>>Photo, Web & Success Solutions<<

How to Blog 'Posts' as a 'Blogger' Author

2008-11-26T12:04:00.009-05:00

I am here to give you the quick and easy way to write your own website. Get ready for about 30 - 40 minutes of learning which you will help you, your business and your website become a greater resource for your own self, your friends and your customers!

Each of my directions will come with a sample image for you to follow along, and of course I am always there if you need help while in the process so feel free to contact me anytime for help!

The first step is to learn how to blog 'posts' to your website. This is easy. After you have accepted the invitation to blog on your new website from Google's Blogger, log yourself into the online software.

Click images to open larger.

You should automatically be brought to your dashboard, and if you have several blogs like me you will see a listing for all of them. Click on the link for 'New Post' and we will get on to the next step.

Now you should see the post form. Just fill out what you want to say ie: the title for the post, and the body of text. You can also add photos here with the correct html tags (more on html image tags in a minute).

When posting images, it is of UTMOST importance to get the code for the images correct, or your entire post will at the least not show the image and at the worst mess up your entire page! So, when you copy the code from flickr (or wherever), make sure you get all-of-it. The code is in a 'Share This' drop-down menu on the top right, the code is in a drop-down link called 'Embed it'.

Once you have written everything you want to say and added any picture links you like, then it is time to post your hard work! Hit the "Publish" button and give it a minute to work...

You might see this page, just please be patient. Worst case scenario, you will have to log out of blogger and then log back in later to publish when it is not so busy.. sometimes blogger gets a headache..

OK, now you should eventually see this page which mean your page has published to your website. You should now go check to make sure it looks right.

Viola! You should see a brand new post like this!

If it doesn't look right, check back to your blogger page and click to 'Edit Posts'; See if you can find the code error; it is most likely to be in the html for the image. Try copying the code again and then republishing.

If you still can't get it, contact me anytime...Good Luck!

Success through Self-Interest - The Ultimate WIN-WIN Situation

2008-08-01T15:31:00.001-04:00

If your imagination leads you to understand how quickly people grant your requests when those requests appeal to their self-interest, you can have practically anything you go after. - Napoleon Hill

Website Optimization Tools

2008-07-14T10:44:00.002-04:00

Web Page Analyzer - Free web page analysis tool calculates page size, composition, and download time. Gives speed recommendations based on best practices for usability, HCI, and website optimization.

Great!

Best. Image. Watermark. Software. Ever.

2008-07-05T11:10:00.003-04:00

In the never-ending battle to attach my name to ever image I publish, I have tested many softwares and conclude that Atalsoft's "EyeBatch" is the best you can get for the price - maybe even the best you can get for any price..

Got Photoshop?

2008-06-17T05:36:00.000-04:00

Ok.. I couldn't resist. I've never used it.. and 'got milk?' is SO abused... please forgive me. I could no longer resist the temptation.

This link from PhotoshopSupport.com provided me with (way more than) the 39 files that I downloaded. My favorite? graphics-illustrations.com; you have to register for the freebies there but worth the wait.

How to Block Email Spam through 5 Awesome Links and a Multitude of Obstruficating Techniques

2008-06-11T05:28:00.001-04:00

I always like to be testing something... Here is a link to a test email address : E-Mail Address - if YOU send me mail at this link, I will think you are a spam bot! Please use my contact form on the left or my regular address also listed there if you'd really like to chat. Or try my real chat! - Just in case any were looking, here is a nice delicious honeypot: *heehee*

I've had many discussions with people at various webmaster websites about all of this:

CSS Creator Thread: 6566
SiteExperts Thread: 18758
SiteExperts Thread: 15772
and
SiteExperts Thread: 15697

..and if you'd like to see the completed ~~white~~ pink paper I wrote on the subject, check here:

stopspam-smelltheroses.com

Of course there are many other resources out there.. I'd love to hear from you! You can place comments on the permanent link page here.

Flickr Fun

2008-06-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

I love to find creative minds on the web. The flickrleech website app is a great example. Enjoy!

ARTISTS GET MAD! & Speak Out Against the 2008 Orphan Act!

2008-05-12T16:24:00.006-04:00

Image via WikipediaGrowing up on MAD Magazine is something I am very proud of, so when I read that Tom Richmond, artist from Mad, spoke out against the current terms of the 2008 Orphan Works Act, I knew something was amiss!

Read a bit here: Tom Richmond on the latest Orphan Act from 'The Daily Cartoonist' and then look to Tom Richmond's blog for more.

Use your voice to oppose this legislation, because your voice has power too! Together we can make a difference. Contact your Senators and Congressman right now. I did.

Six Laws for Cafe Geeks

2008-04-18T09:28:00.008-04:00

From Geekpreneur, here are the "Rules for Working in Cafe's".

1. Find the Right Cafe

Cafes work when they have the right atmosphere, and even though every Starbucks might look the same, each outlet has a unique feel. It's important to find a branch that matches the style of your work. There's a difference, for example, between a cafe near a college filled with students leafing through books, and a coffee bar in an office building packed with lawyers writing briefs or executives holding informal meetings. The latter always makes your own work feel more serious. And despite the convenience, Starbucks is best for the times when the Web is a distraction. Unless you can hop onto a neighbor's line, you'll have to pay for the connection.

2. No Chatting

One of the benefits of leaving the house to do some work is that you'll see other regulars and maybe even exchange a few words with them. But one of the first things you discover when you work for yourself is just how much time employees waste when their hours aren't their own. That's a trap that cafe nomads want to avoid. A nod 'good morning' is fine. A quick exchange of pleasantries is polite and interesting. But a long conversation about last night's telly is employee-talk. When you're your own boss, it's a no-no.

3. Keep your Privacy

When you sit in the same place every day, there's a danger that it can feel like home. It isn't. Even though peeking at other people's screens is considered bad form, we all do it. A cafe then isn't the place to check your bank account online, log in to Paypal or pull up confidential information. Some work is best done on your sofa.

