I loved the Mario Brothers games

I really enjoyed the Mario Brothers games when they first came out. I just found this really fun Mario video on YouTube that cracked me up.

Face Book & My Space

I can’t seem to get away from folks trying to pressure me into signing up with either Face Book or My Space. My social life is fine and I have enough to do rather than dealing with all that is involved with maintaining such an account. I hear good things about these sites, but I think I’ll still pass on them for now.

Learning about the Internet

I’ve been going to the PP Business networking meetings Wednesday mornings for several months now, and although I haven’t seen an increase in my business, I’ve enjoyed learning about everyone else’s businesses while going there.  One of the things that we do at the meetings is have a featured presenter talk about themselves and their own business. 

Yesterday Tom was presenting about his Internet services business.  He was talking about how he was going to be holding free classes for the members of our group so we could become more computer and Internet savvy.  He plans to teach us topics such as web hosting, blogging, buying domains, managed hosting, keywords, colocation, tags, and marketing strategies geared towards the Internet.  I think it’s a good way for Tom to promote his business, don’t you?

It isn’t marzipan

I got an email a couple of days ago that had a lot of photos included of tiny baby sculptures.  The email claimed that the sculptures were made of marzipan.  Well, the sculptures were truly remarkable, but I found that they were not of marzipan.  They are porcelain.  Extreme talent, big money!  I wish I had that kind of talent!  The artist’s name is Camille Allen, and she sells her sculptures on the Internet.  I was enjoying looking at her website and was reading about how some of her scultures are one of a kind, but some are reproduced in resin in bulk in China.  I found it interesting that the website explains that the only reason they are made in China is because there are no manufacturers in the USA that are capable of producing them. 

I think that is part of the problem with our struggling economy – too many of our industrial jobs have left the country and gone overseas to countries with lax environmental laws and cheap labor.  Well, this post wasn’t going to be preachy about our economy….. but it turned out that way!

The Ocean & A Good Game of Golf

I’ve heard that Myrtle Beach is getting a large amount of people this summer season. Since the major oil company, B.P. has trashed so many of the other beaches, folks are finding that Myrtle Beach has nice clean water and beaches to offer the general public and is welcoming them with open arms.

Summer is almost over and I don’t have any vacation days left for this year, but I would like to look into visiting Myrtle Beach next summer. I have not been there for a good long while and it would be good to see how it has changed since I’ve been there last. I enjoy the ocean and enjoy a good challenging game of golf and Myrtle Beach has both of these qualities.

I was online earlier and found a website http://avistaresort.com that is advertising some nice looking and sounding resorts in Myrtle Beach that I’d love to stay at next year. It is great that the Internet makes find a good Myrtle Beach hotel a much easier task to tackle. I have plenty of time to find the perfect accommodations and will keep you posted on what I discover.

Banner Sales

Reading the tech newsletter that the New York Times sends out, I found an interesting article about big companies using the internet to advertise and they are retargeting their web site visitors to close more sales.

Some internet consultants are retargeting companies with their banner ads. They evidently latch onto you while you are browsing their online store. But if you leave their site without making purchase, they will follow you as you click through to other sites and continue displaying tempting banner ads to try and get you to return to their site and buy their product. That’s a little spooky to me, but evidently there are several big companies already doing this and it is proving to be a very successful technique.

The term remarketing must refer to the fact that you are shown an ad based on your previous browsing experience. The first time you see their ad is their marketing. Then when you leave that site and you see their ad on a different site, that is the secondary or remarketing part.

Roll With Them

I love being spontaneous. I do try and plan things out but sometimes things just happen and I have learned to roll with them as best as possible. I don’t mind getting a last minute call from someone and running out the door in order to get somewhere in the shortest time possible. I did grow up here so I know all of the roads like the back of my hand and I’m sure that I know each and every shortcut that is possible around my hometown and the cities that surround it as well, so I can get places pretty darn quick if needed.

I love going to sporting events, even though I’m not really active in very many. I do however enjoy playing a game of golf every now and then. My folks brought us up playing golf and I’m grateful for that. It is a nice easy going game that just about anyone can play and they have golf courses and tee times just about everywhere.

My folks just got back from their annual Myrtle Beach vacation last week. They wanted me to come but I couldn’t really take the time off of work and I all ready have a long weekend planned for the last part of September. My mom was telling me last night that they had a good time, the weather was a bit wacky but all in all it was a success. My dad found a website at www.48hourteetimes.com that they had to utilized during their stay in Myrtle Beach. They are a full service hospitality group that helps people with their accommodations and their 48 hour tee times. Since so many people are flocking to Myrtle Beach S.C. this year due to BP ruining so many of the other beaches on the east coast a lot of the hotels and golf courses have been slammed with customers that need some help finding their way around and finding what is available and for who.

