This blogger is not FOR SALE

Many suppose because I am paid to review products, services and websites that I am "for sale" and will do any task for money. This is incorrect. I am an Internet marketer that provides a valuable service to advertisers and my disclosure policy and blogging ethics are prominently displayed above the fold on my blogs.

I had an experience today that made me shudder.

• Advertiser B wanted me to edit a post I had already written, published
  and been paid for by Advertiser A.
  
  
• Advertiser B wanted me to add his link into Advertiser A's post.

There were instructions about what Advertiser B wanted as far as the site review and then a BTW note about the link. I wrote a post for Advertiser B, fitting all the guidelines, except I did not link Advertiser B from Advertiser A's post. When I submitted the task, I left a comment about how I ethically could not do what Advertiser B was asking. I did not think it would be a problem.

First, I was emailed that there were instructions I had disregarded and that I needed to look at the task again. A minute later, I received an email that my post had been rejected and that I should "try again." The only thing I had not done on that assignment was link Advertiser B from Advertiser A's post.

I have a call into the paid to blog service and I am hoping this will all go away and that I will be paid for the work I did for Advertiser B. If not, this post will be modified with the name of the paid to blog service and the advertiser.

Albert Einstein said, "Relativity applies to physics, not ethics."

I say, "Honesty is not optional and deception is always exposed."

What do you say?

Tags: blogging ethics, unethical advertiser, blogger not for sale

Dear FTC: please control us as we cannot control ourselves?

The American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers co-authored a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, urging them to look at the wide-ranging effects of all the recent mergers and acquisitions by Internet advertising giants like Google, Yahoo, WPP and MSN.

You know the industry is in trouble if its asking the government for help. I think that we have just seen the beginning of conglomerated advertising. Google just announced it will purchase FeedBurner, and most acquisitions happen before they are discussed in the online community.

Advertising Age - Digital - 4A's, ANA Weigh in on Google-DoubleClick, Online Ad Deals

Since Google's April 13 decision to acquire DoubleClick for $3.1 billion, there have been several other acquisitions: Yahoo announced its intent to buy out the remaining 80% share of online advertising firm Right Media for $680 million; WPP Group announced a planned acquisition of online advertising company 24/7 Real Media for $649 million; and Microsoft announced a planned acquisition of aQuantive, which owns Atlas, Drive PM and Avenue A/Razorfish, for $6 billion.

What do you think about all the mergers, buyouts, acquisitions and reorganizations? Do you think the government should step in? Do you feel that large ad conglomerates will offer highly integrated media services or an ala carte menu of offerings?

Tags: Google, Yahoo, MSN, WPP, mergers, acquisitions, FTC, DOJ

Conserve Energy with Blinds

Did you know that you lose half of your heating and cooling through your windows? This means your air conditioning or heating system is working overtime to compensate for the heat gain or loss.

I have put thermal curtains on the real energy losers in my home, but sometimes you want a lighter look. If you do not want to cut off your beautiful view with heavy curtains, one way to have the view you want without compromising your energy efficiency is by using blinds.

Honeycomb cell shades and wood blinds conserve more energy than traditional shades or aluminum blinds. The inner surfaces of cell shades and wood blinds should be coated with a light reflective coating.

Is there somewhere you are leaking energy around your home? For more information, please visit Blinds Chalet, the sponsor of this post. They are running a terrific sale for the next two days, too!

Tags: energy conservation, blinds, heat loss, heat gain, Blinds Chalet, sale

Google Gobbles Another Ad Network

Advertising Age - Digital - Google Snaps up RSS Ad Network Feedburner

More data for Google
For Google, the acquisition has the potential to deliver an interesting new set of subscription data to its already robust search data. Feedburner currently manages 721,000 feeds from 423,000 publishers, including many major mainstream news publications, including USA Today, Dow Jones and Reuters.

A price of $100,000,000 has been confirmed by Mike Arrington at TechCrunch

Tags: Feedburner, Google, $100,000,000

Rebtel for free and low-cost international calls

Rebtel members may make ten FREE international calls every month. Rebtel members always make free or low-priced international calls to more than 36 countries around the world. This service is free, there is nothing to download, and you may use it with any cell phone.

All you do is sign up for a Rebtel account and create local Rebtel numbers for all your friends and family living outside the USA. When you want to speak to your friend or family member, just dial the preassigned number. For a free call, you would call your friend or family member and ask them to hang up and call back the local number displayed on their caller ID. Stay on the line, your friend or family member will join you and you may talk for however long you want. You are both using a local number, so no high long distance rates apply.

Join Rebtel, sponsor of this post, today and start making those calls you have been waiting to place. Click rebppp for complete information on Rebtel.

Tags: Rebtel, free international calls

Top 10 Buzz Words from Search Insider Summit

MediaPost Publications - What Had Us Buzzing At The Search Insider Summit? - 05/16/2007

From the report:

1. Transparency. The theme of transparency bubbled up to the surface at the outset of the Summit, when Jeremy Crane of Compete used it as a call-to-arms of sorts to his search marketing brethren.

2. User-centricity. User-centricity was also a recurring theme in the SEM Review Live, as Gord Hotchkiss (Enquiro) and Patrick Garret (Outrider) emphasized the need for marketers to create more user-focused web properties.

3. Content. Major brands are starting to realize the power of their content to do the work that had been primarily reserved for the Web site: attract and retain visitors and customers.

4. Analytics. We're definitely getting smarter about this here search thing. But we're still looking for new ways to better measure the impact of search on other channels -- and vice versa.

5. Community, Connection (tie). See my blog post and Gord's last Search Insider column for the scoop here.

6. Integration. Seems like integration has now become a prerequisite for search marketing.

7. Discovery, Personalization (tie). Discovery -- The next wave of search innovation is going to be focused on the one-to-one relationship between the user and the engine.

