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

I have a confession to make. I am a packrat. It's not like when I die they are going to find stacks of National Geographic magazines in my house, but I do have a tendency to hold on to stuff that I think is cool. My old software collection always blows away people who visit my home. Perhaps I'll make a video of that someday. Continue Reading

Joel Comm LIVE has been absent from the Internet since the spring. For over one year, Dan Nickerson and I welcomed guests to our program in a live format. We interacted with viewers, answered questions about Internet marketing, played with flying monkeys, read a number of humourous Top Ten lists and had a generally fun time. However, with my travel schedule being so heavy, I was unable to do the live program each week. And... Continue Reading

I seem to spend a lot of time on the road these days. I've been up and down the country, backwards and forwards, and from state to state. I've even been to the other side of the world and back. It's hard work, with lots of jet-lag and too much time away from my family. That always hurts. But I enjoy it. I like speaking. The people I meet at events and conferences tend to... Continue Reading

Last week the FTC dropped a bomb on the marketing world. They released new guidelines for the use of testimonials and endorsements in marketing. I immediately contacted my attorney, Kevin Houchin, to get his take on the latest guidelines. With Kevin's permission, I am republishing the entire text of his interpretation. It is essential that all marketers, online and offline, pay attention to this content. And understand that if you have ANY questions, you should... Continue Reading

Big changes don't usually happen overnight. There are usually a few quiet moves first -- little tweaks and adjustments that no one really notices. And then suddenly, one more little change makes a huge difference, pushes it over the tipping point and forces everyone to pay attention. 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

It's all your fault. I'm not going to beat about the bush. Nor am I going to try to save your feelings. I'm going to be brutally honest because I think direct is always the best way to go - and because you can handle it. It's all because of you. Continue Reading

There are about seven billion people on the planet. Every one of us is different. Every one of us has opinions, tastes, inclinations and preferences. And every one of us is difficult to please. If you work hard at marketing your website and your products, you'll be able to put them in front of a few thousand of those people. Work really hard and build successful products, and maybe millions will see them. 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

Have you ever asked a child what they want for Christmas? They'll tell you exactly what they want, describe it in glorious detail, even point it out to you in the store so that you don't make a mistake and come home with the wrong version. Then on Christmas morning you get to see their eyes light up as they open the wrapping. It's a thrill... until New Year's Day when the toy is lying... Continue Reading

I love it when academics launch studies of the entrepreneurial world. Sometimes, they come up with truly valuable and fascinating information. I can't think of any off-hand, but I'm sure they must do sometimes. More usually though, the buffoons claim that their observations have discovered something truly amazing and revolutionary... something that those of us who were actually doing it knew all along. While the prof. is getting another publication and a nomination for a... 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

Everyone needs a motto to live by. For some it's "do unto others as they do unto you." For others it's "get all you can while you still can." And still for others it may be "eat, drink and be merry!" I'm good with whatever works for you, but I've been settling into a motto of my own. 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

With Twitter becoming such a powerful force on the social media scene, there are those who get it and those who don't get it. There's a certain number of the "don't get it" crowd who will invariably take an outright aggressive posture and make a statement like this... "Twitter is a waste of time. Who cares what you had for breakfast?" Many on Twitter will hem and haw about the content of the question, almost... 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

In a landmark decision that will be sure to usher in a new world Internet order, a World Wide Web judge has just granted Internet marketing guru and entrepreneur Joel Comm the exclusive trademark rights to the ".com" web address suffix, placing all websites everywhere with a ".com" domain under the jurisdiction and discretion of Joel Comm. The decision came about when Joel Comm successfully sued Al Gore, who had previously laid claim to "inventing... Continue Reading

A year or so ago, I started my own book publishing program. Essentially, my goal was to provide opportunity to a select group of new authors who I felt needed greater exposure. Made Easy Publishing has accepted a handful of manuscripts and I'm pleased to announce that our newest author has just hit #1 on Amazon.com! My friend, Ewen Chia, has just released his book "How I Made My First Million on the Internet and... Continue Reading

Twitter Power is quickly moving up the charts, entering Bookscan at #45 in its first week! The first book on Twitter to receive mainstream distribution (it's at your local bookstore), my hope is that this is the big breakthrough for more businesses to understand how social media can be used to grow their business. I invite you to pick up your copy of Twitter Power at any of these fine booksellers. Barnes & Noble Amazon.com... 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

When John Wiley & Sons asked me to write the definitive guide on using Twitter for business, I knew we would have a best-seller on our hands. The pre-orders on the book are strong and the buzz is spreading without me doing any real promotion. So I've decided to do something very special to celebrate the launch of Twitter Power. On Thursday, February 19th, I will be conducting the world's first live broadcast Tweet-a-thon! The... Continue Reading

Online publishers wear all sort of different hats. They have to be marketers and managers. They have to be programmers and designers. They have to be buyers and sellers. And they often have to be dog-walkers, soccer coaches, family cooks and 9-5 day workers too. But perhaps the biggest challenge is that they have to be content creators as well. That's a very specialized job and because it's at the heart of what makes a... Continue Reading

There are two kinds of people in the world. There are people who dream. And there are people who act. Both types of people are important, and both skills are needed when you're trying to succeed. What's rare though is to find both those skills in the same person. Most of us are either brimming with ideas or overflowing with energy. We're either the type who spots opportunities or the type who spots the problems... 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

As I'm sure you read on my blog or elsewhere on the web, Facebook had suspended my account. After sending a few emails and having some friends with contacts at Facebook work on my behalf, my account has been reinstated. Here is the email I received from them... Continue Reading

I've been a fan of Facebook for a couple years. I think it's a great way to network with others and build your business. I've used the site create my own groups, build a fan page, post videos, interact with family, friends and fans, and basically enjoyed its functionality. I've always abided by their terms of service, even though thousands of people break the rules every day. I'm a credible marketer with a 15-year history... 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

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

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

'Twas the night before Christmas and all across Twitter Tweeples eyes were lit, they were all a-glitter. The tweets they were flying with speed and delight as each one made plans for that great winter's night "I'm traveling", "I'm eating", "I'm hanging with family" "I just wrapped the presents, I can say now so happily" The news it broke fast, from Mumbai - attack we all were there to say "we've got your back" And... Continue Reading

A few days ago I became the first app store developer to reveal sales-to-rank data. Some other sites have confirmed an interest in this data, such as The UnOfficial Apple Weblog. With iFart continuing its move up the charts, I want to continue sharing data with you, especially since something very interesting has happened since we broke into the top ten apps in the world. Continue Reading

Invesp Consulting has been taking nominations for their list which includes one-hundred marketers from around the world. Based on the number of votes received, they have ranked from one to one-hundred. I ended up receiving an award and coming in as #62. Thanks to all who voted for me. I didn't even know it was taking place. They even gave me a cute little badge... aw.... Click here to see entire list of winners 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

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

You never know what web 2.0 site is going to take off like crazy. Just yesterday I found a new awards site intended to highlight the best of Twitter, called The Shorty Awards. As the site says, "The Shorty Awards honor the world's top Twitterers." I have been nominated for a Shorty Award in the #business category. If I have helped you in any way, please consider seconding the nomination for me! It's easy to... Continue Reading

"Focus on what's meaningful, not what's measurable." I wish I'd said that. It wasn't me though. It was Warren Buffet, a man much smarter -- and a great deal wealthier -- than me. And not surprisingly, it's great advice and it's especially important for online marketers. The Web gives us access to all sorts of figures. Our AdSense stats tell us our clickthrough rates, our eCPMs, how our channels are doing and of course, our... Continue Reading

On September 11th, 2008, I received an email from Matt Holt at John Wiley and Sons Publishing. Matt asked me if I would write the definitive guide on Twitter for business. And he wanted me to write it FAST. As in, we have to have the manuscript in a couple months so we can release it by February of 2009. Wow, that IS fast! Continue Reading

Did you feel it? It was just a tremor, but the effects are global. In fact, I'll say this... The world just got smaller. Alright, Joel. WHAT are you talking about? 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

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

There's a reason that online publishing is profitable. It's a fantastic reason and it's one of the things that makes earning income as an online entrepreneur so enjoyable. People want to learn. They want to know how to be a better gardener, a better dad, a better soccer coach, a better entrepreneur too. Anyone who can provide that information can make some money -- and help others too. And anyone can do that. You might... Continue Reading

It's been two years in the making. Finally, Blizzard Entertainment has announced the long-awaited expansion pack to the world's most popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft. Wrath of the Lich King is set to hit stores on November 13th, and I expect it to be another huge best-seller. Some people are surprised to find out that I play computer games, but I like to work hard AND play hard. Those who know my story would know... Continue Reading

Everyone was talking about the Beijing 2008 Olympics this summer. Phelps and others stole the headlines with victory after victory. However, in the midst of this global competition, another competition was completely ignored by the mainstream media. It is now my pleasure to bring you exclusive coverage of the InfoMedia, Inc. First Annual Flying Monkey Office Olympics. The sporting world will never be the same... Continue Reading

New media may be taking over the world, but millions of people still listen to their radios everyday. I listen on my way to and from the office, usually to talk-radio. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of meeting a living legend of radio, Dan O' Day. A former disc jockey and leading radio guru, I instantly connected with Dan and invited him to come spend a day with me and my team... Continue Reading

Oh, now this is a RIOT! Sarah Palin has taken the political world by storm. Whatever you think of the woman, Conservatives are pumped-up about her being on the ticket. So check this out. Sarah Palin is now an action figure. Yes, you heard me correctly. An action figure! Continue Reading

There's nothing better than welcoming a new child into the world and your family. Being a father of two, I can tell you that the health and welfare of your children is the utmost priority. We had a bit of a scare when our daughter was born and spent the first few days of her life wondering when she would be able to come home from the hospital. It all turned out well, but some... Continue Reading

Google. Amazon.com. eBay. Yahoo! MySpace. Facebook. Everyone has heard of these Internet giants. These companies have generated billions of dollars in revenue and made their founders multi-millionaires. The mainstream media talks about them religiously. But ask yourself a question... 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

We had a great time in Glenwood Springs. From taking a Segway tour of the area and a day at the world's largest hot springs pool to downtime for rest & relaxation and a trip to a rain-covered Snowmass, my family and I enjoyed our brief vacation. I may put up some video once I get the chance. But I've had a lot of people curious about how the return train ride went on Amtrak... 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

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

What do you do if you are 38 years old and told by a doctor that you have just one year to live? That's exactly what happened to my friend Sylie Fortin. Shortly after getting married, Michel and Sylvie were face-to-face with the horrible diagnosis of breast cancer. But if you know Sylvie, you would know that this is not something she would take lying down. She pursued radical treatment and is alive two years... Continue Reading

Do you know which Internet marketer used to be a vacuum cleaner salesman? Which one was a car salesman? Who was a youth pastor in their previous vocation? What was the first spam email? Who wrote the first ebook that taught people how to make money online? These and many more questions are answered in my new book, Click Here to Order: Stories of the World's Most Successful Internet Marketing Entrepreneuers. Continue Reading

Have you ever wondered what people did BEFORE they become Internet marketers? It's pretty cool to see that the greatest success stories are people just like you and me. I will tell you this about me. I used to be a DJ. Yup, I worked in the nightclubs to begin with, but then the entrepreneur in me discovered that there was more money to be made in playing music at private events. So I started... Continue Reading

I've been frustrated lately. Here's the thing... As you know, I speak at a number of conferences. At these conferences, I teach people how to make money online and many of them purchase one of my products to help them build their online business. I know that what I teach works and that the products I offer have value. I know this because I receive testimonials from people all the time. But its the ones... Continue Reading

I need to back up a bit because I left out Sunday from my journal. On Sunday, I spoke at Chris Howard's "Ultimate Wealth Symposium" on the grounds of the Sydney Olympic Park. I had a fantastic time sharing my story with 800 or so people. I've got to say, the Aussies are a bit difficult to get moving, but I think everyone had a good time and learned a thing or two. I also... Continue Reading

Our first full day in Sydney was mostly overcast, but we enjoyed time at the Sydney Aquarium and the Wildlife World exhibit on Darling Harbour. Enjoy this video compilation of our day. 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

Several years ago, I had the privilege of meeting a gentleman who I have sinced dubbed "The nicest guy in Internet marketing." His name is Ken McArthur and he is the chief architect behind the highly successful JV Alert Live conferences. You see, Ken is incredibly successful because he continually pours himself into the lives of those around him. Whether it launching careers of other marketers or freely sharing his knowledge and expertise with anyone... Continue Reading

I am a PC user. I am also a Mac user. That's right. When it comes to computers, I enjoy the best of both worlds. In fact, I have used BOTH Apple and PC-based computers since they became available almost three decades ago! I am leaning Mac-heavy these days, but my home computer is still a PC. But when it gives up the ghost I will probably make the switch to Mac. Continue Reading

