Work, Work, Work, Holiday!

Well, I'm feeling really lucky right now as my work is turning into a holiday for a week! I'm organising a conference for our company and a few clients and the MD has charged me with organising an impressive venue. Bunnie suggested I look into private castles in Scotland... that girl has some great ideas when it comes to planning fun times... so we are hiring a castle that is available for luxury Scottish vacations and having the conference there.
The really great thing is I don't need to worry about catering for our guests, we can rent the castle fully staffed. There are plenty of castles for hire in Scotland to choose from, many are close to the airport so I guess we can all fly up from London in an hour or so. Should be great!

New Nokia

I love Nokia handsets, I reckon they are the only mobile phones worth considering. Other manufacturers just dont compare. You can pick up any other Nokia and instantly feel at home with it.
For my new mobile phone this year I am going to get a Nokia 6111, a pretty cool all-round handset. You can get it free on the Orange network - they offer the best mobile phone deals. I love a good slider phone because I have really clumsy hands and I always press the buttons and forget to put the number lock thing on!
Having a mp3 player and camera will be pretty cool too... theyre kind of standard features on a phone now!

The Best Web Directories

Submitting your site to the directories on the lists published by Best Web Directories will increase your pagerank and visibility on the web. They list both free directories and paid directories as there are advantages to both. You may be thinking 'Why would I submit to a paid directory when there are free ones that look much the same?' This is understandable, but there are usually advantages to submitting to paid directories. They are generally much more established and have higher page rank. They will probably bring you more traffic and a higher position in SERPs. It takes time to submit to hundreds of free directories, but a paid link may be worth as much as 50 or 100 of these free ones.

SEO Tools and Resources

I was using the 101-seo-resources.com keyword analysis tools on my blog and found that I don't really focus on any particular topic. That isn't unusual for bloggers as the average person has many interests that they will write about, not focusing on one particular niche.
Other good tools found at 101-seo-resources.com include link popularity tools and also an excellent SEO glossary that explains many of the terms and acronyms associated with the industry. I had often wondered what a cache was!

Deep Links

If you are working on SEO for your website you may notice that a lot of directories do basically the same thing and just list home pages of websites. Deeplink.us Directory is different - it asks that webmasters submit deep links to their websites. In this way the directory lists the best page from each website. I think it is a good idea - it makes people think a little differently, and a little difference goes a long way!
Some great categories include a directory of directories and a comprehensive shopping category.

The In Road For Buyers of First Time Pasco Wa Homes

While an auction may not be the best venue for a buyer of Pasco Wa homes unfamiliar with the process, getting a foreclosure property one step farther in the process is indeed a viable option. Because a home purchased from a real estate agent or directly from a bank can be assured to have cleared all of the potential financial claims against it, a first time home buyer can instead have confidence in their purchase that they won’t be pursued as the new Pasco Wa homes owner of the property to settle any debts incurred by the previous owner.

Additionally, navigating the process of purchasing a foreclosure home is simply not familiar to most first time home buyers and as a result, buying under a more standard process with a real estate agent involved offers an easier way to purchase a home for a bit of a financial benefit without having to learn a great deal to do so. A first time home buyer already with a bead on a foreclosure Pasco Wa homes property as a potential target can partner that good intuition up with a simpler process to create a value-laden transaction that will land a first home.

Take Advantage Of Large Kennewick Wa Homes Space

Most potential buyers of Kennewick Wa homes have an idea of how they want to furnish a property before ever stepping foot into a showing and it is your responsibility to make sure that their vision can be accommodated by the space available in your property while still showing off some of your own ideas that make the specific traits of the home shine through. It is this balance of a potential home buyer’s personal tastes and the way the home can play off of those preconceived notions that will create an environment that a potential buyer of Kennewick Wa homes can envision making their own.

Doing so is largely an exercise in emphasizing the space available in the home, particularly in large areas where much of the potential buyer’s own personality will be projected. Never let a home, when possible, sit with an empty, large space as it will be very difficult for a buyer to envision their own life fitting into Kennewick Wa homes. A potential buyer wants to see a lived-in space that reflects the nature of the property, even though they are probably replacing your sofa in their mind with their own.

Without A Trace, as Reported by Washington Real Estate News

Entering a home for a showing and being confronted by a set of barking dogs is enough to make some potential buyers not enter the home at all, Washington Real Estate News reports. Similarly, the sight of a clump of cat hair on the sofa can sour some potential buyers as they try to envision themselves in your property. They won’t think you are a bad person or a bad pet owner, but they will come away from a showing with a bad taste in their mouth due in large part to your pet’s effect.

