EdNotes.com - Miscellanious notes on Marketing, Trends, Promotion and Business Life

2010-04-19T15:48:00.001-07:00

Beautiful pictures of the disruptive volcano http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/icelands_disruptive_volcano.html

2010-04-19T13:24:00.001-07:00

Better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right...

2010-04-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

Appreciation and encouragement heal. Complaining and criticism destroy. Which role do you choose today - Healer or destroyer?

2010-04-15T23:22:00.003-07:00

I hear the truth less and less in the words and sounds of man. I hear the truth loud and clear in the wind, bird songs and the rivers.

2010-04-15T23:22:00.001-07:00

I hear the truth less and less in the words and sounds of man. I hear the truth loud and clear in the wind, bird songs and the rivers.

2010-04-15T21:21:00.001-07:00

Tonight I had a great opportunity to video the birds and bird song at sunset here at Dexter Lake in Oregon http://bit.ly/b2Ag6b

2010-04-15T14:29:00.001-07:00

What you remember of the past never was. What you think is to come in the future will never come. Now is all there is and ever will be.

2010-04-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

As the old Rascal's song goes "It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh, I think I'll go outside a while, And just smile."

2010-04-11T15:57:00.001-07:00

This morning my crazy 6 toed cat Frankie stood up and said good morning, then touched me on the knee... http://bit.ly/cGNent

2010-04-10T15:38:00.001-07:00

I just found out that my cat Frankie's YouTube video is being considered for a Whiska's Temptations TV commercial! http://bit.ly/aWfMt7

2010-04-10T11:26:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh. Spring in central Oregon. Every year it seems better and better. Listening for the delightful sounds of freshly hatched birds everywhere

2010-04-09T10:26:00.001-07:00

Wow. The Tulips were so beautiful on my walk to Dexter Lake this morning that I had to video them... http://bit.ly/a5rtph

2010-04-09T06:07:00.001-07:00

“Dad, I found a fossil!” Matthew said after he tripped over a log... and a new 1.8 million year old hominid species was revealed at last! http://ping.fm/QEb6V

2010-04-09T06:01:00.001-07:00

The sun is rising on this beautiful morning and so is my smile. Peace. Bills, News, Politics.. those are the last things on my mind.

2010-04-08T20:08:00.001-07:00

Sitting in the last bit of sunset watching my cat who is sitting in the window watching birds on the lawn. Life is perfect at times...

2010-04-08T19:40:00.001-07:00

Tonight's sky was so amazing and the sunset so beautiful that I took a short little video here at Dexter Lake in Lowell Oregon... http://ping.fm/RrIWx

2010-04-07T21:39:00.001-07:00

Just released new pictures from the Hubble Telescope are Joyously incredible http://ping.fm/4ADsl

2010-04-06T21:47:00.001-07:00

What's on my mind is doubt. What is it and where does it come from? Why do we bother with it all when when in truth everything is perfect?

2010-04-06T14:52:00.001-07:00

Life is fantastic... and then afterward... you live forever! What deal could be better than that?

2010-04-05T21:27:00.001-07:00

Have fun, live free, share your joy and prosperity with with everyone you meet.

2010-04-05T17:36:00.001-07:00

Most amazing nature video you may seen in a long time - bear vs cougar at http://ping.fm/jAVOB

2010-04-04T06:23:00.001-07:00

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because, what the world needs is people who have come alive.

2010-03-27T09:31:00.001-07:00

What a day for a daydream.

2010-01-19T09:15:00.001-08:00

The Most Expensive Hotel Suites in The World with Pictures! Dream on and smile http://bit.ly/8Rpqfx

2009-07-20T08:23:00.001-07:00

A life changing diet book is launching today. 30,000 copies available for no charge! http://ping.fm/UGwp2

2009-06-09T18:16:00.001-07:00

In 1 Week "School of Joy" advanced training in the principles of Unstoppable Joy! Held at Unity of Eugene http://bit.ly/14PTK4

2009-06-09T15:57:00.001-07:00

Supercharge Your Joy with the Benefit of the Doubt - New inspiring 4 minute mp3 audio by Ed http://bit.ly/IXOJp

2009-06-09T15:56:00.001-07:00

Supercharge Your Joy with the Benefit of the Doubt - New inspiring 4 minute mp3 audio by Ed bit.ly/IXOJp

Redefining Desire and Murphys Law

2009-06-08T13:03:00.001-07:00

Ed Osworth Here.

Redefining Desire and Murphys Law.

As hard as this may be to believe, all of your life youve been getting
exactly what you desire.

I am not kidding.

So how come your life is so rough? How come you dont have the things you
really feel that you wanted

Why is it that life seems such a struggle? I mean that if you are really
getting what you desire how could life seem like it is full of things you
dont want?

Believe it or not it is because you have been deliberately taught that you
are not very powerful.

To put it more simply, you have been taught to desire things that are not in
your best interest. And the way you were taught to do this was by teaching
you that you are not really very powerful.

