tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82642304195205151962024-02-07T21:44:10.775-05:00The Dan WardEclectic antics & observations on design, writing and demolishing the status quoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.comBlogger569125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-65916147959195694312010-06-10T19:15:00.000-04:002010-06-10T19:15:18.130-04:00Blog Is MovedIf you're looking for new stuff from me, you're at the wrong blog.<br />
<br />
Stop on by my current blog, <a href="http://rogueprojectleader.blogspot.com/">Rogue Project Leader</a> for the latest thoughts, commentaries and updates.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-82791111113143485902010-01-19T06:56:00.002-05:002010-01-19T06:58:45.797-05:00To Be Continued...<div>Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything here in a while - sorry about that! Between the holidays and work and everything, something had to give.</div><div><br /></div><div>I might start this one up again someday, but for now I'm primarily blogging over at <a href="http://RogueProjectLeader.blogspot.com">RogueProjectLeader</a>. Stop on by and say hi!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-63590607085974062242009-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:002009-11-16T07:00:05.264-05:00Fit is Big!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAAMogxROZukuY77d2DyZdBxUG3cYlszbTxDQa28K3pPe0aAwEcXhMP4Dw17Maa1S_f4qaueeo8XXtyKFSSwEok80AKXlYZcW2aOFvyjUVvAg17VdBcLl9KiVrox7hsapKoOvCBlnbyGe/s1600-h/0919091636.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAAMogxROZukuY77d2DyZdBxUG3cYlszbTxDQa28K3pPe0aAwEcXhMP4Dw17Maa1S_f4qaueeo8XXtyKFSSwEok80AKXlYZcW2aOFvyjUVvAg17VdBcLl9KiVrox7hsapKoOvCBlnbyGe/s320/0919091636.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401374649381465634" /></a>I had a chance to park my Honda Fit next to a Smart Car - and man, it makes my ride look big!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-51839414380652484522009-11-13T07:00:00.002-05:002009-11-13T07:00:03.537-05:00Enterpreneur?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3P4AE-6uzzeSB4gD9EVN1lvvFbbPBn8SUwxSwSsFEHT4zuQA4gspor2-lQZPqJDWowzQ8G5uaKgJ8aQuVP1EkoFWiYEno6H7k2q_x4MIYUNMt6HhVrip_2P7AjGROOVrGg6mTBXgjwFE/s1600-h/1029091217.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3P4AE-6uzzeSB4gD9EVN1lvvFbbPBn8SUwxSwSsFEHT4zuQA4gspor2-lQZPqJDWowzQ8G5uaKgJ8aQuVP1EkoFWiYEno6H7k2q_x4MIYUNMt6HhVrip_2P7AjGROOVrGg6mTBXgjwFE/s320/1029091217.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401377216957892722" /></a>Apparently, this "enterpreneur" knows how to make $2000 - $4000 per week, which is not enough money to buy a decent-looking sign... but hopefully the apprentice will be able to help with the spelling...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-91855176234616041462009-11-11T07:00:00.001-05:002009-11-11T07:00:03.298-05:00Preemptive Apology<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DZpvSN2_zP7uKg8SnyWyxbimsC4_77NfqODestpus4-lmWD35IXRgzbYvmWdQrMvdlhxVfQqTW_QtLudLUEMyZ6T2mtf5SHUL4McgwBujMTa1tx4y-PDF1bc16uy79m5e7ALQ4RY6SGT/s1600-h/1006091622.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DZpvSN2_zP7uKg8SnyWyxbimsC4_77NfqODestpus4-lmWD35IXRgzbYvmWdQrMvdlhxVfQqTW_QtLudLUEMyZ6T2mtf5SHUL4McgwBujMTa1tx4y-PDF1bc16uy79m5e7ALQ4RY6SGT/s320/1006091622.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401375016545338818" /></a>I found this sign on the front door of a local Dunkin Donuts. <div><br /></div><div>The funny thing is, I couldn't see any reason for it. They weren't under construction. There was plenty of parking. The selection of donuts was fine. All in all, it was a pretty convenient experience. </div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose it was nice of them to apologize for any unanticipated inconveniences?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-8927669014224900722009-11-09T07:00:00.004-05:002009-11-09T07:00:02.126-05:00Too Early!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1QA2Z-_9HWhCDb4sHD14_Ru5We6KOqnXX7XtztdkVLNlQpXoWfxVEz0XVxuakhaG3OAtMYy5jl64TKG5e3cNnEUnhxaeJ4iw6STLV9Ov_IkNmmfw0jGkKopoc8yPJKl6iaRXA9WT-PMq/s1600-h/1106090459.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1QA2Z-_9HWhCDb4sHD14_Ru5We6KOqnXX7XtztdkVLNlQpXoWfxVEz0XVxuakhaG3OAtMYy5jl64TKG5e3cNnEUnhxaeJ4iw6STLV9Ov_IkNmmfw0jGkKopoc8yPJKl6iaRXA9WT-PMq/s320/1106090459.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401377852794971106" /></a><br /><div>You know you've got an early flight when you arrive at the gate before the Starbucks is open.</div><div><br /></div><div>Man, that ought to be illegal!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-68473073039030804582009-10-26T07:00:00.002-04:002009-10-26T07:00:04.101-04:00Book UpdateI just received a review copy of my Skyler book - Bethany read it in about an hour and found a handful of typo's for me. She's a remarkable editor.<div><br /></div><div>I really like how the story came together. It's MUCH shorter than I'd wanted it to be, but when the story ended, it ended. I could go back through and make it longer, but I'm not sure that would make it any better. There are a few scenes I could maybe expand a bit... but I probably won't. It's actually a pretty tight little story if I do say so myself, with each scene moving the action along and developing the characters. Not a lot of extraneous bits.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I was thinking how cool it would be to turn Skyler into a graphic novel. Anyone know any aspiring artists who might want to take on a project like this?</div><div><br /></div><div>I also recently read the first Boomer Sisters book (Meet The Boomer Sisters) to Jenna as a bedtime story, and I have to admit, I didn't really like it. There are some good scenes in it, and some good ideas, but the book now strikes me as being deeply flawed. As I've said before, all my books are experiments, and as experiments go, MTBS was successful. But I really should rewrite it some day. We're reading the second book in the series now (The Boomer Sisters Meet Champy), and I'm enjoying it a lot more. </div><div><br /></div><div>It'll be interesting to see what I think of Skyler 5 years from now...</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-50710536703819721232009-10-19T07:00:00.003-04:002009-10-19T07:00:05.580-04:00Castle!I really enjoy the tv show <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_(TV_series)">Castle</a>. I mean, how many shows are there where the main character is a writer? It's a nice twist on the detective / police / murder-mystery show.<div><br /></div><div>Come to think of it, most of the cop/detective shows I like involve main characters who are not actually cops/detectives (Monk - he's a former cop; Psych - he's the son of a cop; Fringe - FBI agent + mad scientist & son; Numbers - the professor is the brother of an FBI agent; The Mentalist - he's a former psychic entertainer). Hmmm - that's a topic for another day, perhaps.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I mention Castle because of an interesting literary tie-in. It turns out the fictional author Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) has published a real book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heat-Wave-Richard-Castle/dp/1401323820">Heat Wave</a>. The book is featured in the show, and is also available at fine bookstores everywhere. I haven't read it yet, and I don't know who actually wrote it, but it looks pretty interesting and is getting some good reviews.</div><div><br /></div><div>I just think it's cool that they broke the fourth wall in such an original and literal way.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-59718524293446329922009-10-14T19:13:00.003-04:002009-10-14T19:16:59.328-04:00Automatic LightsOne of the coolest things I've done to this house (or really, to any house I've lived in) is install motion-detecting lights in the laundry room.<div><br /></div><div>This way, as soon as you step into the room, carrying a basket of laundry, you don't have to fumble around for a light switch (or, in our case, walk half way through a dark laundry room to the pull chain, while carrying a large basket of laundry). Instead, as soon as you open the door, the light turns on, automagically! And when you leave, a minute or two later, it goes out. The best part is, the fixtures only cost $10 each (I installed two).</div><div><br /></div><div>I highly recommend this for any laundry room that is moderately large and doesn't receive natural light (i.e. our Basement Of Doom).</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-53627160026222362132009-10-05T07:00:00.002-04:002009-10-05T07:00:09.589-04:00Trader Joe'sWe've got a Trader Joe's grocery store nearby, and I love it there. It's small, not a huge selection, but they've got really good prices and stuff I can't find anywhere else. Plus it's just a really groovy environment to hang out in.<br /><br />And one of the most remarkable things is a question I've heard several times at the checkout line. The cashier asks "So, did you stick to your list today?"<br /><br />Really? Not the usual "Did you find everything you were looking for?" but "Did you stick to your list?"<br /><br />It seems to me it's in their financial interest for me to NOT stick to my list. They make money if I buy extra stuff that I didn't plan to buy. But instead, they're expressing an interest in actually helping me, and wondering if I bought more than I'd planned to (and this question comes up even on a small trip).<br /><br />Anyway, I just thought that was a cool question to ask.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-24889134341758544412009-10-01T07:00:00.002-04:002009-10-01T07:00:13.632-04:00Count Down BeginsToday is the first day of the last month in which I will be a Major. On Nov 1st, I'll officially be a Lieutenant Colonel. <div><br /></div><div>Wow, that still feels weird.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-31892611815295286772009-09-30T07:00:00.003-04:002009-09-30T07:00:00.748-04:00Cool new word (well, new to me)As a writer, I'm a collector of interesting phrases and words. I recently came across an awesome word, in William Gibson's book <i>Spook Country</i>.<div><br /></div><div>The word is <i>psychogeographically</i>. As in, "We didn't travel far physically, but the neighborhood I found myself in was psychogeographically in another country."</div><div><br /></div><div>As far as I can tell, it has to do with the atmosphere, the ambiance, the feeling of the place. It's about differentiating one area from another, not on the basis of physical geography or distance, but on the human response to an area. So, an affluent neighborhood might be physically close to a run-down part of town, but psychogeographically quite distant.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not sure if I'll have a chance to actually use that word anywhere, but I think it's a cool concept...</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-59553411936408020982009-09-29T07:00:00.001-04:002009-09-29T07:00:06.969-04:00Kiva UpdateI haven't posted any updates on my <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php">Kiva </a>loan recently - but wanted to mention that Mrs. <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=85445">Margaret Adedeyinbo</a> has once again made her loan payment on time and in full. Two more months, and the loan will be completely paid off!<div><br /></div><div>Did you know that the average annual income in Nigeria is $1,188? The $950 that my fellow micro-loaners and I put together (in $25 increments) is a hefty chunk of change in that part of the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think Kiva is such a cool and fascinating thing. If you haven't checked them out already, I hope you will...</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-75020110714406944022009-09-28T07:00:00.002-04:002009-09-28T07:00:07.904-04:00Slugging & ReadingWhen I do the "slug-line" commute (i.e. catch a ride in a stranger's car), I find it difficult to read. Not because I get car sick - it just feels rude.<div><br /></div><div>Now, slug <a href="http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/Etiquette.asp">etiquette </a>says you're not supposed to talk. You're supposed to allow the driver to concentrate on driving, and let everyone in the car have a little bit of quiet time. Still, I couldn't bring myself to sit down in the front seat and crack open a book. I did it in the backseat once, but even then it felt a bit rude.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the same time, it seems a waste of the quiet moments to just sit there, staring out the window. I guess I'll get over it as I get more experience, right? We'll see...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-8814360415085812582009-09-24T20:11:00.004-04:002009-09-24T20:17:31.786-04:00Skyler Update (plus more)I'm about a third of the way through typing up the manuscript, and I'm estimating about 30,000 words (about the same length as the 3rd Boomer Sisters book). It's fun to relive the story again, re-encountering the early scenes and seeing the usual inadvertent foreshadowing.<div><br /></div><div>I was hoping to write a longer book, but this seems to be how long it took to tell this particular story.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the craziest thing is, while the ink is barely dry on this one, I've got an idea for a future book - a grown-up book this time - about a guy who inadvertently deletes the internet. Actually, it's more than an idea. I've started writing some of it down. I didn't plan to make the jump to grownup books just yet, particularly with this Skyler book still in progress. But <i>Deleted</i> (as I'm calling it) is sort of taking over, and I'm going to run with it as much as I'm able. It's emerging as a geek comedy, with some adventure and even a love interest for the dude. It'll be interesting to see what develops here...</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-40875236484639649792009-09-21T07:00:00.002-04:002009-09-21T07:00:06.215-04:00Simplicity Cycle DownloadsMy <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-simplicity-cycle/877467">Simplicity Cycle</a> book has been downloaded over 1400 times. The most recent 200 or so are largely sparked by my little Google AdWords advertisement, as far as I can tell.<div><br /></div><div>It's a free download, so I'm not making any money off this at this point. I really should read Chris Anderson's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Free-Future-Radical-Chris-Anderson/dp/1401322905">Free </a>and find out more about this business model, but his book costs $26, so I'll have to check the library.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I'm giving it away for free on purpose. Even charging one dollar would establish a significant barrier to downloading the thing, and I suspect the download count would be closer to 14 than 1400. So, I'm basically giving up $14 in order to get my idea seen by 1400 people.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I learned from <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/exposure-from-friction-to-freedom/348725">Exposure</a>, the value of an idea increases with familiarity. So, the more people are familiar with the concepts in the Simplicity Cycle, the more valuable the idea is (and the greater the possibility of someone eventually hiring me to do stuff because I'm the Simplicity Cycle guy). Plus it's just fun to think that 1400 people have clicked download and (hopefully) read through the thing. I think that's cool.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-28503721641312900662009-09-18T07:00:00.000-04:002009-09-18T07:00:03.785-04:00License Fail<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFMDiLb5ZOb6_NfFDjdeEs5Qb1UainCccjwMPIsYFlUJOo8XBTSyZSSqvBWlk8lW5LTGlxTrmaQ_LmGnVLhhpJnpVmFJBqqkNfeEHgFhb4KzHk1rh1dD-QbGlD915hH2uC5wWJ_vsjUQX/s1600-h/0823091429.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFMDiLb5ZOb6_NfFDjdeEs5Qb1UainCccjwMPIsYFlUJOo8XBTSyZSSqvBWlk8lW5LTGlxTrmaQ_LmGnVLhhpJnpVmFJBqqkNfeEHgFhb4KzHk1rh1dD-QbGlD915hH2uC5wWJ_vsjUQX/s320/0823091429.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382006146395703394" /></a>Another photo from Colorado. I snapped this one at a red light, as this big black hearse pulled up along side me. The thing about the hearse that caught my eye was the license plate. It says "Happy Harry's"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikco2uuAUEZ4ZDM9ljIHslwp_-IUdGMhDGyrBBCIGptqd-OWXPnHWluXhKfR40s0YxgiR3B3wc2yC-MyOteYYDk43mA1d0sQ525bRpE15bgHO-UjIkp_Nk2d39PQF6DaXvs7QUAb7aPspw/s1600-h/Happy+Harry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikco2uuAUEZ4ZDM9ljIHslwp_-IUdGMhDGyrBBCIGptqd-OWXPnHWluXhKfR40s0YxgiR3B3wc2yC-MyOteYYDk43mA1d0sQ525bRpE15bgHO-UjIkp_Nk2d39PQF6DaXvs7QUAb7aPspw/s400/Happy+Harry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382007035426795378" /></a><div><br /></div><div>Um, really? "Hey folks, come on down to Happy Harry's Hearses! We've got what you need for hauling around corpses!"</div><div><br /></div><div>It turns out, <a href="http://www.happyharrysautosales.com/">Happy Harry's</a> is an auto dealer in Colorado Springs. But if I was them, and I sold a hearse, I think I'd pass on the opportunity to do a little advertising on the back of the thing. But that's just me.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-60940718953054524582009-09-17T06:41:00.002-04:002009-09-17T06:47:10.164-04:00SluggingI commuted in to work yesterday via "slug line." This is a form of commuting that is unique to the DC area, as far as I can tell.<div><br /></div><div>Slugging is basically structured hitch hiking. There are specific locations where riders wait for drivers to pull up and take you to certain destinations. Some suburban slug lots feed in to multiple destinations in the District, while others only go to one. Riders get free rides, and drivers get enough passengers to qualify to drive on the MUCH faster HOV-3 lanes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The spot I picked is not far from my house and goes exclusively to the Pentagon. My plan was to catch a shuttle from the Pentagon to my actual office, which is in Rosslyn. It turns out the driver I picked was ultimately heading to Georgetown, which is right near Rosslyn, so she brought me straight there.</div><div><br /></div><div>And while I said riders wait for drivers, sometimes it's the other way around. When I showed up, two cars were waiting there. The car at the front of the line already had one passenger, and they were just waiting for a third person (me) to show up. So I climbed in and off we went.</div><div><br /></div><div>Worked out great for me. Much more comfortable than the bus, and faster too. I'm heading out now to do it again.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-52143237047578539632009-09-16T06:05:00.002-04:002009-09-16T06:11:59.806-04:00Qtrs 4517a<div>During my recent trip to Colorado, I had an opportunity to do something that I hardly ever get to do - visit a house I used to live in.</div><div><br /></div><div>Specifically, I took a little trip onto the Air Force Academy grounds, and stopped by the place we affectionatelly called Quarters 4517a. No kidding - that was our address. It looked a lot like I remember. Smaller, of course. And it's vacant & under construction, so the grass was dead. The fence we put up for our dog was gone. But there it is - Qtrs 4517a, a place I lived for four years.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoj52D4l5LVhi1T715theKnANipiCh17WzVxRFTveI1gnsWr9W0Uy61UpxVd39_eJAIPuER1IlgBTdkF0i3ok01Hb9Rh4eq2NKR6l2bzXpUXVZitpwTStC6iy5MxccpyCxMcbvoAAhmMM/s1600-h/0831091532.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoj52D4l5LVhi1T715theKnANipiCh17WzVxRFTveI1gnsWr9W0Uy61UpxVd39_eJAIPuER1IlgBTdkF0i3ok01Hb9Rh4eq2NKR6l2bzXpUXVZitpwTStC6iy5MxccpyCxMcbvoAAhmMM/s320/0831091532.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382004574819754130" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJAuhd0OPj2yz_ObiOpCFmbgb7iFTYrzPWAtfq-5VjkNVhrusEVvyd7FZu8XceunJLRVjU-234zbRQRqBbQx4Uc_8FSqvVNGMelwSpQN1CKLinieqFRqWQ6BJzlPuuMy5xvTWapagddHX/s1600-h/0831091532a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJAuhd0OPj2yz_ObiOpCFmbgb7iFTYrzPWAtfq-5VjkNVhrusEVvyd7FZu8XceunJLRVjU-234zbRQRqBbQx4Uc_8FSqvVNGMelwSpQN1CKLinieqFRqWQ6BJzlPuuMy5xvTWapagddHX/s320/0831091532a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382004695594162306" /></a><div><br /></div><div>The other big change is that two or three of the other houses in this cluster (4517 C through D or E) are gone. Not sure why they knocked down some and added an extension to others (it's not that big of an extension). But, there you go.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-57578292107938006742009-09-07T16:38:00.003-04:002009-09-07T16:47:15.711-04:00AdWords UpdateOn Aug 26th, I created a little advertising campaign using Google's AdWords. My total budget was $100 because Google offered me a $100 credit to try it out.<div><br /></div><div>I ended up creating two different campaigns on the same budget: one for the Boomer Sisters books, focused on the Champy book and the Pirates book, and one for The Simplicity Cycle.</div><div><br /></div><div>So far, my advertisements have been posted almost 400,000 times. I've received a total of 255 clicks (94 for the Boomer Sisters books and 161 for the Simplicity Cycle), and used up $48.50 of my $100 credit. So, what's the payout?</div><div><br /></div><div>Since the Simplicity Cycle is a free download, it's hard to tell exactly what the impact has been there. Lulu tells me it's been downloaded 1328 times, and before starting this campaign, that number was around 1250. So, obviously not everybody who clicks on the ad actually downloads the book, but some of them probably did. So far, nobody's bought the printed copy (not that I expect them to).</div><div><br /></div><div>As for the Boomer Sisters books, Lulu isn't showing a single sale over this timeframe. Of course, it's possible people have put the book on their wishlist for Christmas or birthday, but none of the 94 clicks have actually ordered the book (yet). That would probably bother me more if I'd actually spent the $48.50, instead of just using the credit.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, it's fun to see the number of clicks increase. It's cool to think that people are looking at the books. But once I use up the rest of the credit, I'm probably not going to continue doing this AdWords thing unless there's some correlation between the clicks and actual sales. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-8635713189896494682009-08-31T22:43:00.004-04:002009-08-31T22:46:54.760-04:00USAFA Visit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JKEEPEScwaNEeywP1LKq5SNc8JOPeTZ5021j3xK1wNVkE5CzejsgzsL_ikN7KWdB_Erh57bgI6Dyz5WB9170JRztaimkvS1bLPDQbl-VLUu2VhZyjPszymcq1KR4E0Ov0tBceLX1ALr7/s1600-h/spings.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 82px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JKEEPEScwaNEeywP1LKq5SNc8JOPeTZ5021j3xK1wNVkE5CzejsgzsL_ikN7KWdB_Erh57bgI6Dyz5WB9170JRztaimkvS1bLPDQbl-VLUu2VhZyjPszymcq1KR4E0Ov0tBceLX1ALr7/s320/spings.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376324628473346962" /></a>I had a chance to tool around the AF Academy today. Saw my old house, my high school (Air Academy High), the base chapel... very fun visit.<div><br /></div><div>I stopped by the military clothing sales picked up a couple sets of my new <a href="http://images.spaceref.com/news/2004/041007-F-0000S-003-1.jpg">Master Space Badge</a>, complete with star and wreath (pictured above). </div><div><br /></div><div>I also picked up... some silver oak leaves. I won't actually be able to wear them until 1 Nov, but I figured that's not too far away. It felt very strange to buy them. I'm sure it'll feel even weirder to put them on. Whew!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-35550765668012537452009-08-29T11:03:00.001-04:002009-08-29T11:05:09.876-04:00Quick AdWords UpdateI'm up to 21 clicks now, and 28,000 impressions.<div><br /></div><div>The most effective keywords seem to be <i>pirates </i>and <i>mystery</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>More to follow...</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-15086290503663952772009-08-28T21:26:00.002-04:002009-08-28T21:36:45.557-04:00Three Clicks!So I started a little ad campaign for <i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-boomer-sisters-meet-champy/574663">The Boomer Sisters Meet Champy</a></i>, using Google's AdWords. They offered me a free $100 credit to get things started, so I figured I'd give it a try.<div><br /></div><div>On the first day, my ad got over 9800 impressions (showings), and three clicks.</div><div><br /></div><div>How cool is that? Almost ten thousand people saw the ad, and three people clicked on it. Total cost so far: 23 cents. I still have $99.77 of my credit left. Ok, I also had to pay $5 to start the account and activate my credit. But still, that's not bad.</div><div><br /></div><div>BTW, the ad says:<br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Champ Book for Kids<br /></b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Adventure & Mystery<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>On Lake Champlain</div><div><br /></div><div>It'll be interesting to see if this leads to someone actually buying the book!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-9431122751360917992009-08-27T07:54:00.002-04:002009-08-27T07:57:26.389-04:00AmazonApparently, all my books are available at Amazon.com now. That's pretty cool!<div><br /></div><div>It used to be that authors would have to set up special distribution options with Lulu to get stuff on Amazon. I think there used to even be a fee involved. But cool, now it's all there already.</div><div><br /></div><div>And Lulu used to charge authors for an ISBN number. Now I can get that for free too. Pretty sweet!</div><div><br /></div><div>(I still prefer it when people buy direct from <a href="http://www.lulu.com/roguepress">Lulu</a>, cause I get to keep more of the royalties, but hey, a sold book is a sold book)</div><div><br /></div><div>The weirdest thing? There's a used copy of Meet The Boomer Sisters available at Amazon too. You know you've arrived as an author when used copies start showing up, right?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264230419520515196.post-61371269086361876752009-08-25T09:40:00.002-04:002009-08-25T09:40:00.319-04:00Exciting New Outage!<div>I got an email the other day with a pretty interesting subject line. I removed the name of the system below, but otherwise left the rest unchanged. It said:</div><div><br /></div><b>Exciting New System Changes...Coming 27 Aug 09 (System Outage)!</b><div><br /></div><div>Wow, an outage! What a great new feature! What will they think of next?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923543314100538622noreply@blogger.com0