Finding a web host

Setting up a blog or a great website if fun to do. I like very much having a project of launching a new site somewhere online. I just like the prospect of putting together some new site and then to design its layout and look and presentation. But where to find a good host for your site?

If you are looking for a web host then you may want to have a look at these ServerPronto User Reviewswhere you can read real user reviews, and even submit your review, and ultimately choose a good host. It’s well worth doing some research.

This is a sponsored post. P

Black mutant squirrel

I love the native British squirrel, the reddish-brown one with the funny little tufts of hair sticking up from its ears. It looks like you want a squirrel to look. Of course, I have never seen one in the wild as in most of the country they have been usurped by the bigger and more agressive imported American grey squirrel. But now the grey invader may have competition. There is a black mutant squirrel on the rise that may yet give the grey one a taste of its own medicine. And apparently the mutant one is derived from the grey one's own ranks. I'll see if I can find the news story somewhere and I'll link to it in another installment of Squirrel Wars, This Time It's Personal..

Weight loss, the fast way

There are an awful lot of people in the world today who struggle in one form or another with their weight. I do not exclude myself from this category by any means, I assure you. I too wish I could lose some pounds and get in shape without having to drastically alter the way I live. Who would not like that? There is, however, now a fast weight loss programme that can help anyone to lose weight, and lose it fast.

This is the new lifestyle diet that can really make a change to your life for the better. We would all be healthier if we who need to could lose some of our weight. With this new fast weight loss programme you can lose weight faster than while using programs such as weight watchers, jenny craig, slim fast, the atkins diet, medifast, and optifast.

This is worth looking into if, like me, you would like to lose weight fast. We can do it, I know we can!

This is a sponsored post. SB

Warm

It is starting to feel more like Spring every day now. A bit more in the way of sunshine would be nice but it is getting warmer and even balmier all the time now. I hope this summer won't be another wash-out like the one we had last summer. That was just awful. We can only hope for some prime rays to be beamed down to our bods.

Maxxed Energy Pops

Sometimes, surely you must agree, good things just happen. You walk along a busy street and something on the ground catches your eye. What on earth could it be? Why, it’s a nice shiny coin just waiting for you as the lucky finder to pick it up. Or some news you were expecting turns out to be rather superb news that really serves to make you happy about things; happy about life. All this is good. It’s all gravy, you might even say. It is just a nice feeling to be content or happy with things when nice events come to play a part in your life.

Perhaps not on the same scale but nice non-the-less are MAXXED Energy Pops, the new big hit to come your way with a blast. Have a look at the site to see what I mean. While you are on the website you may want to enter their ‘You make my energy pop’ contest for a chance to win an Xbox Elite Bundle or other great prizes.

This is fun as fun can be. I always like a good contest and even more so when there are some fine prizes to be won. When I was a boy I once won a competition in the local newspaper and the prize was a ride in a real hot air balloon. You can imagine that I was thrilled and very excited to go up in a balloon and look at the world from high above. It did turn out to be a wonderful experience.

But I wouldn’t mind the chance to win an Xbox Elite Bundle from Maxxed Energy Pops either!

Sleep

When I was a mere lad I used to sleep in the attic. It was a proper bedroom, mind you. It was just located in the attic, that's what I mean. I remember going to sleep while the rain fell gently onto the slates of the slanted roof. It was the most soothing sound imaginable and it always made me feel very safe and comfortable. I sometimes miss that feeling, and that sensation of listening to the rain on the roof. I suppose time waits for no man..

Social lending

If you are thinking of applying for a loan you could do well to consider a loan from Prosper, as this is something else. Social Lending or peer to peer lending could be the answer you are looking for when shopping around for a loan. The social element of lending in this way could be a genuine breakthrough when it comes to way we borrow and lend money.

Rangers

Just watched a rather anxious and nervy match between Glasgow Rangers and Fiorentina. I fell asleep a few times, just a bit, as parts of the mediocre contest were lackluster and flat. I can't wait to go to sleep as this week at work has been quite busy. The first week of term, you know, and everywhere you look there are students. Pffff!