4. Watch the Bandwidth

For the most part, the sort of Internet connection you can find in a cafe will let you do anything you want, even while dozens of other people are also checking the Web and downloading emails. But if you're planning to upload your latest feature film to a video site or swap files that weight more than an elephant with a high body mass index then you might want to wait until you get home — especially if you're using the connection in the office building next door. If what you do makes it hard for others to do what they want to do, then that's something best not done in public.

5. Order Regularly or Head Back to the Road

If modern nomadism has a downside, it's the price. A daily brew might not be as expensive as office rental but it has to be paid and it has to be ordered regularly. On the whole, a cup every couple of hours is a fair rate, although you might be able to string it out longer if the place is empty and your presence makes the cafe look more inviting. For really crowded times though, hogging a seat for half a day and leaving a couple of bucks won't win you friends among the workers. It's why Starbucks don't provide free Internet. But watch the gold outflow (when you're doing this daily, those coffees add up) and the caffeine intake too. The jitters aren't great for productivity and leaving your laptop on the table while you run to the bathroom is just bad for your nerves.

6. Tip Well

The best way to be sure of a warm welcome is to tip generously. You want people to be happy to see you. In a cafe, that means paying them. A good tip won't just win you a nice smile though. It also means you won't be bothered if you stick around just a little longer than a couple of hours. It means no one will mind when you ask them to turn down the music or lower the blinds. And best of all, you'll always get your coffee exactly the way you want it.

Outwitted/OutTwitted

2008-04-14T13:20:00.002-04:00

Yeh.. I found more twitter resources. I've been outtwitted for sure ;-)

5 Enterprising Reasons to Twitter

2008-04-10T11:29:00.007-04:00

If you were like me and thought, "GAH..twitter?" - Let me introduce you to one of the best tools on the web.. Now if only everyone would twit.. *heh* ..we'd all be able to talk real-time and effectively get messages through when our contacts communication channels are at a premium.

Rather than re-blog what I've been reading, I'll let you head over to some of the sites I've been googleing which have a great amount of helpful information:

Break Into Twitter with This Toolbox

2008-04-08T10:37:00.011-04:00

twhirl. This is the most popular desktop client for twitter on the web. A great tool for catching up with what other people are twittering. Particularly useful when replying to twits.
TwitterFeed. Pulls your latest post url's from your blog's feed and posts them on your twitter account alongside their title.
LoudTwitter. The bridge that posts to your blog your daily tweets in one single digest. A clear example can be found at Jeremy Wright's blog.
Twitter Badge. The official javascript codes and widgets that display badges showing what you are posting on Twitter.
Tweetscan. A great search engine for twitter, that you can use to see what people are twitting about you, your blog, brand, company, product etc.
RSS to Twitter. A excellent PHP script that feeds RSS to twitter.

This list adapted from : The Lost Art of Blogging

Triqqr - Submit tweets directly to Twitter and view user profiles.

Pwytter - Cross platform Python Twitter client with Asian character support.

Teletwitter - Experimental open source client.

TwitBox - View and submit tweets, see replies and direct messages, delete your own tweets, and multiple account support.

Twitterlicious - Update Twitter status, easily check replies and direct messages.

Twitteroo - Client with URL shortening, clickable links and tweets, customization, and both public and friend timelines.

Chirrup - Twitter client with extensive Japanese language support.

TwittIt - Extremely compact and simple app for submitting tweets.

MadTwitter - A reincarnation of Twitterrific, except on Windows.

Twitter CLI - Post tweets via the command line.

What’s Up? - Gadget that allows you to see latest tweets from your friends.

Twadget - Simple gadget that lets you view and submit tweets right from Vista's Sidebar.

KipFolio Widget - Simple Twitter widget for KipFolio.

Twitter-Sync for Yahoo - Syncs Twitter status with Yahoo Messenger status.

TwitterYM - Simple Yahoo Messenger status updater.

Twessenger - Updates Live Messenger status to reflect latest tweet.

Twit4Live - Set status message as latest tweet, send tweets from within Live Messenger, and send tweets to contacts.

Apps, Widgets and Plugins - Mac

Twitterrific - A compact client that publishes tweets, shows unread tweets, has easy access to profile pages, shows either public or friend timeline, and more.

TwitterPost - Basic client that submits tweets, shows your current iTunes track in your feed, and more.

Twitgit - Read your friend's tweets and submit your own, right in Dashboard.

TweetAhead - Schedule tweets to be posted ahead of time with a simple Dashboard widget.

Twitterlex - Dashboard widget that shows your friend's latest tweets as well as allows you to submit tweets.

Twidget - Update your Twitter status within Dashboard.

TikiTwit - Match your iChat status to your last tweet.

Apps, Widgets and Plugins - Linux

BLT - Perl script that lets you see what your friends are doing right from the Terminal.

Twitter for Vim - Publish tweets right within Vim.

ZenTwitter - A GUI frontend for Twitter using zenity and curl.

Twitux - Twitter client for the GNOME desktop.

gTwitter - GTK+ based app inspired by Twitterrific.

Twitter.el - Publish tweets while in Emacs.

Twitbar - Post tweets from the GNOME deskbar.

Twit.el - Another utility that allows publishing of tweets within Emacs.

Cross-platform Apps, Widgets and Plugins

Tweetr - Submit tweets, upload files, urltea built in, delete messages.

Spaz - Cross-platform client built with AIR.

Tweeter - Java based client with customizable UI.

Twinja - AIR based client which allows you to follow users on the fly.

Search

Twitterverse - Search through archived public timelines and tweets.

Twittersearch - Search Twitter and tweets by word.

Terraminds - Search for specific users or tweets.

TwitDir - Allows user to search for users by name, location, or username.

Browser Plugins

TwitBin - Send and view tweets right within Firefox.

TwittyTunes - A FoxyTunes add-on that posts what you're currently listening to Twitter.

Shareaholic - Share links and webpages via Twitter right within Firefox.

Search Plugin - Tweet right from the Firefox search box.