8. Social, Mobile, Video (tie). Emerging platforms are very much top-of-mind for marketers looking for ways to harness the power of search in different environments.

9. Funnel. The role search plays in guiding consumers through the purchase funnel, from awareness to consideration to engagement to action to re-engagement to retention.

10. Intent. A search engine's ability to map intent to content is what sets it apart from all other platforms.

Tags: Search Insider Summit, buzz words, top 10

BMW 3 Series, anyone?

Bid4Prizes is a new auction/game site with a twist. Register for a Bids4Prizes membership, pick your prize and enter your bid. Bid4Prizes currently has two prizes in play, a Panasonic 42 inch TV with Bose DVD Theater System and a BMW 3 Series car. Wow! I want that car. My husband wants that theater system.

You may use your cell phone to place your bid or you may enter your bid on the bid4prizes site. If you bid by cell phone, you will receive a text message from Bids4Prizes that informs you if your bid is the lowest bid. They will also let you know if your bid is unique, high or duplicate. Follow the game tips provided to modify your bid and wait for the auction to end. When it does, if you are the lowest unique bidder, you win! Even better, you do not have to pay for anything. You are, however, responsible for all taxes due.

When you bid, you are awarded tokens that you may use in the Bid4Prizes Arcade. You may play the match game, the spin game or the scratch game. Redeem your tokens for your chance to win $1,000,000, $10,000 or other great prizes, daily.

Every time you bid or play a game, you receive points that you may redeem for great prizes in the Bid4Prizes store. There are may ways to win at Bid4Prizes.com.

Click and Comment Monday

Here is how I use click & comment Monday. Start on a blog. You are here, how about my blog? If you like a post on my blog, leave me a comment.

Visit one of the blogs on my blog roll or the BlogLog. Leave a comment somewhere on that blog. Click a blog on their blogroll and comment on that blog if you like it. Repeat.

You can skip blogs, leave comments on more blogs, follow a blog roll or just Stumble around the Internet. Try to click and comment on at least 5 blogs if you have time. I guarantee you will find some cool blogs and you will increase your readership if you do this on Mondays. Only participate if you want to find new blogs and are willing to comment. This is not a Mr. Linky for SPAM. LOL!

To be added to the official C&C Monday blogroll, visit Cat.

Update: Cat is out of town, so all Click & Comment Monday participants on Mr. Linky will be cut and pasted as HTML in this post once Monday is over. If you commented last Monday, I will be starting with your blogs this week. Please comment before you add your URL to Mr. Linky. Thanks!

Click & Comment Monday Participants

1. Vedis 2. Karen

3. What\'s All This Then!

Get the C&C Monday code here
View More C&C Monday Participants

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

click and comment Monday, visit blogs and leave comments

Mind, Mood and Me Mapping

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Tags: Imagini, Visual DNA, map your inner landscape

Born in the 1950s and rocking 50 years after

The Police is a band from the 1980s. Singer and bass guitarist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland rose to the top of rock in the 1980s, with eight Platinum records in the USA.

The afternoon has gently passed me by
The evening spreads its sail against the sky
Waiting for tomorrow
Just another day
God bid yesterday goodbye

Bring on the night
I couldn't spend another hour of daylight
Bring on the night
I couldn't stand another hour of daylight

The future is but a question mark
Hangs above my head there in the dark
Can't see for the brightness
Is staring me blind
God bid yesterday goodbye

(From Bring on the Night)

After The Police disbanded, Sting continued to release songs, but the band, The Police, seemed destined to fade away. Then, in 2007, The Police reunited to perform at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. They also announced they would be touring together as The Police and playing at the Live Earth concert in July 2007.

A connecting principle,
Linked to the invisible
Almost imperceptible
Something inexpressible.
Science insusceptible
Logic so inflexible
Causally connectible
Yet nothing is invincible.
(From Synchronicity I)

The Police were always different from other bands in the 1980s. They reminded me of the Byrds from the 1960s. Same sweet voices and social conscience, same dynamic stage presence and unique musical style. Same bittersweet angst of youth as understanding dawns.

There is no political solution
To our troubled evolution
Have no faith in constitution
There is no bloody revolution

We are spirits in the material world
(From Spirits in the Material World)

I remember The Police because the 1980s were a time of changes for me. I began the 1980s being married in Zihuatanejo, Mexico and ended the 1980s divorced, a single mother with a child, attending college. I guess you would say this was the decade when I grew up. Many of the lyrics to the songs of The Police resonate with me for this reason.

Just a castaway
An island lost at sea
Another lonely day
With no one here but me
More loneliness
Than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair
(From Message in a Bottle)

Most of the songs of The Police are now classics as you can see from the listing below of their new--yes, NEW, album. I love it! Rock and roll will never die as long as bands like The Police keep playing.

The Police CD

Disc One Tracks
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine

Disc Two Tracks
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

Follow this link to purchase the police cd. Make plans to see them on tour. They will rock you.

I will leave you with what I consider to be the best song from The Police, sponsor of this post, who were born in the 1950s and rocking 50 years after . . .

We were born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties

My mother cried
When president Kennedy died
She said it was the communists
But I knew better

Would they drop the bomb on us
While we made love on the beach
We were the class they couldn't teach
'Cos we knew better

We were born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties

They screamed
When the Beatles sang
And they laughed when the King fell down the stars
Oh they should've known better

Oh we hated our Aunt
Then we messed in our pants
Then we lost our faith and prayed to the TV
Oh we should've known better

We were born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties

We freeze like statues on the pages of history
Living was never like this when we took all those G.C.E.'s
Oh you opened the door for us
And then you turned to dust

You don't understand us
So don't reprimand us
We're taking the future
We don't need no teacherr
(From Born in the 50's)

Tags: The Police, Live Earth concert, The Police CD, The Police Tour 2007

Auction Your Thoughts on eBay

This is a real eBay ad. Today, May 24, 2007, you may view the ad on eBay.

