Hey, I’m Back! How Y’All Doing?

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My last post is dated 1st June and, incredibly, now the month is almost over. Where have I been? I wish I had a tale of excitement and adventure with which to regale you, but quite simply I had nothing new to say, and the more I pondered blogging, the more I realised that it was taking up much more of my life than I’d planned. And with less going on in my life, there was less to blog about!

Blogging was an ‘add on’, it was intended as a supplement to my internet marketing, and Reward Rebel blog was supposed to be the reflection of my work. Somehow it started to eat up so much of my time that there wasn’t enough left for me to maintain the projects I already had set up, never mind research new ones.

Well, I’ve had a break, and I’ve caught up on TV – I’m particularly enjoying Battlestar Galactica. In the UK we’ve just reached the midway point in the story, the Humans and Cylons have located and landed on Earth, only to find it dismal and desolate. Who is the final undisclosed Cylon? I think it might be Lee Adama, but most of my theories so far have been dashed, so I’m probably wrong! Ooh, it’s so exciting – have I ever mentioned I’m a massive sci-fi geek?

I’ve also been enjoying Euro 2008. Four years ago, I was in Crete when Greece won the 2004 championship, and it was a total trip! On the night of the match, there wasn’t a bar, restaurant, store, nowhere that didn’t have the match on the TV, and when they won, the entire island exploded into lunacy and revelling unlike anything I’d seen before. It was brilliant.

After watching the match, we went straight out to bedlam on the streets — along with the town’s entire population! There was a pick-up truck driving erratically into the centre of town, halting abruptly every 25 metres or so, to eject a passenger brandishing a shotgun he’d fire wildly into the night sky, jump back in and off they’d drive another 25 - 30 metres, stop and do it all over again!

Ah, Crete. If anything inspires me, it’s my plan to relocate to a waterfront villa on the Greek island of Crete. Nothing fancy mind, just as long as it has a private pool and extensive grounds, I’m not fussy.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank my beautiful friends online who have enquired about my wellbeing and whereabouts… I felt rich.

I’ll be seeing you around.

Reward Rebel Returns

Popularity: 24% [?]

Entrecard Link Love

Internet Marketing has featured in my life for about 14 months now, and it’s passed so quickly. I remember reading about people working for a year to make money online, and quitting when they still hadn’t generated their first sale! I couldn’t understand why anyone would dedicate twelve months to learning something new - especially something with such life-changing potential - and then chuck it in!

If anything, I’m now more determined than ever because I’ve invested a year of my life in studying internet marketing and acquiring the skills to shape my future and live the life I aspire to. OK, I’m not making a fortune online… yet. But I appreciate that it takes time to build an internet business, it takes time to build anything worthwhile.

As we bid farewell to May and warmly embrace June, it’s appropriate to shout out a big “thank you” to Reward Rebel’s current Top Entrecard Droppers.

I’m grateful to everyone who takes the time to drop their Entrecard on Reward Rebel, but to appear in this list, you know what you have to do, don’t you?

Turnip of Power

On The Bricks

The Path To The Pegasus Letter

Technically Easy

Squeaky’s – Madhouse Blog

Software Outsourcing To China

Chica & Pumuckl – Living With Cats

Absolutely Mom’s

Humane Blogging Tips

Student Views

I’d also like to thank the sites that have advertised on Reward Rebel this past month. Unfortunately, I haven’t kept a record, so if you advertised during May and would like a link to your site to appear in the “advertisers link love post”, leave a comment below as soon as possible. I’ll be publishing the post in a few days’ time, so don’t delay.

Happy blogging and successful internet marketing to y’all.

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 38% [?]

Will I Miss The 4 Minute Warning?

If the 4 minute warning is ever given, my partner hopes that we’ll be listening to the radio, and not watching TV, as he reckons we’ll miss what’s being said, as I’ll be too busy slagging off the appearance of the newsreader!

It’s true. I’ve frequently realised that I’ve not heard a word said, cos I’m pulling apart the unflattering hairstyle, poorly fitting jacket, badly applied makeup, seizure-inducing tie….. you get the picture.

There was a time when TV newsreaders followed guidelines restricting their attire to outfits that wouldn’t distract viewers from the news itself. Obviously, guidelines or not, people like me are hopeless cases.

