Simple Randomness

Going on Vacation…Don’t Forget a Car!

One of the nice things about flying somewhere is that you don’t have to make a long drive to your destination…but then what do you do to get around? Well of course that’s where a car rental comes in handy!

Now I have to admit that the last time my wife and I rented a car was for our honeymoon. But it was a lot of fun. We were talking the other day about someday making a trip to Hawaii or some other really cool place then renting a sports car to drive around in. We’d mainly do this cause I know I’ll probably never buy one, but would love the fun of driving one sometime!

So if you’re thinking about making a trip for fun or business sometime, check out Advantage rent a car. They have some really good deals going on right now so it’s worth checking out!

I Like Guitar Hero … But Do I Like DDR Better?

So this last weekend we got together with some old high school friends of mine and played some Guitar Hero. I’ve honestly only ever played this game once before, but I thought it was a lot of fun.

I even got my wife to play it for a bit! And she started to get the hang of it, so maybe…just maybe that’s one game that I could convince her we should get . But the question remains, do I like DDR better?

They both have their qualities. Granted, the music for Guitar Hero is a TON better than anything on DDR, but I like that with DDR you really get more active. I think that in a group setting DDR is a much funner game. But when it comes to just 2-3 people, Guitar Hero can be a lot of fun.

So in the end I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. Both are fun, but I think DDR is a better party game.

It’ll Never Happen to You…

Or at least that’s what we’d all like to think…

About two weeks ago a friend of mine was a victim of identity theft. If I remember right they got a hold of $7000 out of his checking account. Luckily he was able to go through the steps and get it all back, but talk about a mess!

It’s so crazy that this is such a common crime these days. In fact, according to ConsumerAffairs.com, “For the seventh year in a row, identity theft tops the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint list, accounting for 36 percent of the 674,354 complaints received between January 1 and December 31, 2006.” This makes it a serious concern in my book!

I guess that’s why we have companies like LifeLock. If you’re worried about identity theft you should see how they can help. They have a really cool service that can help you protect your good name and identity from all those thieves out there!

Hunting the Modern Way

Ok, before I write this post I have to be honest and say that I’ve never actually gone hunting. Something about sitting around and just waiting for a deer to come near so I can kill it just never seemed appealing to me. But I totally understand that people can enjoy it.

So I came across this site HRBizMall.com that sells outdoor, fishing and hunting supplies and man, animals just don’t stand a chance anymore. Not that they ever really did, but now it’s getting even easier it seems to have a good hunting experience. These guys have all sorts of great stuff like deer feeders, hunting blinds, and other things to make your hunting experience a success. So if you’re a hunter, check it out!

SocialSpark - A New Money Making Idea

Alright, let’s be honest. How many of you actually started your blog to make some money? I admit, I’ve started several blogs for that reason and this blog is no exception.

One way to make money with your blog is by doing paid blogging. There are a bunch of sites that you can use to do this, but a new one that has come out on the scene is called SocialSpark.

SocialSpark is a little different than a lot of the other paid blogging sites out there. They are also a community site that you can use to make friends and thus drive additional traffic to your site/blog as well! This is one of the more unique things that I like about SocialSpark.

Another great bonus for SocialSpark is their code of ethics. This keeps the whole paid posting thing out in the open for everyone, which I know a lot of people like. Personally, as long as the post can relate to the content of a site I don’t mind if it’s paid for, but I know some disagree with me on that. Anyway, here’s their code of ethics, just another thing that sets them apart:

-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly

Personally I think that this code applies most to the advertisers themselves, and I think its a good thing in the long run.

So in the end, I think that SocialSpark is looking to be a good program. Check it out and see what kind of money you can make with them!

Really Cool Botanical Gardens

Ok, I have to first admit that I’m not an environmentalist in any way shape or form. But I really do appreciate the beauty of the planet that we live on. I enjoy a nice walk outside, going for a nice hike, or even walking through a well-designed and maintained garden.