Hotels

Hotel Reservation is necessary when you are seeking the right place to stay. Whether you are seeking a place to hold a business conference or are simply passing through town, you need to have the very safest and most comfortable place to rest your head. You can easily find the hotel that you need. Enjoy the ease that comes with booking hotel reservation online.

Booking hotel reservation online Don't risk going to a town without having the hotel reservationthat you need for accommodations. When you need group bookings, family reunions, or short staying time, you can easily find the proper hotel accommodations right here on this site. By perusing the various hotels and locations throughout the nation, you will gain access to the many options that there are concerning your stay. Enjoy the booking process as much as you enjoy the hotel that you choose to stay at!

Online search hotels Search the wonderful hotels that there are throughout the nation with this site. When you book your hotel online you will be able to travel with ease. Know that you have a safe place to rest your head as soon as you arrive at your destination. Hotel reservation online is one the best aspects of the web technology. Safely arrive at your hotel and enjoy yourself. Beginning booking your hotel right now.

Animal posters

Animal Posters: wide variety There is no need to decide on just one animal poster. With all of the wildlife out there, you can be sure that you will want to own more animal posters. Getting one is easy. On this site, you simply pick the animal that you like best and order the poster. You can choose from a variety of animal posters. There is not just one poster per animal. You can choose right here on this site. Start browsing.

Buying animal posters is easy when you look right here. You can find the animal that you love at the low prices you like. Whether you are seeking animal posters as a gift or you need to add some wildlife flair to your home or office, this is the site that will provide you with the vast array of choices when it comes to the animal kingdom.

Upgrade your walls with animal posters Get the wildlife flair and that you need when you buy any animal posters that you want. Whether you are seeking to upgrade your walls, or you need to cover a hole in the wall, there is no better sense of decor than the natural wildlife. From majestic animals to the cute domestic ones, you can find the right animal poster at the right size and in the right pose all right here on this site. Happy animal posters hunting!

Web 2.0

Tim O'Reilly happens to be the founder of O'Reilly Media is a and a supporter of the free software and open source movements. He is widely credited with coining the term Web 2.0.

O'Reilly was initially interested in literature upon graduating from high school, but after graduating from Harvard College in 1975 with a B.A. cum laude in Classics he became involved in the field of computer manuals. He defines his company not as a book or online publisher, or as a conference producer (though the company does all three), but as a technology transfer company, "changing the world by spreading the knowledge of innovators." O'Reilly is on the board of CollabNet, and was on the board of Macromedia until its 2005 merger with Adobe. In March 2007, he joined MySQL AB’s Board of Directors.

In 2001, Tim O’Reilly was involved in a dispute with Amazon.com, leading a protest against Amazon's one-click patent, and specifically, Amazon's assertion of that patent against rival barnesandnoble.com. The protest ended with O'Reilly and Jeff Bezos visiting Washington D.C. to lobby for patent reform.

O'Reilly talks about web 2.0, which is about the free flow of information however some would argue that he seeks to be squeezing every penny out of it. Lately he has reportedly contacted his old boys network at that major search engine compnay to cut off support for a holding web 2.0 conferences that are priced at a fraction of his conference.

This is a sponsored post. SB

Rain cats

A miserable day today, sports fans. All through this Saturday it has been raining with a fair amount of gloomy wind thrown in for good measure. Bah! It did not stop the cats from venturing out into the garden and subsequently leaving muddy foot prints all over the furniture und carpet, of course. That goes without saying. Where the hell is spring? I think I'll write to Saint Al Gore to ask if he can speed up his globbal warmening a bit.

SocialSpark has arrived!

Being a blogger who likes to earn a bit of money doing what he likes best, I have been using sites such as PayPerPost and others for a while now. I just love the fact that I am able to earn money by writing and posting on my various blogs. In many ways it just does not get any better than that. I love writing and I get to see a financial return for it. Who could ask for more?

