Is It Really Easy To Make Money Blogging?

In short, no it's actually not that easy to make money blogging. If you truly want to be successful, like anything else for that matter it's going to take some effort, planning and consistency. On the other hand when you compare blogging as a way of making money online with some of the alternatives, it can be easy to see people might think that.

Let's face it, the idea of being able to make money by working from the comfort of your own home, or even the local Starbucks does sound like a easy alternative to digging ditches or doing hard labour. But when you actually scratch the surface of what it takes to become a truly successful blogger it becomes clear as to why not everyone who tries will succeed.

For starters, if you are serious about blogging, you need to sort out a domain name, install blogging software, pick a niche, customise your blog's look and feel, monetize your content etc. And that's even before you write a single word for people to read (well not necessarily all of it, but you could do all those things before writing your first post).

And then once you are up and running you actually have to create content that people want to read, not once or twice but on a regular basis so that your visitors come back time and time again, hopefully choosing to click on your advertising or looking at products you might recommend (assuming you're planning to review a few products here and there).

And then there's making sure you are using all the right plugins, linking to other interesting blogs, keeping up with the latest blogging trends and making sure your blogging software is up to date. Additionally you have to get people to actually read your blog by promoting it somehow, maybe by commenting on other people's blogs or participating in forums etc, all of which takes time and effort.

So once you start to actually break down the process of trying to make money blogging it can quickly become obvious as to why so many people who set out to be 'bloggers' simply give up. It's not because they aren't capable of being successful, it's more than likely that they were sucked into the promise that all you have to do is set up a blog and the money will come rolling in, which it won't.

Like all good things it's important to recognise that blogging takes effort, but with the right attitude and guidance your blog can become an important tool in an online marketing strategy. It might not be the only way you make money online, but it will provide you with a platform through which to communicate and interact with your customers, while letting them get to know you better.

So don't get sucked into the myth that blogging is 'easy' (or Internet Marketing as a whole), instead recognise that it will take time and effort on your part to build it into something rewarding, both financially and personally. By planning your entry into the world of blogging carefully and following the right advice there's no reason why you can't be successful!

America's Cup in San Francisco and Louis Vuitton Is Back!

For the 34th America's Cup competition the city of San Francisco, California is being added to the roster of host cities. 'Auld Mug', as yacht racing fans call the cup, is returning to the USA for the first time in 18 years.

And Louis Vuitton is resuming sponsorship activities for the series of regattas that determine the Challenger for the 2013 competition. This brings the Louis Vuitton Cup back to the America's Cup World Series and the resumption of 25 years of helping to determine the most competitive contestant to go up against the defender, America's Oracle Team.

The British America's Cup

It all started in 1851. Henry W. Paget, the 1st Marquess of Anglesey, donated this ornate trophy to the Royal Yacht Squadron as the prize for a yearly regatta around the Isle of Wight.

The yacht 'America' won the race and the trophy was named America's Cup in honor of the victor.

The boating syndicate that owned the schooner 'America' gave the prize to the New York Yacht Club in 1857; to always remain available for international competition. There the cup remained until 1983. The New York Yacht Club's record winning streak was broken by the yacht 'Australia II', crewed by the Royal Perth Yacht Club.

Louis Vuitton Joins the Team

1983 was a pivotal year for another important reason... The Louis Vuitton Cup becomes the Challenger series of regattas that will determine which yacht club meets the Defender. From the 3rd America's Cup in 1876 through the 20th competition in 1967 there was never more than one contestant for the role of Challenger!

In 1970 this changed. More entrants created the need for a method to determine the strongest competitor for the 'Auld Mug'.

Louis Vuitton Cup

In 2007 Louis Vuitton terminated almost a quarter of a century of sponsorship for the America's Cup competition. In 2011 the America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA) proudly announced the return of Louis Vuitton for the 34th America's Cup, with San Francisco Bay as the center arena.