Your job, Washington Real Estate News suggests, is to remove any trace of your pet’s stay in the home, starting with the clutter that can sometimes come from pet toys and food dishes. A cage is fine and a tidy area where a pet spends most of his or her time will not harm a showing, but having a stray dog bone here and a messy food dish there can distract a buyer from the beautiful breakfast nook you keep or the immaculate counter top you just cleaned. Washington Real Estate News recommends not letting your pet become a part of the home evaluation equation.

A Change in Diet

I've been told by the doctor that I have to change my diet. Too many years of good food and fast living have left me with high cholesterol. Not that it is a problem at the moment apparently, but in the future (maybe 10 years) if I don't reduce the cholesterol then I will be a prime candidate for a heart attack.
The doctor has given me a cholesterol diet to reduce the levels of cholesterol I am consuming. It seems like it is going to stop me eating fast food which is a real shame! Also things like my traditional roast Sunday dinner are going to have to be 'modified' to make them better for me.

Making Money Online

Bunnie has been asking me to help her out with her latest thing - she has decided that she wants to be an online entrepreneur, making money from building websites and promoting them. I thought at first she was being daft, but she sent me a link to these guys who pretty much lay out how to do the whole thing
Self Made Minds offer advice that can be used by anyone new to the internet, as well as a few advanced tips. I reckon I could manage to crank out a few adsense mini-sites as they describe in their article, but I would use a blogging platform such as WordPress to create the site then no technical knowledge at all is needed, and editing the site later is a piece of cake.

Sell Tri City Wa Real Estate With Simple Staging Tips

Hiring a staging company to make your Tri City Wa home sparkle is a great way to help your home show better and more readily impress the potential buyers that take showings at your home, but staging is an expense that not all home sellers are willing to invest in. For those sellers, there are some tips that staging companies use to make a home show as well as it possibly can that can be implemented without too much work or hassle. While they will not substitute for a staging company, they can give your home a fresh look.

Capturing the attention of a Tri City Wa buyer that takes a showing with your home is one of the most important and overlooked parts of the home selling process as an inordinate amount of effort goes into generating interest on a property, so letting that interest fall flat with a bad showing is a big detriment to a timely and full price home sale. Don’t let your own home sale fall into that trap and instead use the showing as an opportunity to let the best aspects of your home shine through and communicate value to a buyer looking at the property with a critical eye at every turn.

Staging can be an expensive process and while it certainly spruces up the way a home shows, many sellers bristle at the thought of adding additional expense to the home selling process. For those sellers, emphasizing the current space and showing off new uses for each nook and cranny can help a potential Tri City Wa real estate buyer see themselves in the home and communicate value to those you’ve tried so hard through diligent marketing efforts to get to see your home.

Recognize The Signs in Pasco Wa Real Estate

If something happens to cause a build up of carbon monoxide in your Pasco Wa real estate, you will likely feel the effects. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning range from flu-like symptoms at the start to more severe symptoms like a shortness of breath. If you constantly fill a little bit ill when you come home, look into the possibility that you have a carbon monoxide poisoning. Purchasing a detector is the best way to monitor your Pasco Wa real estate whether you feel ill or not, but if you are feeling some effects, investing in one is a necessity to at least eliminate carbon monoxide as a potential cause of your constant sickness.

When purchasing a carbon monoxide monitor, make sure that you buy one that has the ability to fall back on a battery should the power go out as many plug in. Place them near where you sleep to make sure that if an alarm goes off, you won’t simply sleep through it. A loud, clear alarm could be the difference between your ability to wake up and evacuate your family from Pasco Wa real estate and the prospect of sleeping through an alarm. Carbon monoxide detectors are typically not expensive and with a small cash outlay, you can remove a potential worry from your home and rest easier at night.

Richland Real Estate ~ Pack With Your Pet In Mind

One of the ways movers can get into trouble is by packing away valuable information that they may need on moving day for Richland real estate. Under a pile of boxes that all look the same, finding a piece of paper or bottle of medicine can be an exercise in finding a needle in a haystack. The same applies to your pet’s veterinary records, medications and other critical items that might be necessary on moving day. With all of the hustle and bustle around a move, it is entirely possible for something to happen to your pet. When moving Richland real estate, consider the worst case scenario for your pet and plan for it.