When people ask Ed, what do you think is the biggest problem in the world
today? here is what I tell them.

I tell them the biggest problem is that people simply have no comprehension
of how powerful they are. Because they have no idea how powerful they are,
they constantly shoot themselves in the foot with their powerful minds.

By thinking self destructive thoughts that keep them from their desires.

The problem has never been that anything that the universe creates is
difficult to obtain. All you have to do is ask for it.

But youre asking must be consistent. You cant be sending conflicting
messages and expect to produce anything. And 99.9% of the people I encounter
in America dont have a clue what theyre asking for. And their lives are
miserable, because they receive it.

Let me give you an obvious, but pervasive example. There are many people I
run into that believe in an absurd piece of logic, known as Murphys Law.
Murphy was obviously a very unhappy and miserable human being, if in fact he
ever existed.

He decided that the way the universe ran with the everything that can go
wrong will go wrong. The problem is, because he believed it he was
absolutely right for his world.

Since his own personal experience after formulating this law reflected that
the law was true. He cited to tell everybody else about this new way of
looking at things. At first, Im sure people laughed like it was a total
joke, but eventually it seems like people started taking it seriously. How
many times in your life do you hear one person or another quoting one
version or another of Murphys Law?

So the law travels through society, one person spreading it to others. Until
millions and millions of people know about this insane piece of logic.
Murphys Law. It become so ingrained in the human consciousness that
virtually every single person in America knows what it is.

Here is the part that I find absolutely hilarious. Murphys law could not be
further from the truth of how things run in this galaxy. Even if you have no
belief in God or higher beings or spirits or anything, all you have to do is
simply look around the world to see the Murphys Law could not possibly apply
to anything.

If Murphys Law is true, and everything that could go wrong will go wrong,
even the Big Bang couldnt have created anything, because everything wouldve
gone wrong. Its one of those ideas that when you look at it from a different
perspective is completely absurd.

Now I know most of you reading this dont really believe in Murphys Law. But
Im just using it as an easy example. Theres many more interesting belief
systems out there that we pick out and try believing they are true.

Think of all the people in the world such as Oprah Winfrey raise themselves
up from virtually nothing and accomplish what ever it is they wanted. How
did they do this? Was it a miracle? They accomplished them because they
believe these things were possible so they were able to manifest exactly the
life they want it.

They certainly didnt base any of their plans on things such as Murphys Law.

The world is ready for Joy. Are you?

***************************

Joy, Abundance, Peace and Healing

Ed Osworth
Author Unstoppable Joy! A Happier You in 12 Simple Steps

Unstoppable Joy! A Happier You in 12 Simple Steps a positive psychology how
to book is available instantly at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com or
order at your local bookstore or at http://UnstoppableJoy.com

If you are not in a state of Joy today, you are simply not paying attention
to what is really important in your life Ed

2009-06-07T16:24:00.001-07:00

Achieving Happiness: The power of positive emotions. Take your life from horrible to happy Article http://bit.ly/UHGba

2009-06-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

Clinical research studies show that just as happy emotions create smiles, smiles foster happy feelings. http://bit.ly/1a44tu

2009-05-26T07:47:00.001-07:00

What do Stevie Nicks, John Wayne, Hank Williams Jr, Helena Bonham Carter and
Lenny Kravitz have in common? Today is/was their Birthday!!

2009-05-25T22:16:00.001-07:00

NY Times article "Happy Like God" . If anyone is happy, then God is pretty
happy, so to be happy is to be like God. http://bit.ly/EmD1X

2009-05-24T08:21:00.001-07:00

EMBRACE GRATITUDE!!! Some say, for what? I say... approximately 155,000 folks passed away yesterday worldwide and you weren't one of them

2009-05-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

New Harvard Study Reveals How To Get Your Children to Live Happily Ever After. Early interventions are the key http://bit.ly/141PRk

2009-05-24T07:44:00.001-07:00

Try JOY Today! You have brains in your head...You have feet in your shoes...You can steer yourself in any direction you choose... Dr. Seuss

A Moon Question.

2009-05-23T13:42:00.001-07:00

time you really looked at the moon for over a few seconds? And when was the
last time you shared the magic of watching the moon with your family?

Or do you have other, more important things to do? Like watch a sitcom or
the news?

The Moon deserves your appreciation for the endless beauty and inspiration
she provides. She is there to keep us in tune with JOY" />
A question to ask yourself today. When was the last
time you really looked at the moon for over a few seconds? And when was the
last time you shared the magic of watching the moon with your family?

Or do you have other, more important things to do? Like watch a sitcom or
the news?

The Moon deserves your appreciation for the endless beauty and inspiration
she provides. She is there to keep us in tune with JOY

2009-05-22T07:23:00.001-07:00

Top of the morning to everyone. Looking beautiful today in Oregon. Get ready for a fun Holiday weekend! Let's all do some re - creation.

My Greatest Inspiration - A Man Whose Name I Can't Remember!

