Cyberspace In A Blog

One third blog about my (personal) journey as a solo entrepreneur, one third "entertainment" (various articles, quotes and random-ness from Cyberspace that is motivational, inspirational, humourous and fun) and one third anything to do with being your own boss (especially the role and use of social media in business)

Blogging Without Obligation


I got the following article from Flying Solo which is an awesome website for "soloists" (aka solo-prenurs).

Five ways to develop your mental resilience


Tip 1. Understand the ways your business success is not about you …
Tip 2. Understand your business success IS about you.
Tip 3. Use appreciation, not just optimism.
Tip 4. Watch your language.
Tip 5. Goof off.




Craigslist Humour

Blogging Without Obligation



Using the Craigslist Optimizer is one of the many ways I earn an income. I'm not making bundles of money as I do it sporadically. None-the-less, every so often I come across something humourous.


This time it is a guy and his friends who I think really needs to find themselves a Domme (yet they don't know it!)



Looking for Ruth, the Abusive Waitress (Boulder County)


Date: 2009-10-23, 11:30AM MDT
Reply to: sale-ktckq-1434410049@craigslist.org


Anyone else remember Ruth whose schtick was to be somewhat abusive in a funny way to the customers? "I'll get to you when I'm good and ready" or "Get your own damn coffee" she'd say with a glint in her eyes. She worked at La Hacienda in boulder about 10 years ago, then somewhere in Longmont, then at a place at Col 119 & I-25. 

If you kno if she is still abusing customers somewhere please let me kno. My friends and I would love to see her and be abused by her again. 



This post is inspired by Chris Brogan's twitter related blog post I read earlier today.


I will quote the section written by the blog author that has inspired me:

I use Twitter as a communications platform. I don’t use it to microblog. Instead of answering the question “What are you doing?”, I answer the question, “What has your attention?” It’s much more fun to answer. I also reply 75-80% of the time in my stream. (Meaning: if you search http://www.twitter.com/chrisbrogan, you’ll see that most of any page is @ messages.)
Sometimes, I just talk back and forth because that’s a good touchpoint with the folks who want to know me better.
Other times, I promote products, people, services, things that I think are cool. I don’t do it for money. That’s my friend, Ted’s company. I just like promoting good/interesting things. I promote my stuff, too. I do it at about a 12:1 ration (12 them, 1 me).
I use Twitter to learn about other people. I also use it to “look over your shoulder,” if I have to do business with you. Meaning, if I’m going to call Lisa Horner from Citrix Online, I will check out @lisahorner first to see what’s going on, so I know what I’m walking into.
I use Twitter Search before I visit a city, and when I’m in the city, so that I know who’s who in the local scene, and so that I get a sense of WHERE people are hanging out. This kind of info is like mind-reading, and/or it’s a great way to get a leg up on where you’re going from the on-the-ground locals. (try it!)
I ask questions on Twitter all the time. I *love* the human-powered web these days. I don’t ask Google much. I ask Twitter. Why? Because you’re smarter.

Chris. This is how I have developed on Twitter as well!  My main account ( @goldcoastgirl ) is where I am active the most. Where I am "me" to a fault.  Some of my other accounts are less interactive and more focused (less personal yet still has "me" in them in a lesser capacity).

There is a still a part of me that does "micro blog" on Twitter.  Why? Easy! One of my "micro blog" posts might inspire a conversation.  At the same time, my feed is now filled up with answers to the question "What has my attention?"  more than "What am I doing?".

I'm also similar to Chris in that I promote products, people, services, things that I think are cool. Sometimes I do it for ego (vote for me!!!), money and just because I thought others might benefit (it was interesting thus a "non for profit" promotion).

When on Twitter, not only do I learn about other people ... I learn about the world. I usually connect better (more personally) with people on Facebook, in my opinion. Twitter is more global. It is more noisy thus my connections are not as deep. 

Do I ask Twitter questions? Hell yeah!  Here are a few examples today:

what is your opinion about the event being a V8 event now not a V8 and A1GP event? me? NOT A FAN as it is going to (cont) http://tl.gd/mhcq

#HELP Seesmic Desktop vs Tweetdeck ? Which gets your vote and why ?

(still need HELP on that question btw!)

TWEETIE FOR MAC (NOT iPHONE) #HELP !! How do I block people and/or report them for spam not just stop following them ?

(and still need HELP on the above question too!)