Hey, I love fashion and clothes, but I’m a child of the TV age, and I’ve a short attention span. If an item doesn’t grab my interest fast, it’ll go for a stroll!

Of course, I have wondered what I’d do in my final four minutes — if I managed to actually hear the warning message. After all, there’s not a lot you can fit into just four minutes, is there?

Harris Fellman and Brian “Koz” Kosobucki have some tantalising suggestions for what can be accomplished in such a brief snippet of time, and have collated the best ideas into the aptly entitled creation, 4 Minute Money.

4 Minute Money incorporates videos, reports, marketing and SEO tools for each of the money making techniques, which are all clearly explained, including explicit instruction on how to put them into practice. First you get the information, then the tools to implement it, as well as video tutorials to ensure you get it right!

4 Minute Money - 7 Day Trial offers you the opportunity to try before you buy, and you’ll gain immediate access to:

4 Minute Money Guides
4MM Guide #1 - “Give People Money & Get Paid to Do It”
4MM Guide #2 - “Total Reciprocity – Get Paid to Ask for Nothing”
4MM Guide #3 - “The Automaton System: Robots Making You Money”
4MM Guide #4 - “The Insider’s Guide to Instantly Getting Your Own Free Labor, Products, and Money”
4MM Guide #5 - “4 Minute Traffic Tactics”
4MM Reading Instructions

4 Minute Money Tools
XConversions Keyword Tracker
Yahoo Answers Alert
Classifieds Watcher
Link Cloaker
Versus Keyword Generator
Coupon Keyword Generator
Email Form Creator With Stuffer
Coupon Finder
Coupon Link Pop-Up
Cookie Cloaker / Stuffer
Blogger SEO Tool
Gmail Auto Reply Checker

4 Minute Money Videos / Tutorials
Blogger SEO
Cookie Cloaker
Email Form
Keyword Coupon Generator
Link Cloaker
Keyword Versus Generator
Yahoo Answers Watcher

I’m certain this program will introduce you to new methods to substantially increase the income from your online business. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can take it for a test run now, visit 4 Minute Money - 7 Day Trial

I’m experimenting with some of the techniques myself, so let me know how you get on with it.

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 29% [?]

Cybernetic Revolution

In the wake of the past week, I’ve been contemplating illness triggers, how to steer clear of unnecessary stress, and how to ensure I don’t overlook any early warning signs, as well as the best regime to achieve the ‘optimum me’ — and maintain it!

One thing I know with absolute certainty is that I spend too many hours in front of a computer – whether it’s my PC or laptop. I’m an addict, and apart from the massive chunk of time everyday spent building my online business, I’m guilty of using the internet search engines to check out whatever comes to mind or into a conversation, to which I don’t know the answer!

I’m far from being alone with this affliction, I imagine there will be people reading this post who will nod their head sagely, as they recognise feelings and facts that have become familiar companions in their own life.

My colleagues would look at me kinda strangely whenever I’d voice my eagerness for certain futuristic scenarios to become reality.

For instance, an internet-type network that people jack into directly by having a small device implanted in their brain, or perhaps some kind of external fitment. ‘Think’ yourself online, and you are!

Physical strength augmentations, too, are rather appealing, but the technological evolution I’m most eagerly awaiting is commercially available cybernetics.

I’m looking forward to ordering myself a brand spanking new, permanently fit and healthy, cybernetic body into which I can download my brain/mind, flick the ‘on’ switch, and never again endure aches and pains, sickness and invalidity, or wrinkles and sagging bits.

Here’s hoping that cybernetics progress sufficiently fast enough that when the technology is finally available, I haven’t become so decrepit that I can’t remember what it was I wanted to do, or why!

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 24% [?]

Back In The Saddle

First order of the day is to apologise for my rather lengthy absence. I’ve spent the best part of a week in a quiet, darkened room, hanging over the side of the bed with my head in a bucket! Not a lot of fun, I can tell you, especially with an excruciating thumping headache, threatening to explode my brain any moment.

Yep, I’m a migraine sufferer - common migraine – so it’s not a major headache accompanied by white light, but a major headache with violent throwing up – even when there’s nothing left, the body still convulses. I drink water just to avoid retching on an empty stomach – I don’t fancy rupturing something.