2009-05-22T00:55:00.001-07:00

I had a period in my early life where I lived as a drifter on the coast of Calif in the early 1970s. At the time I was living on a beach in Monterey with a group of hippies and beatniks in a cave. We would hitchhike into Monterey and dumpster dive for veggies - then bring everything back and make a giant stew over an open fire. We always had more food than necessary and would go up and down the beach inviting strangers to share it with us. Sometimes they would bring us cases of beer in return.

After watching my compatriots all get so drunk one night that they danced on the bonfire barefoot and all burned their feet, I decided that I had to get out of that scene and put my life back on track. I picked up my pack which had all my stuff and hitchhiked back to LA to get a fresh start.

As soon as my thumb went out a huge 1969 Country Squire station wagon pulled over. A nice gentleman and his son were in it, with about 1000 pounds of salmon they bought in Monterey and were taking back to LA. So I had a ride the whole way. Good thing as it had started raining and I only had a worn out cotton jacket and woud soon bev sopping wet without a ride.

I asked about him and his son and he told me just the basics. "I buy and sell fish." He was a very modest and unassuming man.

Then to my surprise he turns and looks at me with a smile. "Ed, we have a long ride and I love stories. We've got 8 hours driving ahead of us so tell me your life story in detail."

I was flabbergasted. No one had ever wanted to hear about me like that.

Who could possibly be interested in my stupid little life? Heck here I was flat broke sleeping on a beach. I felt like a loser and he wanted to hear everything about me!

He looked very conservative, dressed in a suit and I was a beach bum hippy from Hollywood, an odd couple indeed. I didn't want to offend him or his son so I said, "well I will if you want but it involves some shady parts, some law breaking and even sex and drugs, I don't want to upset you or your son."

He laughed out loud. "Ed, every good story, whether a book, a movie or a life has all that and more. You look to me like one heck of an interesting story. My son is already asleep in the back. Just tell me the whole thing, warts and all. A great pleasure of being here on Earth is learning through others. My eyes can only see a little tiny slice of the world, your eyes will show me more."

I never forgot those wise words. "My eyes can only see a little tiny slice of the world, your eyes will show me more."

We drove beautiful highway 1 along the coast for hours. I talked. He bought me lunch at an A&W Root Beer stand while I chatered on. We drove on in the rain along the grey coast, the sun set, I talked. I started from as far back as I could remember and walked him through the traumas, the dramas, the failures and victories, the moral confusion of facing the Vietnam war and realizing I could not kill, the alienation from my parents that decision caused.

As the light dimmed to black and the car echoed with the rhythm of the windshield wipers slapping back and forth, I talked on and on.

What an amazing day. You learn a lot about yourself when you try and relate all those countless details of what you remember of your life to another person.

He never lost interest, no matter how mundane the detail, how pointless the narrative became sometimes.

Instead of disinterest this wonderful man would encourage me on, looking at me with amazement and delight as I went on for 8 hours straight. From the way he treated me you would have though he was listening to the President of the United States or the Pope. He really acted like it was the most interesting story he had ever heard.

When we reached my destination, Topanga Canyon exit in LA's San Fernando Valley he let me out. He calle me over to the window and said 'What an amazing story you are Ed". Then he handed me $20, which in 1972 was about the equivalent of $100 today. I said, "Thanks I'll be able to go get some food and survive for a few days."

He said "No, that is not what it is for. This is for you to start a new prosperous life with, not to spend. You take this $20 and you use it to create your new life. Leave behind that interesting but sad story you told me and start a new one. A story with a very happy ending."

He rolled up the window and I watched the taillights of his Ford Station Wagon fade away as he merged onto the Ventura Freeway in the drizzle. I looked at the $20 and burst into tears of gratitude.

By the next day I had already forgotten his name. I'm sure he forgot me soon afterward.

He changed my life forever with his acts of kindness. I did exactly with that $20 as he said.

Isn't it funny how sometimes those whose names we cannot even recall can make the greatest difference in our lives?

2009-05-21T13:14:00.001-07:00

Just finshed a tele training session with Kathleen Gage Best promo/IM training for authors and speakers ever! http://bit.ly/yDtQe

2009-05-20T23:01:00.001-07:00

Goodnight on this starry night in OR

2009-05-20T15:43:00.001-07:00

WOW Got my Verizon Wireless MiFi™2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot today. Total wi-fi portabilty for my netbook and iPod Touch http://ping.fm/WPTa6

2009-05-20T12:13:00.001-07:00

After several days of dreariness the sun came out brilliantly today, so I took a short video. http://ping.fm/hGyMw

2009-05-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

WOW - Scientists have just validated a key concept of Unstoppable Joy! - that we don't remember things the way they happen at all: http://ping.fm/DIn7B

2009-05-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

From rainy and dreary yesterday to sunny and gorgeous today, that's why I love Oregon

Subscribe to Ed’s “Joy News Today” Newsletter for Unstoppable Joy!

