Happy New Year

Unsurprisingly, we seem to have survived 2012 despite predictions to the contrary... I have also had a reasonable month of online earnings at almost £170, the best of the year so far. I was hoping to have another cassette job that would have taken me well past £200, but it didn't happen in the end.. There's just a few months left until the end of the financial year, but I am not expecting to reach the levels of the last few years.
Last year, for instance, by this time, I had a profit of £1100 on a turnover of £1300, this year in contrast I have only a profit of £600 on a turnover of just under £900.
I tend to split income into three main categories:
1. blogs
2. passive (including contextual adverts)
3. Cassette conversions
Each of these categories are showing a significant reduction in turnover, so there is not one specific area which is suffering. It's a little disappointing, but as it is just income that I am earning in my spare time, I guess I am having more spare time to myself... although I am spending a lot more time and effort on my 'day-job' this year, and have had significant bonuses to show for the effort.
I still have a few more projects (mostly Wordpress) that I want to explore, and have just come up with a new idea for a website - not sure whether there is any great way to monetise it, but the idea tackles a subject I am interested in, which is the key to seeing a project through in my opinion. I am going to use a WP theme for this which gives me three projects currently on the 'front burner' (plenty more on the back burner..). I am still working on getting Livewyre.NET onto a WP platform, it is looking really good, but I still have a lot to do. I have another site that I want to transfer onto a WP theme (tricky client though, it's for my wife!), and this new project that just occurred to me.
It's good to keep busy, and they always say that there is no rest for the wicked, in which case I must be particularly bad! If you are kind enough to read my posts, then Happy New Year - and to those that pay me for posts, Happy New Year to you too!

Lakland

Many years ago, I started to learn the bass guitar, and actually bought myself a cheap one to learn with. When I moved house, I loaned the bass to a friend with the idea that I might collect it at some point, but I never did.
From time to time I wonder whatever happened to that guitar, and when I see bass guitars on sale such as the lakland at Musician's Friend I hanker after buying myself another one and devoting myself to learning the instrument properly this time - A New Year's Resolution maybe?

All over bar the shouting

Well it's all over now, Christmas Day and Boxing Day have gone and life reverts to 'normal'. Thankfully the holidays passed without too much shouting, but nonetheless, it is all over.. We actually passed a pleasant few days away from home, Christmas Day was spent in the traditional family gathering, but we had Boxing Day to ourselves. I got a good deal on an 'executive room' in a hotel over the Christmas break, so I booked an extra night and my wife and daughter and I had the extra day to ourselves yesterday. We started with a swim in the hotel leisure complex, a walk in a local park, lunch in a diner, a film at the cinema and home in time to have dinner in the hotel. Remarkably few arguments, and money well spent on a small 'suite' comprising two rooms (each with an impressive flat screen TV) in the hotel - an experience which I will be only too ready to repeat in the future.

Capo

A capo is a true guitarist's friend, enabling the musician to transpose on the frets of his (or her) guitar. There are a great variety of capo available, but few outlets can boast the range of capo at Musician's Friend.

As well as different models to suit different types of guitar, the range of designs available is quite outstanding. Whether buying for yourself, or for a friend or relative, you will be sure to find a design that suits your guitar, your personal taste and your pocket.

Knee scooters

If you are planning a vacation or special event, but are inconvenienced by a below-the-knee injury, you can rent knee scooters at rentakneewalker.com. There is no need to be inconvenienced by a lower-leg plaster or foot injury, as these scooters can take the strain and allow you to partake in many activities that would not be suitable for someone using crutches or a wheelchair.
Regain your freedom and comfort by renting a scooter for short or long-term, for the truly long-term patients, purchasing a scooter maybe the best solution.

Merry Christmas

The parcels are wrapped and ready to be opened, the bags are packed ready for the Christmas trip to see family and friends, there is the sound of sleep from the little one's room and all is calm ready for the excitement of tomorrow. I have a glass of wine, a ready supply of mince pies and a huge box of chocolates. We have each opened one present early, and mine was the chocolates...
The next two days should be relaxing and revitalising, I really hope that's how it turns out! All that remains to say is Merry Christmas, or as we say in this part of the world 'Nadolig Llawen'.

Cigar deals

If you have been tasked to find a special gift for the boss, or for a special client then you might be glad to hear about cigar deals at cigarmonster. Buying cigars online gives you huge choice that would be difficult to find in the high street. Not only that, but you can make huge savings and you don't even have to step out of your home to do it. You don't get cigar shops on every corner, so why not treat yourself with the biggest selection at the lowest possible prices.

Web 2 print software

Helping you to set up your own online printing shop, eoncode.com web 2 print software is a great example of how you can present a really professional online 'face' to your clients even if you do not have the in-house expertise to generate your own software.
All types of industries can benefit from ready-built self-customising software that is tailor-made for your business model. There are hundreds of online solutions that can be accessed by one-man businesses and multi-nationals alike. In the online world, you can have the same online facilities as the biggest players enabling the small business to compete on a level playing field.

Relaxing at Christmas

I am not good at relaxing, I find it really hard to switch off even when it is holiday time. I have however recently realised that I do have a method of unwinding that works quite well for me.
I have always been keen on reading, and it does force me to sit down and relax with a coffee or glass of wine. My favourite writer is Charles Dickens, I have read pretty much every book he wrote, and I am now starting to read them again.

I recently picked up 'Nicholas Nickleby' and have been reading it at odd moments over the last week or so - I firmly intend to find more time over the Christmas break to read more, when I finish that particular book, I have a whole host of other Dickens books that I can re-read. When I originally read the Dickens books, I read them all one after the other, so consequently I find it difficult to recall what happened in each book.

The main purpose of re-reading is to see if I can better remember the books and the characters afterwards.
I also read most of Thomas Hardy's books, but am not as keen on him as a storyteller, as his stories are generally darker and depressing. My modern favourite is John Grisham, I enjoy all of his books and notice that there is a new one out in time for Christmas...

Vegan snack bars

As a society we are becoming more aware of what we are eating, and more aware of environmental issues. There is a growing awareness and a growing market for products that fit into a particular 'niche' that we haven't seen before. These include a variety of foods that are free of sugar, fat, gluten and dairy, but also include fun foods like vegan snack bars.

There are new markets growing around these products and food manufacturers would do well to invest in products that supply these niche markets. Some are driven by life-choices, others by medical conditions, but the consumers for these products are starting to demand more choice in the variety of goods that they are able to buy.

Holter System

Medical aids are more readily available in portable format now than ever before, and I'm talking sophisticated equipment, not pharmaceuticals... For instance, I recently discovered that you can actually get the next best thing to your own ECG unit, a holter system that can monitor your heart as you go about your daily routines. Having portable systems means that your doctor may be able to supply a unit so that you can be assessed without having to take time out to have a hospital appointment - it's a system that can work to take workload off the hospitals, and also to fit into the daily routine of the patient.

