It’s the same story that plays out in hundreds of unhappy homes. Husband looks at some naughty pics featuring people doing weird things with animals which are probably illegal.

Wife borrows laptop, see’s video of a farmer desecrating a baby sheep (or something like that – who knows).

Disgusted she vomits all over her hubby – and Superman, er.. Dean Cain as he explains the benefits of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer’s InPrivate feature.

This is one of a Series of PSA-style Vids to promote Internet Explorer 8, amid fears of losing market share to Firefox, Safari, and Google.

After the tongue-in-cheek video on IE8’s InPrivate Browsing feature becomes a mega viral success – what does Microsoft do? Pulled the plug – as apparently a few people found the ad disturbing.

I got ask this question though – Why pull the plug on an online video that you have the power to edit and that is going global and actually working to increase your brand, I’ll give you that the video is edgy – but have you seen Microsoft’s other commercials?

I’m beginning to think that their whole advertising arm is made of stiff 70+ year old men who have no idea what sells to the new generation.

Everyone knows the Mac commercials with the Mac and PC characters – they’re practically cultural icons.

Check out the video for yourself:

If Microsoft truly wants to become the powerhouse that it once was – and apply that to other areas such as IE, and Search it is going to have to embrace creative content.

That’s the heart of social media. Before social media you made a commercial and spent a $million dollars on it. Then you buy advertising from TV Networks for a couple million dollars more.

Today you create a video or a bunch of promotional videos and launch them on youtube. Or even have a contest to get user submitted media(which is sometimes better than professional done videos) – then youtubes’ users decide which videos will become viral sensations – and when they do it’s FREE commercial advertising enmasse.

According to Jolie O’Dell @ Read/Write/Web this video is just too cool for Microsoft. They finally do something right, and decide it’s too edgy.

Come on Microsoft – Grow a Backbone why don’t you. Steve Ballmer for cryin’ out loud you have ‘Ball’ in your last name – why don’t you grow a pair!

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Everyone is worried about Swine Flu lately.

I’ve just added a daily post that will post twitter updates on swine flu.

Twitter is a great way to get real-time information on important issues.

Subscribe to the RSS feed  either by feed reader, or email to get the latest Swine Flu roundups direct from Twitter daily.

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• Swine Flu Outbreak (gardnersgate.blogspot.com)
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• San Diegan Children With Swine Flu (livingstrongandhappy.blogspot.com)

I wrote earlier about how the Panic over the Swine Flu has hit google trends, and twitter.

This post is about how to be prepared. The best preparation for Swine Flu is knowing what you’re up against.

Here are the Swine Flu symptoms according to the CDC:

Swine flu symptoms are similar to seasonal flu symptoms and include: Fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and coughing. Some cases of Swine Flu will also have runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

How is Swine Flu Transmitted?

Swine flu can be transmitted by human-pig interactions, as well as human-human transmission.

The CDC recommends taking extra precautions to protect against Swine Flu, namely focusing on hygiene. Wash your hands and face frequently, use sanitizer, and avoid close contact with sick people.

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Today I woke up, and had a desire to know what’s up in the world.

I strolled on over to MSNBC.com and saw the Breaking News: America Declares Emergency due to Swine Flu Epidemic!

I read maybe 3-4 articles on the front page of MSNBC regarding Swine Flu. As someone who read Stephen King’s ‘The Stand‘, in 8th grade I was quite alarmed.

I’ve seen many movies, including Outbreak, and 28 days later, where pandemics are no laughing matter.

Being the romanticising movie nerd, that I am I’ve always wondered what would happen if a major pandemic hit the world.

Apparently, I’m not the only one worried by this. The hottest trend on google, and twitter both revolve around Swine Flu.

According to TechCrunch, Google trends is reporting that the search term: “Swine Flu Ohio” is the 27th most popular search term. I checked myself, and it has currently dropped to #30, but that is still alarming.

This is even more troubling to me, because I happen to live in Ohio. Sure it’s troubling that Swine Flu has hit Texas, Kansas, California, and NYC – but Ohio is a bit close to home.

I’m hoping that the swine flu cases in ohio, skip over me, as I just got over a really bad stomach virus two weeks ago.

