A Freebie...

Okay, I'm not going to regale you with lots of stories and statements about how great Mark Joyner is and about how you should buy this or that. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that you can gather information and make a good decision on your own. To that extent, I fit Ron Paul's philosophy perfectly.

What I can say is that Mark Joyner has made a lot more money than me, and, as I understand it, he's made a lot of money period. And if he's giving away something for free about how to make money online (and you have any interest in doing so), it's probably not a bad idea to check it out.

That being said, here's the info they want me to paste and that tells you how to get it if you want it (and that allows me to get my copy for free):

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

- John

Currently listening to:
The Passenger - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Heaven Sent - The Mighty Wah!
My Life - Dido

Gun Control? P-lease!

I read part of an article today on a gun control bill. In it was this quote:

"'This bill will make America safer without affecting the rights of a single law-abiding citizen,' said the Senate's chief sponsor, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer."

Now, please tell me, who in their right mind believes that this is going to reduce violence or in any way prevent those who want to commit crimes from doing so? The issues isn't gun control; the issue is people. And you can't prevent those who choose to be violent (whether because of mental health problems or other reasons) from being violent.

And as for Senator Schumer's statement that this doesn't hurt anybody and actually helps us all: frankly, Mr. Schumer, I see the government trying to keep me safe kind of like asking the fox to keep the hen house safe. We have every reason to be concerned about the reaches of government into our everyday lives, but no reason to believe that whatever information that you have about us and control you have in our lives will be used for anything but the personal interests of politicians and bureaucrats to stay in power and keep their jobs and nice pensions.

With all due respect, why don't you leave D.C. and try slogging it out in the everyday working world (which you've never done. See biography here.) because we both know the artificial world of the government isn't the reality the rest of us know.

- John

Currently listening to:
Money - Pink Floyd
Black - Fell Venus
The Wild, Wild Sea - Sting
One of My Turns - Pink Floyd
I Fought The Law (live) - The Clash

Lack of Conversation

My friend, Blair (who doesn't post near often enough, in my opinion), just posted about our lack of conversation in society today, and the tragedy that it is (he's also talking about some movies he really loves).

And he's right.

I heard recently that writing is the work of thought. It takes effort to organize thoughts into meaningful, non-nonsensical combinations of words and ideas. And I think good, deep conversation is the same way.

And that's why I crave it. And, I also think, why I see it all too infrequently.

Our quick-results, instant society too often wants to have something in our head (hey, I'm an info junkie, too), rather than analyzing to come up with some conclusion of our own, to have thoughts and ideas of our own, to have anything ideologically that (gasp!) wasn't planted in our head by another person putting it out there into the public arena.

Good conversation... so rare... so loved... so missed.

Have you had a good one lately?

- John

Currently listening to:

My kids playing.

Bioshock

I tend to stay away from really good video games for two reasons:

1. I simply find them incredibly addictive, and

2. Hey, I can find free games in lots of places (here and here, for example).

Going back to the first reason, addictiveness is a huge problem for me when I find a good one. For example, I've completely stayed away from buying any of the Tomb Raider series after getting loaned a demo for Tomb Raider 2 that gave full access to the first three levels (the closest thing you'll easily find to it is here). In my house, my wife has never been a football widow, but she was a Tomb Raider widow for a few weeks as I'd come home from work and turn on Tomb Raider and play it until 1-2 A.M., go to bed, and repeat the next day.


Having said that, I tried out a new game at my brother's house the other night on his Xbox 360, and, dude!, I'm hooked! Bioshock, very simply, is completely addictive, and now I'm finding myself searching ebay for cheap ways to buy it.

My poor wife, if ever I get it...

- John

Currently listening to:

Public Image Ltd - Rise
Celldweller - Symbiont
Margaret Becker - Cave It In
Loreena McKennitt - Santiago (live)