The End of the World..

As Christmas is looming, we are faced with the prospect that we have wasted our money on Christmas presents because the world will end tomorrow. However, it turns out that some New Age hippies thought that the end of the Mayan calendar meant the end of the world - the few thousand remaining Mayans themselves are not remotely concerned that this might be the case, but the Mexican tourist board is careful not to point out the obvious flaws in the belief as it is currently quite good for trade.

Thousands of misguided believers world-wide (especially in China) are preparing for the apocolypse that will never happen, many flocking to what they beleive will be a safe haven, some to France, others to Slovakia - hopefully they will have a nice holiday before rushing out to buy their Christmas presents when they suddenly realise Christmas is going to happen after all.

Scrubs online

Uniforms are an important part of the face of modern business, an integral part of the image presented by the company. The dull predictable uniforms of yesterday can now be consigned to the bin due to the vibrant choice of uniforms and scrubs online.You can kit your staff out with colorful and fun uniforms in a wide variety of styles and fabrics - no need to look like the crowd, make your employees stand out with individual workwear.

Balance cushion

Here's an idea for a gift for the fitness guru of the family, a balance cushion to help with balance and core fitness. This balance cushion is a manageable 14" in diameter, the sort of prop you can stash away somewhere and grab for a quick exercise stint in the day or evening. It has many different uses and would be a nice addition to the kit of the keen fitness fanatic. This is bound to help your friends keep up with their New Years Resolutions...

December Update

December is set to be a decent month with a couple of decent cassette to CD jobs and an above-average quantity of other on-line tasks. It just would have been easier if there wasn't so much other stuff to do in December too. My 'day-job' is still extremely busy, and Christmas time brings it's own commitments and obligations that seem to steal away any spare time you might have otherwise enjoyed.

On the whole, I don't think I am on target to match last years earnings for the full 12 months, but you never can tell what will come up. I still have a quantity of laptop parts that need selling, including one complete laptop that I have just refurbished - If I had done it earlier, it might have made a good Christmas present for someone, but I shall try selling it on eBay after Christmas.

The whole laptop refurbishment idea turned out to be not very profitable and quite time consuming, so selling the remaining parts should ensure that some small profit is forthcoming. I have quite enjoyed breathing new life into old laptops, and learnt a lot in the process - so have no regrets.

scalpel blades

Well you might think that scalpel blades are a strange thing to buy for someone who isn't a surgeon, but my Dad is one of those people who uses cutting implements like this all the time.
My Dad is a keen modeller and uses a lot of balsa wood which needs cutting into precise shapes, hence his need to keep replacing the worn blades with brand new ones.
Cake decorating or any other intricate work may also require the use of these sharp fine blades.

Car magnet printing online

Out of the ashes of recession and financial disaster, I have seen emerging a number of small home-businesses. In these days of internet-driven business, it is far easier to reach a wide local 'audience' online than it was previously through more traditional types of advertising.
That's not to say that physical advertising is defunct because backing up your web presence with something physical like a traditional business card helps to create just the right impression. If you want to go a step further, using a car magnet printing online service to make professional-ographics for your car is a great idea. Easily removeable magntic advertising can effectively double up the family car as a business vehicle.

Spare a Thought...

As we build up to Christmas, the parties and card-sending has started, the festivities are starting to get under way. It's a time of year when we remember old friends, have a kind word, a card, or even a gift for neighbours that we barely bother with during the year. This time of year encourages us to look inwards into our circle of family, friends and neighbours, yet it is those who are outside the circle or perhaps need our help more. At this time especially, set yourself the task of making someones day, or week - drop a banknote in a beggars cap, do something nice for a lonely neighbour who you don't know - take food out with you purposely to give to homeless people you may well meet in a bustling city centre think with shoppers getting expensive gifts for their nearest and dearest. I am going to try and look outside the circle this year - a pounds spent on a fmaily present may have little real impact = the same care an attention spent on a stranger may make all the difference to them.

Felt Cowboy Hats

Now, here's a fetching look for your 'difficult-to-buy-for' friend or relative at Christmas time. An Indiana Jones style fedora is one of a range of Felt Cowboy Hats available to buy on-line this winter. This stylish item is a winner on several counts. It's a real head-turner with it's obvious link to the film world, and yet it is a practical defense aganinst the colder weather.
Headgear like this is timeless and oozes class - I can't think of any head I kow that would not be enhanced by such an item...

Comfortable church seating

With most churches more than likely planning to open their doors to the public over the Christmas break, it is not a bad time to be thinking about comfortable church seating. We have moved on somewhat from the hard pews of the past, and many worship areas are more like up-market lecture theatres with plush upholstery and modern lighting and decor. In fact the technology now installed in churches such as the PA system and projection facilities would put a few lecture theatres to same. I know of churches that have in-ear radio foldback for each of the musicians involved in the service, to compliment the multi-media installation which is becoming the norm nowadays.

Getting into December...

We are now entering that crazy winter period when there are shows and activities, rehearsals and parties taking up all the spare days, and all at a time when the kids and adults are at their least healthy with sniffles, colds and far worse ailments flying around...
It's pure mayhem... I had this week off because I have so many other activities on this week, I have sat in on two carol concert rehearsals already, and then dashed home to look after my daughter who is off school with a high temperature and headaches (ironically I am involved in the rehearsals for her school concerts even though she is not well enough to attend herself..). I have also been to a works Christmas party this evening, so that's three events in two days, plus I am also trying to gear up to get some decorating done... In amongst all this, I have done some cassette to CD conversions and am trying to finish off the Christmas present shopping...I haven't yet caught any illness myself, but I swear that's because the bugs are not quick enough to catch up with me yet. Come Christmas Eve when I finally put my feet up - THAT'S when I'll start to feel ill - guaranteed!

How to make my computer faster

It is surprising how quickly we manage to clog up our PC's and laptops with stuff that seems to make them run slower and slower. We all want to know the secret of how to make my computer faster, and a quick search of the internet forums and advice sites will give you some good answers. The most effective (if a little dramtic) method is to re-install your operating system - but this is not a step for the faint-hearted or technologically challenged... One of the most often heard complaints is about how long it takes to operating system to initialise. Typically it starts really fast when the operating system has been freshly installed, but once you start adding software, many programs like to get themselves into the start-up menu and be running in the background even when we don't really need them. Searching for the programs that initialise at startup can be a bit of a headache, but a quick internet search should pop up some software that will be able to do the job for you.

