Dayton's Contemplations

Looking at the Keyword Academy

2011-07-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

If you've spent any amount of time online looking around online for good programs to make money online, then you've probably run across the Keyword Academy at some point. This program has grown immensely and is a monthly membership set up which gives amazing resources for members to use in addition to excellent training from individual Internet Marketers who have made serious money online and know exactly how to do it effectively. This resource has been proven to be extremely useful to a wide number of individuals, especially beginners.

But the issue is wondering where you can find a good review of TKA. No matter how trustworthy the source, there are so many scams out there that it's very understandable if individuals are hesitant. Finding a great program is extremely important because you don't want to drop all of your investment money only to find out that you wasted your money for something that doesn't deliver. Because of that, many people type in the words Keyword Academy Scam into Google hoping not to have any genuine results and hoping that maybe this time they've found the best program.

The good news is that more than any other program that I've come across online, this is the one that you want to be a part of and is worth every penny. If you want to know more, click the link that says "Keyword Academy Scam" to see a long 2,000+ word complete review of the program.

Writing Some More

2011-02-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

There are many different blogs and websites out there, so it shouldn't come as any surprise when people do a lot of writing online. Whether it's personal blogging, writing for money. or trying to build residual income, there's a lot of information out there. What I think is the best is when instead of finding the same rehashed old stuff again you actually find something that has some really cool value to it.

Finding an article that not only provides value to writers of all levels (including beginners) but also links to even better resources that anyone can use in order to get started or find even more. So if you're interested in finding out some more about freelance writing you might want to give a look to this brief writing online article for some ideas and guidance.

If you are more interested in print markets than in writing online for someone, then I highly recommend the book "Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer" over to the right of this information. Not only is this hands down the best book out there on magazine writing, but the step by step knowledge of cold calling, finding open markets and pitching them is invaluable.

Lipo What Now?

2011-02-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

Look, this one's short 'cause I don't know much about this topic, but hey, since it's something that plenty of people want to know about, I figure it was worth a quick post of some kind. So liposuction - self explanatory. We all know what this is, correct? Cosmetic surgery to remove fat cells. But there's another similar term that seems to come up a lot, and that's liposculpture. As far as I can tell the two are very similar, one of those things where every "sculpture" is a liposuction procedure, but not all liposuction is a sculpture set up.

Basically these procedures are lowly invasive and even sometimes are referred to as "non surgical" even though that is not completely an accurate description because these treatments are still surgeries even if they are low invasive. In fact, some are even so easy on the body that only localized anesthesia is needed and the patient is awake through the whole thing.

In all honesty, this isn't my field of expertise, but some friends have set up a website dealing with this topic for some reason, so here is some information for those interested: Shawn's Liposculpture Website.

Or you can always go for Tim and Shane's Fad Diet Blog, which talks about diets of all types. Not only do they cover the fad diets which aren't always a great idea, but this site also looks at some decent diet plans, as well.

Pink Sing A Ma Jigs Review

2011-01-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

If you want to find a fun and different type of toy for a gift, than picking the Pink Sing A Ma Jig is one excellent solution. The Pink Sing-A-Ma-Jig is not only unique because of the way it looks, but it is also very unique in the features it has. It is a great singing toy that does not cost a ton of money, and when you combine that with it being made out of a fantastic plush material, you can see why so many people really enjoy having these items.

As you can tell by the name, one of the unique features of these toys that are really popular is the ability for the Pink Sing A Ma Jigs to sing. Each different color has a different tune to sing, and the pink ones sing the song "Skip to My Lou." While singing might be the most popular feature of this toy, it does also have the ability to talk in its unique language. Kids love toys that can talk, especially younger kids, and the ability to sing is just an added bonus that is really appreciated.

The color is also fantastic. Pink is certainly more popular with young girls, and this neat shade of pink is sure to make them very happy. Also the unique look these stuffed toys have, and by that I mean not being an identifiable animal such as a bear, makes it very easy for children to use their imaginations when playing with them. The Pink Sing-A-Ma-Jigs also have a neat polka dotted shirt that has multiple colors on it. This added splash of color adds a lot to the look of these items.

These items are durable, well priced, look great, and help kids use an active imagination when playing with them. What more could parents ask from a toy? Kids love them, parents love them, and you can easily see how they became so popular. If you want a neat and unique gift for a special child you know, this is a perfect option for you.

Santa Sing A Ma Jig Toy Review

2010-12-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

There are many very popular trendy toys out for the Christmas season, and few have received as much attention as the Santa Sing A Ma Jigs that have been released by Fisher Price and have received a great deal of attention since then. These cute toys can speak friendly phrases to your child, talk in a jibbering language all their own, or break out into a enthusiastic rendition of "Jingle Bells."

These Sing-A-Ma-Jig Santa Claus toys are very popular and it's not hard to see why. Not only are they a new holiday release, but the holiday colors used match perfectly with the Christmas season. Pine green base with a red Santa suit and hat complete with white trim and a bearded face and red lips make this a toy that is definitely designed with the traditional Christmas elements in mind.

These started out as limited edition, but due to demand and popularity appear to have gone wide spread along with the new yellow and new red models and dark purple ones that were all released at the exact same time. Among all these new models, however, there is little doubt that the new Santa Sing A Ma Jigs are going to be the most popular of them all.

Looking at Vodka Cocktails

2010-11-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

Vodka is one of the most popular liquors out there, especially when it comes to mixed drinks and various cocktails. One of the major reasons for this is that the liquor has very little extra sharpness that many other hard liquors have, which makes this clean and clear tasting alcohol ideal for mixed drinks and cocktails since the flavors will come through as opposed to the sharpness of any alcohol. This is what makes many vodka drinks so popular.

There are many different types of vodka cocktails, so many in fact that it is all but impossible to list them all since new ones are being made all the time. This is especially true now that there are many flavored vodkas which add even more of a twist to various mixtures and concoctions which can result in entirely new mixed drinks.

Vodka cocktails vary widely in taste, appearance, and set up because there is so much that can be done with such a clean liquor. For example, the "White Russian," which is also commonly referred to as a "Caucasian" by the same movie that made the drink a cult classic among college students in the first place (The Big Lebowski), has a very coffee and cream taste due to other ingredients, while a Bloody Mary tastes like strong vegetable juice, and a screwdriver either tastes like orange juice or it tastes like orange juice with a sharp kick. All of these are extremely different tastes and designs, so it's not hard to see how there can be so much information on various mixed drinks and so many different opinions on different vodka cocktails to try.

Popular Vodka Cocktails:

White Russians
Bloody Mary
Vodka Martini
Appletini
Choclotini
Screwdriver
Mudslide
Harvey Wallbanger
Lime Rickey
Vodka Sunrise

There also are many more cocktails that have vodka as a main ingredient or part of a mixture, but which vodka couldn't be considered the main liquor: such as a Long Island Iced Tea or an Adios M-Fer! I hope you found this blog post informative, and the links also lead to some great resources all about Vodka Drinks and their many forms.

Learning to Speak the Japanese Language

2010-11-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Learning to speak another language is a very important part of education for many people. In addition to being an invaluable skill, learning how to speak more than one language opens up parts of your brain that are usually dormant or semi-dormant and helps your overall ability to think, analyze, and expand your intelligence. While Japanese might not be the first language that leaps into your mind when you think of picking up a new language, if you're going to do business in the Orient, you will want to learn to speak business Japanese fast. It makes a big difference when it's time to make a deal.

Doing business in Japan is far different than doing business in many other parts of the world, and while learning the language isn't a requirement by any stretch, it is an extremely smart business move. English is a common second language in Japan, and translators will normally be present to make sure everything is clearly understood.

However, you will quickly find that you get more done and more good deals if you take the effort to learn business Japanese. In Japanese culture, a company can be judged by the character of the individuals who go to represent it. This applies to other areas of life, as well. I once had a professor from England who was pitching an exchange program with Tokyo for London over a UCLA program. He thought the interview went badly, as they kept mentioning what UCLA could offer, but in the end he explained what they were about, what they're program could do, admitted why they couldn't provide some of the same experiences as UCLA but why their program was good anyway. The Japanese University chose the exchange program with England because they were very impressed with the professor as an individual.