And I enjoyed making use of the blogging services offered by PayPerPost, an Izea service. But now Izea have launched SocialSpark and this is a whole different ballgame. Already, in its infancy, SocialSpark seems as though it is going to be a paid blogging revolution all by itself. The site handles beautifully and is much more intuitive for bloggers to navigate around. And I think advertisers will like it as well considering the use of RealRank as a much more accurate way to gauge a blog’s popularity and rank. This seems to be the way to go. I have already been able to so a number of posts and I really like the way the new system works. When an opportunity is fully taken you can request a reservation for a slot to be made. You will then be notified when you can take the opportunity, which is a great way to work.

SocialSpark has a number of features which will be of interest to advertisers, bloggers and search engines alike. For instance, SocialSpark insists on a strict policy of full in-post disclosure for all sponsored posts. I think this is a wise policy and will avoid any confusion regarding any possibly conflict of interest. Also, there is a hundred percent transparency, meaning that every participant in SocialSpark is made viewable to the public. It will all be much more open and clear to see which bloggers are working with which advertisers and so on. And, of course, each link in SocialSpark automatically carries the "no-follow" attribute so as not to affect search engine rankings. I think SocialSpark is going to be a fantastic system for everyone. Great stuff!

Bombs in Bristol

A British convert to islam was arrested yesterday and a suspects device that was found by police in his flat was detonated outside the building. People were evacuated from the area and there was terrorism-related fear and anxiety in dear old Bristol. Ah..the joys of islam. How these people just like to blow things and people to smithereens. It seems to be part of these people's culture. And sometimes it appears that Western converts to the cult are more fanatical than people born in to it. Perhaps they feel that they have more to prove?

Walking the walk

I may not be an exercise fanatic (far from it..), but I do engage in a lot of walking on a daily basis, I will have you know. Bristol is a city with a huge number of hills so I tend to walking up a gradient almost everywhere I go. In addition to this I walk a lot of stairs as the faculty and library buildings are like Escher engravings of houses with stairs running off stairs leading off stairs onto stairs and so on. Fit? Perhaps not terribly, but happy none-the-less..

Talking and communication

I have been a life-long admirer of the fairer sex and love their many endearing and sometimes highly original way of doing things. The difference between men and women is a dynamic engine that drives a large part of what makes life interesting. At least that is what I think. Another thing that has always been able to grab my attention is the art of communication. I believe that genuine communication is vital in public life, in relationships, in business; everywhere where human beings interact it is important to ensure proper communication can take place in a healthy and stimulating environment.

When I see girls on the bus, chatting away on their trendy mobile phones like there is no tomorrow, it tends to endear them to me. I can understand why so many girls just love talking on the phone endlessly, often to the detriment of their or their parents’ finances when the phone bills come in. And foreign phone calls are even more expensive of course. That is why it is good that there is somewhere where you can get the very best value on buying an online phone card, which is a fantastic thing. Just have a look at PhonecardsAvenue.com to see what I am talking about.

At this great site you will be able to save up to ninety-five percent with cheap phone cards. After all, prepaid phone cards are a fantastic way to save money on long distance bills. It can be difficult to find a cheap phone card or a calling card online, I think you will agree. Here they make this an easy option with their pre-sorted international calling cards. They offer not just great voice quality but also great value, which just has to be a good thing.

Talking is not the same thing as communicating. But with these cheap phone cards at least you won’t be breaking the bank if you have been chatting ‘till the cows come home’!

This is a sponsored post. P

Lottery

If I won the lottery tomorrow I would change the way I live my life but slowly and responsibly. Of course, I would live it up for a while but I would try to make sure I didn't blow it all on nonsense and mayhem. I would buy an appartment in London and Sydney and perhaps one in Barcelona as well, for good measure.

I think I will win the lottery this weekend. I didn't have anything else planned.