I came into the world without a goatee and mustache. Surprise, surprise. But sometime after I got married, I decided to give the goatee and mustache a try. It must have been around 1992, I believe. As it turned out, my wife really liked it. So I decided to keep it, rarely shaving it off over the years only to grow it back again. But times have changed... Continue Reading

When Mike Filsaime visited last week, he suggested that I get a the DVD documentary, "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters". It is the story of a the men who are completely dedicated to owning the world record for the highest score in the videogame, Donkey Kong. Yes, you heard me correctly. There are people who obsess about having the high score for a videogame. After all, there is an entry in the... Continue Reading

By now, you may have heard of Ewen Chia. Ewen is one of the world's most successful Internet marketers, and for very good reason. He's just released a new report called "Working from Home: Three Quick and Easy Ways to Make Money From Home on the Internet." It's worth a download and I believe Ewen has some additional tools available for those who download the report. Working from Home report Continue Reading

He is known as America's Personal Trainer... He is world famous for his late-night infomercials... He has sold over $3 BILLION dollars in products... His name is Tony Little, and he was my special guest on Joel Comm LIVE! Check out this fun replay of my time with Tony. :-) Continue Reading

On January 30, 2005, website owners all over the world rushed to pick up a copy of Google AdSense Secrets. It was the first edition of the ebook that has now become the definitive guide to making money with AdSense. That summer, I released a second updated version of AdSense Secrets. In March 2006, the much-demanded third edition hit the virtual newstand. Checking in at 199 pages, it is the bible of the industry and... Continue Reading

I recently had the privilege of spending time with Mike Filsaime. The guy is one of the most brilliant marketers in the world, and he told me how he is "moving the free line"... again! Mike knows viral marketing unlike anyone else and he understands the power of providing free high quality information to people. He also understands the power of branding the reports and allowing others to give them away for you. Continue Reading

Be careful... If you don't add the right amount of each ingredient, you could ruin the entire meal. Easy now... If you mix those chemicals incorrectly, it could be explosive. Watch it... If the calculations aren't perfect, the shuttle may never make it off the launching pad. Many things in life demand precision. There are some absolutes that do not allow for the least bit of give. One wrong step and the greatest ideas can... Continue Reading

I've got a pretty colorful past. I got my first job when I was fourteen-years old, working behind the counter of a fast-food restaurant at Northbrook Court shopping mall in Northbrook, Illinois. After all, I needed to save up money to buy a TRS-80 Model I computer from Radio Shack! Once I acquired my driver's license, I worked in the health & beauty department at Venture. Yes, I was a stockboy. At the age of... Continue Reading

Just got a fun email from the Google AdSense team. They have printed up a batch of AdSense stickers and are offering them for free. All you need to do is send a self-addressed stamped envelope to them and they will drop a sticker or two in it for you. AdSense has been good to me, so I'll probably find a good place to put my sticker. Would it be sacrilege to deface my Macbook... Continue Reading

I try to be very transparent about the ways I make money on the web. It's really no secret and I've nothing to lose by sharing this information with you. I don't like to hold back as that doesn't contribute to your success at all. So I'm about to reveal one of my biggest secrets for profiting online. Ok, it's really more along the lines of "incredibly obvious", but I'm amazed at how many people... 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

If you saw The Next Internet Millionaire, you will remember our third runner-up, Thor Schrock. Thor is an impressive guy with a natural ability to speak and a strong desire to succeed. He is very creative and he's about to demonstrate that creativity to the world. Thor is taking on the task of creating his own reality show, The Top Affiliate Challenge. Unlike my show, Thor is seeking to broadcast his show much closer to... Continue Reading

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

I've been wanting to meet Jason Calacanis face-to-face for some time. For those that don't know, Jason is the co-creator of Weblogs, Inc., which was sold to AOL for $25 million. I'm at Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas where Jason Calacanis delivered the keynote address this morning. I really didn't know anything about Jason as a person, so I was looking forward to an insightful talk with fresh ideas. Wow, was I in for a... Continue Reading

What are people talking about when they talk about RSS feeds? Let me make it simple. In fact, let me make it REAL simple. RSS stands for "really simple syndication". Basically, it is a format for distributing and gathering content from various sources across the web. This can include newspapers, magazines and ablogs. Using something called a "news reader", you can monitor headlines and summaries from many of your favorite sources without having to go... Continue Reading

Admit it. You are passionate. Oh, I don't know what you are passionate about. But I guarantee that you are passionate about SOMETHING! You may be crazy about parakeets. Or perhaps you know more about bonzai trees than anyone on the block. Maybe you are one of the world's leading experts on Mt. Everest. Or it could be that you make the best french silk pie in the hemisphere! The point is that everyone is... 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

World of Warcraft has now occupied a part of my life for three years. No, I am not one of those people that plays hours each day, let alone every day. But I do enjoy the game and am eagerly anticipating the next expansion set titled "Wrath of the Lich King". Apparantly I am not alone. There are now over 9,000,000 people around the world who play World of Warcraft. Continue Reading

I'm a big fan of Amazon.com. I spend far too much money there but they also give me a fair bit of money too through book sales and affiliate links. I think they've done a fantastic job of selling products online and helping website publishers earn from their content. They might be the Walmart of Internet retailing, but they're definitely not the Apple of whiz-bang gadgetry. Their new Kindle book-reading machine is a great idea... Continue Reading

My mother, the world traveler, recently spent time in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Today, she sent me this amazing video. For $18, you can visit a studio and they will transform you into a Khmer princess or Aspara dancer. Before you watch this, you have to understand that my mother is 67 years old. Yes, she is a young 67, but she's still 67. Watch this video to the end and be amazed at the transformation! Continue Reading

I'm glad I broke it. I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't broken it. No, I'm not talking about a vase I won in a church raffle. And I certainly don't mean the world 100 meter sprint record. I didn't break a nail, though I could probably use a good manicure. And I didn't break a vow of silence. I'd have to be silent for more than ten minutes for that to take place... 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

Blogging is a huge opportunity... and a lot of people are missing out. They're missing out for one reason. They don't believe they can write. They might have slept through their English classes at school. They don't know what a semi-colon is for. And since entering the workforce, they might never have had to write anything longer than a grocery list. And now I'm telling them that they can make their living -- and more... 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

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

I'm a huge fan of developing online communities for revenue generation. The wonderful thing about community sites is that the members create the content for you. However, it can sometimes be tricky to kickstart your forums in order to get people posting. If you launch forums and people visit only to find that there is no activity, odds are they aren't going to register, post or return. This is the primary reason most forums don't... Continue Reading

Twitter this. Twitter that. Twitter, twitter, twitter. I must confess. I'm still not sure what the point is of Twitter. Basically, Twitter allows you to tell the world what you are doing at any given moment, embed a clever little widget on your site so they can keep up with you, and you in turn can see what they are doing. I'm not sure I get it. Nevertheless, apparantly millions of people do get it... Continue Reading

The day has arrived! I don't think there has ever been such excitement over one of my product launches, and I am excited to say that the excitement really has nothing to do with me! Instead, this product is all about YOU, and the opportunity you now have to receive the Internet marketing education that can last a lifetime. The Secret Classroom It's not an ebook that overpromises and underdelivers. It's not a software tool... Continue Reading

You've heard this phrase a thousand times. "It's not what you know, it's WHO you know." Do you believe it? It's true! At the age of 17 I got a dream job at the local computer and video store... ... because I knew the owner. At the age of 20 I got a summer job at an advertising agency and learned a ton... ... because my mother worked there. At the age of 24 I... Continue Reading

It's a sad moment, but it was easy to see coming. Google has now officially killed off site targeting. The function that allows advertisers to choose to advertise directly on your Web pages still exists. But now it's called "placement targeting." There are two differences. Continue Reading

A few months ago I wrote an article discussing why I dislike network marketing. One of the main reasons is because many organizations suggest that you recruit your family and friends to join you in your quest to get rich. Bah. I just don't like that. BUT, as I mentioned on my blog, the Internet now affords an opportunity to get involved in network marketing without having to sell to your "warm" market. 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

The finale of "The Next Internet Millionaire" reality show is now online... ... and we have a winner! Charles Trippy and Jaime Luchuck are the two finalists in the world's first competitive Internet reality show, vying for a $25,000 cash prize and the title "The Next Internet Millionaire." Who won? Continue Reading

When I was at Blogworld last week, I came upon the booth of a company called "Entrecard." Their display caught my attention and I introduced myself to the CEO, Graham Langdom. To my surprise, Graham is also the creator of The Million Dollar Wiki. The reason I was surprised is that I had become familiar with that site the week before and had purchased a few pages on the site! Anyhow, knowing how innovative Graham... Continue Reading

Hey Are you sitting down? I hope so. It would be strange to check your email standing up. The reason I ask is because what I am about to show you is going to absolutely blow you away! How would you like to receive of $10,000 worth of bonuses for the price of one absolutely incredible book? Seriously. Continue Reading

What if I told you could pick the brain of a former Google employee for $100. Would you seize the opportunity? Frankly, I can't imagine anyone with even the slightest curiousity not taking advantage of that offer. What if I told you that this person was on the original Google AdWords team? I don't know about you, but I'd pay over $1000 to hear what this person has to say! Well, I've got some bad... Continue Reading

What motivates people to buy? Is it true that there are "triggers" that cause people to take action? What are the secrets that the gurus know that can multiply your bottom line? I am really thrilled to share this with you today, because it has the answers you need... ... and it was created by Jordan Hall and Laura Martin! Continue Reading

The blogging world is cursing the big "G" and scratching their heads as their Google pagerank has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Not unlike a stock market tumble, this change caught everyone off guard and has left many bloggers and content-based sites wondering what they did wrong. The pagerank algorithm has been a supposed indicator of the authority and value that Google has placed on a web page. On a scale of zero... Continue Reading

I'm not a big sports fan. I used to watch a lot of baseball when I was a kid. And I watched a good bit of football in college. But as an adult, I just haven't made much time for sports. Continue Reading

Episode 6 of "The Next Internet Millionaire" is now online... ... and in this episode, tensions are rising as the seven remaining contestants battle it out in a challenging immunity task and a team challenge that tests their sales ability. Special guest teacher Brad Fallon instructs the contestants on principles of business and ecommerce, and someone gets a special night on the town courtesy of Brad! Continue Reading

Are you an entrepreneur? From Dictionary.com, an entrepreneur is "a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk." Considerable initiative and risk. Because of this, entrepreneurs expect to win some and lose some. But one thing an entrepreneur will never do is stop trying. Continue Reading

It's one thing to have consenting adults eat worms on a reality show. It's a totally different story when children are being exploited for entertainment. And that is exactly what is taking place with Kid Nation, CBS television's much-hyped reality show. Continue Reading

I know I am opening myself up to criticism for this post, but it's been on my mind and I really just want to put it out there. I dislike the way multi-level marketing has been done by many companies. I don't dislike multi-level marketers, mind you (well, most of them anyway). I just think that business model has proven destructive to many individuals and families. Continue Reading

What do poker, real estate and product launches have in common? Find out in episode 3 of "The Next Internet Millionaire", now available online! Last week found Laura and Steve joining Carly and Debbie in the"sandbox." This week, all four sandboxed contestants will have an opportunity to get back in the game. Will they succeed or fail? 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

Episode Two of The Next Internet Millionaire is now live! Watch now Highlights from Episode 2 include... ... Joshua Sloan from 1&1 Internet ... Armand Morin speaking on the importance of branding your business ... Cast members sharing their REAL feelings about each other 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

1990 - Tim Berners-Lee creates the World Wide Web 1993 - The Mosaic web browser is released... The Internet is on the rise 2000 - Survivor is on television and the reality tv crave begins 2002 - American Idol hits the airwaves and reality programming numbers surge 2005 - YouTube launches and eventually is purchased by Google for $1.65 Billion and now... Continue Reading

Did you miss it? A couple weeks ago, I did an exclusive webinar with one of the world's most traveled women. She is a grandmother who has been in almost every country and knows how to travel on a budget. She has camped at the base of Mt. Everest, rode camels through the desert, interacted with the gorillas of Africa and gotten lost in Siberia. Continue Reading

It's history in the making... ... and you will be able to say that you were there! For several months, I have told you I was very serious about producing the world's first competitive Internet reality show. Sure, there were those who questioned what this would actually be. Continue Reading

This is big. No, seriously. This is REAL Big! I am on the set of The Next Internet Millionaire, where I am currently in between scenes... thought it would be a great opportunity to tell you what's going on. Well, as much as I CAN tell you :-) Continue Reading

