Nadolig Llawen

Merry Christmas - work has finished for a week or so, and I am going to publish my December earnings even though December is not yet over. I don't expect any earnings over the next week or so, so I have effectively finished working in my 9-5 as well as my online 'work' for the festivities.
I managed to get a couple of extra tape to CD conversions out to clients this week and have received some paid blogging income for work over the last few weeks. I bought more CD's and cases for my tape conversion business otherwise, profits would have been a bit higher. Not a bad showing for the last month of 2011 though:
Turnover was about £185, but the additions to stock cost me £23, and postage costs were £13. The profit for the month was £149 which is another healthy profit, stock purchases also mean that I am in a good position to do more tape conversions without having to buy stock for a while. Total profit for the tax year is close to £1100, from a turnover of just under £1300, more than half of which came from cassette to CD conversions. I have made about £500 so far since the beginning of April from blog posts and passive (affiliate and adverts) income. I have three months to go before the end of the current tax year, hopefully I can get some decent chunks of income in before then... In the language of my birth, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, in the language of my adopted home I wish you all Nadolig Llawen!

Arm Update

I have had my new shorter cast for a week now, and everything is almost back to normal. The medical team were kind enough to cut an 'S' shape in the new lighter cast so that I could remove it if I wanted to take a bath etc.. and for the last few nights I have tried sleeping with the cast removed. I had this new cast fitted last week, and my immediate problem of not being able to drive was instantly fixed.. Having elbow movement back again was great - I even had a half-decent game of football on Saturday...
Two more weeks of this and I think I should be able to remove the cast altogether (next appointment is on 28th December..). I had a weeks 'vacation' off work last week, and am happy to report that I think I have all my Christmas presents purchased, and cards sent...

Should be a few more cassette to CD jobs to come in before Christmas, but I have already done quite a big order this month and have had a few more paid blog payouts. Financially things are looking pretty strong (ironic considering the European Economy seems to be crashing around our ears at the moment..). We are still enjoying ridiculously low mortgage interest payments, and I am still managing to overpay my mortgage which means that some of the principle should be eroded before the (likely to be inadequate) endowment comes up in ten years time...

Update

I am counting down the days 'til my next appointment - should be Wednesday and hopefully, a cast that will allow me to drive again.. I have another batch of tapes to complete - only about 9 or 10 this time, but should be a nice bonus before Christmas...

I have booked some time off at the end of this week and the beginning of next for Christmas committments and a bit of Christmas shopping - this could all go pear-shaped if I don't have this cast taken off though...!

I am about half-way through Christmas shopping - all the easy ones are done, a couple of slightly tricky ones to get out of the way, then need to parcel everything up to go to my parents for distribution around the family. I hope to get all my Christmas cards done soon too. I have another laptop on eBay for a 7 day auction at the moment - this should help me draw even on the purchases I made, then it will be a case of getting a few repairs done and any sales I can make from the vast piles of spare parts I have left will be the profit. As I have said before, I have enjoyed the experience of laptop refurbishment, but would not recommend it as a business plan unless it could be done on a larger scale with a lot more time...maybe another idea for if I find myself out of work at any point in the future...

Next update on Wednesday!!

Dead sea salts

Christmas Ideas #8
Apparently dead sea salts have a number of beneficial properties for your skin, and are used in a variety of skin care and bathing products.
The Dead Sea is known for it's high salt content which means even the least buoyant of us will float in it. So I guess there must be plenty of Dead Sea salt to go around. I have seen this salt used in products to aid muscle aches, help skin conditions and have even seen it used in shampoo. If you're struggling to think of a unique gift for someone - this is a good choice, probably for a more mature adult with aching limbs - like me..

Triple bowl undermount sinks

I am in no state to do any DIY at the moment even though there are a list of jobs to be done. I need to prep my freshly plastered hall and landing for painting. there is a lot of work to be done in the bathroom, and I am supposed to be fitting a triple undermount sink in the kitchen.
I may have to address some of these issues if my plaster cast comes off this week, otherwise my better half is threatening to 'get someone in' - a luxury I don't think we can afford...
My online earnings pay for a few little treats here and there, but would soon be soaked up by a tradesman in a few hours.
To be fair, once I start on these jobs, I get a lot of satisfaction from them, I am just struggling to get started.

Garter belt

Christmas Ideas #7
The 'traditional' gift from a man to his special lady might well include a garter belt or something equally alluring. There's nothing quite so warming for the long winter nights as something to make you hot under the collar.
Moderately priced and fun for both the giver and the recipient... bedroom wear could be the perfect gift for your lady, and a chance to treat yourself at the same time!

November 2011

I can hardly believe that it is December already... but it has been a bumper month for cassettes to CD's this month, largely due to one significant order. There has been a few paid posts to crack on with too, some of which will pay out in a week or two.
I have added in some postage costs to the spreadsheet that I managed to miss off last months report... All in all, I have to be very pleased with this month although I am mindful that earnings have come mainly from one job - I must look at how I can boost earnings across all the different revenue streams. Checking against last years earnings in November, I am ahead by about £200 using the same months, but earnings are so haphazard, there is no guarantee that by the end of March, I will be anywhere near £200 ahead - I am chasing an annual profit of £1375, so still have some way to go..
I got a small payout from eBay partnership which boosted passive earnings a little, but I would prefer to see larger totals in this column!

Equestrian boots

Christmas Ideas #6If there is a budding cowboy or cowgirl in your family, you may well be looking at investing in some equestrian boots at Christmastime. There are many different styles available for youngsters an adults alike.
Traditionally these boots are made from leather which adds to the price, but also to the elegance of the boot. However, for the budget-conscious, or for those who object to leather, manmade materials are also quite popular.

Arm Update

Finally the artist has been at work and decorated the cast on my arm as you can see. I am hoping that I will only have this on for one more week as I have an appointment next Wednesday. The cast is awkward and preventing me from getting a good nights sleep amongst other things, so I really hope it will be gone soon...
There are so many things I can't do easily although I have a good go at most things. I definitely can't drive, it is not so hard to get dressed now, but taking a bath is quite hard with one arm held up in the air. A colleague kindly makes sandwiches for me at work, and even answering the phone is tricky because if I need to write anything down, I don't have a spare hand to do it with!
Having said all that, I don't have much pain, and I have use of the hand at least if not the arm, I can hold things (as long as I don't have to really grip hard) in my left hand. As far as broken arms go, I think I have got off fairly lightly.

