Welcome to Something for Nothing

Anyone that has read my blog for any time knows that I’ve been apart of PayPerPost since the very beginning. I still like to mention that I was the 61st person to join PayPerPost. I currently don’t do that much PayPerPost, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my interest in the company and what they’re doing. So, of course I was interested in posting about PayPerPost v4.0.

PayPerPost really transformed blogging for me. They took something I was just doing for fun and turned that fun into a viable part time job for me. When I first started PayPerPost, I was very skeptical I was going to be paid. A few years later, I know the founder of PayPerPost, Ted, quite well and owe a ton to PayPerPost for making me the blogger I am today.

What most people don’t understand about PayPerPost is that it gave me two things I needed as a blogger:
1. Motivation
2. Community

Motivation
PayPerPost provided me with tremendous motivation to blog. I could just see the dollar signs. I went from blogging once every blue moon to posting 6-12 times a day. I’m sure my wife wondered what came over me. Luckily, thanks to PayPerPost I was able to tell me wife how much money I’d made on the site. I was completely motivated by making a little extra cash blogging. No, I couldn’t quit my job, but it gave me (and my wife) motivation to blogging.

What’s really interesting about this motivation is that as I started posting more and more my traffic shot through the roof. At one point I passed Scobleizer on Wordpress.com and was listed as the #1 Wordpress.com blog. There’s no way I would have even broke the list of top 100 Wordpress.com blogs if it weren’t for PayPerPost.

Community
PayPerPost also provided a great community around an exciting new startup. Every week new features were launched. I got a chance to be quoted in SmartMoney Magazine, we did town hall meetings, we watched videos, I met hundreds of other bloggers and most important, I learned a ton of new things about blogging and promoting my blog. (yes, I know that’s a run on sentence)

Each of those things the PayPerPost community offered I’ve since taken and created a small enterprise of blogs. What was once some nice date money has with the same amount of effort become a significant part of my income.

New PayPerPost
Now many might be asking what this has to do with the alpha launch of PayPerPost v4.0. It has everything to do with it. The launch of the new version of PayPerPost has the strong potential to do the things I listed above for other bloggers.

The reality is that the early days of PayPerPost were really simple. There were paid opportunities which you took and wrote about. In one case, I literally took an existing post I’d done and pasted in the PayPerPost code and got paid. Over time, PayPerPost started adding layer and layer of bureaucracy to the process. You could only do so many posts over so long in between certain posts if you had posted within this period of time and not shorter than this period of time and not if the cow jumped over the moon. Yeah, there were so many rules to follow that it took a part time job just to keep up with the rules. Then, when your post was rejected for one of those rules it completely killed your morale.

I’m really happy to say that the PayPerPost v4.0 seems to have gone back to the old days of PayPerPost. I’d describe it as PayPerPost doing everything it can to just get out of the way of bloggers and advertisers. It’s like Reagan did during the de-regulation era of government. PayPerPost v4.0 has deregulated the market for paid blogging. They’re providing a platform for advertisers and bloggers to do what they do best.

We still have to see what the market is going to do. Are advertisers going to flock to this new platform? Will the new platform get overrun by “trolls”? All of this will be seen as it starts to grow, but I know I’m excited to see how it goes.

Note: I’m told if you leave a comment on this post, then you can get an Alpha key. So leave a comment and I’ll do what I can to get you an alpha key to the new PayPerPost.

BeeWell Miles is supported by Bumble Bee Foods to raise money for Breast Cancer. Bumble Bee Foods will donate $0.15 for every mile to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength (with a maximum of $200,000).

I wore my pedometer from the minute I got out of bed in the morning until the time I went to bed that night. I walked 2.11 miles, which included normal daily activities, going to school, going to work, and taking my dog for a walk. Below you will find a picture of my dog and I before our walk.

I raised $0.31 for doing the things I normally do everyday; nothing extra. If I were to do this everyday, in a weeks time I would raise over $2.00. Imagine if I were able to get my family to participate in this event. As a family we would raise, on average, over $8.00 a week. It’s very simple and it is going towards a great cause; to provide emotional support to those who can’t wait for tomorrow’s cure.

I enjoyed wearing the pedometer, as it showed me how many miles I walk on a daily basis. I think it is also a great incentive for me to start walking more and to “bee” more healthy myself.

This evening I attended the UNLV New Horizons Band Concert. I was very pleased with the overall performance. They played an outstanding variety of music.

It was amazing to see how such a small group of people could perform so well. The band consisted of less than 25 musicians. From my past experiences, it takes a lot of discipline and hard work to create music with a limited amount of people and instruments.

“The Syncopated Clock” was my favorite piece of the night. It was very intriguing and upbeat. This was definitely a performance that I would recommend to other people.

Woz has really been hammered by the judges on Dancing with the Stars. This is a great reason to get out there and vote for Woz!! The judges were much more lenient in the past with other stars that weren’t good dancers. Can you say Cloris Leechman? She was so much worse than Woz.

You can also enjoy following Woz on Twitter. Almost 100k people following that account to help support Woz. No wonder he’s been able to stay around despite low scores.

Promises Treatment Center has programs for the treatment of alcohol, drug or substance abuse. Promises treats addiction to a variety of drugs and substances, including: Alcohol, Cocaine, Codeine, Heroin, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and specializes in vicodin addiction .

Promises Treatment Centers remain firmly rooted in the 12-steps program. They also use a variety of “evidence-based treatment modalities, including psychiatry, counseling and psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, stress management strategies, holistic therapy and medically- monitored detox.”

There are two Promises Treatment Centers located in Malibu & West Los Angeles, California. The Malibu facility is designed for clients who are accustomed to luxury, including celebrities, who prefer superior quality addiction treatment in a beautiful setting. The West Los Angeles facility is designed for clients who would like the highest quality alcohol, drug or substance abuse treatment in a more affordable setting.

Promises Treatment Centers have over 20 years experience in drug and alcohol treatment. They offer a high staff-to-client ratio and provide a ‘home-like’ environment.

So the Grey’s Anatomy – Private Practice crossover continues. Is it going to be this way the rest of the season? If so, it’s going to take some getting used to.

Anyways, I liked tonight’s episode. I think Izzie’s idea was great for the interns. It showed who was competitive, but also showed who really wants to become a doctor. But what is Izzie hiding?

However, I didn’t like that Addison came into the picture again. It seemed like Derek and Meredith were doing good again (after all he was going to propose), but Addison shows up and everything gets put on hold; including a critical, pregnant patient.

Dr. Hunt through a surprise at us this week. I would have never expected him to have an ex-fiance and Christina actually acted like she cared. Dr. Hunt brings a different side out of Christina – a good side.

I can’t believe that McSteamy still hasn’t told Derek about Lil Grey. I also can’t believe that McSteamy isn’t going after Lexi. No, wait… it isn’t a surprise that Mark isn’t pursuing anything, but you can totally tell he really likes her.

And the suspense continues…

Today I came across this website called webhosting . This website provides the Top 10 Web Hosting Providers & the Best Web Hosts for 2009. It has features such as the Web Hosting Provider’s rank, price, space, traffic, and review.

Also, if you have your own web hosting service you can Request an Account for it to be listed on this website.

This website would be beneficial to those who are looking for a web hosting service, like myself. It would also be beneficial for those who are looking to switch their current hosting service, as it provides an article called Changing Web Hosts in Six Easy Steps.

There are two different types of drag racing. The most popular type of drag racing is called pro racing or “go fast” racing. This is the type of drag racing that is shown on television sponsored by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). “Go fast” racing is when two cars start from a standstill point and the winner is the car who reaches the finish line first.

Another type of racing is called handicapped racing. Handicapped racing gives the slower car a head start and the potential outcome is that both cars arrive at the finish line at the same time. I am a handicapped racer. One major factor that separates the two types of drag racing is money. In the professional categories a lot of money and a lot sponsorship are used. Local handicapped racers, race just for fun and all the drivers use what they have available to them and do not need as much money.

Handicapped racing has many different categories/classes. Some of these categories/classes are: pro, super pro, motorcycle, sportsman, high school, and jr. dragster lightning and thunder. Each class has its own specifications. Electronic devices are not permitted in the pro class, where as, electronic devices are permitted in the super pro class. The motorcycle class is pretty self-explanatory. The sportsman class (also known as Street) is for street legal cars only. The high school class is for high school students only. These classes require a valid driver’s license in order to race. In some instances a special license is required from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Jr. dragsters are for children ages 8-18. The thunder class is for beginning drivers and the lightning class is for more advanced drivers. Jr. dragsters must also obtain a special license through NHRA.

