Learn How to Make Money Online
Mood:  lucky
Topic: Make Money with Your Blog
I recently came across some links to some books that will help you build an income online. They are priced right and contain more than their purchase price in information. Get yours today!




CIAO for now!
Randy

How to Use Contextual Advertising
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Create + Promote Blogs
Today, I'm going to again demonstrate an effective use of article marketing. You are free to use this article for free on your website, provided you copy the entire article verbatim, including the source, title, author, and credits. This article is about contextual advertising.

How to Use

Contextual

Advertising

Although I've written a few other blog articles since my article on epilepsy, I've noticed that the contextual ads on my site (i.e., YPN and the selection of Amazon books) are still about epilepsy, although the subject has changed. I decided to investigate a little further and came to the following conclusions: The crawlers that determine what types of contextual advertising to display rely on 3 things (listed in order of relative importance).

1) The contextual advertising crawlers look at headings and then titles. Although the titles for my last several posts have changed, I have not used any headings, and the crawlers just see the last time I used both a heading and a title for my post. Don't get carried away with titles, though; one title within your article is sufficient, and make sure you surround it with the h1 and /h1 tags. Also, make sure you use the same title for your post and for your heading.

2) Contextual advertising crawlers really seem to enjoy numbered, ordered lists. Just make sure there is some genuine content in your lists, i.e., not just "My Favorite Numbers" with numbers 1 through 10. I'm not sure how the crawlers do it, but they see through such weak attempts to imitate genuine content.

3) Another thing the contextual advertising crawlers seem to enjoy is natural repitition of keywords. Some people have tried to abuse the system and have given a black eye to SEO in the process, by having pages with the same keyword or words just repeated a gazillion different times and placing some contextual advertising on the page. Not only is this bad webpage copy, but it results in lower rankings for the rest of us who are honestly trying to get some promotion for our pages using legitimate methods.

If you will observe in the above paragraphs, I have started each numbered point with a sentence about "contextual advertising crawlers," without being repetitious or using bad writing style. As a result of the above techniques, the contextual ads should display appropriate content.

'Course, too, don't forget to ping Yahoo, technorati, and the others when you're done!

Copyright 2006 Randy Hildebrand

CIAO for now,
Randy

Beware of the latest Spam Scam
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Make Money with Your Blog
If you have spent any time at all trying to make some extra cash with your blog, you undoubtedly have received a LOT of spam emails. My computer was down for 3 days last week, and by the time I got internet service back, I had over a thousand spam emails.

I just have a few things to say about these SPAM emails...let the buyer beware. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. The latest Spam Scam I refer to in the title, the so-called "pump and dump" scam, has actually been around for a while, but Sophos.com recently mentioned that this scam accounts for about 15 per cent of all spam emails.

The scam involves an email campaign that boosts the value of a company's stock so that spammers can make a quick profit. The spam usually uses images instead of text, which sometimes bypasses spam filters.

A "pump and dump" scam might read, "Bogus Industries This stock is extremely undervalued! Recommendation: Strong Buy Short-term forecast: 300+%! ACT NOW!"

Our recommendation is not only to NOT buy, but also to delete the email and add the sender to your blocked list. Most email services now have an option to mark an email as spam and to block any further emails from that server. I encourage you to use these.

Graham Cluley adds that "The people that act upon emails aren't skilled investors, and don't realise that purchasing the shares is likely to reap no reward, benefiting only the spammers, while creating a financial rollercoaster for the organisation in question."

As I say, let the buyer beware and don't lose your shirt on a scam!

CIAO for now,
Randy


Tags: spam

Posted by Randy at 4:33 PM ADT
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Maybe you SHOULD'NT get a job
Mood:  accident prone
Security Pro News warns us this week about "dream jobs" you might find posted online.

One of these "dream jobs" paying close to 6 figures, is called "Correspondence Manager" or "Import-Export Specialist." Simple job - your employer pays you to ship goods overseas.

The FBI, though, says this is a reshipping scam. The stuff you get at your door for shipping overseas has been purchased with stolen credit card info. Thieves from places like Nigeria are behind the scam, and don't expect any money in return.

Another "dream job" you might encounter is the prospective employer asking for bank information (i.e., for direct deposit) after an online interview. Instead, they drain your bank account.

Similarly, identity theft can take place if you give out too much personal information in an online interview form. So don't give out social security numbers or any personal information.