So who do you think will impress a Japanese business person more: a slick 80's cookie cutter business person, or someone who actually shows up with respect for the culture and can speak even the basic phrases of the language? Even learning basic business Japanese can go a long way towards making a very positive impression as a respectful and capable person who understands the importance of character and honor - two attributes that are critically important in Japan but which are not often seen as a major deal in the United States (unfortunately).

Because of this, while an initial investment in an expensive language learning course might seem a little prohibitive, it will pay off after the very first business dealing in Japan when your character is judged excellent and your new business partners reward your character and respect by awarding you a larger contract, or perhaps you even win a contract that your company wasn't even in the running for prior to learning the language. This is one of the largest advantages of learning to speak Japanese, and a reason that this should be on the top list of things to do among young business people who want to have the skills and ability to quickly ascend in the corporate world due to their success.

While Rosetta Stone programs may be a little out of the price range for the average individual, another excellent option is going with the online tutorials offered by Japanese Rocket Language Learning courses, which is an online 31 part course using video and audio to make learning much easier, as well as an assistance forum and even an entire section that is devoted solely to learning business related Japanese. So take a look at it and you'll be in much better position in the future when negotiating business with any Japanese clients.

Sing A Ma Jig Review

2010-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sing-A-Ma-Jigs are some of the most popular toys that have been released for the 2010 Christmas season. These stuffed animals remind many people of the colorful and strange looking Fraggles from years back, but they also each sing individual songs and can be put together to harmonize as a chorus. Fisher Price hit a home run when they produced theses singing stuffed animals, and Amazon.com and Toys 'R Us both have these toys listed as some of the hottest items for Christmas 2010.

The Pink Sing-A-Ma-Jig to the right is just one example, and even if it isn't exactly what you're looking for right now, that link can be followed to Amazon to find any of the designs that do seem attractive to you. There are nine as of the writing of this blog post, and they can differ greatly in appearance.

Fisher Price Sing A Ma Jig Toys are some of the most popular online right now, and part of the reason for that is that they are selling out big time in the stores. These animals look cute, they sing, and they're different and unique compared to other gifts, which makes them a big time winner with kids and parents alike.

If you're looking for something that is going to be popular with the kids for the upcoming holidays or an upcoming birthday, going with one of the nine Sing-A-Ma-Jigs is a safe bet, or go for the many sets and groups that are offered if you're looking to get the full effect of what these toys have to offer.

From Red Sing-A-Ma-Jig toys to the stranger colors of Mint Green Sing A Ma Jig Toys or other ones, there is a wide variety of choices that you can choose from. Each one sings a different song and each one brings its own bit of attractiveness which makes these a great buy. Many happy kids are going to receive this for gifts this Christmas.

Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks

2010-10-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

There are many different types of mixed drinks out there - in fact among the many types of liquors out there you can make combination to create literally hundreds if not thousands of different cocktails. The variety is incredible and also gives you the ability to enjoy a wide array of tastes and flavors. Making even a few small adjustments can result in big results when it comes to taking low calorie alcoholic drinks as opposed to the big sugary frozen mixed drinks that can absolutely obliterate any diet plan.

There are many different sites that give some interesting tips as to how to make sure any mixed drinks you choose to partake in do minimal damage to your diet plan. Having a professional bartender's handbook definitely helps, but even beyond this some common sense also is very important. Staying away from sugary and high calorie mixers is critical, and making even small changes like using diet soda instead of regular soda can make a huge difference.

One such excellent online guide can be found at this page all about low calorie cocktails. If you want to learn more about the great moves that can help you keep a fun party habit with a minimum of damage to the waistline. So purchase a bartender's book, use some common sense, and look at a page like that for some excellent guidance on the matter.

My Pillow Pets Blog Review

2010-09-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

There is a huge craze right now for My Pillow Pet Plush Toys, and it's not hard to see why. These are extremely popular toys with both children and parents, and the raves over this product aren't just over the amazing and classic stuffed animal version of these, but also the fact that the pillows are incredibly soft and comfortable, making them the best of both worlds. For this reason, many people who are a little bit behind the curve really want to learn about My Pillow Pets, but they don't want to have to go to an obvious sales page or the company website to figure out more.

The good news is that link higher up goes to a blog that is not owned by the company, not owned by a store that sells these items, either. It's also not a thinly veiled "giveaway" site to rank those other sites, either. It's a blog with a lot of reviews of individual My Pillow Pet toys, and the many options that people have when it comes to these stuffed toys.

If that isn't quite your type of set up, then there is also a very good page that is a Review site, and has a great overall look at My Pillow Pet toys, as well as reviews of each individual one, as well.

Finding a My Pillow Pets Guide

2010-08-29T00:31:00.000-07:00

There are many toys that are popular choices for the top Christmas gifts of each year, and My Pillow Pets plush toys are some of the most popular currently around. These are very remarkable toys that have taken the marketplace by storm and it's very easy to see why. My Pillow Pets are not only really cute and cool stuffed animal plush toys, but they also form into soft pillows that are perfect for nap time. The following is an example of the every popular Unicorn My Pillow Pet:

The unicorn is not the only popular one, however. There is the traditional teddy bear but there are also three types of plush bunny toys from this line, as well as three plush dog toys and many others. There are nearly 30 different My Pillow Pet stuffed animals total, ranging from dolphins and lady bugs to penguins, moose, and lions. If you are really interested in getting a detailed guide about this really top notch Christmas toys, then you're biggest struggle is going to be finding a site that isn't one big blatant advertisement.

If you've already made up your mind to buy one then this is no big deal, however if you want an actual My Pillow Pets Guide that goes into detailed reviews of each toy and is not connected to the company, than I suggest you click on that link right above for the best one I've found online so far.

Portable Air Conditioning Options

2010-07-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

There are many different things to consider when looking at the possibility of a quality portable air conditioning unit. There are many pages and reviews online, but in a nut shell what these are all about is that they are small portable AC units which will cool down an apartment, and only require a small hose for venting out almost any type of a window, making them very handy for many places. One of the better reviews I've seen that go beyond sales pitching to actually doing comparisons and giving quality information is this Everstar portable air conditioner review. It goes over pros and cons, addresses bad press, and talks about whether or not they are a good deal, giving both sides of the story.

This is a picture example from Amazon of what these might look like:

2 Man Tent Review

2010-06-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

A Good Two Man Tent Review
There are many different great two man tents, and finding a quality review of these tents can also be difficult, but this is one area where relying on other outdoorsmen and other previous consumers can help. Reviews on Amazon.com often give a good indication of what specific items have heavy approval, and which ones aren't seen as having nearly as much support. Two man tents vary widely from the cheaply made $20 models that are used for kids and backyard camp outs to the more expensive and well made models for experienced travelers.

One example of an excellent 2 man tent review guide, is that HubPage, which goes into detail about these types of tents, the differences, the similarities, the expected prices, and also the major companies that produce them. While there are many inexpensive models that will work fully functionally for most basic needs, some advanced travelers will want to do their homework to find a truly excellent tent that meets all of their more specific needs.

The Eureka Apex two person tents are the examples of what are considered high quality small tents that many serious travelers or recreational outdoor fans will find useful.

A New Fishing Blog

2010-06-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a really good fishing blog recently, all about fishing for northern pike. After briefly browsing through a few of the posts, I have to say that I'm impressed. This author obviously knows his stuff, is willing to share details and strategies, and the writing style has a very nice flow to it. In addition to this, the information goes way above and beyond a lot of the rehashed crap that you find all over niche fishing blogs online. This is also a blog that appears to get a new post once every 1-2 weeks. This might not seem like a lot at first, but there's no arguing with the quality of the posts, as well as their length, and that helps to make up for it.

I've long been a fan of fishing for northern pike, which is another reason why it's nice to see a blog like this beginning to show up in Google as many others that have been set up are really thinly veiled AdSense sites, and I'm just not into that kind of crap. So for you anglers who really want some top notch info on chasing those voracious predators, take a look at the blog. You might be surprised at some of the quality information on there. I know I was, and that's part of the reason I'm behind on my other important work to get done :)

It's never a bad thing to learn from the pros, but it's also really nice to know that there are amateur pike anglers out there who are also willing to share their point of view on the matter. So avoid Wikipedia and crap sites like that, and don't expect a really in detail look from some thinly veiled site.