Anyway, folks, I apologise for not having a back-up plan for such occasions, but I’ll be posting as soon as I’ve caught up with the latest news. My partner has his own full-time commitments, but has helped out where he could — dropping Entrecards, and approving comments.

I’m writing this as I watch the Formula One Grand Prix in Monaco on TV, and Lewis Hamilton is in the lead, having started 3rd on the grid! For the past ten years or so, I’ve been a big Formula One fan, and look forward to attending future GPs round the world, as soon as I’ve made my millions. Oh yeah, enjoying the spectacle of the Monaco Grand Prix from the luxury of my own yacht is very appealing!

But back to today, I’ll see y’all a little later.

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 25% [?]

My Time Is Valuable ~ Are YOU Wasting It?

Blogging is one aspect of my internet marketing business, and not a hobby or leisure activity. I have used Entrecard to promote Reward Rebel, and consider that it’s made a significant contribution to the site attaining its Google page rank.

Were it not for Entrecard, there wouldn’t have been anything like as much traffic, as many backlinks, or comments. There have been occasions when a comment has triggered an idea for a further post, too.

Reward Rebel joined the Entrecard Community back in November 2007 and although the degree of involvement has fluctuated, for the most part I’ve continued to network with individual members and drop cards routinely.

Recently, I’ve been ‘outsourcing’ card dropping duties to my partner! LOL But, most days I do a ‘personal’ batch of drops, commenting here and there as and when a post snags my interest.

Many sites display the Entrecard widget above the fold, or nearby, ensuring that it can easily be located and clicked.

Sometimes a blog will load without the widget materialising and, when this happens, I try to be kind, and click ‘reload’ but if it fails a second time…. ‘hasta la vista, baby!’

Sadly, too many blogs don’t appear to have given any real thought to the positioning of the Entrecard widget.

When I’m online surfing blogs and dropping Entrecards, it’s as part of the overall strategy to promote my website. My time has a financial value, and I don’t enjoy, nor intend, throwing away my potential earnings while I’m chasing around a website looking for the Entrecard widget.

It’s vital to position the widget where it’s easily – and quickly – located. I’d recommend you position the widget above the fold (on the opening screen, without scrolling down), and

1. Do NOT position the widget in some obscure spot down the page somewhere. Don’t delude yourself that it’ll entice people to read your articles, all it’ll do is make them click out, so not only do you lose that Entrecarder’s drops, you’ll gain a ‘bounce’ on your site traffic stats!

2. Do NOT position the widget amongst a cluster of 125 pixel square ads making it difficult to spot.

3. Do NOT fail to monitor how quickly your site loads – it should not take half a lifetime.

I personally loathe Blinx Ads obscuring site access, and they have instant B-O-U-N-C-E power!

Am I being too harsh? Do I sound like a bitch? If you think I am and I do, I’m certain that you aren’t involved in blogging as part of an internet marketing business.

Anyone managing an online business, or trying to make money online, will appreciate that every moment spent hunting for widgets to click is time that could be spent more productively elsewhere.

So, if you’re wasting my time, or anyone else’s, Stop It! My time is valuable and so is yours! Use it wisely and productively.

Happy blogging.

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 34% [?]

Blogspot Comments Settings

I’ve encountered quite a number of Blogspot sites on which the Comments settings remain as per the default, and this means that many people are unable to contribute to the topic under discussion.

The default setting for Comments on Blogspot sites is for ‘Users with a Google account’ (Blogger ID), however, this is frustrating for those of us who do not have, or do not like to use, a Blogger ID.

If you’re uncertain how your blog’s comments are set up, I’d like to recommend that you follow this exercise.

Sign into your Blogspot dashboard, and select Settings tab, then select Comments. For the second option down, ‘Who can comment’, you need to select the first option – ‘anyone’.

[Click image to view enlargement.]

SAVE your updated settings, and you’re away — it’s that simple.

Hopefully, you should now receive more comments to your blog than previously, so be prepared to respond to them all!

Of course, if you have a Blogspot site and don’t want any ol’ Tom, Dick or Harry commenting on your posts, you can completely ignore this.

Happy blogging.

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 39% [?]