Healthy

What matters most to you out of all the factors that influence your life and your general sense of well being? Is it the money you earn through your job, your career prospects themselves? Or is it something more ephemeral and abstract such as a spiritual goal you are trying to attain? For many people they may answer this initial question using one or some of the options listed. Or they may answer something completely different. After all, human beings are as diverse as anything and that is what makes life interesting in my humble opinion.

For me, apart from the love of my life who happens to be my dear wife, my health has to be near the top of the list of things I value most. If you have a good basic health you will enjoy life more, that only makes sense. To stave off disease and unhealthy living conditions is something that we all would like to do. One of the ways to go about maintaining a healthy lifestyle is though a balanced and nutritional diet.

One way is to use the best liquid diet that you can find. A liquid protein diet can do wonders for you and your diet plan. It can help with weight loss and offer you a new lifestyle diet.

This is a sponsored post. SB

Sleep and dream

Last night I fell into a deep sleep that was only punctuated by a few pleasant enough dreams that stayed with me for a mini second after I had woken up, and then dispersed like antilope before a marauding lion. My dreams sometimes trouble me as they are so tantalisingly vague and intriguing. I want to have a box that I can hook my bonce up to and then in the morning see what my mind and sould have recorded. That would be quite an invention.

Building work

From the window of my study I can see the back garden of the neighbours at the back. Right now, a builder is busy putting up a stone wall on two sides of the garden. It seems as if he is doing a good job and the owners will end up with a nice feature to their garden. It will give the occupants a good sense of privacy once the wall is finished. Makes me want to work on our own garden as well.

Coffee is one of my best friends

For as long as I can remember I have been a veritable aficionado of really good coffee. I grew up in Holland where most people like to drink coffee, a lot of coffee. It didn’t take long before I started drinking my cup of black gold without any milk or sugar; I wanted my cup to be pure.

You can get some great coffee and coffee-making equipment from sanmarcocoffee.com, so have a look if you, like me, enjoy a superb cup of coffee.

This is a sponsored post. P

Extinct plants reappearing

Just found an interesting article about plants found in tropical far North Australia that were thought extinct since the late 1800s. The article also mentions the fact that each year about fifty new plant species are discovered and described in Queensland. I have been to this fascinating region in Australia and, having seen something of the vast jungles up there, I can believe that they are still coming across new species of flora all the time.

Car maintenance

Do you own a car? If you do, like me, own a car then you will certainly appreciate that it can take a lot of care and attention to keep your car running smoothly and in good shape. A car does, after all, need a lot of looking after if you are a responsible car owner. This will ensure its longevity and also, and let’s not forget, it helps the safety aspect. A car that is looked after properly is less likely to cause problems along the way and that is very important.

At midwest auto recycling they know how to take care of your car or vehicle like no one else. They specialise in used engines as well as transmissions and the warranty they offer is second to none.

This is a sponsored post. B

Won the weather competition

Whenever I am on the phone with one particular friend who lives in Holland we seem to have to play 'the weather competition'. He will ask me what the weather at our place is like, hoping to hear that it is miserable; preferably cold, grey and raining. He usually says that the weather in Holland is amazing, all warm and sunny and gorgeous. Today however, I won the game as it is a fine day over here while Holland is having to deal with long spells of rain.

It seems a bit silly, doesn't it?

Dope? Brown says 'Nope'..

Our austere PM will likely seek to re-classify cannabis to a Class B drug. Might be a good idea considering the psychosis-inducing strength of skunk weed nowadays. Still think that binge drinking is a bigger problem than binge-munchies, though.

Social networking and cars

Don’t you just find the internet a fascinating thing? It is so vast and in many ways so excellently useful and it has changed our lives to the extent that we want to adopt ways in which to incorporate the web into our daily lives. Of course, I could do without the internet en email and what have you but the point is that I would not want to. I find it has enhanced my life and improved my outlook on life. And, in a surprising way, the internet has certain socially rewarding benefits as well when you c consider some of its more popular features.

