When I was slightly younger, I loved watching police dramas sort of like CSI (although that show is more about forensics). I would admire the officers in the show with a sort of reverence, always wishing that I could be as cool as them with their neat uniforms, and crazy flashlights.
Now, there is a way you can get the kind of stuff that Gil Grissom always wears. LA Police Gear is an awesome company where you can buy tons of real police gear! You looking for a Surefire flashlight like Gil uses? They have them. You looking for night vision gear? They have them. You looking for Blackhawk holsters? They've got those too.
Whatever kind of police gear you want, be it shooting equipment, body armour, jackets, handcuffs, holsters or just plain old pants, you can be sure LA Police Gear has it.
kamster
Sunday, March 30, 2008
"Reach for the Sky!"
Friday, March 28, 2008
Bloody Bridges
Jason and I were talking today and something came up that reminded me of a computer game I used to play a long time ago. The name of that game is Command & Conquer: Red Alert. If you are a player of RTSs of any kind, I'm sure you know of this series that is often referred to as the first real RTS (Real Time Strategy) game.
Anyways, I was reminded specifically of something that I had encountered on one of the missions in the game. In this mission, the objective was to (as it often is) destroy the enemy's base and all their units. The mission was set up in such a way that it was beatable, but was still a challenge. What I mean by this is that at the beginning of the mission, you have hardly any units and a very poorly defended base. You have to be constantly on your guard for surprise attacks for the first 10 minutes. What made it even worse was that fact that the enemy could attack you from many directions: from the sea with submarines, from the air with helicopters or from land with tanks and jeeps. Compounding this problem was the fact that there were 3 or 4 bridges leading out of your base. This meant that you had to watch all of them to make sure you weren't suddenly attacked with your pants down.
However, you were given 2 or 3 "saboteurs" that could destroy bridges by planting bombs on them and blowing them up. "This is so convenient!", I thought when I first played that mission. After blowing up all the bridges, I soon found the mission got a lot more annoying as I had to find alternate ways to get the job done. My point here is that although destroying the bridges early on protected me a little bit, they ultimately made my job harder in the end-game. In these cases, I would often load my game again and not blow up the bridges, allowing me to beat the mission faster. In real life however, there is no "load game" function.
My point in all of this is that you really shouldn't "burn your bridges", as the saying goes. Let's say you've been friends with Julie for the greater part of your life. You've been good friends practically since you were born, and you both know each other very well. You know her likes, dislikes, pet peeves and obsessions, as she knows yours. You know what makes her tick and you know what makes her squeal. In this way, you two are truly the best of friends. But lately she's really been getting on your nerves. She can't stop finding things to criticize you about and it seems you just can't get along. What would you do in this situation? I would probably go all up in her face and tell her that it isn't working so good anymore. And that is why today, I probably recognized my mistakes for the first time and realized that losing connections with previously good friends is a bad mistake.
What would you do? I think that in some cases, it would be appropriate to bring up the issue at hand with your friend and maybe try to work it out. Additionally, if your friend has changed his or her values and clashes with you constantly or is leading you in a direction you don't want to go, maybe you should break ties with them. But in many other cases where a bad hairday and a missed paper combine to make you super-irritable towards everyone you talk to, simply realizing that the issue might not be such a big deal could be a good decision. You might even decide to just "grin and bear it", as the saying goes. The bottom line is that when you think of what your friend will be doing with all the secrets you told her when you guys don't get along with each other anymore, you might decide not to "burn your bridges".
As well, you friend could end up being a movie star or some famous person, and you can't lose from being friends with someone who has influence. I am not however advocating insincerity. People can see right through you if that's how you want to be, and it's just disgusting. However, I am envious of the person who decided to befriend Larry Page or Sergey Brin... and put up with them until now... you can bet that that person is happy about their decision too.