There are lots of things to enjoy as an online publisher. There's the thrill of creating content. The pleasure of meeting friends at conferences. The sheer freedom of being your own boss and setting your own schedule. And then there's publicity. That's a whole other world of fun. Not every online publisher uses publicity to drive traffic to their website. Some think it's a bit like a lottery. You'll send out hundreds of press releases... Continue Reading

Tag me once, tag me twice. What the heck. Both Rosalind Gardner and Kris Jones 'tagged' me to create this blog entry. Here goes... 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

It was fall of 2005. I was in Charlotte, North Carolina, preparing for my very first public speaking engagement. I would be speaking before an audience of 25 people who had paid to hear me and a handful of other Internet marketers share how we make our millions online. It was at this time that I had begun preparing the manuscript for my first traditionally published book. But I was lacking a title for the... Continue Reading

Running your own business and making money online is fun. But if you don't stop to enjoy the blessings that come from having financial freedom... well, what's the point? I've spent the better part of this year setting up shop in Colorado, creating new materials to help you make money, traveling and speaking at seminars, and preparing to shoot the world's first Internet marketing reality show. Let's face. I've been busy! And now I am... Continue Reading

Let's run down the basic flowchart and checklist for creating a money-making website. 1) Do you have a website? If so, go to #2. If not, you need to start right there. The fastest way to get started is with my training, tutorials and templates. Joel's System 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

I can't take it any longer. I've seen a few trends taking place in Internet marketing lately, and I don't think they are right. It's time to take off the gloves because I've got something to say. I'm throwing caution to the wind because I think someone has got to stand up and speak the truth. If I take heat for it, so be it. Here goes... Continue Reading

Brad Fallon's new project, FreeIQ.com, is taking off very fast. Thousands of people have registered for this site which I think is like YouTube, only with the opportunity for anyone to earn money! I have just finished preparing the world's first FreeIQ ebook... ... and I want to give it to your for free! Continue Reading

One of the things that I love most about attending seminars is hearing people's stories. Everyone has their own reason for wanting to set up an online business. For some, it's the pull of being their own boss and working on their own terms. For others, it's the push of a job they can't bear and a lifestyle they want to change. For a few people though, it's not much of a choice. They might... Continue Reading

OK... We all know most people are concerned about hackers and the safety of shopping online. And we all know that trust seals can help. But is there a best seal program to address this problem? Are there any real, proven benefits of one over the other? HACKER SAFE is proven to be the most effective trust seal... Ever! Think about it for one minute... * Used by over 75,000 websites * Seen on over... Continue Reading

Survivor. The Apprentice. American Idol. We are drawn to reality television like a moth to the flame. We watch... and we watch some more, intrigued by the characters, the challenges and the inevitable prizes. Let's face it. Secretly, many of us wish that we could be a contestant on one of these shows. Now imagine this... Continue Reading

Writer's block. Like the cement barricade at the end of an unfinished highway, the writer's block stands before me... mocking me... challenging me... It happens to everyone, but I sure didn't expect it to hit today. Because content creation is such a critical part of making money with your blog, writer's block can be the site owner's worst nightmare. What do I write about today?!?! Here's how I handle writer's block. Continue Reading

I'm sitting at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, awaiting my return flight to Colorado. After living on the front range for nearly three months, I already find myself missing the beautiful mountains and am eager to get home. I wanted to send this newsletter today because I have just spent the last few days at Big Seminar #9, where I had the privilege of speaking to four hundred attendees and teaching how anyone can make... Continue Reading

The day has arrived! For the past few months, I have been hard at work at a project that I am very excited about. I told you that I would be doing something that has never been done before in the Internet marketing world. In fact, it is revolutionary for the Internet in general! Attendees to Armand Morin's Big Seminar have just seen the world premier of this ambitious project... ... and now it's your... Continue Reading

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

What happens when the family dog takes ill? Only a World of Warcraft alchemist can save the day! Check out this short film Zach and I put together in one day. I know, it LOOKS like it was thrown together in a day, but I still enjoyed making it. I hope you enjoy it too. :-) Continue Reading

I like to think I've come a long way. It didn't happen overnight and it didn't come easily. But there's a world of difference between where I am now and where I was when I put up my first website. For one thing, I've now got more than one website. For another, I have a lot of speaking appointments, a small staff to help me and I've written a lot of books that -- best... 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

Easter morning. New beginnings. A reminder that although the world seems somewhat messy, there is hope. I must confess. I enjoy marshmallow peeps, coloring easter eggs and baskets filled with goodies. But the Western world's twist on Easter is not what it is really about any more than Santa Claus has anything to do with Christmas. No, Easter means much more. 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

Last week, I wrote how my World of Warcraft account was compromised over a wireless network while at a hotel in Washington, D.C. My entire account was emptied of my hard-earned gold and loot. I was left without anything. I wrote to the support team at Blizzard with complete details of my account and what had happened. They wrote me back telling me that my case would be escalated to the investigation team, and that... Continue Reading

Where in the world are you? I thought it would be cool for people to check in and share their location on this planet we share. Maybe even tell us what you like the most about where you live. I recently arrived home from Washington, D.C. where I attended an internet marketing seminar. While I as there, I got to spend some time with Tom Kulzer of Aweber.com. For those that don't know, Aweber is... Continue Reading

Everything has changed. I remember when I first discovered computers. I was in high school when Radio Shack came out with their TRS-80 Model I personal computer. I remember going to the store and staring at it... ogling it... feeling the power of its keyboard... Hey, I guess I just wasn't into girls yet. That time came along eventually as well. ;-) Oh, those were the days. Continue Reading

I am currently in the Nation's Capitol for an Internet marketing conference and I am the victim of a crime, even a felony. It happened while I slept. I was robbed and left for naked... and didn't even know it until late in the afternoon. Amazingly, there isn't a bruise on my body. Nor have I lost any material possessions. So what happened? Read on... 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

Vince Lombardi once said, "A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." Take inventory of yourself... Are you where you want to be? If not, why not? Continue Reading

I love it when people add comments to my posts. Sure, I write a blog to share my information and tips... and to tell the world what I think sometimes too. But it helps to know that someone out there is actually reading what I'm saying. It helps even more to see what they think about what I'm saying! But comments at the end of articles aren't just a nice boost for the writer of... Continue Reading

Buzz! No, you didn't get the answer wrong. In fact, that would be impossible since I haven't even asked a question yet. I'm talking about a different kind of buzz. I'm talking about the kind of buzz that has generated over 1500 comments on one blog in just one week. I'm talking about the kind of buzz that indicates something BIG is about to happen. Here's the buzz... and the big news... Continue Reading

Let's play a game. Take the following quiz by filling in the blanks... 1) A _______ in the hand is worth two in the bush. 2) A rolling stone gathers no _____. 3) A penny _______ is a penny earned. 4) A stitch in time saves ______. 5) Without ________, you can't make any money with your website. Continue Reading

Important. Urgent. Critical. Essential. Crucial. There are so many words I can use to describe how imperative it is that you read today's email, and listen to what I have to say... REALLY listen, because this comes from the heart. Continue Reading

Do you remember the television commercial for a hair shampoo where the key concept was viral marketing? The phrase in the commercial went... "They'll tell two friends... and they'll tell two friends... and so on, and so on..." Yes, it was a very clear example of viral marketing. And whether we are talking about shampoo, automobiles, candy bars or web sites, viral marketing still works! If you were able to take your next visitor and... Continue Reading

There are over 29 Billion web pages in the world. There are over 108 Million web sites in the world. There are over 85,000 Squidoo sites in the world. And mine is now #3... ...in the world! Continue Reading

Saturday morning ramblings. I know, it might be Saturday afternoon or Sunday... or even Monday, when you receive this. Nevertheless, it's Saturday morning as a write. So there. :-P Here come the ramblings, kind of a stew from me to you :-) Continue Reading

I've got a room with a view! My family and my office staff are finally settling in to our new home in Colorado, and it is stunningly beautiful. Every morning I awake to a new view of the mountains and every evening the sun sets behind them. This isn't heaven, but it will do for now. :-) I've put a webcam in my office, so you can see just a small portion of what I... Continue Reading

Take a look at some of the most famous web site brands online today. Imagine that it is 1994 and the World Wide Web is a new novelty. What would you name a store that would sell books at discount prices? How about Amazon.com What would you name a site that would become the world's largest garage sale. How about Ebay? What would you call a site that would become a premier portal to the... Continue Reading

It's Sunday and I'm getting ready to head to church with my family... so I'll be brief. In fact, I usually don't mail on Sundays, but it is to your benefit that I do so today. I'm going to let you in on a little secret that can put cash in your pocket today. Continue Reading

I love checking my server stats. It always turns up a ton of great information. Sure, I can see how much traffic I’ve received, where my users are in the world and, more importantly, how they reached my site -- and all of that information is hugely valuable. But mixed into all that data is often a bunch of details that just have me scratching my head. Like the search terms that have brought people... Continue Reading

It was a moment in time... ... and it went by in a flash. Did you miss it? Don't feel bad. Thousands of people did. Three months ago, I leveled the playing field as much as it could possibly have been leveled. On October 10th, the Instant AdSense Templates VRE Building System hit the web with a fury, and became one of the most-talked-about and valuable products of the year! On October 15th, the product... Continue Reading

Happy New Year! I'm very excited about what this year is going to bring, and from the comments on my blog, many of you are as well! I'll be announcing the winner of my contest tomorrow... Many have indicated that they are going to get serious about building their business online in 2007. Yet, a fair number are without direction. Let's face it. Without a compass, it can get awfully tricky to find your way... Continue Reading

Yesterday, we went to church for Christmas Eve service. And the pastor put a twist on the message that I hadn't really considered before. He asked "How many of you believe that Jesus is the reason for the season?" Hands went up throughout the sanctuary. And then the room when silent when he said, "Jesus is NOT the reason for the season!" Continue Reading

Deck the Halls with boughs of holly... Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way... Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul... You'd better not pout, you'd better not cry... You get the idea! Christmas is coming! And you can spice up your AdSense blocks with a little holiday cheer using their "themed ads". Want to know how? Continue Reading

If you haven't heard of MySpace by now, chances are you have been living in the outermost reaches of Siberia. And if you don't have a MySpace page of your own, you probably will soon. Yes, even I have a MySpace page. Anyhow, if you are wanting to know how to master the ins and outs of MySpace, here's a handy online guide to help you along. MySpace Revealed Continue Reading

The information age really does move at the speed of light. Technology is advancing faster than we ever conceived possible. I've been online for 26 years now. In 1980, I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. This machine had 4K of RAM (not 4MB... 4K) and a cassette player that was used as a storage device. There wasn't even a floppy disc drive! I owned a 300 baud modem that I used to dial into... Continue Reading

I’m always going on about the importance of great content. I don’t apologize for that. You can have ad units that are perfectly optimized, blended completely into your site and packed with high-paying ads. But if your content’s garbage, no one’s going to click on them because no one’s going to come to your site. I meet so many people who dream of getting rich with AdSense but never give a thought for building a... Continue Reading

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

Rich Schefren has just announced the release of The Final Chapter of his report that has taken the Internet marketing world by storm. I have posted this brief video to tell you more. The Final Chapter You need to go download this free report first chance you get! Rich Schefren's Report - The Final Chapter. Continue Reading

We live in a reciprocal Universe. All of us are trained at a very young age to take. Hopefully, we are also trained to give. Give and take. Someone asks you how you are doing... ... and you ask them how they are doing. Someone gives you a gift... ... and you are more likely to give them a gift in the future. Give and take. That's the way the Universe operates. Continue Reading

I've been looking back at what's been happening in the world of AdSense over the last ten months or so... and I've been amazed at what I've found. I was able to count at least fifteen innovations that could affect the way publishers earn through AdSense. Some of those changes, such as larger image ads, are relatively minor. Others, such as video ads and multiple channels for ad units, have the potential to radically change... Continue Reading

Hardly a week goes by that you don't hear about the newest/latest/greatest/world's-best-thing-since-sliced-bread ebook, software or member site. I confess, I do like to share quality products and services with my readers, but there are many that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Why not? Because they aren't in your best interests. Yes, there is money to be made in selling "stuff". And while I have no problem with earning commissions, my reputation is... Continue Reading

I've had a BUNCH of people ask me if Brad Fallon and Andy Jenkins' product, StomperNet, is a bunch of hype... or if these guys and their product is the 'real deal'. I've known Brad Fallon for six years. He and I have shared many meals and spoken at length about what he does... and what he knows. I can say without a DOUBT, that Brad is THE leading expert on search engine optimization on... Continue Reading

I'm blogging from my office PC... only I'm not in my office. I am, in fact, in the American Airlines Admirals Club at D/FW International Airport, awaiting my flight to Oklahoma City. With GoToMyPC, I can login to my office PC from any PC in the world. It's pretty cool stuff! And I must say, the Admirals Club is awfully nice. I'm on a one-time visit pass and am not sure it's worth the annual... Continue Reading