HCG weight loss program

I noticed a few people talking about the hcg weight loss program recently. the great thing about this weight-loss program is that it appears to be individually tailored to suit the client.
It also appears to be aministered by doctors, which is just as well when you look at the measures taken in oder to reduce weight. The methods include hormone injections and various medications. As ever with weightloss programs, these are not quick-fixes and for long term effects, willpower will still be a major factor

Wedding photography raleigh nc

If your 'big day' is looming, then you will want to ensure that you get the best that you can afford when it comes to the venue, the caterers, and the photographers etc.. In many cases, local services will have formed a kind of community and will be used to working with other local services.

For instance your wedding photography raleigh nc company will probably be familiar with the local venues and the best spots for taking photo's - they may also know good caterers and a good band or entertainers/caterers and be able to make some recommendations.

The venue for the reception will probably be able to recommend caterers and musicians etc.. They will probably also be familiar with the work of some local wedding cake manufacturers. Once you start the planning, you may find all the other players falling into place quite naturally.

Update

It's day 12 of having most of my left arm in a cast, and although it was a novelty for this first day, the novelty-factor quickly wore off... I can't drive which is quite frustrating, I can't play football which is even worse.. and it's difficult to sleep soundly. In fact I am getting a bad back because I am sleeping in an uncomfortable position. There are 12 days to go before my next appointment, and hopefully removal of this massive yellow appendage!

There is one great mercy from all this though, and that is the fact that with all the treatment I am getting, the x-rays and the casts (this is my second, and I may need a third, hopefully smaller one). The NHS takes care of everything so I don't have to worry about the cost as there will never be an invoice dropping on to my mat for all this work. It's a pity other nations can't get the same sort of treatment without worrying about insurance - just saying...!

Eyelash enhancer

Christmas Ideas #5
If you are looking for a present for a friend who likes their makeup, eyelash enhancer is a good choice as the current trend is in favor of accentuating fuller darker eyelashes.
Despite the fact that I am not keen on a face that is overly 'made up', I do think that nicely enhanced lashes attract attention and make eye contact far more likely. It doesn't matter what you are wearing, you will never make an impression if you don't make eye contact..

Get romantic

If you want to get romantic this Christmas, you could find something in the 'sweetest day' department.
Apparently 'Sweetest Day' is an actual calendar event in some parts of the US believed to have been started by confectioners who gave gifts of sweets to the needy and encouraging others to do the same.
This has developed into something of a rival to valentines day judging by the type of gifts on offer. The actual event is in October, but don't let that stop you sorting out something sweet for a loved or needy friend..

Casters

In years gone by, if you needed casters, fixings or door handles etc., you made do with what was available at your local hardware store. If you were ambitious and optimistic, you might head for the nearest big town in the hope of unearthing exactly the right make and model.
With the advent of the internet as a shopping tool, you can now track down more or less the exact bits and bobs you need from the comfort of your own armchair.

Update

Well, the plaster on my broken arm is still clean, my daughter has not decided what she wants to write on it yet... The whole experience is very frustrating, but not stopping me from doing very much - everything is just more of a struggle... A lot of paid posts have suddenly turned up right in the middle of when I have a load of tapes to do... If I can get everything finished in time, this should be a relatively big earning month for me - thankfully, I can manage my on-line work with just my right hand..
I just checked my GoDaddy affiliates and there is about $7.50 sitting there, $25 payout, so no realistic likelihood of a payout any time soon from them. Adsense is ticking along, but there is too much to do to spend time trying to maximise those earnings at the moment. I bought a new domain for my cassette to CD business, and it does not show up high enough in search results yet - I really should spend some time and effort promoting it - the older site gets quite a lot of traffic, so I am not really missing out, but I would prefer to have people visit the newer designed site.
I haven't even had time to put any more laptops up for sale - I may investigate using gumtree and other sites rather than pay the fees on eBay...

Candy apples for sale

Christmas Ideas #4
This is probably not the best way to get one of your 'five a day', but at berries.com, I have just seen the most delicious looking candy apples for sale.

Talk about a festive treat - I'm not that keen on fruit usually, but would certainly make an exception if one of these made it's way into my Christmas stocking.

Available for all types of festive occasions avail yourself of this treat packed with fruity goodness..

Commercial litigation lawyers

There may be a fine choice of commercial litigation lawyers raleigh nc, but how do you choose the right one? A good starting point with any company is their website, it can tell you a lot about a firm, but not everything.

More importantly, it would be helpful to get some references from satisfied (or even unsatisfied) clients. Finally, having done some research, you should at least have a short-list of potentials.

Spinal laser surgery

I am a complete coward when it comes to surgery and have never had any surgical procedures carried out. I do however get chronic back pain, and some shoulder and neck problems, and have regular treatment from a chiropractor.
Apparently though, some back pain issues can be treated with spinal laser surgery which is more or less non-invasive although does require some keyhole incision. I certainly do not like the idea of having open surgery on my spine, and would need to be in quite a lot of discomfort to risk it. However, I would be a lot happier with the idea of a simple procedure after which would not leave me laid up in bed for days if not weeks.

Yellow!

I had my initial cast removed today and had a choice of colours for my new platic cast (broken arm story below..).
I know my daughter would wanted to have had me with pink (which was offered first..), but I think it would be a bit of a distraction (not that my choice was any less loud). Purple, navy blue and black were all offered and if it were just for me, I would have gone for one of those. However I settled on yellow because if my little one wants to write and draw on it (and I am sure she will), I figured yellow would be a good colour for background.
I am quite sure that I will be posting more pictures of the cast as the artwork builds up - This one is one for three weeks, hopefully I will have a smaller one after that if I need one at all. This one goes right over my elbow to completely imobilise my arm - three weeks until I can bend my arm again at least...

Storm shelters

In a recent TV program about storm-chasers, we had the chance to see the value of having storm shelters installed in the home. Many homes in the US are not built to withstand extreme storms, yet are built in areas that are subject to hurricanes.
The solution to this problem is to have a secure chamber installed in the home - one that can withstand the rigours of a severe storm.
Shelters can be constructed within the home itself or elswhere in the grounds of the property, and come in various sizes to suit different situations.

Pool fencing

I have friends who holidayed in a 'gite' with a pool in France. Fortunately, the pool had an alarm fitted that sounded when someone enters the water.
A child who was with them wandered into the pool unsupervised, and the pool alarm sounded so that the parents were able to get the child safely out of the water.
If you have a pool, or even rent a place with a pool, having adequate pool fencing, or netting or an alarm is absolutely crucial. Even if you don't have small children yourself, you may well have visitors with youngsters who won't be able to resist the lure of the water...

Broken arm!