---

Below is the ad copy:

ThoughtVertising - A Global Advertising First

For the first time in advertising history, brand owners are offered the opportunity to buy meda space within someone's mind.

"How?" I will think of your brand every hour,on the hour for a period of a week

"Ridiculous!" How do I know you're really going to do it?"

1. I am an industry professional with 10 years of experience with Cunning Communications, at the forefront of advertising innovation. As a result,I maintain an honest approach to business.Business, as in life, ultimately relies on trust and I believe I have earned that trust.

2. I'm genuinely interested to know what will happen as a result of such a regimented exposure to a brand idea.It's a kind of meditation based on a brand and its values.I think this experiment may help me to gain further insights into brands, brand communication and the workings of their personalities

3. I will if requested,undergo a lie-detector test to validate my claim

ROI

The media coverage of this unique advertising event is expected to be worth more than the initial investment.

"You Would Say That!"

True.However, I'm basing the above statement on 10 years of experience developing brand stories the media like to pick up on,including the highly successful 'VoiceVertising" project (see case study below). Based on my experiences,I feel confident ThoughtVertising will generate media and public interest worth more than the bid price.

Case Study
In 2005 I created the concept of 'VoiceVertising' - literally selling my voice on eBay

For every hour of the day for a week I promised to shout the brand name of the winning bidder.
I created the idea as a joke to lampoon unusual body media buying stunts such as Forehead ads,tattoo ads,pregnant belly ads and even backside ads.

After one day on eBay Cadbury Adams won the bid for their brand Halls Fruit Breezers

With the help of PR firm La Force Stevens, the spectacle of of a daft English bloke shouting "Halls Fruit Breezers" all over NYC was broadcast to 115 Million potential customers via the Fox News Channel, Chicago Sun Times, CNN.com and many, many other national and international news outlets (audit available on request)

The overall media coverage was worth considerably more than the cost of the project.

Of course, there are no guarantees in PR but I believe a smart, progressive marketer will see the potential of the ThoughtVertising concept

OK I get it! What's the next step?"

Bid to sponsor ThoughtVertising

Successful bidder to provide me with the brand message, logo or product.
Every hour on the hour for an entire week I think about your brand regardless of the social situation or circumstance.
The project is recorded and released to the media - a story that is sure to get people talking and thinking about your brand

ThoughtVertising includes:

* Full sponsorship of my brainwaves for a week
* 1 x day media work (photo calls and interviews)
* Experience Report
* A place in advertising history

---

Does anyone know this guy? Do you think someone would pay me for this? I am psychic!

HIRE ME!

Tags: thoughtvertising, auction your thoughts, ebay auction

Innovative Tutoring for Your Child

When my son was younger, he had a learning difference. He struggled with many evaluations, diagnoses and early intervention programs. Nothing worked until I found an innovative tutor like SCORE! Educational Centers.

After speaking with Mac and me, viewing the diagnostic test results from over the years, and completing their own evaluation, the center designed a program just for Mac. His confidence grew as he learned test-taking strategies and developed a framework by which he could solve complex problems. Several years later, he returned to the program to refresh his test-taking strategies and to learn time-management and study skills he would need to succeed in high school. It worked! He graduated in the top 25 percent of his class and a year early. He will be attending college this fall!

SCORE! Educational Centers will talk with your child's teachers and counselors, you and your child, and develop a program that will help your child meet the goals you set together. If your child needs help in math, reading or writing skills, SCORE! provides a healthy and challenging learning environment in which he or she can develop the skills to succeed in today's advanced educational system.

SCORE! has summer programs. The SCORE! MORE program with unlimited sessions, will help your child catch up in math, reading, language arts and science. SCORE! 30, a less intensive program, provides 30 one-hour sessions over the summer in math, reading, language arts and science.

The SCORE! Writing Camp will teach your child a five-step writing process that will make your child a better writer. The SCORE! Study Skills Camp is a great way for your child to develop study habits that will last a lifetime.

Visit SCORE! Educational Centers, the sponsor of this post, to find the program that is perfect for your child.

Tags: SCORE! Educational Centers, innovative tutoring, study skills, test-taking strategies, time-management skills

Discover, not Search, for Information

This is a great interview with Paul Martino, CEO of Aggregate Knowledge. I missed it at the beginning of the month, but I am glad I caught it today while finishing up my blog reading.

Evidently, searching is out and discovery is in. Just open yourself to the experience and let it happen. Let me know what you discover, would you?

MediaPost Publications - Discovering The Recommendation Network - 05/04/2007

“DISCOVERY” IS the new buzzword in the digital lexicon, as everyone looks for more efficient ways to push relevant content and offers to users. Surprising people with the offers and articles that they didn’t realize they wanted is the essence of discovery . . . uses a super-fast recommendation engine of content, offers, and services across 25 sites . . .

Tags: discovery, discover, aearching is out, discover is in

Learn How to Assess Your Employees

Nobody likes to receive an employee review, it's stressful at best, and it's just as bad for the person giving the review. Strong employee performance management skills can and should be taught, to ensure that both employee and employer understand where each stands. Grote Consulting has the years of experience in performance management consulting to help you give fair, quality feedback to your employees. Don't let employee reviews be a point of stress for yourself or your employees anymore by getting quality help from an experienced consultant.

Blog post sponsored by Make Money Blogging.

Tags: employee performance management, performance management consulting

Credit cards can be a blessing or a curse

I have had my problems with credit cards. It was actually only one credit card, but what a lot of trouble it caused me. It was one of those credit card offers for 0% Balance Transfers. It seemed like a good idea to transfer all my high interest rate credit cards to one card, and there was no beating zero percent interest rate!