2009-05-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

We Try to Send A Message in What We Buy, but New Study Shows that Nobody’s Listening

2009-05-19T16:14:00.001-07:00

An article in today's New York Times talks about a new study. The researchers concluded that our desire to impress strangers is a quirky and sometimes self destructive evolutionary byproduct.

We spend a huge amount of mental effort thinking about what we buy. Subconsciously much of our buying decision making is based on what our purchase will communicate to others.

Some spend huge amounts of money in this quest for social recognition.

The reason we do this is because for most of evolution we didn't see many strangers, so every social contact held much more gravity. We still assign a false importance to strangers view of us.

According to this study, we still feel a need to show power, amicability and sexual desireability to all strangers, so we put a ton of effort buying the "right" things, going to the right schools, wearing the right clothes.

Unfortunately the scientists also determined that others don't care about what we wear, what school we go to, what car we drive, where we live etc.

Others care about what type of person you are and your personal ethics.

Apparently evolution is good at getting us to avoid death, desperation and celibacy, but it’s not that good at getting us to feel happy.

Study details here : http://ping.fm/oPHeS

10 Happiest Countries in the World

2009-05-19T15:36:00.001-07:00

New study look at the happiest countries in the world. Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands rated at the top of the list, ranking first, second and third, respectively. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Canada landed at Nos. 8 and 6, respectively. The U.S. did not crack the top 10. Switzerland placed seventh and Belgium placed tenth.

The report looked at subjective well-being, defined as life satisfaction. Did people feel like their lives were dominated by positive experiences and feelings, or negative ones?
Full story ...
http://ping.fm/FEB8y

2009-05-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

World's happiest places ... Canada made it .. USA didn't : http://ping.fm/rUEq1

2009-05-19T14:19:00.001-07:00

Oh Oregon

2009-05-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

Oh what a beautiful morning in Lowell OR

2009-05-19T08:16:00.001-07:00

Positive Psychology Pyramid - A Formula To Create Joy and Peace in Your Life : http://ping.fm/yyOOZ

2009-05-19T08:14:00.001-07:00

The Positive Psychology Pyramid - a formula for Jpoy and Happiness: http://ping.fm/GWPdZ

2009-05-19T00:12:00.001-07:00

Trying a new give away on my Joy News Today ezine sign up page : http://joynewstoday.com

Great Marketing Quote and Advice

2007-02-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

* “The only way to improve results, regardless of medium (and we’ve counted over 350 different kinds of ‘media’) is to increase personal relevance.

The concept: We are living in an increasingly cluttered world, with a consumer who is suffering from sensory overload. And that is likely to increase with even more ways to reach the consumer, from CD-ROM to interactive TV to God knows what.

The more relevant we make a communication to the individual consumer we are trying to persuade, the more likely we are to capture attention—and an order.”

—Jerry I. Reitman

Lifestyles of the Ad Averse

2007-02-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Very good survey on the new type of consumer who avoids ALL ads.

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth

Microsoft/Starcom: Here's What Ad Avoiders Look Like

The performance, attitudes and behaviors of media viewers have been outlined in a new study that could be shocking to advertisers and the agencies that create those ads, according to MediaWeek.

The study was a joint effort by Microsoft and Starcom along with research firm Millward Brown and is ominously titled "Lifestyles of the Ad Averse." The main finding is that 10-15 percent of those between the ages of 17 and 35 are either passive or active "ad avoiders" who feel put off by most advertising.

Free Affiliate Program Success Tutorial by Allan Gardyne

2007-02-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

There are thousands of foilks who will claim to show you how to succeed in Affiliate Programs for a fee. And those fees are running close to $10,000 for a lot of these "secret" programs.

On the other hand Allan Gardyne is the real deal. He listed my first affiliate program back in 1997, when I started it. He is the "original" expert in these things and his site is the original directory for Affiliate programs.

Guess what - he will show you how to do it all for free!

He just created a new outline of all the steps necessary.

To get the full article - simply click the title link of this article.

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth
Author and Consultant

Affiliate Program Tutorial
By Allan Gardyne | Published 01/28/2006

You've joined an affiliate program. Here are the 18 steps to take next

This Affiliate Program Tutorial aims to give you a quick overview.

It's your road map to success as an affiliate.

I've been earning a good living from affiliate programs since 1998. Based on that experience, this tutorial tells you the 18 steps to take to generate a useful income from affiliate programs.

No tricks. No gimmicks. Just solid, reliable methods designed to work for years.....

YouTube grew 1,972% in 2006 !

2007-02-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

YouTube grew 1,972% in 2006 ! Click Here for Full Story:

The landscape of the Internet is changing at a blinding rate folks.

