Hi all,

It's been a long time since I have blogged but now with my new relaxed RV lifestyle I am finding that I have a few extra moments to do so. So with that said, on to the good stuff.

As many of you know I have spent years marketing websites for companies such as Dollar Rent A Car, Thrifty Car Rental and Walmart via samsclub.com. The result of my work was so tremendous (not tooting my own horn; this is more of a case study. I have done many more niche markets and sites.) that Dollar and Thrifty both laid off 50% of their reservationists in 2005 and they told me at a meeting it was due to the increased traffic and reservations generated on their websites and because of what I had done for them.

Don't get me wrong, I did feel a bit guilty about so many people losing their jobs however; I did exactly what those companies paid me to do.

So now I've been contemplating what I wanted to do. I know from personal experience that marketing a website and/or making money on the Internet is a fairly easy and inexpensive task for anyone to do. So here is what I have decided...

I am changing the direction of my blogs and going to take them into the Internet marketing/money making direction. What this means is that I will from time to time post what I believe is valuable information; in simple enough terms for anyone to understand. My hope is that doing this will allow anyone that wants to make money from home on the Internet or anyone that wants to create and market their own website will be able to do so.

From time to time I will post articles that I have written old and new. I will also post tools, software etc. that are either low cost or free and help in any way that I can to see that you succeed in making money on the Internet. I hope you will join me, read my posts and perhaps subscribe to my blogs. If you have any questions please feel free to drop me a message. Thanks a bunch! ~Stay Tuned~

Recently Directv has implemented a policy change which will affect many users of their system. Specifically it will affect those who place their service with the company on vacation status or suspend status. Directv in the past would allow you to do this when you were on vacation, out of the country etc. and not charge you a bill. Then you simply called them upon returning to reactivate the service. As a person who is a full time RVer and has Directv, I am disappointed to report that Directv has ammended its policy on this vacation status. Now, you are only able to place your service on vacation status two times per year maximum. This is a big problem for those that live full time in an RV or for those that travel frequently.

Truthfully this is one of the reasons I chose the Directv service over its competition. I'm unsure how this will play out over time but I do know that if I need to place my service on vacation status more than the twice per year and Directv will not let me, then I will consider changing service to a more RV friendly service. At this point I would recommend RVers to consider looking at their options before deciding to go with a service that is at best luke warm towards RVers. You see, I have had many phone calls that I have made to Directv for customers and when telling the reps on the phone that the customer was an RVer; Directv's reps replied, "we don't do RVs." So, either the customer service reps don't realize that I sell hundreds of Directv systems per week at the largest RV accessories retailer on the planet and are just mis-informed or else Directv is making a statement that they aren't willing to accomadate RVers in a fashion that they should. We sell hundreds of Directv recievers, dishes and dome systems weekly to RVers and Directv should acknowledge its great RV customers and be a bit more accomodating.

I myself in the future will steer customers in my store to Directv's competition instead due to the unfriendly stance Directv seems to have in relation to the RV industry. ~Cheers~

A Second Life to Live
Hundreds of thousands of people live, at least part of the time, in a world called Second Life.

Walmart To Offer Generic Drugs for $4

Sep. 21 - Wal-Mart says it will begin selling nearly 300 generic drugs for four dollars a prescription covering up to a 30-day supply, first in Florida.

The program will begin tomorrow in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. Plans call for expansion to the entire state of Florida early next year. Wal-Mart says it intends to expand further afterward. Read More Here

Normally I wouldn't give something like this any publicity at all; however I feel its important to let the public and society as a whole to know what's going on and the state of some people's minds in this country. I am outraged! Was the death of these victims not enough? Do we really need to let people kill those victims over and over again in a video game now???!!!

Shock, Anger Over Columbine Video Game

Designer Says Web Creation An 'Indictment' of Society
By Jose Antonio VargasWashington Post Staff WriterSaturday, May 20, 2006

For a little more than a year, the online game "Super Columbine Massacre RPG!" and its creator have been sailing the Internet underground.