Was I wrong! I soon regretted applying for that credit card. When I received my statement, I realized that I had not read the fine print, so I paid a premium transfer fee and my minimum payment was $350 per month.

One month I was late by one day with the minimum payment. Wham, I was hit with a $35 late fee. Whack, my interest rate went from zero to 28.99 percent and my payment jumped by $100 per month. I called the credit card company and asked for grace on that one late payment. They were so sorry, but their policy was ... blah blah blah.

Luckily, I still had those credit cards I had paid off. The companies had been sending me these checks to transfer balances and offering a lower interest rate. I read the fine print this time and selected the credit card with the most to offer. I also set up an automatic payment to be paid 7 days in advance of the statement due date so that I would NEVER be late with a payment again.

Credit can be a blessing or a curse. Use it wisely. Visit ThriftyScot, sponsor of this post, for many articles on how to make the most of your credit.

Tags: credit cards, ThriftyScot, 0% balance transfers, minimum payments

Virtualizing Sales and Marketing

This research looked interesting to me. I downloaded it, but have not read it yet. To download, you have to give personal information, but nothing is truly FREE anymore. LOL

GoToMeeting : The Most Cost-Effective Online Meeting Technology

Virtualizing Sales and Marketing: Driving Revenue, Lowering Costs … and More
Prepared by Wainhouse Research

Download this free research brief to learn:

• The major differences between traditional and virtual sales and marketing
• Top tips from those who have successfully made the transition
• The most important things to look for in a Web conferencing solution for sales and marketing

Tags: virtual sales, virtual marketing, GoToMeeting, Wainhouse Research

Motoring Made Easy With CIS Motor Insurance

CIS Motor Insurance offers two types of discounts, a No Claim Discount and an Introductory Discount. If you buy online, you will receive a 10 percent discount as well. The no claim discount is available for drivers 20 years of age and older and is based upon the number of years without a claim, with up to a maximum of 67 percent discount! The introductory discount is available if you do not qualify for the no claim discount and may save you up to 25 percent on your premiums.

The motor insurance policy includes a free courtesy car, free 24-hour emergency hotline, free coverage in Europe, free uninsured loss recovery service, free legal advice hotline, free vehicle towing, with coverage of up to £250 medical expenses and £250 personal belongings.

Since 2005, CIS has held to an ethical engagement policy, reflecting the views of their customers on a range of ethical issues, such as human rights, transfer of arms to oppressive regimes, the environment and animal welfare. Please visit http://motor-insurance.cis.co.uk, sponsor of this post, and enjoy motoring made easy with CIS Motor Insurance.

Tags: motor-insurance.cis.co.uk, motor insurance, ethical engagement, insurance with ethics

Designing for the Third Screen

Not as difficult as you would believe. Have polls, give freebies and simplify access. This post gives relevant, useful information for mobile marketers.

MediaPost Publications - WAP Rules! - 05/10/2007

This is a great post about designing WAP sites. WAP stands for wireless application protocol and simply specifies the rules to be used to ensure that we all have a similar experience using our wireless devices to access information and services on the Internet.

For more information on designing for the third screen, visit the forums at Open Mobile Alliance.

Tags: WAP, MediaPost, Open Mobile Alliance, third screen

DVD to iPod Movie in One Click!

Did you know that you can convert DVDs into movies that you may view on your iPod? All you need is the software, PQ DVD to iPod Video Converter Suite made by PQDVD. Just download and install the iPod DVD converter software.

Launch the video converter software, then browse to and open a DVD or other video formatted file, such as Tivo, DivX, Xvid, AVI, WMV, MPG/MPEG or Real Media. The software will convert the video into a format that you may use with your iPod. After you are finished, just place the converted file into your iTunes library for use at any time.

Visit PQ Computing Corporation, sponsor of this post, for a free trial or to buy the software for $39.95. Finally, get all those movies into one format that you may use on the go.

Tags: iPod, DVD converter software, PQ DVD.com

WOMMA - Practical Ethics for Bloggers

I have long thought that WOMMA has an ethical framework with which any blogger and/or marketer may work. It appears that everyone agrees now. Now, if there was just a surefire way to get ALL marketers, including the large agencies, to abide by them!

WOMMA Action Items: Press Calls WOMMA's Ethics Code Industry Standard

I would urge all bloggers to adopt the WOMMA Code of Ethics. You may get them at the WOMMA site or here.

Tags: ethics, blogging ethics, WOMMA ethics code

Viral Marketing Settles into Mainstream

MarketingSherpa: What 2,914 MarketingSherpa Readers Say About Viral Marketing

MarketingSherpa's Viral Marketing 2007 survey was released in April. Marketers who have really used viral marketing will continue to do so. More than 80 percent of very experienced marketers say that viral marketing builds awareness, and more than 50 percent of marketers say they are planning to launch multiple viral efforts in 2007.

Customer Relationship Software

Customer relationship management software (crm software) by AIMpromote will keep your sales force working and productive. Unlike other CRM software, AIMpromote is easily customized with just the features your team needs, so your sales people will only learn what they need to know to do their job. If the needs of your company or personnel changes, you may grant access to more features with a simple click.

Sign up today for a free, fully functional 14-day trial of AIMpromote, the sponsor of this post. Streamline your sales process, improve tracking and follow up with the sales force automation and sales management features of AIMpromote.

Tags: CRM Software, AIMpromote, sales management, customer service, lead tracking

Click and Comment Monday

Here is how I use click & comment Monday. Start on a blog. You are here, how about my blog? If you like a post on my blog, leave me a comment.

Visit one of the blogs on my blog roll or the BlogLog. Leave a comment somewhere on that blog. Click a blog on their blogroll and comment on that blog if you like it. Repeat.

You can skip blogs, leave comments on more blogs, follow a blog roll or just Stumble around the Internet. Try to click and comment on at least 5 blogs if you have time. I guarantee you will find some cool blogs and you will increase your readership if you do this on Mondays. Only participate if you want to find new blogs and are willing to comment. This is not a Mr. Linky for SPAM. LOL!