In that same vein, make sure that the identification for your pet is on the pet at all times and up to date should the hectic nature of moving cause you to misplace your pet. Proper and securely fastened identification is critical to a pet at any time, but especially so during a move that can expose the pet to sights and situations that could cause it to spook and run. Don’t let what should be an exciting day moving into a new Richland real estate home turn into a search for the family dog without proper identification.

When In Rome...

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That's some kind of famous saying, I have no idea what it means, but when we are in Rome this spring we are going to be just like the locals and stay in an apartment rather than a hotel.
Rome Rents let out apartments on a short term basis to tourists. You can rent an apartment in Rome for a night or a week - its got to beat staying in a hotel, and the prices are competitive too. I'm really looking forward to our stay in Rome as part of our Italian holiday this spring.

More Holidays

Bunnie seems to have decided that we are going to Italy this year again. I'm all for going to Italy, especially in spring when we can miss the crowds and the weather is just how I like it (not too hot, not too cold!)
Holidays in Italy have always been underrated by Brits who prefer Spain or France... I just don't know why. I love going on holiday to Italy and indulging in some great food (loads of pizza and pasta), great wine, and some of the beers aren't bad either.
I think we might visit Rome on this trip too.

Kelowna Skiing Holiday

Bunnie has been asking me to look at holidays again. That girl needs a richer man! We are thinking of visiting Canada for a ski holiday. Hotel Kelowna looks good, hopefully we can find the right hotel at the right price. The cost of hotels is quite important when you go on holiday as much as we do! The Big White ski resort looks a great place and they have some good pricing for lift passes. All I need to do now is find a budget hotel and book some flights and thats the holiday planned!
Man, I love skiing. Snowboarding might be 'cooler' but you just can't beat skis.

Wealth Building

Starting your path to riches as soon as possible is a great idea. If you start saving and investing in your teens or twenties when all your friends are out partying and building up debt then you are sure to have a comfortable life. The trouble is that wealth building just doesn't appeal to many young people.
Take the time out to plan your wealth strategy. Have a good long think about what you need at different stages of your life. Make a plan... don't be scared of planning - plans can be changed. I wish you well on your road to riches.

Compare The Price of WoW Gold

When looking to buy World of Warcraft gold it pays to shop around. WoW gold price list has a comparison of various reputable WoW gold sellers. They highlight the best prices so that you don't have to trawl the internet looking for the cheapest WoW gold.

I have bought WoW gold from their sellers and found that it was quick and easy. The gold sellers are professional and honest. If you need power levelling or to buy items for World of Warcraft then WoW gold price list can help you out too.

World of Warcraft

Did you know that you can no longer buy World of Warcraft gold on eBay? Ebay has become concerned with the legal aspect of selling WoW gold and items, in fact they have banned all virtual trading with the exception of Second Life, as SL has a clear policy that items created by users are their own intellectual property.
If you want to buy WoW gold then there are reputable sellers on the internet. Cheap WoW gold and items are still available, so you don't have to do the boring stuff in WoW!

The Difficulty Of Moving On in West Richland Wa Real Estate

The reason the value of a West Richland Wa home can become such an issue for a seller is the amount of emotional attachment to the home fostered over a million memories created in the home, no matter how long the seller happened to live there. A seller is aware of all of the little things that were done to the home, the minor improvements here and there that have taken the home from its raw state at purchase to the mature home that is now on the market for a new owner. That transition can produce many mixed feelings, one of them an over-inflated image of what West Richland real estate is worth.

As difficult as it may be, the best advice for a seller is to remain as neutral as possible during the home’s sale process, using an impartial eye to look at the home as it stands in relation to other homes in the area with a similar set of amenities. Doing so will help a West Richland Wa seller not only get out of the way of the pricing process targeted at selling the home quickly, but will take away some of the stress the home selling process can create with every step along the way.

The Pet Perfect Tri City Wa Real Estate

If Tri City Wa real estate pet owners are one thing, it is devoted to their pets, so it should come as not surprise that the market for pet friendly properties has grown significantly over time in accordance with the growth of pet ownership. As a potential home buyer looking for a new property for you and your pet, there are a few traits you can look for to make sure that you will be happy with your new home and your pet will feel just as welcomed as you do.

