That Blozzz

I just purchased my Wii game system. I was annoyed that before Christmas people could not get them in the store because they were in such short supply. However, the day after Christmas every store we went into , they were stocking the shelves with them. Here is my review of the Wii.

 This is the first game system that I ever played that is literally made for the entire family. this system is not just for video game players. My 79 year old mother even played it with my wife and I. It is very interactive for all age groups.

The Wii is reasonably priced at $250. It comes with five games; bowling, baseball, boxing, tennis, and golf. It comes with one remote control and a nunchuck controller as well. The box does not tell you that you need to have two of each types of controller in order to use the boxing game against each other. We figured you had to have two remote controllers, but did not know you needed the nunchucks as well. We are not able to play boxing together until we return to the store to buy another nunchuck.

You can purchase a variety of games from $19.99-$99.99 and some will require other attachments to play. There are so many extras that you will be lucky to leave the store for less than $600. We purchased an extra controller which cost $39.95 by itself or $49.95 if you get it with an extra set of little games. We went to Game Stop and purchased some used games. We also purchased some new games and ended up spending over $600 the first day.

If you have the money, this is a great system and can be a great group activity for your family and friends. Some of the games can play up to 8 players. You can also create your own Wii person that will be you in every game that you play.  There are also additional features that can be used on the Internet if you have a broadband or high speed connection which makes those features useless for us.

The remotes are interactive which make you feel as though you are really a part of the game. From throwing the ball to shooting a gun, the action is realistic and engaging.

Overall, I would rate the Wii as the best game system I have ever played.

    Pros:  Interactive, Simulation makes you feel like you are really a part of the game.

Sports games come free with the basic unit.

Price is reasonable compared to X-box and PS3

Fun for all age groups

Cons: Add-ons are very pricey

Internet features available for high speed only

Too many different controllers needed for the different games

 **Stay tuned for further Wii game reviews.

As always if life deals you a pile of manure, say “That Blozzz” and get on with your life.

Many debate rather Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy. For me it has some truth in what it offers so I admire the message that is offered.

 The core belief of Buddhism is the four noble truths:

1. All life is suffering

2. Suffering is caused by desire

3. Remove the desire and remove the suffering

4. Follow the eight fold path

The first means that a human life is full of suffering. We suffer the loss of love ones, we suffer when we experience poor health and sickness. We suffer a loss of love or a loss when we lose our worldly processions. We get depressed when we lose something we feel we can not live without. In the final suffering, we die.

The second one points out that all of the suffering is brought on because of of our own desires for happiness. We desire after both physical and mental happiness. “If I only get that new car, I will be happy.” The car does not provide the happiness you desired so you move on to the next thing or person to make you happy. The car will wear out and rust and it will not last forever. Attaching your happiness to such a thing means you are setting yourself up for more suffering. The same applies to sex, if you just need that sex to make you happy, it will not fulfill your need. The more you desire and get, the more you need.

The third states that if you remove the desire, you will remove the suffering.  If you quite relying on other things to make you happy, you will lose the desire for those things and you will lose the hold they have on you. From releasing this desire you can be enlightened and achieve a state of Nirvana. This is a state of release and freedom. There will be no more fear, worry, troubles and you are in a true state of happiness.  It also means you yourself are released from the world and it releases you from the chains of rebirth or reincarnation.

The fourth noble truth is a way of life that we all should strive for (Buddhist or not). It is the eight fold path:

1. Right view

2. Right Intention  

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

Basically, live your life the right way and watch at all time what you say and do.

Does this mean you can not enjoy pleasures we all know? No it mans that we should let them control us. Your happiness is inside you and not wrapped up in your desires. You can enjoy all of life both the good and bad without letting it effect your happiness.

We can learn a lot from what Buddhism has to say rather it is a religion or a philosophy.

The key is to respect others no matter what their belief is. If other treat you bad, say That Blozzz and move on for your happiness is not wrapped up in their opinion.  