Custom Valances

Finishing touches such as custom valances are what turns a room from being cold and soul-less into being the space that you have created for you and your family to enjoy.
I am about to embark on a bit of Yuletide decorating with my paintbrush in my hand. The transformation will take place in the hallway, the stairs and the landing. Having been recently plastered, the walls and ceiling will get their first coat of paint (I meant to buy white, but accidentally bought magnolia! ooops - back to the shop tomorrow morning methinks..).
The finishing touches in this space will not be curtains and valances, but will be reflected in the woodwork where nicely matched architraving will be the outstanding feature, along with some well-chosen prints and frames.

Blogging in the Dark

I have been blogging for several years now and have posted on just about every topic that interests me, both here and on several other blogs that I have used over that time. In the beginning (which was about 5 years ago for me) it was more of a social thing and I was linked up with quite a few like-minded individuals all interested in blogging and paid posting and getting traffic.
Nowadays I feel like I am mainly ploughing (plowing for our transatlantic cousins) a lonley furrow, (Blogging in the dark) having progressed to the point where I have found a niche and continue to mine away for nuggets in my own little income 'seam'.

The early days of experiment, social linking and the free exchange of ideas seems to have pretty much dried up. Each of those whom I was in touch with in those early days has pursued their own niches with varying degrees of 'success' depending on how you measure it...
I definitely do things differently now, I have got into a groove and continue to repeat the formula and collect the income. However, I am not closed to new ideas, and one of the enduring truths about making money online is that the goal-posts are always moving, so you need to keep moving to stay in touch.

I am certainly guilty of resting on my laurels simply because I lack to time to keep trying new ideas at the rate that I should. I have come to terms with that fact, and it would probably need a disaster such as losing my regular full-time job to force me into 'upping my game'. So as long as I don't actually NEED to make a living wage online, I guess I will continue to keep blogging in the dark...

Scott Kay

This is the time of year when you may well find yourself browsing the scott kay website either for that special Christmas gift, or because you are planning to get engaged at this special time of year. I remember that I proposed to my wife on New Years Eve/New Years Day, and I am sure many will follow suit this year either at New Year or on Christmas or Boxing Day. Of course, you have to have the ring before you pop the question, so a visit to a jewellers or an online store is an essential part of your planning. The rings offered by Scott Kay combine the natural beauty of precious metals with the skill and artistry of a master craftsman.

Inetsoft report designer

If you have a boss like mine, who constantly needs 'feeding' with stats and reports, you may well see the benefit of taking a look at some software like the Inetsoft report designer. Delivering a good report means that you can effectively communicate your results in a way that can be quickly understood. Visual diagrams, flow charts and graphs can get the message across far more effectively than a dry text report. Visual illustrations stimulate ideas far more quickly that written reports, and provide a focal point so that all parties can be clear about the central themes under discussion. Forecasting using diagrams and graphs is also a good way to dynamically demonstrate your arguments.

Update

I am not looking anywhere near on target for getting all my content from 'Livewyre.NET' transferred to a Wordpress platform. The end of November deadline is looming, and I am no further forward than I was a month ago.
However another WP project I had using a 'co.cc' domain has collapsed because the domain has been withdrawn - it was a free domain, and it is no surprise that it has diasppeared to be honest. I had tried to revive it using a '.tk' domain, but whilst editing the domain settings, the whole WP database threw a wobbly and I can't log in at all now...!
It's not exactly a huge problem as it was an experiment that is not really vital - lesson learned though, first lesson on free domains, second one on making too many changes to a WP site in one go...
The 'End of November' deadline was a self-imposed one, so I can just put it back, life in general gets very busy around this time of year and I have another hefty batch of cassettes that I am turning into CD's for a client, so that comes first.... Work is still very very busy ('normal' 9-5 work that is), so all things considered, it is better that I look after 'real' work before progressing with the online stuff.
I still hope to find time to develop the WP site, but will have to set a new dealine...

Fender Pawn Shop

I have been interested in music and hung around with musicians for a long time, but it wasn't until I saw the fender pawn shop mustang from guitar center that I was even aware that Fender had a 'pawn shop' series. It's a brilliant concept summed up by the description 'Guitars that should have been, but never were' a range of guitars made up of a variety of Fender parts which were not originally meant to be put together. Some are even deliberately built to look like modified 'left-hand' guitars. I have to say,  I really love this concept, and admire Fender for their 'off the wall' thinking.

Shanghai Translation Services

The economic world grows smaller by the day, and at a time when China is becoming more of a major player. China has, up to now, had a fairly insular economy plenty of exports, but little in the way of imports - this is a trend that is destined to change, and has already done so in many sectors.
I am sure that many UK, US and other Western companies can see the value of translation services in Shanghai in order to make sure their products are properly promoted above their competitors.
Already, car companies such as BMW and Jaguar/Land-Rover are finding increased demand for their products, so much so that TATA, the Indian owners of Land-Rove/Jaguar are planning to build new factories in China solely to meet local demand for their luxury products.

Particularly since the Olympic Games were held in China four years ago, we have seen a new market opening up and becoming more accesible to Western products and commerce. Dealing with this emerging 'new' China will mean that is will be necesarry for a new understanding of language and culture to be absorbed by those wishing to enter trade agreements.

Companies that can build bridges between the two cultures in terms of translation and mediation services will become more prominent as relationships are forged over the coming years

Phishing emails

Unsurprisingly, the more online activity you get involved in, the more your email address gets abused by fake emails. Personally I can receive up to four or five a day - at work we get dozens every day. Some are relatively easy to spot, for instance the 'legacy' scam where you are told a previously unknown relative has left you money in a will - or the 'cash movement' scam where you are invited by the relative of a deposed dictator to help move millions of dollars with the promise of a cut... These are designed ultimately to get you to pay a charge for the transaction which will never actually happen... Frankly if you fall for these, you shouldn't be allowed to have a bank account in the first place.
More worrying is the scam mails supposedly from your bank or from Paypal etc.. Some banks may actually use email communications, I know mine does, so people can be drawn in - the things to look out for here are:

• Are they using an email address that you have given to your bank? 
• Do they use your name in the email? 
• Is there a link in the email asking you to 'log-on' to change your settings or contact the bank? 

Use these questions to test the validity, and email that starts, Dear (blank) or Dear User/Dear Customer... can be ignored, if they don't know your name they are NOT your bank. Naturally many of us have multiple email addresses, is the email address used the one you gave to your bank or to Paypal? if not, you can ignore/delete it.
Pretty much all of these scams will use a link to get you to click on something that is designed to get information for you - NEVER click on a link in this type of email. If you think you should log-on to your bank website, by all means do (via your normal link in your 'favourites'/'bookmarks', or by typing the URL directly into your browser), but NOT via the link given in the email - whatever it looks like, it is certainly not directing you to your bank.
If you are still uncertain, before taking any action, simply forward the email to Paypal or your bank using an email address provided by the bank - they will be able to tell you if it can be ignored. You can use 'spoof@' for suspected bogus Payal emails, each bank may have it's own reporting procedures.
Don't be caught out, treat every unsolicited email as potential spam, and a few you were expecting may catch you out. I have seen loads supposedly from credible courier companies asking for payments before deliveries are made - again, treat these with the utmost caution, even if you are expecting a courier delivery.

