Adventures in Online Money

Goofy Suspenders guy...here, take my monies.

2012-01-26T02:53:00.000-05:00

Now I’ve been prepping this site, fixing it and the others up but what really sells it is how I rank in the engines. No, not page rank but where I appear in Google’s search results. I notice the higher I rank for a search term, the more hits I get. But that’s the thing, getting yourself to rank based on a set keyword is rather daunting. It’s time consuming and a bit of a crap shoot if you aren’t sure what you are doing.

And I hate to say it, too rich for my blood. The amount of time I’d have to invest to get a page to rank high in Google’s search results is like having a second, unpaid job. But I have seen some cheap seo places around. They basically do all the dirty work for you using a key word you chose. Going by that one place’s website, they lok rather ,,,quirky. But I like quirky. Quirky and to the point.

They list what things cost upfront and what they do for said cost. It also helps they only charge when the desired results are gotten, as in you aren’t paying if they fail to get you to rank.

The goofy man on the front page kinda sells it for me though XD It’s so hard to tell that guy in suspenders no!

Helping my sis move; discovers kids will climb into anything. News at 11

2012-01-25T11:58:00.002-05:00

I just helped my sis, her husband and her kid move into their new place. I must admit seeing the little one year old running around in that large place was a tad concerning to me. I wasn’t her parents it was more the place. See, their new place is a tad old. I mean the place I stay at looks to be sorts 70 ish in some of the build but the important stuff – the AC, the appliances, the sinks etcetera look current or at least to the point people would find ‘standard’.

But the place here looked 60ish with 60ish everything. The kid was hiding in the old, peeling cabinets like they were childrens lockers - in and out sling inside the small kitchen’s little cabinets. She’s a small kid and could easily slide in, get trapped, hurt her fingers – it was worrysome.

She needs a play locker, one of those play lockers for kids. She’s gunna try to climb into anything with childlocks, might as well let her exercise her creativity and want to search by giving her (a safe one!) to play with. I’ve seen many kids lockers you can buy that stand alone and are great to store and hide in toys for a child of her age.

Nomorerack is definately not a scam.

2012-01-21T04:46:00.001-05:00

Well I’ve found myself on the Nomorerack train. This site is a rather novel invention. You see it’s sorta parts bid site, shopping mall, and lottery. You pull up the site and a small, maybe 9 items a day are offered. Only nine. Said items are all of limited quantity and only appear on the site for THAT day you viewed them. Twenty four hours is all the time those items are up – unless they are sold out before then. And if you see nothing you want that day, well then you can come back the next day and see if anything you would want is up.

Many types of items show up – jewelry, electronics, novelty, men’s stuff, children’s stuff, free stuff, charity items (in which you buy an items and a portion of the sale goes to charity), even a neat thing called a friendrack. This is where you are directly rewarded by referring nomorerack new members. You send your friends a referral code, they register and bam you get a friend point. They don’t even have to buy anything. So you get rewarded by basically spreading the word.

For such an odd Russian roulette way of doing things, the site is doing well by the many nomorerack reviews I’ve found. The fun of daily scouting for deals- and the deals on there are awesome. The deals are so awesome that some people believe Nomorerack to be less about the nomorerack deal and more about the nomorerack scam.

See, nomorerack doesn’t just sell anything. They sell name brand high end stuff for upwards of 90% along with freebies, daily charity items and crazy insanity deals that show up randomly during the day. Seeing a PS3 go for barely a $30 can cause many an eyebrow to rise.

But note the many endorsements on their side: People. USA Today. Martha Stewart. Big names that don’t just endorse anything. When high end trendsetters and news makers are willing vouch for you must be doing something right. I know I’m sold. I just wonder if there’s a hells chance that PS3 shows up again…

Locker Decor

2012-01-20T18:03:00.000-05:00

Lockers how I abuse you. I used you in my childhood and even later in my high school years. But then they were a necessity. Metal lockers saved my back from lifting heavy books on my back for hours a day. They were rather boring and unpleasing to the eye. Any once you use something for such a boring task every day, they become well, boring.

But now it’s been years since and a bit of nostalgia has returned to me. I was thrifting for a small end table for our bedroom and discovered these two cute wood lockers. They played upon my love for more natural materials and the wood was so pleasing to the eye. I like their size in that they could fit into a small space yet store many things. And so I snapped them up. Funny the very things I groaned at in my school days have now given my place a great sheen of class.