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth
Author and Consultant

"We all know that YouTube was the homecoming queen of 2006, but just how popular was it? Its traffic grew 1,972% in 2006 compared to a year earlier. Some 120 million people visited the site in December 2006, comScore says.
While multimedia sites led the pack, following closely behind were community sites. MySpace and Blogger led the way, growing 159 percent to 90 million worldwide visitors and 90 percent to 93 million worldwide visitors, respectively"

Employees now spend over 40 percent of their workday on e-mail

2007-01-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

Employees now spend over 40 percent of their workday on e-mail - Clich Here for full article:

Is email out of control?

From the figures below it certainly seemms so.....

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth

"Employees now spend over 40 percent of their workday on e-mail--and consider more than a third of that time a waste, according to a new survey from Cohesive Knowledge Solutions (CKS). What's more, companies are bleeding big bucks--some $300 billion a year--in lost productivity and profits."

James D. Brausch Answers Questions on Creating Physical Information Products.

2007-01-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

"Click Here to Visit James D. Brausch Answers Questions on Creating Physical Information Products.…"
:

The other day I heard from Michael Fortin aboout some new copywriting software he is using called Glyphius. He raved about it - it scores your copy apparently using a scoring system based on all the grest copywwriters work.

Haven't bought it yet but started reading the fascinating blog of the software's creator James D. Brausch

This guy is really sharp and bears no resemblance to "the usual suspects" of marketing gurus that have proliferated.

He just did a post offering to answer anyone's questions on creating a physical infoproduct - very fascinating and informative reading.

This is a blog I will be checking all the time.

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth

His blog is at http://www.jamesbrausch.com/ or click the link above.

Video On The Web: Robert Metcalfe on Internet Video

2007-01-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

Click Here for Full Story: Robert Metcalfe on Internet Video: "Robert Metcalfe on Internet Video

For those who think that internet video is a passing fad or not useful for sales - this short video is a must.

It is the "inventor" of the internet giving his opinion of how video will be embraced online. He also speaks about how good video will be for our world.

He has been virtually correct about predictions all his life..

He beautifully leads us into his last profound observation with the comment that "Folks said that professionals would never use the PC because they won't sit at a keyboard and type".

That is very excellent salesmanship on his part.

He shows how we can all use the "breaking the glass of the observers pre conceptions with proof from the past" to get the observer open to new concepts.

Great video and a great lesson in "how to effectively present a new concept" as well.

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth

Bob Metcalfe invented Ethernet way back in 1973.

Before that, he worked on ARPANET, the forerunner of the Internet.

In addition to being an under-geek, Bob is also a master salesman."...........

Yahoo is Killing The Wonderful Overture Keyword Search Inventory tool

2007-01-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

Click Here For Full Article at Direct Marketing Online:

They say all good things must pass - but THIS?

Virtually every internet marketer suggests that all research on keywords begins at the Overture Search Term Tool.

Well folks, Overture got bought by mega company Yahoo and guess what? They are killing the search tool. In their words "It will no longer be supported in the near future".

Arrgghh. I really can't imagine why they made this decision - but they did. It is already useless as they have been slowly letting it die on the vine.

Apparently the best alternative are the Trellian keyword tools (which were always light years better than Yahoo's, but not free.

You can take a look here

KeywordDiscovery - Advanced keyword research tool and search term suggestion tool
or
Trellian SEO Toolkit - Website Optimization and Analysis Software

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth

Story - Click Title Link for Full Story at DM News

It wasn’t until I held a recent Search 101 seminar that I realized just how much the tool had aged. Like an elder relative, the tool fell asleep frequently at the table. Sometimes it just didn’t make any sense at all. On a call with some Yahoo employees, my greatest fears were confirmed: The tool would not longer be supported in the near future......

Why My Favorite "Word Processor" is Notepad - Free Cut and Paste Word and Character Counters

2007-01-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks

Unlike most folks, my favorite "word processing" program is notepad.

It is the bare naked basic program that has come with every version of windows ever made. As far as features -- it has NONE.

So why do I use it for everything?

Because it is compatible with everything.

In other words, since it does no formatting at all I can take a document created in notepad and paste it into any application I desire.

The "word processors" available out there don't allow that. Since they format everything so beautifully, they are incompatible with each other and with just about every application out there, besides themselves.

Ever try to past a Word document in an online job application? If so then you know exactly what I mean.

Also using notepad exclusively for my original documents means that they are all in the same place on my hard drive. No need to search through dozens of folders to find out where that particular piece of writing is.

Another advantage is that notepad documents (txt files) are TINY. I can keep and back up thousands of them on the smallest pen drive.

Since notepad doesn't have a word counter I use these Java based ones here on my FreeTips.com site when I need to count my document words or characters.

Click Here for the FreeTips.com Online Cut and Paste Character Counter

Click Here for the FreeTips.com Online Cut and Paste Word Counter

Nuff Said

Ed Osworth - FreeTips.com

How to Set Up Your Own Private Membership Site

2007-01-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Click Here for all the information on this great script

This is, by far, the world's easiest way to set up a paid private membership website!

Membership sites are popping up everywhere. Why?

Because folks like them and they make money for those who set them up!