Tweetbar - Put Twitter on your Firefox sidebar.

Twippera - Twitter widget for Opera that can send and view tweets.

TwitterFox - Compact Firefox extension that can publish and view tweets.

Mobile

iTweet - A mobile Twitter site designed for the iPhone.

iTwit - Mobile version of Twitter made for the iPhone.

Tweeter - Twitter on your mobile phone while avoiding text message charges.

Jargong - Browse Flickr, do some social networking, but most importantly, check and publish tweets.

WildSets - Extensive Twitter app for mobile phones.

TwitterBerry - Twitter built for various BlackBerry devices. Update and view timelines with ease.

jTwitter - View timelines, enter updates, and more, all on your mobile phone.

TreoTwit - Easily check and update your Twitter right from your Treo.

Random/Other

Twittervision - See where in the world people are submitting tweets from, real time.

TwitThis - Allow visitors to your site to easily share a page or post via Twitter.

MoniTwitter - Receive important updates about your site via Twitter.

TwitterNotes - Share private or public notes via Twitter.

RSS2Twitter - Share any RSS feed on Twitter, and have new RSS items automatically be tweeted.

TwitterBuzz - Find out what is being most linked to on Twitter.

Twitterholic - Shows the top users and accounts on Twitter.

This list adapted from : Mashable

Exercise, Energy, Success, You and Tao

2008-04-07T16:31:00.007-04:00

Inspired with information provided by Body Expert: Scott Abel

To be in complete control of your own Tao, you must realize your position in and of this moment alone. There is no past; there is no future, as they do not exist in this moment. To give meaning to this moment through expression or to try and capture this moment is a feat of negation and thereby not Tao. Tao is thought, without the judgment of thought. Tao is magnificence, without awe. Tao is strength without any measure.

No artist begins a creative act seeking an award at the end. No one reads a script and thinks, "This will earn an academy award" No. Instead, as artists they take on roles or create music that resonates within them. This is Tao in nature; the externals are nice but not sought after.

To embrace Tao into your health and well being mentally is a positive affirmation which helps increase your mental and physical energy. The Chinese teach about three energies which are worth mentioning here; all of which are with you from when you are born until when you die.

The first I will mention is Chi. Chi is the energy you have every day, spiritually and physically. This energy gets depleted and recharged in many ways throughout your day. You may meet someone who gives you Chi energy, and you may also come across people who negate your Chi; this is why it is so important to include proper rest and recuperation in your daily regime - to restore your Chi. Without this rest, you are more likely to burn out than to wear out; and, if during the time you are supposed to rest while instead you are obsessing about what's next, then you are not truly recharging.

Your Shen energy path is the energy you radiate out each day. It is a vibe if you will that you put out into the world. It is what the world experiences from what you radiate. Your Shen energy is real, it cannot be faked. It is not the vibe you want people to perceive, but is the actual real vibe you put out. Someone with a lot of Chi energy will also radiate a lot of Shen as well.

Your Jing energy is your life's spiritual battery. It is your stored energy that you are born with, and it is fixed at birth. We steadily deplete our Jing energy throughout our lives. Hating yourself, your body, your workouts, your job, your surroundings etc, will deplete your Jing; and this will deplete all sources of your energy because your Jing energy feeds your Shen and your Chi. Negative emotional attachments and emotions also intensely deplete Jing and prematurely age us.

Exercise, in the spirit of enlightenment to your energies and in relation to Tao, is the most perfect and powerful path to your achievement of good health, weight loss, higher self esteem and ultimately satisfaction and happiness. Tao is the easiest approach to synergize your fitness success with your fitness goals. Champions at life do not know the word 'try', they only know 'I will,' and 'I am.' This is the nature of the Tao process. When you are stuck and only measuring your worth on the basis of one or more external factors, you are likely to go up and down like a Yo-Yo in both mood and self-conception. It's not your diet that is weighing you down; it's your thoughts that are weighing you down.

Of course, that does not mean there will not be setbacks. It does mean we are only responsible for efforts and following a path just to 'be' a better athlete will lead to results. Life is always changeable. Higher levels of awareness neither force nor resist change. Self-assessment needs to replace self-judgment. This is the path to the Tao centre. The Tao centre is the trunk of the tree and the roots as well. It is the base, the strength, the power, the centre from which all else branches out. Your inconsistent and controlling negative thoughts are only reflections of oneself, not the 'root' of oneself. To recognize your imbalances are to find the way back to your roots, your true self.

This may be your introduction to Tao, Chi, Shen and Jing, or maybe you are adding to your own experience. Undoubtedly, you now have the knowledge to live in the moment, that which is Tao. Go forth and live without the doubt of weight-loss failure, because you are in the moment, with Tao and your fitness Tao centre. Good Luck!

Note: Thank you to Open Grove Claudia for introducing me to Scott.

How to Rock at Email

2008-04-04T20:44:00.005-04:00

43 Folders does a great tutorial for effective processing of e-mail called 'Inbox Zero'. Start here with my favorite piece of advice:

When you're ready to start processing your months and months of email, write this on an index card in big block letters, and put it on the wall behind your screen at eye level:

"Think in shovels, not in teaspoons."

You'll never stay ahead of this stuff if you don't recalibrate starting today. Give each message as much attention as it needs and not one iota more.

..then go on to the 43Folders website and get to your own Inbox Zero.

Learn To Use Authentic and Effective Communication

2008-03-31T16:22:00.003-04:00

An excellent article written by: Richard J. Primo

We very often hear, "For us to be successful we need to have authentic and effective communication." Those two adjectives are rarely used properly.

When we talk about being authentic, what is it that we are actually looking to accomplish? Are we looking for senders who express themselves freely and openly without regard to other individuals' feelings, or are we looking for senders who know how to take their authenticity and conform it into a manner of communication that can be accepted by the receiver?

In our world of business (and in our personal lives), we need to know how to use this ability to mold our communication into an open and honest message that the receiver readily can accept.