There is often a lot of confusion about how important Page Rank (PR) is to a website or blog. There are people asking about Google PR updates all the time. Hopefully this will clear up some of the confusion.

PR is a way Google rates a site page based mostly on the amount of back links a site has pointing toward their site. The better the link (more PR), the more juice it will pass on in terms of PR to your site. It looks good to have a high PR but it does nothing for traffic unless the links are from a site with a related niche (topic). However, PR is great if you are selling links for others to build their PR.

To have a successful site or blog, the key is to have traffic. Not just any traffic. You want quality traffic of people who are interested in what you have to say or interested in your niche. This why it is important when looking for links, you try to focus on traffic more than PR.

To get traffic, find other sites that are related to your niche and those are where you want to place your link back to your site. These can include forums, websites, blogs, and directories. Other ways are article writing about your site, press releases, and advertising in local newspapers. Anywhere you find a person interested in your niche is a good place to advertise.

You can also use many of the sites like digg, Stumble Upon, Facebook, MySpace, and other social media markets to promote your site. However, use caution so your advertising does not end up looking or being spam. Also, many of these sites produce traffic for your site but not good traffic. It is up to you to offer something to keep the people there when they come.

The key to do this is to offer original quality content that will keep them reading and coming back. Most people will not return if they see the same thing they can find everywhere else. Spice it up and be original.

Build and they will come but not if you fail to,let them know where you are. So when building back links, worry about quality over quantity and focus on building traffic not PR.

There are many sites on the Internet so make yours the best it can be. If it all looks bleak, say “That Blozzz” and don’t give up.

Good luck and check back for more webmaster related posts.

I have a wife who loves me

I have family who cares

I have friends who I see everywhere

I have gidgets and gadgets of many different sorts

I have pleasure of life that can’t be ignored

I have a roof over my head that doesn’t leak when it rains

I have people who care when I am in pain

I have plenty to eat as you can see by my frame

But I live in a country so full with its shame

There are people who have nothing to eat

There are so much sorrow that fills many of our streets

Santa comes for many while others he ignores

There are children who never see the pleasures that I feel in plenty

So I ask from my heart to anyone who will listen

Pass the gift on to others and make their hearts glisten

Often times people have nothing better to do than pass judgment on others with regards to religious beliefs. I am often asked what church I attend or what my beliefs are and I will lay it all out right here.

I am an Agnostic, which means in simple language, I believe there is a chance of a higher being but I am not convinced of one and that no one can know the truth either way. This does not mean I am against anyone’s God or Goddess. I do not deny the existence of a God. This is an Atheist.

If you were to study all major religions in the history of the world (I have), you will see that each one has something to offer the world. They also make sure to contradict most other religions. This is to insure their belief that they are the only right path to salvation or the light. It is the I am better than you mentality.

For thousands of years there have been religion and as people evolved or regressed, depending how you look at it, the course of religion has changed. At one point, women were the focus point of worship and the Goddess was a symbol of life itself. As newer religions emerged, men took center stage and the religions took a more paternal look. In this path, women were suppressed and made inferior to men. Now in the modern world, many people are turning to a more dim look at faith and many scandals have caused people to look at other ways to place their faith.

Religion has also played a major role in much of the violence the world has to offer. From the earliest religions, violence in one form or another have played a part on religion. In early times, human sacrifice played a key role. In later times, it was the violence of wars to eliminate the non-believers that took center roles in the religious world.

What many call a religion of love and hope, to others it is a religion of suppression, hate, and despair. From the ashes of ruin, we see those who still cling to the falsehood that they are superior to their fellow man because they have their God or Gods.

I have studied as many world religions that I could find information about. I respect some and have disdain for others. All seem to share the premise that you are to harm none but then they distract from that when they speak of the enemies of their religion. I am not writing off the possibility of a higher being or beings but I am also not saying I believe there is a way to know for sure.  

I do believe that whatever your belief, you have the right to that and to not be attacked for what you believe. I do not believe in the my God is better than you God. Religion is solely based on faith and to say that one is right and the other wrong conflicts with the core base of most religions.