NOTE: This is not a link to the game it is a link to read the rest of the story. If you are so inclined (twisted) that you'd like to try this game, you'll have to find the link for yourself elsewhere. Read the full article here.

NBC has created a special viewer line for Starting Over --- 818-777-0244. If viewers wish to call to voice their opinion regarding Starting Over this is THE BEST number to call. All calls will be logged and counted. Callers MUST call 818-777-0244 for their voice to be heard.

There is still no word whether Starting Over will be back for a fourth season. Fans through out the online Starting Over community are fearing the worst about Starting Over. Rumor has it that Coach Iyanla made the choice months ago not to return for a fourth season of Starting Over. Right now Starting Over fans are just waiting to hear word about the show.

Fans of Starting Over have two choices right now. We can stil back quietly and wait for word about the shows fait or we can take some actions. Now would be a great time to begin a letter writing campaign in support of the bringing Starting Over back for a fourth season.

Contact NBC Universal at (212) 664-6046 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time and let them know you want then to keep Starting Over On the air."

By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY
SEATTLE — For the second time this year, Microsoft is scrambling to fix a critical security hole in its Internet Explorer Web browser, a flaw cybercrooks found and have already begun to exploit.
The flaw allows intruders to seize control of the PCs of anyone visiting corrupted websites. Thursday, cybercrooks stepped up their weeklong assault by releasing e-mail spam that entices victims to visit such websites, says Dan Hubbard, research director at tech security firm Websense. Read More Here

The warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are serious and to the point: “This is to inform you of a recent increase in the number of reports in the United States of a rare but serious fungal infection of the eye in soft contact lens wearers. The infection, a fungal keratitis caused by the Fusarium fungus, may cause vision loss requiring corneal transplants. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Google Inc.'s bid to blanket San Francisco with a free wireless Internet service cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a city panel identified the search leader and EarthLink Inc. as the best candidates for the ambitious project. Read More

It's as exciting as it is frightening. Today, Google announced that it plans to launch a free global wireless broadband network that would offer free internet access and phone service to anyone willing to view at least 50 google pages per week. The network will run on Glo-Fi, a technology similar to WiFi and it will use abandonned satellite equipment. Why frigthtening? Because once Google increases its influence so much, they will be even more of the mamooth they are right now, sort of a Microsoft number 2. Exciting... well, for obvious reasons. But there is still a good waiting time before that happens. mid-2007 they say... if they don't get delayed.
Friday March 31, 2006"

AOL's Third Annual Instant Messenger Trends Survey
Instant messaging (IM) has become an important part of everyday life in the U.S. and around the world. IM usage is up 19 percent year over year for 2005, and is deeply entrenched at home, at work, at school and on the road, with many Americans sending as many - if not more - IMs than they do emails. Read more here

Motley Crue | Red, White & Crue

Motley Crue is expected to head into the studio this June and July for the follow-up to 2005's compilation Red, White and Crue. The eighties metal legends have been at work with rock producer Bob Rock, who produced the group’s 1989 album Dr. Feelgood, and have a month of rehearsals scheduled to prepare.
Read More About the New Album Here...

U.S. Planning Base on Moon To Prepare for Trip to Mars

HOUSTON -- For the first time since 1972, the United States is planning to fly to the moon, but instead of a quick, Apollo-like visit, astronauts intend to build a permanent base and live there while they prepare what may be the most ambitious undertaking in history -- putting human beings on Mars.

I am very excited as my mom and my brother are both coming to see us in April. They will be here on April 13th and will be staying with us for two weeks. It's been awhile since I have seen both of them and it will be really nice to visit. Hopefully they will get to see Lynne and Dana's new baby girl Brianna and get to visit with Ms. Thang "Kirstin" too. Would be great to all get together for dinner or something while they are here. Anyways, I'm excited and counting the days!! :)

Alienware Sucks! Get a Dell dude!

Alienware Sucks!: June 2005

Alienware Sucks!