The ability to use authentic communication correctly can lead to the success of the second magical word: effective. An individual who takes the time to tailor his or her message to meet the needs of the receiver will have a better chance of achieving success than an individual who wantonly throws out opinions.

For us to be successful when communicating, we must do our research, first on the topic we are trying to communicate. Do we have the basic knowledge to hold a discussion, or do we need to find further information to clarify our opinions and make a bigger impact?

Secondly, we must research our audience - with whom are we going to be communicating? What is their background, knowledge, acceptance of the topic to be discussed? These are only a few of the groundwork elements that must be completed to be successful.

Finally, we must prepare ourselves to be ready for all possible obstacles that might be presented during our communication. Do we have the necessary background material to support our opinions or recommendations? More importantly, if asked for our opinion, would we be able to provide it in a manner that will be accepted as being authentic and effective, or would it be perceived as opinionated?

Although authenticity is important, it is more important that we are effective when we communicate. What is it that we want our receivers to understand, and are we presenting it to them in a manner that they will fully understand? As we begin to prepare our communication, if questions arise that we aren't sure how to answer, how will receivers accept that same information? The receivers might have similar questions, and more importantly, we could lose the possibility of acceptance, openness, agreement or approval for the information we are communicating.

How do we overcome the misuse of authentic and effective communication in our day-to-day conversations and begin to use them "magically?"

We need to begin by understanding our own limitations when it comes to communication. We have to realize just because we are being authentic, it doesn't mean we are being effective. We have to understand that we have to tailor our communication to the level of our recipient. In our efforts to be authentic and effective, we have to realize we are not always able to capture the acceptance of the receiver, but it is our responsibility to give it our best effort to try and capture that acceptance.

It is important to recognize limitations that might exist during communication (i.e., age, culture, sex, ethnicity, education, etc.). Once we recognize the existence of these limitations, we can begin to gain additional knowledge to help overcome them. This additional knowledge also will allow us to stay focused on the topic of discussion and will help in communicating confidently, clearly and accurately.

Although the recognition of these limitations will help us to stay focused and on point to deliver an authentic effective form of communication, there are other factors that need to be discussed.

We all don't communicate and interpret in the same manner - everyone communicates in a way that is comfortable for them but might make it difficult for the individual receiving the message to interpret.

Vice versa, everyone also has formed their own manner of listening. We listen for those key points that are of interest to us and pay no attention to the surrounding details.

One of the many tools that are available to us to help better understand not only our preferences for communicating for how other individuals prefer to communicate is the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). Ned Herrmann developed the HBDI more than 25 years ago while he was working as a head of management education at General Electric.

The HBDI measures a person's preference for right- or left-brained thinking and for intellectual, more visceral or gut-oriented thinking. The model combines these two dimensions to create four quadrants (A through D). Quadrant A is the Rational Self (Analyze), Quadrant B is the Safekeeping Self (Organize), Quadrant C is the Feeling Self (Personalize) and Quadrant D is the Experimental Self (Strategize), with each quadrant representing a different thinking-style preference.

Based on this information, individuals and/or teams can better predict, understand and improve their problem-solving, idea generation and communication patterns.

With this information, you can better prepare yourself for communicating. If you know in advance the preference of the individual with whom you will be communicating, you will be more effective in delivering your message because you are now delivering it in a manner that person understands. Accordingly, he or she will be more willing to invest their time to listen to you.

Herrmann's research has shown that although we clearly prefer some quadrants over others, we all have access to each of these quadrants.

If you prefer communicating from the Experimental Quadrant, your preference will tend to be to challenge established policies, to think outside the box for solutions and look at the big picture.

On the other hand, if you prefer to communicate from the Rational Quadrant, you will tend to want to gather facts, and look at ways to solve problems logically, and you will want to make your point clearly and concisely.

The Feeling Quadrant will be more likely to be more intuitive, expressive and sensitive, in contrast to the Organized Quadrant, which focuses on plans, details, how things will get done and timing.

The challenge now is getting each of the examples to understand one another and accept what the others have to say. The answer to the challenge is to recognize there might be existing limitations based on individual preferences for communicating. Once we acknowledge their existence, we can begin to overcome them by adapting our preference to their preference.

This doesn't mean we give up our preference completely, but that we attempt to adapt it so that it will be accepted during the communication process. The process starts by choosing the right information, organizing it in the best way and presenting it effectively within the known preferences.

These are the cornerstones of developing an approach to authentic and effective communication. When practicing, experiment with different levels of enthusiasm or styles of delivery until you feel comfortable with your natural self-expression, especially if you will be preparing to deliver your information outside your normal preference.

If you don't take the proper amount of time to research, organize and present your information in a clear, concise and accurate manner, you might come across as stiff, awkward and ineffective.

Taking the time upfront will make you and your communication come across as well-prepared and, more importantly, authentic and effective. With proper preparation, you will be able to pay close attention to what other people are saying and how they are reacting.

Your audience will find your ability to pay close attention flattering, and it will let the audience know you're interested in its ideas.

Additionally, you will avoid letting the communication shut down when one person doesn't understand the other.

This misunderstanding can lead to a communication breakdown, and it might have a negative impact on your ability to communicate authentically.

Communicating authentically is not an easy task. What we believe is authentic might be perceived as being unknowledgeable, unprepared and, in some cases, rude.

At times, authentic communication feels like risk and takes courage. It reflects your experience, not an absolute reality. We use authentic communication as a method to be understood, not necessarily to meet agreement.

Ultimately, the use of authentic communication needs to be invited, welcomed and appreciated by both the sender and receiver of the communication transaction.

We have to realize that just because we are being authentic doesn't mean we are being effective. For our communication to be accepted as being authentic and effective, we need to build a blueprint of our communication, which needs to be clear, concise and accurate. It also has to meet the needs of the individual or group who will be receiving it.

Communicating with one another isn't always easy. Even our closest friends and our co-workers sometimes have difficulty understanding what we are trying to say. We need to slow down and realize that just because we know what we are saying, someone else might not.