My own luck with online postings has not been that great, either. The only actual jobs I have gotten have been with temp agencies who posted on Monster. I.e., I could have skipped the whole online part and just walked into their offices.

I'm still working as a temp, but I have learned the value of face-to-face interviews and networking. You know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows about an opening at a company.

So maybe you SHOULD'NT get a job advertised online and just hit the pavement with feet flying! Wish you the best in your employment ventures!

CIAO for now,
Randy

30 Types of Epilepsy
Mood:  cool
Topic: Create + Promote Blogs
Today, I'm going to again demonstrate an effective use of article marketing. You are free to use this article for free on your website, provided you copy the entire article verbatim, including the source, title, author, and credits. This article is about epilepsy, from a personal point of view.

30 Types of Epilepsy

I'm going to briefly talk about epilepsy, a condition I have had since 1978. In 1978, I was walking along the street and was hit by a truck. I was in a coma for three weeks and in the hospital for three months. As a result of the brain injury, I developed symptoms similar to epilepsy. I am going to discuss the various types of seizures that I have had over the years, and what I have done to try to cope with them. I'm not going to discuss the twenty-or-so other less-common types that I have no personal knowledge of. My fervent prayer is that this information may be a great benefit to you.

Firstly, epilepsy is a rather common condition. Doctors estimate that about 2 in every 100 people have a variety of epilepsy. Most websites list around 40 different types of seizures, but I chose the number 30 because that is how many common varieties there are, and the director of the epilepsy association I am with gave that as a ballpark.

Before I get into details, I want to categorically state that my case is probably unique, dealing with my unique brain trauma. Not everyone who has epilepsy will experience the same types or sequence of seizures that I have. I give my story to provide further insight into the many varieties of the curiosity known as epilepsy, not to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

1) When I arrived home after the hospital, for several years I experienced a type of simple partial seizure sometimes called abdominal epilepsy. Usually during my sleep, I would have bizarre nightmares with vomiting. This type of epilepsy is also referred to as autonomic epilepsy, because the autonomic nervous system is affected.

2) Not long thereafter, I began experiencing auras during my waking hours. Auras are kind of a warning sign of epilepsy, and, with me, were initially characterized by dilated pupils, a sense of deja vu, a flat metallic taste in my mouth, auditory and visual hallucinations, and vomiting. These were a combination of autonomic epilepsy and temporal lobe epilepsy, also known as a complex partial seizure.

3) As I grew older, the autonomic epilepsy episodes decreased, but I still experienced the auras, which are also known as simple partial seizures. Despite what some MDs may say, I did not and do not remember what occured in the auras, i.e., what I "saw" or "heard."

4) The usual trigger points for my auras were when I would a) be under a great deal of stress, b) not eat properly, and c) not get enough sleep. In isolation, none of these factors really bothers me, but combined, which frequently happens when I'm under a great deal of stress, I have frequent auras/simple partial seizures.

5) Last year, over 25 years after my car accident and shortly after undergoing oral surgery for the first time, I had what used to be called a grand mal, now referred to as a tonic-clonic seizure. It happened at night, as the ones in my childhood did, but this time, I let out a strange whooping cry, my muscles tightened up so I was quivering, my mouth was wide open, pupils dilated, and I fell out of bed. I only know these details because my wife described them to me later. She called for an ambulance to take me to the hospital, where I was given phenytoin and discharged.

Phenytoin, or Dilantin, is usually given for nocturnal seizures. I was eventually placed on a rather large dose of this medication, after trying to voluntarily take myself off the medicine. When I did this, I experienced several probably-simple partial seizures during the day. My hands would get extremely cold, my pupils would dilate, and I had enough awareness that I could tell others "It's coming," without really knowing what "it" was or being able to describe "it." Basically, I was having an absence seizure. Once again, I could not and cannot descibe the auditory/visual hallucination.

I went in for blood tests and found that I had a very low level of phenytoin in my system, and my dosage was increased.

Lessons I learned along the way are that you don't need to call 911 when someone is having a seizure, unless it's the first seizure or you get hurt. My seizures usually didn't last longer than a few minutes, and I was not in any situation where I would hurt myself.

Secondly, if you are on meds for epilepsy or seizure disorder, don't take yourself off of them. My seizures have finally come under control with medication. There have been some reports of seizure control using a ketonic diet, but before you get excited, let me tell you that that diet is a high-fat diet, and usually only works with children. It's very bad for adults.