Hotels are big spenders too

2012-01-18T13:17:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder where hotels get their cooking supplies? Or resorts or smaller groups like fundraisers and banquets? A lot of Resort Supplies & Catering Supplies come from third party sellers that sell heavy duty equipment to such places in bulk.

One such place is PeachSuite Hospitality Supply. Say an extended stay hotel needs more mini bar accessories. They (the hotel) could go to a regular retail store and buy whatever they have at retail price. But you aren’t normally buying one item, you are buying in bulk. That can make a tab exceeding expensive especially for smaller boutique hotels.

For example this Hotel Supplies & Restaurant Supply merchant offers items at very low prices and of great quality. They also encourage purchases in bulk with discounts.

Baby Gate Gifting

2012-01-17T12:53:00.000-05:00

Welp, my kid sis is about to move out with her husband and child in tow. But that little kid can be a messy terror, pulling things down that isn’t bolted down. So I headed over to the Kidco Gate Shop cause from what I see so far they offer very sturdy gates. That kid is rather strong, her small hands possessing a strong grip. Finding baby gates that are not only sturdy but pleasing to the eye is a feat in itself – asking for one to have these features while being able to be installed at the top of the stairs and at a great price point made the Kidco gates a no brainer.

It also helped that the website offers install help in the form of their Safety Gate Guide and Tips page.

Bejeweled

2012-01-13T23:54:00.000-05:00

Bejeweled…you just don’t know the hours of fun this lone game has given me over the years. I recall playing this at my first college job, wasting hours – cause it wasn’t like I got a lot of visitors to the university service desk nor a lot of hours in general - and back then, you could easily get it for free (or pre installed) on any Win95/98 machine.

Yes, I used a pre Windows XP system and lived.

I also abused that game on my old cell phone, wasting time between phone calls. Played it while playing World of Warcraft (gameception!), and even on game consoles through moods. Me and Bejeweled have had a love affair of over 10+ years. And as I type on my new laptop…like a tradition, I reinstall bejeweled. Now, this laptop is mine.

Oh I think I've found my best bet...

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve been putting it off…but finally I’ve found a great place that gives seo consulting services. I’ve looked and looked for a long, long while, but found many were simply offering things I already do, and for higher prices that I just could not afford.

The seo consulting services I’ve found offers three types of payment packages without a binding contract (sounds like a cell phone commercial). They let you after getting a free introductory session to let you pay in three ways:

Monthly SEO Consulting

Hourly SEO Consulting

…and

A Full Service SEO package that lets them take over and do all the dirty work why I simply do what I do. Not many of the other seo consulting services offer this. The last package is very tempting as I have a lot of things landing on my plate as of late…

The Moving Hunt

2012-01-12T04:18:00.001-05:00

So, I guess it’s time to get on with the Removal Companies. Friend of mine in Australia is finding himself needing to move from there to here…all the way across the pond back to the US. That’s what his fancy pants job is requesting over the span of a few months. There's a few downsides to this.

When he first hired some ‘Removalists’ (overseas talk for a moving company/shipping company) ages ago to move over there, he didn’t have many things to bring with. He sold what little he had and moved on. But years over there have him with a decent amount of items he’d rather not give up.

And in being a good friend (read: I have more ‘free’ time to look up stuff and compare) I investigated a few Removals places for him. And so far, I have ta admit these International Removals places look way more organized, if not nicer in general then the places you see in America.

In America it’s ‘here, rent a truck’ or ‘here’s some random guys to move stuff’. These guys actually describe in detail what, how, and when they do things and sound so hardcore about it. I also learned from my searching, that moving companies can ship automobiles across the ocean. Never knew that. If the guy is willing to pay extra, he can even keep his vehicle XD

Repurposing shelves

2012-01-11T04:09:00.000-05:00

As I shift the drop cloth under myself, I get up to stretch out my aching back. I’ve been in this hunched position for a good three hours now, repainting a thrift store find shelf. This little apartment doesn’t have a balcony or regular garage so I kind of have to fudge it. The drop cloth and this blue tarp are all I have to work with, but it’s better than nothing.

I have gotten some clear tarps before but they tended to be so clear I never would notice where the thing ended on the carpet causing a few (hopefully) unnoticeable painting mistakes. This shelf though will look so boss once it is touched up. Shelves just make hordes of books, video games, and movie memorabilia look so good. The scuffs were already sanded out, the pits evened out, just gotta wait till it dries now.