The silver lining on the Swine Flu epidemic, at least for us Americans, is that the US cases of Swine Flu have all been much milder than the cases in Mexico, perhaps it’s because we have better hygiene, and sanitation systems. Perhaps we just have more immunity to the bug, hopefully this doesn’t turn into something bigger though.

What do you think about the Swine Flu? Is it something to worry about, or is it just something hyped up by the news agencies?

Read more about the Swine Flu Panic spreading across blogs, twitter, and social networks.

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Notorious Punk’d Actor Ashton Kutcher has become aware that he has over 850,000 followers on twitter.

He is also aware that CNN(the #1 twitterer), has over 900,000 followers. He has issued a challenge to Ted Turner ceo of CNN, as well as the rest of the Twitter Community. If he gets to 1 Million Twitter followers before CNN he will punk Ted Turner – hopefully on video for the whole world to see.

I originally got scoop of this over at TechCrunch, and you can read his Twitter Update as well. It’s pretty clear that Ashton Kutcher is seeking to be the first Twitter user to breach the 1 million followers mark.

Ashton may need a little more help, which is why I suggest that we all propel him towards that goal – I for one would love to see CNN’s ceo Punk’d. There are currently 10 million Twitter users, if we all work together we should surely be able to get Ashton to 1 million twitter followers by the end of the week!

Here is what I’m suggesting:

1. First follow Ashton Kutcher @aplusk.

2. Send the following tweet:

“RT @patrickcurl Help Ashton Punk CNN’s CEO. Read more here: Pls RT!” Click here to Retweet without Cutting and Pasting.

3. Lastly you can also follow me on Twitter and I will return the favor. @patrickcurl

Kutcher has also clarified that he is planning on doing the time-trusted classic: The ding dong ditch. Ashton has stated that a proper ‘ding dong ditch‘ will include a million ______(Fill in the blank) on the door step.

P.S. Also feel free to share this post via digg, stumbleupon, buzz, blogging, etc….

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Twitzap is a brand spankin’ new web-based Twitter client, focusing on 3 major features.

1. Super Fast Tweets. Twitzap lets you tweet very fast (they claim under 800ms) even when Twitter is down. If Twitter is down, Twitzap will still relay your message when it becomes available again.

2. Search Channels. You can add easy searches to the sidebar to refer to at a later time.

3. Realtime Updates. Finally, and best of all – Twitzap is updated automatically in real time. You can set the speed with the bar in the upper left corner. Move the bar all the way to the left, and your updates will be paused, move it to the right and they will speed along at a fast pace.

This is my favorite feature, as I hate how Twitter’s page has to be updated manually. I may actually never actually go to the Twitter home page anymore, now that I have Twitzap.

While Twitzap is still in beta (like every other great app out there), the twitter app offers a decent amount of features, and is definitely worth checking out. Click here to try TwitZap Now!

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Apps are great, but sometimes we can get overloaded by them. Whether they’re facebook apps, iphone apps, wordpress plugins, or myspace apps, sometimes more is not better.

In an effort to bring attention to only the best of the best apps, myspace has announced that they are rolling out a new “Editor’s Pick” category in its application directory, starting next week.

This new category will allow members to quickly sift through the best apps for the platform. Myspace has previously shown off a handful of featured apps, but they were rotated, and did not offer a mechanism for easy browsing.

Now users will be able to access a complete list of the featured apps. Applications on the list will be determined by a team of MySpace employees who work with the day to day application operations. (Myspace affirms that apps will be chosen by merit, and NOT paid sponsorships, of course that is yet to be seen.)

This is a great step in combatting the clutter of spammy apps plagueing sites like myspace and facebook.

Facebook has mentioned a similar program last summer, called a ‘Verified Apps’ program. It is yet to be launched though. Facebook’s program seems to be more structured, and probably more comprehensive than Myspace’s but at least this is a good start. [Via TechCrunch]

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Spring is in the air, and bunnies are laying eggs…(What is it you say? Bunnies don’t lay eggs?!)

It’s also Easter – a time to gather with family and remember why Christ was slain. Whether you’re Christian or not, though I highly offer up a recommendation to take this beautiful spring day, stop your blogging activities, and spend it with your family and friends.

My wife is making a yummy ham, and all the trimmings for our family.

What are you doing for Easter?

