Date: 2008-03-14 12:30 Subject: I'm Baaaaack! Security: Public Mood: ecstatic

As some of you know I do some writing for money on these internet tubes.  It looked like it was a viable way to make enough money to pay some bills and start to crawl out of this hole until those G**gl* c*cks*ck*rs decided to smackdown everyone who was doing it.  I saw my page rank drop from 4 to 2, and then to 0.  They were doing it to everyone like me because they weren't happy that people like me weren't making money on their terms (and them getting a little taste)   
I was in the same boat as a lot of people.  As a result, I was having to scratch and fight for what few opportunities were left.  And there weren't many options for relief.  My main source of money was promising a roll out of a new system that would eliminate page rank and better serve advertisers and writers.  We're still waiting on that one (that was once promised, what, third week in January?  And they still haven't given the people who went to their con in Vegas their first crack)  And if I took out the "offending" posts and went crawling back to G**gl* saying I was bad, I won't do it again, may I please, please, PLEASE have my page rank back, they might consider it.  But I don't believe in sneaking around and hiding.  I took steps to make sure that if something people read that I wrote was paid for they'd know about it.  So I toughed it out.
And then today checking I saw over 50 available opportunities.  I usually never changed the available per page from 20 as there were never that much.  I did some checking, and my page rank is up to 2 now.  Dunno if it'll go back up to 4, but it's good to know a wrong has been righted, without me having to kowtow.  And it'd be even better if this kind of thing kept up.  Isn't this an election year...?

Date: 2008-03-13 20:04 Subject: Cable Debate Security: Public Mood: aggravated

Cable TV: A luxury or a necessity?
Do you want it more than your medication?  Would you do without medicine for it?
Do you have any understanding how a budget works?
Just wanted to give you an idea of the kind of discussions I've had today.  Just saying, but I'll add it wasn't about our household.

Date: 2008-03-13 00:54 Subject: Still Busy Security: Public Mood: hyper

Still busy checking out the X Box 360 and what all it can do.  Never thought I'd say this, but online gaming is way more interesting than I thought it would be.
Also busy with new books and magazines bought, which makes a huge pile even bigger.  Time to start whittling it down.  Later!

Date: 2008-03-09 18:33 Subject: X Box 360 Security: Public Mood: happy

Still rockin' the X Box 360, will post later...

Okay, it seems like everytime I get a new system, I go back to get something I forgot.  Since I live in the sticks, that involves some travelling.  This time out I forgot to get points to buy stuff on X Box Live.  Yeah, I know they take credit cards over it, too, but there's nothing on there about security, so I'm not taking any chances.  Wanted some points so I could play some Uno.

Date: 2008-03-08 00:39 Subject: March 7th Security: Public Mood: happy

I got up and checked around the internet tubes. Grabbed an opportunity to write a sponsored post before I took off to see Diary of the Dead. Wrote a review for my main blog.   Afterwards I went in search of Godfather's Pizza.  I had wrote a while back about my love for the pizza, and the regret that they're gone from the Indianapolis area.  There were a couple of gas stations that offered the pizza (even one close by) but it wasn't as good.  Okay, I did some digging and here's the original post with comments.  I checked their website and saw there was an actual restaurant opened in Greenwood which is a bit of drive, but doable.  And going to the movies put me in that area.  After the movie, I went in search of the location, passing by a Boston Market on the way.  Now there's 3 people I've turned off by my tastes (or 60% of my readership)  I had to call them to find them.  Sorry to disappoint ya, but I did find it.  It was even in the same strip mall as a comic shop so I had something to do while waiting on my order.  I got coupons from the web site, but they had a carry out special that was a better deal.
On the way home I stopped at Meijer's to pick up a couple of things, stocked up on some sale items, and entered to win Bruce Springsteen tickets being given away by a local radio station.  I was also able to go ahead and get an X Box 360 system that I've been wanting for sometime.  I was concerned about getting set up, especially since I have a regular TV and not an HD one yet, but they work on both, there's a switch by the AV jacks for TV and HDTV.  Works fine and it was real easy to hook up the HD DVD add on, even with the disc you have to put in the main X Box first.  I think it looks better even on a regular TV.  Much as I'd like to get an HDTV, I'd be more comfortable waiting until I got the money to pay for it first.  I signed up for X Box live under the name "TerrorTony63" so if you're online there, look me up.