For those with a pet as a valued part of the family, making sure that Tri City Wa home will not only accommodate a pet, but that a pet is even allowed in the particular community is a part of the real estate process that might not be a part otherwise. You will want to not only make sure that a home will accommodate your pet when you take a showing, but also discuss it before hand with your real estate agent so that he or she will keep it in mind when turning up properties for you to look at.

Pet owners are a growing segment of the population and Tri City Wa real estate well suited for these pet owners are out there for the picking. However, you have to work with your real estate agent to define the kind of amenities you are looking for to ensure that you will see homes that will improve the quality of life for you, your family and your pets.

Washington Real Estate News and The Zillow Sweet Spot

Zillow is one of the most interesting sites on the Internet, Washington Real Estate News reports, as far as its attempt to evaluate vastly different properties and augmenting that service with features like aerial maps and listings for sale in the area to first bring in potential buyers with a cool service like home values and then selling them something through the additional services offered. However, the information available is only reliable in relatively homogeneous areas and cannot replace the ability of a real estate agent to either determine the value of your home for sale or pinpoint areas a potential buyer’s budget will allow a home purchase.

Those homes that see their value most accurately reported by Zillow are those that are easily comparable to homes near by for approximate value, Washington Real Estate News reports. Homes located either in rural areas where there simply aren’t many nearby homes to use as comparable properties or those that lie in neighborhoods full of homes that vary wildly in appearance and amenities will see value estimates that could fluctuate significantly from their actual value.

Where a real estate agent can accommodate these types of homes by using the human touch to dig deeper for comparable homes or modifying a Washington Real Estate News valuation in accordance with the information available, Zillow’s software program does not have that advantage. If homes nearby are not reliable for determining a value, the estimate produced could be vastly different from the kind of value a real estate agent’s comparative market analysis would derive.

Kennewick Wa Real Estate ~ Many Barriers Exist Already

As anyone with an expired MLS listing or seven-month stay on the market will tell you, there are a number of reasons Kennewick Wa real estate may not sell. A home may not be in a great location, it may not show very well, it may pale in comparison to other similar homes in the area and it may simply not garner the level of interest it needs to see an offer. Simply put, there are enough potential barriers to a Kennewick Wa real estate sale already inherent to the process without adding a seller’s desire for a particular sales price into the mix.

Understanding that can greatly reduce a seller’s stubbornness in sticking to a particular price point as any seller has the goal of a timely transaction in mind. Sticking to an unwieldy price for Kennewick Wa real estate will only elongate the process, delaying a subsequent move and perhaps putting undue strain on a process that can already create a great deal of stress in the minds of some sellers.

More on the Tri-Cities

Recreation in the Tri-Cities, according to Washington Real Estate News, is centered around the Columbia River, which provides ample opportunity to fish and sail. The three cities all have boat launching sites, and the river is big enough to accomodate all comers. Washington Real Estate News also details the many walking trails in the Tri-Cities.
Further recreational opportunities are available in West Richland. Check out Washington Real Estate News for further information on Washington and its many attractions.

Washington Real Estate News

Washington Real Estate News covers the Tri-Cities area of the state of Washington. The Tri-Cities is made up of three neighboring cities: Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, and is ranked as the 191st most populous metropolitan area of the U.S. Property in all three cities can be found at Washington Real Estate News.
The climate in the Tri-Cities area is desert, only getting 7 or 8 inches of rain each year. The good news is the 300+ days of sunshine every year. Occasional snow is seen in the winter. Residents often complain of dust in the air, especially in the summer when the weather is dry and can be windy. Read more at Washington Real Estate News.

Working Overseas

Terry has been considering living and working overseas as an expat. Opportunities abroad are huge for people with the right skill set and qualifications.
Finding an expat job can be done on the usual online job boards. You might have a telephone interview at a strange time of night or morning depending on where you are looking to work.
Other things to consider if you are thinking about becoming an expat are expat insurance and expat health care. These things are vital to give you and your family peace of mind that if the worst happens, you are covered.

Find a Job

Terry has been struggling to find a job. I haven't been through the job application process for over a decade, but it sounds like employers are expecting more and more from prospective employees. Spending a couple of hundred on professional resume services isn't unusual these days, and that is just the start of it.
Obviously appearance at interview is a big deal, and Terry has had to go out and buy a new suit, an expensive one as cheap ones do not convey the right image.
Even after the interview employers may ask you to sit a test, or return for a second interview. It is a big deal and a lot to go through.