I’m glad that my folks are computer literate. Many people their age are a bit timid when it comes to maneuvering around on the Internet, but they have mastered it quite well and use it to their best advantage when possible. And I’m glad that they are spontaneous, that must be where I got it from, a double dose of it, to be sure.

Rubbing elbows

This past weekend I felt like I was completely out of my element. I was invited to a party by my brother-in-law. The party was being held by some friends of his, and he thought that it would be a good opportunity for me to network and expand my business contacts. The music was good, the food was good, and the drinks weren’t bad either. But I have to admit that I found it a little bit difficult to engage in conversation with most of the people there. Seems as if everyone there was a major computer geek.

I’m not all up to date with all of the aspects and terminology of computer and the Internet. Sure, I have a computer, and I blog, but when it comes to carrying on a conversation with a group of folks about topics such as a web hosting hub review I have to admit that I’m rather lost. I’m assuming that they were talking about a website that reviews and rates web hosting services, but I was afraid to open my mouth and stick my foot in it! A wise man once said “‘Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!”

Cable and Internet Systems in the South

Guest post written by my friend Will Blackson

I moved to a southern state to avoid the horribly cold winters I have endured for 30 years of my life. I figured this was going to be great since I would be outdoors most of the year, I really wouldn’t have much need for Internet and cable services like I needed when I lived up north.

Boy was I wrong. Okay so here’s the deal, some of the year, yes it is just gorgeous, and sunny. Then it doesn’t get frigid cold, it goes the opposite way and gets boiling hot. So hot indeed, you cannot enjoy the outdoors at all. Inside I go again, now with central airbecause this is a must have. Now that I am stuck inside again, well its time for cable.

You really cannot rely on rabbit ears in this rural community, you can’t get a signal. You have to have cable to be able to watch a show. I called the cable company and guess what? They are actually pretty fast at getting out right away, thank goodness. I informed them that I have a computer and they asked me if I wanted a Clear TV Bundle. They explained how it is always cheaper to do cable and internet bundles together the first time, although the cable company can add a service into a bundle at any time. The cable company provided all the tools I needed to get hooked up. And having one bill to pay is just awesome. The more you can bundle the more you save in the end. I love this service and it is very convenient for me. They were fast, on-time, and courteous to do this all on the same day. Thank goodness for bundles, you need them no matter where you live.

Himalayan Salt Lamps for Example

We all have things that we are interested in and find ourselves collecting pieces now and then, here and there. The flea market is a great place to find all types of treasures, from all over. The one flea market that is open only on Sunday has such a diverse flavor to it. People from all over the world go there and it is best described as being “Spicy” which is cool by me.  

It’s a good place to find unique treasures that you wouldn’t necessarily find at most market places. Of course you can always go online and find most of the items but what fun is there in that. On a nice day it does a body good to get outside and spend the day walking and talking with people from a variety of places. I’m sure I could find some Himalayan Salt Lamps or a Native American War Bonnet online somewhere, it might take a little digging, but finding one at the market just gets the endorphins going and makes for a pleasant day all the way around.

Gratification

Most of us are doing a good amount of our shopping online these days. There are good deals to be found for people that take just a bit of there time and do a bit of “Googling” and follow through with some good old fashioned research. With as many search engines and searching sites available to us with just a few short key strokes it feeds us the information that we are looking for. We truly are a society looking for instant gratification and we usually get just that with all of today’s technology that is bringing us more goodies to make things easier, more compact and faster every time we turn around.

I am need of a new pair of eyeglasses and have heard of Zenni Optical before, so I checked them out online last night for a few minutes. They have complete eyeglasses that start at only $8 a pair and they have a great variety of eye wear to choose from on their website. It didn’t take me long to place my order. I’ll pay $4.95 for shipping and will receive a hard case, a cleaning cloth and they will be UV protected with an anti-scratch coating on them as well. It sounds good to me and if I like what I get I’ll be ordering more and passing the good word around.

Real Estate Tax Benefit Extended

Last night while watching television before retiring for the night a commercial came on informing us that the real estate tax benefit has been extended, once again. That is good news for a lot of people that are looking and are now in the position to purchase a home. There are great deals on houses right now and sales are picking up more and more. I have a close friend who is a real estate agent who has been struggling due to the economy, like so many of us are. But she tells me that sales are picking up and that there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, which is awesome news, all the way around.