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Ebay is a great way to make a living, it’s easy, profitable, and if you have a good supplier of products you can make a great sustainable income. Sure, it is possible to do it on your own, but this is a great company that will walk you through every step, and will also provide phone support when you need it.

Fact#1 : Thousands are making money from Ebay Daily.

Fact #2: It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to be an Ebay Powerseller!

Fact#3: No huge investment required to become an Ebay Master!

Fact#4: You can quit your full-time job in as little as 1 month!

To File or not To File (Bankruptcy) that is the question!

In these troubling economic times people are losing money in record amounts. Many people have lost thousands of dollars in equity in their home.

Many people have lost their jobs, and used credit cards as a way to pay the bills, racking up huge debt that they may never be able to see the end of.

Others have become ill, or have had family fall ill. Combined with losing job from being unable to work while sick, many are facing huge medical bills and no or little insurance to pay for it all.

When there seems to be no way out, is when bankruptcy may become an option.

Before filing for chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy it is mandatory that you go through credit counseling.

Bankruptcy can be a devastating proposition for many people, but bankruptcy can also be the light at the end of a very steep tunnel. Bankruptcy can be the beginning of fiscal responsibility.

Pro’s of Bankruptcy:

• Bankruptcy wipes away all debts, allowing a low repayment over the course of five years.
• Crediters often reduce the debt owed, thus lowering the total amount you must pay.
• Following bankruptcy, you will have a fresh start, and can begin to build a more positive credit history.
• Depending on the way that you file bankruptcy, you may retain most of your possessions, and assets.

Con’s of Bankruptcy:

• After bankruptcy you will need to wait two or more years before applying for a new line of credit.
• You have to pay all legal fees in advance to a lawyer representing you during the proceedings.
• There is always a chance of losing some of your assets, depending on if you file for chapter 7 bankruptcy, or chapter 13 bankruptcy.
• Your credit report will remain negative, until you start to build good credit again.
• If you get stuck in the debt trap again, you will be unable to file a subsequent bankruptcy for 7 years.

These are just a few of the pro’s and con’s of filing for chapter 13 or chapter 7 bankruptcy. Now you should have a decent understanding of what to expect before, during, and after filing for bankruptcy.

If you have other alternatives, I highly recommend pursuing them. Bankruptcy should be a last ditch effort, when all other measures have been exhausted.

If you are at the stage though, where no other option exists, I highly recommend you get a Free Bankruptcy Consultation. Affordable Bankruptcy is a great company that offers a free bankruptcy consultation with a Lawyer in your area.

If you’re not quite ready for bankruptcy, then Debt Match can help you lower your payments on credit cards by as much as 60%, it’s a great option if you think you can still pay off your debts. Click here now to eliminate your debt in as little as 12 months!

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Monday was Day 1 of Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. He mentioned the importance of having an elevator pitch. (Read the first post of the series click here.)

An elevator pitch is a small concise mission statement about what your blog is about. If you aren’t sure what you’re blogging about then that’s where you should start. Figure out what you want to convey to your readers. This doesn’t mean you can’t write off-topic from time to time, we all need to go where our creative juices are taking us.

An elevator pitch should be around 140 characters (yeah that’s the idea behind twitter – originally the elevator pitch of ideas, it has since transformed into something much bigger)…

Darren wrote the following about having an Elevator Pitch:

“One of the most important reasons to do this exercise is that to develop an elevator pitch YOU as a blogger to have thought through and crystallised in your mind what your blog is about.

If you’re fuzzy on what your blog is about it’s unlikely than anyone else will have much of an idea either.

Knowing what your blog is about helps you in developing every aspect of it including:

• Writing Content
• Promotion and Finding Readers
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Networking with other Bloggers
• Branding
• Design…. the list can go on.

In fact almost every task that we’ll be doing in this next 31 days should flow from this task.”

I agree wholeheartledly with Darren on this subject my Elevator Pitch that I submitted is the same as my tagline on this blog:

“Your online guide to: Social Media Marketing, Blogging, Making Money, SEO(Search Engine Optimization), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and Affiliate marketing. This is one make money blog with a whole lot of attitude!”

I’m planning on writing a blog post about all of my experiences with the “31 Days to Building a Better Blog Challenge”, so stay tuned!

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Chuck on NBC

I absolutely am an addict to the show Chuck (well I originally watched it because it is before heroes, and then I became addicted and enjoy it as much as I do Heroes.)

If you haven’t watched Chuck it is about a computer geek, working at the Buy More (TV version of Best Buy) for the Nerd Herd (Geek Squad?). Somehow he is implanted with the information of a super computer called ‘the intersect’. Every week he has cia adventures with his two handlers, one of which he’s had romantic interests with, which never seems to work out.

Chuck is the ideal show for us geeks, because every one of us remembers what it’s like not to get the girl, and can really feel for him.

Well I was just watching Chuck and realized it seems like everyone he comes in contact with has something to do with Fulcrum (A group of rogue government agents trying to take over the world).

Suddenly I start to ask myself – how many people do I come in contact with who could be friendly or not-so-friendly spies. Lucky for me I’m not prone to paranoia, but I ask myself how many people who are prone to paranoia watch Chuck and think that very same thing.

So I’d like to offer up this warning: “Not everyone in your life is a cia or fulcrum agent…but some could be!”

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Tired of the ‘wait to download’ pages on most file downloading sites?

Skipscreen is an add-on for Firefox that solves the problem.

I personally hate clicking on a download link only to find out that I have 45 seconds to wait till I can start downloading. Ya know, I have a life!

Why do they make you wait? So their advertisers are happy of course!

What free hosting services will SkipScreen save you from?

• Rapidshare
• Megaupload
• DepositFiles
• LinkBucks
• DivShare
• Link-protector
• more to come…

Here’s a screen shot of SkipScreen in action – it shows how you can start the download before the “your download will begin shortly” screen even appears.

What’s also great is that SkipScreen is pretty fast with updates, and adjusts itself to any of the changes that these sharing sites make that might block the app from working.

Check out the SkipScreen add-on for Firefox now!

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For a year I have been blogging, I’ve got a google index of 1700, yahoo links around 5,000 or so. I have 160+ feed readers, and 6300 Twitter followers. But up until today’s new pagerank update my PR has been zip, zilch, nada, nil, nihil. I was sure I should’ve at least had a 1 or 2.

I guess whatever I did to piss Google off has been remedied and maybe we can now kiss and makeup. Although, I’m still banned from adsense for one reason or another. (Some random person decided to click a whole bunch on ads on my site $9 worth of clicks and I get banned – seriously I would’ve paid google $20 to be more understanding and keep me…but I’m doing ok with other ad networks now.)

As of today my google pagerank is now 3, and I am a much happier camper.

Big thanks to Blogsessive for tipping me off about the pagerank update:  “PageRank update in progress. The new Alexa.”

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There’s a Blog in my Soup – has now opened it’s Registration so that ANYONE can sign up as an author!

All I ask is that you only write 1 post about your blog, and that you make an effort to post at least 2 blog posts on social media topics for the honor of plugging your blog.

I will be adding a link to all authors who abide by these rules to my blogroll – and will remove the posts of anyone who doesn’t abide by these rules.

Recap:

Write 1 Self-Blog Review, and 2 Blog posts on Social Media Topics get a permanent link on my Blogroll. I will only keep Registrations open for one month as a trial run – I may decide to go longer if the program is successful.

Don’t Miss out on this Great Opportunity Register Now!

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Darren Rowse from Problogger will be running his “31 days to build a Better Blog” program. This is a bi-annual event that you won’t want to miss.

The program originally ran in 2005, then he ran it again in 2007, and he’s at it again in 2009.

The program is free to join, you simply signup and get sent emails with the lessons and projects each day. The program starts on April 1st (Darren has assured me that this is not some April Fool’s day joke.)

If you want to take your blog to the next level, then this is a great opportunity to focus on bringing your blog out of obscurity. There’s really noone better than Darren Rowse for teaching you how to run a successful blog.

I challenge you to commit yourself to 31 days of blogging, you will see a humongous change in your life if you do.

I for one am taking the challenge and will be posting here daily about my experience.

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We have just launched our new forums for the site. We ask anyone and everyone to feel free to contribute.

This is a great way to build a community around social media, and I am excited for this opportunity.

Here are my reasons for wanting to be on the Biggest Loser:

1. I’ve never known anything else, or experienced what it’s like to be normal, this is my chance. I wore a size 50 pant size when I was 12 years old. Ever since I’ve had to buy my clothes at specialty big and tall shops – and my cost for a pair of pants usually runs around $70+ I’d like to be able to buy cheap clothes at Walmart for a change.

2. I rarely complete anything, I start many things but always find it hard to stick with it till the end, I think if I complete this one thing – the biggest problem in my life, then perhaps other areas of my life will be better.

3. I want a family, and my wife deserves it too. W/out losing substantial weight the Dr’s have said it’s highly unlikely that we will ever get pregnant. Even if we still have problems later on, we can always adopt – but unless I get fit I won’t be able to really provide for a family and take care of my family.

4. I am tired of being passed over for job promotions, and being singled out as ‘the lazy’ one – simply because people just assume that a fat person = a lazy person. I’m also tired of lacking the self confidence to stand up for myself in many situations.

Everywhere I go people point, children make many blunt and hurtful remarks even if they’re not intentional – when a 3 year old says, ‘Mommy, he’s so fat’ it really hurts inside – and you can’t really say anything though I’d like to give the parent an earful…

Next November I turn 30, this is my chance, possibly my only chance to make the next 30 years of my life something way better than the first 30.

I want more than anything to be able to ride a rollercoaster again – something I haven’t been able to do since I was 16. I want to experience all the things life has to offer before it passes me by. Life is too short to spend it trapped in a fat body – I need this so bad.

I’m so ready for this change – Please pray for me this weekend as I audition for the Biggest Loser. I appreciate it immensely.

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Biggest Loser Casting Call Here I Come!

Whether you do or don’t know – I have been struggling with my weight since I was born.

When I was 4 I weighed 60 lbs. I weighed 150 at 8 years old. I wore a size 50 pant size in 6th grade.

By 18 I weighed over 400 lbs and wore a size 60 pant. Yet, besides my weight I have been in mostly good health. Knock on wood – but I have managed to not have many of the illnesses associated with obesity.

My BMI is nearly twice what is considered morbidly obese (currently it is 82)- yet I am still able to get around, I’m not limited too much in what I can do – I do have lots of muscle tone and I never stop doing what I want to do, although over the past year or two life has become a bit more challenging.

The only real complaint is that my weight is causing me to be less than fertile, and my wife desperately wants to have children, more than anything. I love her a lot and want her to be happy, and I’ve always wanted children as well – but I especially want to give her this gift.  I also have a lot of pain in my low back and knees.

Which brings me to the Biggest Loser Casting call. I am trying out for the Biggest Loser in Columbus Ohio this weekend.

The Million Dollar Manifestation….

When I originally conceived of this blog I had just watched the movie “The Secret” about the Law of Attraction. I made a manifestation of becoming a millionaire by my 30th birthday. (I have 8 months left…)

I’ve been swimming a lot lately and have lost some weight on my own – but I’ve had a lot of time to think while in the pool. It dawned on me – that if I were on the Biggest Loser I might once and for all reach my dream weight of 200 lbs.

It would increase my self esteem, my self image, my confidence, and it would be a motivation for all other areas of my life. It then dawned on me — Becoming lean – would be worth well over a million dollars… (What price can you put on 10+ extra years of life?)

I knew then that I had to try out for the Biggest Loser…I’m not guaranteed to win, not by any means – or even to be cast – but I believe that this is my time.

Please Say a Prayer for Me…

If you have the time I would certainly appreciate any prayers, or thoughts. I’m excited and nervous about this prospect. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’m a little afraid of what happens when I do make it on the show – Bob and Jillian are HARSH to say the least, but I know I will be better for the experience.

This would definitely be my biggest dream come true. (Dang that sounds cheesy.)

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• How Goal Setting Leads to Losing Weight (mariaslastdiet.typepad.com)
• 6 Tips To Keep Motivating Goals Alive (realgoalgetter.com)
• I’m exercising; why can’t I lose weight? (cnn.com)
• Weight Loss Story Part 1 (askbecca.com)

In times past this blog has been a blog about blogging. I’ve also blogged about marketing, and pretty much anything that mattered to me at the time. I’m finding now isn’t the best time in the world to be starting a blog to make money.

Sure I’m still making some money – not nearly as much as I used to, especially being banned by google because somebody clicked on too many links from my page – none of my fault.

I’ve made a new plan or goal in life – first off I am spending 6 -8 hours working out 3 days a week, and changing my diet. I’ve lost 75 pounds since January 12th, 2009. (Yes that’s under a month but I have a lot of weight to lose – I started weighing 660 lbs, and now weigh 577).

This is my primary goal right now – my wife works in Private duty home health, I am currently between jobs – other than my blog, which I have neglected a bit as of late. These days just about everyone is either between jobs or knows somebody else who is.

Why – being between jobs isn’t such a bad thing – for me I have always had excuses for why I couldn’t lose weight, or workout. My main excuse – was I have a lot of work, not enough energy, and not enough time.

Well – my wife took that excuse away agreeing to work, while I workout – for every hour she works I spend an hour in the gym – for the most part anyways. We are also changing our diets together and eating healthier. I have no excuses now to losing weight and it’s working like a charm – almost as good as if I were accepted on the Biggest Loser, which I’ve always dreamed of being on.

This year I’ve decided I can wait until I get accepted on the Biggest Loser – and maybe die in the process or I can be my own biggest loser. I spend 6-8 hours x 3 days per week using water weights while swimming, water walking, and water kickboxing.

I’m also drinking 1 gallon+ water per day, and cut out 90% of soda – I’ll have a coke zero every now and again but mostly drink water.

My other focus – I’m going back to school to get a degree in Sustainability(that’s green technology, green science, green business, basically anything green or eco related.) With my desire to go into green technologies as a career – I’ve decided to change my blog’s theme a bit. From now on this blog will feature a lot more information on going green and being an eco-friendly blogger.

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Well it has been a long eventful year, as far as historical years it has definitely been one for the record books.

From the recession, to the presidential elections and more. This will definitely be a year many people remember for years to come.

I would like to take a moment and give a gratituitous holiday greeting to all of my readers, friends, and fellow bloggers. This blog is a major success thanks to all of you, without your support I could never be a full-time blogger.

I appreciate all that you have done for me, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or another holiday this season I wish you the best in your celebrations, and hope that everything goes safely for you this season.

I also wish you a happy new year, and good luck!

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Does Google PR even matter anymore?

Nobody knows when or how it’s decided, save a few select programmers at google. Does it even matter anymore?

I have 0 PR after having my blog up for nearly 2 years. I have many incoming links, I have a google index of 3,180, an alexa rank of 250,000 give or take, daily traffic equal to about 700 hits per day, and a yahoo index of 11,400.

My blog is also helping me earn over $1000 monthly working from home on a consecutive basis.

I’m at the point where whether I write or not I get traffic – when I do write an article I will spike and get between 2-4k hits on those days.

Each of my blog posts are pinged to many directories, and announced via ping.fm to all my social circles.

Yet, I have never sold or bought links. I have never blatantly spammed my links. I have never done anything to try and gain incoming links in a blackhat manner. All my incoming links are perfectly organic.

So, why do I have a 0 PR?

I would love Matt Cutts to write to me and give me a good reason. I’d also like a good reason why this site has been adsense banned, not that I need adsense I make more off adbrite, and honestly think it’s probably better going with a different company than google.

Especially when google hires Nazis like Matt Cutts and other programmers who basically have the power to say who can or can’t stay in their program based on stupid reasons, and won’t answer why.

It’s like the statement JP Morgan Chase Bank made today about the bailout:

“We’ve lent some of it. We’ve not lent some of it. We’ve not given any accounting of, ‘Here’s how we’re doing it,’” said Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase, which received $25 billion in emergency bailout money. “We have not disclosed that to the public. We’re declining to.”

Lets change this to Matt Cutts of Google (I attack Matt Cutts because he’s the PR arm and well known, maybe he won’t like being attacked and will answer my questions if not then he truly is a Nazi and I’m calling him out on it):

“We’ve slapped some sites, we’ve not slapped a few, we’re not giving any accounting of who we have slapped, or why.  We don’t care if people’s businesses are hurt by it – we’re google we can do anything. Oh and by the way about that “Do no harm” thing…haha just kidding!”

With all this said – the funny thing is I may be google slapped when it comes to PR but I do still get good traffic from the search engine arm – I just have no PR juice, maybe that will change – I’d be happy to write a retraction if I ever get an answer as to why my PR is still 0, and my adsense account was deactivated.