In the end, "the human powered web" that Chris talks about is rather awesome and cool. This is why I adore Twitter. This is what I do with Twitter.


Do I still use Google?  Of course!  Just that alongside a search on Google, I'll usually see if one of my tweeps (twitter followers) might be able to be of assistance ?





I am devouring a website I came across a little while ago called Flying Solo. As I am a self employed person in my own solo enterprise as well as working in a micro enterprise I am finding this website wonderful!

I'm posting about one of the videos in particular.

In the video there is a list of "do not" do this and that. Due to my "early childhood training", I learnt that when you speak to a child and you want it to do something.. start with "Do X" not "Don't do X". Example: Walk with the scissors works a lot more successfully with children than "Do not run with the scissors". Serious. I've done this many times in my life and seen the instant results.

None the less, I am going to create a "DO" list to balance the "DO NOT" list in the video:

Start with getting to know the other person. What is their business and interests?  Then introduce yourself and your business.

Be open minded. You never know where your next opportunity or best connections will be born.  For instance, you might find your next big client at the swimming pool where you take your child for swimming lessons. Also, never under-estimate who the person you meet knows in their social circles.

Be "present". Listen. Pay attention to what the person is saying. Be in the "now" with your interaction.


Follow up with the connections you made. Block time out in your day or week for following up, engaging and connecting.


Think long term. Networking is about the bigger picture not the "here and now".  Do not expect instant results.

Chocolate Calculator:




This was sent to me by a friend and yes .. it worked.. and it was fun.  Now I want some chocolate..... HAHAHAHA!






YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH:




Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway-but the Hershey Man will know!

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
 



This is pretty neat.

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute .
Work this out as you read .
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.


1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)



2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
 



3. Add 5
 


4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator



5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 ..
If you haven't, add 1758.
 



6.. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
 


You should have a three digit number



The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).



The next two numbers are
 


YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)



THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2009) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.
 
Chocolate 
Calculator.




I'm slowly but surely going thru the Tony Robbins Get The Edge program.  Those who have access to my personal blog will be able to keep up2date on my journey.  Please feel free to leave a comment, and if I so desire, I will allow you access as well. 


None the less, I came across a blog post by IMM about how Auto Following is basically killing twitter.  It used to be "the thing" to auto follow others on Twitter ... and this isn't the first post of its kind on this subject.  I feel there is a distinct "scaling down" as such happening with Tweeple (people who use Twitter).  


People are now wanting quality not quantity.  


Yes there is software you can install to filter out all crap except the small handful of people you actually want to listen to, but if you’re not going to be reading the other ten thousand people, why bother following them in the first place?  (source)


My best guess is this auto-following came about because ("back in the day when Twitter wasn't mainstream") it was risky to have an account where hundreds/thousands followed you however you didn't follow many back. It wasn't unheard of where those accounts would be deleted by Twitter as the "ratio" of followers and those following was out of whack.


Unless that was a myth and I have it all wrong?


(I do also realise marketers had some influence in the whole "auto follow" belief as well.)


None the less, over the next month or three I'm going to try to focus on quality as well. 


It's going to take awhile as I do have four "personalities" on twitter. 








How many people do you actually really follow on Twitter?  


Will you be scaling back and focusing on quality (following those who you actually DO want to follow)?  

Position Vacant


WANTED:

Quality, reliable, professional females

to be showgirls for

adult private parties !

... South East Queensland ...

$$$ GREAT MONEY $$$



If you're a current showgirl,

we'll give $50 bonus to you

after your successful referral

has done her third show booking ! :-)



This is a serious post. This is NOT a joke.
Yes - we are also looking for professional, quality, reliable males for topless waiter and strip-a-grams.


As part of the 'deal' with using the Craigslist Optimizer - you scan each post to see if there are more or less keywords (or what keywords) to use to input into the Optimizer so you can generate a web page that is tuned into what the poster is seeking.

Well. Here is just one... it made me go .. WTF? Then have a laugh. "Mike".. you fail.

wanted:indian food/cupcake maker (abilene, tx)

Reply to: sale-36psk-1285955995@craigslist.org

If you can make indian food and cupcakes then we need to make a deal. If you cook Indian food and cupcakes one night, let me know, and i will come buy some of it from you. Also it can't be vegetarian. And the cupcakes have to be white funfetti with vanilla icing. Also it has to taste good, if it sucks I'll never come to your house again. Thanks. -Mike


Please forward this note on to others!