Oh dear, everyone keeps telling me I'm too old to carry on playing football which I think is a bit harsh, but having broken my arm playing football on Saturday, I am forced to lay off physical exercise for a while...

I have discovered that having an arm in plaster is pretty inconvenient, although I can still type (!) and can even manage to type with two hands although my left arm is getting a bit heavy to hover over the keyboard... I have a stack of tapes to convert to CD at the moment, but fortunately I can do those one-handed!

The most inconvenient thing is not being able to drive, so at least I will be getting plenty of walking exercise. Luckily I am close enough to my day-job to be able to walk into work, hopefully the weather won't be too bad over the next few weeks.

I have a bit of blogging work to catch up with, so I have plenty to do for those nights in the week when I would normally be gadding about..

The temporary cast (pictured) comes off on Wednesday, I should get a nice light one then, and hopefully some idea of how long I will be incapacitated for (ie. how long before I can play football again!)

Alec Bradley

Christmas Ideas #3
I have often see selection boxes of the chocolate variety at Christmas in fact I was only talking about them today with a friend. I am also familiar with the idea of a selection box af wine containing a range of wines from a region, or a variety of reds or whites from around the world.
For the first time today, I saw a 'selection box' containing samples of elite cigards from the alec bradley brand on the famous smokes website. What a great Christmas idea for a cigar smoker a variety of cigars to try out or save for special occassions...

Admissions Director Jobs

Healthcarejobsite is a great tool if you are employed in the healthcare sector and are looking for a new position. You may have never worked in this sector, but are attracted to the wide range of roles available in healthcare such as Admissions Director Jobs, Finance jobs, Corporate services etc.. as well as the normal nursing staff roles that you would expect.
This website covers jobs available the US and Canadian Regions.

Remembering

'Lest we forget' is the phrase we always associate with Remembrance Day, and it is worth considering once again what it is that we remember. Although the World Wars are inextricably linked with poppies in many peoples minds, the poppy is also meant to symbolise those who were lost or maimed in other conflicts around the world, from the Falklands to Afghanistan. As such, the poppy should not be politicised, should not be a matter of debate for FIFA or those with a political agenda of any hue. The poppy is a symbol of (mostly) young men cut down in their prime doing their duty, nowadays sadly we are adding young women to that number too. Honouring people who have lost their life in public service is not an issue where sex, colour or creed has any meaning. Remembrance Day is not a day when political parties should be allowed to use the dead to further their own agendas. Poppies are not a symbol of 'crusade' or 'imperialism', they are to honour those who have fallen doing their job protecting their friends and their nation

Work clothes for men

Christmas Ideas #2
There is no better time than the winter time to give the gift of good rugged outerwear, and you need look no further than carhartt work clothes for men to find just the right attire.

Women may get a glow from clothing that looks pretty, but men want good practical hard-wearing kit with style too.

From boots to shirts, dungarees to jackets, Carharrt have a range of clothing that covers every aspect of winter wear. Not only are their designs rugged and stylish, their prices are attractive too.

Log bedroom furniture

It's not really the time of year for outdoor wooden furniture, but the wooden furniture suppliers have thought of that and come up with bedroom furniture to see us through the winter nights.

From beds to bedside cabinets, chests and dressers, along with accessories such as mirrors, the warm rustic look is now available for your bedroom. The great advantage of real wood in a rustic style is that it is timeless, your bedroom will never look dated!

incontinence products

It's a fact of life that some subjects are not often talked about, and one of those subjects is incontinence products, it's an area that we are uncomfortable discussing. It would not be acceptable to openly discuss a problem of this nature, which is why discreet solutions to the problem are required. Having a solution keeps the afflicted person active and comfortable both physically and mentally, enabling them to go about normal activities.

This is one of those areas where the internet provides a great solution not only for anonymously discussing conditions like incontinence, but also for purchasing suitable products without having to buy it on a public high street.

October 2011

A few months ago I started picking up broken laptops on eBay with the idea of either breaking them for spares or fixing them up. I have sold a couple of fixed laptops now, but with the costs of purchasing from eBay - I have to say I don't think it's going to be an avenue that I will be exploring any further... To be fair though, I have enjoyed fixing the laptops up and restoring their usefulness.
I have done a few tapes in the last month and am promised a whole stack of them next month, but paid posts have been very few and far between. I have bought some stock for cassette conversions so that accounts for the outgoings of £16. I had no 'hits' for affiliates paid out during October, but have had some recently that will be paid out soon I think..
In other news I had £135 back off the taxman for overpayment of tax on a company car - not strictly income, but helped to swell the coffers a little... That little payout added to income from eBay this month is building up into a decent amount. I am possibly looking at about £200 in tape conversions on the horizon at the moment, so if I can find the time to do them, that should help ease the Christmas squeeze on the wallet!

Epson TM-T88V Receipt Printer

Printers have evolved considerably over recent years, and the Epson TM-T88V receipt printer is one of those single-purpose printers that has developed to be used with a range of equipment to the extent that it has USB connection for connection to your laptop or PC.

Since the days of the dot-matrix printer, the printer market has seemingly split into two directions. The home/office printer has developed into a combination printer/scanner/fax, the business market has also developed single-purpose units for printing labels or receipts. These smaller purpose designed units come with specifications that are honed to give excellent results for their specific use.

Discount dental supplies

In recent squeezed economic conditions, some industries are establishing purchasing groups such as the discount dental supplies group which has been established to combine the purchasing power of smaller businesses.
A scheme of this sort allows the smaller players to compete on a more level playing field with the bigger concerns because they can demand the same sort of discount structure. This is a pattern that is likely to be repeated across a wide rage of industries where there are enough smaller local companies willing to cooperate with like-minded brethren in other areas.

Aluminum Briefcases

Christmas Ideas #1
Yes Christmas is fast approaching, and finding useful, exciting and affordable gifts is always a challenge. Some recipients will get cash because it's easier all round, but there some family and friends that I like to get a useful gift for - even if it means spending a little extra, I would rather get something useful than spend a little less and waste the money.

I currently have my eye on an aluminum briefcase which would be ideal for a laptop user needing that extra bit of protection and security. These are surprisingly affordable, and are definitely a step up from the standard soft case. They seem to be on the market with a starting price of under $60 (£50) depending on size and style - some smaller ones are even cheaper than this and could de ideal for a netbook or tablet computer.

I imagine this would be an ideal gift for someone who you know is getting a new laptop/tablet for Christmas, an equally useful gift for the businessman or computer-mad teenager alike..

The end of October approacheth...