So really, don't make a big deal out of something that's tiny... it ruins everyone's day and could ruin some opportunities for you in the future that might have been something if not for that non-existant friendship with someone you regret shunning years earlier. I've certainly made this mistake a few times... and regret it. Sometimes, life doesn't give second chances and you really don't want to throw yours down the drain.
kamster
p.s. I've added my feed in the sidebar to the right... If you like what you're reading, feel free to subscribe today!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
9 Reasons to Blog
Ok so today, my buddy Samik asked me a question that got me thinking a little bit: "Why do you blog?" As a blogger, I always thought that if ever asked this question, I would have a quick, cut-and-dry answer for them, like "Boom Boom, that's why." But to my surprise, I didn't have an immediate answer. Instead, I thought for a second and then mumbled something like "Just because I feel like it." Now I look back, and I find that answer simply unacceptable. So, in my quest for enlightenment, I have compiled a list of 9 reasons why bloggers (like myself) maintain blogs (these reasons are listed in no particular order and are in no way exclusive to each other):
1) They think they can help others through their knowledge. Whether it is true or not, many people claim to be experts at something, and oftentimes use blogs as a medium to get their knowledge out to other people. Whether this area of expertise be hockey, blog monetization, lifestyle tips or photography, blogs are a very useful way to lend your knowledge to others, especially in the sense that anyone can, through a search engine (and depending on if your blog is indexed/spidered or not) find and read your blog, if you so choose to disclose it in this way.
2) They are passionate about something. This is similar but not identical to the above reason. Many people are very passionate about one thing. In this case, it can be working out, watching movies or keeping up with a sport (a very good example of this is JaneyBell's blog). In any case, they might want a way to let their passion out, and doing so through writing can be very effective.
3) They need a place to put down their thoughts. This is simply another way of saying "They want to keep a journal." Many blogs (including this one, to a certain degree) exist for the sole purpose of keeping a log of daily events, thoughts and happenings in a blogger's life. A blog can be simply an online journal where a blogger puts these experiences in to writing. For some people (like myself), typing is much easier than writing and they can take advantage of technology to create an e-journal instead of keeping a traditional journal on paper. In fact, one blogging service, LiveJournal, exists almost entirely to facilitate journal writing (hence the name), and so, is famous for it's copious amount of teen "emo kids".
4) They want feedback on their thoughts and ideas. Sometimes, ironically, getting advice from a stranger can be much easier to take than getting it from a parent, or even a friend or other family member. In this case, many people may keep blogs so they can write down ideas or thoughts of theirs that they want feedback for. Some bloggers might ask their readers "What do you think about this?", or "What do you think should be my next course of action?" As well, getting ridiculed online can be much easier to absorb than getting it from a friend or family member. Additionally, if you target a niche audience in your blog, you will be getting advice from people who are interested in the same things as you, or have some expertise in the same thing as you.
5) They have a base of readers that expect fresh content. Some bloggers, unexpectedly develop a following of readers that will check back at that blog daily or weekly, expecting fresh new content. A good example of this is my acquaintance Robert Macewan's blog. There is a button on his blog showing that, over the eight or so years his blog has been online, he has developed a loyal following of 107 readers, although there are countless others (like myself) who also read his blog but are too lazy to subscribe to FeedBurner.
6) They want to make money. Some bloggers "monetize" their blog. They do this through programs like PayPerPost or with Google AdSense. Why do they do this? For some, blogging is a full time job. Not like myself, where it is simply a hobby that I intend to pursue for a long time, but actually their full time job. Some of you (perhaps bloggers yourselves) may be wondering how it is possible to make money from blogging. But the reality is that making money online is a hot issue and that many people have dedicated their time to doing so. A good example of a blog that generates massive income is johncow.com (I won't make it a link... He doesn't need any more anyways.); this person keeps a blog about making money online and is stinking rich because of it (although many question his morals). However, I believe his blog is going a little overboard though... But that's just me.