Today is a day of reflection. I can't believe it has been five years since Islamo-fascist terrorists barbarically hijacked airplanes and flew them into the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. Time really does pass by in an instant. As we remember the destruction wrought by evil people, lets take time to remember the lives that were lost and the impact that it has had on so many other people. I'm sure that the trauma... Continue Reading

I am writing this entry from Heathrow Airport in London. I've been here with my family since August 30th and we're ready to be back on American soil. As of now, our flight is delayed and I'm afraid we'll be sitting for a few more hours. I've been unplugged for all but one hour while on vacation (holiday, as they call it here). It has been refreshing to get away from the computer. But, like... Continue Reading

I met Eric Rockefeller this past summer at an Internet marketing summer. This young guy was full of energy and questions. He was catching the vision of what is possible on the Internet, and he began telling me that he was working on his own product. Well, it's happened. Actually, it launches TODAY. The List Monster Eric has succeeded in putting together an incredible series of interviews with some of the world's very best list... 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

I've added something new to my blog today, and it gives me an international flair. See the flags of the world above this post? You can click one of them and the page will be translated into another language! In fact, there are eight languages in all, including Italian, German, Spanish, French, Chinese, Portugese, Japanese and Korean. And this same code is available to anyone who wants to have their pages translated as well. Continue Reading

My good friend Lee Dodd, who I feel is the king of online forums has recently rocked the forum world with the creation of Earners Forum. Watching the growth over the past 2 weeks has been an amazing experience, seeing the forum go from nothing to more than 1,000 members and 15,000 posts. Continue Reading

I was at the Big Seminar in Los Angeles last year when Rich Schefren got up to speak. He began talking about the way most people do business online. I was listening with half an ear. Then he started talking about all the hats the online entrepeneur wears at the same time. I was all ears. Continue Reading

With all negative political discourse taking place between our leading parties... With all the bad news regularly reported in print and TV media... With all the whining and moaning about the economy... America is still the best country in the world! God bless America on this, our 230th birthday. :-) Continue Reading

After the huge success of 500Words.com, niche word sites are starting to pop up on the web. Here are just a few of the ones you might want to look at grabbing a word on... 300 Jobs for Moms - This is a great one for work-at-home moms who have job opportunities to share. Why not grab a word and link it to your opportunity? 500 Top Blogs - If you are a blogger, this... Continue Reading

On the road again... Just can't wait to be on the road again... ... that is as long as I am either on vacation with my family or traveling to a seminar! And that's what I am doing tomorrow... heading to Philadelphia for Ken McArthur's JV Alert Live seminar, where I will be joining other speakers and attendees for three days of intense learning, brainstorming and networking. I absolutely love going to seminars. Want to... Continue Reading

I'd love to visit Japan one day, and now I might have the perfect excuse! Just a few days ago, the 3rd edition of "What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense" was released in the Japanese language. If you understand Japanese, you can check it out at AdSense-Secrets.jp Continue Reading

This optical illusion was just passed along to me by Jay. Very cool Castle Illusion Continue Reading

First you are born. Then you go to school. Year upon year upon year of the best public education your tax dollars can buy. After twelve years, you hit a fork in the road with a choice to make... Do I get a job or go to college? For many, the decision to go to college seems clear cut. After all, we're told that you need a college degree to get a good job in... 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 met Scott Hildenbrand in the WorldVillage chat room in 1996... that's an eternity in Internet time. I got to know him and found out that he was a talented young programmer with an affinity for basset hounds. Scott has since done a great deal of work for me and I am proud to have him on my team. He has launched his own site with some very interesting content. Scott discusses a variety of... 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

The other nght, several Internet marketers departed from the conference room at the Hawthorn Suites in Orlando to enjoy each other's company away from the seminar setting. Destination? Universal Studios CityWalk... Continue Reading

So, I am at this conference in Orlando and Paulie Sabol says, "Joel, you have the most recognizable face on the Internet". He is referring to the fact that my face appears as an avatar on Yahoo! Games. Recognize this guy? I'm pretty amused at the thought. I know that Brad Fallon is the coolest guy in the world (go ahead, Google the term "coolest guy in the world", but I hadn't heard of anyone... Continue Reading

I feel a rant coming on. Yes, it is time for "Joel's pet peeve". So what's my beef today? It's fast food restaurants that treat you like a second class citizen if you request water instead of a soft drink by giving you a special cup for your water. And this cup is different than the regular soft drink cup. It's always smaller than the smallest soft drink size. Continue Reading

I don't travel nearly as much as I would like to. There's just something about visiting foreign lands and new places that is exciting! My mother is the world traveler in the family. Her adventure travel web site is rapidly becoming an incredible resource for those interested in planning their own exotic vacation, as well as those who just enjoy a good travelogue. Continue Reading

I used to blog about current events all the time. But lately, I've been writing far more about Internet marketing and my travels. Why? It isn't for shortage of material. On the contrary, popular culture and politicians provide a plethora of opportunities for sharing a more rational point-of-view My reasons for avoiding current events are far simpler these days. Continue Reading

When I look at the Internet marketing landscape, I often see a vast wasteland of "me too" products and services. It seems many people are simply trying to capitalize on someone else's success. However, every now and then I see an ORIGINAL product come along... and I am excited to share it with you! Today I want to tell you about ZipSense, the world's first ZBook! Continue Reading

Friday, May 5th, was my 42nd birthday. So I decided that I would throw a virtual birthday party and invite some of my readers to join me! I scheduled a teleseminar and began thinking of who I wanted to interview as a special guest for my birthday. Now, I could have called up one of my Internet marketing buddies, but I decided to invite an "unknown" to join me for the call. Continue Reading

Lara Croft is back. And this time she means business. Back in the late nineties, Lara Croft came on the scene in the game Tomb Raider. A female "Indiana Jones"-style character, Lara spelunked tombs in ancient ruins of Rome, Mexico, Egypt and Atlantis, fighting off creatures and bad guys while on the hunt for priceless artifacts and treasure. Rather than just shooting to kill stuff, Tomb Raider challenged the player mentally with a series of... Continue Reading

Got a question? I've got an answer. I'm not promising the RIGHT answer. But I do have an answer. If you ask me who won the World Series in 1978, I'd have to do a little research. But if you ask me a question about the best affiliate programs online, I could tell you off the top of my head. That's why I have launched AskJoelComm.com Continue Reading

Chris Bliss has rocked the online world with one of the coolest videos I've ever seen. If you are a fun of the Beatles or juggling (huh?), you will really appreciate this four-minute video that can be found on Google video. Click here for the Amazing Juggling Finale featuring Chris Bliss. You will say "cool" Continue Reading

There are so many ways to promote business online. Adsense is a focus for me, because it has been so lucrative, and because there are so many businesses building their brand through the Adwords program. What's very interesting is that there are entire worlds of promotion outside of the Adwords Pay Per Click model. "Sponsorship" type programs are one example, which can bring traffic to not only your web site, but to your brand, through... Continue Reading

I did it. I bit the PSP bullet and forked over my cash to Sony. I've been playing video games and computer games ever since there was such a beast. I remember when Pong first arrived on the scene. I owned a Fairchild Channel One video game system (the failed precursor to the Atari home video game system that sold millions of units). I've owned Nintendos, Playstations, XBox's and who knows what else. It was... Continue Reading

A few months back, I started a blogging network that would allow beginners to get started with blogging and allow them to earn some AdSense cash for their efforts. The WorldVillage Blogger Network is really starting to take off and I am pleased to announce that we are accepting more new applications to join this fast-growing network. Continue Reading

With over 65,000,000 members, Rupert Murdoch's My Space is a juggernaut in the online world. Sure, it is largely a wasteland of 18 to 22 year olds trying to "hook up" with each other. But I can see where the networking tools of the site can be used for those who aren't just looking for a "date". Continue Reading

I can't tell you how many times people have walked up to me at Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar and said, "You're Joel Comm!" Usually, I get a dumbfounded look on my face, look down at my badge to confirm their suspicions, smile, and look back up them... saying, "why, yes I am!" It's an incredilby humbling experience, actually, because I'm the same guy that I was before anyone thought of me as the AdSense guru... Continue Reading

Spore is Will Wright's latest computer game, and it is set to revolutionize the PC gaming world. Creator of Sim City and The Sims, Spore is unlike anything else you have ever experienced in computer gaming. Due out in 2007, Spore will offer an open-ended gameplay style that will appeal to a wide variety of gamers. Continue Reading

I was thirteen years old when Star Wars hit the big screen. I instantly fell in love with George Lucas' galaxy far far away and long ago. Barely redeemed with Episode III of the series, Star Wars buffs worldwide were saddened knowing that this was indeed the end. But is it really? 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 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

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

Courageous people take courageous action. I applaud South Dakota for being the first state to stand up for women and the unborn in the battle to put an end to the culture of death. I have no doubt that the history books in the future will reference two points when discussing abortion in America. Continue Reading

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

Ok, so Dick Cheney accidently shot a guy. The mainstream media has had a grand old time focusing on absolutely nothing. I figured by this weekend it would be over. Not so. Continue Reading

What are people searching for? The Google Zeitgeist knows all. The Zeitgeist examines all searches made through Google and examines patterns, trends, and surprises. You can check the site regularly to see the most popular searches aroundt the world. Continue Reading

We' ve all seen the commercials of orphaned children on late night television. The images tear at our hearts, but it is so easy for us to turn a blind eye to their plight. Ken Surritte is a great friend of mine. Not only is he a great guy, but he also has an extremely compassionate heart for people who are in need. Continue Reading

It's been a fascinating weekend. I've been hanging out at Harlan Kilsteins Copywriting Workshop and have met some fascinating people. I presented advanced Google AdSense strategies to the group today and was excited to see the light bulbs go on over so many heads. I am pleased that a select few have decided to join my AdSense Apprentice program, and excited that they will be jioning me on a series of telecourses scheduled to take... Continue Reading

I'm in San Francisco, which is over 1000 miles from home. I'm attending Harlan Kilstein's Six-Figure Copywriting conference (which I am scheduled to speak at tomorrow and Sunday). The conference is taking place at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Hotel. I had a serendipitous event take place around 10 am. Continue Reading

It's hard to think about San Francisco without hearing Steve Perry of Journey singing the seveties hit, "Lights". You know, "When the lights go down in the city... and the sun shines on the ba-ay" 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've gone the majority of the year without a compelling computer game to buy. Of course, I purchased World of Warcraft in 2004, so that doesn't count. But things have taken a turn for the better this past month. Look at what is now in my PC gaming queue. Continue Reading

"Bush is stupid" is always a great way to start a conversation. Seriously... bold, definitive statements are the doorway from which we can expand our knowledge base and increase in wisdom. Continue Reading

A couple weeks ago at Big Seminar, I told you that I had the opportunity to meet world-class copywriter, Michel Fortin, along with his lovely fiancee, Sylvie Charrier. What I didn't tell you at the time was the news of a new contextual advertising tool that Michel revealed to me and other attendees. I didn't want to discuss it before it became available, but the day has arrived! Continue Reading

The Firebox browser has come out of nowhere to give Microsoft's Internet Explorer a run for their money this past year. Now, Firefox has Google on their side. The browser is superior to IE in every way and I recommend that you download and install a copy now. Your web surfing will be more secure. Your machine will crash and lock up less. And you will be a happier person. :-) Click the button below... 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

I am currently in Los Angeles attending Armand Morin's Big Seminar, an Internet marketing conference unlike any I have previously attended. This is Armand's sixth conference of this nature (he does them bi-annually) and you can tell that he really loves what he does. There are over 400 people here and the atmosphere is absolutely electric. It is a top-notch, classy operation. From the hotel to the speakers to the food and everything in between... Continue Reading

If the radical Islamofascist plan for the world is not evident now to everybody, it will never be. The President of Iran has called for Israel to be "wiped off the face of the map". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made comments on Friday during an anti-Israeli rally. 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

Did you know that just about anyone can make money online? With knowledge, discipline and persistence, the Internet can be a pot of gold for anyone willing to pursue their dream. Let's face it. Even though the world wide web is about ten years old, it is still in its infancy. And it is NOT too late to claim your piece of the Internet pie. Continue Reading

This cold is really the pits. I am megadosing on vitamin C and other stuff. Cough cough, sneeze sneeze. Blech. I remember being sick when I was a kid, glad that I got a day off of school. But times have changed. Having a cold now has absolutely no side benefits. And so, I blog. And I test some new ideas for linking. What else is there to do? Continue Reading

One of my best friends in the whole world is Mark Jones. I met Mark and his wife Rebecca when attending Trtinity Bible Church in Richardson, Texas. Mark was the worship pastor and we just gravitated towards each other. He and his family are the definition of kind and trustworthy. I love him like a brother and would do absolutely anything for him. *Though he did NOT ask me to do this...) Continue Reading