As the clocks have gone back, Christmas and wintry weather is on the horizon and a quiet month ends with a bit of a splutter. Thankfully I have had a few cassette to CD conversions to supplement the meagre paid blogging opportunities. I had begun to worry that paid blogging was showing signs of drying up altogether, but there are still a few opps out there if you can be bothered to chase them down.
I have opted for the new Adsense dashboard, but am finding it less than intuitive when it comes to assessing performance. I am sure Adsense performance is going up and down, but am less sure which of the various URL's I use are performing better and which are performing badly.
Many a time I have wished that I had more time to look into these things more deeply, but then if I did, it would probably mean I wasn't doing my day-job properly which, after all is the main means of keeping the wolf from the door...
I managed to find time to put a few eBay auctions on this weekend, and as I still have a few laptops to get rid of, I need to make sure I get a return on the 'investment'.
I hope to post earnings for October soon - watch this space...

ProFlowers flowers direct

If you have a last minute requirement for a gift, then nothing quite says it like flowers... Whether you require a fancy bouquet, a single rose, a bunch of daffs or even a flowering plant ProFlowers flowers direct have everything you require, and it's all just a click away.

The beauty of buying flowers online is that in less than five minutes you can have that awkward gift sorted - all you need to do is select the flowers that you want, enter the address and the payment. Nothing could be simpler, and expert handling and packaging ensures that your gift arrives in pristine shape guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of the lucky recipient.

Blog, Twitter or Facebook?

The world of social media is fast-moving, but which platform serves you best?

In short, each platform has advantages and disadvantages, each platform is suited to different roles.

The blog is still the platform of choice for keeping a public online diary, laying out your home-grown philosophy or making money online.

Twitter is best for fast moving trending, getting the latest gossip, throwing out publicity snippets and generally making yourself look busy

Facebook is truly social media allowing interaction and picture and video-sharing, keeping you in touch with friends whether they be distant or local. Additionally it works well as a tool for creating groups to share information such as for clubs, as well as a form of promoting a business.

Google Plus plans to give FB a run for it's money, but they have a long hill to climb if they plan to replace FB simply because of the high take-up.

All these platforms can (and arguably should) be used for marketing, but how they are used will depend on the type of business you are running. I think it's still true to say A blog is probably the easiest platform to get into, and although Twitter is simple, it is harder to work out how it can be used effectively as a marketing tool. Facebook on the other hand probably provides the best set of tools for marketing and will work especially well if you can get your clients and prospective clients to 'like' your page. This is best achieved either by promoting your Facebook page on your literature, or gathering email addresses so that you can invite people to visit your FB page. There are even professional companies who will create an attractive page for you - but even if you do your own thing, make sure there is something to see for when your clients come calling.

FB also makes a good platform for promoting special offers, promoting a special line of offers exclusively on your Facebook page can build a loyal following.

You may be able to tell that my preference is for Facebook, but it goes without saying that whatever other media you are using, a traditional website with suitable SEO techniques is still a must. Linking up with the right social media platform should be the very next step after you have established your website. Incorporating a Twitter or FB widget into your site can give you seamless and effective dynamic content, and it is this linking of the different platforms that is both the beauty and headache of social media for marketing purposes.

EZ Bloomers

September has just gone, and it is a really expensive month for me as I have three significant birthdays all rolled into one week. Would you believe it is my Mom's, my Wife's and my Dad's birthdays all within a 7-day stretch...?

Now, I was impressed with one gift that came for my wife, a friend who lives quite a long way away sent flowers, and they were so beautifully presented that I got to thinking how sending flowers was the norm in times gone by, but it has been ages since I have actually seen any flowers sent in this way. Yet with the way that the internet is growing as a 'shopping' experience, it is no wonder that companies like EZBloomers.com floral arrangement services are so popular. I think one of the things that internet shopping has done is to bring the price of delivery services down to a manageable level. The knock-on effect of this is that having flowers delivered is not perceived as such an extravagance as it once was, once people realise this is the case, I am sure we will be sending flowers all over the place.

After all having flowers from a real florist is a cut above the droopy offerings that your local gas-station might have on their forecourt... and in fact I am seriously considering sending flowers to my Mom next year, they are the perfect gift for someone who is not easy to buy for, and receiving flowers still gives the recipient the feeling that they are special. I'm not sure that my Dad would thank me for flowers though, so I will still have to think of something suitable for him.

September 2011

Adsense payout and affiliates have shored up an otherwise fairly quiet month. Affiliate payments amounted to £22.50 this month which is very pleasing - with this affiliate, I don't think there is a way of finding out which adverts are being clicked, so I'm not entirely sure where the revenue is coming from - but it is very welcome all the same...

One positive is that I have not spent a cent this month, so it's all profit! Cassette conversions have been very quiet, but I have one just done that will figure in next months takings. Overall, not a bad month, but heavily reliant on a (relatively) large injection of cash from Adsense. £637 profit for the half year so far which is in line with last years income. Hopefully I can build on this to overtake last years figure, but either way - it's all good (as they say)...

Page Rank

Page rankings have been recently reassessed so I was looking for a page rank checking utility on line. Of course, for the paid blogger, page rank can be an important factor. A year or so ago, I was surprised to find that my page rank had come back (The history of my page rank has taken up quite a few posts on this blog..).
I checked my rankings again here: http://www.pagerank.net/pagerank-checker/, and am delighted to find that my PR has now risen to 2... I am sharing this link because most PR checking utilities make you fill in a captcha for every submission - the link above has a captcha, but they allow you to submit 20 URL's in one go - more than enough for me to check all of my domains.
I have not really paid so much attention to PR since Google started punishing all paid bloggers, and still find it ironic that Google doesn't like paid posts, but happily pays us to host Adsense on our sites. However some advertisers will still specify a minimum PR when they are looking for paid posts, so PR still has a value - I refuse to make any concessions to Google's preferences, but if they are happy to award me a ranking, I am happy to take it..

Baby Announcements

Friends over the 'pond' have recently had their second little girl, and we are able to keep up with baby announcements and pictures via the wonders of social media. However, for to closer to home births, traditional cards and physical photographs are still the norm.
The growth of social media as a way of staying in touch has not been at the expense of traditional greetings cards and paraphanalia, except at the very edges of that market.

For instance, there are contacts in social media that you would not normally send a physical card to, so an online greeting is perfectly adequate - however if it were a family member or close friend, you cannot substitute an online birthday greeting for a physical card arriving through the post.

Back to School

Tiredness seems to be the theme of this week.. Last week (the first back at school for kids locally) was a week of new exciting things, this week we seem to have hit a bit of a wall. If you don't have someone at school in your household then you may not be quite on the same wavelength, but I feel like I am ready for another holiday already.