Alienware Sucks

Alienware T-shirts

marty's underwater space: Alienware sucks

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Oklahoma as a "primary natural disaster area" because of an extensive drought that has hurt many farmers, Gov. Brad Henry announced Wednesday.

US Department Of Agriculture Declares Oklahoma A Disaster Area

"Outraged, Appalled and Embarrassed"

I'm writing to express my utter disgust, embarrassment and frustration in the midst of the hurricane Katrina devastation. I feel embarrassed to be an American right now, I am appalled at Homeland Security which is nothing more than a tax dollar toilet and a farce (they can't even secure our borders which are overrun with illegal immigrants!). Can they wipe their behinds? I don't think they can.. because they stink! I'm appalled at FEMA, State, Federal and Local governments in this country especially the states of Alabama, Mississippi and most of all Louisiana.

I as the meager citizen of the U.S. that I am have enough brains to know that more could have and SHOULD have been done to minimize this tragedy and as tax paying citizens the victims of this country deserve much more than they got and are getting.

I ask why.. why .. why if the president who lines his pockets with his oil investments can declare a state of emergency several days before the hurricane made landfall not provide simple transportation for the less fortunate to get out of harms way? I know full well that these 3 states have enough buses between public transportation, school buses etc to have provided that in the days leading up to landfall. Instead over 400 buses magically appear after the fact!!! Where were they???

Why, can state government officials order a mandatory evacuation several days before the storm made landfall but not provide bus transportation for those unable to afford evacuation during those same several days in which the victims were standing outside of the superdome waiting to be taken inside? I know many Americans would have gladly paid that bill! Does the state of Louisiana have a shortage of buses? Neighboring states maybe?

FEMA in the days leading up to the devastation apparently had done no planning what-so-ever regarding helping with evacuations but instead focused on the aftermath. Alot of which could have been minimized should the head of the agency and the governments planned a little better. Instead FEMA chose to tout its horn on the news letting us know how they have helped in the past (which they have) but this agency instead chose pure Hollywood showmanship on the nightly news instead of effective planning and thus far they have shown very little success in the supposed lessons they have learned over the years.

Shame on the Governor of Louisiana! Looting? Would there be as much looting and chaos if he had gotten those people out of there in the days before landfall? Would Rudy Giuliani have put up with this type of thing after 911? Did he? I don't think so. He is a much better man and has a brain.

Forgive me for sounding a bit simplistic but I do believe a little bit of common sense and planning was in order here, after all I have lived through the Oklahoma City Bombing, 911, hurricane Andrew, many tornados here in Oklahoma etc.

I only pray that these State, Federal and Local agencies pay attention to this and learn from it. It doesn't seem that they have learned very much except for self promotion and bogus political rhetoric. Perhaps I should run for public office so things can be done better? Never mind, I'm just a lowly tax paying American without a brain I guess.

As a side note, where are all the countries that complained that the U.S. didn't respond with enough or in a timely manner during the tsunami devastation? Hello? We're are you we need you? It's awfully funny how those same countries had a voice then but, do we hear them now? No, of course we don't.

As a tax paying American citizen, your brother; I respectfully request that the people of this country band together and elect officials and employ agencies with a little more brains and common sense, less I say... God Help Us All!

MY CIRCLE OF FRIENDS POST #3

My parents divorced when I was about 4 if I remember correctly and we lived in a rambler style home in a moderate neighborhood near Bothell. 2703 Stafford Way Bothell Washington 98011 I believe it was. Our first phone number that I knew was 485-3835.

These things stick in my mind as I used to recite them over and over to myself sometimes on the walk to and from the school bus each day to escape from the life I was given. It had not been my choice to live in this torment that was surrounding me. I really needed and wanted so desperately to get out.

