Random Order Weblog - Nothing’s too random!

One thing I’ve learned since I began working on my own blog is that while blogs are fun and entertaining to keep, they don’t necessarily hit the ground running for everyone.  My blog gets what I would consider to be a medium amount of traffic… some days I get only 5-10 unique visitors, while other days I get closer to a hundred.  It really seems to be dependent on whether or not I have blogged on something that is currently in the news.  When I do that, I seem to get some traffic for a little while but it shortly trickles into nothing.

Since I would like to get a little more traffic to my blog, I have spent some time looking around for tips.  With blogging being as popular as it is today, it was not a problem to find some good sites with quality information on everything from releasing a new blog to boosting an old one.  Mine is sort of new, so I’ve followed the advice for new blogs.

Right off the bat I noticed that my blog is lacking in a couple departments that more experienced bloggers believe are very important.  For example, my about us page is.. well.. lacking.  I also do not know much about RSS, but I think that since I am using WordPress as my blog software I should have that all taken care of for me.  Other good tips were to include things like a Digg or Delicious button at the end of your posts so that it’s easy for your readers to actually promote your site to other potential visitors through bigger sites .   One final good point that I have definitely been neglecting is that it is generally a good idea to visit other blogs similar to yours and leave comments so that you get the word out about not only your blog, but yourself as an individual.

Now that I have my own blog and spend what I consider to be a fairly decent amount of time blogging, I have really come to understand why blogs became so popular. With my newfound respect for blogs, I’ve begun to looking around for interesting ones I can read and enjoy. Some of my favorites are those that belong to “gurus” in their particular industry. Sometimes such blogs can reveal unique tactics, marketing techniques, web development tips, etc., that I otherwise would never have thought of in a million years.

As I have grown to appreciate blogs more, I have also started to actively search for others that may also be of interest to not only myself, by my sites’ visitors. Then I can link to these blogs either so I personally remember where they are and to check up on them, or because I feel my visitors would like to know about them.

As I was searching for other blogs I came across something very cool—a directory, similar to the DMOZ and other major directories, but one that specializes in blog sites (blogoozle.com). So basically the site categorizes a huge number of blogs by subject matter, etc., and lets people like me who are looking for blog sites find them quickly and easily. Furthermore, this is a great way to find some of the lesser known blogs that haven’t been around for ages. When I use search engines to look for blogs, I find that they are generally older blogs that have just built up an insane amount of link popularity simply by virtue of being around forever. Often times newer sites offer just as much, or sometimes even more enlightening information, yet they are buried in the SERPs. The blog directory mentioned above really helps to get those kinds of blogs some more exposure.

The housing market is booming and because I’m one to jump on a popularity wagon, I wanted a piece of the action. I decided it was time I took the plunge and bought a new house. A new house is very much like a new car. If no one has used it before you really feel as though it was made just for you.

With the new construction software being used you literally can have a house made exactly the way you want it. When we met with the builder we expected to see some general sketches of floor plans that would give us a rough idea of what our finished house might look like. Instead we were able to get a very clear picture of exactly what we would be living in.

The construction software that our builder used let us pick every detail of the house, from the floor plan to the color of the paint. With each choice we made, the accounting and construction software would add up the cost while displaying the finished room. We had a clear idea of the cost and we could see when things were setting us over the budget we had in mind.

The accounting and construction software also gave us a three-dimensional view of what we could expect once the house was built. So when we noticed that the entryway seemed narrow, the builder was able to adjust the floor plan to incorporate and open entry that led right into the main room. It was perfect, and easy for us to picture ourselves in there once the job was done.

As we went through the process the construction software was able to adjust the price of the project with the fluctuating price of the construction market. Our builder kept us informed on that so we were able to stay in touch with the bank regarding the financing, so that headache was avoided too.

Okay, so I have a Treo 700w and it’s fully loaded, etc., etc., but I can’t figure out the simplest thing—how do I set up custom ringtones?  I have friends with phones that they got for free, and meanwhile I’m sitting here with a $300+ piece of equipment (WITH CONTRACT!) and I cannot for the life of me get the Verizon ringtones to work.

The only ringtones I have on my phone right now are the default ones that came with the Treo.  Those are fun for about five minutes, but then you start to get bored of them.  I think it would be really cool to have different tones for different friends / family members so that I could recognize who was calling by the ringtone.  My brother, for example, has cool 80s songs set up for all his friends that sort of match their personality.  A lot of times, just by hearing the tone, I can guess which of his friends it will be.

Maybe I’m whining over nothing here, but I don’t think so.  When you buy a good phone, you should be able to get the cool features—and I know my phone can handle it—it’s just a matter of figuring out the procedure.  If anyone knows how to do this with a Treo 700w, please, please, let me know by commenting on this post.  It really cannot tell you how much it would be appreciated, as this whole process has given me a major headache—even hearing the name Verizon right now gives me a headache.

EDIT: Thanks to Mike for your email!  Mike sent me a link to a website that covers Verizon ringtones in addition to the other major providers.  I finally managed to get this thing working!  Was it everything I’d dreamt of?  YES!

Just so no one makes the same mistakes I made when purchasing spy gear, here’s my little version of a how-to. Spy Gear is defined as a category of items that allow you to see and hear covertly without being noticed. There are spy gear products that can have you listening through walls, and spy gear cameras that are so tiny you can hide them in anything. Other types of spy gear include wireless security cameras, night vision sensors, heat detectors, miniature microphones and telephone recorders.

To learn more about spy gear, you’ll definitely want to check out 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius by Brad Graham. This book will teach you how to construct and use scanners, radios, night vision, computer monitoring, audio spy devices, and much more. Even novices who know nothing about spy gear or constructing devices can benefit from the step-by-step instruction found in this book. The gadgets that are featured in this book are useful and simple enough for anyone to make and use with common everyday items.