Do I have high hopes? Nah – maybe someday though Matt Cutts will see this and look into it, maybe he googles his name every now and again, maybe he will see me ranking high for the term Matt Cutts is a Nazi.

One last thing I use Nazi, not as white supremist, but as totalitarian. Hitler had full control, and could do as he pleased. Those at google think they have the same power when it comes to the internet – I’d love to see them get slapped with an anti-trust lawsuit by the USA – it’s only a matter of time.

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Image via Wikipedia

I don’t have aids, nor do I personally even know anyone who does. (I am a big rent fan though, of which aids was mentioned quite a bit).

I would just like to ask that everyone take a few moments today to offer up a prayer to all of those who’ve been hurt by this disease. Also don’t judge those who have the disease as evil, many people still associate the disease with immoral acts, but aids is as often transferred by mother to child, or unfaithful spouse to spouse, or through rape, and a plethora of other ways as it is through immoral activity of the victim.

Take a moment today to watch the movie Rent, or just think about the disease, and maybe even think of a way you can help, whether it’s via volunteering, donating money, etc.

Just my two cents on World Aids Day. Not really a holiday to celebrate – yet(maybe someday), but one to be ponderous of, and to take a moment to remember those who’ve died from it, and to say a prayer of thanksgiving that you don’t have it.

I also hope everyone had a wonderful weekend – Thanksgiving was yummy. Lots and lots of turkey, mmm…. I could go it again.

Blackfriday was a nightmare as always, and I’m looking forward to Cyber-Monday.

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Pillar Article Writing Week + Contest + 7 tips to Perfect Pillar Articles.

We all sometimes get stuck in the mode of just writing our thoughts, or small news articles, or informative but small articles daily.

This week I submit a challenge = Write 1 Pillar Article for each weekday for the Week of November 24th – 28th, 2008. You can write them each day, or write them now – and schedule them for that day, either way works. If you miss a day, that’s fine – just try your best.

I suggest working on them this week though, because next week is Thanksgiving, so it may be a bit hectic at times.

I will have a post for each day where you can come and leave comments explaining what your daily pillar article is about, and a link to it. (read to the end for the best part…)

At the end of the week I will be picking the very best Pillar Article, and I will give that author a free one month verbal recommendation advert in the sidebar with a link to the blog, and your pillar article.

I will also write a 500-1000 word review with pictures and the works.

You will also be given 1000 Free Business Cards that you can use as you like courtesy of Business-Cards.com:

Last but not least – the biggest REASON to Participate: I will stumble / digg Every pillar article submitted – and I also am suggesting that everyone else who participates do the same. This could mean each article could get a ton of traffic.

The last bit – please when writing your pillar article, put something like this at the end: “This Article is part of National Pillar Article Week” and please link back to this post so that others will be able to find out about the trend too – the more people who participate, the more stumbles / diggs everyone will get.

If you like, you could also write a blog post about National Pillar Article week, on your blog as well, with a link back to this post.

7 Free Tips for Absolutely Marvelous Pillar Articles:

1. Lists are a Blogger’s Best Friend. Not all pillar articles are lists, but lists are easy for people to follow, and the human mind just likes them. Lists are easily organized and many times lists, even crappy ones just get a lot of traffic.
2. Images are like defibrillators for your blog. Good Pillar articles if not lists, contain a lot of images to back up what is being taught or discussed.
3. Details, Shmetails. Pillar articles are detailed as can be, without fluff. Layout as much info as you can on a subject with as little un-needed info as possible.
4. Hot Topic – if ain’t hot then it’s just not. If you check out digg, linkbait and pillar articles are always on a hot topic that’s unique. They ar e also exhaustive.
5. Snappy Titles are better than Snapping Turtles. Well snappy, may be an understatement, but the title has to be exciting and draw in the reader – it must give them a reason to click on it.
6. Proof-read – Just do it.. Pillar articles are free of blemishes, so to speak. Make sure to use proper grammar and punctuation.
7. Sub-headings almost as good as Headings. Good Pillar articles also feature good use of sub-headings, and bold fonts. For instance look at this article how I’ve used h2 tags for sub-headings, and bold font for my main points.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… C: wait… SD: wait…

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