If you are an attractive/cute/good looking female (voluptuous women can apply!),
who likes to flirt and do so whilst KEEPING YOUR CLOTHES ON (and making $$)
please contact me for more information about "flirt chat".



Flirt chat is a purely mobile based service: video to video "conversation" on a mobile phone. The company will provide you with a phone + all you have to do is be able to commit to a minimum no. of hours a week !

NO NUDITY IS INVOLVED (due to the M15+ RATING) and there is good potential to earn some great money! Work it around YOUR schedule :-) from home. Be eligible for home based business tax advantages!

If you know of anyone else who would be interested, feel free to have them contact me for more information.

Before you....




Before you speak, listen.
Before you write,
think.
Before you spend,
earn.
Before you invest,
investigate.
Before you criticize,
wait.
Before you pray,
forgive.
Before you quit,
try.
Before you retire,
save.
Before you die, give.

....William A. Ward.

Inspiration


I'm part of a monthly financial education 'club' as such. Every month I receive a CD with a small piece of paper which has something inspirational, motivational or otherwise positive written upon it. I've thrown a lot away due to moving recently however still have a few that I have kept.

I'm going to post the quotes, etc, here for everyone to enjoy:

Every man should be born again on the first day of January, Star witha fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle, or let down one, according to circumstance; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his fae to the front, and take no interest in the thing that were and are past.
Henry Ward Beecher


As Mother Teresa has said
"We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love."


Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson




A couple in their 70s went to a sex therapist's office in Melbourne....

The doc asked, "What can I do for you?"

The old man said "Will you watch us have sex?"

The dog looked puzzled, but agreed.

When the couple finished, the doc said "There's nothing wrong with the way you have sex" and charged them $50.

This happened several weeks in a row.

The couple would make an appointment, have sex with no problems, pay the doc and then leave.

Finally the doc asked, "Just what exactly are you trying to find out?"

Old guy replies, "We're not trying to find out anything. She's married and we can't go to her house. I'm married and we can't go to my house. The holiday inn charges $90. Hilton $170. We do it here for $50 and get $43 back from Medicare. Isn't Australia great or what?"


I'm also a graduate of the "old" DancerWealth system. Thus I am a huge supporter and welcome this updated version which was put together by another graduate. Believe me, this stuff works! It didn't work for me "overnight" as it took me awhile to "get it" but it does work.



Watch the video and become inspired!


It is a bad habit that suck time out of our day instead of making the most of every moment. Procrastination is often the enemy of success. Following is a simple three step plan of action to move past this bad habit.

1) WHEN
Admit when you are procrastinating. Knowing when you are doing it will help you figure out why you are doing it.

2) WHY
There are two common reasons why we don't want to do a particular task. it is a disagreeable task or the task is simple too overwhelming. Knowing which reason will aid in determining your course of action.

3) WHAT
If you find a task disagreeable, but it simple must be done, determine a reward for when it's done such as a couple of biscuits with your coffee or a half hour magazine break. The reward can be as elaborate or as simple as you like as long as it motivates you to address the task at hand.

If you find the task overwhelming, break the task down into smaller tasks, say ten tasks and address each smaller task individually.

Remember what John Wanamaker said
ONE MAY WALK OVER THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN ONE STEP AT A TIME



I do not take credit for the above. It's something that is on my wardrobe as I have a HUGE problem with procrastination.




We have all heard the saying “Time heals all wounds.” But, that is little solace for
the person experiencing the pain of the wound RIGHT NOW.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to “fast forward” past the pain? Just press a
button and speed up time to a point where we feel more balanced and rational.

While I don’t have a magical button for you to press, I do have The Fast Forward
Technique.

The Fast Forward Technique has many uses, but one of the best is for getting over
the pain of loss. If you commit to performing this three times a day at least, you will be
amazed.

STEP 1: Feel whatever it is you are feeling and notice how and where you feel it. For
example many people feel emotional hurt in their chest or heart (that is why it is called
heart break). But, that may or may not be true for you. Now just focus on your feeling
and ask yourself silently or aloud the following:

Can I allow this feeling?

Or…

Can I welcome this feeling?

And then answer. It doesn’t matter if it is a Yes or No.

STEP 2: Ask “Could I let this feeling go?” Again, a Yes or No is
acceptable.

STEP 3 Ask “Would I let this feeling go?”

STEP 4 Ask “When?”

STEP 5 Now examine the feeling again. Does it feel different? Did you feel a shift? The
shift is different for everyone, but is a sign of small healing. You want to feel how your
feeling has changed and repeat steps 1 thru 5.