Aluminum Bleachers

Somewhere for your spectators to sit or stand makes a nice addition to any sports field, but it's not often that you see aluminum bleachers for sale in your local hardware store! Check out the deals on line for your local sports field whatever the sport. Available as simple benches, full blown 15-row elevated stands, these aluminum bleachers are practical, safe and good value.

Improve the view of your spectators by giving them pride of place on your sports field.

Tourmaster Transition 3 Jacket

Here is maybe the perfect present for the biker in your life - available in both women's and men's sizes, the Tourmaster Transition 3 Jacket makes a great statement especially if you both have wheeled steeds and can go out together as a matched pair...

This top-line motorcycle jacket comes in five different colors and frankly looks great in all of them - this one matches my new blog color-scheme...

You can't skimp when it comes to safety, but this bit of kit not only ticks all the boxes, but comes at the right price too - consider one of these for keeping your loved ones safe and looking dapper at the same time this Christmas.

November Update

To be honest, it feels like December already, I'm already making plans for Christmas - have got my daughter's present and the diary is filling up with Christmas commitments...
I usually take a few days off to help out with some school Christmas events, so I need to get that sorted soon, we are also intending to travel to my home town for Christmas, so there is a hotel room that needs booking for Christmas Night (maybe boxing day if I can persuade my wife..)

My 'day job' is still hectic at the moment, so very little opportunity to get much done with websites and blogs and the like. For some reason, I have found myself drifting back towards 'MyLot' recently. It's like a question and answer forum where you can earn a few cents each time you participate. It takes a while to reach the $10 payout, but you can make freinds (and enemies!) doing so...

I am still finding blogging opportunities, and converting cassettes into CD's so will have some extra money for Christmas if I keep working at it... I have always been a great advocate of the idea that 'saving' money is every bit as good as 'making' money, and I have just clinched a great deal for a bike for my daughter from eBay. I was thinking of spending about £120 on a bike, but found a used one better than I could have afforded (if it were new)  for just £30 on eBay from a local seller. The bike is in really great condition too, and has even been recently serviced.

So the preparations for Christmas are coming together, it'll all be over in a few weeks!

where to buy indoor fountains

Now I'll be honest, I didn't think there was room in my humble dwelling for an indoor fountain, however I do know where to buy indoor fountains because I found this one... and discovered that even the most compact of homes can have a fountain and bring tranquility and a peaceful ambiance to even a modestly-sized room.

The perfect gift for someone who loves the outdoors, and needs a little of the outdoors bringing into their home, these indoor fountains come in all shapes and sizes to suit everyone. Ranging from tabletop affairs like this one, up to full floor to ceiling sheets of cascading water, these indoor water features can be subtle shades of Feng Shui or just full-blown bling!

How you are helping Facebook scammers

'How many faces can you see?'

'Like if you see the monkey'

'Type 'jump' and see what happens'

Hands up if you have seen these updates pop up on Facebook and wondered what their game was? Well, I'll tell you.... selling Facebook pages at $200 a pop is what it's all about - if you can come up with one of these a day, you could clear $1000 for a five-day week.

Let's face it, if you think about it, typing 'jump' in a comment is not going to do anything on a Facebook page - if you read the comments, half of the them are from disgruntled people complaining that it didn't work, I have news for you - it works perfectly.

It works perfectly if it is your task to build up likes and comments on a Facebook page, these are Facebook 'currency' making page updates appear higher in news feeds. When the page gets tens of thousands of 'likes' and comments over a few short days, the details of the page are changed and someone buys a ready-made highly-ranking fanpage. By clicking these links, liking and commenting, you spread the net around your friends aiding and abetting cyber-criminals in their quest for easy money.

The worst of it is that, while some of the pictures are funny, such as the bear creeping up on the man.. others are emotive pictures and statuses such as 'like if you want to fight cancer' or a picture of a disabled child, a disfigured person, an injured animal - imploring you to click, comment and 'like', exploiting the picture, and exploiting you the Facebook user.

OK no-one gets hurt, but if you are one of those that complains about unwanted news feeds and invasive Facebook activity, just make sure you are not falling for this scam. If we stop clicking, it stops happening, as simple as that!

Linking in with Twitter

I have started my quest in earnest to properly link in with Twitter, embracing the social phenomenon that many of us just don't 'get'...
My first step was to dust off my old (largely unused) Twitter account and give it an overhaul in the form of a new background in keeping with my new colour schemes, and a new description in my profile. I have linked the account in with a Facebook account and am in the process of signing up to various Twitter directories.
My aim is to twitter a link to a well-written article and see what response is forth-coming. The article will be about something I have noticed about Facebook - that should at least be a subject close to the heart of the twittersphere. I haven't actually decided where to place the article yet, but it will probably be either on this blog or possibly as a Facebook status update - maybe both??
I have about 14 directories to sign up to and am currently about half-way through. I am not sure that I can make a big enough impact straight 'out of the blocks' so to speak, but I have seen great results with other sharing services such diggit etc.. so maybe if I get it right, the traffic will follow.
I am also halfway through an overhaul of Livewyre.NET (all part of the plan) - I have brought about half the content over to a Wordpress platform, and will be looking to have this completed by the end of the month - not only getting all the content across, but re-writing 'tired' articles to make them more punchy and relevant. I only wish I had more time to devote to this - it would be nice to think that I can just sit back when it's all done and watch the traffic build up - but experience tells me that it is not usually THAT easy!

Popcorn!

Popcorn is fun – everyone in the family from the smallest child to your Grandma and Great-Grandpa, knows that popcorn is fun, and nothing is more fun than making your own popcorn at home. The trouble is that making your own popcorn the old fashioned way can be messy, and to be honest the results are not always as great as you anticipated. When that germ of an idea started to form in your head, you were thinking of buckets flowing over with creamy light sweet popcorn, and what you got was tough hard kernels...not sweet enough, not buttery enough. What you and your family need (Christmas IS coming you know..) is your very own 'perfect results every time' professional popcorn popper machine. Light, fluffy, sweet, buttery popcorn while you sit down in front of the TV with the family, or snuggle up in your own private home theater! With your own popcorn, you can even make a TV movie feel like your own private theatre without all the expensive additional equipment. If you are lucky enough to have a room dedicated to movie watching, a popper popcorn is every bit as important as the 7.1 surround sound system, the state-of-the-art Blu-ray player or the high quality speakers. If you want to create a real cinematic atmosphere in your own home, you will be able to wow your friends and family with perfect popcorn to accompany the show whether it be the latest blockbuster, or the premier of your own home movie. There are products available for small kitchens ranging to products for full-blown cinemas, whatever the size of your venue, you can get a popcorn machine that will suit your needs and your pocketbook. If you are considering a popcorn machine for your home or business then Click here for more products.