Nuclear Power: Not In My Back Yard

How big does your back yard have to be to avoid fallout from a nuclear disaster? I have no idea, but the Nuclear Now website claims that nuclear power is safe and much more environmentally friendly than traditional types of power such as oil and coal powered stations.
New nuclear technology means that much more power can be derived from the same amount of material and that the waste produced is less and far less dangerous.
Already about 20% of the power generated in the US comes from nuclear powered stations. These stations have an admirable safety record as not one single fatality has been recorded as a result of nuclear power over their 40 year history.

Dream Job

When I was a little boy, I wanted nothing more than to be a private detective, or private dick as we used to call them. To sneak around following clues and outsmarting criminals seemed like a fantastic life!
The internet today is great for finding out information about people and a hobby of mine is researching how to do things like skip tracing, and reading about private investigator equipment.
I reckon I could give Dick Tracy a run for his money now, so if you have lost someone or need to find something out let me know. I would relish the challenge!

Ebay Buying and Selling

Another thing Bunnie has been banging on about is selling some products on the internet to supplement the business sales and to bring in new customers. It is a good idea, but then I would need a website and have to maintain it, and all the extra work that would mean would be no fun at all.
For once Bunnie came up with a good solution. We're going to open an eBay store, they are easy to run and don't have to be constantly maintained and updated. Selling on eBay is a great idea as there is no need to set up advertising, it is all done for you.
Read more about buying and selling on eBay.

Business Planning

So Bunnie has been bugging me to put together a business plan. I keep telling her that I have a business plan, but it is all in my head and constantly revised! I think she is worried in case I get run over by a bus or something.
To protect Bunnies income in case I die prematurely(!) I have been reading up on running my own business and stuff like SWOT analysis and I am going to document the way the business runs, write some procedures and stuff. Boring.
Good job there is some entrepreneur support available on the internet, or I think I would go nuts :)

Finding me in the Search Engines

A friend at work was Googleing for me the other day and he said he couldn't find my blog on the internet. I have found a website that will help me get listed in Google, and it could help you too if you have a blog or website.
Internet Search Engines FAQ is the home of some geeky SEO (Search Engine Optimization) guys who know all about how to get your website on the first page of Google. The first thing I have to do is list my site in some blog directories and web directories.
Although I said SEO was geeky, I actually find it quite interesting - it is a bit like doing a rubiks cube or something. Good brain exercise.

Fort Liberty

I'm always interested to see what is going on on the other side of the pond. Although a lot of the stuff Americans do seems a little strange to me, I think the US is a pretty cool place on the whole. People were certainly friendly to me when I visited.
Americans take their rights seriously. Fort Liberty is a website dedicated to the freedoms that Americans enjoy, and the equipment they use to secure those freedoms, including tactical gear and military vehicles. You wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of some of this hardware!

Edinburgh Trip

Next Tuesday I'm going to Edinburgh for a business meeting. I'm going to take my girlfriend too, we will make a nice break of it. When we go to Edinburgh on business or pleasure we always stay at The Bruntsfield Best Western. I reckon it's the best value Edinburgh hotel - it is close to everything, the rooms are good, staff pleasant - and it doesn't cost a fortune.
They do special Edinburgh short break packages too that include a fabulous Scottish Breakfast (yum) and dinner. We are already booked to get up there later in the year, the staff have always been really knowledgeable about the city and advised us on things to do and places to see.

Audio Cable

I'm a bit of a hi-fi buff, some of my friends laugh at me and tell me that a pair of £100 speakers and an iPod is all anyone needs these days, but I just love audio gear and old vinyl records especially.
It is getting increasingly difficult to find audio gear from high street retailers - I was in a local electronics store looking for a SPDIF lead yesterday and they didn't carry them! I'm going to have to make a special trip to get one. SPDIF is the standard cable for interconnection of items such as CD players and DVD players.
I don't mind making the trip too much, I might find another piece of audiophile equipment that I just have to have!

Polly Pocket Comes to Stay

My niece Andrea is here to stay this weekend, and I promised her that she could look on my computer at a Polly Pocket website. She collects these little dolls called Polly Pockets, and all the accessories that go with them. I had no idea that there was such a healthy market for children's toys!
There is a really active scene in buying and selling Polly Pocket dolls on eBay, and websites dedicated to Polly Pocket collections. It isn't just kids who collect these dolls either; some adults collect them and make entire villages! It reminds me a little of making train sets when I was a kid.
Andrea loves the really early Polly Pocket dolls from the 1990's (when I was a kid!) If anyone has any old Pollys around please send them to me so I can give them to Andrea.

