pages, placed a call to a church, asked a couple questions and decided that I had found a place. Redeemer Bible Church is a medium-sized church about five miles from the falls, just off the highway. The church placesa high emphasis on music... Continue Reading

After schlepping our stuff to the car, for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, we drove to the campus of the University of Illinois, my alma mater. Many things looked different, but much more looked exactly the same. I felt both relieved and sentimental as I walked "the quad". It was great to show the kids where I went to school, and I think they were impressed by the old buildings and the number... 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

Well, we are pulling it all together for the BIG ROAD TRIP! We are due to set out for our first stop, St. Louis, on Monday morning. I hope you will follow along with us on our journey as I intend to Blog and photojournal every day. Please let me know if we are in your stomping grounds or if you have any suggestions en route. Lots of packing to do, so I'll catch you... Continue Reading

This is hilarious! The wackos at Earth Liberation Front (E.L.F.), the criminals that are vandalizing SUVs and buildings in order to liberate the earth from the clutches of corporate greed are at it again. This time, their zany hijinks backfired. SULTAN, Wash. -- An animal rights group's plan to free 10,000 mink from a farm turned deadly after many of the emancipated mustelids became cannibals while others went on a carnivorous feeding frenzy. About 9,000... Continue Reading

Here is the big news from the Comm household. As many of you may know, we homeschool our two children, Z and J. One of the subjects the children are learning is American History (without the revisionism perpetrated by the National Education Association). We have decided to take our homeschool on the road in order to give the kids a hands-on experience with our Nation's great heritage. To that end, we are taking a one-month... Continue Reading

This bit of disgusting news hit the wire today... Bill on Hil: It's a maybe His hint she may run in '04 shocks Dems Clinton loyalists were startled yesterday to hear former President Bill Clinton suggest that his wife hasn't made up her mind yet about running for the White House. Asked in Monterey, Calif., on Tuesday about chatter that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) might join the crowded Democratic field, the former President hinted that... Continue Reading

I have absolutely HAD it with MSN (ie: Microsoft Network). I need a dial-up service for when I am on the road, so I decided to cancel my Earthlink service just over two years ago and I signed on for two years with MSN at Best Buy. They were offering a $200 store gift card to sign on, so I figured what the heck. My two years is up and I am going to cancel... Continue Reading

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

This one should prove to be lots of fun! See if you can manipulate the Great Manipulator into as many hilarious contortions as possible! Simply click a point on the photo and drag away. More fun than sliced bread. (Sorry, you need a Java-capable browser to view AlexWarp.) AlexWarp applet by Alex Rosen - http://www.axlrosen.net/ Continue Reading

I decided to go check out the new Aspen Athletic Club that is opening just 1.5 miles away from our house. Mary and I have been talking about joining a club for a while, so I thought I'd stop be on my way to work. The actual club is still being built, but they have a temporary facility set up where they can sell memberships. I don't like long sales pitches and I had more... Continue Reading

Our last day and we've really got nothing left that we want to do. We considered going to Colorado to see the sand dunes near Alamosa, but it was over 1.5 hours away and it was going to be hot. So we opted to have lunch in town and play it by ear. But first, we stopped at the Red River Candy Mountain Fudge shop. As you may recall from yesterday's entry, the manager asked... Continue Reading

What a busy day! Jenna and I started the day with a one-hour horseback ride. She rode Questa and I rode Buck. They took us 600 feet up the mountain on a sometimes precarious trail. It was a great deal of fun. Socrates got to meet one of the horses as well. He wanted to see them until he got up close. He must have been thinking, "That's the biggest dog I've ever seen!" Afterwards... Continue Reading

We got a late start this morning, but isn't that what vacationing is all about? Jenna is so excited about going horseback riding, so we walked to the stable and made a reservation for tomorrow at 10:30 am. She will be riding a black and white horse named Questa. Every time we passed the stable today, she pointed out Questa to all of us. Took a photo of Jenna out front of the lodge. For... Continue Reading

We left Edmond mid-morning, around 9:30 am, and head for Red River, New Mexico. It was a VERY hot day for a drive, with temperatures reaching 102 degrees in Texas. The scenery is mostly plains and desert... not much to see. However, we DID see the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. This sucker was huge. And you can kind of see it in this photo, except for the truck that blocked the view as... Continue Reading

Around 6 p.m. Friday evening, the connection to all our servers went kaput. We are on a T1 line, so I contacted our ISP to find out what the deal was. After several hours of back and forth, it was determined that the problem was somewhere in the phone lines. I had to go to the office at midnight to meet a SBC technician. It took him two hours to fix the problem. As it... Continue Reading

I've had a few people ask me about the quality of photo taken by the Sanyo 8100 PCS Vision phone. I snapped a shot of Socrates, the philosopher pooch. What do you think of the quality? Continue Reading

Woohoo! Starting today, the Federal Do Not Call Registry is accepting registrations at their web site. Simply click through, enter your phone numbers and email address, and do a "happy dance". In short order, telemarketers calling those numbers can be fined up to $11,000 per incident. It's about time. Continue Reading

Bought an ultra-cool cell phone today. It's a Sanyo 8100 for the Spring PCS network. It's extremely lightweight and is loaded with cool features, not the least of which is the built in camera. Simply point the camera, view the image on the color screen and SNAP. You've got a photo. If you like it, you save it. Then, you can send it to another Sprint PCS Vision user, email it to any address, and/or... Continue Reading

What pooch doesn't love to go for a ride with the windows down? Apparantly, the automobile ride is quite popular amongst canines. Jerome Turner maintains Dogs in Cars and claims that he still "has a life". I'm not sure about that, but his site is a hoot. The site is exactly a titled, photos of dogs in cars. There are several hundred photos on the site as of this writing. Visit the "about" page for... Continue Reading

Today, I am eight-years old for the second time. Sure, I carry myself in the body of a 39-year old. I'm hairier and heavier than the last time I turned eight. But make no mistake. Thanks to the magic of eBay, I am reliving my childhood in a very meaningful way. I submit to you photographs of my favorite childhood toy animal. It was a kangaroo puppet named Foopy Doo. Lest you think I have... Continue Reading

Come and listen to a story of boom and bust. A tale of exhuberent highs and devastating lows. A yarn so dramatic, so engaing, so tragic... wait... wrong story. This is about my experience with the Internet and how I rode the wave from the beginning, only to end up here. Ready? Come gather 'round... Part I: I can do that! I have always been a computer freek. Since Radio Shack launched the first TRS-80... Continue Reading

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

Well, here we go again. A massive tornado just ripped through southern Oklahoma City, about 20 or so miles from here. Did alot of damage, as you can see from the photos. Hopefully that will be the end of it today. What a shame... some of the homes hit may be the same ones that were hit in the barrage on May 3rd a few years ago... Continue Reading

So, today I mowed the lawn and laid down some grass seed. Yee-haw. Another exciting day in Edmond, Oklahoma. Oh, and Socrates got his hair cut today. Continue Reading