While this list can certainly change as more and more topics are added, for now I'll leave you with links to three of my favorite posts from that blog in an attempt to give you a sense of what this dude's writing style and ability is all about.

So I hope you found that all useful, and until next time, keep up the good fight!

Styrofoam Glue?

2010-02-22T12:17:00.001-08:00

Styrofoam Epoxies Blog

Okay, call me a dork, a geek, a shameless self promoter, but many times when I make a niche blog, it's because I find out something that seems odd, weird, funny, strange, etc. Apparently I find more things in life that fit under that category than about anyone else, because that's exactly the reason that I started a niche blog all about Styrofoam glue. Yes, you read that right. There is a such thing as Styrofoam glue.

The obvious use for such an adhesive has to be in model sculpting and building. There are other types of hobbies and crafts that also use this type of epoxy. Scrap booking, home decorating, florals, model building, are all examples of crafts that use this adhesive in some way or another. There are several different companies who make Styrofoam glue, and who can provide various methods of administering it.

Styrofoam bits are often used for insulation, but if you need a good glue that works for Styrofoam arts and crafts, then look no further than the best Styrofoam adhesive.

3 Brands of Snake Boots

2010-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

There are many companies that sell snake proof boots, but I only want to discuss 3 snake boot companies. You see, I am not brave enough to go out and test the claims of all these companies, so I have to rely on the facts as they are presented, and these companies had some compelling facts about snake boots.

Gokey Snakeproof Boots are hunting style boots with a long 17" zipper up the back, which means the boot is high enough to protect the lower leg. And, according to Gokey, they have been tested with over 100 strikes without failing. They are available in traditional leather uppers or the lighter weight material used in bullet proof vests.

Chippewa 17" Snakeproof boots are made with cordura and leather and fully lined with leather to prevent snake fangs from penetrating through. According to Chippewa, they are the best selling snake boot in America for both men and women.

Irish Setter 17" Wingshooter DSS Viper 811 Snakeboot is waterproof as well as snake proof and are made with a snakeguard internal membrane, waxed cotton and leather. Irish Setter says the dynamic suspension system shank manages foot pressure by absorbing shock and helps to reduce fatigue.

What I want in a snake proof boot is absolute protection, comfort, and durability. These three companies promise all that and more. If you are searching for a new pair of boots for the wild, you can't go wrong with a pair of snake proof boots from one of these 3 snake boot companies.

A Little Love

2010-01-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

College Truths?

There is a lot said about college, but so much of it turns out to be untrue, misinformed, or purely outdated. I think that 3rd one gets people in the most trouble compared to the others. So every great once in a while someone comes out and tells things the way they really are...and usually gets booed off stage. It's like Mason Prophet's "2 Hangmen" all over again. Decades later no one learns. Still, I'm one who still believes that courage should be rewarded, so although this post is going to be a little bit short, it's going to give out some link love to some guys who apparently have the guys to call things as they see them.

So to the fellas of Truth Exposed Publishing, this one's for you:

College Sucks

The Million Dollar College Lie

Truth About Women and College

Community College Is the Way to Start

I'm sure there will be a lot more in the future, but hopefully that's the kind of little boost that will get these guys to a bigger stage where they can preach a modern gospel that needs to be heard. I hate injustice, and I hate when innocent people are scammed. The way the college picture is painted while huge life changing facts are completely ignored to me is an outright scamming of young 16-18 year olds who should have the rest of their lives ahead of them . Tell it as it is guys, and keep on going. Oh yeah, one more:

Master Dayton Freelance Writing for Beginners

Preach on good brothers, preach on.

Are College Earnings a Lie?

2009-12-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

College Earnings: Million Dollar Lie?

I was stumbling through HubPages just kind of looking around (and if you've never been there, it's a great site to find all kinds of interesting information), and I stumbled on a page that was all about the famous "Million $" figure for how much college grads earn over a lifetime over someone who doesn't graduate college. I've always found this to be very suspect - especially considering the sheer number of friends I have who couldn't land a good job out of college, had to stay with menial labor after graduating (after college I spent 14 months at a gas station I had worked at for 3 years to just get through college), and the sheer number of us who have been laid off while my high school buddies who went blue collar are working and doing fine.

So the writers of this page, apparently they found the true government study that's always quoted when talking about the million dollar figure, and they tore it to pieces to show how it's all propaganda. Usually I'm iffy on claims like that, but they link to the study itself and make some great points that are easy to see and understand.

So guys, seriously, take a look at this page all about college as a million dollar lie.

Favorite Writing Desks

2009-12-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

Good Office Writing Desks

As anyone who has followed me for any amount of time probably already knows, I'm a huge fan of good writing desks, and particularly those that are made of good solid wood. This is one of the reasons that aside from mahogany writing desks, which seem to be harder and harder to find by the day, that my favorite overall pieces of office furniture are by far and away cherry writing desks. Cherry is a beautiful and colored wood that brings a professional aesthetic air to any office desk. This is the same reason I enjoy mahogany along with cherry wood.

While there are many pieces of wood furniture that can be made into beautiful pieces from oak, walnut, maple, ash, or other types of timber, there is something special about the aesthetics that certain types of wood can bring out in an office or home setting. Cherry has a dark natural color that puts it in a rare category of timber. While some people prefer other choices, it's hard to argue with desks made from natural wood being less attractive than simple modern desks made from glass or the cheap Wal-Mart pieces of crap made from easily breakable fiberboard.

The fact that cherry wood writing desks can last for years or even generations is another bonus that should not be overlooked. This type of furniture is durable and can be a living monument to family history. That's a whole heck of a lot more than you can ever expect from some cheap replica desk from Wal-Mart or Office Max.

Perfect Office Furniture

2009-09-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ergonomic Office Chairs

There are many different types of office furniture that are important to any home or regular office. This can range from the very obvious, like writing desks, to less obvious things like water coolers and the types of chairs. While some good looking comfortable leather chairs might be perfect for clients who need to wait, or interviewees for a new job, they aren't always the best choice for actual workers. These aren't the types of chairs that can just be pushed up to a desk and provide both the comfort and the support needed for a long day's productive work.

This is where the importance of ergonomic mesh office chairs comes in. These chairs look good, look professional, but offer the flexibility needed to provide comfort and support. The ergonomic designs of these office chairs helps to prevent injuries, especially the repetitive motion injuries that are very common with office work, with carpal tunnel perhaps being the most famous of them all. Ergonomic office chairs are becoming increasingly popular, and it's not hard to see why. They help to prevent injuries, encourage good posture, and look good all at the same time.

The mesh office chair design is also one of the most popular for several reasons. The most obvious is that these are good looking chairs that are considered stylish and acceptable for any office whether it's a home office, small office, or even a large fortune 500 type company. These chairs are somewhat flexible to allow for comfort, but also firm enough to give the support needed for the average office worker.

Any office can profit from the right choice in furniture, and when style can meet both firmness and comfort you've hit the jackpot and most likely you're looking at a great example of ergonomic office chairs.

Very Low Calorie Diets

2009-09-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Is the Cambridge Diet the King of All VLCD Diets?

There are many very low calorie diets out there which are often referred to as fad diets. Sometimes this is an accurate look at it, but sometimes like in the case of the Cambridge Diet, it is not a completely accurate look at things. A fad diet is by definition a "here today and gone tomorrow" bad idea that shows up and then before you know it, is gone. While there are certain aspects of the Cambridge Diet that can make people think of it this way, the truth is that this diet has been around for decades and is still extremely popular in parts of the world. Especially in Great Britain, where this diet is also sometimes referred to as the Cambridge Diet UK.

This is a very low calorie diet that has a very specific multi-step system, and is highly recommended only for the morbidly obese, and with direct medical supervision. This is a weight loss plan that will cause most people who are grossly overweight to lose a lot of pounds over time. In fact, some dieters who started in the high 400 to low 500 pound range have lost over 300 lbs. in one year - although these are extraordinary examples and should not be considered normal. Still, this seems in many ways to be the preferred very low calorie diet for major weight loss for the morbidly obese, and it has a track record to prove itself.