That Advertising Agency

2012-01-09T12:38:00.002-05:00

That Advertising Agency has been a good source of assistance for me promoting my sites. So far I'm rather impressed by their focus on web based advertising. I mean really, what use would I have for newspaper or radio advertising? All of my 'properties' are online.

Not to say I hate old media. It's just that I find it unlikely to be of help to me. The internet is my blogs' 'home'. But these guys can do wonders for promotion. They can have ads placed in optimal places, get my sites (white hat therefore good and legal) back links, and even manage my reputation. Cause everyone knows the old adage 'any news is good news' is a crook. Being hated my get me hits but not any trust.

I also love how they are willing to do social networking for me. I have many, many sites I promote on, but I'm only one person. I can only visit and maintain but so much. At the end of the day I just have to accept I can't do it all AND work on actual projects. So in what they offer, I find the Advertising Agency (such a simple and to the point name!) great for my needs.

I find it cute they even will send you by mail a physical portfolio of their work to look over. Not many actually do that. If that's not pride in your work I don't know what is. I may just give in and go order one. It's free and knowing what I'm getting into is awesome.

Bra Hunting

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

What is the 'Best Bra' to me? This is what I pondered as I went bra shopping for the first time in oh a year or so. Being on a strict budget kinda limits your urge to shop. So, I'm forced to be a bit frugal in my hunt. But, being one with a not so small chest the want to be frugal gets beaten by large boobs. Lets just say I can never get away with going bra-less.

And so I searched for bras and other undergarments that I can afford. As I searched my ye landed on something rather neat. Seamless shape wear. Shape wear essentially shapes your body. Not as hardcore as say a corset but enough to tuck in those 'odd' places. I rarely use them as they tend to sacrifice comfort (and yes, I'm aware there's only so much comfort to be gained by tucking yourself into a tight outfit but the things didn't let the body breathe!).

But the Best Body shaper line and their bras avoid this; I tried a few on in a dressing room. I now have a few sitting in my bags – they aren't crazy expensive either!

Getting back into Affliate marketing?

2012-01-05T03:28:00.001-05:00

Blue Global Media has now popped up on my ‘persons to work with list. These guys offer great stuff for people in the affiliate marketing trade. Affiliate marketing can be tough. You pitch and pitch product after product, probably gotten from Clickbank yet see little results.

These guys are a international affiliate network meaning for one, you’ll have a wider market to sell to. Apparently only 15% of all world internet users even live in the US; taking on broader markets may net me more bites.

These guys don’t let you float alone either. Through Blue Global Media’s Payday affiliate program , they help you though your marketing game plan tailoring sites and promotions to help their affiliates on the selling front.

The more I compare, the more I think to switch.

2012-01-04T03:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I mentioned in an earlier post about me looking for cheaper alternatives for getting prescription meds? I was very worried. I mean it seems like such a complicated roundabout way to get what are basically canada drugs.

A canada pharmacy stocks the same meds the US ones do, the same names, the same care taken that things don't get mixed up, the same everything except not in this country. But in comparing prices that is also the biggest difference between an American and an canadian pharmacy. The price even with shipping is just too good to pass up.

Hell, they offer over the counter meds even at a cheaper rate. Between the cost of living and meds, if I had a bigger savings I'd be mighty tempted to move up to the Great North. I love yas America, but somethings you just come up short on.

Moved In

2012-01-03T07:53:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Lemuel Craft

When I moved in to my own place last year I wasn't scared at first. I think it's just the adrenaline rush of owning my own home, but for those first few weeks I didn't think twice about the fact that I lived in the house all by myself. That all changed when I heard about a break-in only four houses down from mine. I started worrying about what would happen if something like that were to happen at my house in the middle of the night.

The first thing I did was get a dog, a big, big dog. That was kind of twofold though because I had always wanted a dog in this was the perfect excuse for me to get one. And now I have a reason to utilize the big backyard! After that I spent some time online at a website on adt home security Memphis researching different security systems that the made sense for my type of house. Now I feel much better about staying here all alone and I finally feel like a real homeowner!

Poker Fun

2012-01-01T07:06:00.002-05:00

Well, I've jumped from slots to online gambling. Why? Cause I like to dabbling in this away from regular games every so often. Sometimes I just like the randomness of it. I mean playing games on my consoles is fun, sometimes even facebook, but gambling there is no strategy guides or set level maps.

For example, I did some video poker earlier today. Just playing for hours and hours. I of course had a set amount I would wager, but I analyze the rolls, wager and go. When I cross my 'max amount to wager' threshold, I walk away having enjoyed my game without clearing my purse. Nothing more simple than that.