To be added to the official C&C Monday blogroll, visit Cat.

Update: Cat is out of town, so all Click & Comment Monday participants on Mr. Linky will be cut and pasted as HTML in this post once Monday is over. If you commented last Monday, I will be starting with your blogs this week. Please comment before you add your URL to Mr. Linky. Thanks!

Click & Comment Monday Participants

1. Tricia\'s musings 2. Ron

3. What\'s All This Then 4. Karen

5. Vedis

Get the C&C Monday code here
View More C&C Monday Participants

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

Tags: Click & Comment, click and comment Monday, visit blogs and leave comments

Teach Your Children About Credit

Cards such as PAYjr Visa Buxx are becoming popular for kids and may change the way our children handle their money. Money earned through the completion of chores, recurring allowances, and even gifts can be loaded onto the card.

The PAYjrVisaBuxx Card is a way to teach your children the connection between their hard work (chores) and the payoff (allowance).

If your child is at least 13 years old, you can load up a prepaid teen card and help your teenager learn to budget and to spend responsibly. Currently, there is a contest on the website where teens may design their own card.

View the demo of PAYjr Visa Buxx program at www.PAYjrVisaBuxx.com, sponsor of this post. The program launches in July.

Teach your children well. As soon as they attend college, they will be offered credit cards. Help them to develop the proper skills for handling debt, payments, and budgets associated with credit cards.

Tags: PAYjr, Visa Buxx, prepaid teen card

Carnival of The Blogging Chicks #39

Carnival of The Blogging Chicks entries so far:

SJ Reidhead of The Pink Flamingo shares her feelings on being a republican, successful blogging, and much more.

Mama Duck of lilduckduck.com presents something every mother will use, a homemade slime recipe.

Nina of Waiting for Grace shares thought about grace: Still trying to find me . . . .where are you?

I share Successful Blogging : What Is It? on CoolAdzine for Marketers.

If you would like to add an entry, just email me at cybercelt at cooladz dot com.

NEW Entries Follow:

Dee of Blogozine is having a contest for free blog hosting for a year!

Tags: Carnival of the Blogging Chicks, Successful Blogging Tips

Microsoft buys aQuantive

Adrants » Buying Frenzy Continues With Microsoft Scooping aQuantive For $6B

Google bought DoubleClick. Yahoo bought Right Media. WPP bought 24/7Real Media. Microsoft, always the follower, never the leader, just bid $6 billion to acquire digital giant aQuantive.

The story is not over, yet. Maybe I should take up a collection to give these folks some brain mapping or graphical organizing software. They really need to get a plan. Seriously.

Tags: Google, DoubleClick, Yahoo, Right Media, WPP, Real Media, get a plan

Dental Insurance and the Game of Soccer

When I went to work for myself, I had to give up health and dental insurance. I tried to find private pay insurance, but it was too expensive and there were too few doctors and dentists as part of the programs.

When I was married, my husband's insurance covered me and my son for health insurance. I have just had to pay for visits to the dentist for myself and my son. Last year, I needed to have several fillings redone because they were old and leaking. This cost me $5000. I had to take out a loan! Next I took my son and he needed just a little work, so the bill was under $1000.

This year he decided to play soccer at school again. We were not two weeks into the season when another player clipped my son's mouth with a foot or shoulder, chipping both of his front teeth. As I was trying to figure out how to pay for this, my son told me that he had bitten into an apple and one of his fillings had come out. Off to the dentist we went. Two caps, one root canal, one filling and $1400 later, I stumbled out of the dentist's office in shock.

I have one bit of advice for you, if you do not have Dental Insurance, get it. SecureInsuranceQuotes.com, sponsor of this post, provides insurance quotes for travel insurance, individual dental insurance, travel health insurance, small business health insurance and renters insurance.

Keep yourself from losing financial ground and teeth.

Tags: dental insurance, soccer, losing ground and teeth

CGM - Pick Your Acronym - CGM

The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore

Every now and then, I see something on the Internet and I have to stop and just breathe. The website for The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore also garnered a "Yeah!" as well. This is the perfect computer-generated/consumer-generated graphic novel.

Even better, writers and musicians are invited to provide story lines and music scores for the upcoming second generation graphic novel. If all goes well, Many Worlds will become a trilogy.

Episode 1 Synopsis

The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore is a trilogy set in a time where the British Empire has never ended and America is just a virtual world hosted on a vast global game network, Jonas Moore, a character personally created by the network's founder, is thrown into a world where characters, creatures and monsters are all slaves to the gamers from the real world. Read more ...

Tags: graphic novel, the Many Worlds of James Moore, collaborative, CGM

VIP Service for Trade Show Exhibits

These days it's hard to find good customer service anywhere. So when it comes to purchasing something as crucial as materials for my next trade show exhibit, I always go back to ExhibitDEAL. I know they’ve got everything I need for my trade show display at a decent price. And no matter what my budget is, I'm treated with VIP-level respect and customer service that’s unmatched in the industry.

Blog post sponsored by Blog Advertising

Tags: trade show exhibit, trade show display, ExhibitDEAL

Marketing to Local as well as Global Community

Marketing does not end when your web pages are optimized with pertinent keywords and submitted to the BIG 3 Search Engines. In fact, now is when you really have to get busy promoting your business.

Marketing your Business Locally

• Make sure your business is in all local search engines like Yellowpages.com, Verizon Superpages, Citysearch.com and AOL's City Guide.
  
  
• Sign up for Google Local Business center. Complete the registration online to be listed in their index.
  
  
• Use AdSense with geo-targeting and create a Google Local Business ad. Geo-targeted ads are served next to Google Maps right above the Google Local Business results.
  