You see them everywhere. Private membership sites. Some by major marketers cost $97 per month to be members.

Think folks don't join them? Think again!

I know of many that have hundreds of paying members.

A new script now has made them eas easy as pie to to set up and run.

The script has been designed totally with the newbie in mind, yet is also perfect for seasoned pros. We all like things easy :-)

If you want to set up a membership site with a script filled with all the features you could dream of, such as its own affiliate program, an online content management system and the ability to build your site without having to learn ANY html in sight, then you should take a close look at this one."

Nuff Said

Ed

Click Here for all the information on this great script

Recipe for Easy Success at Affiliate Marketing

2007-01-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Click Here for Full Article : For success, do one of these two things EVERY day
====================================================
A great article from Allan Gardyne that tells the hard truth (and how easy it is) to succeed at affiliate marketing.

Not one in 10000 do these 2 things - instead they look for the latest marketing secret and spend thousands of dollars on programs from "gurus".

Nuff Said

Click the link above and Read It

Ed

You can be successful in affiliate marketing by concentrating nearly all your energy on just TWO things.

Judging by the questions asked on our affiliate forum, many affiliates feel horribly overwhelmed. They're suffocated by too much information and too many choices.
As a result, they're paralysed and fritter away hours, days, weeks and even months.

It's possible to become so involved in endless studying, thinking and planning - including checking emails and reading newsletters and blogs - that you achieve very little.
If that sounds like you, read on..."

Review of Advertising Secrets of the Written Word by Joe Sugarman

2007-01-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

A True Master of Copy writing Shows You How To Do It Yourself

If you want to get a quick education in how to write sales copy like a pro, here it is. If you are a pro and you want a course on how to improve your copywriting, here it is as well!

This is one of the greatest books on copywring available today. Definitely in the top 10 ever written.

I have been in marketing for well over 20 years and out of hundreds of books I have purchased, this is one of the few that sit on my "reference" shelf right at my desk (along with another of Joe's books "Triggers" )

If your livelihood depends upon writing effective and persuasive sales copy (as mine does) then you will LOVE this book.

Joe takes you by the hand and walks you through the process. He shows you exactly how to get inside your prospects mind. Not with manipulation, but with empathy for what your buyer is looking for.

It would be a bargain at 5 times the price. It is not only useful as a reference, it is a pleasure to read and will get you thinking in entirely new directions.
Advertising Secrets of the Written Word

Most importantly, if you write sales copy it will make you money.

My Westfir Road Oregon Chalet House for Sale By Owner across from the Willamette River near Eugene

2007-01-07T23:58:00.000-08:00

BBC NEWS | Technology | Teens 'turn to social websites'

2007-01-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

BBC NEWS | Technology | Teens 'turn to social websites'

Click above link for full article

More than half of all net-using American teenagers use social networking sites, research suggests.........

****************

That's a pretty huge number folks. It is amazing to me that half of teeners agree on anything, but apparently they do. Marketers take note. It's becoming obvious that if you want to reach that audience, you gotta have a presence on myspace, facebook etc.

The Internet Marketing Product BS Detector

2007-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Do you get hammered by emails from one "internet marketing expert" after another telling you about the latest great discovery that will enable your marketing efforts to "explode"?

Well, having been in marketing and direct sales for over 20 years I have been hammered with that stuff since long before the "net". It used to come by fax and US Mail. But it was the same stuff.

And sometimes there are a few products and courses that are worth the money and can actually be very beneficial. The trick is to figure out which ones.

It can be very difficult to find out because of affiliate programs and joint ventures. An affiliate program works by paying a referral fee for every sale. A joint venture is where one party agrees to personally recommend another parties product for a piece of the action.

This creates a situation where a "recommendation" can be tainted by economic reality. The reality that if you purchase the product - the recommending party gets paid a fat piece of the sales. Up to 50% is common.

Personally, I don't call that a recommendation at all. If a "paid recommendation" is mixed into editorial content it should be disclosed. Very few web writers do this.

I also do not consider a "testimonial" valid that was bought with an offer of a discount on a product for submitting the testimonial. I call that "bribery". Yes I have seen both of those tactics used, unfortunately.

So in the interest of all I will pass on to you what I call the "Internet Marketing Product BS Detector". It is a simple way to evaluate products and services that are recommended by "experts" and other folks.There are only 2 questions you need to ask to get to the truth. :-)

1:) Does the recommending party actually use the product or service they are recommending?

If they say "this will automate your email follow up ", for example, investigate whether their emails are originating from that recommended email program or the server where the recommended service is hosted.

If they say "this promotional technique works like magic" go investigate their site and see whether they actually use the technique they are recommending.

A perfect example is the ezine authors who will tell you that "using this particular site creation solution will skyrocket your sales". Then you notice that they don't use that product to create their own sites.

If that solution is as effective as they claim, you would certainly expect that they would do it themselves.