Date: 2008-03-06 23:54 Subject: A Good Day Security: Public Mood: accomplished

Kathy got her new glasses from Wal Mart today, she was happy to be able to read the small print on the tags of some of the clothes she was looking at. We also looked at some of the TVs they had on display, dreaming about someday upgrading. She told me that a lot of people think that big screen TVs are a guy thing, but she's interested in them, too.
And I found a couple of good opportunities to write about and made some good money.
Although the critics have drubbed Diary Of The Dead, it sounds like it's worth checking out. I'm also going to investigate a food place that used to be around this area, but gone, but might be back on the south side of Indy. Before it was when we went on vacation that I could have it.
I tried inviting a couple of friends, but they couldn't make it. I felt bad that one of them (said wasn't interested in this type of film anyway) said he was inputting My Coke Rewards points to get enough points to see some of the big summer movies coming out. So hopefully things'll look better for him, me and all of you.

Date: 2008-03-05 16:05 Subject: Done Writing Security: Public Mood: relieved

Six sponsored posts done in little over a half hour.
Damn, I'm good.
If I could get more work like this, I'd actually have something going here.

And before that, I got a few hours rest, and had some leftover chili for lunch. The only thing better than the wife's chili is the leftovers I can eat 2-3 times afterward.

I dug out some stuff to sell on eBay. Plan to start launching on Sunday. Will let you know, believe me.

Date: 2008-03-05 05:28 Subject: Tired...So Tired Security: Public Mood: tired

I couldn't get to sleep last night. I was worried about getting Kathy to work this morning (we had a snow and ice storm yesterday and last night) among other things. Tried to sleep, but couldn't. Finished Aliens Vs. Predator Omnibus vol 2, so I can take it back to the library when it's due tomorrow. Kathy called a little while ago saying she got a ride home, so I can get the rest I need. I'm going to go offline for today, since I was thinking internet burnout was one of the problems I was stressing over. Good night.

Date: 2008-03-04 12:22 Subject: Past Couple Of Days Security: Public Mood: cranky

Not much going on the past couple of days. I got some movies at Blockbuster, but got on a bit of a soapbox about one of them, so I moved that part over to my main blog, since this is more a diary-type thing right now.
I stopped at the library to make a couple of copies, and browsed the graphic novel section. I got the second Persepholis book (got the first one at the library as well) the first Aliens Vs. Predator Omnibus (reading through the second one now to take back by Thursday's due date) and Star Wars Legacy Broken (set 125 years after Return of the Jedi) I came home to have the wife dump a chore on my me that I offered to take care of last week but no, her sister could do for her. Then I got more in the same area dumped on me. I ran down to the credit union (17 miles away out in the sticks) to get money to take care of the chore and more, among other things. This being ignored and then having things dumped on has gone on too much, so when it was done, I sat down and spelled out what I could do and what she should do, so things like this doesn't happen again like it has been.
We watched a video, and I finished reading "Deadliest of the Species" from AvP Omnibus 2, which I felt was an accomplishment, as it's been out for awhile and hadn't made it through in previous attempts, either as individual issues or when first collected. I was tired and went to sleep early.
Got up real early this morning, did some reading online, tried to find some writing opportunities on the main one, but they're doing their big money giveaway today, so everything gets snatched up fast, even the real writing opportunities. I think their next promotion keeping in line with how they've been treating us the past few months is to come to a postie's house and kick us in the nuts. I went back to bed and got up again, and repeated the internet thing.
The plan now is to get in the shower, fix lunch for both of us, catch the Simpsons and Family Guy I missed the other night, and catch up on some reading and watching. It's a cold wet rain out there, so something better must be done to counteract it.

Date: 2008-03-03 00:22 Subject: Dammit NASCAR! Security: Public Mood: pissed off

I finally got around to watching 30 Days of Night which more or less stuck with the original graphic novel, with one exception. One thing I wondered about was why the vampires were so methological about cutting the town off from the outside world, and their feeding/attack was so sloppy? I mean, imagine if every time you ate or drank you got most of it all over the outside of your mouth.
And I had set up the TiVo to record The Simpsons and Family Guy and we watched A Raisin In The Sun and tonight's Deal Or No Deal while it was recording. Then after it was over I went to watch them to find that due to the NASCAR race running long, I only got a couple of minutes of each. Balls. That and the way Kathy was acting about not seeing one of her religious shows put a crappy end to the night.
I knew that Family Guy sometimes showed the same episode on Adult Swim a couple of weeks later, but I didn't see it in the listings. It was a couple of hours later that I realized there may be an online solution to the problem. I went to Fox's site where they had episodes you could watch. They want you to download a player, but it didn't take long at all. They say they add episodes 1-2 days after broadcast, but I saw last week's Simpsons was one I didn't see. I watched that, and other than waiting a few seconds at the start of each act (like a commercial break) it plays very smooth, no pauses or anything. I even opted for a larger screen. It'll be good to know that I can see the episodes I missed in a couple of days.