October 2012

2012 is fast coming to an end, November and December always seem to be really busy months with the build up to Christmas - This year I have been dragged into a couple of projects at the school my daughter attends, I usually do the PA sound for the Christmas plays, and have also committed myself to do sound for the school pantomime too - this is usually a fairly hilarious affair with parents and teachers making fun of themselves and each other.
October was a good month in terms of online income, I had a large cassette to CD project to carry out which brought in nearly £200, about £50 of which had to be re-invested in blank CD's and CD cases. There were a couple of other smaller orders, and a few other revenue streams that yielded a few pounds here and there giving me £162 profit overall. My contextual-adverts earnings are up significantly this month too, not sure why, but not complaining!
I have been really busy getting to grips with Wordpress and finally feel I am making great progress - not enough to switch this blog over, but enough to consider it very seriously for lots of future projects. I have also been extremely busy with my 'day-job' too and have been promised a bonus for all my hard work - all very handy for Christmas, but also need to get that credit-card balance down too...

ceramic beads

Always on the lookout for unusual and beautiful gifts (especially this time of year), I came across some ceramic beads recently. As far as I can see, these could be used either as a gift for the crafter amongst your family and friends, or if you are a little crafty yourself.. as part of a special individual gift for someone important in your life.

Individually crafted gifts show thoughtfulness and are completely unique (unless you are churning them out on an industrial scale).
In these financially austere times, an individual crafted gift indicates how much you think of someone without breaking the bank.

Catching up

Lack of activity on Munny4Hunny over the last few weeks is for two reasons:

1. Have been busy moving my Livewyre.NET web site over to a Wordpress platform - this has meant a complete reorganisation of the entire site which is packed with stuff... I am really pleased with the way it has gone so far - quite challenging, but in a good way. I have had to give some thought to how I want to organise the information in terms of 'categories' and 'tags' - I ahve not had to think in these terms before, so it has been quite a challenge to make 'sense' of this way of categorising information. In addition, the use of both 'pages' and 'posts' has made things both more complicated, and yet easier to handle. I really love the idea of a featured image which can either just be a picture for a snippet of the post, and/or an illustration within the post itself. I am using mostly images from 'dryicons' (great free resource for small images and backgrounds) which has given a kind of uniform feel to the site.
2. The 'busyness' of 'real life' has meant that I have had little spare time to pursue extra-curricular activities - I have worked two 12 hour days this week in order to meet a major deadline. I am hopeful that next week will not be quite so frantic. There is plenty to do, so I won't exactly be taking it easy...

I really want to get this Wordpress project to a state where I can re-launch Livewyre.NET, and am going to set a deadline of the end of November - this will entail getting all of the content from the old site onto the new platform, then editing each page and post to ensure the content is easy to follow and up to date. I have an 'SEO plugin' to help me ensure that the pages will maximised for SEO. The next stage will be then to tie in with twitter and use it to promote some of the content - I'm quite excited about finding out if this will prove a fruitful way of promoting the site.

wrestling singlets

Wrestling is one of those sports that is considered more highly in the US than here in the UK. Over here, the reputation of wrestling as a sport has been spoilt by the TV version of years ago which was little more than a rather physical pantomime. However in the US, wrestling is taken seriously at college level. I believe it is fairly well-documented that Tom Cruise was into wrestling as a youngster, so he probably has a good collection of wrestling singlets. In fact, wrestling is an ancient sport, much-loved by the Greeks, and one of those Olympic sports that has seemlessly transferred from Ancient Greece to the modern Olympic stage.

September 2012

September has been a decent month for me compared to others recently. I took a little over £100 last month, largely due to a contextual adverts company payment (shouldn't mention them, but they payout at £60). I also had over £20 for affiliate payments this month, so the bulk of the months payments were from passive income. I am doing some cassette to CD jobs at this moment which will take me over double last months total already for October, so income has been coming my way lately.

I hope my proposed plans for my website development will drive more passive income my way, but this 'passive' income sometimes needs a lot of frenetic activity to bring it to fruition. The yearly totals are low for  the 'half-way' point in the financial year, but I'm hoping for some increased activity for the remaining half-year.

Wordpress

I have just started 'updating' my main website 'Livewyre.NET' by attempting to put all the content onto a Wordpress platform. So far, it is going OK, I have 'played' with Wordpress before, but this is my biggest WP project to date, and one that I really want to get right. I am finally getting to grips with 'Categories' and 'tags', and although the site is not really a blog, I think this kind of structure will work well.

This is all part of my fresh strategy to harness the power of twitter and see if it can bring traffic and maybe even a bit of income. Also included in this strategy is a bit of 'rebranding' using some of my favourite graphics from the past, and updating them whilst lining them up with the theme I have chosen for the site - I may eventually bring this new branding into Munny4Hunny too...I'm going to be black and blue all over... watch this space!

cushions

We had a window-seat made for our dining room years ago, and we finished it off with some home-made cushions for which we had foam cut to fit the dimensions of the four seats.
We covered the foam with the same fabric that we had on our dining chairs and made frames which fitted onto the seats. More than ten years later, and those window seats still look pretty good, even if I say so myself, and they cost us only the price of the materials.

wine making kits

Anyone who reads this blog will know that frugal living is second nature to me, however I do like a few luxuries and the odd glass of wine is always welcome.
So I have decided that I am going to ask people to buy me wine making kits for Christmas so that I can eat, drink and be merry whilst still being frugal...

I may even start a new blog charting my wine-making progress, the triumphs and disasters in full technicolour.. I like full-bodied wines from the New World regions, but seriously doubt that my home-grown efforts will be able to rival my favourite tipple.

Sparked up by Twitter

I have had twitter accounts for a while but have not really got 'into' Twitter in any meaningful way. This was mainly because I couldn't see how I could use it. However, I am now rediscovering Twitter, trying to connect it with Facebook and planning to use it to drive traffic to websites and blogs that I own.
I feel like I have just started out again, the same way I felt when I started blogging - connected to a community, all doing similar things. I remember well how I started blogging and connected with a few people and felt like part of a community - we all went separate ways, and for me blogging for the last couple of years has been a relatively 'lonely' (not in an emotive sense) pursuit. Interaction has been largely missing, but I can now see how the Twitter community can be used to interact and therefore drive traffic. Traffic is the illusive 'asset' that most bloggers and website builders seek. I am going to dive into Twitter to see if I can use it to recapture my enthusiasm for the social web, and to get some much-needed traffic coming my way.