Actually I still have (I think) more than a weeks holiday to take, but I am hoping to save them for sometime closer to Christmas. That's right Christmas is on the horizon and my seven-year-old is already asking how many days to Christmas - to be fair though, she has been doing it fairly regularly since last January...

Collection Agencies

One of the biggest problems for businesses both small and large is 'cash-flow', which is why some companies end up engaging collection agencies to keep their debtors to a minimum. It can be a real struggle to balance the money you have to spend, with the slow rate at which your clients are paying you - one of the best ways is to offer early or prompt payment discounts.
However when companies stubbornly refuse to pay, often they will take the debt more seriously once it gets into the hands of an agent

CURT Hitches

Ever since I 'inherited' the company car I have now, the towing hitch electrics have not worked. To make matters worse the hitch sticks out a mile and has come in for quite a few unscheduled meetings with both moveable and immoveable objects alike.
I have been reading up about curt hitches, and I think I may be on the verge of having the old hitch taken off and a completely new one fitted...

Peer to Peer decline?

'The Man' is clamping down on peer-to-peer it seems. My favourite service for watching sports on the internet has been shut down, and this is making viewing very difficult.

Naturally the major broadcasters want to protect their investment, but before the organisers started exploiting their monopolies, all sports used to be available on TV for everyone to watch.

Some years back it would have been assumed that for instance, any England football match would be broadcast on a free TV channel for all. The modern reality is that more and more matches are limited to pay-per-view services leaving the majority turning to Radio 5 live... or searching for a peer-to-peer broadcaster.

I am inclined to think that eventually broadcasters like Sky Sports will be forced to accommodate the peer-to-peer model as it feeds a considerable market which cannot be ignored. The 'market' is those people that don't want to pay to watch a game, but will tolerate watching adverts and sketchy quality broadcasting. I don't think it will be too long before broadcasters could be considering a low-quality alternative to pay-per-view HD broadcasts during which viewers must endure a couple of adverts. Offering a viable alternative is a much better solution rather than bullying free service providers operating outside the confines of the broadcasters franchise.

Instead of trying to close the peer-to-peer sites down, I think the Rupert Murdoch's of this world should adopt the maxim: 'If you can't beat them, join them' and just provide a better service.

Air Ambulance

Hopefully you won't need an air ambulance service on your next holiday, but wouldn't it be a good idea to sign up with an insurance service that has these facilities available just in case?

If you get ill abroad, or even at home, it costs an incredible amount of money to airlift a casualty, and whilst no-one expects to need this type of facility, how reassuring it would be to know that you have that type of backup behind you.

Everlon Collection

September is often an expensive month for me as I have three family birthdays including both parents and my wife in the space of seven days.

Normally I would not really consider jewellery as an option other than for a very special present (like a significant birthday), but the everlon diamond collection from 'Reeds' represents great value for money as they are heavily discounted, often as much as about 35-40%.

Getting the priorities right

As we approach the anniversary of 9/11, we are reminded (or should be) that life is not all about what we can 'make' for ourselves, but much more about the connections we make with others through our lifetime. I don't know anyone who lost a friend or relative in the tragedy, but I do know people who were in New York at the time, and I recall distinctly first seeing the horrific images on the TV screen with growing incredulity that this could possibly be happening.
Unlike a natural disaster like the awful Tsunami and subsequent flooding, this disaster was deliberate and intended which is why it is all the more horrific.
In our current economic climate it is even more imperative that we all look beyond our short term well-being, and work towards a future that is politically and economically secure for the generations to come. It's all about engaging with society even if you don't agree with everyone, we can agree that we all want to make the future more secure, and go from there. The recent riots in the UK (actually there were similar events in other European cities), are about the opposite, promoting anarchy and disengagement with the established society.

Whilst revolution may be on some folk's minds, you only have to look at the recently blood spilled in Libya, Syria, Egypt and similar regions to know that revolution should be a last resort in a region where torture and murder of citizens occurs on a daily basis. For these people revolution was a self-defence mechanism, not an opportunity to grab an Xbox game from a broken shop window.

August 2011

Being away at the end of the month has delayed my monthly income report, and to be fair, since I was on vacation, I have not even been thinking much about what my earnings for August might have been.

Altogether, it has not been my busiest month on all fronts, nonetheless, earnings have continued to come in.. a modest £79 is still a welcome addition to the coffers. This month has seen a small return on some of my expenditure on faulty laptops, but for the moment, I am not including these figures in my 'earnings' report. I think it may turn a small profit, but on the whole, I don't think there are vast amounts to be made from this venture, yet I am glad that I gave it a go.

This month, I have reached (yet to be paid) another payout for Adsense which is always a welcome landmark, I have done a few tape to CD conversions and a few paid postings, for some of which I will have to wait a month for payment. I have been assessing the effectiveness of affiliates and am pleased to find that I am getting great results from one of my affiliates and am expecting to be able to report more earnings next month - not massive earnings as yet, but this may be an affiliate that might be worth spending a bit more time and effort on. Ultimately affiliates are the perfect goal as they are true passive earnings once they are set up. However you can never really leave this type of project completely alone, traffic does not usually arrive of it's own accord.

Door Steppers - Part two

Part two of my rant against doorstepping companies using shady tactics to get a sale - these are my 'scripts' that you can use to throw the salesperson off balance..

knock knock...
Salesperson: Hi there, I won't take a moment of your time, I am just calling to see if you got your grant?
Me: I see - what is your name please (take badge, write down name and company - this has already halted the script and put you in charge of asking the next question - use as many from the list below as you think appropriate...)

• Does (energy company) think they have sent me a grant? (pen poised for writing any response down...)



• Does (energy company) approve of your technique of implying that I should have had a grant when it is clear that they should be fully aware that a grant has not been sent?
  


• So you are asking me if I have received a grant, when you have no way of knowing that I would qualify for it - Do you know what mis-selling is?
  


• Do you think (energy company) know that you are using a mis-leading technique to sell their products



• Do you understand that some people might be mis-led by your implication that they should be receiving a grant?

I am sure after you have fired a couple of these questions out, your visitor will not stay too long on your doorstep - you could even follow it up by following your hapless visitor down the street to see how they get on with your neighbours - you could offer suggestions like 'it's all made up', 'There's not actually a grant, 'It's all a bit of a con..' stuff like that. If this seems a little harsh, the reason I think this type of response is justified, is that vulnerable people will be mis-led into parting with their cash - nobody is ever going to sell anything to me on the doorstep - it's the elderly and those who are too trusting that we need to protect from this type of approach.