Because one says they are Wiccan, it does not mean they will eat your children or kill a chicken. For this reason, it is wrong to attack such a person for their belief. Just like all Muslims are not terrorist. In fact, against common thought, they share the same God with Christians, there difference comes in the fact that they believe that Jesus was a prophet not the son of God. They also do not, contrary to what a lot of preachers claim, think that Mohammad is a God, he is, in their belief, the most prized prophet of God.

My point of this is to point out that I as well as you and everyone else should be able to believe what we want without others judging us or condemning us for those beliefs.

I am an Agnostic…not an Atheist!

I love to write,. Recently as you read in earlier posts, I have more time to do so. I do all sorts of things to earn money with my writing. Here are just a few ideas to earn as you write.

One way is to help new forum owners build on there forum. There are people willing to pay you to post on their forum to fill it up. They need members to attract members and this is the best way to do it. The rate they pay can be as low as $.02 a post but the common rate is more like $.20 a post. It is not great money but if you love to write, it can earn you some extra cash.

Another way is to write articles. If you are lucky, you can get a gig with a magazine and earn some decent money. The most common on the Internet is to write for websites. They often need new content to add to their sites. If you are good and put out quality work, you can build a nice income from  this a lone. The rate for this varies from $.01 a word up to a $1.00 a word for more qualified writer. The average rate is around $.07 a word.

The third way is to join sites that pay you to write. There are many Online that have good payouts. One such site is Gather.com. With them you can build connections and join groups and post whatever you desire. You will not get rich but there are many people earning $200 plus a month. The key is to have lots of connections and spend a couple of hours a day on the site.

There are more sites that offer pay to post type and there are sites that buys articles from you like associatedcontent.com.

If you love to write and have the time to do so, there is no reason why you could not make some extra money every day from what you love to do.

If you of any other good sites, please leave a comment with your recommendation.

I am a little boy of 8 and my family is very poor. My mom is sick and my daddy has lost his job. Often we have some great meals of soup or beans and on lucky nights we have a hot dog.

My parents are proud and did not want to ask but our neighbor put my brother and me on the Angel Tree. When my mom found out she started to cry and was so thankful for the gift we will receive. My brother who is four and has nothing but hand me downs was excited that he might get a new toy. For me, the joy is gone because I fear what will come next. Don’t get me wrong I am grateful for the help and the pleasure my brother will feel.

The problems come when the gifts are opened and the charity is done and everyone goes back to their lives. You see while we eat a good meal at the local church on Thanksgiving and Christmas day, I always wonder what we will eat when the holidays go away.

My daddy lost his job right after my mommy got sick. He spent what we had on medicine for my mom and now we have almost nothing. He applied for some jobs but employment is scarce and he just can’t find a job. He does what he can with his odd jobs but that only barely pays the rent. I am not complaining because I know that he is doing his best. I do not mind the holes in my shoes even though the other kids laugh. I don’t mind wearing the same winter coat that the neighbor boy once had. I don’t even mind that often I am hungry because I know my daddy really tries.

My fear for me and my family as a whole is what will happen when the holidays are over and everyone forgets. Please can someone tell me what do I do?

I hope you read my last post with a picture of my rooster. The title was a joke but I guess some people can not laugh or have a sense of humor. I have a live feed going to a forum called Digital Point that I am quite an active member. I was banned for the title of my post “Wanna see my cock.”

However,  I am sure by the content that is often allowed on the forum that the issue is much deeper than my post. It is a way for certain moderators to flex their muscles because I have asked a few too many questions about the rules of the forum. 

Up until recently, I enjoyed the forum and is a great wealth of information for webmasters. However, it is becoming a haven for scammers and  the regular honest members are getting silly little infraction while the forum is being overrun by people doing currency exchanges.

I have spoke out several times and requested answers on trying to figure out the rules of the forum. They seem to change everyday. I think the owner, Shawn, should get the moderators on the same page.

I plan to return after the day long ban but I think many of the members share my disdain on the direction the forum as a whole is going.