The Fast Forward Technique should not be a struggle. In fact, it will usually feel quite
warm and soothing.

You will want to do 2 or 3 sessions a day. One session may be 5 or 6 repetitions or more
through the 5 steps.

Also, let me let you in on a little secret. I have used The Fast Forward Technique for
many things including managing my feelings about:

 Quitting smoking
 Dealing with “snack attacks”
 Writers Block
 Getting over my father’s death
 Sticking with my workout program
 Major arguments with my wife

The Fast Forward Technique and I are old friends and I hope that by introducing you to
each other, you will reap a lifetime of benefits as well.

Optimist Creed



Promise Yourself -
  • To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
  • To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
  • To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
  • To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
  • To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.
  • To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
  • To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
  • To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
  • To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
  • To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble




I know this is impossible to do all the time. I know I'm having a hard time doing the above right now however I thought it might be worthwhile for someone out there. I know it is reminding me.

Every so often I will dedicate an hour or two to go through all my "[Name] is now following you" emails I receive from Twitter. Whilst I do not care if you follow me, I am actually quite picky as to whom I will choose to follow back. Here are some of the reasons I have decided to follow you:

1. You are over 18
When I went to check in on the twitter web profile of someone following me, I got the surprise it was a 13 year old girl! Hell no! My @goldcoastgirl twitter account is for adults only and is not even SFW (Safe For Work) at times. If you are under 18, please do not follow me on Twitter and do not expect me to follow back. Actually, you'll probably get a @reply from me asking you to stop following me til you are "of age". Please feel free to follow @gcpets instead as it is VERY Safe For Work and All Ages.

2. You have a nice mixture of links, 1-on-1 conversations and content
When I look at your twitter web profile, if all I see is @replies or links and nothing about you/your life then bye bye! Only very rarely will I follow a twitter user who is all links or all @replies. Very rarely. I do actually want to know what you are doing, thinking, what has your attention, etc. I do want to get to know you !

3. We have shared interests
I will follow back those who are into personal development, business development, entreprenurship, SEO, web page design/maintenance, animals, affliate marketing, parenting (in other words, if you are a parent or step parent I will follow back) ..... this list of what I find "interesting" (thus have an interest in) is always expanding and changing as my interests expand/change.

4. You are located in Brisbane or Gold Coast
I'm a big supporter of networking within my "community" which for me is Brisbane - Gold Coast. If you are located Gold Coast, I'm guaranteed to follow you back irregardless of whether we do actually have anything more than just being a Gold Coaster in common. After being part of the Brisbane Twestival, I believe in this more than ever now.

5. I know from somewhere else on the Internet
I know you from elsewhere on the internet: facebook, myspace, various forums and websites or I know one of your friends and thought you were interesting enough to follow as well. Or even better, I actually know YOU and have met YOU in real life.


For now, this is what it takes for me to follow you back on Twitter.

Click on my "title" to be taken to the article that prompted my blog post.

How do you feel about this new development with YouTube?

My Reply... Go for it YouTube! As long as I can still view videos without incurring any fees I am fine with you charging to download the actual videos. I'm even ok with advertisements in the videos as I've been on the internet a loooooooooong time now and pretty much feel advertisements are "part" of the internet experience.

These tricks really work! After I tried this, my surfing speed increased dramatically!

Oh, when you type in about:config, it will warn you about voiding warranty. This is a programmer joke. Firefox is freeware, and there is no warranty!


Firefox users take note: You need to do this. Now. As in, this instant. More savvy users are probably already familiar with editing Firefox’s configuration file but whether you’re a computer rookie or a seasoned veteran, Gnoted has issued a handful of tweaks that really get Firefox cooking. As much as we all love the fox, it can get a bit slow on occasion - especially if you’re like us and have 35 open tabs spread across four windows at any given time. By tweaking the way Firefox handles some caching functions, you can dramatically improve page load speed and even prevent Firefox from hogging your system resources while minimized. If you don’t currently have any experience playing with your configuration file, don’t be scared. Just follow the simple instructions, take your time and if you want a security blanket to squeeze, jot down each setting before you change it so you can always restore the default configuration if need be. So without further ado, hit the jump and get tweaking - just remember to restart Firefox when you’re done.

