I’m finally back online, after I decided to take a few days leave - a much needed break! I still haven’t really gotten into the swing of things yet since the Christmas period, having been dodging work and other bits and pieces. I think it’s time to settle myself down now, I’ve opened up another hosting business recently, it’s just about self-managing, the script manages everything from processing payment, through to creating the accounts and lining up support tickets in order of priority etc… More details on it shortly, as I’m still setting it up (the website).

Since last week I’ve relaunched Blogger Hub, except this time it will be solely for Wordpress, and Wordpress related products and discussions. I’ve no experience with other platforms like Drupal, Typepad and whatever else is on the market, so it would be pretty stupid to continue to run a board on topics I know little about, or have no experience with - on the other hand, Wordpress is such a widespread product it will interest both beginner and intermediate bloggers. The usual topics covered: Running your Blog, Styling and Modding your Blog, Monitising your Blog, Selling Products and Placements on your Blog, and the general “blogging banter” thrown in for the sake of it. I don’t see it catching on for a while - I’m being pretty realistic in this, forums are a difficult thing to setup, and even trickier to get running - no one wants to talk on an empty board, but the board will be empty without anyone chatting on it. A Catch 22 situation! I will have to put my marketing cap on and get some members in, one thing which may interest them will be the fact that I’m trying to figure out a way to have it as a revenue sharing board… :razz: .

More website news, I’ve finished the Motor Vehicle Preservation Society of Ireland website, it needs a lot more work - such as optimization, and more filler content drafted up, but it was a past-deadline realese, and Payne was on my neck to get it online - “take yer time” generally means “where’s me f**kin’ website” in webmaster talk… It’s online now, alongside the Blog which was a 5 minute jobby. He’s happy with the result, I wouldn’t be 100% happy with it, it’s a bugger to load on Dialup (or slow broadband), but that’s just a case of reducing the size of the navbar icons and header image. All these loose ends will be tidied up in the coming weeks (possibly months :neutral: ).

On another note, I’m on the road finally! I got my “Learners Permit” last week, and I’ve taken a few driving lessons. I’m already capable of driving, it’s just road ettiquette, general use, and caping my speed… I mentioned the last one, as I kept creeping over the speed limit on my first lesson - of which the instructor didn’t give me any instruction… (a family friend). I’ve got a fair bit to improve on, such as roundabouts, and merging. I’ve been practicing Hill Starts, Emergency Stops and 3-point turns, I’m not great at them but practice does make perfect!

I got thinking today on my proposed New Years Resolution, I come up with one around this time every year, but only stick to it for one or maybe two weeks max! Both my parents have stuck to theirs of no smoking, so as I don’t smoke, I have come up with the resolution of not drinking! Drastic as it may sound, I believe it should be an easy task:

1. I don’t drink heavily in the first place, I may have one or two on the weekend, or on an evening off.
2. If I find other things to spend money on, it will mean I won’t have the money to spend on alcohol.
3. I’d rather be the designated driver at the end of the night! I like waking up the next morning and remembering the night before.
4. I like my health!
5. Drink is so expensive now, that I’d be better off nursing a coke for the night and leaving with my wallet still intact!
6. I may not be as sociable, but a lot of my friends don’t drink either.

Some good points I think, and valid enough for me to persue the resolution fully. I won’t give up alcohole completely - instead I will only have celebratory drinks etc… I think everyone is entitled to a treat every now and again :lol: .

Having read Mark Walsh’s appraisal of my blog, it drew my attention to my about me page - the first thing I noticed after I reviewed it was the lack of information about myself. So I’ve rewritten it, including most of the already produced content, plus some extra bits and pieces as well as my social networking profiles.

Just thought I’d give everyone the update!

Me, Me, Me

:mrgreen:

So what am I on about, you may ask? Well HostBidder has been around for quite a while on the amature webmaster scene - aiding many budding webmasters, including myself! Another good think for the majority of readers to this site, is that it’s run by an Irish guy, Fergal Crawley.

Bascially, HostBidder’s main focus would be on supplying free top level domains (TLD’s), as well as Money via Paypal, to its members, through points which you accumilate through posting on the forums and participating in ‘Points Exchanges’ - selling your services in exchange for points - View more here.

I discovered HostBidder back in March 2006, but never registered until the following May. When I joined, I knew something about webdesign and web authoring - Blogging, Forums, and Earning Money Online were completely new to me!

It is through HostBidder, and it’s domain registration service HBDomains which madringo.com has been on since June 2006. Surprisingly, earning points to exchange for your domain is quite easy:

• You can earn upto 40 points per day (First 4 posts count as point earning posts);
• Once you’ve accumilated 900 points, you can exchange your points for a domain of your choice from HBDomains;
• You post your request, and within a day or so, Fergal, will authorise your request and your domain is yours;
• The only requirement, is a simple linkback on your website, and posting your thanks in the testimonials page.
• Once your year registration has run up, simply post a renewal request (in good time).