6) Tips for people with epilepsy:
Here's some things that I have done and/or were recommended for me to help me cope.

I don't operate heavy machinery, even though my job sometimes requires it. I ask a coworker instead. Seizures themselves, as well as the side-effects of phenytoin, make me uncoordinated, a little dizzy at times. I have explained my health issues to my employer and they are fine with it.

I usually don't drive. Once I was driving in a nearby town and I think I probably had an absense seizure because I drove around for an hour to get to a place 10 minutes away. Not driving or operating heavy machinery are mostly for safety reasons.

I speak foreign languages, do puzzles, and meditate. These activities typically involve both sides of my brain, and serve as an organizing mechanism to battle the wild electrical storm epilepsy gives my brain. Meditation, too, relaxes me from my stress triggers. I usually count inventory at work in French or German.

Another suggestion, which I haven't put into effect as yet, is to put a light filter on the computer monitor and TV. Flickering lights from these sources have preceded a few of my seizures.



Copyright 2006 Randy Hildebrand

Microsoft and WGA (and how to remove WGA)
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Create + Promote Blogs
Thanks to a suggestion from my wonderful blog-commenter Larry and David Berlind, I'm going to tackle the topic of Microsoft and WGA today.

First off, what exactly is WGA? WGA stands for Windows Genuine Advantage, and is Microsoft's "answer" to anti-piracy. WGA, upon voluntary user download, verifies whether your copy of Windows XP is legal or not.

Microsoft finally admitted that WGA contacts Microsoft, even after it has verified that your version of XP is legit. Several privacy activists are up in arms about this, and with good cause.

With that in mind, here is how to disable WGA, according to Adware Report:

1. Type ctrl-alt-delete and end the process wgtray.exe from the "Processes" tab on the Task Manager Manager.

2. Reboot and hit F8 while it's restarting. (This will start XP in Safe Mode.

3. Delete the following files by going to Start-->My Computer:

c:\windows\system32\wgatray.exe
c:\windows\system32\dllcache\wgatray.exe


4. Hit Start-->Run-->regedit. Delete the following entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinlogonNotify\WGALOGON

At this point, your private data will no longer be sent to Microsoft every time you start your PC.

David Berlind, who is not himself a lawyer, suggests that the lawsuit against Microsoft is pretty much baseless, because when you accept the End User License Agreement you basically give Microsoft the right to send itself information about your computer. Furthermore, many websites frequently collect the IP address of visitors without privacy violations, as Microsoft is being accused of.

Personally, I think the lawsuits may just be a reaction against Microsoft trying to cash in on some of Bill Gate's fortunes. Recently, when fellow billionaire Warren Buffet announced that he was giving much of his inheritance to the Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation, local talk-show host MJ in the Morning decided to have a little fun with it. He announced that if listeners wanted to cash in on Buffet's Billions, just call a number he gave over the air. He allegedly announced it was a "Radio Bit" at some point, and the next day mentioned that the number was actually to his voice mail. Unfortunately, many people were not paying attention, called the voice-mail-posing-as-Buffet's-Billions, and, on learning it was a joke, left irate messages. Similarly, the folks who want to see Microsoft as "The Great Satan" and are trying to get some money by filing a pointless lawsuit.

However, if you don't appreciate the nature of WGA, go ahead and remove it using the above instructions.

CIAO for now,
Randy

Tags: WGA

Software Projects
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Make Money with Your Blog
Software Projects is a wonderful new service I have recently become acquainted with. They help with website creation, marketing, lead-capture pages, and boosting conversion rates.

This incredible service has 200 certified professionals to help with any of your website needs 24-7. They offer "guaranteed results" with a difference - when they give a deadline, they will actually pay you 5% every day they are behind schedule.

They will also research what type of campaign will work best for your website, whether PPC or email marketing or any of 81 other Internet Marketing Services they offer.

They also offer free quotes for their services. I just completed a quote. It was a simple series of 3-4 pages with simple questions on each page. I finished in about 5 minutes, and am awaiting my quote within the next 24 hours.

Why not give 'em a shot a get your quote today! Simply click on the following link:


See you at the top!

CIAO for now,
Randy

Happy July Fourth!
Mood:  lazy
Topic: Trail Happiness
Just chillin' around the house today. Unfortunately, both my wife and I have to work on Monday and don't get paid for Tuesday. C'est la vie!