If you're looking at the Cambridge Diet as a possible way to lose a lot of weight, it's a worthy program but make sure that you have the necessary medical supervision and a firm understanding of how exactly this diet does work. If you do that, you'll be far more likely to be happy with the end results of this program. Good luck, and lose that excess weight!

Cambridge Diet - This Sounds Insane!

2009-09-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Brief Cambridge Diet Review

The Cambridge Diet is a very low calorie diet that is extremely popular in the United Kingdom. Once also somewhat popular in the United States, this particular weight loss plan has lost some popularity in the States but is still in use in the UK for morbidly obese individuals. There are a lot of reports online about this eating plan, but it can be hard to figure out which to listen to, especially when many of them are written by individuals who are selling the Cambridge Diet products as affiliates.

This is a very brief review, but I'll chip in my thoughts really quickly. For one, 400 calories a day seems like way WAY too few. The one credit I will give to this eating plan is that the only individuals who are supposed eat this few starting out are dangerously overweight people who really need to shed a lot of pounds in little time from some type of a quick weight loss diet. If you weigh 400, 500, or 600 pounds, losing weight now to help your heart probably is the number one priority.

That being said, no one who isn't at that dangerous level should eat this few calories a day. The one part of this diet that is said to justify those low amounts is that at the beginning stages all 400 calories come from special Cambridge Diet soups and shakes which are designed to be loaded with vitamins and nutrients, as well as containing the minimum roughage the body needs to squeak by.

That said, the goal is to get off of the 400 calorie level as quickly as possible and get to the point where the 400 calories daily from Cambridge Diet products are also supplemented by extra calories from a variety of regular foods. Even with that exception, having levels at 600 calories, 800 calories, and 1,000 calories still seems way too low.

So that's my two cents. Personally I think there are simply better options out there. Feel free in the comments to let me know what you think. If you want a more detailed review, I found this Cambridge Diet Review that seems as fair and balanced as any other one I've been able to actually find.

Carp Fishing Gear

2009-08-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

Carp Equipment

Carp fishing gear comes in many different forms, and is much easier to find in Europe and other parts of the world than it is in the United States. Part of the reason for this is that while the carp is revered as a major sports fish by freshwater anglers in other parts of the world, it is seen as more of an invasive species and junk fish in the U.S. This is a shame as the carp is a great fresh water fish that tastes great smoked, and grows to giant sizes for a freshwater fish. In fact, in many places in the United States the carp, along with the catfish, are probably by far and away the two biggest freshwater fish that can be found.

Still, this doesn't mean that good carp fishing equipment can't be found in the United States. This just means that it takes a little bit more work and effort. While you might not be able to get the fancy and professional $3,000 carp rigs that many European anglers enjoy, there is plenty of good angling equipment that should me more than adequate for a start. Of course this might all change by the end of this year, since for the first time ever the world carp fishing championship is going to be right here in the United States.

Writing Desks Freaking Rock!

2009-03-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

Writing Desks: Great Furniture

Maybe it's because I always loved writing, but writing desks to me have always been the coolest type of furniture. They're stylish, some of the antique models still look good even when they're hundreds of years old, and a good writing desk is one of the few pieces of furniture that looks good in any room.

It is kind of weird, since nowadays I'm often on a computer. While I love the old school desks with pull out hutches and intricate wood work, these types of writing desks simply aren't designed for use with modern computers and/or laptops. This is a shame, because I love the old school looks from the older style, antique writing desks, a lot better than the modern versions. Often times the modern writing desks are overly simple - a lot like a normal computer desk. While this is much more functional, it really takes away from the sophisticated look that the old school designs offer.

Still, there are some really great looking cherry wood desks, or intricately carved Italian writing desks that look fantastic and still have some holes drilled out in some inconspicuous places to allow for the necessary cables, but like too many things, it seems like function is beating out form.

With writing desks, I think that's a damn shame.

New Xomba Writing Blog

2009-02-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

Digital Nomads, Travel Logs, & a New Writing Blog

This will be a short post giving some shout outs and back link love to a few blogs I've just recently discovered, or else some good resources just getting going. I'm all about the traveling off the beaten path, about looking for the unexpected, or finding something new and interesting. So for a few side thoughts:

If you want to read a really interesting personal blog that brought the term "Digital Nomad" to my attention, then take a look at Justin's blog, "The Life of Justin: The Blog of a Digital Nomad." This is a fantastic blog. Justin has a great writing style, sharp sense of humor, and is living what, in my opinion, really is "The Dream."

The idea of "Digital Nomad" isn't new to me by any stretch, but I prefer that term to many of the others that I've heard. Check it out for some quality reading.

If you're looking for some good travel writing, check out this Squidoo lens on the Top 10 Travel Narratives. I absolutely love travel writing, and in fact I'm already reading "The Best Travel Writing of 2008" to get back in the mood.

Otherwise, there's a new blog that just got started with a very interesting twist, at least in my opinion. A writer is going to talk about Xomba.com, and going to talk about the benefits of the site, the negatives, and keep up over the course of a year as he continues to write and improve, and even share earnings observations.

So if that sounds interesting, check out Xomba Freelance Writing Adventures.

Hope ya'll find something of interest there. Until next time, cheers!

Top 10 Movie Lists

2009-02-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Movies Lists

One of the things I love to write about is movie lists. There are so many genres and sub genres that sometimes the potential number of lists articles can seem endless. I really enjoy top 10 movie lists, although one of the problems that can come up with this is occasionally you write, edit, then publish and realize that after publishing (when it's too late to change) that you missed an obvious one that everyone remembers (like Conan the Barbarian for top 10 fantasy adventure movies or missing Kathy Bates from Misery for top 10 female psychos ((and yes, that was an egregious error))).

But they're still good articles, so I thought I'd share links to some of the top 10 movie articles that I've written & published online.

Top 10 Werewolf Movies
Top 10 Dark Comedies
Top 10 Movie Anti-Heroes
Top 10 Post Apocalyptic Movies
Top 10 Fantasy Adventure Movies
Top 10 Dangerous Movie Women Characters
Top 10 Movie Psychopaths - once again, apologies for leaving off Kathy Bates' character from the movie Misery
Top 10 Vampire Movies
Top 10 Christmas Horror Movies

I've written many other top 10 movie lists, though these are the ones that are published online for everyone to see. I'm a particularly huge fan of the post apocalyptic movies, although there's a lot to be said for most of the movies and/or characters on these lists.

Hope that gives you some reading and some food for thought. Until later, cheers!

Music, Karaoke, and Surviving Too Many Drinks

2009-02-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Karaoke, Heavy Drinking, and The Bastard Mixed Drink Journey

Well, it seems to me that the three topics in the title are definitely related. It takes heavy drinking to even get me even considering a karaoke night, and it doesn't get much heavier drinking wise than the "Bastard Trilogy" of mixed drinks. One note: if you ever have a chance of getting sucked into the terrible warbling of a karaoke bar or a karaoke night, make sure to go in prepared with a mental list of the top 10 karaoke songs. Knowing these will help your chances of surviving karaoke night, even when you can't sing.

So how us tone deaf warblers get sucked into karaoke nights? Usually it takes a lot more than beer. It's one thing to sit at home and warble to our favorite CD Box Sets in peace, but to humiliate ourselves in public? That takes the hard stuff.

So this brings us to the "Bastard Trilogy." The Bastard Trilogy is a series of four drinks (yes, the name is freaking ironic), and comes with a story.

The Bastard Story: A guy goes into the bar and needs to get hammered. He's already drunk, but he had the break up that just crushes a person and so the bartender is sympathetic and decides to give him a heavy drink, because he has sympathy for the suffering bastard.

After this drink the suffering bastard still isn't through, so even though it's not a good idea he takes a second drink, and becomes the dying bastard.

The dying bastard decides that enough is enough, and he's going to have that one last drink. The third drink finishes him off, and he becomes the dead bastard.

Well you'd think it would be over, but the dead bastard had one last stop, as he got into heaven, which turned out to be like a beach, so Peter let him in and handed him a Mai Tai.

