Tuesday, June 27, 2006

your humble author

Gambling gig

For months now I have been receiving a trickle of income from an online gambling gig that I stumbled upon. Most people think it is too good to be true when they first hear about it; you get $ to gamble in online casinos and poker rooms. Usually the amounts are around $50; the casinos normally give you matching amounts just for joining.

You submit a very short mostly multiple choice report after you are done, which means you either lost or won some $. If you win you get to keep your winnings but must return the stake.

That's it! It is fun if you like to gamble, and there is a chance you can actually win some $ although the casinos do not make that easy. Because they usually match your deposit with their own money, they require you to win a minimum amount before you can withdraw anything. The amount is large enough that you have to be really good or really lucky or both to actually get to the point where you can withdraw winnings.

For me the $s have come from the folks I have referred to weekly wager, the company sponsoring the project. They have been very reliable about paying for each person that I refer that completes at least two casino reports.

It has been an easy and fun gig. Mostly it has wetted my appetite for more professional online marketing efforts. I love the idea of establishing multiple sources of passive income online. How about you?

Internet Marketing Center seminar

I attended a seminar this weekend sponsored by the Internet Marketing Center, one of the older and more established online marketing centers. They are based in Vancouver, Canada.

A $97 deposit was required, which they did return as promised at the end of the seminar. Of course they did pitch their products while they were providing information, but they did not overdo the sales pitches, and in fact their software and consulting services are so obviously worthwhile that I did not feel offended.

I mean, come on, you get invited to a "free" seminar you know there is going to be some strings attached. But on balance, it was well worth. They presented a lot of juicy, useful information.

There were 250 people there; it was held at the Sheraton in Arlington Heights, IL. They gave out nice free goodies too; a tote bag, notebook and pen, and plastic drinking cup, all plastered with their logo of course.

We were even given a chance to present our little enterprise on stage to the group.

They had a large number of staff on hand too, maybe a dozen mostly young folks with various areas of expertise who were very friendly and available for help.

Derek Gehl, the pres. and CEO did most of the presenting, but there were other very competent folks including Brandon Dupsky, a eBay hotshot who provided all sorts of useful hints.

There were plenty of opportunities to network and set up joint ventures, etc. Altogether a very worthwhile weekend. In fact, I was so impressed with the IMC that I decided to become an affiliate.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Finding balance

My wife passed in '02 and it really knocked the wind out of my sails. I pretty much lost interest in living myself and just really struggled and got myself into real trouble until I finally got on social security in the middle of my 62nd year. This provided enough to at least pay the rent but not more.

I have been a professional driver most of my working life but I really wanted to make a change now so I have been writing and working at making a living online. It is an adventure; it ain't easy but the carrot being dangled in front of my nose still beckons and it still seems like the way to go for me.

Although I am not a gambler, I stumbled onto this company called weekly wager that will give you $ to gamble in various casinos and poker rooms online. When you are done you submit a simple short report, and you can do this once a week.

Then I found out they would pay you a referral fee for anyone you sent their way who wanted to participate in the program. So I started referring people and this has provided a trickle of income for me.

Anyway, this post is about finding balance. What I have discovered is that my free time is much more valuable to me than $. Even though I am still pretty broke, I don't want to go back to driving. I would rather just work at what I want to, and live simply.

Having been involved in the spiritual life for most of my adult life helps. You realize how little stuff you really need to be happy. In fact, my focus has been mostly on getting rid of things to even further simplify my life.

I have also been repeatedly reminded how my thoughts create my reality. I have become very conscious how I can perpetuate poverty if I am not careful about what I am thinking. Gotta remember to thing about what I want, not what I don't want! So simple, but not so easy to overcome bad mental habits. Onward!