For our communication to flow easily back and forth and not break down, we need to take a deep breath, organize our thoughts, remember to whom we are speaking, adapt it to their understanding and then, with any luck, we will be able to provide authentic and effective communication.

This information is not all inclusive, and it should be used as a foundation. There are numerous suggestions and methods that can be used to help in the preparation of our communication that will make our authenticity and effectiveness work hand in hand.

Richard J. Primo is a senior training analyst with Communications Technologies Inc. He can be reached at editor [at] clomedia.com.

The Secret of Success : Write Your Own Book, One Quote at a Time

2008-03-11T22:20:00.006-04:00

Daily affirmations... Write your own book of Daily Affirmations because you deserve it!

Search for them online, find them in books you read, hear them being spoken, or write your own! And remember to record all of them in a journal which you can refer to over and over as you and life travel together.

The positive quotations for improvement in your life are your keys to success; make sure to keep this book of gold nuggets near you at all times because you can use it when you are happy, sad, depressed, panicked, joyful, melancholy, victorious, - you name it! The book you write will ALWAYS do you good.

Keep one book to write all your notes, whatever they may be, and another at home which to transfer the bits and pieces that 'make the grade' .. Dog-ear those make-the-grade pages so when you need a quick pick-me-up you can find one quickly .. Additionally, a few of the real good ones from the transfer journal retyped and lodged into the pages of your traveling journal is a great help when you are out in the world away from your meditative haven of home (or office).

Personal Tip: I tried to write in a blackberry (well it was actually the AT&T version) but I found it was hard to data manage and the whole process seemed a little cold to me. I'm an old-school handwriting junkie anyway..

Good Luck and Enjoy!

PowerPoint Killers! The Secret of Excellent Powerpoint Presentations: Ban Your Bullets!

2008-02-27T05:57:00.011-05:00

Does anyone still do this? Reminisce with me a little - I'm sure there are still a few Powerpoint Killers out there..

Imagine that PowerPoint presentation... a poor presenter points the barrel of his weapon right at your eyes while you painfully watch him torture you slowly until you feel yourself becoming numb from a compulsory habit which forces you to read the points of his bulleted presentation to yourself over and over again.

"..wait a minute here.. am I giving this presentation, or is he? Didn't I just say what he said? Only I said it in my head at an unbelievable rate.. much faster than he is saying it now -- Hold up.. he didn't bullet that word he just said! What did I miss?" -- This might be some of your self-talking rhetoric you are forced to cycle through while meaninglessly engrossed into his very boring slides.

Now what can we do ourselves? Read on.. What can we do for these pathetic presenters? Immediately give them a copy of the link to this post after the presentation I say! (if you have arrived here from such a demonstration, I'm sorry if I insulted you as pathetic -- but it wasn't your fault, really [make sure and read the Seth Gordon tips and you will understand why]!)

I've put together what I think is an excellent slide for my purpose here today. If I were to give a presentation on this, I would like to open my presentation with this slide. The words are meant to trigger the presentation.. certainly not enough to look like a script you'd read back to everyone like a cue card.

Positively speaking; retention rates in this paper show the transfer of information is increased by 79% while an additional 25% is gained in retention with bullet points removed. If you want to keep those nasty little buggers, you have the distinct chance of overloading the cognitive system.

This is a copy of one question in the Q&A from Cliff Atkinson with Richard E. Mayer about The Cognitive Load of PowerPoint

CA: The use of bullet points in PowerPoint presentations has been widely criticized. Based on your research, what effect does on-screen text have on learning?

RM: Bullets don't kill learning, but improper use of bullets kills learning. In order to create effective PowerPoint presentations, it is important to understand how people learn. In particular, cognitive scientists have discovered three important features of the human information processing system that are particularly relevant for PowerPoint users: dual-channels, that is, people have separate information processing channels for visual material and verbal material; limited capacity, that is, people can pay attention to only a few pieces of information in each channel at a time; and active processing, that is, people understand the presented material when they pay attention to the relevant material, organize it into a coherent mental structure, and integrate it with their prior knowledge.

The implications are that: 1) PowerPoint presentations should use both visual and verbal forms of presentation, 2) filling the slides with information will easily overload people's cognitive systems, and 3) the presentations should help learners to select, organize, and integrate presented information.

More notes on better techniques here: Brad Feld : The Torturous World of Powerpoint and Beyond Bullets : The Seen and the Unseen and Really Bad Powerpoint and How to Avoid It by Seth Godin.

So take better notes people and don't bore your audience to death by your own bullets! Good Luck.

Words of Wisdom : Part I

2008-02-26T21:00:00.010-05:00

Just a few inspiring tidbits from around the web:

Author, Spiritualist Dr. Deepak Chopra on Success
"The meaning of success is the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals by honoring others."

Andrew Carnegie's ABC's
CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

Apple Computer Founder Steve Jobs : Rules of Success #1 (of 12/ of 32)
Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Author Dr. John Izzo : The 5 Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die

Be true to yourself.
Leave no regrets.
Become love.
Live the moment.
Give more than you take.

Jack Canfield - The Success Principles
How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be:
E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome)

Burt Nanus - The Leader's Edge
The Seven Keys to Leadership in a Turbulent World

A lively intellectual curiosity, an interest in everything..because everything really is connected to everything else
A genuine interest in what other people think & what make them tick..which means you have have to be at peace with yourself for a start.
An attitude that risks are not there to be avoided but to be taken
The feeling that crisis are normal, tensions can be promising, & complexity is fun.
The realization that paranoia & self pity are reserved for people who don't want to be leaders.
The quality of unwarranted optimism..that conviction that there must be some more upbeat outcome that would result from adding up all the available expert advice.
A sense of personal responsibility for the general outcome of your efforts

The Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say in Email Subject Lines (Plus 100 Others You Shouldn't Use, Either)

2008-02-21T12:04:00.003-05:00

If you've ever heard George Carlin's famous "Seven Dirty Words" you can't say on TV, you can safely avoid using all seven in your subject lines. They will definitely get you blocked. Here is a list of 100 more that you should avoid using as well:

100% free - - 50% off - - act now - - all words that relate to sex or pornography - - all words that related to cures or medication - - amazing - - anything that looks like you are YELLING - - apply now - - as seen - - as seen on Oprah - - as seen on TV - - avoid - - be your own boss - - buy - - call now - - cash bonus - - cialis - - click here - - collect - - compare - - consolidate - - contains $$$ - - contains word "ad" - - credit - - Dear Friend - - discount - - don't delete - - double your anything - - double your income - - e.x.t.r.a. Punctuation - - earn - - earn $ - - earn extra cash - - easy terms - - eliminate debt - - extra income - - fast cash - - financial freedom - - for only - - for you - - FREE - - free - - free access - - free gift - - free info - - free instant - - free offer - - free samples! - - friend - - g a p p y t e x t - - get - - get out of debt - - hello - - herbal - - hidden - - home based - - hot - - information you requested - - instant - - levitra - - life insurance - - limited time - - loans - - lose - - lose weight - - lower your mortgage rate - - lowest insurance rates - - make money - - medicine - - mortgage - - multi level marketing - - notspam - - now only - - numerical digits at the end - - offer - - online degree - - online marketing - - online pharmacy - - only - - open - - opportunity - - promised you - - refinance - - removes - - reverses - - satisfaction - - search engine listings - - serious cash - - starting with a dollar amount - - stop or stops - - teen - - undisclosed recipient - - valium - - vicodin - - winner - - work from home - - xanax - - your family - - Your own - - You're a winner!

52 Ways To Monetize Your Photos

2008-02-20T13:37:00.003-05:00

1. Give business people Moo cards.
Turn your photos into mini-Moo cards and market them as unique intros for
business people who think they're unique.

2. Become a paparazzi!
Snapped a celebrity doing a walkabout? Scoopt finds buyers for news
pictures... and a model eating is always news.

3. Put a mouse on an image
Zazzle is one site that lets you put a photo on a mousepad and sell it through
their store...

4. Create a photography book
...and Blurb makes it a breeze to publish your photos in a book and sell it to
admiring fans for a profit.

5. Create a specialized photography book
It's nice to put your favorite images in a photography book; it's nice money
when you put your kid's school soccer team in a book and sell it to their
parents.

6. Give MySpace users unique pages
It's hard to stand out on MySpace and other networking sites... unless you've
got some very special images. So contact networkers and offer them yours.

7. BritePic your pictures
BritePic lets you put a floating ad on your images when users mouse over - you earn even if the pictures aren't on your website.

8. Blog about your pictures... and get paid for it
Google's AdSense program is giving many bloggers a handsome income. Put
your images on a blog, discuss them and earn from ads.

9. Find local distributors for your local images
Even simple pictures sell well when people recognize them. Get your local
images in local stores and you'll make sales.

10. Create creative computer covers
Moo isn't the only place that can turn photos into stickers. Other printers can
do the same thing, letting you turn photos into long shapes to cover dull PCs.

11. Give hosting companies exclusive libraries
Hosting companies give packages to clients that can include microstock deals.
Give them an exclusive library of images and they'll have a unique offer for
their customers; you'll have your own microstock customer base.

12. Create creative car window covers
When the weather is hot, cars get hotter. Print your photos on windscreen
covers and offer them to accessories stores.

13. Earn real income from real estate
Taken pictures of buildings? Take pictures of buildings with For Sale signs
and offer them to the sellers. If your photo is better than theirs, you'll be
exchanging contracts.

14. Take a trip to a travel agents
Travelers want to know where they're going so if you've been there and
photographed it, give travel agents a chance to show them. For a small fee, of
course.

15. Decorate cafes
Ask cafe owners to put your pictures on their walls. They get free art... you get
to show pictures with price tags.

16. Earn every day with calendars
Calendars are simple to make but tough to get into stores. So sell them online.

17. Build a membership base
Create a club and give members a photo a day with an explanation of how it
was shot. It will be like an email photography course... with tuition fees.

18. Put your pictures on microstock sites
Hey, everyone else is doing it - and some people are making six-figure sums
doing it!

19. Put your pictures in competitions
The ‘net is stuffed with photo contests these days. Some of them pay cash
prizes, others pay with a valuable reputation boost. Be a winner!

20. Go mobile
Ringtones are a huge market and ringtone companies also sell mobile phone
wallpapers. Ask them to sell yours.

21. Snapped a logo? Take it to the company
If there's a logo in your picture, you've got just one possible buyer. So ask
them to buy it.

22. Put it on a t-shirt
Yes, we know it's old-fashioned but it works! People do buy them.

23. Turn your photos into art works
You don't need a gallery to create art works; you just need a canvas printer.
There are plenty of those around so put your picture on a stretcher and sell it
as art.

24. Turn your art into sketches
Photoshop lets you turn your images into sketches. So if you can't draw, pack
your camera, a laptop and a portable printer and head to where the tourists are.
While the sketchers sketch, you can shoot and print.

25. Customize stationery
Fancy stationery comes with all sorts of flowery designs. Why shouldn't they
come with your pictures? Find a printer, create notebooks and put them in
stores.

26. Put your pictures on programs
Software companies need all sorts of images... to decorate their disc covers, to
put on their boxes, to function as backgrounds. Check out who's working on
what, shoot some stills and make your pitch.

27. Play with picture cards
Soldiers play with sexy playing cards but who says you have to be crude?
Take 52 themed pictures, print them on cards and take a bet on gamblers.

28. Take to student life
Students don't have much money. Neither do their publications. But they do
have enough to pay freelance photographers with good pictures and they're
open-minded enough to try someone new. And you don't have to be a student
to do it.

29. Decorate model apartments
Property developers always create at least one apartment that looks lived in to
show prospective buyers. Why shouldn't the developers put your pictures on
the wall?

30. Decorate furniture stores
It's not just developers that need to create fake living spaces; furniture stores
do it too. Take a look at what's on offer, create pictures that match the chairs...
and market them.