Breaking a Resolution is My New Year's Resolution

2011-12-30T06:24:00.001-05:00

As I sit on the local gym's aluminum bleachers, I wonder – what am I doing here? The glint of various steel lockers around me and just want to hold my hands in my face. I've done this song and dance before. Declare this a New Years resolution, go buy a months gym membership (cause I'm rather broke to get the full year) and suit up.

I even have the sweats, the gym bag, the whole she bang. From last year. I shift nervously on the aluminum bleacher and cringe. It's not cause I feel too over weight. I mean it's a gym. That's the point of going, to work it off. But as I sit here staring at lockers I just admit that I didn't really do this to get well.

I did this to make myself feel good. That 'Hey, I tried! See I have a receipt!' Kind of empty promises. I almost brought into it, then realized I'll never come back. Not till next year and do it all over again. I simply gave those small lockers a backward glance, went back to the main desk, got a refund and went home. That's a resolution worth making: don't make promises you can't keep!

Saving my Sis's face.

2011-12-28T06:13:00.000-05:00

Now, I never thought much about facial Acne. I mean, I did in my childhood gain it, but it was more that I had thick hair. I at one time wore said hair with a frontal bang. The oils from my hair caused havoc on my skin. Once I pulled my hair back – no bumps. So in the realm of acne in my case, it was rather tame.

But my kid sis had it bad. She seemed to get the brunt of the skin problems between us; I merely got eczema as a kind. She was by 15 using Resurgence to keep her wild acne in control. She wears her hair back too, but it still gets her hard especially in the forehead and neck areas. In fact (along with her feet issues – boy she has smelly feet) she still uses a mix of that though the stuff is rather expensive.

Sometimes in my daily online coupon hunting I find her some Murad Coupon Codes. As a starving college student, finding such deals for her reoccurring acne is great for not only her pocket but more importantly, her face! It’s good to know that she can go to class and not worry on her face breaking out into those aggravating bumps.

Blast from the past: OBEY Prints

2011-12-27T06:21:00.003-05:00

Hey, remember ages ago those Obey prints? I do, way back in the 90s, I'd see them everywhere. Must've be a skater thing. I mean like almost every skateboard I knew had the big sticker with ominous face and 'OBEY' in big print on the bottom. The obey giant prints were just everywhere.

Well it took me years later (noted in an older blog post) to find out that artist shepard fairey was the mastermind behind said print.

Well, nowadays the shepard fairey art style have expanded beyond a simple monotone face and text from his famous redo of the Obey icon with Obama's face, to his many works spoofing propaganda posters from various world regimes. His works give a general tone of rebellion with the simple use of a few colors with not sacrificing detail on any of them. It's been almost 20 years and I still not only find Fairey's works easily recognizable, but iconic.

Hand Drying at Mach Speed

2011-12-26T06:04:00.000-05:00

I always wondered who made those airblade hand dryers I see in many public bathrooms. Apparently a company named dyson does. They are the guys responsible for that heated air dryer that drys your hand dryer than the Sahara desert. The sleek, ofter super powerful things are so much so, when I look down upon my hands I see my skin ripple from the strong air blasted onto them.

Yet, curiously the dyson hand dryers are never super warm. I can have my hands dripping wet and shivering but the air dryers never over heat my hands. I wonder why that is. From what I see, a dyson air blade hand dryer is usually a small, compact unit that has the power of a vaccum but in reverse. Somehow I should not be surprised; it took me a moment to register the name Dyson in my head. The vaccum king is using his skills in building powerful more improved versions of vaccums to hand blowers.

Yes, I am well away of the irony of Dyson going from refining how machines suck to how they blow. No, I did not think a dirty thought nor intend said sentence as such. :)

Mailboxes and decor.

2011-12-25T05:52:00.000-05:00

I always thought mailboxes were the domain of houses; they are small, black, and generally small. Well apparently at auth florence, mailboxes can come in huge sizes. The mailboxes sold here are like the kinds you see at apartment complexes – cluster mailboxes with the many slots made for multiple residents.

There's even florence mailboxes to variate on the looks and styles. Now why would I find interest in them? Well, I'd find these types of mailboxes would make great internal storage. Think about it, a mailbox system like this is just a smaller version of a portable storage unit. Instead of cramming so many items into a metal box, I can sort a bunch of smaller items into the equivalent of metal cubbyholes.