For a while, HostBidder became somewhat derilict! Simply, people were getting their domains and leaving, only coming back when there’s a problem, or their domain(s) require renewal!

But, as part of the renewal scheme ongoing on HostBidder, you can win $250, for making a blog post about your ‘HostBidder experience’, and what they offer. Or alternatively, you can simply do a humble backlink to HostBidder! View more here.

I’ve taken the post option, as I’d like to see HostBidder continue, and prosper for many years to follow!

(BTW, you can find me HERE on HostBidder!)

Right well I’m upta my usual haunts this weekend, spending some time “on the buses”, so obviously I doubt I’ll be able to get a internet connection down in this place - I think there’s dialup but I’m not insulting myself by using it (that’s right…I’m a Broadband snob!).

As usual, the blog is going into Lock-down, to stop the spammers going to town on the blog while I’m away.

If I can get online, I might do a progress report…maybe :smile:

I’m blogging more and more infrequently nowadays. Mainly, as I’ve been too busy with other projects (Motor Vehicle Preservation Society of Ireland & The Impulse Blogger namely). I’ve also been busy with curricular activities, school and generally being too tired to put in the effort of researching content for posts!

So instead of putting brain dead, mindless posts, I’ve laid off just a little until I’m able to continue posting as the norm. Once the two above mentioned websites are complete, I should have considerably more spare time to spend researching for posts and possibly forcussing on more online income and keeping logs - a number of people have asked me to report on a monthly basis with that months earnings and new methods of income. I hope to start this coming into November.

Of course, I don’t intend on being a sell out, making any mindless PayPerPost articles and taking fivers here and there. If I focus, I could earn more income doing suitable articles, and maybe finding other review websites and possibily private ad sales - TLA only brought in $2.75, although it’s only active a few days. PPC ads will be going shortly, it’s too little money, taking up a prime spot! If I marketed the blog better, I could get good quality advertisers, although I will have to focus on getting my rankings higher! - By the way, Alexa rank was updated on Tuesday to 1,086,700.

I’m also back being a ‘bus facist’ again, after a two week much needed break. There’s a new recruit in the society - another Aaron, same age so should get along grand. This should keep ‘The Payne’ occupied somewhat… :lol:

I’m absolutly wrecked today, so sorry if the post doesn’t make an awful lot of sense - I’ll correct it all tomorrow! :???:

Found these various unfortunately placed ads on the web, some are unfortunate, some hillarious, and some a little bit cruel! Still, worth a look!

I’m not one to make my blog postings from leeched content, but these are from different sources and are humourous - some of us are allowed to break our own rules!

This week has been great for the blog, so much so that it has been it’s best week yet! Our unique visitor count has shot up, as has the returning visitor count which is great. We’ve had twice as many subscribers - although the FeedBurner button has only gone on so it should be slow in building readers.

I’ve been offered so many proposals this week it isn’t funny. Although, I’ve decided from reading an article a few weeks ago that having my site full of useless links isn’t the way I want it to be - Spam, or non-related links, over advertising harms your GooglePR!  So all offers were kindly declined, regretfully, as I could use the money but I can always hold out until a related sponsor comes along, I may begin PayPerPost again as a means of some income - it will atleast give me something to write about during a blogging drout!

By far, this week the best posting has been the Missing Madeline McCann posting I made just after her disapperence. The support people have shown has been amazing, we’re around the 50 comments mark another record for the blog! I have since discovered that if you type Missing Madeline McCann into Google we’re on the first page, I know it’s gaining traffic for the wrong causes, but atleast we’re raising awareness and getting peoples opinions on this tragedy. Which reminds me that I have to make an updated posting.

We’re now coming upto nearly 3000 page views in a month which for myself is an achievement. I know of blogs getting that daily, but I’m a small timer and that a month is an achievement!

It may have been the blogs best week…but it hasn’t been mine. I’m at home at the moment sick! Ah well, it will give me some time to work on the blog…and catch up on some much needed sleep!

I’ve decided to retire my three boneshakers, for something a bit more modern and better looking - not forgetting reliability! I spend more time rebooting my old PC, I’ve started to use my laptop as a full time PC - since January I haven’t bothered with the PC, except to mess around with it, installing Linux, testing old parts etc…

I was considering building my own system - but to be honest, I’m not in any mood to do that! I’d much prefer to buy a off the shelf plug’n'play PC. For convience more so than anything!

I intend on going with DELL, for the customer service and free delivery. Most of my PC’s and all of my laptops are and were DELL’s. Most modified DELL’s, but that convexed disk always confirms a DELL!