  
• Look for a business directory in the online listings of your local newspaper. Usually you may have a listing on this page for a small fee if it is not free.
  
  
• Join the local Chamber of Commerce. There may also be a Hispanic, Jewish, or Black Chamber of Commerce if there is a large ethnic group in your area. Ask about their publications and how you place an ad or flyer in the monthly newsletter.

• Visit your local library and leave an information packet for the reference librarian. Ask him/her for local avenues of advertising. They usually let you place materials on their bulletin board for a certain period of time.
  
  
• Go to businesses that provide a complimentary service to yours. Introduce yourself and your business, leave a flyer and a business card. Ask if you may have some of their literature for your customers. For instance, if you own a web design business, approach the local Internet providers and small business alliances. If you run a janitorial service, call the local carpet cleaners and real estate management companies.
  
  
• Support a local soccer or t-ball team. The uniforms will have your business name on them and there are several times during the season when there are opportunities for photographs of you and your team.
  
  
• Have magnetic signs for your car doors or trunk to advertise your business. The copy should be easily read. Just your business name, phone number, website. If your business name does not give enough information about what service you offer, add a graphic or short phase that does. Do not use http://www.company.com, just www.company.com.
  
  
• When selecting a business phone number, play with the last 4-5 numbers to see if you can have a word relevant to your business as part of you phone number. For example, 22CLEAN, 333-WORD, 55DESIGN, 353-CAKE, 47FIXIT, FOR-HIRE. This takes a little creativity, but it makes your phone number easy to remember and puts your business out there where people will see it.
  
  
• Business cards are inexpensive. In fact, you may get free business cards from VistaPrint.com. All you do is pay shipping and handling. When you meet someone, give them a card. If a friend asks for your website, give her a card. Drop your cards into the local restaurant lunch giveaway jar. When having your car serviced, pin up your card to their bulletin board.

---

What other sources of free or inexpensive advertising do you use? Please leave your ideas and suggestions in a comment to this post. Thank you!

Tags: local marketing, business promotion, free advertising

Find a job that fits with what you want to do!

SnagAJob.com lists over a hundred thousand job opportunities to that give you a great selection of jobs to fit what you want to do. Why keep working at jobs you don't like when you can have a new career doing something interesting and will also help you learn the skills you need to reach you long term career goals? There are job seekers finding their next job right now, and you can too. Search SnagAJob's job opening database and find the career that's right for you and fits your needs.

Blog post sponsored by Make Money Blogging.

Tags: job opening, jobs, SnagAJob

The Green Conference

How You Market Can Make A Difference Learn how strategic marketing that embraces green policies can generate great results in brand equity and profitability. The Green Conference will celebrate marketers who are doing the best job of integrating environmental sustainability into their brand DNA. The awards will be given to the people/companies making those measurable changes in an effort to better the environment. These "Eco-marketing Honorees" and other top marketers, will participate in discussions and case studies. Featuring Live Earth Founder, Emmy Award-Winner Kevin Wall and Ad Age's Eco-Marketing Award Winners KEYNOTE Kevin Wall, Founder, Live Earth SPEAKERS Josh Bernstein, Explorer, Author and Wilderness Educator, Discovery Channel Walt Freese, CEO, Ben & Jerry's Mark Norman, CEO, Flexcar David Perry, CEO, Aspen Snowmass Carol Yang, Vice President of Global Marketing, Timberland WHEN Tuesday, June 12, 2007 WHERE Skirball Center for the Performing Arts @ NYU 566 LaGuardia Place @ Washington Square South New York, NY TICKETS Individual Until May 29 -- $275 After May 29 -- $325 5 or more tickets $250 per ticket SPONSORSHIPS Sponsored by Greening sponsor Break sponsor © 2007 Crain Communications Inc.

Just a reminder of the BC Carnival

Send your links to cybercelt at cooladz dot com

GoFish : Seduce a Celeb

Seduce a Celeb is an online reality dating show where GoFish users have the ability to win a date with a Hollywood Celeb. Mirelly Taylor has given the videographers three clues to guide their video submissions in hopes of impressing her.



The criteria in these was dancing, most famous pickup line, and kisses. Oh. oh! You have got to see these geeky guys eating fruit. They are trying to impress Mirelly Taylor that they can kiss. Well, actually they had to eat a piece of fruit like it was a kiss. One guy was so bad, his cat gets up and walks away.

Check out the funny video submissions. Submit one yourself. You will see some sad dancing from 1992 and hear even lamer pick up lines, like "You must be a parking tickets, because you got fine all over you." Scott Sternberg, and Andrew Firestone from “The Bachelor” are also part of the show. Seduce a Celeb is an online first! The online audience actually becomes part of the program through the submission of loser, I mean user, videos.

So get your best pickup line, your drink of choice , and bring your boogie shooed self down and dance like it is 1999. Bring the video cam. Making movies on location . . . Upload your Free videos at GoFish.com

Tags: GoFish.com, Seduce a Celeb, reality dating show

`~; (|) Carnival of the Blogging Chicks `~; (:)

Sunday, May 20

CoolAdzine for Marketers is Proud to Host

Tips for Successful Blogging

CoolAdzine for Marketers is hosting The Carnival of Blogging Chicks this Sunday, May 20, 2007. Stop by on Sunday and grab the links to the best blogging tips written by the blogging chicks.

If you would like to join the Blogging Chicks, you must be female. Blogging Chicks is now a Feedburner Advertising Network. When you email Michele to join, ask for an invitation to join the FAN as well.

If you are a blogging chick, send the link to your post and a small writeup to cybercelt at cooladz dot com by 12 NOON.

Tags: the blogging chicks, advertising network, female bloggers, carnival of blogging chicks

Going into the Sunglasses Business

I am seriously considering becoming a purveyor of sunglasses this summer. I live by one of the most beautiful spring-fed rivers in the world, the San Marcos River. The San Marcos River runs right through the University Park, past City Park and cuts through the San Marcos Falls.