My primary website, WorldVillage.com, turned ten years old this year. Wow, it's gone by fast. Starting today, I am announcing the WorldVillage Blogger Network, a new portion of WorldVillage that allows bloggers to write articles for WorldVillage and share in the revenue that their article pages earn! Anyone can apply to write for any category within the range of topics available. Major categories include Home, Health, Arts, Business, Sports, Recreation, Computers, Science and Society. Within... Continue Reading

I've been playing around with a few automated page generator programs to see what they are capable of. These programs allow you to build an entire web site based on keywords. For example, Help Desk, Wifi World and Enterprise Portals were built using Cash Page Builder. Essentially, the software finds similar keywords and proceeds to build many pages containing news feeds and products related to the keyword. It's not a great way to build a... Continue Reading

Yesterday, I received a press release announcing a new book that my readers might find of interest. The book is called "Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed" by Katharine DeBrecht. Being a solid conservative, I got a laugh out of the title and had to read on to find out what the book is all about. Since I haven't read the book myself yet (but have ordered it), I will just post this... Continue Reading

World of Warcraft may be the most popular MMORPG ever. Over 3.5 million people are now playing worldwide. Tons of fan sites have popped up, celebrating this massive online fantasy world. And some people are quite creative with the resources provided by the game. No, I am not talking about the Chinese farmers who find the best places in the game to loot gold and resell for exhorbitant prices on ebay. I am talking about... Continue Reading

So what was the deal with hurricane preparedness in Louisiana? Who was really at fault? Perhaps this article from the L.A. Times can shed some light. Louisiana Officials Indicted Before Katrina Hit Federal audits found dubious expenditures by the state's emergency preparedness agency, which will administer FEMA hurricane aid. By Ken Silverstein and Josh Meyer, Times Staff Writers WASHINGTON — Senior officials in Louisiana's emergency planning agency already were awaiting trial over allegations stemming from... Continue Reading

Is it April 1st? No, really. It's gotta be a practical joke. Bill Clinton as world saviour I'm just going to assume that it is only the writer of this article that is smoking the wacky weed. And maybe Koffi Annan, the corrupt leader of the U.N. who knows a good partner in crime when he sees one. I guess its a good thing I don't like milk. Continue Reading

After many months of exploring the huge world of Azeroth, Riathamus, my human warrior, has reached level 60 of World of Warcraft. I have seen every region, visited virtually every nook and cranny and encountered hundreds (thousands?) of baddies. I have upgraded my weapons, my armor and my skills close to the maximum. So now what? My interest level has declined exponentially. It's been a fantastic journey from newbie at the Northshire Cathedral. I must... Continue Reading

I've always been a fan of the Broadway musical. When I was young, I remember hearing my mom and dad play the soundtracks to many popular musicals on their record player. Fiddler on the Roof, Company, Carousel, The Sound of Music and West Side Story were staples around my house. Combined with a few trips of my own to the theater, I developed a taste for this genre before I became a teenager. Continue Reading

My eyes! My eyes! I've seen some heinous looking animals before, but this dog is clearly the most hideous creature on four legs. Continue Reading

I've had my developer working on a bunch of new sites as part of an experiment. They are all built on a similar template with similar features. Animal World Travel World Tech World Coupon Codes Family Time Continue Reading

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

My post on the Arbonne business has continued to generate a great deal of interest. So I've decided to post my take on multi-level marketing in general here to start a new thread. What are the problems with Multi-Level marketing? 1) Most people are not mature enough to work the business truly looking out for other people. Greed is a huge motivator in MLM. There is the facade of "I have something to tell you... Continue Reading

When I first heard that Tim Burton was doing a version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I thought "Oh no. He's going to butcher it." Don't get me wrong. For the most part, I like Tim Burton's work. Yes, he is bizarre, and probably somewhat twisted. But I like his creative flair. I enjoy his unusual characters and camera angles. But I also have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and thoroughly enjoyed Willy... Continue Reading

Where in the world am I? Why so silent lately? I'm here. Camp HornCreek Having a fabulous time. Terrible Internet connection. More later. Bye! Continue Reading

By now everyone knows the news. It is a tragedy, without any doubt. Innocent people once again slaughtered at the hands of animals. And we knew this would happen. It was just a matter of time. Make no mistake. This was not an attack on London. This was an attack on Western Civilization, which these animals despise with every fiber of their being. Perhaps this will silence the Chucky Schumers, Howard Deans and Dick Durbins... Continue Reading

The music world rocked this weekend as Bob Geldof's 20-year follow up to Live Aid pulled together the largest gathering of musicians across the globe than ever before. The cause was to rally around the richest nations, petitioning them to bring an end to poverty. I haven't seen much of the concerts, but am heading AOL to check out the Pink Floyd reunion. What do YOU think? Will the largest live concert ever make any... 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 believe there are insidious forces at work in America to tear down the fabric of this great nation. I believe these forces primarily reside in the extreme leadership of the Democrat party and the mainstream media. I believe these forces are the ones responsible for swaying public opinion against our brave men and women fighting the war on terror. These people despise our President and the tremendous successes he has had in this war... Continue Reading

Here's a site that grabs you by your psyche, tosses you about like an emotional spin washer and causes you to marvel at the tremendous pain in the world. The site is called Post Secret. What is it, you ask? Imagine your deepest, darkest secret. Imagine that you couldn't tell a soul. But what if you could create an image on a postcard and anonymously mail it to a web site where your secret could... Continue Reading

As one of my frequent readers recently noted, our world is filled with people living in poverty or under a totalitarian government. While we do have many poor people in America, our version of poor looks rich by the standards of many third world countries. And even with money, some countries treat people as disposable objects. In China, boys are treated as worthwhile, but girls are unwanted. The orphanages are overrunning with children, most of... Continue Reading

Do you like word search puzzles? I've just launched a new site where you can find and print word seach puzzles or make you own to share with the world. The site is called Word Search Fun. I invite you to help build the site by creating a word search that you think others would enjoy. Continue Reading

One of these days, I'm going to have to write a book on my Internet experiences. WorldVillage.com turns TEN this July (2005) and I have ridden more ups and downs than a rollercoaster at Coney Island. Seriously, I have watched my revenue go sky high and sink to the depths of the earth repeatedly over the past ten years. Just when I think I've got things figured out... WHAM! I can't complain because the ride... Continue Reading

I'm in the midst of reading "Under the Overpass: A Journal of Faith on the Streets of America" by Mike Yankoski. Essentially, Mike left his upper-middle class life and became a homeless street person for five months. He felt it was important to put his faith in God to the test to see if it would get crushed or blossom in the face of extreme adversity. His other motivation was to get a clearer picture... 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

As a Christian, I occasionally struggle with the truths of the faith. It is normal and healthy to wrestle with God, continuing to seek Him and coming to know Him better. A recent conversation with my good friend Ken led him to recommend a book to me. The title is Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Continue Reading

The truth? I've been in Paris all week, enjoying the world's most beautiful city with the world's most beautiful woman. I plan on writing a detailed entry (or series of entries) detailing our exploits. As I sit on the balcony of my hotel enjoying someone's open wifi network, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to stay here for an extended period. Nevertheless, we must return home tomorrow. More details to come! Continue Reading

I finally took the plunge. I ordered a Delphi MyFi XM2Go portable XM satellite receiver from the Amazon.com marketplace. 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've been running my coupon site, DealofDay.com, for over five years. (That's 35 in dog years). I decided to be innovative and start including all the coupons on WorldVillage. So, I present you with WorldVillage Coupons. Continue Reading

Have you caught any of the recent news stories about (the lack of) Internet security for people with Windows PCs? I have and it concerned me enough to actively seek help. Frankly, there are some frightening threats out there that you need to be aware of. For instance, are you familiar with "Spyware?" This is monitoring software that is secretly copied onto your computer without your knowledge or consent. Its purpose? To record as much... Continue Reading

People are truly amazing. Sam Kimery of Seattle has created a little device that screws into the back of your TV set. It's purpose? To block Fox News from appearing. Seriously. He's a disgruntled Republican and felt the need to make a statement. Of course, he doesn't even use it on his TV. The funniest part is that 100 idiots have actually purchased one of these devices. Psst. I have FREE advice for you people... Continue Reading

About a year or so ago, I was looking for a novel to read and came upon a very interesting book by Gregory Maguire. It was called Wicked, and it was a work of fiction that retold the story of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. Not for children, Maguire weaves a tale of fantasy, love and politics that turns the classic story on it's ear. It's... Continue Reading

I can't believe that WorldVillage turns TEN-years old this year. I'm going to have to throw some sort of virtual birthday party this summer. One of the things I have wanted to do for a LONG time is build an extensive database of useful articles that my visitors could enjoy. That day has finally arrived. With THOUSANDS of articles online, Article World has something for everyone. Home improvement, parenting, business opportunties, recreation, self improvement, travel... WorldVillage Articles" href="http://joelcomm.com/worldvillage_articles.html">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

Ron Enderland has been writing online for almost a decade (that's forever in Internet years). His bizarre sense of humor and keen insight into today's top stories has provoked many individuals to laughter and/or anger. Now, Ron is back as the Editor-in-Chief of Warped, a site devoted to the controversies of the day. There are no sacred cows, or chickens, in Ron's world. Check out Warped and find out just how strange people really are. Continue Reading

Have you ever Googled your name? I just did a search for "Joel Comm" and Google spit out 44,300 results. Of course, this is nothing in comparison to some other names. Take, for example, my friend Chris Pirillo. 241,000 results. Not bad, Chris. Then there is Bob Rankin, driver of The Internet Tourbus. Bob outdoes me with 55,200 results. How about my man, George W. Bush? 12,200,000 results. Whoa. Even John Smith has a good... Continue Reading

I love DMOZ, the open-source directory. It's free-spirited and unbound by the constraints of the commercial giants. Often you will find some very interesting things. Since Yahoo doesn't keep up their directory the way they used to, DMOZ is the go-to site. Internet World has a new template to house the DMOZ directory. It's lean, attractive and gets you where you are going. Check it out. Internet World" href="http://joelcomm.com/internet_world.html">Continue Reading

I love my Tivo. I have owned one for over five years and I have charmed many friends with live demonstrations of what Tivo can do. Unfortunately, Tivo has not been able to accelerate their subscriber base enough to become profitable. The word on the street is that Apple is interested in Tivo. Of course, the companies aren't responding to the "rumours". But I think it would be a perfect match. Tivo is the Macintosh... Continue Reading

This year, WorldVillage.com turns ten years old. Yup, that's TEN big ones. An eternity in Internet years. For all that time, I have been giving of myself to millions of visitors. Giving, giving, always giving. And what do I get? Email complaining about this feature. Posts whining about that web page. Blah blah blah. (Oh, I get paid a few dollars for advertising, but does that count?) Now people can really show their appreciation for... Continue Reading

I had a nightmare of a day yesterday, mostly due to problems with one of my web servers. The computer kept slowing down to a crawl and then locking up so that no one could access any of my pages. I had two techies look at the site and it wasn't until this morning that my webmaster solved the problem. As it turned out, a feature of the site was no longer functioning properly. When... Continue Reading

Who would have thought that the rubber faced wildman from In Living Color would become an accomplished actor? While not crazy about Ace Ventura, I thoroughly enjoyed Jim Carrey in The Mask. I even appreciated the dark turn he took in The Cable Guy. But it was his part as Truman Burbank in The Truman Show that caused me to truly respect Jim Carrey's talent. With a superb screenplay, excellent cinematography and a top-notch supporting... Continue Reading

Is Ted Turner relevant to anyone anymore? Listen to what this buffoon had to say at the National Association for Television Programming Executives's conference Tuesday. "While FOX may be the largest news network, it's not the best." (sour grapes because they are beating Turner's CNN?) He followed up by pointing out that Adolph Hitler got the most votes when he was elected to run Germany prior to WWII. He said the network is the propaganda... 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

The Amazing Race 6 has turned into a hit show, gathering more steam as each season goes by. Pretty impressive for a show many thought would not return after season 2. Unfortunately, this season contains some of the least likable people the show has seen. The producers have opted for cookie-cutter model types for many of the couples. Several of the others have just been utterly uninteresting. Fortunately, the exotic locations and unusual tasks continue... Continue Reading

A friend pointed out an incredible thing to me today. There is a guy on eBay who is renting space on his forehead. HumanAdSpace.com is one person's 15-minutes of fame. Basically, for a fee this guy will tattoo a company logo or website url on his forehead for 30 days. He is getting a lot of media attention and is actually going to be appearing on Fox News Live. As of this writing, the bid... Continue Reading