For instance, social networking has really taken off and is something that an awful lot of people are interested in. And by no means are these all young people either. There are plenty of slightly older people enjoy this type of social interaction as well. And why not?

The other day, or was it this day?, I found a website that is called simply ItsMyNissan.com , and it looks like great fun. It is more or less a social networking site for Nissan owners, which seems like an original angle for a new site. This just happens to be the foremost social networking community website for all owners of Nissan vehicles. Users of this great site will be able to create their own profile, and to share their images. They can even add a car to their garage and so much more. All of the users on this site, ItsMyNissan.com, have a chance of having their vehicle featured on the Internet's leading automotive publication, which goes by the name of Tunerzine.com. So, why not have a look and see what great fun this site could be for you and your Nissan.

If I had a Nissan vehicle I would certainly check it out.

This is a sponsored post. P

Jungle

I quite like this picture I took when I was on my latest expedition through the dense jungles of the Amazon basin. The anacondas were a bit of a nightmare, I can tell you. They are quite clingy and just don't want to let go.

In truth, I took this image at Bristol Zoo where there is a tiny hothouse/jungle area with some tropical birds flying around inside. Still, the anacondas were a handful..

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

There are many places in the world where I would one day like to visit with my darling wife. We enjoy travelling and seeing different places, savouring foreign cuisine and getting to know other peoples in far flung cities and so on.
I can enjoy lying on the beach, taking in the sun’s rays and not doing much of anything. I can also find much to relish in a city trip and seeing the sights and sounds that a major metropolis has to offer. There is so much still that I would like to see.

But closer to home there are also many interesting places and beautiful sights to behold. I would love to see more of the wonderful county of Cornwall and then take in the Isles of Scilly as well. In fact, a Cornwall day trip would be just up my street. Cornwall is a stunning county with rugged coastlines where the cliffs drop off majestically into the sea. I love the little coves you see along the coast with tiny picturesque fishing villages dotted around.

Of course the Isles of Scilly would be a marvellous destination. There are some lovely islands to visit, just off the tip of Cornwall. And they are so easy to get to using ferries or airplane transport.

China and Tibet

I can't blame the Tibetans for grabbing the limelight in order to raise awareness of China's brutal occupation of their native country. It just doesn't look good when you see Chinese soldiers beating up unarmed Buddhist monks. I know which side I would support. But on the other hand China has been awarded the Olympic Games and they are very keen to show themselves in a modern and advanced light. It feels a bit like a party being spoilt by the protestors who follow the torch around the world and cause chaos.

They are right to stand up for what they believe in and perhaps it is a good thing that China now has to deal with their dirty laundry being aired in public. Capitalism within a communist dictatorship is one thing but how about looking into freedom and democracy while you're at it?

The wonderful Lake District

I love England. There, I’ve said it. From the rolling South Downs to the hustle and bustle of London and its attractions to the many wonderful districts and shires that abound with natural beauty. I live in the West Country myself, close to the wondrous landscapes of Dartmoor and Exmoor and Cornwall beyond. But, if I am totally honest with myself I have to admit that probably the most beautiful part of England that I have seen so far has to be the stunning Lake District. What a truly outstanding area with its fens and mesmerizing lakes.

I was very struck with the quality of the landscape around Lake Windermere when I was up there a few months ago. The lake itself, of course, is wonderfully pretty and the surrounding mountains very elegiac and melancholy. Perhaps I will go back to the Lake District to go camping or perhaps we will go self catering Lake District , which seems like a very good option to stay in that fascinating area.

I think that what I loved most about the Lake District was that it is rugged and delicately pretty at the same time, which seems like a most alluring and enchanting combination. And, of course, the field are so very green it is dazzling. Fields strewn with giant rocks and boulders; forests and lakes, hills and mountains; it is all there to be enjoyed.

Hail and wind

Just now the wind and rain came crashing against the window pane. Also, for good measure, a hefty burst of hailstones hurled in my directions by the moody and fickle weather gods. Honestly, what are they thinking? Give me some sunshine, already. Lord knows it would cheer us all up no end.