Business Credit Cards

Working in the City teaches you a thing or two. I know several of my contemporaries have built their businesses with business credit cards as their sole means of finance. Banks aren't too keen to lend in a traditional manner (ie. business bank loans) to new or high risk businesses, and securing a new business on your personal property such as a your home can be a bit worrisome.
Small business credit cards are an ideal way to raise the finance you need when expanding a small company. The rates are competitive when compared to bank loan rates, and they can even improve your businesses credit rating when used properly.

Investing for the Future

My job in the city on the financial markets leads me to research all kinds of financial products. Recently, Certificate of Deposit have been a favorite investment due to the guarantee that you will get your money back plus interest at the end of a fixed term; they are very stable investments.

Finding the highest CD rates takes some searching; many smaller banks offer CDs that have better rates than larger financial institutions - they have to to bring in the business. The highest CD rates usually come with longer term investments. Be sure to check the penalties before investing in a CD if you think there is any possibility of you withdrawing funds early.

Sky TV in Europe

Dave has found a website that sells Sky HD TV in Europe. As we are both sports fans this is going to be great for the new holiday home in Italy. It is a really good service; they take card of the Sky contract for you, all you need to do is pay them (no UK account or address needed) and they ship out a Sky HD card to Europe. Also if you need a Sky digibox they can ship that out to you as well.
Store Satellite also supply something called a Sky dialler, which connects between your Sky box and phone line; this is required so that your box can get authorisation for movies and pay-per-view.

Keeping Bees

One day when I get my big house in the country I'm going to keep bees. I love good quality honey in the mornings on my toast, and nothing would make me happier than to be spreading honey that I myself have harvested from my own honey bee hive. Of course, this is totally impractical whilst I live in the flat, but once I'm out of London (noone can stay here for ever can they?) then I can get a place with a big garden & put my own beehive in there. I'm serious! I've even been investigating how to keep bees!

Buying a New Car

So it is cheaper to buy a new car using a secured loan than just a regular personal loan. I've been hunting around and the best place to get a quote seems to be from Accepted.co.uk. They search heaps of different secured loan providers for you, all you have to do is fill out a really short form & let them go to work. Saves us the time and effort. It is free too, and no credit checks or anything are performed, so you can use it as many times as you like to play out different scenarios. Now all i have do decide on is if I get the car I should get, or the one I really want :)

Batchelor Pad in Calabria; it's Going to Happen

Dave keeps banging on about us going to take this inspection flight to Calabria to have a look for a bachelor pad... he's determined that we are going to go halves on buying an apartment out there. I keep humoring him, saying ok, lets do it and stuff, but he's actually gone and booked us inspection flights to go and look at a place. He's been dealing with the Overseas Property Shop, who have loads of experience with Spanish property, and are now the leadin company to deal with when Brits are buying property in Calabria. Guess I'm gonna have to find a few quid for a deposit, but Dave reckons that they are an ace investment.

Free Financial Advice

Did you know that you can get financial advice for free? Thats right, you don't need the expensive services of a financial planner when you're re-working your finances. The Citizens Advice Bureau offer free financial advice through their volunteer network, so even here in the City of London it is possible to avoid those big bills. If you need advice about your loans and credit cards, or have problems meeting repayments, you can contact them and they will do their best to help you out.
The first thing to do is visit their website and download some factsheets, from there you can make an appointment to meet one of their staff at a branch near you.

Credit and Loan Agreements

Most people I know in London have massive amounts of debt. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is just a facet of modern living. If you want any kind of career these days you have to get an education, and they don't come cheap. So starting out with student loans and progressing quickly on to credit cards to pay for your studies leaves most people (those without rich parents) with a hefty bill to be paid off in adult life. I have been looking at re-structuring some of my debt to make it more cost effective, and was pleasantly surprised by the level of assistance offered by the UK government, especially their 'Money Made Clear' website.

Wordpress?

I wish I had the foresight to start this blog on Wordpress instead of blogger. Owning your own domain name is important according to Dave, and I reckon Wordpress has better themes too.