I watched some really goofy movies while the kids slept. Getting ready to go to a pre-Fourth celebration in Holiday.

Check out my new affiliate, Cafe Bel Mondo. Their offer is 2 bags of roasted coffee and a 2-cup coffee brewer, all for $9.95 with free shipping! Only one per household please. Can't wait for mine to come in the mail after the holidays.

Let's take a poll - what is the goofiest thing you have ever done on the Fourth? I'll randomly choose one from among the responses I receive and send you the offer from Cafe Bel Mondo for FREE!! So go ahead and send in your reponses!

CIAO for now,
Randy

Stolen Laptop Recovered
Mood:  hug me
Topic: Create + Promote Blogs
As a follow-up to a May story, we are happy to report that the stolen laptop that had info on 26 million vets has been recovered.

According to Reuters, an unidentified person turned the laptop in to FBI HQ in Baltimore on Wednesday.

Furthermore, according to premilimary analysis, none of the data had been compromised, no charges were filed against the person who turned it in, and the FBI has no idea where the laptop has been for the past month.

But don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. The VA has also lost data in at least two other documented cases:

1) In Minneapolis, another VA employee put a different laptop in his car with info on 60 vets. The car was stolen, and there have been two confirmed cases of ID theft as a result.

2) In Indianapolis, a back-up tape with files on over 16,000 vets was LOST. The investigation continues, and those affected are going to be given free credit monitoring.

CIAO for now,
Randy

The Power of Prayer
We were visiting my husband's mother last Friday when the phone rang about 7pm. It was my 15 year old daughter calling. Through sobs I heard her say, "Mommy, Pray for Kody"....

It was about 24 years ago when I first met my nephews Kenny then 4 and Kody then a little over 1 year old. A charming little blonde with a bright smile and big expressive eyes. He was so sweet. His Brother Kenny the same except his hair was brown. They were moving from NY and in with us for a while.

Why sweety, What's wrong? The reply sent chills down my spine and we immediatly began to pray together over the phone...

For as far back as they could remember both boys wanted to serve in the military. Kody had passed all of the hurdles to join the Army and entered boot camp 5 years ago. He was dating a girl named Meg at the time. It seemed like all his dreams were finally coming true. Unfortunately, he was injured during boot camp and was medically discharged. I believed it to be a blessing in diguise because the War on Terror was just starting and he might have been sent to Iraq if he had stayed in. Kody and Meg married in 2003 and started a family. It was a romantic time for all of us as they were planning their wedding the same time as Randy and I were. In fact our weddings were just three months apart.
Still Kody dreamed of serving in the Army. He had been in ROTC for years and he wanted to try again so a little over two years after his discharge from boot camp, with a wife and daughter at his side he re-inlisted.
After boot camp they moved to Ft. Campbell, KY where he received more traing. Gavin was born in March 05. It was not long after that he got word they were being deployed to IRAQ.

His tank hit a bomb! I could hear tears in her shaky voice. He got burned...more sobs. (She and Kody are very close. Two peas in a pod they are and just 10 years apart in age.) I immediately began to pray, Father please place your healing hands on Kody...My thoughts turned to Meg.....

It was just 3 years ago that they married. The wedding was beautiful and the reception hall on the beach, WOW. It was like a fairy tale. Meg was so beautiful her face glowed and so did his. He was grinnin like a cheshire cat. everyone could see the love on their faces.

After we hung up I got online and sent out an URGENT PRAYER REQUEST to every Christian and prayer worrier I knew and I asked them to pass it on to their friends and prayer partners. No one knew his condition. We were all hoping for the best and fearing the worst....

Kody and Meg are very much in love and have one of the sweetest relationships I have ever seen. Even from Iraq he sent her presents and cards for special occasions and he called or emailed as often as possible.

How was she handling the news. I can't even imagine. I cried for her. I held my husband and prayed through my own tears for Meg and the children. He was scheduled to come home from Iraq in about 6 weeks....

He had deployed in Sept. and was due to return for leave in July. Somehow though, God opened a door and Kody suprized us this past Christmas with a two week visit. just 3 months after he left for Iraq he was home for the Holidays! Everyone was elated! It was a fesive time and we all thanked God for the miracle of a Christmas visit. It was Gavin's first Christmas and Kody was with us. Kenny was now in the process of jumping his hurdles to join the Army as well. Soon they might both be at war.

TO BE CONTINUED..