In today’s internet dependent world, links have become a valuable asset to any piece of online real estate.  The more links your website has going to it, the more valuable it is.  It is no wonder then that link building has become one of the most sought-after skills in the online community.  It’s amazing how links can add so much value and recognition to a website.

With all the hoopla about link building, there has been an explosion of link building tutorials produced.  One particularly helpful webpage is http://www.freelinkbuildingtools.com.  They’ve got all the information you will ever need to promote your website.  Among their link building tools are an online link exchange generator, which I am personally a fan of.  Anyway, if you’re serious about staking a claim on the internet and making a name for your website, you should definitely check http://www.freelinkbuildingtools.com out.  Remember, the more popular your website is, the more money you can make off of it.

So who’s the new judge on American Idol?  I thought maybe it was some celebrity judge, you know, like Kenny Loggins or Olivia Newton John in past seasons.  Turns out the new judge is Kara DioGuardi.  She’ll be joining Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul on the bench this season.  A quick Google search shows she’s some sort of producer - slash - songwriter.

Anyway, I don’t really like her.  She sort of feels like some sort of contrived gimmick to make the show relevant again.  Not that it ever lost steam.  For some reason, people are glued to American Idol.  Personally, I only watch because Simon is pretty good at putting people down, but I’m finding even that really boring.  Also, it doesn’t hurt that they sometimes have guest artists I really like.  I mean, Elton John and Billy Joel?  Remember them?  The last two CDs I burned were Elton John and Billy Joel songs!

You know something?  There’s never been a winner that I liked.  And David Cook?  Please.  America, you can do better.

Things have been piling on me lately, and sometimes I just want to go out there and just get me some brand new toys.  I know retail therapy is for women, but I promise to get really manly stuff.

For example, a set of weights would make me happy AND ripped, so that’s manly.  A Nokia E71 would pretty much be a waste of money, but it’s categorized as gadgetry, and gadgetry and guys go together.  Casual, everyday rubbershoes would be nice, but ok, that IS a little girly.  How about some weight-training supplements?  If that isn’t totally beefcake-ish, I don’t  know what is.

Anyone else notice just how sexist this entry is?  Anyway, for every single thing on my retail therapy list, I’ve got reasons not to get it.  But I’ll cover that in another post, when I’m not as lazy.  For now, I’m just blowing off steam, and looking to get some dinero just in case I do decide to get myself new stuff.  That’s it.  Peace.

BTW, I can’t believe the Mavs got routed by the Celtics.  Screwed over by David Stern in the Finals, and we’ve never recovered.  Go Lakers!

So.. BlogMarc might be shutting down.  My one year domain registration will be up soon enough, and I’m deciding on whether to continue to invest in this blog (which has more than paid off what it cost, and then some) or to focus on my other blogs.  There is a particular blog, in particular, that I am quite fond of.  Unfortunately, I will keep it to myself until it makes $1000.

In other news, I have been eating anything and everything in sight, but I have been playing basketball again.  The weather has been terribly cold lately though, so sweating isn’t as easy as it used to be.  I remember the days when I would sweat buckets like I was popping Lipovox on the hour.  Ah, good times.

Thinking about it, I think I WILL keep this blog.  While it doesn’t rake in the big bucks, it’s still very profitable.  It would be a shame to throw that away, don’t you agree?  Money doesn’t grow on trees.  They grow on blogs, man.

I’ve gotta say, I didn’t like the movie at all.  I mean, it did evoke emotion, and in some ways you could relate (but isn’t that how Hollywood makes their money?  Exploiting emotions?) but it was all pretty cheap.  The plot was pretty good, but the writing wasn’t airtight at all.

For one thing, the daughter believed the mom right off the bat.  She was a grown woman in the 21st century.  You’d think she’d be a little smarter.  She believed it right there and then.  Didn’t think to Google, or ask the people in the hospital, people who just happen to be doctors.  That’s not realistic at all.  It was hurricane Katrina time, so she lived in a pretty modern world.

Also, save for when he was a kid in an old man’s body, he pretty much didn’t act his age.  Rather, he acted how old he looked like.  Oh, and remember that time in the brothel?  I mean, sure he’s got a young man’s enthusiasm, but I don’t think the body of an 80 year old can keep up with a young hooker, over and over again.  It just didn’t make sense.  He had a hard time walking when he was aged young because of his older body’s problems.  Dyou get where I’m going?

Overall, it was a lousy movie for me.  Sure, I would’ve watched at home, on my flat screen on the plasma stand, but in the moviehouse?  No way.

So the Boston Celtics are sucking.  I was counting on them to beat Michael Jordan’s Bulls’ record regular season run, but I guess that’s not going to happen.  I also wanted them to kick ass all the way to the Finals and be swept by the Los Angeles Lakers.  So much for that.

But I guess that’s OK.  I never liked these Celtics.  I admire Paul Pierce’s game, and I loved Ray Allen in that movie, but that’s about it.  KG is a little too crazy for me.  That guy needs to take his meds.  I mean, if you get down on all fours in the MIDDLE of the game like you’re some lion stalking its prey, AND you DON’T remember afterwards, something’s wrong man.

Anyway, I’ve got to play basketball again.  I really need that in my life right now — Next week, I’ll try to ball twice.  Peace out.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself just what it is you were doing, and found yourself unable to answer?  Or found yourself lost and unsure of what to do with your life?  If you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions, then maybe you should re-think your goals in life for a moment.

Why should I set goals?

Goal-setting is maybe the single most unappreciated skill today.  A goal gives you direction in whatever you may be doing.  If you don’t have set goals, then you’d literally end up nowhere.

Setting goals is all about taking control of your life.  You determine what you want and the steps you need to take to achieve it.  Goals give you responsibility over your future. And I think everybody else’s future would be a lot better if people were just a little more responsible.  Don’t you think so?

***

Okay, I was writing about this a long time ago, but then I sort of forgot about it and I never finished it.  I’ve totally lost my train of thought, too,  so.. so much for that.  But I have been working on my goals.  I need them to be a little more.. concrete, though.  My goals are pretty tough.  It would be easier being able to leap steel buildings in a single bound.

So it’s a new year and it’s time to make resolutions!  Here are mine:

1. Be more responsible
2. Make more money
3. Clean up my messes (figuratively and literally)

Pretty vague, right?  That’s because I’m mysterious like that.  It’s how I roll.

The most important thing though, is to make more money.  The stock market is going down, and I plan to ride the elevator up.  It’s going to be pretty risky, since I’m not really sure what I’m going to be doing, but it’s a risk worth taking.  Just gotta keep learning and educating myself.

Oh, basically, all my resolutions can be summed up into one:

I’ll be better this year.  At everything.

Happy new year!