They also give off a modern look to them. I could position a mailbox set to the back of my living room, and sit things under it and above taking advantage of the added space. The only downside is that I'd have to manage a lot of keys. Key are an Achilles heel for me what with my constant loosing of them!

Apparently you can buy dem pills online now.

2011-12-24T07:13:00.002-05:00

As I scowered the net looking for great deals like coupons for grocery shopping and whatnot, I discovered on this odd thing: online pharmacies. Now, first thing you think of with an online pharmacy is well: scam.

I mean really, how can you even insure the site sells legit things, not things of questionable origin or wrongful doses? When you think of a pharmacy, you expect to go to a brick and mortar to go and pick up prescripts. You go and buy flomax for your aging Grandad and see a live person that can be held accountable.

Expecting a faceless site to buy evista may pose risks. But legitimate sights nowadays go out of their way to prove they are not only who the say they are, but back up themselves with so many places certifying and vouching for them.

This one place where you can buy actos has the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) backing them and licensed pros at the end of their help lines. They give out visible information like phone numbers and addresses. Its as if they are going out of their way to show 'hey, we're legit'. I may try them if only out of curiousity.

Christmas Eve and fireplaces...reminds me of simpler times.

2011-12-24T06:55:00.001-05:00

Welp, the big day nears. Day before Xmas jitters? Nah, the only jitters I have are the gusts of cool air from the outside. It's rather frosty and sitting in a blanket doesn't seem to help. But what's this weird article blast I get right at my arms? It's annoying. And since a. I need to uncover them to type, and b. I don't own one of the ridiculous snuggies, I deal with the cold.

I remember as a kid, my Ma rented a place with a built in fireplace. This blomus fireplace was so pretty. It was stainless steel, and could take lots of wear and tear even from my little kid butt bumping into it. I'd marvel at the roaring fires she'd light and gaze into the flame with childlike wonder. I'd remember when it was just her and me, staying into this place that just seemed so small for just the two of us and we'd sit and watch the fire. I had my Garfield coloring book open, she'd watch me color. I felt peaceful then.

I remember another time, when it was Christmas eve. Ma had in hindsight gone all out to lavish me with gifts. I knew it had to be hard back then. She was so excited that she'd (after me pestering her to open just one more) let me open present after present. By the time Christmas actually hit I'd opened them all already. The fire flickered and me and Ma were sitting around a pile of paper and toys.
I felt happiness then. Not cause of the toys, but because my Ma was there. Just me and her.

Hah...I love you Ma. In all you've done for me.

And even more moving

2011-12-22T05:37:00.001-05:00

And even more moving...dang everyone's busy nowadays. People moving around in Canada, instate, and now one overseas friend needs help Moving To Illinois. Why there? Seems business calls and when it does you have to heed it. She's an old college friend who works with the government and was chatting me up on FB about the costs of hiring Illinois International Movers.

Now, if said person just lived in state, hiring Illinois Movers wouldn't be so bad. But Illinois Moving Companies like any other company in the states is used to moving items in their border, not overseas. Then add onto moving stuff from one country over a major ocean to anything, then have locals pick up items from the docks (or air lifted) and you are expecting a big bill after all it's said and done.

More than likely things will be left behind or sold but certain items like computers, cars and whatnot can't just be left behind. The move also requires timing too, a shipment just doesn't magically teleport itself to the right shipping places. Then there's hoping the new place is ready to be moved in and...yeah I don't envy her trip at all. At least she is being compensated by her job.

Carpets need lovins too

2011-12-21T04:15:00.002-05:00

Well as I was checking my emails, I saw a strange ad for receiving shampoo carpet cleaning austin. Now I don't live in Austin, TX or anywhere near it. But I do live in a place with loads of carpet. Probably late 90's carpet but still carpet. Then again the apartment complex is totally early 80's ish looking.

I was bored though and decided to on a lark to investigate this place. The website linked me to was for steaming cleaning services. The website (http://www.thesteamteam.com/) had so many various services that it made my head spin. Rug cleaning, carpet cleaning, pet smell cleaning – I was wondering if they had a Mafia Hit Job special with the myriad of options offered. They even fix fire and water damage.

But these guys alas are not in my home state. Wonder if they have a store in said state? I mean that's a huge list of custom options. And this carpet...it ain’t horrible but it ain’t great either. You can tell it needs a deep clean. The smell was fine though. It's a small apartment too. Wouldn't take very long to clean it apartment complex ..sheesh. May investigate these guys later on when I'm not half asleep at my emails though.