More than likely, I’ll buy the DELL Inspiron 530s - Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 22″ Widescreen Flat Panel monitor, and the rest is pretty basic. I don’t intend on using it for Gaming - I’m a n00b…I get killed before I even can begin! The most the PC will be running is Photoshop, Dreamweaver, iTunes and Firefox at the same time. My 1GB Laptop can handle it, so 2GB should do it fine.

The Inspiron 531 is also tempting, although the spec doesn’t really suit me entirely. AMD Live Technology - Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+, NVIIDA GeForce 8300GS Turbocache graphics card, 2GB RAM, and 320GB HDD and a 19″ Flat Panel monitor. I’ve never use a PC with an AMD Processor - so if anyone could give me a review on the AMD 64 X2 Dual Core I’d be grateful. Core 2 Duo is decent, so I anticipate what AMD 64 X2 Dual Core is…

I will be getting it delivered with XP if possible, as Vista SP1 doesn’t appeal to me whatsoever! Doesn’t matter, I’ve two XP licenses lying around from scrap computers, so I’ll just partition Vista and install XP - I was considering running XP and Linux on it, I got some tutorials on how to go about doing it, but I’ll think about it when it arrives.

Won’t be here for a few weeks anyway. Have to either accumlate the rest of the funds, or else bum it off my parents as an early B-Day pressie :razz: !

I’m having a little writes block at the moment , as I’ve an English essay on Mountains - that’s right Mountains. Davern, just grabbed the first topic he thought of and gave it to us…the mercyless fooker! :neutral:

I’m stuck on the first sentence - I’ve no idea on how to start it. I may do the essay as a factual one. I’ll just get random facts off the Internet (wikipedia comes in handy for once!), turn them into my own style of writing and present it along with a €50 note to Davern 2nd period tomorrow .

Thankfully, I haven’t got any Bloggers Block at the moment - mainly as all I’m doing is personal bloggings. Although, I do plan on moving onto futher subjects in the coming weeks (maybe days…)!

Haven’t had a radom blog in a fair ould while - usually my blog posts are moderatly structured and somewhat panned out. During my course of the day within the past month or so I always think up something to blog about - mainly as I’ve only been getting into the blog since July - I never bothered before that, I usually used to let it tick over by itself.

The blog is overturning a decent profit, how much I don’t really want to disclose, it’s paid for it’s hosting, domain and a nice bit over for the year. Blown my mind a bit, I don’t like littering my sites with ads, I refuse to put Text Link Ads, or anything like that on the site. I only had those 5 posts sponsored because hosting was due and my Paypal was empty . I have been considering Payperpost, but I will be strict to what I’ll review. I cannot for some reason login to Payperpost - it wont send me a Activation Email or send me my password. :???:

For some reason, the blog has also darted upto 13th place on the Irish Blogs.info toplist. It was 18th/19th - I’m usually between those two or on a good week I’m at 15th/16th. A personal best, considering I’m just a small timer, personal blogger for that - I ain’t even a commercial blogger…those greedy bastards taking all the traffic!

On my way home this evening, listening to the radio in the car, I heard that another schoolboy has dropped dead, in Westmeath also. This is the third un-explained schoolboy death in the country this week, and the second this week in Westmeath. I’m a little freaked out by it, as two of them were 16 and in 5th year - both my age and year. :eek:

All were doing some physical activity, so it’s my excuse not to do PE this year. Usually I come up with some mad excuse not to do it - why? Cause I’m a lazy fooker, I prefer to play ping-pong or else just arse around the school for two hours. Last year we went to Total Fitness (where I wrote off my brand new bike on the first day!), was great craic - all except for the changing rooms…saw too much crack there :lol:

Was just pondering to myself today in Double Business - Friday’s such arse…Doubles all day… - that it is always sunny when you return to school. It’s usuaully raining or dull weather for the last week you’re off - but the minute you’re back the sun does be shining, temperature hot - perfect to work on the tan. Pity the Teletubby Hills are gone!

I don’t get a chance to enjoy it at all, mainly as I’m inundated with Homework, studying, etc… not that I do it. I spend the time I should be doing it, doing webdesign or surfing the new instead. Now that the Rugby World Cup has just started I won’t be stirring, doing anything, or blinking

Have you noticed my excessive use of Emoticons in this post yet? And that no paragraphs relate to each other, or if they do they lead into something different - well my friends that’s how you ‘Random Blog’, it’s also known as ‘Freestyle Blogging’. You don’t need to worry about how it looks, it’s just something for you to pass the time - I should be doing my homework, which comprises of LOADS of Maths, French, a History Essay and English Essay on Mountains - Thanks for that Mr. Davern!

I don’t expect for the regular blogs to continue throughout the year. I’ve got loads of Homework, and Studying as you’d expect, but I might be able to drag myself away for 20 minutes here and there on a break to make the odd post.

Who knows…I might include Blogging in my schedual - it’s great practice for English!