Kim and I flourished as team mates although we did have our bouts... we were pretty much inseperable in those days. We rode skateboards, built forts in the neighborhood together and rode bicycles. My first bicycle if I recall correctly was purchased by my aunt and uncle Mathis aka "Auntie and Unkie" they were called. It was a shiny red bike with solid rubber tires so as to prevent flats. Kim, still too young to ride a bike at the time was my partner in crime and I rode her on the back of my new bike. One time we were across the street in the neighbors' sloped driveway. Coming down the sloped driveway Kim got her leg caught in the spokes.

As we came down the driveway I recall hearing 3 loud snaps and I thought the spokes of the bike must have broken. Kim was writhing in pain and laying on the ground as the bike had tipped over and dumped the both of us. I could tell she was in pain and I asked her if she could stand up and she said no. I helped her to her feet and she placed minimal weight on one leg and stood firmly on the other with a taught grimace on her face. I offered her my back and she climbed aboard. We made it across the street to our home and then later that evening found that Kim had broken her leg in 3 places. The 3 loud snaps that I had heard....

For months afterward Kim was in a cast from waist to toe. She used to relieve her itching from the cast using a long coat hanger. She would not be left at home and out of the action. She limped around on her walking cast, scooted around the house and the neighborhood on a skateboard and even climbed trees with her broken leg. Kim was a real trooper and wanted a part of any and all action.

Finally the day came when my mother met a man Bill. He seemed like a nice man and loved my sister Kim very much. I did not feel as though he really cared for me much though. I think he didn’t like the relationship that my mother and I had. It seems not many did and still today I don’t think some do.

It is a precious relationship that I would never change and would hope that every child has with their mother. A mother’s boy? You could say that yes, and I would be willing to admit it fully. I am not ashamed that I am my mother’s friend for she has been the one bright light in a tunnel of darkness for me for many years. She has been my friend when nobody else was there; she has been my father when mine deserted me and when a new man came to be my sister’s father and not mine.

~THE STORY CONTINUES~

MY CIRCLE OF FRIENDS POST #2

My home was not a very calm home in those days and did not become calm for most of my life. There was drinking, there was fighting, some violent and pretty darn scary for a boy of about 4 or 5.

My sister came into the world when I was just 3 or 3 and a half. She was a very cute baby with blonde hair and she used to make a pig type face that was so funny. As we grew older together I can be honest and say we sure had our knock down and drag out fights but all in all I really feel as though we respected and loved one another very much.

Sometimes at age 2 or 3 Kim would wake in the morning and follow me to the bus stop with our dog Gimlet in tow and try to get on the bus to go to school even though she was barely dressed, it was almost as if it were her dream yet she was not yet old enough to go to school. Mom would have to come and get her off of the bus.

I think that our love for each other is and was much stronger than other siblings as our lives were pretty dysfunctional and so we clung to each other. A real team.

Kim and I were not the only team members though, our mom Linda pretty much held us together and out of harms way even though sometimes hers would be in danger. She was the glue that held the team together. This was my circle of friends.

~MORE LATER~

It's a crazy world...
You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the Swiss hold the Americas cup, France is accusing the US of arrogance and Germany doesn't want to go to war.

~Time Marches On~

Zero Hour

Watching the news tonight prompts me to post this message. As an impending war upon Iraq appears likely, I would like to say that my prayers, thoughts and support is with our American soldiers and their families.

Something I will never understand though are those people who do not support them. People might disagree with the war and not be supportive of the actions of the government. And that is quite alright, isn't that what FREEDOM is? Isn't that one of the things that FREEDOM provides you?

But my thing is a little different... Those soldiers are real people. They are someones brother, father, sister or mother for crying out loud. They go bravely into battle when directed to do so by the government and country that they have chosen to defend.

As you sit at home tonight, please think of the sacrifices these PEOPLE are making. For you, your kids, this country and your families. They may not agree with the war either and their families are anxiously awaiting their safe return home.

In closing, THANK YOU to all of the brave PEOPLE/soldiers who have been handed this precocious task.

We love you, thank you, and our prayers are with you. See you soon!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

and quite literally..... ~The World Marches On~