Making Money Posting On Forums

My mate Dave told me about a service he is using on the internet. Dave is a web guru dude and has loads of websites. I happened to tell him that I've been playing on the internet a bit lately, and he said I could make some extra cash with this site too.
Dave uses paid posting to find people to make his new websites busy. When Dave launches a new forum he uses paid forum posters to build up the website so it looks busy and there are loads of conversations going on.
Dave said people hire paid blog posters through the website too, so I've registered and I'm going to do some paid posting work!

Advice from a Real Estate Guru

James Smith is one of the leading real estate investment gurus in the United States. I have been checking out property investment for some time now as a way of providing me with a stable, independent income and as a way to retire early (we all want that don't we?).
Seminars by James Smith are held in different regions of the US, so you can be sure he will be coming to a city near you sometime soon. At the James Smith Real Estate Investor seminars attendees can expect to learn many of the secrets and techniques that James Smith has used over the three decades that he has spent building and refining his property portfolio.
Learn more about James Smith Real Estate.

Dividing the living room

One thing with this flat is that it is sooo small. I get really annoyed with the junk I have lying around everywhere, and I guess it doesn't look too good to visitors either. I'm buying a room divider from Home & Garden Decor to split the living area in two, so I have a sort of seperate living area and then an area for the PC and work stuff... all the books lying around makes me feel like I am at work all the time.
Home & Garden Decor have some really useful gizmos and gadgets (although the garden section is kinda redundant to me living in the flat). I get a kick out of the cool gnomes on the site, just wish I had somewhere to put one lol.

Making My Flat Smell Nice Part 3

In my ongoing search to make the flat smell better, I have come across a great looking product from As Seen On TV Products. Oxi Clean looks just the job for getting stains out of my soft furnishings (including the curtains!!) They sell it in two different sized tubs. It can be used on clothes too, so if I buy the bigger tub and have any left over I will use it on some of my Friday night curry stained shirts lol
Whilst I'm ordering I might just grab an Ab Workout Machine... another defence against the beer belly that is straining against my belt!

Searching, Searching...

Sometimes google sucks. The results for so many things are random and just wrong. That's when you need a good web directory like the Cheetah Find Web Directory.
Cheetah Find has comprehensive categories (over 200) with an integrated search tool. The great thing about it is that it doesn't just spider the web sucking in everything like google does, it only lists proper websites so that you get the good stuff that you are looking for.
Cheetah Find has some pretty good looking free web templates too, I need a template for this blog so maybe I will use one of theirs when I get time to get it done.

WTF Stuff - A Right Good Giggle

Came across a really funny weird news site earlier when I was doing some 'research' on London property prices. Looks like even my flat might be worth something if this dump is supposed to be worth $335,000 (is that about £170k?).
WTF stuff is like a weird news blog/rant type site, the author is really funny. I love the way he rips into K-fed, the loser ex of Britney Spears, and the video is pretty funny too.
WTF stuff also covers interesting stuff like what happens if you feed your pet iguana viagra (one for you there Dave), and beer for dogs. Check out WTF stuff today.

Dave's Stag Do

Went on Dave B's stag do last weekend to Alton Towers up North. Was a good bash. Thinking of sending the photos in to this stag do website, not too sure if Julie would like it tho. Tell you something, I've never been so drunk in all my days. I was ill until Wednesday morning and I've done no work all week.
Chas disappeared for a whole night, it must have been one of the maddest stag weekends on record.
Looking for stag party ideas for Neil's do next, anyone got any ideas?

Making My Flat Smell Nice Part 2

Something else that wont hurt is getting my flat spruced up a bit. The Dry Cleaners London are going to have to be called in! They do curtain cleaning and laundry service so people like me and you don't have to. They even come out to your house (or flat or office or whatever), take down your curtains, clean them, and then re-hang them for you. How good is that? lol
I'm going to get them to do my bedding too, cos it never looks great after I do it and these people make it real clean and crisp. Anyway I reckon I'm going to have the best smelling flat around once I've done this, so don't be bringing any cigarettes or dogs or smelly feet if you come round to visit.

Making My Flat Smell Nice

I'm a big fan of candles and stuff & I thought I might get some new scented ones to make the flat smell a little nicer (it's no good if it smells of my feet all the time now is it?) I found this great Italian website that sells candles, incense and ambient perfumes (or candele, incensi and profumi ambiente if you're Italian) so I reckon I might order some. They've got an English part of the site too, so if you can't follow the Italian don't worry :)