7) They want to connect with other people that have similar interests. With a little time and effort, you can join what is known as a Blogring and communicate with others that have similar interests to you. By doing this, you can get to other blogs that contain content similar to yours, and gain more readers by commenting on their blogs (especially if they have dofollow enabled. If not, too bad, so sad). This way, you can become part of a community of bloggers like yourself and at the same time, get valuable feedback and traffic.
8) They love to write! Some people just love to write. Many blogs exist just because their owners cannot write enough and need to let it all out somewhere. People who love to write can start a blog about nothing in particular, and soon find others interested in your original content. In this way, services like Helium are very useful as they provide you with writing prompts if you ever encounter writer's block (as well as chances to make money). Of course, you could always start writing poetry.
9) They want to meet new people. Although this is my last reason why bloggers blog, it is no less important than the other points. Blogging can be a very social experience, bringing people together and forging bonds where there were none before. Through services like LiveJournal, MySpace or Technorati, people often find other people interested in their blog. Sometimes, readers can even become friends of the blogger. Although I personally wouldn't meet up with anyone I met through the Internet, it is still a great way to again, find people with similar interests as you and to find people who, just like yourself, love to blog!
I hope I have answered all your questions as to Why People Blog.
kamster
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Totally Reversible Weight Loss
Are you overweight? Have you been struggling with obesity for years, diets and exercise regimes doing you no good? If so, you may wish to visit weight loss Conroe and learn about their Lap-Band System.
This surgery provides the benefits of a diet without the pain of starving yourself and not being able to eat the foods you enjoy. How does this surgery procedure happen? Basically, a band is placed around the upper portion of your stomach, creating a smaller entrance into your stomach. This is very safe and effective, and comes without the risks and dangers that gastric bypasses and other surgeries entail. Additionally, it is 100% reversible; if you wish to stop using the Lap-Band System, the band can simply be removed.
As well, this system will not interfere with you getting full. As a result of the small pouch created by the band, you can feel full while at the same time, consuming less food! Also, it's fast; this system can enable someone to lose 1-2 pounds, per week!
Last but not least, the JourneyLite surgical centre has been designed for your comfort, so as to ease the recovery process. These accommodations include wider hallways, handicap railings and chairs without arms.
If you are overweight and nothing seems to be working, JourneyLite may be the solution for you.
kamster
Gold Prices Plunge
However just this morning many newspapers announced that gold prices had taken a tumble. Having peaked at %1,030.80 on Monday, gold prices took a dramatic fall today, reaching a low of $905.64. The Toronto Star reported that many other stocks fell along with gold, including the Canadian dollar which reached a low of 0.98 USD this week.
What is the significance of this drop in gold prices? To be honest, there isn't much significance at all (although to some stock market analyst in New York, this probably has some greater significance). The way I see it, gold took a rare tumble today and will probably be up to its previous levels in a few weeks, if not days. Even if it takes longer for gold to regain its lost value, it is pretty certain that gold, one of humanity's rarest and most sought-after precious metals, will appreciate in value in the long term.
Although... I wouldn't say that gold is a true "safe haven" for investors. If gold really was "recession-proof", would not the gold market be flooded with investors and overstock of gold? There is obviously some underlying reason. And in this, I give my best advice for playing the stock market, as quoted by many over the years; "diversify."
kamster
Don't Pay to Play, get Paid to Play!
You know, most people spend loads of money going out and buying games to enjoy at home, but this revolutionary website will change all that. Instead of paying money to play games, they will pay you to play their games! Sound too good to believe? Well that's what I thought too, before I visited their website and checked out their online contests.
Break The Vault offers free online contests with the potential to win real money! How does this work? Every Monday at noon (Eastern Standard Time), Break The Vault will release one new contest. Everyday after this until the next Monday, they will release a new clue to help you solve the contest/question. If you solve it first, you can win cash! Right now, there are 2 contests running for a total of $400 in prize money!