So those 4 drinks make up the bastard "trilogy," and will hammer even an experienced drinker. And that's how we end up at karaoke night. At least for those of us who can't sing with a crap. So that's it. The bastard trilogy, karaoke, and CD Box Sets. Easily tied together. I win the bet, my buddy owes me $5. Cheers!

Bill Gates, Nintendo Wiis for Grandmas, Weird Holidays, and Other Random Thoughts

2009-02-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

This will be a quick post, as it's been an insanely busy week and I'm already something like 30 articles behind despite getting about 11 a day done, so please forgive me for taking a lot of time preparing my "James Bond: Renaissance Man?" post. That's a question I think is a lot better than some people initially might have thought, and I want to make sure the right amount of time goes into it.

So if you haven't heard about Bill Gates' stunt releasing mosquitoes into a technology conference while talking about Malaria, read this: Is Bill Gates Completely Insane?

Personally, I think it's hilarious, and normal people don't become multi-billionaires, so I don't think it should surprise anyone that one of the two richest men in the world is just a wee bit eccentric. But that's just my take on the whole matter.

Something I found funny was a month ago when I was visiting a friend's family, he was back there for a few days, and found out his parents (now in their mid 50's) bought a Nintendo Wii for themselves. And actually played it. Apparently the Wii is being marketed to traditional non-gamers, and a lot of baby boomers, grandparents, and tradtionally non-video game types are really digging it. Good for them, and good for Nintendo.

Just goes to show, when too many competitors concentrate on a tiny slice of consumers (hard core gamers) if you want success, then buy a Wii for your grandmother.

Never thought I'd see the day, but it's pretty cool now that it's happened. And since Groundhog Day has come and passed (great movie with Bill Murray, for those of you who have never seen it), so it made me wonder what other weird holdiays are out there. Not saying these are all bad holidays, I'm just saying when there's a holiday virtually every day, it's a little out of control. I think most of these that follow deserve recognition, but is "holiday" really the right word?

Flag day, Administrative Assistants Day, Armed Forces Day (Veterans' Day & Memorial Day isn't enough?), National Boss Day, United Ntions Day, etc.

Heck, February is National grapefruit month, embroidery month, snack food month, responsible pet owner month, and return grocery carts to the store month. I am not making this up, I've found all of these at several sources. Oh, and since it's Feb. 5th, Happy Disaster Day, and if I don't see you tommorow, Happy Lame Duck Day.

Other Random Thoughts:

If you were a police officer following a car, and a human foot fell out of the trunk, would you also charge the guy for littering?

How great are mankind's priorities when every culture in the world somehow perfected the art of getting drunk...and do you ever wonder about all the people who had to die or go blind to give us the whiskey we drink today?

Tampa Bay rocks. (Good city, had a lot of fun there)

My idea of hell would be running into that 40 foot snake big as a school bus that can easily eat cows an crocodiles that scientists just found a fossil full. (shivers)

The PS2 really was just that awesome.

Reflections on Xomba

2009-02-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

Xomba Musings

Xomba is an open site for writers who can make money through their AdSense account, as well as through relevant affiliate links. Xomba is like an article directory, but you can put your AdSense code and any time one of the ads gets clicked, you split the profit from that click 50/50 with Xomba. This gives writers an interesting chance to get some serious passive income streams going, and the inherent linking from Xomba gives it a boost, like Hubpages and Squidoo, and allows for those types of articles to rank higher in the search engine rankings than a normal blog post (at least for beginners to the whole SEO/Adsense thing).

The one major difference about Xomba compared to other places like Associated Content, or Constant Content, is that you need to gear Xomba articles towards topics that have AdSense advertisers. If you don't, it's the kiss of death to your Google earnings, and aside from not earning anything, you'll also get smart priced.

This week was the first one where one of my articles was among the ten highest ranked. It was my article about passive income for freelance writers, and how that is the key to the lifestyle that most envision when they try a writing career.

While the AdSense topics somewhat limit article topics, this still leaves a wide open field. An example of five very different article topics I've used for Xomba articles include:

This barely scratches the surface, and a little bit of key word research reveals much better paying keywords that you might be able to jump on to really jump start the earnings. And if it is constantly passive, all the better.

In addition, sometimes it's just nice to be able to write about different topics than you usually get to cover for paid assignments, and maybe somewhere along the way you'll find a gold mine. If not, at least it's more than you had before.

Anyway, that's some of my musings on Xomba, which is a much different type of site for writers, but I like it as one of many different freelance writing channels. There will be more to come, and on some more odd topics (I know I've been getting off topic recently with a lot of writing posts, I'll diversify again soon), including some of the long awaited random thoughts that have been bugging me for a while now.

Security Vs. Freedom

2009-02-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Freelance Writing: Security, Freedom; Both or Neither?

Freelance writing is one of those professions that is almost paradoxical by nature. I've been writing full time for a living since before finishing grad school, figuring out how to write for money on my own because at the time I was broke, sleeping on a friend's floor, and had both legs badly injured from a car accident, meaning I had to be able to work from his apartment. So at the beginning for me, writing was the only way I had to eat consistently, even if most meals were rice and Ramen noodles. But it also opened the way for my to go back to school, to spend a year and a half at a dream job in Austin, Texas, and get the ability to travel since all I need to work now is an Internet connection.

But I also pay insanely high taxes (in addition to having to pay them quarterly), have to compete with many other writers for work, and the pay isn't steady. I've had off months where I barely cleared a grand. Then again, there have been months where I closed in on $6,000 (but those months I also guarantee I was working 80 hour weeks). Online freelance writing assignments do allow writers to be able to make money online and have an unusual amount of freedom, but as with all things, there are caveats.

So define freedom. Can I get up at 6 a.m. and get my homemade fly fishing gear ready to hit the trout streams when they're biting? Absolutely. By the same token, however, if I spend the early morning hours to the early afternoon hours fishing, that freelance work that is waiting for me still needs to get done. So guess who will be staying up into the wee hours of the night (or even all the way into the "Witching Hour" of the next morning, if need be) to get that work done? Yup. The work has to get done.

There are tricks to this, and experience helps. If you want the ultimate example of a "time management" coach (although he would hate that term) then look up Timothy Ferriss's book: The 4 Hour Work Week for a fantastic resource that can help guide you. The tricks and tactics here transfer to the freelance writing life style easily.

There is freedom in that you can move around. I have traveling all through my blood, as my huge love of great travel narratives can attest to. So having friends across the country, I can travel and visit all the great friends I've met over the years, finding free Wi-fi or spending time in coffee shops getting all the writing work done to get paid. While there isn't a lot of physical stress from the freelance writing job, there is a lot of mental stress.

But can I go hike the Appalachian Trail over the summer? No. Not unless I have no steady work and have enough money to pay all my bills automatically AND still have money for water, food, camping equipment, emergency medical bills, etc. So there are limits. Sometimes being a freelance writer feels like freedom at it's best. Sometimes it feels like I'm a dog on a very long leash.

In addition, there is a big pay difference between what you want to write about and what pays the bills. There are great places to write for money online, and an article like this one on my favorite post apocalyptic movies has gotten to the point where it pays me about $8-9 a month passive income. So up front it was only worth $5, but things have gone the right way so that article now makes me about $100 a year and will continue to do so as long as that article ranks well in Google for a lot of search terms. There is where you find the potential for complete freedom that most would be writers dream about: it's in learning how to make passive online income. But most the time I write "work for hire" articles for others, because that pays a lot more and is guaranteed pay, something that is important.

It's possible, but it's hard, and it takes a whole lot of time to figure out. The way I try to explain the freedom of freelance writing is that you have more freedom than ever within the frame work of a job, but you are in some ways MORE restrained than ever to constantly hammering out the work, and to always being within quick reach of the technology and online jagguernaut.

And so here I am again, trying to work out the balance of money now with trying to make enough passive income to have the full and true freedom of what I want. So I listed to "The 4 Hour Work Week" again, keep hammering on articles and other writing jobs, and go back to figuring out affiliate sales and Adsense.

Freelance writing can be a great blanket of security as a part time income for someone who has a steady full time job, but as a full time job when you have a lot of bills, it's a fight.