The ACEA plans to bring the competition for the oldest active trophy in international sports into the 21st century. It is their intent to bring the joy and excitement of yacht racing to the public in ways never experienced before. For the first time the yacht race will not take place miles off-shore. The geography of the Bay Area accords spectators with a natural amphitheater of vast proportions... and San Francisco Bay is the stage.

Front Row Seats... On Land and Bay

Viewing-boats will line the shore from the Bay Bridge, along Fisherman's Wharf, past Fort Mason and Crissy Field to Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Other floating tail-gaiters will be anchored off Sausalito and Angel Island.

America's Cup Race Course

The proposed course is an amoebic circle with Alcatraz Island as the central feature. For the first time in history the view of the America's Cup might be better from land...

Parks Restaurants Marin Headlands Angel Island Treasure Island Alcatraz Island

... And personal residences. San Francisco is full of hills with excellent views of the Bay and the Financial district has many high-rise buildings with imposing vistas of the race course.

Global Media Saturation

State of the art innovations in television and internet broadcasting will let the viewer partake of the unique experience of sailing a catamaran at high speeds... with one pontoon in the air! On-board microphones (maybe even sail-cams) and much more will guarantee an experience of sailing which the viewer has never dreamed possible.

Visit San Francisco

Live sporting events are best enjoyed live!

The Selfish Gene - 30th Anniversary Edition

Richard Dawkins gracefully talks about the role genetics play in evolution, genes and more in "The Selfish Gene".

In the first few chapters the Selfish Gene is well explained. The mechanism and nature of DNA are the small units that make up our genes that pass through generations of life. The gene is called the 'Selfish Gene' in the title because genes are the genetic unit that deal with their survival only, whilst promoting their own transmission at the cost of its enemies.

Genes are the 'survival machines' because they use our bodies to duplicate, not the other way round. This simple concept is quite revolutionary.

Breaking it all down Richard discusses the tasks of genes, in particular the role they play in parenthood, families, relationships between sexes, altruism, selfishness and many other tasks.

The author also writes about a new kind of replicator - Memes which copy ideas, music, fashion, philosophies in our world.

The last chapter of the selfish gene deals with the theory of the extended phenotype which again is an interesting topic. Biologists have been left baffled as this concept means that chemical reactions (triggered by genes) in a body can affect the chemical reactions (leading to the desired behaviour) in other bodies. In other words, the theory explains that the behavior of a parasite or insect can cause change in the behavior of other animals.

The Selfish Gene is a strikingly beautiful book on evolution from a geneticists point of view. It is thoughtful and insightful whilst being a manageable read, the topics discussed are on the cutting edge of science, excellent.

Some Things to Consider When Looking for Cruise Deals for Your Next Holiday

Many people are taking advantage of all of the attributes a cruise holiday offers, with many people choosing to sail to some of the world's most beautiful or exotic locations around the globe.

Taking a cruise holiday can often have many advantages over a conventional package holiday where you have to fly to your destination. With a cruise, you actually begin your holiday as soon as you step onto the cruise ship, so you can instantly relax and get into the holiday spirit, unlike people stuck in an airport departure lounge waiting for their flight.

Here is a brief guide and some tips which might help you find the best deal or cruise holiday which offers the best value for your holiday budget.

If you have the luxury being able to book in advance, spend plenty of time researching your cruise holiday options and try to find a deal which suits both your preferred holiday itinerary and your budget. Time spent researching on the internet could save lots of money in the long run. If you want to save even more money, book well in advance as if you can book for the following year's travel you are likely to beat inflation and currency changes in the coming year.

In contrast, if you have supreme flexibility, try to book through the last-minute offers advertised. In many cases, if you can book last-minute, perhaps within the current month of sailing, you could well find the cruise holiday operators who will cut the prices of their current cruise packages before they are due to sail.

Again, if you are flexible about you cruise plans, why not consider a cruise and fly option? In some cases, a one way cruise and a fly home option can save you money over a cruise both ways.

If you are not tied to a particular time of year, then why not sail out of the peak season to a particular location? