Okay, I confess I’m one of the millions out there who smoke, but as god is my witness I’d surely love to quit! Recently, my sister suggested a prescription she received from her doctor that she claims worked like a charm. Of course, she was ready in her mind to stop and stop forever.

The problem is I looked that particular drug up online and, holy cow, the potential side effects are super scary. And, the worse thing is you would not know if you were susceptible to these effects until, perhaps, it was too late (one is particularly nasty!).

However, I am determined to not just “stop smoking,” but QUIT. By the word “quit” I mean to end this habit once and for all (I do believe you cannot use the word QUIT if you have merely “stopped for a while”).

Lots of people have excuses, and I, too, have my own justifications – a huge amount of stress and the fall back to easing those moments by… yes… lighting up.

Yet we are all aware that the “smoking police” are out there. Granted, they may have my best interests (and their own) at heart, but it just irks me when other people start dedicating how a person can and cannot live their individual lives. I’m not talking about the truly great laws in place like “thou shalt not kill or maim or hurt children,” but laws that other people believe are “good for me.” What comes next? I can’t read Harry Potter or buy bread because other people believe they know better or should have a say in my life? (Sorry I’ll stop that tirade and continue onward… LOL!)

Yes, not smoking would be wonderful and I know I’m going to need more than just sheer will power (trust me I know and it’s a long and messy story). That’s when I ran across the website I Can Smoke Whenever and its product the electric cigarette.

If you’re not a smoker, you won’t appreciate this as much as the millions of the rest of us most likely will and do. Here’s the opportunity, not unlike a nicotine patch (which I had rotten luck with) or gum (it pulled just about all the fillings out of my mouth I kid you not!) to eliminate the tar build up in your lungs while slowly but surely weaning yourself off nicotine. And, since the byproduct is “a transparent vapor with no odor” that produces no carbon monoxide (hence no “second hand smoke” haters to inflame), you can actually “smoke” at your desk at work, pub, a sporting event, or even cruising your favorite mall.

Of course many are wondering is the electric cigarette legal? And the answer, as of this post, is yes – it is not regulated by the TTB.

Let’s face it, we’re all working very hard online (especially if you’re reading this and similar blogs and websites on marketing and internet promoting) – if you’re a smoker, don’t you want to be around to see all that hard work pay off?

Improving your health is never a bad thing, and investigating serious ways to quit smoking should be right up there at the top of your list.

Watch the video, read the website (it’s not large) and make an informed decision for yourself. And this time just may be the FINAL time you need to ever address this habit again.

And BTW, they offer FREE shipping!

Okay, before you actually start looking for a picture, the title is merely that… the title of the post. However, it does serve a purpose.

If you read the post prior to this, you’re already aware of the discussion about “spreading the wealth.” Since it’s Saturday, and sort of a free-for-all day to make posts, I’m pursuing this subject a tad longer.

In today’s Las Vegas Review Journal, an article about McCain stumping in Colorado is on the front page. The portion that caught my eye was this: (more…)

I just witnessed something so strange I had to write to tell you about it!

We have two cats, Sammy (a Persian stray) and Sweetie (a Siamese also a stray). Sammy is the sweetest cat you’d ever want to meet. Even my father thinks so, and he’s not cat lover lol!

Sweetie is also just that, only she’s got a bit of the devil in her. While she can, and does roam, the neighborhood (never too far), Sammy has supervised walks outside since some s.o.b. declawed him way back when and then abandoned him.

Okay, enough preamble…

Just now I was at the back of the house looking out the slider, and Sweetie had just stepped every so carefully around me to go out to lay by the pool. Or at least I thought that was her objective. Then suddenly I hear her making soft, sweet, consistent “calls.” Thinking something might be wrong I stood very still to try to discern what sort of sound this might be. I didn’t have to wait long (and her eyes are much sharper than mine). There was a dove perched on the wall and she was IMITATING the bird, as she crept closer and closer. The bird almost appeared to be waiting patiently for her arrival! (Yikes!)

Well, of course, I stepped in and put a nix to that, but wow! Hypnotic or what??

(Maybe this is where I throw in how to NOT be hypnotized into false beliefs online when it comes to marketing…?? Sorry couldn’t resist!)

As for arcades… Later today, I’m taking two 17 year olds and a 16 over to the Las Vegas strip to our local GameWorks. My son turned 17 on Wednesday and they are all impatient to go spend money like there’s no tomorrow playing even more games then they all typically play in a week’s time cramped into a few hours It’s very odd to think your kids (or kid in my case) can attain such a great age in such a short amount of time!

As for what’s coming up…

We’ll be writing about several other marketing methods and services we are using that are building our backlinking to this blog in record speed (see yesterday’s post for one) this coming week.

Granted, I’m sort of jumping around here, so in closing on this gorgeous Saturday I just want to slip one fine point in here. By now you have got to have read about and been advised repeatedly (not only here but everywhere – blogs and static websites alike) – of the fine art of building your business (blog or website or…) by using blog COMMENTING to your advantage.

Yet I sit here shaking my head. I visit a TON of blogs daily for ourselves and our clients, and while I do not comment on all of them, I would say on average I manage at least 10 comments per day. Good, well thought out, or hearty thank you comments. Yes I have the Google PR and Alexa Rank plugin on my trusty Firefox, but it does not keep me from posting ANYWHERE I really appreciate the information I’ve received. Whether it’s a cute/funny picture, a resource I needed more information about, or just a person’s “this is how my life is going,” taking the time to comment does MORE THAN build backlinks, it helps (and lets) other people know YOU exist.

Don’t let this wonderful opportunity continue to slip through your fingers. A comment a day – three minutes of your time – and you will be AMAZED at the results – yes with just ONE comment a day!

How easy can that be???

Enjoy your Saturday!

Or When Do You Stop “Learning” and Start Doing?!

Unless you are in a position to inherit money, get continuous cash gifts from relatives, or win by chance in Las Vegas (after parting with your own money first on that chance), nothing comes to mind where a person can sit still and rake in money (okay nothing legal that is).

Not offline. Not online.

Even the money making programs out there that tell you “no this” or “no that” don’t really mean it at all. The fine print, if they even bother to put fine print on the page, would read, “But the more effort, time, and money you put into this, the more successful you might be.”

End of story.

Same goes for the ever popular “guru following.” Now I am not slamming gurus, they are actually some of the smartest people on the internet. They know. They share some. They anticipate you will return to get the next piece. And the next, and the next, and the… well you get the picture. Granted, information. But will you ever really get going doing what you need to be doing or will you fear you need more pieces and do nothing (and nothing could be further from the truth).

Very few people on the internet say, “Here you go!” and give you everything you need. Very few people will continue to give you even more information to learn more or stay current with rapidly changing online techniques without some expectation from you.

Some would tell you that it is because one person cannot possibly want (or need) to “know it all at once.” (Pure fabrication)

Others will never tell you outright, but the truth is if “it” is given to you in bulk, will there be any reason for you to return? They fear your fickleness.

And, to be perfectly honest, people are fickle.

Witness the statement made at the top of this article. Where else in the world would you really think to yourself, “Oh good, I’m gonna get rich by not doing a thing!” Go ahead, re-read that. Sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous.

That’s not to say there are not great programs out there to work. The emphasis, of course, lies on your willingness to become active and engage in the process to make it happen.

[A word of caution: If you are lazy and broke, do not exacerbate that condition thinking the internet will solve your problems.]

If you are able and willing, the internet can bring you wonders you never dreamed possible. No where else is it possible to meet and make friends with others from around the world. Friendships just as solid as if they were your next door neighbor (and maybe even more so in some cases).

There also are numerous methods to use when you’ve chosen a project to work diligently. Advertising and marketing online abounds, but again caution is in order. Throwing money at something, without a passion for that something, is no better than walking into a casino and handing your money to the doorman (if they had them), turning around, and leaving.

As you study your options online, all sorts of traffic-driving techniques may intrigue you. Many with (false) promises of the ease and viability with which it can happen. After a decade online, and in the marketing arena itself, I can with all honesty say there is nothing that does not require effort on your part – physically and economically – to make it happen. In particular – time and money.

Money is obvious, some services and methods are going to cost the green stuff. Time, however, and the concept of “I want it (or expect it) now” can be mind boggling. Ask yourself, do you get every job you apply for in the real world? Didn’t you have to prepare for the interview, dress the part, interact with others, and then wait for the phone call that might mean you got it? Time does not mean something else online, it’s just that… time. And being online means alloting proper amounts of it from all angles.

Okay, if you’ve made it this far (and I thank you!), then you deserve a reward. The key is to combine what you love with what you join and use both traditional and web 2.0 techniques to tell the world, “Hey here I am! Come visit me!”

Ah, there’s the rub. But it can be done in an amazingly short period of time – like visitors arriving today if you do it right.

Will they buy from you? Ask yourself instead, “Should they.” If you are willing to engage your visitor and give them a reason to come to you, really care that they do come, referencing to “time” above and the answer is yes.

Visitors arriving immediately. Staying and returning to talk with you. Yes the adage, people buy from people they feel they know is very true. You just need to help them discover who you are.

Yes, it really can be done and there are honest people out there willing to help you on the right road to doing something you love – now and forever.

Change fickle to “finally!” and learn the skills to get your job done.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Theresa Cahill and her partner Jeff Greer publish their OIMS blog under the pen name Diane Scott. They cordially invite you to see for yourself how to increase website traffic using a combination of how to strategies and you. Visit today, stay for life.