Today I came across a relatively new game site called, MagNext sponsored by MEGA Brands Inc. MEGA Brands Inc. provides stimulating and creative experiences for children and families through innovative, well-designed, affordable and high quality products.

MagNext is a safe and secure website for children of all ages. While signing-up for a free account it does not ask for any personal or confidential information. All that it requires is a user name, password, and age (”13 and under” or “14 and older”). Actually, you don’t even have to sign-up to play; MagNext allows you to sign-in as a guest. However, you will not be able to access as many features as a guest.

It seems to be a really neat racing game. It is challenging and creative; however, after only a few minutes it is already extremely addicting.

MagNext Virtual has many great features. You can see a list of all your buddies on or offline. You can chat with your friends and challenge them to different games. You can view news, tips, tricks, and more. You can view your profile and your stats. It even has a map for quick access to all the rooms.

I would recommend this game for children and adults of all ages. It is a cool, safe, and “out-of-this-world” game.

Drag racing is the world’s greatest hobby. Drag racing can be very fun, but it takes a lot of preparation and experience to become a good racer. Here’s a quick look at what it’s like to spend a day at the race track.

A normal day at the race track starts out with a warm-up. The purpose of the warm-up is just to make sure that the car is functioning normally and no last minute adjustments need to be made. After the warm-up it is time to take the car to tech inspection. Trained personnel makes sure everything on the car is legal and abides by all the rules in the rule book. After the tech inspection it is time to go back to the pit area. The pit area is where everyone parks their trailers and keeps their equipment.

Next come the practice passes. Every track is different, and the track determines the number of passes the driver gets. At my home track, The Las Vegas Motor Speedway, we get two practice passes. The announcer calls each class to the staging lanes for their practice passes. The staging lanes are an area behind the race track where each class meets before heading under the tower. Once everyone is ready, the announcer will then tell everyone to move forward under the tower. In this position the driver puts on his/her suit on and gets in the car. After the driver is ready it is time to pull up to the water box where the car is now started and the driver begins to do a burnout. In order to do a burnout, the driver must hit the gas, hold on for about three seconds, and then let off. The purpose of the burnout is to warm up the tires and the engine. After the burnout, the driver stages the car, waits for the lights to come down, and hits the gas!

After the practice pass information like the R.T. (reaction time), E.T. (elapsed time), and M.P.H. (mile per hour) are gained. A good racer keeps track of their information in a log book, which will be helpful later in the day. A reaction time is based off of something called a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree has two white bulbs, three yellow bulbs, one green bulb, and one red bulb, respectively. The first white bulb is called the pre-stage. This is when the front tires are half way into the stage position. When the second white bulb lights up, the driver is completely in the stage position (or ready position). Once the drivers’ opponent is staged as well the yellow lights start to come down. The normal race car leaves when the third yellow bulb comes on. This gives the car time to react and leave. If the light turns green, then the driver is in a good position, but if it turns red, the driver is automatically disqualified.

Normally after the two practice passes there is a qualifying pass. The qualifying pass is very similar to a practice pass. It determines the ladder for the first elimination round based on the best reaction time. The ladder determines the drivers’ opponent for the first round. The number one qualifier will race the last qualifier; the number two qualifier will race the second to last qualifier and so on. After the ladder is determined it is time for the elimination round.

The elimination round is a little different from the practice passes. In the elimination round the driver must put a dial-in on his/her car. A dial-in is an estimate of what the driver thinks the car is going to run for that pass. The driver must take in consideration how much the wind and weather have changed. This is where a log book comes in handy. If the car goes faster than the dial-in it is called a break-out and the driver is disqualified. During the elimination round, once the driver is eliminated, he/she is out of the race entirely. The number of cars is cut in half after each round until there are only two cars left. This round is called the final round and determines the winner of the race.

Throughout the season the driver gains a certain amount of points depending on his/her results, with the winner receiving the most and the first round loser receiving the least. The number one qualifier gets an extra two points. This helps from having a tie breaker at the end of the season. After the season is over, the driver claims his/her best eight out of ten finishes and the person with the most points is declared the champion.