If you can't determine whether the recommender actually uses their recommended product or technique, email them and ask if they use it and how has it worked out for them.

If they don't use it, why in the heck should you take their recommendation seriously?

Same with books and courses. I regularly see recommendations in ezines for 300 - 400 page books and courses hours after they are released. The ezine owner will breathlessly describe how - "this book is going to be great" or "I just glanced through it" or "his/her other books are fantastic".

I think...why is this person recommending I buy a book they haven't even read yet?

That is not a recommendation - it is a race to see which ezine author can get their affiliate code in front of your face first and get that referral dollar.

Bottom line. If it isn't valuable enough for them to use or read themselves then they most likely are simply trying to make all of money off of you that they can. If they themselves don't use it or haven't read it - don't buy it.

2:) Does it come with an "unconditional" money back guarantee?

And by unconditional I mean it!

Not "show me that you have use my secret techniques and ad copy and I will refund...."

Wait a minute......

Why should I have to try your techniques if I can see from reading them that they won't work? You expect me to spend money on ads and precious time to prove it doesn't work?

Gimme a break.

As a matter of fact why should I even have to finish slogging through your book if your writing sucks? I have seen some big money products with horrible and incomprehensible copy.

Other wording to watch out for is "try my product for a full year..if you don't like it I'll refund....." some clowns will tell you the following when you ask for your money back. "Our guarantee clearly stated that you can only get it back after you have tried it for 365 days ("a full year").

So read the guarantee carefully. If you have any questions - write and ask before you buy.

I give a lot of credit to folks who offer a true guarantee. If you have confidence in your product you have nothing to fear by offering an "unconditional" guarantee.

If you don't offer me an "unconditional guarantee" what it tells me is that you don't trust me. And if you don't trust me there is no way I can trust you enough to give you my credit card.

Safest bet. If there is no unconditional guarantee, I'd think twice about purchasing.

Summary: Be skeptical. Look at the money motivation factor in any "recommendation". Look to folks who disclose their financial interest in their editorials for "real" recommendations.

If newspapers and magazines are responsible enough to disclose their financial interests, then so should web writers.

Nuff said.

Ed Osworth

Disclaimer: The above is the authors personal opinion only. The above is not meant in any way to criticize any particular person or company. It is simply a commentary on of the state of web marketing in general.

Exterior Panorama of my chalet home for sale in Westfir Oregon

2007-01-04T23:09:00.001-08:00


This is a short video I did of the neighborhood and exterior of my house.

Old Dog, New Tricks YouTube and Laugh and Sell

2007-01-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

I posted this this morning at Ken Mc Carthy's Fantastic System Video Blog at

http://www.systemvideoblog.com/2007/01/tell_and_sell.html#comment-27198332

Old Dog, New Tricks and Laugh and Sell

Hi Ken, I agree wholeheartedly.

This old dog (56) who only started making videos (and uploading them) 3 weeks ago is now creating one to sell his house. The house is 45 miles out in the country and video allows me to bring it into the city nearby. Every detail.

This all started with you and your post regarding a Pure Digital camera. Thanks for jolting me into action - and jolt it has been, with 17 videos on YouTube and 30 on Google Video.

Am I effectively monetising yet? Not in a huge way, but I am having FUN and learning a ton with both my serious and my silly videos. I'm just getting started here folks :-)
Example - a video I put up yesterday of my ridiculous cat at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSKWXY387K0

now has YouTube honors today of

#24 - Top Rated (Today) - Pets & Animals - All

#23 - Top Rated (Today) - Pets & Animals - English

(If you take a look vote on it, maybe I can be #1 today :-)

Why would a silly cat video be of any interest to a serious marketer ?

It's something I am very interested in and I call this "Laugh and Sell"

If you think silly can't sell, you must see the videos "Will it Blend?" that Blendtech puts up. In their latest they blend an ipod in their $400 blender. Yep, an iPod.

Waste of time? Crazy?

Crazy like a fox.

Their iPod blending video has had over 2 MILLION views!

Think maybe they sold a few $400 blenders?

Take a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8H29jU8Wrs

Now think about their expenses.

YouTube = FREE. The production cost maybe a few hundred bucks.

They wisely registered willitblend.com and all their "silly" videos lead folks there. They blend rakes, golf balls, cell phones - what have you!

It is an example of pure marketing genius and they get my vote for innovative dirt cheap marketers of the year, 2006.

Have I got your brains going folks?

Video has opened possibilities for imaginative marketers almost beyond comprehension....

Ed O

Posted by: Ed Osworth January 03, 2007 at 07:42 AM

Today in Westfir - Time for a Change

2007-01-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic day today, the second day of this new year.

Got lots of work done, paid bills and am getting my house prepared for sale. My career is calling me into the city and as much as I adore it here in the country, I need to get closer in to the place I love so much - Eugene, Oregon.

I have lived in the country for close to 16 years now, and I am ready for a change. I find myself making the drive from Westfir to Eugene several times a week. Every time I am there I get more and more inspired by the wide varity of folks I see there. I love sitting in the mall and coffee houses and watching and writing about all the human interreaction I see.