Custom Jerseys

If you are part of a team of some type you can find custom jerseys here. There are all sorts of clothing available for all types of team activities. You can customize each item with your own team colors, and add accessories such as hats, caps or a sweat shirt for keeping warm.
Some items are available in custom colors, others allow you to add your own custom text, logo or other images. There is an online designer tool that allows you to create your own design before submitting your order. No need to settle for some 'off the shelf' design for your team - now you can have your own custom design printed and delivered to your home or business.

Internet security

Some Do's and Don'ts for internet users everywhere - you may find something on this list that you do, but shouldn't...

• Don’t re-use your email password - if you log into a third party site with your email address and the same password that you use for your emails (ie. your hotmail, gmail, etc..) that third party site has both your email address AND your password...
• Use two-factor passwords when you can  - I keep an 'offline' (ie. a notepad in my office) record of my passwords. I tend to have a list of about three or four different words and about three or four different numbers that I use - but I will still use totally random configurations just to keep things fresh - that's when you need a notebook or pother physical record (as opposed to a spreadsheet which might be accessed on a PC)
• Don’t use the same username everywhere people don’t realise that people can use Google to connect accounts accross all the different networks they visit, and then work out a way in. For instance Facebook can give visitors clues as to pets names childrens names, car type - all things that can give a clue to passwords. Forums will do the same, if you are logged into a Yamaha forum - what's the betting that one of your passwords is a favourite Yamaha model??
• Keeps plug-ins such as Flash and Java up to date as many of them are to guard against vunerabilities
• Be careful about who you friend on Facebook 
• Don’t trust public wi-fi - fine to use it now and again, but just be careful about what might be accessible on your laptop - and even worse, your phone (phones are generally less well-protected than computers)...

Florida beach rentals

Having spent the last few years holidaying within the UK, I am determined that we will get on a plane sometime soon and have a 'proper' holiday. I am quite keen to visit friends in New York, but have to admit that Florida beach rentals look quite attractive too.
Florida is one of those locations that has everything a holiday destination should have including a Disney theme park, Epcot and the famous Universal Studios to name the most prominent ones. These attractions coupled with low costs of property locally means that renting a property can be a realistic alternative to a hotel holiday.

LASIK in Chicago

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery is an area of health care that has boomed in recent years due to innovative techniques and the opening of many new facilities proffering the latest equipment.
The surgery uses a laser or blade to cut a flap in the cornea and re-shape the stroma. The flap is then replaced offering a patient a life free from spectacles or contact lenses.
The cornea is a part of the eye that helps focus light to create an image on the retina in much the same way that the lens of a camera focuses light to create an image on film..

A unique feature of the service offered by Dr. Stuart Sondheimer is his experience in all types of eye surgery - this experience and background means that he has the facilities and skills to offer the most appropriate treatment whether it involves surgery or not. The practice is spread over three sites in Chicago, and services offered include Macular Degeneration treatments, Glaucoma treatments, Cataract treatments and many other vital ophthalmic services. His facility is widely regarded as the most trustworthy lasik in Chicago.

Success rates in terms of percentage of patients having this type of procedure are typically in the high nineties, the procedure is not entirely risk-free which is why patients should seek the advice of a suitably qualified and experienced surgeon before deciding to have the treatment.

Autumn is coming..

Uk weather remains undecided as the summer holidays are well behind us and everybody barring the students are back at the grind-stone. We leave a remarkable summer of Olympics in our wake as we face the mundane challenges of life in the vague hope of an 'Indian Summer' starting in the next few weeks.
The economy as a whole is in back-pedal or treading-water mode with little hope af any dramtic change any time soon. The general concensus is that the summer of sport in the UK has been a great success, and that gives us a positive attitude that we can take into our family and business lives, engendering a sense of satisfaction despite the uncertain economic future.
On-line earnings remain possible but it is getting harder to justify the effort needed to pull in the few dollars that are available. Having said that I have had a good result with my currently favourite affiliate - I often get a few payouts sometimes of around £2 or thereabouts every month or so, but I have just received notification of an impending £20 payout coming my way soon. The only issue I have with this is that the affiliate scheme doesn't have any tracking, so I am not even sure where the clicks are coming from... £20 will be a nice boost to earnings, and with another Adsense payment just around the corner, I will have some decent figures to add to my earnings.
I have just completed my tax return for the year just gone, but suspect that this mught be a 'plateau' year or even a dip year for me in terms of annual earnings.

Stunning Drums

When I was younger I used to play keyboards in a band, but before that I really wanted to be a drummer. Me and my friends would congregate in our school music room at lunch time and found all sorts of wonderful kit including some stunning drums. I would sit at the kit and knock out a rhythm and other friends would play guitar (I think one was a flautist too).
It was only when I offered to pick out the notes on the piano to help tune the guitars, that the others realised I could play piano...(whereas it was failry well established that I couldn't play drums!)
Since then I stuck to the piano, but I still would have loved to have been a drummer.

Holidays

The Summer holidays are now over in the UK, but I have allowed myself a few extra days off from my day job to catch up with things at home.
I have not blogged for the last few weeks as I have been away on a 'frugal' holiday in a friend's caravan for a short while. We have done the same holiday for the last few years, and although it should be saving us money, I always seem to spend a fortune whilst we are there..
At least I can add more stuff to my travel blog now, although posts there have been sadly lacking since we have more or less stopped traveling since we are a family of three and not just a care-free couple any more.. (not that I would swap!).
I need to do a catch up on my financial blog too - judging by that stats supplied by blogger, although this blog gets more visits, my financial affairs blog gets a better ratio of visits compared to number of posts completed - I should therefore, in theory be trying to get more quality posts put on there to drive up traffic.
Online earnings have been quite slow this year, but I am aware that if I could rationalise my approach I could probably boost earnings, it's just a case of whether I can find the time to put the work in, and whether the returns will justify the effort. Nonetheless, the online earnings quest will continue...

Masonry screws

If you have ever done any serious DIY, you will have at some point got frustrated with the fiddly combination of masonry drill, screw and rawl-plug. When you emerge from your store of screws and drills,  usually at least one of the three components is the wrong size. Some years ago, I discovered the genius of masonry screws. The masonry screw needs only a matching masonry drill bit - the double thread ensures that a rawl-plug is not needed. No more drilling and drilling to make the hole a bit bigger so you can force the plug in - no more tightening the screw only to find the plug won't hold - no more driving hard with blistered hands before discovering that the plug was too short..
True DIYers everywhere salute the humble masonry screw, and always have a few hidden away for those awkward tasks.