31. Put it in the bag
You can put anything on a handbag these days, even a $5,000 price tag. So
talk to a bag designer and build a winning team.

32. Cover school books
No, you're not back at school... but plenty of kids are still there and every year
they have to cover their school books - usually in horrible colored paper. Take
trendy pictures, print them on thin paper and sell them to kids who want their
books to look cool.

33. Stretch your pictures to 42 inches
The price of flat-screen TVs has fallen faster than an anvil in a road-runner
cartoon. These days, almost everyone has one on their wall and most of them
are dark most of the time. But there's no reason they should be. Some of them
can take uploaded pictures. Make a disk and make them yours.

34. Cover CDs
People are still burning CDs... and still storing in them in boring plastic
covers. Put pictures on circles and offer them to stores that sell blanks.

35. Cover flash cards
Of course, more people these days are using flash memory cards to hold their
information. They may be small but they're big enough to hold a photo with
sticker. Especially if you print it small enough.

36. Create collectors' packs
Shoot a series of themed images such as birds of California or hairstyles of the
rich and famous. Print them on cards and sell them in niche outlets in
restricted doses. It worked for baseball players...

37. Tell stories with your pictures
You don't have to draw to create graphic novels. Call some pals, create some
poses and print them as story books.

38. Turn your pictures into wallpapers
Desktop wallpapers are still big business. Or at least, big enough to buy your
photos. So sell them and appear on computers across the nation.

39. Help campaigning groups
Local pressure groups need images for their campaigns and they're the sort
that aren't easy to find - beautiful pictures of the local woods, for example, or
the headquarters of a property developer. Snap and sell.

40. Become a local photojournalist
It's not just pressure groups and student papers that are willing to take
freelanced images. Local newspapers often will too, especially the free ones.
Call their photo editors and make your pitch.

41. Change clothes...
Not yours, the clothes in your pictures. Shoot a series of people standing in the
same pose, shoot clothes to match, then team up with a programmer to let
people play around with them. Then sell the game to a site about fashion as
sticky content.

42. ... and expressions.
There's a good reason Mr. Potato Head is still around. He's fun. So create an
electronic version by shooting portraits then ask your friendly programmer to
let players change noses. You get to share the game profits.

43. Sit on your best work
If you can put a picture on a t-shirt, you can also put it on a cushion cover. So
do.

44. Let buyers eat your pictures
IcingImages.com lets photographers print images on sheets of edible paper
and stick them on cakes. Could be a tasty deal for wedding photographers.

45. Market to Flickr book marketers
Book marketers are using Flickr to drum up publicity. They need good images.
You need sales. It's a match made in a kitchen.

46. Sell to eBay auctioneers
Many of the items sold on eBay appear time and time again, often with poor
images. So shoot commonly sold products and sell the pictures to sellers.

47. Illustrate recipes
It's not just Flickr book marketers who need food pictures. Recipe sites do too.
Cook up a storm and photograph the results. Then eat them and offer the
pictures to the people who made the meal possible.

48. Advertise on Craigslist
So simple. So overlooked. So why not be the first to advertising outstanding
prints on the world's coolest classifieds?

49. Create coloring books
Take pictures of cats, dogs and bunnies, follow these neat Photoshop steps and
put together your very own coloring books.

50. Cover the Earth in your pictures
Well, Google Earth anyway. Some photographers have already put their aerial
images on Google Earth but why not turn all of your best travel photos into an
overlay... and sell them?

51. Take "after" photos
There are few things more appealing than vintage photographs... except
comparing them with how the place looks today. You can't go back in time but
you can find the old places, shoot them today and sell them to vintage photo
sellers to complete their set.

52. Sell them as prints
Yes, we know it's old fashioned but there's still a market for pictures you can
hold and touch. And there are plenty of photo sites that let buyers order online.

10 Morning Habits to Build Your Day Upon

2008-02-19T04:51:00.004-05:00

This great inspiration from : Pick The Brain

Over the past year I have come to see the morning as the foundation upon which I build my entire day - mentally, physically, and spiritually. I find that if I start the day by doing the habits listed in this article, I am usually happier, healthier, more productive throughout the day. In contrast, if my morning is chaotic and rushed I find that my energy runs out later in the day and I generally get a lot less done. Here then are 10 morning habits I believe will provide you with a solid foundation upon which to go about your entire day:

1. Wake Earlier

It seems there are endless articles online espousing the benefits of waking earlier. But when you think about it, this really is the key to overhauling your morning routine. With more time, you are free to develop the habits listed in this article and actually enjoy the morning free from the pressure of having to rush out the door. If you would like to develop this habit, I suggest the following articles/ sites:

How to Become An Early Riser - Steve Pavlina
10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It - Zen Habits
How I Won the Battle of the Bed - Iwillchangeyourlife
How to Wake Up Early (an entire site devoted to waking early tips)

2. Have a "Holy Hour"

One of my favorite personal development coaches, Robin Sharma, advocates taking a "Holy Hour" each morning. Basically this is an hour you devote to working on yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. If you do this, instead of turning on the computer soon after you wake up (as I know many people do in this modern age), you will set yourself up for a great day.

3. Meditate

Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind, and the morning is a particularly good time to do it. Just a few of its many benefits include improved concentration, better health, and increased knowledge of self. If you would like to learn more about meditation and how to get started, I highly recommend reading 4 Powerful Reasons to Meditate and How to Get Started.

4. Visualize the Day Ahead

A simple, yet extremely powerful, exercise to practice in the morning is to shut your eyes and visualize how you want the day to unfold. This will give you direction as you go about your day and help you to avoid getting distracted with "urgent" but unimportant tasks.

5. Read and/ or Listen to Motivational Material

This may sound cheesy, but one of the reasons I love the morning is that an entire day of endless possibilities lies ahead. One of the best ways to ignite this spirit of endless possibilities is to devour some motivational material, whether it be in the form of a book, audiobook or podcast. If you want some help finding motivational audiobooks and podcasts, check out this Free Audio and Podcasts article.