Dystopias & Dystopians

2009-02-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Dystopia Novels & Dystopian Movies

There are a lot of things in life that I love, but one that sticks out above many others is the dystopia genre. Whether these are dystopian novels or dystopian movies, there is just something about dystopia that I find endlessly fascinating. In my mind, the king of all of these are the post apocalyptic movies, which by their very nature are generally dystopian in nature. Part of it might be the doom and gloom, part of it is that I tend to like genres where the world the story is set in isn't just background, but it actually is almost a living, breathing character that is just as important to the story as any human or mutant.

That doesn't mean I'm a blind sucker. I found parts of Resident Evil: Extinction interesting (mostly because I liked the background of the desert world - very Mad Max like), but overall the movie ticked me off and in the end it was a worthy mindless watch, but in the end it also still sucked. Well such is life. Still, if everyone has a "junk" genre they love, the male version of trashy romance novels, for me it's not the mlitary shoot 'em up in the jungles that were ghost written by the hundreds, but it is apocalypse, post apocalypse, and dystopian. It's my mental junk food.

There are probably a thousand ways I can go with this post, and there are hundreds of movies and/or books that are worth watching in this genre. I can probably make top ten or twelve or fifty lists, but I've already done this in other places, as well, so I'll come back with some top 50 lists later. I guess the biggest thing for this post is just the encouragment of people who haven't read much in this genre to really dive in and find some of the gems.

This page: http://www.squidoo.com/best-dystopian-novels is based on the top 12 dystopian books, with a strong emphasis on diversity of the list. So some readers may love the feminist dystopians written about by Margaret Atwood, while others prefer the political works like The Iron Heel by Jack London or It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Maybe you want the post apocalyptic, or a zombie apocalypse, or modern authors like Terry Brooks have the end of this world as the birth of a new one. Dystopias as false uptopias: some of the best classics of all time fall under this list.

There are many amazing options to dystopian novels and books, so I strongly encourage readers to go around and find the works that really speak to them!

Survive Alaskan Winters? How About Iowan Winters?

2009-01-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

Iowa Winters, Alaska Winters, and eHow

As a veteran of three Alaskan winters, you'd think coming back to an Iowan winter wouldn't be that big a thing, and yet...2008-2009 in Iowa is giving me a run for my money. This has been part of my reflection which has already led to one eHow article on How to Survive an Alaskan Winter, and will probably lead to several more winter based articles on eHow, one of my favorite places to write online.

This does bring up an interesting question, however. Why is an Iowa winter rough after being through so many Alaskan winters? Well this one is fairly easy. For one, it's a slanted question because I did spend 15 months in Austin, TX, between my Alaska winters and my reunion with Iowa's December (and January) cold.

And when it's not windy, I actually do pretty well at 10 degrees and above. This is important since my brother still hasn't found my winter coat and hat, so I'm walking around in a fall jacket and four layers. Fairbanks consistently saw -30 and -40, but there was also NEVER any wind, so no wind chill. I thought about writing about all the strange little things about winter in Alaska, but someone already wrote "The Frozen Toe Guide to Surviving Winter in Alaska." So I'll let him share his wisdom.

The wind here is worse, sucking the air right out of the lungs, and part of it is just the good old fashioned human ability to adapt. What's -20 F when it's usually -40 F? When -10 is unusually cold in Iowa, then 15 will be cold, too. And you can't adapt to wind. Not in the winter. But I digress.

I've always been a winter person, and after almost two years of not seeing snow, it is nice. And more snow. And more snow again. But as my timing is always amazing, this winter has seen some of the lowest temperatures in recorded Iowa history. Imagine my surprise one morning and seeing on the news -25. Imagine how more surprised I was when that wasn't the wind chill, because the next screen had that at -66. Both shattered the previous records.

Welcome home, Shane, LOL.

I'll mention more on eHow later. For those of you who don't know me or haven't figured it out, I'm a write who has a wandering mind. This blog will never be monetized with Adsense, so this is the one where I get to wander where I see fit. Which will be rambling any and everywhere, lol.

But what would a post about an alaska winter be without an actual picture or two? So, let's see if I can figure out the add photo stuff:

So I don't see it in preview mode, so hopefully that shows up. Okay, it did, but not where I wanted it in the post. So the frozen crystals in my old outhouse will have to wait until I get better with placing photos.

Although I'm thinking a spring trip to Tampa Bay might be in order, I admit that I love the winter - though it is harder when everyone I'm staying with has a really cold house, especially waking up in the morning and not being warm, and making it harder to warm up.

Still beats the hell out of summer.

Anyway, I'll write more about ehow and Hubpages later, because I'm big on both places as being great places to write online about a wide variety of subjects. The making money on the side is nice, but I especially appreciate Hubpages as a place where I can write about whatever's on my mind. And when I get some good feedback and even made a touch of coin on the side, well even better.

Well until next time: I'm working on my James Bond as a Reniassance Man argument as well as several other unusual odds and ends. Later.

Making Home Made Root Beer

2009-01-27T13:22:00.001-08:00

Learning to Make Root Beer from Home

As the economy gets worse and people brace themselves for a long recession, more and more people are looking back on the examples of our parents and grandparents to figure out how to become more self sufficient. While this is a good idea, and while I applaud it, it's hard not to notice that more and more people also seem to think that this means giving up every little gift to yourself, or every single "treat" to live bare bones for as long as it takes for things to fix themselves.

Um, no. While there are no doubt millions of people who have to cut back, and while this nation as a whole really needs to change its attitudes about money and credit, it's not like our grandparents didn't have fun or didn't occasionally treat themselves. One small way to do this could be learning how to make root beer. Making homemade root beer isn't nearly as difficult as many people have made it out to be, and it can be a quick and easy way to have a great sweet treat while saving money. An initial root beer brewing kit often only costs around $14, and after that it's sugar, water, and extract. If you get good, you can even replace most of the sugar with honey, molasses, ginger, or something similar.

A single batch tends to make 5-6 gallons, and it's hard to argue with that. In addition, you might just find a way of brewing root beer that makes a better flavor than you can buy in stores. It just really goes to show that while a lot of people are cutting back, being creative can help you learn brilliant new skills, have fun even in rough times, and get a little bit extra for yourself.

So whether you're a MUG or A&W or Barq's fan, try your hand a few times and you may learn to love brewing homemade root beer.

Alaskan Home Sick

2009-01-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

So it's a new year and thank God for that much, at least. 2009 sees me unemployed, but I'm already getting back into the swing of freelance writing once again, I have plenty of side projects to keep me busy and enough severance pay and tax return money to get me thinking once again. I miss having a lot of friends around, and being a wanderlust sort of fellow, Iowa just isn't quite doing it for me. Been there/done that for 19 years and change, and it's time to be moving on again.

Alaska is one of the few places that really made me feel at home, and I still have plenty of good friends there. Since all my work is online, a major question comes to mind: what am I doing here?

Part of it I'm sure is just getting a little time to settle. Seems like yesterday I was moving from Alaska to Texas to take a new job, and then a little more than a year later it's pink slip time like it is for so many others, and so I'm left to looking for greener pastures. This brings up some really good questions, including the types of questions that a lot of people maybe should ask in general, unemployed or not:

Why am I here?
What am I doing?
Is this what I want in life?
Am I happy where I am?
If not, why not and how do I fix it?

I've written about living each day to the fullest, one of many small philosphies I believe in, and that's one of the reasons that taking long walks is so important to me: it gets me out of wherever I'm staying and out where I can meet people, see changing scenery, or just have some time to think about things. And for me, even the prospect of having to survive another Alaska winter isn't enough to prevent me from heading back. In all honesty, in a strange way the winters are part of the fun.

All of us are different, but too many people just go through a rut and make life an unhappy prison from which they dupe themselves into believing there's no escape. I suppose I could be depressed about the economy, about losing my dream job, about moving yet again or about how time passes and the confusion that follows with growing up, but what's the point? I'd rather stay relatively happy and look forward to what's coming up next.

So for someone like me whom technology has given the ability to work anywhere, anytime, as long as I have a reasonable Internet connection and a laptop, the decision is easy. Go back to the place where I have the greatest concentration of friends still hanging out in one area, asking me to come back. I'll be heading back to Sweet Home Alaska, to keep working on my projects and to see what's next for me, to see if I'm half as good as I think I am, and to do what's right for myself until it's time to move again.