Shawn, if you read this, I hope you will attempt to return the forum to the way it was when all of the reliable long-time members joined.

This was the reason given for my ban

“You have been banned for the following reason:
Temp ban for one day. When you come back remove your cock from member’s faces.

Date the ban will be lifted: Dec 13th 2007, 7:00 pm

Ok, if you were mislead by the title and thought you were coming here for another reason, you should be ashamed!

click on the picture for full view

I just wanted to post the king of the chicken coop. Here is a picture of my rooster “Melvin”. He lives a dream life of having 7 ladies to do his bidding.

He was born in the spring and was friendly as can be when I got him in July but now I can not trust him. Me and him have a good understanding though. If he behaves, I will not play baseball with him and a 2×4 board.

Enjoy the picture and when you step in dog poop, just say “That Blozzz” and move on.

Buying a home is a big decision that takes time and research. Jumping in to home buying without doing your homework is like jumping from a plane with no parachute.

First thing you want to do is find a good reputable bank. This should be the bank you do your banking with or at least a local bank if possible. Avoid places like Beneficial and Countrywide Loans for you will pay more than you need to and they will add little fine print that has you hooked. They pray on the poor creditors and the less educated people and give you the best loan possible (For them). Even with local banks be sure to shop around, all banks are not equal and many offer no closing cost, free appraisals and more. Just make sure you know what you are getting and what the loan will cost before you sign.

Once you find the right bank, get pre-approved for a mortgage. Most banks will give you a pre-approval amount before you look for a house. This is important because you will have a better idea of what you can afford and it will save the embarrassment later of being turned down for a higher amount.

Once you know you have the loan approved, it is time to start looking for the home. Be practical in what you need. Do you really need a $100,000 house if a $60,000 house will satisfy your needs? It is easier to start smaller and step up later than to buy bigger now and not be able to afford the payments. Many smart home owners started in a small house and as it appreciated in value, they sold and bought something bigger. This is the smart way to go and can save you thousands later in life.

When you find the home you want, do not jump at the first advertised price. Have a home inspection done, and than negotiate the best price you can get. Real estate agents work for their client. If you have no skills at negotiating, hire your own agent to act on your behalf. The fee you pay them could save you much more money in the deal they will get you.

If you decide to negotiate on your own, ask questions and stay informed. Often times just having a conversation on a personal level with the real estate agent can land you valuable information which you could use. For example, when I purchased my first piece of real estate, I saved $9,000 off the price because I chatted with the agent and it came out that the buyer was desperate to sell and needed the money fast. I use to be in sales and I used the number one tip for a salesman, make the person your friend and they will buy anything from you. That agent really liked me and let her guard down a bit, I used that to extract the information I needed.

Once you find the home and the deal you can live with, get all other ducks in a row. Make sure you read everything prior to signing. Also get everything in writing. If the seller says they will pay for the house to be painted, ask for it in writing. Once they have your money, oral agreements are hard to prove so make sure you have it all in writing.

One big point about the home appraisal, banks often hire appraisers who will get the value of the loan even if the home is not quite worth it. Make sure you have a good idea what the home is really worth. This is where you should do some research. Check into what homes are selling for in that area and take in account any huge jumps in recent times. Markets rise and fall quickly. I live near a huge military base which expanded in the last two years due to the Iraq war. Homes have jumped through the roof. A $40,000 home just two years ago is now selling for more than $100,000. I know the market here will fall again. This keeps me from buying right now and brings me to my next point.

You need to follow the trend of real estate. Do not buy when it is a sellers market. You will be paying for the premium that will settle down in a few years. Real estate sales are cyclic and what goes up will always come down. They may not match pre-spiked times but they will go down if something artificially inflated the prices. Watch for these signs before buying.

This is only a tip of the iceberg in home buyer but it offers some advice from someone who has made some major mistakes when buying real estate.

I will be adding more about buying homes in the near future. Until then, remember you can’t cry over split milk, just say “That Blozzz” and move on.