Israel

Holidays and short breaks are fabulous, don’t you agree? What is better or more enjoyable than to leave the work place and home life for a few days or a few weeks and to just get up and go somewhere you have not been before. After all, isn’t the old adage that travel broadens the mind a very true one? Preconceptions and prejudices tend to melt like snow in the sun when you actually go and see some of the exotic places you have only heard about previously.

I would love to go and see what Israel is like. There are so many places I would like to see in the Holy Land. Probably the best way to go about it would be to rent a car as I think that car hire israel would be a good way to see the country. I would like to see Jerusalem but also Bethlehem and the Sea of Galilee and many more places.

This is a sponsored post. P

Slowly the day creeps forward

A slow, slow day today. Like a string of syrup the hours creep forward with a gentle languor. Can't complain really as I am taking this opportunity to catch up on some waiting correspondence. It's funny how much time goes into maintaining contact with friends and family. Nevermind. It's all worth it. Of course it is.

Garden gyms

I could never live in a flat anymore now that I have lived in a proper house with a garden for a number of years. Of course, it all depends on your situation and your needs and wishes at a certain stage in your life. Living in a tower block or a flat in a high rise may suit some people down to the ground. Why not? But I love my house and its sense of solidity and comfort. Of course, the garden is another vital asset that I prize beyond anything if that is not overstating the case.

My garden is a place to relax and hang loose and unwind. Don’t I sound streetwise? Not really, but I digress. My garden is a green haven and I love nothing better than to have a lazy few hours drinking a tall glass of Pimms and reading a book. That, to me, is bliss. More recently I have been thinking about perhaps considering getting one of those garden gyms and physical fitness rooms I have been hearing about. There is plenty of unused space in the garden and to have a gym in the garden sounds like a great idea. What better place to work out and get in shape than in a purpose built gym, tucked away in a corner of the garden. It is something to think about.

This is a sponsored post. P

Dream on

Last night I entertained a quick succession of very intense and vivid dreams. I can still picture a few of the scenes and scenarios that were playing but the general idea, as so often in my case when it comes to dreams, is lost in the haze of a day intervening. But it was weird, the faces seemed to be so life-like. I am sure that there is a reality to dreams that we don't really understand.

Time moving on

Ageing can be hard on the sense of humour, don’t you find? I used to think I was immortal and that no matter how poorly I treated my body, chances were I would live forever and always in surprisingly good health at that. Ah, the hubris of youth, dear readers. Now I have slowly passed the age threshold of forty years (and counting) I find I no longer think my life will just carry on indefinitely without any hiccups along the way.
Sometimes I get out of bed and feel decidedly sluggish and achy in my old bones and back. Why do you suppose that is, I ask you in all honesty? The answer is fairly obvious; I am, despite my best efforts, getting older.

But that does not mean I cannot take care of myself and my health. For instance at
RBCStore.com you can buy all sorts of quality products that will aid the anti-aging process. RBC Life Sciences specialise in these fine products so check them out. They have products such as microhydrin and microhydrin plus. But also microbrite tooth powder as well as antioxidant products.
Have a look at their site and see for yourself!

This is a sponsored post. SB

Celebrity Connection

When you see a star-studded function on television or some grand awards occasion such as the Oscars you may think that these celebrities all appear there as if by magic or completely on their own volition. Indeed when it comes to the Academy Awards this may well be the case, not the magic but they may just go along by themselves. But corporations and trade associations, television networks and many other organisations need someone to match them up with a particular celebrity to enhance their occasion or event.

This, indeed, is where Celebrity Connection comes in. They can connect these companies and organisations with one of the celebrities on their books. After all, they have access to about ten thousand celebrities, no less. It is for a normal person perhaps an usual idea to think that there must be such a down-to-earth approach to making this kind of celebrity connection actually happen. But, of course that is the way these things are done. And this company can provide a full suite of professional services that range from celebrity acquisitions and coordination to total event management.