This morning, we lost probably one of the greatest voices the world has ever encountered. Luciana Pavorotti the infamous Italian Tenor died this morning surrounded by his family at his home in Modena, Italy. He had been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 2006.

Pavorotti, was of course one of the most famous opera singers, but was also famous for the number of duets he partook over recent years. He’s proformed with bands such as Queen, as well as James Brown (who died on Christmas Day 2006) and Barry White (Died July 4 2003).

He was mostly known for his role in the Three Tenors, whom toured during the 1990’s and in recent years.

[youtube]VCIyzNISw1Q[/youtube]

The Late Pavarotti and The Late James Brown

That’s right! I’m not a happy bunny to be back, mainly as everything is so uptight and formal compared to Transition Year which we did what the feck we wanted…usually we didn’t do anything just arsed about going with the flow

Class groups are a mess, everything is all over the place, my options are completely fucked as most of my choices are wrong - so I’ve to rectify that problem. Another problem is ‘the scum’ - less said about that the better!

Got the joys of lugging a half tonne of books (only Junior Certs have to carry a full tonne…poor fuckers! Been there done that!) - it wasn’t too bad until I got home and jumped into a shower and noticed loads of bruising on my shoulders, obviously caused from the weight of the books!

I’m just a little freaked out this evening, having heard about that young lad (same age and year as myself), who dropped dead during class at lunchtime today in Westmeath. Bit of a shock, as you’d expect, considering it happened without any warning - my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

I’ve been obsessed with making various lists of potential domains, websites, money making sites etc… for the past week or so.

I’ve three or four Foolscap pages filled with domains, website ideas, brainstorming notes etc… just something to fill up the time - obviously most will never see the light of day. Not with me piloting them anyway!

I haven’t been ‘following through’ on my ideas, mainly as most are web tools - and I simply haven’t the time to learn the skills, and then put them into practice with creating the code string. And paying someone isn’t an option…I’m too stubborn to do that!

I’m starting to whittle down my websites at present, post2host.info was sold recently, I’ve let a number of undeveloped/derilict domains go un-renewed, and I’ve also stopped buying domains spontainiously! I now consider any purchase I make…unless it’s too good an offer to miss!

As regards post2host, as you may know I stopped the services. Mainly as the money being made wasn’t adequet, or viable to keep the service going the way it was. I was to blame for some of it, not bothering to promote the service, but the fact that you need a damn good marketing team to get any free host a good rep and the users in.

I may dabble with some paid hosting services eventually. I just have to sort out how I’d go about running the thing! No way am I leasing a server again, I’d go for an Alpha Reseller which is the next best thing to running on a server of your own - you can create Shared, Reseller and Master Reseller accounts!

Also, incase you should ask - I’m keeping all my ideas close to my chest! So don’t ask, as refusal may cause offence…

I’ve only managed to sit down, for once today - or should I say this morning! I took a day off from the buses today, give myself some breathing room, and allow myself to catch up on some stuff before I’m back (properly this time) on Monday coming.

Day started off well, didn’t roose from the leaba until around 2pm, got a full Irish breakfast in bed, grabbed a shower and fecked off to the gym for an hour.

Got home, noticed there was no floor, toilet or sink left in my bathroom  :???: , the noticed my cousin getting everything setup for some tiling of the floor in the bathroom - 5 minutes in he burst a pipe - god damn these new houses…pipes are too close to floorboards

We eventually got the situation sorted - shut off the water and investigated. Found that the burst pipe was the central heating main feed (not any fucking more!) :neutral: and it either needed replacing or a very good botch (I’m quite good at botching…) - we settled on a good botch, using some putty like sustance around the affected pipe which seals it after an hour or so. Grand - time for a cuppa!

I then parted company, as I hate tiling as much as plumbing - bad experiences in Building Construction and DIY classes in school

Began working on an old PC chassis I had lying around. I have loads of Linux CD’s so I decided to make a Linux box just for the craic. The PC was an old XP pile of junk (don’t ask me for specs…), took whatever needed cleaning off, cleaned it with the alcohol stuff and whatever else was required (you can tell I’m no good at this!), assembled it - installed 512MB of RAM, DVD RW, Card Reader, Pentium 4 processor, and some graphics card I got for a song on eBay.

All done, and reviewed, powered it on, put in the boot disk, booted fine - forgot how much of an arsehole Ubuntu is to install (for me anyways). Got it running eventually, decided after a while I didn’t want a Linux PC….and installed XP instead :lol:

Now after all this, it’s around 10pm, I end up starting to transfer the files for Irish Transport Forums onto the new server - gave up halfway! Helped reinstall my bathroom, noticed the tiling still isn’t done - the burst pipe incident took 3 hours to resolve, that and there were bi-hourly tea breaks :razz:

What a day off!