6. Think the Impossible

Since we are on the subject of endless possibilities, why not try an exercise that is inspired by the White Queen in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland:

"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Allowing your mind to let go of the rational and, instead, to explore the world of the "impossible" is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. And Aristotle did once say that the mark of an educated or mature mind is that it's able to "entertain a thought without accepting it."

7. Eat a Nutritious Breakfast

A nutritious and balanced breakfast is essential if you want to fire up your metabolism and keep yourself powered up throughout your day. In his article 6 Practical Tips for Increasing Energy Using Food, Todd from We The Change explains:

"Simple carbs release sugar in the body at a faster rate than complex carbs, fats, and protein, and give the body an immediate "up" feeling. But it is short-lived, and if you are in the habit of a high carb breakfast you are constantly fighting a battle for energy during the day."

So forget the carbs and instead eat whole-grain cereal, eggs, fresh fruit or a even a health shake for breakfast.

8. Exercise

There are immense benefits to exercising in the morning. First, it raises your metabolism which helps to burn calories all day. Second, it starts the day with a positive accomplishment. I always feel ready to take on anything after exercising, and it is great to carry this momentum into the day. If you would like to kickstart the exercise habit, I recommend the following articles:

How to Make Exercise Last - Pick the Brain
15 Tips to Restart the Exercise Habit and How to Keep It - Lifehack

9. Sharpen Your Brain

Exercising your brain is as important (if not more!) than exercising your muscles. Some fun activities to keep your mind sharp include Sudoku, Kakuro (my personal favorite), crosswords, quizzes, and brain teasers. I also highly recommend the site Sharp Brains for a variety of brain fitness resources.

10. Take Time to Look Good

It's a fact of life that people judge us by our appearance. For this reason, it's a good idea to spend a few extra minutes in the morning to ensure you go out into the world looking the best you can. In fact, a recent study by two economists found "extra time spent grooming has a positive and significant effect on both men's and women's earnings". This was found to be especially true for men, where "10 minutes daily grooming increases their weekly wages by 6 percent". Just remember, though, at some point you will need to put your pants on and get on with your day...

The Art of Schmoozing

2008-02-18T08:38:00.001-05:00

"It's not what you know or who you know, but who knows you." Susan RoAne.

The Guy Kawasaki Theory of Schmoozing version 1.0 was ad hoc: get to know the people that you need for a specific deal. It was short-term and focused.Version 2.0 is ad infinitum--maybe even ad nauseam. It's taken me twenty years, but I've figured out that it's much easier to make a sale, build partnerships, create joint ventures--you name it--with people that you already know than with people you just met.

The key is to establish a relationship before you need it. And this is why I'd like to provide the art of schmoozing.

Understand the goal. Darcy Rezac in his book, The Frog and the Prince, wrote the world's best definition of schmoozing: "Discovering what you can do for someone else." Herein lies eighty percent of the battle: great schmoozers want to know what they can do for you, not what the you can do for them. If you understand this, the rest is just mechanics.
Get out. Schmoozing is an analog, contact sport. You can't do it alone from your office on the phone or via a computer. You may hate them but force yourself to go to trade shows, conventions, and seminars. It's unlikely that you'll be closing a big order with someone you met online at MySpace or via Skype. Get out there and press flesh.
Ask good questions, then shut up. The mark of a good conversationalist is not that you can talk a lot. The mark is that you can get others to talk a lot. Thus, good schmoozers are good listeners, not good talkers. Ask softball questions like, "What do you do?" "Where are you from?" "What brings you to this event?" Then listen. Ironically, you'll be remembered as an interesting person.
Unveil your passions. Only talking about business is boring. Good schmoozers unveil their passions after they get to know you. Great schmoozers lead off with their passions. Your passions make you an interesting person--you'll stick out because you're the only person not talking about 802.11 chipsets at the wireless conference. Personally, my passions are children, Macintosh, Breitling watches, digital photography, and hockey if you ever meet me.
Read voraciously. In order to be a good schmoozer, you need to read voraciously--and not just the EE Times, PC Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. You need a broad base of knowledge so that you can access a vast array of information during conversations. Even if you are a pathetic passionless person, you can at least be a well-read one who can talk about a variety of topics.
Follow up. Over the course of my career, I've given away thousands of business cards. At one point, I thought I was nuts because if all those people called or emailed me, I'd never get anything done. Funny thing: hardly anyone ever follows up. Frankly, I don't know why people bother asking for a business card if they're not going to follow up. Great schmoozers follow up within twenty-four hours--just a short email will do: "Nice to meet you. I hope we can do something together. Hope your blog is doing well. I loved your Breitling watch. I have two tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals if you want to attend." Include at least one thing to show the recipient that she isn't getting a canned email.
Make it easy to get in touch. Many people who want to be great schmoozers, ironically, don't make it easy to get in touch with them. They don't carry business cards, or their business cards don't have phone numbers and email addresses. Even if they provide this information, it's in grey six-point type. This is great if you're schmoozing teenagers, but if you want old, rich, famous, and powerful people to call or email, you'd better use a twelve-point font. (These are the same folks that need the thirty-point font vis-a-vis the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.)
Give favors. One of my great pleasures in life is helping other people; I believe there's a big Karmic scoreboard in the sky. God is keeping track of the good that you do, and She is particularly pleased when you give favors without the expectation of return from the recipient. The scoreboard always pays back. You can also guess that I strongly believe in returning favors for people who have helped you.
Ask for the return of favors. Good schmoozers give favors. Good schmoozers also return favors. However, great schmoozers ask for the return of favors. You may find this puzzling: Isn't it better to keep someone indebted to you? The answer is no, and this is because keeping someone indebted to you puts undue pressure on your relationship. Any decent person feels guilty and indebted. By asking for, and receiving, a return favor, you clear the decks, relieve the pressure, and set up for a whole new round of give and take. After a few rounds of give and take, you're best friends, and you have mastered the art of schmoozing.