We are in the process of designing a new home which we intend to build this year. A few years ago, we bought two acres of land in our city. We have been holding on to it and think the time is ripe to place a home on the property. My father is an architect, so he is drawing the plans. Thanks Dad! But I thought it would be a fun thing to play with... Continue Reading

I'm getting real tired of the mainstream press and other countries telling the United States that we are stingy over the amount of support we are giving and bringing to the Tsunami victims. Granted, the irrelevant and ever-more annoying United Nations is backpeddling from their comments, but many are continuing this lament just the same. The fact of the matter is, the United States and our people are the most generous people in the world... Continue Reading

The biggest earthquake to hit planet earth in 40 years hit Southeast Asia with a vengeance today, triggering tidal waves and tsunamis that have killed thousands of people. JAKARTA, Indonesia - The world's most powerful earthquake in 40 years triggered massive tidal waves that slammed into villages and seaside resorts across southern and southeast Asia on Sunday, killing more than 7,200 people in six countries. Tourists, fishermen, homes and cars were swept away by walls... Continue Reading

In spite of the increasingly hostile environment by the hyper-sensitive political correctness mob, Christmas is ALIVE and well in America and around the world. Place aside the insanity of not allowing children to eat red and green M&Ms at school. Forget the silliness of removing manger scenes from public places. And disregard the bizarre attitudes of department stores and other merchants that feel it unsafe to wish anyone anything but "Happy Holidays". Jesus Christ was... Continue Reading

I friend recently recommended that I give a look at World of Warcraft, the latest MMORPG to hit the market. WoW comes with a boatload of hype, mostly due to the incredibly successful Warcraft: Orcs vs. Humans RPG series. WoW, however, is an entirely different beast than the previous games (which didn't interest me in the least). WoW is a fully 3D world teaming with life and critters of all kinds. Since I enjoyed Star... Continue Reading

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown is absolutely everywhere. It's been on best-seller lists for ages. It's on the front racks at all the bookstores. Many people are buying into this work of fiction as though it were truth. Some in the Christian community are having a good time pointing out that it is indeed nothing more than fiction. The book has spawned a catalogue of additional works discussing the original. And Ron Howard is... Continue Reading

This has got to be one of the most heart-breaking stories I have heard in a long, long time. It is one that actually had me weeping after seeing the video. It's a story of God's grace and of gratefulness for how good the majority of us have it in this life. Jeannie Blaylock of First Coast News in Florida reported this story of a baby girl born without a face. Here are some excerpts... Continue Reading

A few days ago I wrote how Target stores have decided to no longer permit the Salvation Army from collecting donations in front of their stores. Big mistake. Today, the headline read Church Leaders Announce Christmas Boycott of Target Stores. Now, I do not necessarily believe that it is the Church's responsibility to boycott businesses as I don't think it really provides a witness that says to the world, "Hey, we want to have what... 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

On Thanksgiving Day, I did what any respectable guy would do. Besides stuffing my face, I took some time to browse the sale papers for Friday's big bonanza. I found the usual suspects. Circuit City, Comp USA, Best Buy and Ultimate Electronics. Even Target's ad got a once over from me. Many of the bargains looked quite appealing, but there was no way in the world I was going to get up at 5:30 am... 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

Way back in July 2004, Disney released America's Heart and Soul without any fanfare. I reported about the release of the movie and indicated that I was eager to see it. While the film received virtually no screen time, it is now available on DVD. I finally viewed the movie tonight and I am perplexed as to why Disney did not put some promotion muscle behind this brilliant and inspiring picture! America's Heart and Soul... Continue Reading

Charles Krauthammer, writing for the Jewish World Review, has come out with an article that precisely nails down the problem with John Kerry and John Edwards. Highlights from Krauthammer's article... This is John Edwards on Monday at a rally in Newton, Iowa: "If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up... Continue Reading

Do you have a fax machine? If so, has your number been released to the spammers of the fax world? Once it has, your fax machine will never be the same. Junk Fax has cluttered my fax machine for nearly two years. I get several junk faxes a week, promoting the latest penny stock, travel club or health insurance scheme. I have been throwing away the faxes as the removal numbers at the bottom seem... Continue Reading

About fifteen years ago, I started using bulletin board services online. These were pre-world wide web servers that ran out of people's homes. You would dial up the BBS on your 1200 baud modem and connect to a text-only based site. These sites would provide forums for discussion, information for reading and programs for downloading. Some of the more progressive boards had games you could play online, text only of course. Way back then, I... Continue Reading

Mary and I had the opportunity to enjoy a "date night" on Friday. First we enjoyed a nice dinner at Johnny Carinos Italian restaurant. Next we went to the mall and pigged out on ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery (superior to Marble Slab in case you are wondering). Finally, it was on the cinema to take in a showing of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I received a great deal of chastisement... Continue Reading

The most requested DVDs of all time are finally going to be hitting the retail shelves today. Faster than you can say, "Use the Force, Luke", The Star Wars Trilogy DVD set will probably break all records for DVD sales. I know that I will be contributing my $45 to George Lucas's pocketbooks as I plan on picking up my copy on my way to work today. If you can stand to wait a few... Continue Reading

There is just too much to talk about today. I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just hit the highlights... RatherBiased.com has been documenting the extreme liberal bias of Dan Rather and CBS news for several years. Memogate is the icing on the cake and hopefully the end of this radical evening newscaster. John Kerry and the Democrat party is imploding faster than you can say "Vietnam". Hurricane Ivan is slamming the Florida panhandle... Continue Reading

After the somewhat scathing replies I got regarding my review of the Christian film, Gone, I am somewhat reluctant to step up to the plate again. Regardless (or irregardless if you want to annoy people), I will now attempt to convey my thoughts on a film I viewed today. Six: The Mark Unleashed is a futuristic end-times thriller focusing on the coming one-world government and the ubiquitous "mark of the beast" which must be taken... Continue Reading

Serious or superfluous? Truth or propaganda? These are some of the questions we must ask as we view political campaign commercials. Often influential and sometimes backfiring, political parties and their public relations teams attempt to discuss the issues of the day and portray their candidate as the best man for the job. Often, this entails little more than communicating how their opponent is the worst man for the job. The Living Room Candidate is a... Continue Reading

There has been a great deal of talk about outsourcing jobs to other countries recently. I never thought that I would have an interest in the topic, but I was wrong. I have been looking for a talented programmer and web designer to tackle some new Internet projects. I found a site called elance.com, a fairly comprehensive site for finding professionals to do just about any computer/internet related job. Logo design, web design, programming of... Continue Reading

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

Zell Miller is a Senator from the great state of Georgia. Previously, he was Governor of the state. On Wednesday night, he stood before the delagates of the Republican National Convention, and all of America (and the world) via television, and gave one of the most impassioned speeches I have heard in some time. He clearly made the case for why we MUST re-elect President George W. Bush for a second term of office. Here's... Continue Reading

The pioneering spirit of the Internet continues to inspire people to build a better mousetrap. Nowhere is that spirit better exhibited than in the now ubiquitous search engine known as Google. While not the first search engine on the scene, Google has now surpassed all the rest to become the most useful tool for finding what you want on the web. Today's site highlights a new free download which makes the Google experience ever more... 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

My friend Gary Rosenzweig at Clevermedia.com, has unleashed a fantastic online game that is timely and addictive. Campaign Trail 2004 allows you to run a campaign for the candidate of your choice. You decide which states the Presidential and VP candidates are going to spend time and money in. It's easy to play but challenging to master. Can you win the election? Play now! 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

A few years ago I purchased a site called Funstarters.com. It is nothing more than fun pages with entertaining, sentimental and humorous sayings, highlighted with images, animations and music. Tonight, I finally got around to putting it together and getting all the pages online. It's good clean fun! Click here! Continue Reading

Remember the Rocky and Bullwinkle show? "Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!" Among the other characters that were featured on this classic cartoon were a pair named Sherman and Mr. Peabody, in a bit called Peabody's Improbable History. In this toon, Mr. Peabody (the dog) would send Sherman to a period in time to see living history. The machine he used was called the WABAC (pronounced "wayback" machine). Fast-forward to... Continue Reading

What do you want? This is the question that we must ask ourselves, digging deep into our souls to discover that which drives us onward. In The Journey of Desire, John Eldredge ignites that spark that may light the flame of desire within, moving aside all that we think we want in order to make room for the deeper desire that can bring us true fulfillment. Eldredge writes in down-to-earth terminology. He communicates eternal truths... Continue Reading

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I came across a fun little game a few days ago and have enjoyed diverting a few moments of my spare time to playing it. It is called Marble Blast and it is a simple yet addictive! Using the ASWD keys and your mouse, you simply roll your marble across a suspended platform, attempting to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. Obstacles, such as zero-gravity space, stairs, ramps, bumpers, mines and more, are... Continue Reading

Mary and I attended a marriage conference at our church the past two days. It featured Gary and Michael Smalley of the Smalley Relationship Center. Gary is a best-selling author and speaker, with over 30 books in print. He has spoken to millions regarding relationships, marriage, parenting and so forth. His son, Michael, is equally gifted, and now has a counseling center and his own syndicated radio talk show. The seven hours spent in the... Continue Reading

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One of the more popular articles on this site has been my review, and the subsequent discussion, of the IBIZ Virtual Keyboard. I received a review unit of the VKB and was led to believe that it was an IBIZ unit. As it turns out, the unit was manufactured by Enterprise Capital in Israel. Each side claims that they have severed ties with the other and it has gotten ugly. It seems that litigation is... Continue Reading

We left Keystone yesterday and decided to head home. As it would turn out, it is monsoon season in Colorado, and the rain just keeps coming. We drove to Burlington, CO and spent the night in a cheap motel. Now we are on the road, about 40 miles west of Salina, Kansas. There is just a whole lot of nothing to see out here. We passed up the opportunity to see the world's biggest prairie... 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

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

Admit it. You've always wanted to create your own personal G.I. Joe doll. Herobuilders is offering the world's first on-demand custom action hero tool. Visit the site and you can customize your action hero's eyes, hair, clothing, abd accessories for a small fee. You can even get a matching t-shirt for YOU to wear! It's great fun. If you use coupon code WV-1 when you checkout, they'll give you 5% off your order. Continue Reading

Have you seen Fahrenheit 911? I won't see it because I am certain the lies and anti-American propoganda will enrage me. Have you bought it hook, line and sinker? Read about the 56 documented deceits of Fahrenheit 911. Afterwards, you'll either support Moore even more, which only died in the wool liberals can do, in spite of evidence. Or, you shall feel duped by his pack of out and out lies. The 56 Deceits of... Continue Reading

The 4th of July. Independence Day, 2004. Time to barbeque and enjoy fireworks with family. But how many of us pause to take in the true significance of this holiday? How many of us remember the freedoms that so many died for? How many recall the courage of our Founding Fathers who risked their very lives in order to follow that which God had called them to do? America. A city on a hill where... Continue Reading

Now HERE is a movie that Americans need to see, and its not that anti-American Michael Moore propaganda. Opening at theatres nationwide on July 2nd is America's Heart and Soul, a Disney film full of inspiring stories and vignettes that reveal that REAL America and what makes it the best place in the world to live. Louis Schwartzberg set off for the fruited plains with his camera and the hopes of capturing what makes America... Continue Reading

I just finished reading Shadowmancer by G.P. Taylor. I bought it for my son to read and he really enjoyed it. On his recommendation, I gave it a read. A fantasy novel with a spiritual twist, Shadowmancer turned out to be a pretty good read. In the past, authors such as Frank Peretti and Randy Alcorn have managed to write some excellent Christian fiction that dealt with the spiritual dimension, that being the world of... Continue Reading

I have been sick for three weeks now. I'm not complaining. I rarely get ill, so this is just unusual. I don't know that I have ever coughed my head off like I have been these past few weeks. Tried decongestants, antibiotics, vitamins, hot soup and lots of sleep. I've got what I call a "hanger-onner". It just doesn't want to let go. So, its a rambling day for me as I sit in bed... Continue Reading

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I rented Mystic River this week, as I have been wanting to see it ever since it received critical acclaim. This Clint Eastwood directed film has been dubbed his "masterpiece" by many, with Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both winning Oscars for their performances. Mystic River was a very moody and layered piece. Three boyhood friends are forever changed when one of them is abducted and abused for several days. The 10-minute boyhood prologue sets... Continue Reading

A few years back, I purchased a Pioneer DVD recorder for my home PC. I enjoyed burning a handful of videos onto disc (home movies), but I haven't really gotten much use from the unit. Incompatibility problems, buggy drivers and other obstacles have made it a bit less attractive then when I first purchased it. I've had my eyes on a DVD recorder for my home theater ever since that time, pining for the day... Continue Reading