Catering equipment

In an effort to maximise revenue, my wife has recently begun a business making cakes for local individuals and businesses. Like any business activity, there can be a fine balance between making a profit and making a loss.
As well as the ingredients for the cakes, a calculation of energy used in cooking and distributing the cakes has to be taken into consideration. Other cost considerations are the catering equipment which has to be of a high standard, and associated costs such as website and business card production. Naturally, website costs are low as I have created a website for the business and we also set up an associated Facebook page.
This type of business allows a stay-at-home mother to work in her own environment and still be available to do the 'school-run' and even look after a child when school is out for whatever reason.

The downside of the interactive web...

I am old enough to remember the hype around 'Web 2.0' some years ago when interaction started to creep into websites. The practice of leaving comments on articles and starting conversations crept into our lives and we ended up with the facebook generation that has bought us life lived out on a page...Social media suddenly took flight.
Now, I find Facebook a great way to keep in touch with far-flung friends, but I notice that other people tend to use it as a forum for discussion, which could be positive, but in my experience often results in insulting 'troll-like' behaviour. This is the downside of the interactive web, you give people a voice, and they will abuse it. This is why countries like the UK do NOT have 'free speech' as a right - it's because we understand that some people just shouldn't be allowed to voice their opinions as they don't have the social grace to understand how an inclusive society works. One of the worst offenders that I have seen is Yahoo where they allow users to comment on news - and they do just that. For example, I was just reading an article about recent lottery winners, comments were peppered with petty ill-disguised jealousy, some chose to roundly abuse the winners commenting on their appearance and suggesting that the male of the couple could now get himself a younger wife... No doubt, very funny if you are currently on school holidays and just graduating into long trousers, but of course each comment carries equal weight once it is posted. Added to this is then the opportunity to give a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down to each comment - this interactive feature is subject to the same inane activity. One poster remarked 'Fair play to them, I really hope they enjoy it..' within a short time, two people had give a thumbs-down to this pleasant even-handed comment suugesting that there are at least two people reading the comments who hope that the happy couple DON'T enjoy their win.
I would prefer to stay out of these stupid spats, but I'm afraid I did jump in with 'What idiot gives a thumbs down for that?' (I got a thumbs up, but expect worse to follow..).
My feeling is that I know exactly why people do that, it's because we have some incredibly small-minded people out there - the internet makes it worse because the idiots who are too scared to be rude to your face are really brave when you don't have a chance of finding out who they are. I assume that the 'trolls' mask their identities, and if you are going to take part in these discussions, then I recommend that you do the same. By calling them 'trolls' we are lumping them all together, but in reality we are talking about a range of people. Some are ignorant, biggoted people, some are just idiotic nasty kids - both of these look the same on the internet and can be spotted by bad spelling and grammar. Others are sociopaths who have no idea of how to behave or interact with others, some have deep-held but basically flawed beliefs (conspiracy theorists and the like) who just love to bang their drum. Many are probably an amalgamation of the above.
This is the price of Web 2.0, you can't really stop it but I would offer the following guidelines:

• Don't put stuff in your online profiles that might be traceable (email addresses, phone numbers etc..)
• Don't get too embroiled in an argument because it may turn out you are arguing a serious point with a couple of 11-year olds... be prepared to walk away from the discussion if things are going in an unsavoury direction.
• Mark down or report posts that go againt the TOS of the site concerned - blow the whistle on the trolls.
• Be caureful about linking your comments into other social medai sites (loads of places like Yahoo will do this if you are not careful) -

criminal background check

The employment market has changed over the last decades, and now a background check such as can be got from criminal background check easybackgrounds would not be an unusual request. Employers can afford to be more careful about who they employ, and are more likely to look into an applicants background before employing them. In some jobs, this would now be part of the normal vetting process in contrast to how appointments may have been made previously.

Great year of sport

The 2012 Olympic games has proved a thrilling event for the local GB crowd as well as as a global sporting spectacle, with little more than the closing ceremony to come, the games has proved successful on all levels.
The support has been tremendous with sell-out crowds at many many events, everyone (apart from the sulky few) in the UK have been well behind the success of the games even though many were skeptical before they began.
We have enjoyed great sights including a couple of World Records broken, some legends (Usain Bolt to name one) established as kings (and queens) of their sport, and a generally wholesome and safe experience was had by all.
Congratulations for the London Olympic organisational team, the GB team participants, all other nations that took part and the supporters than came from near and far to make the event so special.
Right, when does the football season start?

1200 and counting

I have just posted my 1200th post on Munny4Hunny which seems like quite a lot even in 5 years. This is the most prolific of my blogs, so no surprise that it has many more posts than my others, still 1200 is quite a lot... Things have changed over the years, and in the main, potential earnings have slowed down.
Paid posting has changed since the days when Pay Per Post were the 'Daddy' and hours were spent trawling for opportunities on a daily basis to find the 'fattest' opps. Google has responded especially to viral linking which enabled bloggers to 'game' technorati links. Inevitably, like the dot-com's, the bubble burst but we have not been left completely without opps.

It used to be quite acceptable to mention the paid to blog companies alongside the paid posts, but with paid posting becoming increasingly twitchy about upsetting Google, this is no longer encouraged - making it diffcult to discuss paid blogging on a blog that actually includes paid posts.

There remains the question over whether Google should be so picky about paid posting when it has it's own 'Adsense' scheme for companies to advertise themselves on web-sites and blogs, but that's an argument I have examined a few times, and I'm not one of the 'Google bashers'who believes they are harbingers of evil, but I do beleive their stance is somewhat contradtictory and slightly monopolistic. Nevertheless I continue to be paid for Adsense and other adverts, so I continue to be happy for everything to carry on as it is... They also own blogspot and allow us to use it for free, so it's all good...

Bubble Machine

Summer 2012 is a pretty exciting time, and what better time to have a wedding or a big party for all your friends.You can have your own dj bubbles at your party, get a big rig in and rock the house, or just have a quiet BBQ at home with family and/or friends.
I have to say, as I get older, the smaller and quieter a party is, the more attractive I find it... up to a point of course...

I would never advocate having a loud BBQ unless you can hold it in a secluded location, but nothing wrong with a bit of bunting, some funky lights and your very own bubble machine to set the right atmosphere.

On yer bike

Recently, my frugal living has been taking some serious knocks, and deciding to re-fit the home office didn't help. Really the whole thing is down to attitude and resolve, my resolve has softened somewhat lately and credit card bills have grown again.

I don't really know how this issue will be resolved accept by some 'austerity measures' of my own - however this week (in this glorious weather we have been having) I have been cycling to work. I recently 'invested' in a bike from eBay because my little one has learnt to ride her bike and we have been cycling around the locality. What better then, than to use this 'investment' by using it to travel to work (it takes less than 15 minutes to get to work, regardless of whether I go by car or by bike..). The summer months are ideal for this because the traffic on the roads is quite bearable, the journey to and from work when the schools are in, is a very different matter..