Hopefully other companies will follow the example set by British Gas, that's not to say that I think BG is being particularly honourable about this, I just think they've been found out and have consequently changed their tactics.

Chrysler accessories

With the launch of a new product, Chrysler are strengthening their brand in the UK. The Chrysler looks like a strong contender in the automobile market worldwide. Building a stronger brand means higher tempo production to keep up with demand and a growing support network to keep your customers supplied with servicing and spares. After all, you won't be able to pick up chrysler rubber mats at Halfords or any other spares store, if the parts and accessories are going to be in demand, Chrysler dealers will need to be represented nationwide.

Door Steppers - Part one

A few weeks back British Gas took notice of public opinion and vowed to stop cold-calling people on their doorstep. Whilst a personal call might be deemed beneficial in these cases, the nature of the sales pitch has proved to be little more than a con where near-lies are used to persuade the hapless victim to change energy suppliers - and in many cases finding themselves financially worse off despite a persuasive argument from the doorstep salesperson that they would undoubtedly save money...
It is sickening that big companies such as energy companies would stoop to such tactics, but at least British Gas have called a halt - the others however have not! I have been door-stepped twice this week and am frankly appalled by the 'con' approach that has been tried. In both cases the salesperson had the barefaced cheek to ask if I had received either my 'rebate' or my 'grant' when in both cases they were fully aware that I had not (and would not) be receiving anything of the sort.. They assume that starting the conversation in this way will engage me in a discussion to find out exactly how this grant/rebate might be obtained - in my case they were wrong!
The next time I will try to ascertain if this 'script' is approved by the company who sent them - or if it is a little 'con' that the salesperson has concocted - I shall start by getting thier name and company details, this will be followed up by communication to the said company to find out exactly where the story of a grant or rebate comes from - If there is actually money due to me, then I will pursue it through the proper channels where I am in charge of the enquiry, not via a grubby con artist who turns up on my doorstep.
I would urge everyone I can to do the same - never sign for anything on the doorstep - try asking for actual prices per KWh (kilowatt hour) from the electric company rep on your doorstep - 99% sure they won't be able to tell you - how is it then that they are so sure that they can save you money? It all in the statistics about average savings, but there is no guarantee that you are the average customer, and it could well be that your household will be worse off.
There is one simple trick to getting rid of the salesperson on your doorstep - when you get the knock at the door (assuming you are not expecting someone) you must already have the words 'no thank you I am not interested' on the tip of your tongue. Let them introduce themselves, then trot out your line and look them in the eye - they will hesitate for a second (not expecting an interruption to their script quite so early), start to close the door - and they are gone... For a more advanced rebuff, see my later post..

Quiet August

Although we are not really finished with August, this one has felt like a holiday month from a blogging perspective, not many paid opps, so not much blogging.
I have had a few opps from Blogsvertise recently, but I have to wait a month to get paid. There has been a few tapes (cassette to CD conversions) to do, so income has been steady.
I checked my results for last August, but there were plently of blogging opps then, so I don't think it's a seasonal thing. Whether the general economic climate is taking it's toll, is difficult to say, but low-cost advertising would probably remain attractive in a down-turn, so I don't think it has had a tremendous effect.

I have been able to get a new site started this month, and I have an idea for yet another site to follow when I have a little time to set it up. My latest mini-site is a Wordpress effort geared towards bringing together resources for building and hosting a website for free - yes it can be done!
If you are interested, you can visit the free webs site here - it's in early stages at the moment, I hope to get more resources added regularly. I am enjoying this first 'proper' journey into WP, and hope I get my head around it enough to knock out a few more... If September continues to be quiet, you can be sure I will have at least one more site up and running, especially now I have established that I can do it for free..

Online Dating

The rise of online dating is symptomatic of changes in society. Changes brought about by the internet itself of course, but also by technological developments which reduce face to face interaction in day-to-day life (automated tellers, non-attended checkouts at supermarkets etc..).

There are plenty of online dating agencies, but few of them actually offer free online dating. According to TV adverts I have seen, a good proportion of couples actually getting married, originally met on online dating sites. Hence the idea that online dating a last resort for aging singles is actually eroding quite rapidly.

Using social media

I have started using social media with a couple of websites just to see how they can be utilised effectively. My findings are thus:

I like Facebook as a feedback platform and have used it to link with two of my sites, my new cassette conversion site (you can see the FB page here..) and a home made cake site (you can see the FB page here..). I like the idea that you can interact with customers in this way, and hope that ultimately each of these pages will build up a lot of 'likes' - that way each update reaches loads of people directly on their facebook page.
I cannot say the same for Twitter, although I think using the RSS feed is a useful tool - to be really effective, you have to be a bit of a habitual twitterer (and I am not). I tend to do promotional stuff in 'fits and starts' (I wonder about the origin of that phrase?) by which I mean I will leave it months then devote a few hours to it, and then leave it for months again. You can certainly use Twitter in this way, but if you are displaying the RSS feed somewhere on your site (which is my preferred method of utilising it), It becomes obvious that there are large gaps between tweets - which may make the site look 'unattended'.

So, I am still not really 'into' Twitter as I have not experienced it actually doing anything for me, it has not bought me clients, although one of my Twitter accounts managed to pick up followers - with my sporadic tweeting, they are hardly likely to pay much attention. I must admit that one of the reasons for integrating these social sites into semi-commercial websites, was just so it would look good - as if linking with social media somehow in itself, endorses the site. I still happen to think that this is the case, much of this type of marketing is all about creating an impression. If Twitter and Facebook actually bring in customers, then that is just a bonus.

Pegboards

Point of sale material, displays and Pegboard are essential items for those considering opening or upgrading a high street store. Admittedly high street stores are not a growth area in the current economic climate, so it is important that a store makes the best use of the square footage available.
Some goods will always be sold in this way, convenience and snack foods, newspapers etc.. whereas many of the traditional retailers can be replaced by online shopping.
I was in retail for the first twelve years of my working life and would add that whilst good products sell themselves, good displays help to get the customer into the premises in the first place.

Coupons

Those looking to save a bit of money on their goods are already clued into using coupons for discounted purchasing. Every consumer would do well to look into websites that have a myriad a deals on offer, usually involving decent discounts off goods that you are already planning to purchase anyway.
Whether it be your regular shopping or if you are looking for a special gift for someone, it makes sense to check out the discounts you can get - they are already there waiting all you have to do is claim them....