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Several years ago, I remember going to the theatre with Mary to see a Martin Short film called Clifford. It took us about 15 minutes to walk out of the theatre and request a refund, something I had never done before or since. It was THAT bad. We just got done watching a movie that makes Clifford look like Shakespeare. Over the years, Christian film-makers have lagged behind secular filmmakers for lack of creative scripts... Continue Reading

Parents, hide your children. Children, hide your parents. The computer game industry is turned on its ear with a game so vile, so addictive, so hazardous, that we have called upon the U.S. Government to impose new regulation banning it from the internet. Is it the latest incarnation of Grand Theft Auto? Is it the upcoming Doom 3? No, ladies and gentlemen. This is a stealth game. It looks harmless, but it pulls you into... Continue Reading

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It is a very sad day in America, and indeed, the world. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of America has left this world and entered eternity. I was still a young skull full of mush when Reagan took office. I had not yet learned critical thinking skills and I believed many of the lies that were spoken of him in the liberal media. My conservative awakening took place in 1988. It... 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

The Emmy Award-Winning "Amazing Race" has not been victorious in the ratings race. In fact, there was a question of whether or not CBS would bring it back for another season. I am thrilled to announce that they have indeed renewed the show and the premiere of Season 5 is to take place on July 6th. My Tivo will be capturing every moment. Eleven teams of two, bound by some sort of relationship (father/son, best... Continue Reading

In the infancy of WorldVillage.com, I was fortunate to acquire the assistance of one Ron Enderland, aka, the Bald Guy. Ron provided several services to WorldVillage.com, including reviewing software, writing humorous articles and reviewing web sites. The latter is continued to this day with a new review being posted every other week. Another feature that lived on for some time was Ron's original cartoon, The Nature of Things. Inspired by The Far Side and Ron's... Continue Reading

Over the past few years, Google has come on strong as a leader in the Internet search engine industry, giving Yahoo!, MSN and AOL a run for their money. With an initial public offering just around the corner, can anything stop this behemoth? I hope not. I love Google! One of their most recent additions to the site is their pay-per-click advertising program, Google Adwords. Here's how it works. You advertise your site on Google... Continue Reading

I recently read a book that has given me much to think about. It is called The Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkinson (of The Prayer of Jabez fame). The Dream Giver is actually two books in one. The first portion is a modern-day parable that tells the story of Ordinary, one who dares to leave the Land of Familiar in order to pursue his Big Dream. The second half discusses the meaning of the parable... 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

Some links to make your day more falidocious Clinton Scandals - A must-read primer documenting the failures of the Clinton administration Reality TV World - A welcome respite after paging through the previous link City of Heroes - massive online roleplaying game. Review soon to come. Flywheel - Heartwarming and hard to find movie of faith. Rent it! Movie parables - Just what does that movie mean? Continue Reading

I hate dealing with insurance. When you pay a premium, you are betting that you will need to make a claim. With health insurance, you are betting that you are going to get sick! About eight years ago, I bought a policy with Fortis, one of the world's largest banking and insurance companies. At that time, we decided that all we needed was a major medical policy. So we choose a $2500 per person deductible... 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

The conference in Reno is going great. What a fantastic opportunity to face-to-face with so many of the people whom I have had the opportunity to work with online. Back in a 1996, I had the privilage of being interviewed for the now-defunct Boardwatch Magazine by the infamous Bob Rankin, a tech guru from the dark ages of the online world. Dr. Bob, as he is known online, is the originator of the Internet Tourbus... Continue Reading

I'm in "The biggest little city in the world", Reno, Nevada, attending a meeting of the minds with other Internet entrepreneurs. Strolling through the streets of Reno last night left me quite unimpressed with the city. It feels like a throwback to 1970's Las Vegas, only cleaner. We dined at a very expensive, yet mediocre, buffet. But the highlight of the evening was visiting with some of the other attendees, each from a different niche... Continue Reading

President Bush today opened his Easter greeting by citing Luke 24:34: "The Lord is risen indeed." He then went on to say: I send greetings to Christians around the world as they gather to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus' life and teachings continue to speak to every generation, and Christians believe his miraculous Resurrection provides hope for the future and offers us the promise of new life. Through His ministry and sacrifice, Jesus... Continue Reading

I don't know why, but this sad story got my attention. A couple idiots took someone's 2-pound Yorkie and punted it like a football, killing the poor pup. A Priest Lake man killed his neighbor's 2-pound miniature Yorkshire terrier by kicking it into the air like a football, police said, and authorities have charged him with animal cruelty. Jelani Lewis and Jessica McKenzie say they are outraged at the death of their 17-year-old pet, Gizmo... Continue Reading

Admittedly, my tastes run a bit eccentric. I don't enjoy odd films just because they are odd. Maybe I am odd. Anyhow, I ran across a documentary that I just had to have. It promised thrills, excitement and all the fun that is inherent in a National Spelling Bee contest. For real! Spellbound is a fascinating and fun film that follows eight children in their quest to become National Spelling Bee Champion. The eight children... Continue Reading

I am WAY overdue on this entry in my 15 Best Movies Ever series. Sorry about that, but I wanted to watch the film again before writing about it and recently got around to it. I know, I know. You were checking my blog every other minute just hoping the review was forthcoming. Wait no longer! #9 is a love-it or hate-it film by Monty Python alumnus Terry Gilliam. The only American in the troop... 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

I've been on the world wide web since 1994. I launched my first web site in 1995. At that time, it cost $35 to register a domain name for one year. In fact, some registrars STILL charge $35/year. On top of that, there is a surcharge for DNS hosting, which is necessary for running a web site. Times have changed. You can now register domains far more economically at sites like DomainAnything.com I register all... Continue Reading

Roses are red, Violets are blue I hope you enjoy These links just for you John Kerry's waffles Wordsearch Puzzle Maker Parental Control Software (used in my home!) Inspiration for Moms Seussical the Musical (I am taking my kids to see this next week) Continue Reading

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

Here's an incredibly useful site for you. DictionaryWords.net is a fantastic reference resource. Do a search for a single word or term and it will pull up results from several sources, including The CIA World Factbook (2002), WordNet, Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, The Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms, The Jargon File, Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary, The Collaborative International Dictionary of English, The U.S. Gazetteer, The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, Elements Database and Easton's 1897... 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

Holy Moly. May I present to you dinner for the entire state of Rhode Island. This pig was a 1900 pound porker who died just last week. He made his home in China and the owners are appealing to the Guiness Book of World Records on his behalf. The pig belonged to Xu Changjin, a farmer of Wafangdian city in China. Xu said that he had kept his pig in a nicely built sty... Continue Reading

Michael Medved is not alone in speaking out against those who would attempt label The Passion of Christ as "anti-semitic". Rabbi Daniel Lapin, known on the national airwaves as "America's Rabbi", has written a thoughtful article taking his fellow Jews to task. Lapin states: Those Jewish organizations that have squandered both time and money futilely protesting Passion, ostensibly in order to prevent pogroms in Pittsburgh, can hardly be proud of their performance. They failed at... Continue Reading

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

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

I've been following the coverage of Mel Gibson's upcoming film, "The Passion of Christ", with great anticipation. Unfortunately, Mel is being castigated by some people for being anti-semitic in his portrayel of the Jews in the film. I find it amazing that the same people who have been subject to people attempting to rewrite history (as far as the holocaust is concerned) are now attempting to rewrite history as to an accurate account of the... Continue Reading

Found this great site as a result of visiting Joel Blain's blog. Thanks Joel! MyWorld66 has a great tool that allows you to input the countries and/or states you have visited, and then creates a map the graphically displays where you have been. It's pretty slick. create your own visited country map create your own visited states map Continue Reading

Doing some surfing just for fun? Check out these links: Urban Legends Reference Page - Check here to see if that email virus is a scam Yorkiephiles - A celebration of the world's cutest pooch Babel Fish - Que pensez-vous à ceci ? Doom Buggies - An Unofficial Tribute to Disneyworld's Haunted Mansion TheFroce.Net - More Star Wars info than you can shake a light sabre at 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

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

I have been a computer gamer ever since I encountered Space Invaders on my TRS-80 (that REALLY dates me) about 25 years ago. Dozens of computer games are published every year, but only a handful of those I try actually keep my attention for the duration of the game. The last game to do so we Star Wars Galaxies (which has since lost my attention and I am cancelling my account). I had a great... Continue Reading

Christmas. It evokes thoughts of Santa Claus, reindeer, snow, presents, wrapping, shopping, a warm fireplace on a chilly night, children anticipating the big day, and time spent with family and friends. My hope for you is all of the above. But even moreso, my hope for you is that the real meaning of Christmas will land smack dab in the middle of your heart... and never leave. Christmas is Jesus. Christmas is the birth of... Continue Reading

The web now boasts BILLIONS of web pages, making it challenging to find the "good stuff". My friend, Randy Cassingham, has been creating "good stuff" online for many years. His site, This is True, deals with bizarre-but-true items culled from the world's newspapers. Randy provides plenty of excellent content and gives it a humorous twist with his commentary. If you need something useful in your email box, this will provide a needed respite from the... Continue Reading

M. Night Shyamlan is a modern day Alfred Hitchcock. To date, he has made several films, including Unbreakable (with Bruce Willis) and Signs (with Mel Gibson). I thoroughly enjoyed both of these pictures, but it is his first film that has stayed with me as unforgettable. I am speaking of #12 in my series of The 15 Best Movies Ever, The Sixth Sense. In this film, Shyamalan proves he is the new master of suspense... 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

Fred Langa is a staple on the web. The guy has been writing technology articles since dirt was new... well, for a long time anyhow. In fact, he used to write for the now-defunct NetGuide Magazine and featured WorldVillage.com as one of the web's best Family friendly site. Fred's mailing list, the Langa List, is a weekly digest featuring useful info and links for a general audience (that's you!). I highly recommend signing up to... Continue Reading

What is the nature of memory? How accurate is your memory? Is it possible that your memories didn't really happen as you remember them? These are just some of the questions you may ask yourself when you get past the initial "wow" factor after seeing Memento, one of the most original thrillers ever put on celluloid. Memento is the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man who suffers from the inability to make new... 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

About six years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a new Christmas CD by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. For those not familiar with the band, they are all rock and rollers, many with a heavy metal background. Their first album, Christmas Eve and other Stories is unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's a rock opera. It's spiritual. It's progressive rock. Simply put, it is an album that captures the essence of Christmas better... Continue Reading

Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. The liberal media is once again, allowing Senator Ted Kennedy to get away with murder. No, it's not another Chappaquiddick. No, this time Senator Kennedy has put his foot in his mouth with incredibly racially insensitive comments. Regarding the President's judicial nominees, Janice Rogers Brown and Miguel Estrada (African American and Hispanic, respectively), Senator Kennedy called them "Neanderthals"! Kennedy is not apologizing and the liberal media is not holding him accountable. If... Continue Reading

I've been scouring my extensive DVD collection lately, attempting to figure out what makes a great movie. Certainly, films have the potential to entertain us. But a real filmmaker wants to do more than make us laugh or cry. True cinematic art is manifested in an engaging storyline, convincing acting and masterful directing that trancends the big screen, either affirming or transforming the way in which we see our world. As a Christian, I view... Continue Reading

A little background... I LOVED The Matrix. I was confused by my first viewing of The Matrix Reloaded, though a a second viewing helped me assimilate the film a bit more. I still thought it was very weak next to the original. Yesterday, I placed the reviews of the critics behind me and decided to take in a viewing of Matrix Revolutions without preconceived notions. I was pleasantly surprised! --- WARNING - SPOILERS! --- Am... Continue Reading

After spending time in Philadelphia, Boston and Washington D.C., I am more persuaded that the system of government that we operate under is as close to perfect that can be had on this planet. However, it is people that corrupt the system through their greed and selfish motives. Tonight, the Republican Senate majority has called a 30-hour session to bring a serious matter to the attention of the American people. Over the course of the... Continue Reading

And I thought only the liberals in our government were interested in punishing achievers. I have been a Tupperware representative for over a year. In that time, my online business has managed to sell a good deal of product and I have recruited several dozen new salespersons. Tupperware has created a web site system whereby any rep can have a Tupperware sales site. Every site begins with "my.tupperware.com" and is followed by the representatives name... Continue Reading

I came across Relevant Magazine online a couple months ago while doing a topical search. I can't remember what the search was, but I do recall being completely drawn in by this Christian magazine written for a post-modern generation. It breaks the mold of "traditional" Christian magazines by covering faith and spiritual topics from a fresh perspective. They are unafraid to tackle music, movies, relationships, politics and other issues by asking the questions many in... Continue Reading

Alright you anti-war crowd. How you like these apples? 300,000 Iraqis May Be in Mass Graves By BASSEM MROUE and NIKO PRICE Associated Press Writers November 8, 2003, 10:10 PM EST BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein's government is believed to have buried as many as 300,000 opponents in 263 mass graves that dot the Iraqi landscape, the top human rights official in the U.S.-led civilian administration said Saturday. Sandy Hodgkinson said the administration has been... 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