I’m told that qualified home buyers are being urged to act as soon as possible and to have a written binding contract by this April 30th and to be able to close by June 30th of this year of 2010. I found this video and thought I’d post it here for grins and giggles. And for more information I urge you to visit http://bit.ly/5D6mKg  for all of the pertinent information concerning this extension. There are strict guidelines involved and this site gives a pretty good over view of all that you need to know.

Show Me The Money In Any Language

I find it interesting to see websites from other countries and I thank the Internet for providing us an insight to what is going on all across the globe. You never know where you are going to land when you start clicking online. Translating can be issue at times, but looking at sites from the U.K. and Australia are the best.

People in the U.K get hurt just as much as we do here in the states and they companies to assist them with their Compensation claims in order to get their just dues. If you get hurt, due to no fault of your own some one has to pay the bills no matter where you live, right?

Rod Stewart

It’s cool to see that Rod Stewart is still going strong. Remember Maggie May?

And then of course there is Forever Young. I couldn’t find the video for this song but I did come up with this one that shows the lyrics.

Last but not least I Don’t Want To Talk About It

YouTube.com

I really enjoy the music and the videos that is offered on YouTube.com. I could spend hours looking up music to listen to. Remember this one “Take A Walk On The Wild Side”  song by Lou Reed. And the colored girls go……………..

Hey babe, take a walk on the side!

When you are on the road

One of the things I always try to do before going on a road trip with any of my vehicles is to give it a good “once over” to make sure that everything is in good working order before we leave.  One thing is for sure, having a vehicle break down while on vacation can put a real damper on the fun!  One of the problems is finding out where to take the vehicle for service when you are in an area you are not familiar with!

That’s why the repairpal.com website is a valuable resource to people who take their cars to their trips.  The website helps the users to local reputable auto repair shops around the country.  So if a traveller were to be driving his Chevrolet Silverado on a Dallas vacation and suddenly realized he needs a brake job he could go to the repairpal website and type in the search engine for a Dallas auto repair vendor and what kind of vehicle he is driving and what service is needed.  The website will provide an estimated cost of repair and  trustworthy service locations to take the vehicle.  I think that’s a great resource to know about, don’t you agree?

Farewell to one of my favorite shows

Although my favorite television show is Burn Notice, I also greatly enjoyed watching the television show Monk. I liked how it depicted that even people suffering from mental illness can become productive members of society. And in this particular case, Monk was a very productive member of society. I honestly cannot say that I’ve ever seen a Monk episode that I didn’t like. I watched the series finale of Monk last night. I was so glad that they did not kill off the character. The ending left open the possibility that Monk could return in the future, either as a series or as an occasional special. I hope and trust that there will be Monk reruns to watch either on the Internet or on Television! I have not had my fill of them yet.

Furnishing the new apartment

My niece and her fiance have been looking at a apartment.  They haven’t signed the lease yet, but they are pretty sure which apartment they are going to be taking, and now they need some furniture to put in it!  They’ve been asking other family members for hand-me-down home furnishings to help them out, and they are getting quite a bit of luck with that, but there are still a few items that they are going to be needing!

I’ve also suggested that they check out the local thrift stores and freecycle, but there are a few items that they want to get brand new.  I’ve suggested that they go to some local furniture stores and see what they like before buying something online.  I’d like to make sure that the brand that they get is going to be comfortable and well-made.  I’d hate for them to buy something sight unseen and then be upset because it is not the quality or comfort level that they want to have!

Finding local businesses

My brother has been telling me that he wants to open a catering business in his town.  He thinks that there is a strong market for it because there are a lot of “high end” businesses that he thinks that will use his services.  So he’s been looking at ways to advertise his new business and was thinking about using the justclicklocal.com website.  So I went to the website to check it out for myself.  I saw that the website can be used to find just about any kind of product or service anywhere in the country.  For example, I can find a dog walker in Miami FL, a dentist in Pittsburg PA or an auto mechanic in Charlotte, NC just by typing in the keywords and location!

So, just to try it out, and to help him out I was looking around the site some more and found that he could list his business for free!  I thought it seemed easy enough to do.  So I recommend that you give it a try yourself if you are looking for a local business, or want to advertise your own – give this site a chance!

Disputing a credit card charge

There used to be a time when the credit card companies backed me up when I made a claim, disputing a payment. Well, those days sure seem to be over! There was a charge on my American Express card last May for $197 for a product that I did order. However I then subsequently cancelled that order and the merchandise was never received. I have proof that I contacted the company and cancelled the order, and I have an email from the company acknowledging the cancellation. Yet American Express keeps telling me that the charge is valid and that I have to pay it! So every month I have to reopen the claim. It is getting very tiring and I am thinking about cancelling that credit card! I have plenty of other credit cards that I can use – I don’t need the aggravation that goes along with this one!