Well, in Orange, Texas there is this place called Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center. It looks like a really cool place! The size of the place is pretty impressive with 252 acres and houses within that space over 300 different plant species. Being that I live basically in the desert, I always like seeing some of the plants that exist in other ecosystems. Admittedly, I’m a little sick of sagebrush! Maybe I should make a trip down to this place…

For those of you that are into the whole ‘green’ thing, you’ll find this place really cool, too. Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center was the 1st facility in Texas (and the 50th project worldwide) to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum certification for LEED®-NC. This is the organization that verifies design and construction to see how ‘green’ it is. Shangri La reached the highest standards that they have. Nice work! So I hope that encourages all of you extra green people to want to check them out.

Another cool thing about this place is not just the plant life that they have, but the animal life as well. They have a heronry that is home to as many as 17 species of birds that nest there during various times of the year. And to give their visitors and up close look at these birds they have developed a state of the art bird blind. This would be great for the kids!

Sounds to me like this place would be great for a family outing. Check it out!

Verdict on Different Rockstar Flavors

I mentioned a few weeks ago that when I need an extra boost the drink I normally reach for is Rockstar.  Well, I’ve tried most of the flavors at this point so its time for the verdict on the different flavors!

#1 Mango/Passion Fruit/Orange

This is by far my favorite flavor!  I’ve probably had more of these than any other.

#2 Guava

Guava is a close #2, I really like this flavor.  Nice fruity taste in this one as well as #1.

#3 Regular

I think that Rockstar has one of the best regular flavors.  So many of the other energy drinks just taste nasty, but the regular Rockstar is pretty good

#4 Pomegranate

I just had this one today and didn’t think it was that great.  Pretty weak on the flavor side of things.

#5 Tropical Fruit Punch

This one really confirmed that I don’t like the fruit punch flavor of anything.

I still have to try the no carb flavor, does anyone know what it tastes like?  Anyway, there’s the verdict!

Combining Life Improving Philosophies

There are a lot of philosophies and ideas that come out every couple of years that a lot of people latch on to, and a lot of them (if used effectively) really do help a lot of people. One of the more recent ones that a lot of you probably heard of was “The Secret”, which was all about the law of attraction. There’s another relatively new one called “A New Earth” which I hear has some similar concepts but deals more with the ego and letting go of limitations you put on yourself.

Well, there’s another one that has actually been around for a long time that is now being considered as a bridge between these other two very popular philosophies. It’s called The Sedona Method. The Sedona Method is really a tool that shows people how to master the law of attraction (taught by The Secret) while still letting go of ego (as taught by A New Earth). This one method really shows how the Secret works with A New Earth.

If this type of information interests you, head over to their site (www.sedona.com) and you can get a free CD and DVD to learn more about the Sedona Method.

A Pretty Cool Idea for Advertising Yourself

For those of you that work for yourself or have a business you have to promote, you know that marketing is essential. One area that I know a lot of people struggle with is targeting their advertising online. Should you do paid ads, geo-targeted SEO, or what.

Well, there is a new site out called MyCityFaces.com that is another idea for getting your name out there. What they do is they let you list yourself for free in your region so that people can find you. The idea is pretty new, but I think it’s a pretty good idea and if it really does take off could bring you some good notice!

There seem to be quite a few of these sites coming out these days, and I hope that they take off because I really do think it would be great for local professionals. One of the problems people run into when looking for services online is keeping it local. Well, sites like MyCityFaces.com can help alleviate that pain. So help them out, go sign up if you are a local professional and you could be one of the first in your region/city to get noticed! Think of it as an Internet billboard and an electronic business card!

Movie Review - Becoming Jane

Becoming Jane is one of those movies that could have been really good, but the dummies in Hollywood messed it up. Anne Hathaway did a really good job, and overall the story line was really good.

So what is it about the movie that I found annoying? It was all of the obvious sex talk and innuendos that were not so much innuendo-ish… The reason it bugged me so bad in this movie is because it was rated PG! Now, if you wanted to make it PG-13 then I would have expected that, but when you throw all of that in (there’s a big one in the first 5 minutes of the film) on a PG film, it really makes me worry about what the G and PG films are going to be like when my kids start being old enough to watch them. I guess it just goes to show that I’m really going to have to be careful what my kids see.

So would I recommend seeing this movie? It was ok. Not something I’d ever want to own or anything like that. It could have been so much better….but that’s the way with a lot of movies these days it seems…