I will miss the peace and solitude I find here - but the great thing is that it is only a short drive heere to experience it again.

Frankie My Ridiculous 6 Toed Cat Stands 3 Times

2007-01-02T23:36:00.001-08:00

My silly and lovable polydactyl (6 toed) cat Frankie loves to show off. Here he Rolls Over and Stands 3 Times in a Row. I'm having fun (and so is Frankie)!

Flying Turtle Art Gallery Oakridge Oregon Highway 58 Sculpture Painting Clay Glass Espresso

2007-01-01T01:47:00.001-08:00


The wonderful Flying Turtle Art Gallery in Oakridge Oregon. 35 miles east of Eugene on Highway 58 by the Willamette River.

Wonderful creations of Joseph Quillan

2006-12-31T15:30:00.000-08:00

Joseph Quillan's Art

Click the above image to see more of his creations

46736 Westfir Rd Westfir Oregon 360 Exterior Panorama

2006-12-31T12:57:00.000-08:00


46736 Westfir Rd Westfir Oregon 360 Exterior Panorama - Starts and Ends with Shot of my house for sale then pans 360 degrees

Westfir and Oakridge Oregon

2006-12-11T15:34:00.000-08:00


A drive from Westfir to Oakridge Oregon in the beautiful mountains.

My Comments on "The Secret" Video

2006-10-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

What Is The Secret?: New iPod & iTunes Video Podcast: "The Secret" (Clue #2) ::: The Official Secret Blog

The physics of a good store location

2006-09-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

The physics of a good store location by ZDNet's Roland Piquepaille -- A French physicist has applied methods used to study atomic interactions for another task: "help business owners find the best places to locate their stores." Pablo Jensen has used his method for the city of Lyon and is now developing software with the local Chamber of Commerce to help future business owners. Read more...

The OLPC $100 laptop unveiled at UN net summit - Engadget

2006-04-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

The OLPC $100 laptop unveiled at UN net summit - Engadget: "http://www.minipcs.com/content/view/124/31/ "

Discovery Channel :: News :: Earthly Gamma Rays: Lightning Trigger?

2006-04-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

Discovery Channel :: News :: Earthly Gamma Rays: Lightning Trigger?

This is very fascinating and is turning established scientific thought regarding gamma rays on its ear.

Scientists Debunk Astrology

2006-04-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

You can always "prove" whatever is your truth, becuase you will seek out and manifest the evidence only to support your belief, and evidence to the contrary will generally be ignored.

I'm not postng this because I necessarily agree with it - but becauseI find it interesting.

Scientists Debunk AstrologyBy Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060424/astrology_hum_02.html

April 24, 2006 — One of the largest studies of the possible link between human traits and astrology found little, if any, connection between the traditional sun signs of the zodiac and characteristics of individuals.

The study adds to the growing body of evidence that there is no scientific basis for star signs, such as Aries, Taurus and so on. These signs are based on the place of the sun in relation to the date of birth of the subject.

Sunday Miracle

2005-01-29T23:55:00.000-08:00

I had a really great day today. My mood was up and I went into town to shop for food and necessities. I felt loving and holy.

After a jaunt to Costco I dropped by one of my favorite coffee houses, Mellitto.

I walked in real high and joyful on life and imagined all the folks inside as "balls of love" underneath their skin.

As I scanned around I noticed all sorts of folks, a mother with 2 teen daughters, a group of 4 elderly folks who looked like they came from Church, a young male/female couple and a female/female couple.

The fireplace was going, music in the background. While in this loving state of mind I got a huge rush noticing how everyone else in the room was smiling and happy. The mother and daughters were laughing joyously and telling stories. The elderly folks from Church were beaming and smiling. Every single one of these folks was acting happy and joyous.

Well my thoughts drifted off to politics for some reason. For a minute or so, I started thinking of Bush and Rumsfeld and my thoughts turned dark and foreboding.

I realized that I got absorbed in my thoughts and I had stopped noticing all the people - so I focused back in.
The Church folks were arguing and stressed. The mother and daughters were now gossiping and being catty, the couples were now scowling at each other.

I was absolutely blown away. I was so impressed with the level of joy in the place when I was joyful, then just a few seconds thinking about the "dark side" and the entire place was different. The joy was gone from everyone, not just me.

I am getting more convinced by the day that thoughts have way more power than we think.

2005-01-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

2005-01-22T15:20:00.000-08:00

Road in front of my house (notice my oak tree which fell across the road)
Copyright 2005 A Better Life

2005-01-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

2005-01-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

2005-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

2005-01-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

A bit of snow in the neighborhood. We had 18" of snow in one day in Williams on 1/08/05. Power out for a few days, lots of fun.
Copyright 2005 A Better Life

Introduction to the Integratron

2004-07-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Introduction to the Integratron

It's by the digeridoo festival....