The future of blogging

With the huge take-up of social media, by which I really mean.. Facebook, the future of blogging is under threat. Never mind linking blogs, Facebook and twitter together via RSS feeds and the like, certainly some 'goals' of blogging are achieved far more effectively via Facebook alone.
The concept of regular updates to keep others informed of your activities, or of sharing your photos online is far more effectively done via FB than via blogger or even the hippest Wordpress themed blog.
So is it all over for blogger?
To certain target groups, blogging is now a non-starter - an individual considering a platform for keeping friends informed of activities a few years ago, may have considered blogging as an option. Currently, Facebook would surely be the 'no-brainer' option... So where does that leave the humble blog? The blog is now possibly the tool of 'the campaigner' rather than the individual, the choice of someone who thinks they have a philosophy worth expounding. Blogs as corporate promotional tools still exist, but in most cases, there will also be a corresponding Facebook page too. Even 'paid to' bloggers are now encouraged to 'like' a clients FB page as well as write a promotional blog post.
The internet however, has many layers and the blog still has it's place as a promotional tool, and for bloggers, the rising popularity of facebook keeps the blogosphere less cluttered with half-started blogs, and narrows the competition when it comes to vying for paid postings. I said in a recent post, that two years counts as an 'era' on the internet such is the speed of change - the blog is not dead, but bloggers would be wise to embrace other communication tools.

July 2011

I had a lot of tapes to convert this month, unfortunately most of them were from one client, so I had to give a good discount. Nevertheless, this was a huge contribution to this months earnings which would have been very mediocre otherwise. Paid posts are few and far between at the moment, but sometimes you get a lull, then before you know it, there are suddenly a stack of assignments - maybe next month??
I have been trying my hand at trading laptops on eBay, have certainly spent some money - now need to get some back... (I have an ever increasing 'stock' of spare laptops at the moment...). One affiliate that keeps paying and paying is my '1and1' affiliate program - this accounted for another £22.50 this month, that's the best month so far - a total of £42.50 since April. As it pays straight onto my credit card account, I usually don't even realise until my credit card statement comes in. It's handy because most of my eBay purchases end up on my credit card, because my Paypal is a bit skint at the moment with the lack of paid postings...
Onwards and upwards... a good month behind me, a good month ahead if I can sell a couple of laptops - although I am not including this trading in my earnings here until I am a bit clearer on whether it will turn into a long term project...

RedEnvelope Coupons

The Munny4Hunny blog is all about making money and saving money, frugal living has been second nature for this blogger for about five or six years now.
Of course, most people are fully aware that there are lots of bargains and deals available via the internet, and my latest discovery has been redenvelope coupons. Red envelope has a huge array of deals and is especially good at locating gifts for those 'awkward-to-buy-for' people...
Whether you need a set of monogrammed golf clubs or a TV remote with built-in bottle opener(!), Red Envelope very probably has the perfect gift...

Coogi

Once priced to match the tastes of the 'bling' crowd, coogi clothing is now within reach of the average shopper who holds a desire to emulate their heroes through the brands that they wear.
This unique Australian urban chic clothing brand has styles for men and women ranging from jeans to jump-suits, boots to bags, high street to hoodies... Originally famed for it's high-profile (and highly-priced) knit-wear, Coogi is probably now more likely to be found on jeans and T-shirts, although the new owners have retained knit-wear in the latest ranges.

The development of blogging

It always amazes me that when typing in a blog post using the blogger dashboard, my browser spell-check settings always query the word 'blog' - it is not in the spell-check dictionary, yet blogs or weblogs have been around long enough for everyone to have heard of them (even if they don't appreciate or understand them).

Initially blogs were like online 'dear diary' entries - only really of interest if well-written, entertaining or informative in some way. I doubt that, at the beginning, it was possible to chart the success of the weblog.

A few years ago blogs became very popular, still used as an online diary, many companies began to see how well-regarded blogs were by search engines, so company-related blogs popped up everywhere. People began to see the earnings potential of blogs as advertising tools, hence the rise of paid to blog, and it's subsequent crash as the market got overloaded and Google got wise...

Now almost every online enterprise is accompanied with a blog - not JUST to 'game' Google results but more in line with it's original purpose, the blog is used to provide a commentary on current events in relation to that particular enterprise.

Modern blogging consists mainly of a hard-core of online diarists, online enterprise information portals and a core of paid-to-bloggers. There are still trash blogs out there as many 'get rich quick' like to use a free website to promote themselves, and others that cram a blog full of paid posts. In the main, however the rewards of paid to blog are more conservative and the market is a bit more intelligent insisting on good quality, and offering less incentive. Those that have ridden the storm have ended up being able to retain some sustainable income, in some cases maybe even making a living, although many have 'progressed' to other income streams.

In the modern era (an 'era' in internet terms is about two years!), most internet newcomers would now start with Facebook or Twitter rather than a blog, and of course there is little direct earning potential with these particular modes of communication. The blog still has it's place and now is firmly ranked alongside the giants of FB and Twitter as a must-have promotional tool - the main difference is that the latter two are brand-names and although blogger is still probably the leading blogging platform since it is easy and free (and belongs to Google), there are at least other prominent blogging tools allowing something of a free market.

Barcode scanners

The bane of every business that carries stock of any type is ...stock-taking! I have worked in retail for much of my early working life, and stock-taking was considered a particularly unpleasant task. Of course stock-taking is not limited to the retail trade, most businesses carry stock of some description.

We all know that barcodes are nothing new and have been around for decades, but in the past their use has been limited to use by larger companies. With software and hardware now being available for a fraction of the price, there is no reason why even the smallest company cannot take advantage of barcode scanner technology to speed up stock control as well as recording sales and returns etc..

Goggles!

Whether you are into your scuba-diving or more comfortable on the piste... the latest goggles are no longer just goggles. The newest range of goggles have built-in cameras to capture your every move under water or on the ski-slope. Anything from about 3MP up to about a 8MP camera can be fitted into goggles so you can share your sporting experiences online or with friends just by wearing a pair of these specially adapted helmet goggles. In general these come with about 1 or two hours of (HD) recording ability, and with rechargeable batteries - now you can share your next vacation adventure with everyone...

Earnings June 2011

At first glance, June looks like a bad month, but when you look closer you can see I have bought some stuff! Without the expenditure, I would have reported a more respectable £113. The first purchase was a domain renewal, but the major purchase was a laptop. It was an eBay purchase and I got it for under £50 (excluding delivery). It has prompted me to think about possibly selling laptop parts on eBay, but I may post about that another time. In the meantime, I am very happy with my new purchase. I plan to move all my website building stuff onto the laptop as it is not really going to be suitable for the cassette to CD conversions that I do. I had some other audio work to do which accounts for the 'other' £25 earned this month. This was the poorest month for blog posts that I have had for a long time, so I am hoping that this will pick up in subsequent months.

