Okay, it’s not as if the internet isn’t flooded with social communities. In fact, they are coming out our ears. I know it, and you know it. Trying to stay in touch with all of them is – well let’s just say it – a nightmare.

That’s why I almost passed on the latest invitation I received, but something caught my eye.

Does the word “money” mean anything to you?

EchoLoops has an interesting premise. The email I received stated the fact that Facebook and their like are making millions, and that means we are the ones making them so popular. EchoLoops, with its growing traffic numbers, is willing to advance your rankings in the search engines (by being a part of the social circle, these things get indexed fairly easily and you can be there, too). They also mention “rebate checks” for shopping, along with combining the power of Facebook, YouTube, games, shopping, etc.

Now, I haven’t a clue where this will go since I do not (unfortunately) possess a crystal ball. I have filled out my profile in much greater detail then several other spots I thought I would haunt. I’m working on the angle that the more you say, the better things go. We shall see. In the meantime…

Signing up is free. And if you’re just a tad tired of any particular circle that’s been running you around in circles, EchoLoops just may be your answer.

Enjoy!

Earlier today, a good friend of mine was struggling to get high quality ads placed inside posts (not on the sidebar) of Wordpress. While it’s easy enough to incorporate photos and the like, and get your text to wrap around said items, two highly used sources (videos and ads) continue to drive people crazy when it comes to wrapping their words around them.

YouTube videos and ads from Pulse360 are just two examples. Often one is forced to leave blank space and start the next paragraph underneath. No amount of playing around with obvious methods seems to satisfy your requirements. However, thanks to remarkableblogger the solution is super easy. (It just takes persistence using the search engines, yes your answer is out there.)

Here’s a screen shot of the highlighted code you would enter around say a YouTube video (you can visit the remarkableblogger above to actually see its placement):

Note that it may be necessary for you to make physical adjustments to the ad and/or video. While YouTube offers options on sizes, there really isn’t a “one size fits all” category. Each blog has just so much space assigned to its posts section – some larger, some smaller – than their selection allows.

Continuing with the YouTube example, they offer the following sizes:

o 320 width by 265 height
o 425 width by 344 height
o 480 width by 385 height
o 640 width by 505 height

But, what if you want to use a width of say 250 and wrap your text around it?

This calls for THE one formula I use routinely – and goes back to my Algebra days (don’t ask). To adjust images and/or videos and/or ads, use this (I’ll demonstrate with the standard 425×344 example):

425 =  250
344        x

Cross multiply:  425x = 344 x 250

425x = 86,000

Divide both sides by 425

x = 202.35 (use 202)

So now you’ve created your image in proportion with a width of 250 and a height of 202. You can even pull in the original and just modify the width and height setting by hand from the HTML view in Wordpress (or on your website for that matter).

So there’s the key to getting a different look and feel for your web or blog pages.

Also do note in the image example above (and on remarkable’s blog) the padding put in – the margin portions in the pink highlighted area. This will keep your pictures from cramming up against your text.

Okay off to do some article writing! Enjoy your day

I received this from my father (don’t know who sent it to him), and I almost didn’t listen. However, curiosity getting the better of me I clicked the link in his email (whereas I’ve just posted the video below to make it easy for you).

Here’s the email that came with the link:

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.

This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.

This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled “u @ 50″ by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.

(If you have a good monitor and a great graphics card you’ll be able to read along. However, even if you cannot see the words, listen with your soul wide open.)

A jolly happy holiday season to everyone! Please enjoy “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Regardless of your religion (no matter what faith or no faith), this choir is a hard one to beat

Turn on your speakers

Today, I’m happy to bring yet another potential source of income your way. But first, I must give credit where credit is due, so thank you to Mkcoy, a friend at BlogCatalog for putting us on to this money making resource.

Publishing (and getting paid) on eHow – How To Do Just About Everything looks extremely promising for everyone.

Ask yourself, “What is it I know ‘how to’ do and can explain to someone else?” There’s got to be tons of knowledge inside your head that you can share with other people. And no, this isn’t just for bloggers, so ANYONE looking for ways to pull in revenue online should check out eHow, too!

Here’s a link to the eHow Frequently Asked Questions page. (more…)