As well, all members of Break The Vault have unlimited chances to guess and there is no penalty for guessing wrongly. But it's not all fun and games either. The harder questions require more thinking, and will take longer to solve too (although the payouts are greater!). So what do you have to lose? Pay BreakTheVault.com a quick visit today, register and see how you stack up to other Vault-Breakers!
kamster
A Hand to my Head
My goodness... I've been feeling absolutely terrible these past 2 days... It all started yesterday when I woke up and felt my throat was feeling very dry and scratchy... It really hurt whenever I swallowed. Remembering that water usually helps, I went and poured myself a glass and took that... But my throat was still killing me. Then I got a crappy headache and found myself bedridden for the rest of the day. I think yesterday I slept (or tried to sleep) the most hours in one day ever before (Probably like 18 hours in one day). Augh! Ok so now my head is feeling a little bit better but my throat is still acting up. That's alright. I decided I might as well get started on work because having missed one full day in action really leaves me behind some because classes resume pretty soon. Anyways, pray for my throat please!
kamster
p.s. IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAND!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
White Picket Fence Included
Do you have your eye on that "for sale" sign in front of that house on the other side of the city? Home buyers often find themselves wooed over a property for many reasons. Location, condition, closeness to shopping and grocery centres, the list goes on. One thing that can discourage home buyers from buying a new home though, is the price. Sometimes it is simply too much to comprehend, and they decide to go for something a little cheaper. Now, with eHomeMortgages.com, there is an easier way to shop for mortgages and home loans!
But are you confused as to what kind of home mortgage you need? eHomeMortgages makes the process of getting a mortgage simply and easy to understand. Even I found eHomeMortgages easy to understand. Are interest rates low? Why not get an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) and take advantage of it? Or if you're convinced your financial needs are more temporary, why not try an interest-only mortgage loan, and pay off the rest of it later?
Or if a mortgage isn't what you need, why not get a home equity loan to perhaps renovate your home or take that dream vacation you've always been looking forward to? The possibilities are endless. On top of that, with eHomeMortgages.com, you can shop for, research and even file applications for your mortgage/loan online, from the comfort of your living room!
And if you're still confused about mortgages, you can simply find a mortgage broker in your state to serve you.
kamster
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Snow White and the Seven Rails
I hit the slopes at MSL-M yesterday for the first time in years... I haven't been there and years and boy, has it changed. I'm pretty sure they remodeled all the slopes, added in some new ones and bulldozes some old ones. As well... I don't remember there ever being 2 slopes... But perhaps thats just me. Anyways, Mount St. Louis Moonstone is apparently bigger and better with more slopes to choose from.
So what did we do the whole day? We hit the terrain park, of course. At MSL-M, there are two terrain parks. One that's full of huge jumps (labeled XL =() and another thats got a few medium sized ones and some boxes and rails (labeled S and M =D). Jon and I, being huge noobs, headed for the latter terrain park, which turned out to be pretty great. We stayed at the park for pretty much the whole day (which ended at 4:30. What a rip-off). It was ok... I just wish we were better. Then we could run around looking like those pros with their infallible sense of fashion, doing crazy inverted aerials even when they're not supposed to (on that note, MSL-M has some nice gladeboarding... but don't get caught). I should have taken leassons with Jon, but I guess I was just too busy.
Yesterday however, the weather was terrible. But it wasn't cold. Nooo way. It was instead way too warm. The temperature was, for the greater part of the day hovering around 5 degrees celsius. And we all know what that means; wet snow. Whenever me or Jon sat down, we'd get up a minute later to find a pool of water underneath us. As well, all the slopes were disgustingly sticky, so it was hard to get any real speed going, even on a slope. Later on in the day though, it cooled down and the snow started to take on my preferred consistency; crisp and hard. Although this meant that falls would hurt alot more (in the morning my knees would leave 4-inch indents in the snow where I fell... is that normal?), it also meant I wouldn't have to unstrap and push myself the last 50 metres to the lift after every run at the park.