Over the years, I have sat in an innertube, at the University Park and have seen, no lie, 100s of sunglasses hit the water, never to be seen again. The young college men usually just jump right in. The river is moving at over 100 cubic feet per second, so the glasses are ahead of them when they come up.What if I put my son at one park, my husband at yet another and I take the kayak? I think I could work weekends and make some serious money this summer. Better yet, I would be providing a valuable service. I have located a website that sells Wholesale Sunglasses per dozen. Starting a business selling sunglasses seems easy enough if you buy from a large wholesaler. CTSwholesalers.com, sponsor of this post, offers many variety of sunglasses that compare in looks to namebrands like Gucci, Prada, Nike, Chanel and others.

What do you think? Take a look at their webpage and leave me a comment about what styles you think are cool or the ones you think will sell fast. Are rhinestones hot or not? What about the wild colored sunglasses? Share your thoughts.

Tags: sunglasses, wholesale sunglasses, CTSwholesalers.com, by the dozen

Social Media How-To

Lee Odden of Top Rank Online Marketing shared some best practices for leveraging social media in this article on MediaPostRaw.

MediaPost Raw » Blog Archive » Social Media How-To

Tags: social media, to do items, MediaPostRaw

Dreamweaver CS3 from Adobe

I have been looking for a new web design software package. I have been using FrontPage for over 5 years because it is easy, but the software is limited by FrontPage server side extensions. They are sometimes turned off by the hosting company when they are backing up or restoring their server operations. When that happens, my web pages terrible.

While browsing the website of BuyPCSoft.com for PC Software, I noticed Adobe Dreamweaver CS3. Evidently, Adobe purchased Dreamweaver from Macromedia. I like all the Adobe products, like Adobe Acrobat CS3, Adobe Illustrator CS3 and Adobe PhotoShop CS3. All the Adobe products have a very similar interface, so if you know how to use one application, you can use another Adobe application. The Adobe applications are easily integrated into one project.

Dreamweaver CS3 offers the choice of working in an intuitive visual layout interface or in a streamlined coding environment. I like this functionality, because sometimes you have to get into the code to fix something you cannot correct in the visual layout. Of course, Dreamweaver can be used in tandem with Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Illustrator CS3, Adobe Fireworks CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, and Adobe Contribute CS3. Dreamweaver CS3 is available for both PC and Mac computers.

Adobe Macromedia CS3 will create CSS-based web pages with the CSS panel, layout visualization, the Style Rendering toolbar, Browser Compatibility Check, and prebuilt CSS layouts. I like this idea. I do not have much experience with CSS, but I would love to learn, as long as my learning curve does not go downhill! This software works with Ajax, PHP, and Adobe ColdFusion, and allows you to incorporate Adobe Flash Video and XML into websites easily.

All these features and the price is only $392 at BuySoft.com, sponsor of this post.

Tags: Dreamweaver, Adobe, web design software, BuyPCSoft.com

What Print Can Do for the Internet

Websites should act as a filter, passing on information about other websites to direct readers to for more insight on the topic of an article. Thus, the content is focused and short, while allowing the reader the choice to go on and read more.

MediaPost Publications - How Print Can Add Value Online - 05/03/2007

Feature articles thrive in a print environment; they don't translate well online. If online users wanted to engage with full-length, feature-sized articles, they would read a magazine. Instead, they come to Web sites with the intention to spend as little time as possible to get what they came for. Content offered online needs to fit inside these shorter attention spans.

Tags: MediaPost, print online, magazines

American Fantasy Football League

The American Fantasy Football League is an elite venue in which participants can experience fantasy football. The American Fantasy Football League (AFFL) draft is run by software developed by Mock Draft Central, specifically for the AFFL. Statistics are gathered by STATS LLC, which is the source that provides the NFL with their statistical data.

There are different levels of participation, all requiring 12 teams per league. Platinum and Gold levels will each consist of a maximum of 50 leagues. The Silver and Copper levels will consist of a maximum of 100 leagues. The Copper level is intended for new AFFL participants. The Bronze level is for the short season. You may join as many levels as you want.

The entry fee for Platinum level is $1,200, Gold $500, Silver $150, Bronze $100, and Copper is free to join. There are some serious prize money up for grab,with the Championship Playoff Grand Prize being $100,000 at the Platinum level, $75,000 at Gold, $40,000 at Silver, and $25,000 for Bronze. Copper prize is to be determined.

If Fantasy Football is your hobby, this is the league to join. Visit American Fantasy Football League, sponsor of this post, for more information.

Tags: American Fantasy Football League, AFFL, fantasy football

The Growth of Alternative out-of-home Media

Alternative out-of-home media spending in Video Advertising Networks, Digital Billboards and Ambient Advertising increased 27.0 period to $1.69 billion in 2006, and is projected to grow at an accelerated 27.7 percent rate in 2007.

According to the PQ Media Alternative Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2007-2011, alternative out-of-home advertising is one of the fastest-growing segments of the media industry, expanding at double-digit rates every year from 2001 to 2006 and posting compound annual growth of 22.6 percent.

PQ Media :: Press Releases

The growth of alternative out-of-home media far outpaced that of the overall advertising industry as well as the total out-of-home media sector, which was one of the fastest-growing advertising sectors in the 2001-2006 period. The overall advertising industry expanded 6.4% in 2006, while total out-of-home advertising increased 10.6%, amplified by the 27.0% growth in alternative out-of-home media, according to the report.

Purchase complete report.

Tags: PQ Media, out-of-home media, video advertising networks, digital billboards, ambient advertising

Free Streaming Movies with Graboid

Graboid is the future of Internet media playback. Graboid, sponsor of this post, is currently accepting applications for the closed beta period, which begins in June. Sign up by providing your email address; but, hurry, there are only 364 beta spots left. Beta members will be able to view the 27,841 free streaming movies and shows in the database during the Beta phase.