One other way that I can get some capital back is by monetising all the laptop parts that I have after my experiment with laptop fixing. I have a fairly large stock of saleable items that just need sorting out. We are getting another 'free' holiday this year courtesy of a friend with a holiday home - although a free holiday always end up being quite costly because you can't really go on holiday without spending a bit of cash...even if it costs nothing to go in the first place.

Time for a change

I was recently prompted to look at this blog and see if I could 'streamline' it a little. There was a suggestion that side-bar text-links can become a problem because they are in every 'page' and they generate hundreds of 'spammy' looking links. I was reluctant to remove them at first, but I figured that this blog could probably do with a spring clean so why not remove all of the clutter from the sidebar.

My foray into the blogger template editor has resulted in a slight colour scheme change (grey to contrast better with the bright red), and a thorough 'weeding out' of the sidebar.

This is post no:1198 on Munny4Hunny, and marks yet another facelift, although only a very subtle one compared with ones I have been though in the past. The image included here is one of the first banners that I designed for this blog over five years ago. A lot of text has been typed since then, and a few dollars have been amassed too.. which makes the whole project that much more worthwhile.

Spanish Weather

It is not often that you can compare UK weather with spanish weather, but this week is turning out to be one of those freak occurrences that British weather likes to throw our way every once in a while. We are now entering Summer holiday season with the schools breaking up, and many UK families will be setting their sights on the Spanish coasts where the weather is more reliable than what we are used to at home.

Offering up to 14-day forecasts, the 'SpanishWeather.net' website could prove to be a valuable tool for working out whether 'the rain in spain will be mostly on the plain' or if it's shorts and tee-shirts all the way for the duration of your holiday. The website offers some background information about Spain in general as a holiday destination, and then goes on to offer 3,5,7,10 and 14 day forecasts for hundreds of locations around Spain. It also offers average monthly temperature and rainfall data for each of these areas - in fact I would go as far as to say that nowhere on the 'net is such a comprehensive set of weather data available in such an accessible format.

Summer is coming to the UK

Just in time for the Olympics... we are finally due for some scorching weather next week after what seems like months of continual rain. I watched the GB football team on TV last night bravely taking on Olympic favourites Brazil in their first ever game (GB have not had a team at the Olympics before as the separate nations that make up GB have always retained their own identity and therefore not been able to compete). GB lost 2 -0 but for a first ever performance, there were some positives to take from the game...

This year, as a family, we had not had any solid plans for a vacation, but we were offered a week in a very plush mobile home at the end of August just last week, so now we have something to look forward to. I am seriously considering putting some cash aside next year for a visit to Disneyland Paris as a treat for my daughter, but we'll see how that plan goes...

Stroller website

Although (when our little one was a toddler) we didn't get our stroller from a stroller website, we certainly had good use out of it.
The reason that it was so useful is that we had a fully-loaded pram with covers and all-sorts, but for quick trips, the stroller was so much lighter and easier to handle that it quickly became a favorite of ours.
The stroller was so much easier to collapse and stick in the back of the car than the full pram, that we ended up rarely using the pram at all.

Car bike racks

We have to seriously consider car bike racks this year as my daughter has really got 'into' cycling since the beginning of the year.
We are likely to be holidaying 'locally' again, which means we will need a means of taking the bikes with us to get the most out of a 'home grown' holiday.
I have had to buy a bike for myself so that I can keep up with her - if it was just her bike, we could probably get it in the car without any problems, but if I'm taking my bike too, then we are definitely going to need a rack of some sort..

Will Facebook live up to expectations?

I think it is probably now fairly evident that the launch of Facebook as a public limited company was vastly over-hyped, with punters mistaking 'popularity' for commercial opportunity. The public just love Facebook as a social interactive tool, of that there is no doubt - one the other side of the coin, it will be possible to make money from such a social interactive tool as long as it does not become overly commercial.

Advertising is the key here, and in the case of Facebook, 'targeted' advertising based on all sorts of variables that can be identified from a profile or activity of an individual. While this company offers a fairly unique way to target advertising, one still has to question the value of advertising to an increasingly web-savvy, skeptical public - many of whom will be difficult to reach as they will be using mobile devices which offer less opportunity for adverts.

I think in general, pricing of the company was largely driven by sentiment and excitement rather than hard-nosed commercial instinct, and I can understand that as a bit of a Facebook fan myself. In the cold hard light of day, it is clear that the company was over-priced. Whether owning a little chunk of the social phenomenon is enough of a reward for some investors is difficult to gauge, but for me FB as a social tool is great, as a commercial model, it's good, but will always have to hold back on all-out commercialism at the risk of losing it's only asset - fickle internet users.

Challenge coins

I recently came across challenge coins on the net when looking for a resource for commemorative medals. I had not really considered coins as an alternative to a medal or small trophy until I took a look at some of the fabulous designs that they had come up with for their various clients.

This could also be a great commercial marketing tool especially if the coins were introduced in a collectable series.

Bulova watches

Although I really admire the rich design of bulova watches, I doubt whether I will be buying one during the 'frugal stage' of my working life. I truly hope and expect that this stage will pass and one day I will be able to spend a little more freely than I can currently. In the meantime I have to admire such luxuries from a safe distance..
I have not managed finances particularly well over the last year or so, allowing the credit card bills to pile up. I think I need to follow some of my own frugal advice a little more closely

Summer 2012

Summer has been a complete washout so far in the UK, we have already recorded the wettest June since records began, and so far, July is heading the same way. The Olympics will be with us in a few short weeks, so hopefully there is not much more rain coming - on the plus side, any concerns about a shortage of water earlier in the year, have proved to be premature...
So far, the summer of sport has proved moderately successful with the England team doing better than anticipated in the Football European Championships (quarter-finals) and Andy Murray getting to the final of Wimbledon for the first time. We have plenty of sport to come, and hopefully some of the events will bring gold to the GB team on their own turf.

Professional liability insurance

The cost of insurance has risen dramatically over the last few years, and most companies are now shopping around for the best professional liability insurance deals. I know of companies that have recently stopped their more 'risk-prone' activities because they can't afford the insurance. Some companies will be forced to cease trading, lay workers off or even operate without insurance in extreme circumstances. Shopping around is always a good way to keep your costs down, especially where the temptation is just to keep the same service providers year after year - you have to be competitive in the current market, so getting the best deal makes good sense.

Value of fresh water pearls

The value of fresh water pearls is based on the grading of the individual pearl. In general, the pearls are graded on their luster, color and shape - round pearls being valued more highly because it is hard to 'create' a round pearl during the culture process. Freshwater pearls are considered to be better than saltwater pearls for a variety of reasons demonstrating the better cultivation techniques that have been developed