Whatever, yesterday was just plain fun. I realize that I haven't been doing enough exercise lately, and all that sweating I believe, did me some good. I still need to get better though... after 4 years of riding I'm not as good as I should be, methinks. Maybe I'll go again next week?
kamster
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Death of Tragedy
What is it that causes a person to pity another? Is it an primordial instinct, to feel for those worse off than us? Or is it the inevitable sadness we all feel when presented with a character, doomed to failure from the start? Macbeth, the doomed usurper in Macbeth was surely a prime example of a tragic hero, worthy of an audience’s tears and pities. However, the UCC version of final scene of Macbeth encourages catharsis in the way opposite one might expect in seeing Macbeth’s end; relief and joy instead of pity and sadness. There are three reasons for this: Macbeth’s unrepentant attitude, Malcolm’s banishing of all things Macbeth and the unwillingness of some to give up to the death and bloodshed caused by Macbeth during his life. These three key points, emphasized in the UCC version of Macbeth cause the audience to feel not pity as one might expect, but instead relief as Macbeth winds to a close.
In the Oxford version of Macbeth, Macbeth seems to give up and accept defeat halfway through is dialogue with Macduff, his arch nemesis. Upon hearing that Macduff is unaffected by the charm placed upon him (Macbeth), Macbeth seems to have received a staggering blow to his power and in a way his manhood (which is emphasized throughout Macbeth: “Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, For it hath cowed my better part of man;” (5.7.47-48). A reader of Macbeth might assume this to be Macbeth’s last stand, as he has realized by this point that, however immortal and powerful he believed himself to be before, Macduff has found his weakness, his “Achilles’ heel” and intends to end him. Moreover, Macbeth brings this a step forward a few lines after by uttering what seems to be the ultimate “white flag”: “I’ll not fight with thee.” (5.7.52). The final scene in the Oxford version creates in the audience an inclination to pity Macbeth, as readers might believe that Macbeth has finally found his limit, the end of his line, his own morality. However, the UCC version of the play does just the exact opposite.
In the video version of scene 5.7, Macbeth does indeed seem cowed for a moment after he realizes his fate (“Accursed be that tongue […] better part of man;” (5.7.47-48)), but is soon back on his proverbial feet, flushed with anger and ready to put it all on the line. He continues to assail Macduff with unrelenting ferocity, as if all previous notions of surrender and submission to justice have been forgotten or buried. An audience might perceive Macbeth’s unrepentant attitude in this scene the last straw. Up until this point, it is not wrong to assume that the audience may have still harbored some feelings of pity and hopes for Macbeth’s return to his old self. However his refusal to submit to Macduff and steadfastness in his own rightful ways leaves the audience no choice but to wish an end upon his head, and to be relieved when it comes, not long after him and Macduff begin fighting. This refusal by Macbeth to acknowledge his wrongs, even in his final moments, changes the audience’s perception of him as a tragic hero to an unrelenting villain and further adds to their relief when he is defeated.
The second part of this scene that contributes to the audience’s feeling of relief at Macbeth’s end occurs, strangely, after Macbeth has been defeated. At the beginning of scene 5.7 (5.7 is sometimes split into 5.7 and 5.8) in the Oxford text, Young Seyward (Seyward’s son) confronts Macbeth. They duel, and on account of Macbeth’s immunity to all men born of women, slays him. The reaction of Seyward to the news of her sons death contributes to the audience’s reaction (albeit in a smaller way) to Macbeth’s end and Malcolms rightful seizing of the throne. By this point in the play, not only is the audience weary of Macbeth’s murders and killings, they are expecting a sound resolution to the play. When Seyward receives news of her son’s death, she responds with a “Why then, God’s soldier be he: Had I as many sons as I have hairs, I would not wish them to a fairer death – And so his knell is knolled.” (5.7.76-79). This appears as though she is mourning for the loss of her son and is greatly saddened by the loss. Malcolm replies by saying that “He’s worth more sorrow,” (5.7.80), implying that he is worthy of their sadness and mourning indeed. Whereas the text of Macbeth portrays the loss of Young Seyward as a great blow to the morale of the “good” in Macbeth (Malcolm, Macduff, Ross, Lennox, Seyward and all others not aligned with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth), the UCC version of the final scene greatly minimizes the effect of Young Seyward’s death on Seyward.
The UCC version of 5.7 shows Seyward, along with Ross and Malcolm standing and conversing about their friends and the loss of Young Seyward. Seyward, upon hearing of Young Seyward’s demise, asks if “he is dead?” (5.7.74). She does with neither a waver of her voice or a tear falling from her eyes. Although this may seem to be an overly-trivial detail, it is in reality, something that the audience (and perhaps, more by female audience members) would take note of very quickly. The fact that Seyward shows almost no emotion in this scene signifies one of two things; that she is either as cold-hearted and emotionless as Macbeth sometimes seems to be, or she is minimizing the sadness within her in favor of keeping a positive front and continuing on with life. In this case, it is most likely the latter. This steadfastness on the part of Seyward to not show emotion and sadness is symbolic of someone who, after enduring a great tragedy in their life, makes the conscious decision to move forward. In this way, she is effectively denying Macbeth victory over her emotionally, even after he is defeated. This unwillingness to show sadness on the part of Seyward would also invoke in the audience a sense of pity for her, in such a way that Malcolm’s seizure of the throne soon after fulfills the expectation of a sound resolution.
The last reason that the audience might breathe a “sigh of relief” at the end of Macbeth’s rule is that they have the knowledge that all evil has ended, and that good will prevail thereafter. Malcolm’s entire speech at the very end of scene 5.7 exhibits the will of Malcolm (and others like Seyward who wish to get on with life after Macbeth’s bloodshed has ended) to improve his kingdom that has been torn apart by Macbeth. He states many of his wishes in his final speech for the here and now, including “calling home our exiled friends abroad (recalling all those alienated and forced to flee by Macbeth, like his brother Donalbain)” and doing “what needful else That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace We will perform in measure, time and place” (5.7.90-105). This speech is portrayed as a call to arms and revival, for all in Malcolm’s kingdom to rise to the call of rebuilding what Macbeth has torn down. In this way, his speech brings a partial resolution to the play and to the audience’s expectation of a resolution as well. However, the UCC version makes this speech even more important by adding in an element not even mentioned in the Oxford text.
In the UCC version of 5.7, a stranger walks onto the stage midway through Malcolm’s speech. The identity of this stranger is never hinted at or mentioned, so the audience has no idea who it is. However, it is soon made obvious that he is hostile, as Seyward takes his sword and Malcolm and Macduff hold their blades to the stranger’s throat. He is pushed up against a pole at sword point, but is not dispatched or harmed in any way. What does this portray to the audience? Nothing but the dismissal of the last vestiges of Macbeth’s reign. This stranger, whoever he is, is assumed to be in line with Macbeth. This assumption makes the audience more relieved when he is finally escorted off stage (they see this as the last strangling veins of Macbeth’s reign are pulled away). Whatever the goal of this stranger was, he never accomplished it, and instead made the audience feel more joy and relief at Malcolm’s speech to rebuild his kingdom. In a way, the stranger’s appearance is somewhat of a bouncing block for Malcolm’s speech further glorifying it by adding an element of the “defeat of evil” through the defeat of this stranger.
All of these elements leading up to the demise and end of Macbeth’s reign combine to produce an odd affect on the audience. Instead of creating feelings of sympathy for Macbeth as a tragic hero, his final moments are shameful and cause instead disgust in the audience’s mind. The UCC version did a great job in exacerbating Macbeth’s flaws and inducing catharsis in the opposite direction; disgust instead of pity and relief in place sympathy. This is similar to many cases that occur in today’s society; in the hallways of our educational institutions and in the meeting rooms of many great corporations. It looks great, until one slips up or does something wrong. This is in effect, poisoning your own well: from that moment on, your peers, friends and enemies will look at you with disgust, instead of admiration and hope, very similar to what occurred in the final scene of Macbeth.