Another good idea when looking for spy gear that’s already been constructed for you is to read spy gear reviews. Many online vendors and sites feature great spy gear reviews for a wide range of products. You can read how highly each product comes recommended based on a number of consumers’ opinions, as well as spy gear reviews written by actual users. If you’re going to be spending your hard-earned money on spy gear, these reviews can help you choose products that have worked well for others. The last thing you want is to sink a lot of money into products that are poor quality or don’t work like they should. So before shopping for spy gear, make sure you do your research!

When I sit in front of computer all day working on a spreadsheet or typing out documents, I sometimes find that I need something to break up the mundane. Installing game software on your work computer probably isn’t going to go over well with the boss, but playing a free online game on your coffee break can make you both happy.

Just a quick online search will show you that there are many sites that offer free online games. The choices are vast including poker, backgammon and even some Playstation and Nintendo Games. The sites are generally user friendly with minimal steps needed to get you in the thick of game play.

Most online free game sites have a short registration process to get through. You provide a bit of information and they’ll give you free access to their games. Some sites offer one player, two player or even multi-player games.

Depending on the specs of your computer you may have to download an update to ensure that you can run the games smoothly. Once you’ve done that you can log in and play any of the available games whenever you want. With worldwide access to these sites you can be playing checkers with someone from another continent any time day or night. What’s even cooler is that you can actually find some old Nintendo games and play Nintendo games online.

Another appealing thing about playing free online games is that you have the opportunity to try different types of games that you may not have before. If you’ve never played chess, but you’ve been hesitant to ask someone you know to show you, try a free online game site. Many of them have tutorial and beginner rooms that help novices learn the moves.

You can’t lose when you join a free game site online. After all, where else can you find hundreds of different games that don’t cost a penny to play?

If you’ve spent any amount of time online you know that finding what you need isn’t always as easy as it seems. Granted plugging a phrase into a search engine will get you started, but if you are looking for more detailed information, you’re going to want to look at web directories.

Web directories are much like telephone directories. They are organized by category and contain a listing of many relevant sites. Many web directories offer a vast array of categories that are very easy to navigate through.

For the budding Internet entrepreneur, web directories are viewed in an entirely different way. For them, web directories can be the difference between having thousands of visitors to their site as opposed to just a few dozen. When a site is picked up by the major search engines this can certainly translate to a few hits now and again. When a site is listed in one of the popular web directories it can be the beginning of thousands of relevant site visits a day.

Some of the web directories you may find as your searching the Internet are labeled as free directories. This means that no fee is required for a site to be listed in the web directory. Although this can seem like a savings to the webmaster, that’s rarely the case. In most free web directories, an over abundance of sites are listed and yours can very easily get lost in the masses.

In the case of web directories that charge for a listing, you stand a much better chance of being noticed by the folks you are working at appealing to. With some paid advertising on a fee based web directory your site has the potential to be seen by thousands.

It’s clear that web directories are a great resource for both the web master and the visitor. Using them to their full potential can reap profitable benefits in both information for the visitor and financial rewards for the site owner.

Satellite TV provides consumers with a way to view hundreds of television stations. Many families are turning to satellite TV for various reasons. One, satellite TV is becoming increasingly affordable. There are a wide range of packages offered to suit any price range or viewing preference. It’s easier than ever to get tons of great channels on your television thanks to this innovation.

No matter what you like to watch, you can find it on satellite TV. Not only can you access local television channels, you can get cable channels from around the nation and for that matter, the world. There are channels that specialize in a certain area. Sports enthusiasts will love the amazing variety of sports-themed channels. There are channels devoted to children’s programming and channels that celebrate a particular genre of entertainment such as sci-fi, westerns and classic movies, for example. There are news channels, weather channels, and channels that feature shows centered around home and garden. Satellite TV is also perfect for anyone who loves music. There are a variety of music channels available that let you listen to any type of music with the click of your remote.

As you can see, satellite TV is the best choice for anyone who wants lots of channels. Satellite TV is often displayed at a much higher quality resolution than traditional cable. And it’s great for families on a budget, because you can often find companies that provide free installation and monthly service for a reasonable fee.

If you’re currently not a satellite TV customer, you owe it to yourself to check out the features and benefits this type of television entertainment can provide. Once you try satellite TV, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without all those amazing channels!

Bit Torrent is a peer to peer, or P2P application that allows you to share and distribute data with other users. Statistics show that Bit Torrent accounts for more than 30 percent of all web traffic. With Bit Torrent technology, you can upload and download a wide variety of applications.

Love music? Bit Torrent allows you to download and share an amazing number of songs with others. There’s never been an easier way to get a massive music collection. No matter what kind of music you like, you can find it available for download. Upload your own material and share it with other people. Other uses of Bit Torrent Sites include the transfer and sharing of audio files, video files, data and software applications. This opens users up to a whole new world of digital information that can be accessed with the click of a mouse.

With the wide variety of Bit Torrent applications, it’s prudent to talk for a moment about the legality of things. It’s important that you choose a Bit Torrent provider that offers safe and legal downloads and uploads. With many free providers, you can not only get into trouble, you can end up with a wide variety of viruses that can sabotage your computer and lead to lots of expensive problems.

Bit Torrent is an application that does not offer or guarantee privacy or anonymity. Everyone that uses Bit Torent has their IP addresses recorded and stored. This can leave your system susceptible to attacks from unscrupulous hackers. Now, there’s no guarantee that something bad will happen, it’s just important to understand the possibility.

Before deciding whether or not Bit Torrent technology is for you, it’s prudent to understand all the benefits and risks involved.