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

Once again, we got an early start and walked all over the place. We started by going to the Washington Monument, the tallest structure in D.C. It stands 555 feet high and is truly an awesome site. We took the elevator to the top and got to look out some very small windows in each direction. Of course, there are many others attempting to get a good view, so we didn't have much time to... Continue Reading

I have been running WorldVillage.com since 1995. In those years, I have seen all the ups and downs of the dotcom era. However, I am at a fork in the road, attempting to discern what direction I should go next. And so I ask you, my loyal readers. Take a look at WorldVillage.com. Think about our newsletter. If this web site was yours, what would YOU do with it? What would you want to see... Continue Reading

We left Philadelphia early this morning and jumped on the highway towards Hershey, Pennsylvania. The kids have been looking forward to our visit to Chocolate World for the whole trip, so the anticipation had been building. Hershey's Chocolate World was just plain fun. Pulling into the parking lot gives you the feeling of, "Uh oh, there goes the diet!" The first thing we did was check out the free Chocolate Tour Ride, a Disney-style track... 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

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

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 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

Mary and the kids needed to take some extra time for school today, so I dropped them off at the Cleveland Public Library. I then excitedly drove down the street to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I've always want to visit this place and was thrilled to have the opportunity. The architecture of the building was very cool with a wide open atrium and six levels of exhibits. I only had a couple... Continue Reading

We left Jacksonville, MO around 11 am and set course for Beardstown, IL, made famous by the Beardstown Ladies Investment Club. Our visit had nothing to do with investing. We visited friends, Carla and Rick Simmert. Carla is a blessing as she is the person God had in place to take over Mary's web site, SafeHaven, when Mary no longer had the time to give it the attention it needed. We spent a couple hours... Continue Reading

Around 3 pm Sunday afternoon, Mary came into the office and said something like, "If we would have thought of it, we could have just left today." I stared at her for about one second and spoke, "Well, why don't we?" I don't think she realize what she got herself into! We furiously gathered everything together and packed up the van. Just when I thought it was full, Mary pointed out another item that needed... Continue Reading

Here's the story... of course, you won't see it in the mainstream news or papers. They don't want to eat crow. State Department spokesman: Lethal bio-toxin 'kills people, it kills people in large quantities' © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com The vial of botulinum bacteria discovered in Iraq by U.S. arms inspectors – which experts call the most poisonous substance known to man – is "a weapon of mass destruction," the State Department's top spokesman announced yesterday. "Botulinum... 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

You want talent? You want creativity? You want a wry sense of humor with a twist of Monty Python? Take a look at Yellowlane.com, the Internet home for one Joshua Williams. I've known Josh since he was a teenager, and he is responsible for much of the artwork that appears on the WorldVillage sites, including the character illustrations at FamilyFirst.com. Josh is a professional designer and he has some great samples of his work on... Continue Reading

One of the best-loved action/adventure series of all time is coming to DVD! George Lucas and Stephen Spielbergs' Indiana Jones Trilogy is due to be released on October 21st. This is Harrison Ford as his absolute best. Action, adventure, romance, Nazis and snakes (why does it always have to be snakes?) It's all there in this four disk special edition. That's right. Each movie gets special treatment with tons of extras, including commentaries, documentaries... Continue Reading

Say hello to Mr. Jeffies, the dog with the largest ears in the world as now recognized by the new 2004 Guiness Book of World Records. Mr Jeffries is a Bassett Hound, and his ears measure 11.5 inches each! He lives with his owner, Phil Jeffries, in West Sussex, England. The dog's full name is Knightsfollie Ladiesman and he is the grandson of Biggles, the face of Hush Puppies shoes. His ears are insured for... Continue Reading

Mary and I had a date night on Friday and went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Having grown up with the DisneyWorld ride that the movie is derived from, I was curious to see the film. While reviews have been mixed, the public has spoken by making it a summer blockbuster. I went with an open mind, very much wanting to be entertained. I wasn't. I was downright bored... Continue Reading

I joined Milesource.com several years ago and have gotten some pretty cool stuff. Basically, you use their links to do your online shopping and you earn miles good towards air travel or any number of gifts and rewards. If you haven't signed up yet, take the opportunity to do so now and start earning for the shopping you do online. Continue Reading

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

Look out! Head for the hills! Get in your shelter! Store away food and drink! It's the end of the world! Asteroids are coming! But not until 2014. Maybe. Sorry to be an alarmist. Continue Reading

President Bill Clinton had the opportunity to stop, catch, or kill bin Laden more than twelve times during his presidency, a new book set for release this week claims! And on at least two occasions through Drones and Global Positioning Systems the Clinton Administration knew exactly where bin Laden was -- and refused to take him out well after knowing he was as a national security threat. The book is called Losing Bin Laden and... Continue Reading

We discovered a great new game yesterday. Using nothing more than a GPS device (Global Positioning Satellite), our car and the cooperation of other fun seekers, we participated in an anytime sport known as GeoCaching! Essentially, people all over the world create the treasure that others would see. Take an old shoebox and fill it with various knickknacks. Find a place to stash it, often a public park. Get your hands on a GPS device... Continue Reading

Definitely the best thing to come along in talk radio since Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck is rapidly becoming the "must-listen to" host of the decade. Limbaugh is still the King of talk radio (sorry Howard Stern), but Beck brings a freshness that has been missing. Politically, he manages to hit the nail on the head again and again, giving voice to what many of us already think and believe, but with an insightful approach that... Continue Reading

Making a list of the various web sites that I own... WorldVillage Deal of Day FreeBitz Family First Family Seek Family Software Spot PlasticBargains DotCom Profit Center The Mayor Speaks Safety Surf Virtual Whassup FunStarters Village IRC More on the way... Continue Reading

Another beautiful morning in Red River! We've been eating breakfast in the room all week, so we decided to go out for eggs and pancakes this morning. We went to The Hole Thing Donut Shop and were very pleased with the meal. It was pricy, but that's the way it goes. Afterwards, we found a nice park where the kids could play, the dog could sniff, and Mary and I could sit and enjoy the... Continue Reading

I've been having a great time with Star Wars Galaxies. What a fun and addictive game. Here are the latest screen shots I have captured while exploring the galaxy. I took a few of me hanging out after a long night's hunt, as well as some HUGE creatures I encountered on Talus while doing missions with Vaba. Continue Reading

Pre-order Indiana Jones DVD trilogy. No DVD collection is complete without these. Pondor feedback left by you regarding our plans to take a one-month family road trip. Stop. Smell roses. Or something similarly fragrant. Work less. Work smarter. Life is short. Be a friend to someone today. Do the hokey pokey. Because let's face it. That's what its really all about. Continue Reading

Check out this little applet written by Eric Harshbarger. Simply click and drag to surround the words that are hidden in the puzzle! Continue Reading

Mary and I just finished watching a television series called Manor House. This 3-part, 6-hour PBS series aired in 2002 and is now available on DVD. Manor House ranks as one of the best TV shows I have ever had the pleasure to watch. This was reality television at its very best, putting Survivor and Big Brother to shame (well, they are pretty shameful to begin with.) Basically, nineteen volunteers from the modern world move... Continue Reading

I have finally gone and done it. I have purchased my first Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game for the PC, Star Wars Galaxies, from LucasArts. I have dabbled with the game for a few hours today and have found it to be quite entertaining. I am beginning to see the appeal of this genre. Certainly, there is a fair amount of battling to be done. But most impressive is the interaction with other people simultaneously... Continue Reading

Imagine that those words might actually be uttered one day. It's all true, and it's a disgrace to humanity. This story discusses how scientists are using aborted babies to grow human eggs. The notion that children can derive from human matter that has not itself been born sounds the stuff of science fiction. Yet it has moved a step closer with research showing that it is possible to extract ovarian tissue from aborted foetuses for... Continue Reading

We're picking up in part 9 of this ongoing series. To start at the beginning, visit the dot.com story archives One of the first things I did was to submit the site to every search engine, newsgroup and message board I could find. A Yahoo search displays 36 entries to WorldVillage sites. Of course, we were happy with the original one that helped launch our traffic. I'll never forget the thrill of receiving the coveted... Continue Reading

Back to the story... just jumping in? Catch up here... You'll forgive me if the order of events is not completely accurate. Around this time, Ken and I met with an attorney who shall be named Hal. We sat down with Hal to pick his brain and discuss raising capital. Essentially, we shared our over-inflated plans to take over the world via our little web site. We had put together a business plan reflecting the... Continue Reading

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Life has just been busy this week. I'll be picking up a dot.com story and other topics this week. Stay tuned for more crunchy goodness! Continue Reading

It's been a week since the last entry. To catch up on the story so far, Click here. Next came the logo, created by Josh Williams. I printed out a large version of the image and ironed it on a tshirt. Josh also created the next generation image map for our front page. Check it out. We never did use this one on the main page, but it gave us a good idea of what... Continue Reading

First-time visitor? You may want to Click here to read the story thus far. I can not recall where we met the guy who would be our first link to the net, nor can I remember his name. All I remember is the company was called "Powernet", and they had a multi-level marketing scheme for Internet dial-up accounts. I think I have blocked out much of what took place with these people because they left... Continue Reading

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

Part V? What happened to I-IV? Click here to read from the beginning By the way, the Consumer Electronics Show and the E3 are total schmooze-fests. I have a blast every time I go to one of these trade shows. You get to see stuff that the general public won't see for some time. My favorite part is the free stuff handed out by exhibitors. I have gathered so many tchotkes and otherwise interesting items... Continue Reading

Just picking up on this story? You may wish to click here to read so far So Ken and I created The National Software Review (not very pretentious, huh?). Ken did a great job on the design and interface, but I have to laugh in retrospect. We coded a password scheme into the interface so that you would have to email us wih a randomly generated code in order to access the magazine. It was... Continue Reading

Once again, if you are just joining us on this story, you may wish to click here to read so far. After the incredibly overwhelming reception (about 8 emails) I received from my print publication, I knew I needed to do something to get more exposure. It was then I met Ken Burge. He and I met around 1994 and instantly enjoyed discussing all things computers. I believe he was working for Texas Instruments at... Continue Reading

The critics are all over the map on this one. MetaCritic has opinions ranging from 20 to 80 (out of possible 100). I give it a solid 80. Here's why. Bruce is a story of faith. It is a journey of coming out of darkness into the light. It paints a wonderful picture of prayer as a vital means for communing with God, and most certainly causes people to reflect on their own relationship with... Continue Reading

WorldVillage.com is seeking to add more content to the site, and we are looking to YOU to become a WorldVillage Editor! Do you have an interest in an area that you believe others would also take interest? Are you a writer? Do you like to review web sites? Do you have tips for parents? Students? How about cooking tips? We are open to many ideas and are looking for people who are excited about being... Continue Reading

I'm not an artist.. don't even pretend to be. A few years ago I owned a macintosh computer and I played with a program called Bryce. It was a slick package that allowed you to render beautifully detailed landscapes on the fly. It's far more advanced today, but I did these images about 6 years ago. Curious and Curiouser Donuts Far from Home Empty Street The Throne Whaddya think? Continue Reading

Sprung for a new computer game today, Enter the Matrix. Of course, it is based on The Matrix world and released to coincide with The Matrix Reloaded (which Mary and I intend to see Sunday evening). Cool - the Wachowski brothers wrote and directed the game, which is virtually unheard of in game production. Tons of additional footage was shot using principle actor JUST for the game. So it should add a lot to The... Continue Reading

It was touch and go early this week as the shocking news hit the wires. News so terrifying, so insidious, and so darned ridiculous that many were questioning whether or not the pod people had taken over. Of course, I am speaking Stephen Joseph, the moron (re: attorney) in San Francisco (where else?) who filed to BAN Oreo cookies in California. Why? He said the popular cookie contains a life-threatening compound called trans fat. EEEEEEK... Continue Reading

I believe this is supposed to take place before the prophecy that states "and the lion shall lay down with the lamb". Click here to read more. Continue Reading

Here's a fun little google tool called Googlism. Simply type who, what, where, or when in the field and away you go. I entered "Joel Comm" for who and got these results. ----------------------------------------- Googlism for: joel comm joel comm is president of infomedia joel comm is one of those people joel comm is the mayor of worldvillage joel comm is president and ceo of infomedia joel comm is president of infomedia inc ----------------------------------------- All true... Continue Reading

I am so disgusted with tonight's final episode of Survivor 6: The Amazon. 21-year old Jenna was declared winner by an overwhelming majority of the jury. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we live in a world full of crazies. I can't imagine a more undeserving person to get the million $$$. I'm going to go sleep this one off... 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