Slimming pills

Should you be one of those who are prepared to buy your slimming pills on the internet, or even use the internet to research the effectiveness of medications etc., you should also seek the advice of a qualified medical practitioner before coming to any conclusions.

True, there are plenty of online vendors, there is also plenty of online advice, but there are a few rules that you should adhere to when it comes to online medication:
Check out who owns the site that you are looking at

Check out if the site has proper accreditation from a medical body

Be aware of sites that are trying to pass themselves off as something they are not

Above all, get some independent and qualified medical advice to ensure that the medication is suitable specifically for your personal medical history. Additionally be aware that slimming medication is only a short-term aid to weight-loss, you can't take it for ever...

Medical Carts

Innovative design and specialist knowledge is a key to businesses surviving the current financial crisis. But there is far more to good business than being able to produce a product, marketing can make the difference between failure and success. That is not to say that good marketing is a substitute for good design, but certainly a combination of a good product and good marketing is a winning formula.

Take the Howard Medical medical computer carts for example (pictured here) - the visual impact of a well-designed piece of equipment makes the marketing relatively. If the prospective purchaser likes what they see, half the job of persuading them to buy is completed. A few well-chosen words and the right price.. hey presto! you have just sold a medical cart...

Slow month for blogging

I seem to have my focus elsewhere this month - there has been little blogging needing to be done, but thankfully, some other revenue streams have been a bit more active. This is just as well as I went a bit mad and bought myself my first ever laptop this month off eBay. I got a bargain at just under £50 plus delivery. The battery was duff, but I bought a broken laptop for £5, and that had a good battery - also a good DVD drive and hopefully other components that I may be able to re-sell. I may try my hand at laptop salvage for a while in case it may be a worthwhile income stream - bit of a gamble though buying broken stuff in the hope that something is salvageable...

Naturally, I will 'charge' the laptop to my online earnings as it is definitely a tool of the trade... mostly I intend to use it for doing website building. I also bought my first wireless router (not exactly a first-adopter) so the two are working well as a team.

Fortunately, I have had a few tapes to convert this month so I think the cost of the laptop will be covered - would really like to have another bumper crop of paid blog posts so I can invest in more broken laptops!

I recently bought a new domain for my cassette to CD conversions and have a spanking new web design up and running - for the time being I will run two sites promoting the same business. I am also linking the sites into facebook and twitter too - I am going to have to spend a little time encouraging people to 'like' my page - but I also want to revamp the old site to bring it up to a similar design standard. I will need to work out a long-term plan that makes use of the traffic that the old site gets and also encourages visitors to the newer site.

Still juggling too many ideas at once, but feel a bit more determined to see some plans through at the moment, so am going to make the most of this mood...

Garden Trimmers...

I managed to find a break in the weather last week so I could finally mow the lawn - it was getting very like a rain forest! Sadly, I did 90% of the grass before my hover mower lost one of it's blades. Having searched in vain for the missing blade I finally gave up and got the trimmer out instead. Now my trimmer is OK, but it's not exactly a redmax... I hardly thought that I would take such an interest in garden implements, but I could really make short work of that pesky grass with one of these...

Anyway, I am now waiting for another break in this awful Summer weather so I can finish the job properly.

Sale of Goods Act

I spent a little time studying consumer law when my career path was looking uncertain, having previously studied it as part of a Business qualification, and the studies have stood me in good stead when it comes to knowing my rights as a consumer.
However many consumers are ignorant of the rights that the Sale of Goods Act offers. I find knowledge of the actual legislation gives particular weight to your argument when making a complaint (should you be forced to do so). In particular if you use the full and correct name of the act: Sale of Goods Act 1979 - (my tutor was always keen that we should use the date to show that we knew the full details of the legislation) generally whoever you are addressing will probably assume you know what you are talking about.
Of course, there are always those traders who don't care how they treat their clients, but the majority will want to ensure they stay on the right side of their clients whilst staying on the right side of the law.
It is worth noting that this legislation comes under the heading 'civil law' rather than 'criminal law', so calling the police to resolve a consumer dispute is not appropriate. That said, you will still hear irate consumers threatening to call the police because they want a refund for a hat that doesn't fit!
Knowing a little about the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the sale of goods and services act 1982 will not protect you from rogue traders, but it will give you the confidence of knowing when the law is protecting you, and when it is protecting the tradesman.
It is also worth noting that the law protects you when you are buying online, but has limited powers if you buy used goods from individuals rather than new goods from business traders.

eBay trading

On the whole eBay is a great place to get a bargain (and to spend your hard-won internet earnings) but sometimes eBay throws up an anomoly. I have noticed that when looking for computers on eBay, unlike with desktops (which you can hardly give away), laptops fetch silly prices.
Even the lowest spec broken rubbish laptops seem to go for a minimum of £100. My advice is to be careful about bidding for laptops on eBay, to get anything half-decent will cost you as there seems to be a lot of people prepared to bid way over the odds. Bear in mind that with a laptop, you will need all the drivers if you are going to re-install the operating system - the drivers for laptops seem to be a lot less 'standard' than for desktops particularly drivers for wi-fi etc.. Also bear in mind that changing a motherboard or processor in a laptop is not a job for the faint-hearted. If you are bidding on a laptop that is not working, you have to bear in mind that if the processor has burnt out, you are probably wasting your money. At least with a desktop you can simply fit a new one.
Laptops are limited in every respect apart from portability, for instance your laptop will be slower, have less memory capacity and a smaller hard-drive than the equivalent costing desktop. It is far more likely to have significant damage after the first year or so, frequently laptops are sold with broken keypads, broken screens - often they are sold as seen as the owner can't even get them to boot up, but yet there are apparently plenty of bidders who are willing to take a massive risk.
That said, I still want one, and I will probably use eBay to get it unless I get lucky and can find someone who has a laptop to get rid of.

Father's Day (UK)

Father's Day is just around the corner, and although I have come to think of it as a day when I can take it easy and be pampered by family, I also need to remember that I should be sending a card to my Dad too..!

I don't ususally get presents for such ocassions as I live a fair way from my parents and posting presents would be too costly. However I did see some hunting binoculars on a website and that reminded me of the sort of gift my Dad would love. Dads are typically hard to buy presents for, and my Dad (like me) is one of those who, if they want something will go and get it rather than wait for someone to buy it for him.