Best of luck to everyone this new year, and let's hope we all end up having a great year of happiness and hope.

Sorry for the Delay - Returning Soon!

2008-10-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

I Shall Return

Sorry for the long delay on this blog. This definitely is not meant for the blogging world graveyard, but life has been incredibly busy, and aside from my first vacation in three years (my first time to Las Vegas), working hard for my boss while learning new responsibilities, freelancing, and trying to get my own businesses running and other blogs updated, as much as I love this blog, it's the one that fell through the cracks.

While things are still going to be somewhat sporadic the next few weeks or so, I do want to continue posting here and really steer away from politics to more cerebral issues. I've been dallying on Hubpages a little bit, so for the sake of discussion, here are some links on popular arguments that I think really should be debated:

Predestination Versus Free Will

Why Should We Legalize Marijuana?

Ancient History's Mysteries

I'm proud of these three pages, and believe there should be a lot of thought provoking discussion because of it. Enjoy, and I'll be back soon with my James Bond as a Renaissance Man argument!

Writing | Learning to Write | Writing Ebooks

2008-07-08T22:46:00.001-07:00

More Writing Help Coming Soon

First of all, for those who have been visiting my freelance writing blog, I want to thank everyone who has visited this freelance writing page, checked back for updates, and sent me messages as many of you have really started out. This freelance writing help website is definitely a passion for me, and it's been extremely encouraging to hear from all of you and to know I've really helped to amke a difference. Thank you all so much :)!!

A lot of you have been especially interested in Constant-Content, and I can't say I blame you.

After several more months, I actually prefer CC to even Guru and Elance. Guru and Elance are better for jumping into writing full time, but if you're looking for a supplemental income or part time writing income, Constant-Content is a pretty darn good deal.

And if you're on six months unemployment and desperate to get moving, CC is a good supplement while you're slowly building your reputation on the auction based freelance writing sites.

This summer I have a ton of things on my plate, so this will be a while yet, but I am hoping before the end of August to write a step by step guide on how to make some good money at Constant Content. I've tried to provide a lot of good information on this page, but CC is one of those that could easily have a 50 page tutorial on the best ways to use that site and still not completely scratch the surface.

So I'll be working on an e-book that I'll hopefully make available this fall. CC has a $50 threshold for payment, but this is not at all hard to hit if you know what you're doing, and unlike building for Adsense, you should be able to hit that mark the very first month you sign up.

So if you've been here before, that's my next project for you to look forward to. If you haven't, please read the rest of this page and use the information to get you going. I've had tons of great comments and e-mails from people, and each one has been a blessing.

So thanks again, and keep an eye out for the Constant-Content ebook which will be out soon.

Sweet - "Turn the Page" Takes Place in Iowa!

2008-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Little Details You Don't Think About in College

I have long been a huge Bob Seger fan, and my friends and I listened to that CD over and over during the college years and beyond. The biggest argument we all had was over which Seger song was best. My vote was always with "Turn the Page" with "Beautiful Loser" a close second. My brother is so adamant about "Beautiful Loser" being the most important that we've almost come to blows over this argument.

Nothing against "Hollywood Hills," "Still the Same," "Against the Wind," or "Like a Rock," or against the two more mainstream Seger songs: "Main Street" and "Old Time Rock n' Roll." Bob Seger will always be one of my favorite artists, but I always related best to the haunting emotional toil of "Turn the Page," to the lyrics that suggested quiet anger, not belonging, the need to back down from an impossible fight that you should fight, about life and the confusion no one ever warns you about.

Having spent many years in Iowa, and having gone to college there (at Coe College, not U of I), so after listening to this song hundreds of times, it amazes me that for years I missed a basic fact: which is that this song logically takes place in Iowa.

Based on an early line: "On a lonely lonesome highway, east of Omaha..." Well immediately east of Omaha is Iowa, and the highways in the western part of the state can be extremely lonely and quiet. So my favorite song's setting is Iowa. That is cool.

And that is my random thought for the day.

Topics coming soon:

Is 007 James Bond a modern Renaissance Man?
The amazing worlds of dystopian work
20 cult classic must see movies for college students who want to be part of the "cult culture" or "counter culture."

2008 Politics: John McCain's Choices for Vice President

2008-06-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

John McCain still has some time, but he's behind in the polls and facing a once in a generation opponent in Barack Obama. There are a lot of choices for potential vice presidential candidates, some good and some bad. Among the most popular names, here are some possible VP candidates for Republican Presidential nominee John McCain.

#1: Mike Huckabee, ex-governor Arkansas

Huckabee would make sense for several reasons. He could help shore up the South, where it looks like Barack Obama could make a serious run at some states, as well as get the evangelicals (who are hardly fans of McCain as a candidate) fired up enough to show.

In addition to this, Huckabee is a great campaigner and communicator who was also popular among young college students, and Huckabee is a very likable personable character who could strike a chord with voters, and was popular in Iowa where McCain has virtually no history or set up in what could be a critical swing state.

#2: Mitt Romney, ex-governor Massachusetts

Romney is very popular among fiscal conservatives, who don't like Huckabee and are steaming mad at the government's spending habits. Romney knows economics, and not only would be a good fund raiser, but could also be seen as a movement by McCain to reach out to blue collar workers.

Downsides: Romney is not particularly likable, he doesn't deliver any states, and he's a terrible debater, an area where McCain hardly thrives, either.

#3: Sarah Palin, governor Alaska

She might be the least known outside of her state, but this "unknown" could be the strongest VP candidate. She has record approval ratings of nearly 90%, is a born again Christian with several children, an obsessive hatred of corruption (she has cleaned house in Alaska - a state notorious for under the table politics), and she is a very attractive female who is very likable, and who (along with her husband) relate very well to the younger generation.

Governor Palin could easily take the anti-corruption, anti-Washington message that McCain needs to find to compete with Obama, and she might also take advantage of disenfranchised women voters to give McCain some critical swing stakes. A very intriguing candidate.

#4: Tim Pawlenty, governor Minnesota

Pawlenty has been thrown around a lot as a possible candidate, and one who could help rally conservatives to McCain while possibly delivering Minnesota, a traditional blue state, to McCain in what should be a close election.

Downside? It doesn't seem he has much effect on surrounding states, so may not help at all with Wisconsin or Iowa, plus limited name recognition.

#5: Charlie Crist, governor Florida

He's a popular governor in an important swing state the McCain campaign has to have, and wrapping up Florida would be a nice bonus. Problem is that Crist hasn't been a governor long, and if he jumped to a VP ticket just as crisis hit Florida, this pick could actually turn around and work against the McCain if the population turns on him.

#6: Tom Ridge, ex-governor Pennsylvania

The thought here is to seal up the swing state of Pennsylvania and try to hurt the Democrats electorally, while putting someone on the ticket who might have a little bit of name power in neighboring Ohio, as well. This is a man who is also popular among those conservatives in the party that McCain has trouble wooing.

Problems? Oh yeah. As director of homeland security, Ridge represents the worst of what many voters hated about the Bush administration, and to pick someone that close to the Bush Presidency would hand the Democrats a golden gift, allowing Obama to paint McCain as Bush term #3.

These are some of the most popular choices being mentioned as possible vice presidential candidates for Republican Presidential nominee John McCain.

Who Should Obama Choose as VP? | What Does Hillary Bring to the Table?

2008-06-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Obama's Vice Presidential Choices - Who's Best?

There's a lot of talk immediately after the nomination about whether or not Hillary Clinton should be Barack Obama's choice for Vice President. The problem is that with her actions and bullying speech on the night that should have been all about the first black Presidential nominee in American history, Hillary gave a speech that suggested she may not release her delegates, and the night came about her, not him.

Many commentators on the mainstream news even commented on the perceived brashness of Hillary, who should have given this night to Obama and made any announcements the next day. It seemed that as Obama gave an open door to allowing the possibility of such a ticket, Hillary tried to force her way onto the #2 spot and may have very well slammed the door shut as a result.