Reduce the amount of RAM Firefox uses for its cache feature
1. Type “about:config” (no quotes) in the adress bar in the browser.
2. Find “browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewer”
3. Set it’s value to “0“;(Zero)


Increase the Speed at Which Firefox loads pages
1. Type “about:config” into the address bar and hit Enter.
(Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.)

2. Alter the entries as follows:
Set “network.http.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.proxy.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.pipelining.maxrequests” to some number like 10.

This means it will make 10 requests at once.

3. Lastly, right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it “nglayout.initialpaint.delay” and set its value to “0“;.(Zero)

This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives. If you’re using a broadband connection you’ll load pages faster now.
Optionally (for even faster web browsing) here are some more options for your about:config (you might have to create some of these entries by Right Click –> New– > Interger or String

network.dns.disableIPv6: set “false”
“content.notify.backoffcount”: set “5“; (Five)
“plugin.expose_full_path”: set “true”.
“ui.submenuDelay”: set “0; (zero)


Reduce RAM usage to 10MB when Firefox is minimized:

This little hack will drop Firefox’s RAM usage down to 10 Mb when minimized:

1. Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then press Enter.
2. Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean.
3. In the box that pops up enter “config.trim_on_minimize”. Press Enter.
4. Now select True and then press Enter.
5. Restart Firefox.

The Zhetarn Project

Yesterday I finally got the inspiration to do something with my "Zhetarn" page:


At first I was going to go with a blog.. then decided.. no.. I wanted it to be more of a sales page.. now the next morning I've given it more thought and have decided to make it strictly a sales page with access to me elsewhere on the internet.

Tho' I do plan to update the top portion of it with whatever I find inspiring for that day.

I'll make this my blog where I speak about my journey (highs and lows) as a solo-entrepreneur aka "solo-preneur" as well as other randomness.

So this is blog is now 1/3 personal, 1/3 entertainment (aka "randomness") and 1/3 anything to do with being your own boss (especially the role and use of social media in business).

Right now it is personal.

I am also asking publicly for your opinions on the webpage (not website just webpage) as I continue to tweak and improve it.

"Snowboarding" Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service:
Winter sport that evolved from skateboarding and surfing. Three main styles of competition exist: Alpine, Freestyle, and Boardercross. Developed in the 1960s, Snowboarding was believed to have originated in the United States, where several inventors explored the idea of surfing on the snow. The sport, however, quickly evolved, and the early, rudimentary Snowboards gave way…

It's highly unlikely that there's someone who has never seen nor heard of Snowboarding. But if you really have no idea what Snowboarding is, just imagine it as surfing or skateboarding - only on snow. Snowboarding is a relatively new winter sport wherein you ride an epoxy-fiberglass board (resembling a large skateboard) with your feet strapped on it, and manipulate gravity to go down a ski slope or a specially constructed pipe. The principle of Snowboarding is to maintain your balance as you surf down a ski slope with both feet securely attached to the Snowboard via high-back or non - release plate bindings.

In Skiing, skiers shift their weight from one Ski to the other. In Snowboarding, riders shift their weight from heels (heelside) to toes as well as from one end of the board to the other. To stop the board's motion, they push their heels or toes down hard to dig the edge of the Snowboard into the snow. Although most people compare Snowboarding to Skiing, Snowboarding Techniques are closer to skateboarding and surfing than to Skiing.


Read more @ http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/whatissnowboarding.asp

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how_to/4288304.html

Q: My laptop gets very hot when I use it for any length of time. Is there any danger of the heat damaging my computer?

A: Not really. Most laptops are built to regularly withstand temperatures of at least 95 degrees for years without any issues. And if the temperature does begin to approach a danger area, most modern laptops give you a warning or automatically shut off before any damage can be done.

Still, a hot lap is pretty uncomfortable and may even cause fertility problems for men. A study by the State University of New York at Stony Brook suggests that laptop-generated heat can raise the temperature of sensitive body parts so much that it could lower a man’s sperm count. And it can be pretty aggravating to have your computer shut off while you’re working, so it’s certainly worth it to keep your computer cool.

Laptop fans typically vent out the back, side or bottom of the computer, so try to keep those areas clear of obstruction. And working on a surface that dissipates heat, such as a marble countertop, keeps your machine cooler than working on something like a down comforter, which is also more likely to block computer vents.

You can also buy a laptop pad or stand, such as those made by Belkin and Antec. Not only do they protect your thighs and raise the computer above your work surface, which gives the heat a better chance to escape from the computer’s base, but they also often have extra fans built in.





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