-----
Here are the two parts of scene 5.7 as performed by UCC
Part 1,
and Part 2:
kamster
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sleep Tight Tomorrow Night
Are you sick of waking up to a sore back and having to hear the bones in your spine crunch as you strain to get up every morning? Now there is a solution.
You've probably heard of memory foam before, an almost magical bedding material that responds to warmth and pressure to mold around an object. What this means is that if you lie down on a memory foam mattress, you will (within a minute or two) feel the mattress literally, conforming to the shape of your body!
Overnight Mattress is a memory foam mattress manufacturer and retailer that just went public. Since they are the manufacturer of these amazing foam mattresses (no middlemen involved), they can undersell the competition by a large fraction of what you might find in a commercial mattress store.
As well, Overnight Mattress offers a 120 Night In-Home-Trial of their mattresses, so if you are unsatisfied in any way, they will refund or exchange your mattress, no questions asked! If you go on their site, you will also find some OvernightMattress.com/Real-Reviews from consumers who were pleasantly surprised with the service that they offer as well as the quality of their mattresses.
If you order on their website, you can usually have your mattress in your bedroom, ready to be used by the day after tomorrow. With such speedy service, comprehensive guarantees (20-Year Limited Warranty), 4 months to try them out and proven results, what have you got to lose from purchasing a mattress from Overnight Mattress and improving your sleep? Visit their site today and have your mattress delivered as soon as possible!
This post sponsored by Overnight Mattress.
kamster
Wet Grass
Ahh... spring is just about upon us. With the end of summer, we see rivers of melt water streaming from beneath miniature icebergs on the sides of roads and pidgeons walking about in the snow. Even though spring cleaning is still a ways off, at least now we've got something to look forward.
Spring is sort of like... waking up from a long sleep. You're kind of stiff and your bones creak when you first get up, but it feels great. It feels fresh, it feels like... a totally new day. With this, I think I should try some new stuff. Like changing how I go through my days and how I interact with people and stuff. I know its a bit late (New Years resolutions are long gone and broken) but better late than never, right?
A few updates: I posted my new site-wide disclosure policy a few minutes ago and have added a link to it in the sidebar. As well, I have created a new section called "My Pages" for my friends' blogs and other stuff, like my disclosure policy, in the right sidebar instead of dumping all my links into the connect section.
Like what you see? Or no? Drop me a line!
kamster
Disclosure Policy
This policy is valid from 06 March 2008 .
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. I believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.
I am compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Although I receive compensation for our posts or advertisements, I will always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain content which might present a conflict of interest.
kamster
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Market Your Content Today
If you are a blogger/artist/animator that produces fresh, interesting content on a regular basis and want to get your stuff noticed, you need to read this.
Buzzfuse* is a new content marketing and discovery system that allows bloggers and innovators like you or I publish material on their site which in turn gets spread around the web and viewed by other Buzzfuse* members and site visitors. I recently signed up for Buzzfuse* as I also want to get Up the Ante exposed as much as possible (thank you to all my readers out there, I love you!). With Buzzfuse*, it is super simple. What do you need to do?
Visit Buzzfuse.com and sign up in just 2 steps: Give them your email address (a confirmation email will be sent to make sure its really you) and then give a little bit of information like your name, and you're done! You are now a proud member of Buzzfuse* and well on your way to driving more and more traffic on your blog!
Now, depending on what kind of stuff interests you, there are three different ways to publish your content. For audio or photos, simply upload your files. For flash media or blog posts, you'll need to install a small section of code (html or flash) into your content to make it Buzzfuse* ready. From there, Buzzfuse* will spread the word (that is their motto, after all) about your content and drive traffic to your blog! Additionally, if you've got great content that people are interested in, you have potential to earn some cool, hard cash with Buzzfuse* too!
This really is a great site, and what's best is that they will never spam you. So keep on using Buzzfuse* to promote your material... what have you got to lose?
This post sponsored by Buzzfuse*.
kamster