This may have been surprising to some, even to Democrats, but I have to wonder about all this anger and all the arguing that Hillary's supporters won't dare support Obama. Will a lot of Democratic women really vote for McCain, who will almost certainly look to overturn Roe vs. Wade for his party's political base? With several months to simmer down, will workers really want more of the same economic policies, voting for a candidate who has even said that he doesn't know much about economics? If the anger is really this deep, if Clinton has poisoned the well this much (and there is no denying that - she has poisoned the well hoping to help her position by doing so), will having Hillary as VP even get those votes back anyway? I'm not sure they will.

A lot can happen between now and election. With focus soon to turn back on McCain, a lot of the crap that's slid under the radar is going to come to light, and it's not hard to see him taking a hit since there's no more free ride. Also, the debates will be interesting. The Clintons forced Obama to become a great debater, especially as a "counter-puncher." If McCain comes after Obama in debates, it's going to play into Obama's hands.

Most years the Vice Presidential nominations are badly overrated, but this year for both sides I think it truly might be the weight that tips the scale. So here's the review on known possibilities for Barack Obama, with a post on John McCain to follow later.

#1: Senator Hillary Clinton, New York. I'm going to say right away, I was a big fan of Bill Clinton as President until his last couple years, but I was never convinced that Hillary would be a great candidate, and I don't think she's a good choice at all for VP. First of all, there's no guarantee she'll bring in a lot of woman voters, or blue collars, since the second name on the ticket has less power than the first (see Senator John Edwards from 2004). What it comes down to for me is this: she brings no states into play in what could be a very close election, and there's a ton of baggage - plus by trying to force herself on the ticket, if Obama chose her, it would look like he was giving in, furthering questions of whether he can lead or not. Clinton brings baggage, but there's only the possibility of her bringing in extra votes.

#2: Governor Tim Kaine, Virginia. Virginia has become what some are now calling "Purple States," that are more conservative, but edging Democrat more and more often. Kaine is a democratic governor who could deliver Virginia's 13 electoral votes to Obama, and that would be a strong team who could make a serious run at North and South Carolina, as well. Kaine fits in as a young dynamic governor who can work across party lines and still represent change.

#3: Governor Bill Richardson, New Mexico. Personally, I would love this choice. Richardson is likable, has an extremely impressive resume experience wise (including foreign policy), and he would deliver New Mexico (5 electoral votes) and put Nevada (5) and Colorado (9) into pretty strong play. His favor with Hispanic voters could even go so far as to give Obama a better shot at Florida (27), and would provide a truly dynamic ticket.

#4: Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska. This is especially intriguing since Hagel is a Republican. If he could deliver Nebraska (5 electoral votes), and be a strong influence in Iowa where Obama looks good as is. This cross party ticket could cause independents and disenfranchised Republicans to flock to this ticket.

#5: Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas. She's a moderate Democratic governor in an incredibly red state. Charismatic, popular, she would be great on a change ticket, but with how things have developed, she could be seen as a blatant slight at Hillary, and may not be able to deliver Kansas.

#6: Governor Ed Rendell, Pennslyvania. He's a popular governor of a critical state that Republicans think might be in play this November. He could solidify Pennslyvania as a blue state, and might be a familiar name for nearby Ohio.

There are other options, and John Edwards would be a great one, except he's already taken his name off the ballot. Kerry lost 286-252, and 270 is the magic number. What could be encouraging to Democrats is assuming they lost both Florida and Ohio again, they would still have a decent chance to win, because every state they win that they didn't in 2004 not only adds electoral votes, but takes them away from the other side. A swing of 17 electoral votes will be enough to switch it, assuming the Dems can hold their previous states. Not a guarantee, but not out of the question.

17 electoral votes isn't a lot as a swing, which is why the VP choice is important. Considering how close Iowa was last time, and how popular Obama is there vs. McCain who has no previous presence, there's a good chance Iowa goes blue. That would make it a switch to 279-259 off the bat, meaning only 10 more would be needed. Any two state combination of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, or North Carolina would do it, which is why Hillary may not be a good choice.

In a close election, 5 electoral votes could be the difference between victory and defeat. Those are five of the top choices for Obama for Vice President. Coming soon: Preview of John McCain's possible choices.

Scottish Renaissance Men, or Barack Obama?

2008-06-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

A Strange First Blog Post

I was going to have my first blog post be on politics, with a special focus on Barack Obama and the media's news coverage of the Democratic primaries, including what seems to be unbelievable omissions on the race issue, and on the complete ignoring of several issues with John McCain's campaign that are terrible enough they should be page one (can anyone tell me his former staff's connection the Myanmar military junta?).

But I have mild ADD, and while tooling around through other daily chores I found out that there are several people who searched daily for the specific term: "A 12th Century Scottish Renaissance Man."

Okay, I'm intrigued. If you don't know now, you will in reading future posts, that I'm all about all things Scottish because of my family background, coming from the Monteath clan. So I'm assuming this means that somewhere there is a university class with an extra credit trivia question, or some very strange other scenario. The 12th century was before the main level of the European Renaissance, but there was an early lesser known time of renaissance that took place during the 12th century.

So why specifically a Scottish Renaissance Man? That's an intriguing search to me, especially since The Scottish Renaissance took place in the early 1700s. So who is this mystery man everyone is searching for? After Google and Yahoo and several other books, I have no idea if they are searching for a genuine person, or if this is wild goose chase of some kind while a professor laughs.

The most likely place to find a true Scottish Renaissance man would be in the early 18th century, not in the 12th. There are many famous Scottish Renaissance Men, many of whom had an influence that would shape the world we now know today. David Hume and Adam Smith are two names that pop up right off that bat as names who had changed the world. Most people will recognize those two names, and if you want some other lesser known ones: Frances Hutcheson, Thomas Reid, Robert Burns, Adam Ferguson, John Playfair, Joseph Black, and James Hutton.

It's amazing how a small, poor nation like Scotland has given the world so much. If you're looking for an older Scottish Renaissance Man, the best bet might be with Blind Harry, the blind epic poet who wrote Wallace, the poem that describes the heroics of William Wallace, and which offers more information on the legend than perhaps any other work.

The other answer in searching for a 12th Century Scottish Renaissance Man is to look at educated Scots of the time in general. The Celts had a very unique culture, in some odd ways similar to the Japanese Samurai culture (and this will definitely be a long post(s) later), in that the Celtic people firmly believed that a true man was not only a great warrior, a wielder of the sword, but a wielder of the pen as well. The warriors held in highest honor could sing epic songs and poems AND hold their own on the battlefield. You had to be both.

That type of culture is what set the course for maybe the most innovative nation in world history. Find Arthur Herman's book How the Scots Invented the Modern World and read a fantastic non-fiction book that pull together this nation's bizarre history and Renaissance which set the course for the world's development into what we know today.

So past Blind Harry, I'm not sure who the now heavily popular 12th century Scottish Renaissance Man is, but that's my odd tangent for the day, and a good introduction to how my mind works and wonders. If anyone ever has an odd thought for the comments section, by all means, throw it my way.

But while I give congratulations to Barack Obama for cinching up the 2008 Democratic Nomination, my thoughts on him and this really unique political campaign season (and I have enjoyed it thoroughly - shame the Republicans didn't have the same rules, because theirs could have gone all the way to the end, too), Barack will have to wait for another blog.

Once again, the 12th Century Scottish Renaissance Man wins out :)

Striving to Be a Modern Renaissance Man - Thoughts, Theories, & Independent Deliberation

2008-06-03T13:16:00.001-07:00

I Love the Idea of Being a Modern Polymath

Welcome to my blog, "Dayton's Contemplations." For those of you wondering, Polymath is a much easier to spell synonym for the term "Renaissance Man." I take the general meaning of Renaissance Man, as one who has a wide variety of learning in many areas. I also modernize the term in that I don't believe art and science alone should make a well rounded Polymath, but certainly other fields of study are just as important.

What I wanted with this blog is a place where I can write about ideas not being covered anywhere else, jump from topic to topic, and hopefully meet other people as varied and interesting (do I dare hope, as weird?) as I am. I'm a firm believer that now more than ever education is far too niched and the world needs people who can think independently and discuss new and old ideas, and be willing to change their position based on new knowledge.

Being "right" is not only arguably impossible, but it really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Anyway, there will be future posts in the future. Thanks for visiting my blog, and comments are always welcome. Here's to the future of becoming modern Renaissance Men (and women)!