Ed Dale was all over the place meeting and greeting, his 30 Day Challenge site is starting a new challenge this month (today as a matter of fact). If you are interested in making money online the 30 Day Challenge is a great way to get started.

Other attendees that I met included Carla an aspiring Rock Star. Her site RockStarLifeLessons.com gives aspiring musicians advice on getting their music out and published. I met lots of other people who were just starting out on the web, but only Carla gave me a business card. If you are going to a meet up, bring cards (backlinks are good).

I was a bit tired because I had just flown in from Nicaragua (you can see my tan), but Yaro gave me some great advice before I left. He said “Don’t stop blogging”. It is easy to forget why we blog and how valuable a resource a blog can be. Thanks again for the advice.

Post from: Michael Doig

Yaro Starak, Ed Dale, and a Rockstar Walk Into a Bar

A Civilian defence worker has admitted trying to smuggle heroin into Britain from Afghanistan on a military flight.

Michael Doig, 24, was caught with the drug at Kandahar Airport on June 11.

A spokesman for HM Courts Service said Doig appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court in west London yesterday.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle heroin at the passenger handling facility at Kandahar Airport.

Bonehead!

Post from: Michael Doig

I Didn’t Do It, I Swear!

Today the subway was running on alternate tracks due to construction, so I had to take the train to a stop that was a bit far from where I wanted to go. Despite the fact that it was cold outside I was looking forward to the walk. I got off the train and realized that I was smack in the middle of Chinatown, some of the most congested sidewalks in NYC. So I decided to walk as fast as I possible could through the crowded sidewalks. It was really fun! Cutting in and out of people, jumping over fire hydrants, and sliding sideways through tight spots without touching anyone. I felt like a social pro. Today I discovered I actually enjoy extreme urban walking.

Post from: Michael Doig

Today I Discovered…

Post from: Michael Doig

3 Amazing Marketing Videos from GetAltitude.com

I’ve watched just about every one of his videos on YouTube. If you haven’t seen him in action, it will really make you look at paranormal events in a new light. His work helped spawn the likes Penn and Teller. Start out with this video on Uri Geller and Peter Popoff and check out the other videos that pop up, such as the classic James Hydrick challenge. Be warned these videos are addicting.

If you think you have paranormal powers, contact Mr. Randi for your shot at $1,000,000,000.

At JREF, we offer a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The JREF does not involve itself in the testing procedure, other than helping to design the protocol and approving the conditions under which a test will take place. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful, will be followed by the formal test. Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the “applicant” becomes a “claimant.”

The Carl Sagan video on astrology is a great watch as well.

Books by James Randi

“Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions” (James Randi)

“The Faith Healers” (James Randi)

“The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World’s Most Famous Seer” (James Randi)

“The Magic World of the Amazing Randi” (James Randi)

Post from: Michael Doig

One Million Dollar Challenge

A man walked into a bank in New York City one day and asked for the loan officer.

He told the loan officer that he was going to Philippines on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan.

Then the man handed over the keys to a new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank. He produced the title and everything checked out The loan officer agreed to accept the car as collateral for the loan.The bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the guy for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral against a $5,000 loan.

An employee of the bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank’s underground garage and parked it there.Two weeks later, the guy returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest, which came to $15.41.

The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy to have had and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi millionaire. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow “$5,000?.

The millionaire replied: “Where else in New York City can I park my car for $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return”

Well thats how the rich stay rich, they know a lot more about Money Management. All the millionaires I have met in my life were penny wise. Look after your cents and the Dollars will look after themselves.

Post from: Michael Doig

Making Other People’s Money Work For You

Hey John,
Your site is nothing more than a Cutline/Copyblogger Theme mashup. Where’s my link?

Here is a screenshot of the theme in question

(Click to enlarge)

John Wesley’s reply

Chris,
I’ll readily admit that I built off the structure of the Cutline Theme because I had no previous design experience, but I took the link out after tweaking nearly every aspect of the style and customizing it with all my own graphics. I’ve also borrowed aspects from other sites as well. I think that makes it more than a mashup and I don’t think anyone but yourself would even recognize the influence. Honestly I’m flattered that you noticed.

This is starting to remind me of the Vanilla Ice sample fiasco…

From Wikipedia: Vanilla Ice drew controversy by claiming that he owed no royalties for sampling “Under Pressure”, citing one minor alteration to the bass line. Although no lawsuit was ever filed, the rapper supposedly settled out of court, and songwriting credit was retroactively given to Bowie and the members of Queen.

When is something altered enough that you no longer need to pay tribute to the original?

I’ve finally come to the conclusion that smart guys like Chris make it possible for the rest of us to focus on what is important, producing great content. I don’t want to think about browser compatibility or why my floats aren’t lining up anymore. That is why I hired Chris to think about that stuff for me.

There is some ego involved in taking footer links out, but as a thank you to all of the people who spend hours working for free on quality software – leave them intact. If you didn’t start from scratch, it is the least you can do.

Technorati Tags: Chris Pearson, design, John Wesley, WordPress

Post from: Michael Doig

When Is It Different Enough?

Let your inbox accumulate, don’t moderate your comments the second they come in, and stop checking your feedburner readers to decide whether life is worth living.

Watching your site grow and develop is like watching water boil.

If you watch it and wait impatiently it seems to take forever. However if you add a little to the pot and then step back, your site will magically boil over.

Technorati Tags: blogging, boiling water

Post from: Michael Doig

A Watched Pot Never Boils

A lot of my fears about what would happen if I stopped updating my blog haven’t happened. I didn’t lose readers, I actually had the highest number of readers about 3 weeks after I stopped writing (I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing).

Stepping away from all the mental masturbation of the web, made me realize something…

None of it really matters, blogging isn’t changing the world.

After meeting people like Jason Boog, Loren Feldman, Chartreuse, and Nathan, it all came down to one thing for me…

The People.

If you truly want to change the world, you aren’t going to do it from your keyboard. Blogging isn’t a way to change the world, but it is a great way to tell everyone after you do. The only way to truly make a lasting difference is to go outside and participate.

Technorati Tags: blogging, Changing The World, Loren Feldman, marketing, Jason Boog, Changing The World, Chartreuse

Post from: Michael Doig

Coated For Ease of Swallowing or Why Blogging Matters

It feels a lot like shopping at a flea market.

Now the genius of the flea market post is the same genius behind flea markets. You find stuff for cheap or free and take it to the masses who devour it for top dollar.

There are even some good deals on antique posts.

Now I see nothing wrong with this, on the contrary I think it’s great. It takes very little effort, yet you end up with valuable results.

The hard part of this equation is finding a lot of interesting items for your discerning audience. However, if done right you end up with an ebay like fervor surrounding your posts. People searching for that next big thing or inside scoop.

The flea market post is maximum fun on minimum wage.

Technorati Tags: marketing, chartreuse, flea market

Post from: Michael Doig

Chartreuse Beta Remix Posts and Flea Market Shopping