Date: 2008-03-01 17:49 Subject: 3 Things That Make Me Happy 3/1 Security: Public Mood: content

Reviving a feature that was on Tony Isabella's board a while back, because sometimes ya gotta be happy with what ya got:
3 Things That Make Me Happy Today

1) I actually found 3 sponsored links (the limit) I could write about on my main blog from Pay Per Post today. I'm lucky if I can find one. I know this doesn't mean things'll get better from there and I can make some money to pay some bills, but wouldn't it be great if it did?

2) We went and got Subway for lunch today. We both got footlong subs, and we ate half for lunch, and saved the other half for supper tonight. I got the Feast sub, which is all sorts of meat and more expensive than the others; and Kathy got a BMT and tried double meat, since she reminisced about how it seemed to her like they had more meat before, and I pointed out that they offer double meat for their subs.

3) New George Carlin special tonight on HBO. I just read about it in the paper yesterday. Curse you and your new format, TV Guide! And new Torchwood with Martha Jones in the house. I know, it was shown in England a couple of weeks ago and available on BT Airways, but what can I tell you, we're old farts. Plus, language is one of Kathy's buttons and BBC America is good about bleeping out the worse ones.

Date: 2008-02-29 23:44 Subject: Leap Day Security: Public Mood: tired

Here's what I wrote at the other blog just before starting this one, which is now edited:
It seems to me that like President's Day or those other holidays where the only thing of note is that some government employees have the day off, Leap Day is really nothing of note for me. I was blogging back in 2004, so I went through the archives to see what I wrote that day. I didn't. It was on a Sunday, so more than likely I was resting up and dreading the work week ahead. And a few weeks back I caught the end of Wheel of Fortune where Pat Sajak was vamping for time, he mentioned that there wasn't a Leap Day in 2000. I forgot about that, so don't even ask what I was doing then. Probably enjoying happier times, where I was easily earning my bonus day at work, where I got a paid day off if I met certain criteria, such as calls taken and passing review of a couple of them. I made sure that I did more than meet it, to take 25% more calls than the goal so it took care of that day off as well, showing I was well worth it. And there there was the one supervisor who wanted to make sure that I didn't get a bonus day and did everything in her power to make sure that happened. That was one thing about the last job, one of the perks of being a supervisor was that if there was someone underneath you that you didn't like, you could do whatever you wanted to mess with them, up to and including getting them fired. I was able to dodge that a couple of times, not so lucky the last time. That's one of the reasons why I don't miss that place. Remind me to tell you about the rock they used as a bathroom pass sometime.
Anyway, Leap Day. I'll just end it with wishing Lisa and Mark Gibson a happy anniversary, and Superman a happy birthday.

I was lucky to find some stuff to blog for money, and write a couple of good things. I found something that Kathy and I wasn't interested in, but am sending to a friend with a note that'll be a nice surprise for them. Then we fixed the usual Friday night supper, chili dogs and fries. And we watched Wednesday night's Deal or No Deal and a couple of new Corner Gas, then I showed Kathy the new Iron Man trailer, and the "sweded" version of the Be Kind Rewind trailer up on my other blog, and tooled around online after she went to bed. I also got my HD DVD rebate form prepared to mail out (I selected The Italian Job, The Hulk, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, U2 Rattle and Hum, and Darkman as my 5 free discs) According to the tracking information, my shipment of comics should come in tomorrow's mail.
I'm getting off the computer here and will do some more things before going to bed as well. I gotta take her in at a quarter to 5 tomorrow morning. Good night, internet.

Date: 2008-02-29 12:00 Subject: So I've Got A LiveJournal Security: Public

It all started when Geoffrey D. Wessel wanted to know who I was. But he doesn't allow anonymous comments, so it was either sign up and post, or dig for his e-mail address. Something told me I had an LJ account, so I tried logging in. Oddly enough, for all the times I have to rack my brain at different sites, I actually got it on the first try. And saw I too could have a LiveJournal. So with a new toy to play with, I thought I'd give it a shot. I still have my main blog, but once in a while you want to shake things up. Let's see what I can do here.