Graboid will be launching commercial (paid) service in July 2007. Until then, the beta trial will help the launch by collecting data on customer usage, pricing and infrastructure requirements. After you sign up for the beta, you will receive an email around May 25, letting you know when the beta period will begin.

Tags: Graboid, free streaming movies, beta phase

YaMSN! MSNhoo! YaMShoNo? YaMSHoon?

After failed discussions a year ago, it appears the Microsoft and Yahoo! are back to discussing a merger of sorts. Microsoft has offered US$50 billion to acquire Yahoo!

The stock market is responding already to the hint of a merger, with Bloomberg reporting an 18 percent increase in share price of Yahoo!

Yahoo! Search Marketing, formerly Overture, published sponsored listings on MSN for several years, until MSN started their own in-house advertising platform.

Yahoo! and MSN are responsible for approximately 40 percent of all searches, while Google has almost 50 percent of the search market.

The name combinations are a little strange: YaMSN! MSNhoo! YaMShoNo? YaMShooN? You try it. Yahoo and MSN. What does that spell?

Tags: Yahoo! MSN, merger, search engine marketing, fun with names

Click and Comment Monday

Want to play?

Click a blog on my blog roll. Comment on that blog and then click someone on their blogroll and comment on that blog. Repeat.

Try to click and comment on at least 5 new blogs each week if you have time. I guarantee you will find some cool blogs and you will increase your readership if you do this every Monday you are able.

You may also login to your Blog Catalog or MyBlogLog and visit the blogs in your neighborhood. If you do not belong to these, you can click a blogger's picture from my sidebar and go from there. Today, I am going to start with my Do-Follow blog roll and see how far I get.

Click & Comment Monday Participants

1. Pogi 2. Steve 3. Elizabeth 4. duplicate 5. Vedis

6. Krissy 7. Jenny 8. Karen 9. Karen 10. Drew

11. Mark Laymon 12. Tiffany 13. Tiffany

Get the C&C Monday code here
View More C&C Monday Participants

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

If You Hate Numbers, Like I Hate Numbers . . .

Accounting Paradise is a full service accounting and bookkeeping service. Accounting Paradise is designed for the owners of small to medium businesses, including home-based businesses, who require the services of a bookkeeper for payroll or other accounting tasks, but do not want to hire another employee.

Accounting Paradise will set up a book keeping system that you can understand and use if you decide to take on bookkeeping in the future. They will even train your or a new employee in using the system. The supported accounting package is QuickBooks Online Edition. The accounting access is free and is included in your QuickBooks Online subscription. This enables the work to be done without interrupting your work.

For detailed information, visit the Why Us web page for Accounting Paradise, sponsor of this post.

Tags: Accounting Paradise.com, bookkeeping, accounting, QuickBooks

Is Your Ad in the Pink?

MediaPost Publications - Did I Click That? - 05/04/2007

Google searchers may or may not have noticed a slight change in their search results the week of March 26, but advertisers did -- and the verdict is in. Google's decision to change the background color for sponsored links from blue to yellow, as well as the clickability of these ads, has yielded positive results for both advertisers and Google users.

I hate not noticed the difference before I saw this article. When I looked today, the Google paid listings were highlighted in pink. For some reason, the highlighting looks old school. Do you remember how webpages used to look? With lots of highlighting, CAPITALS, !!!!!!! and underlining?

Google also changed the clickable area on the advertisement. Now you must click on the headline. Marketers have been doing this forever. Making their Google Adsense URL line the same color as the background to hide it so that the headline would be the clicked.

I do not know about the colors, but the clickable area change seems like a good idea. What do you think?

Tags: Google highlighted listings, sponsored advertisements

ThinkBigSites and Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing is integral to your Internet advertising and online marketing. Search engines index web sites for information related to key words, called search terms. If you want to be successful in online promotion, your website must show up in the first page of search engine result pages (SERPs). Optimizing for search engines includes proper use of metatags, key words, alt tags and relevant content. More importantly, inbound links to your site from other sites that are judged relevant to your field are necessary.

ThinkBigSites is a website optimization firm that offers a full range of services, from website optimization to search engine optimization, search engine marketing and blog marketing. ThinkBigSites offers web site development services for businesses. From a simple, 5-page website to a 10-page flash e-commerce website, ThinkBigSites can help you get started with Internet marketing and online promotion. ThinkBigSites also offers blog marketing to help drive more website traffic to your website.

ThinkBigSites understands marketing and promotion and wants to help you succeed with your website. ThinkBigSites, sponsor of this post, will take the time to understand your business and your goals so that your website may become a dynamic part of your marketing strategies.

In addition to search engine optimization and search engine marketing, ThinkBigSites offers reciprocal linking, pay-per-click campaigns, lead generation, copy writing, photography and custom web applications. Whatever you may need, whether you know you need it, is offered by ThinkBigSites. Visit ThinkBigSites.com today.

Tags: ThinkBigSites.com, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, more website traffic

Mind Mapping .... What?

Graphic organizers, also called mind mapping techniques, help us arrange our thoughts so that we do not lose important ideas. We do not think in a linear fashion, so mind mapping allows us to follow our brainstorming or planning.

• Mind maps help you to memorize information easily
• Mind maps make things visible and clearer
• Mind maps reveal what is behind the information
• Mind maps are one of the best ways to organize your tasks and to-do lists

If you want to learn mind mapping without cost and without downloading and installing desktop mind mapping software, Mindomo is the ideal solution for you. The demonstration version will not let you save a map, but you can load public maps and you can test the complete functionality of Mindomo without signing up. If you would like to store your maps, please sign up for a free account.

Tags: mindomo, graphic organizers, mind mapping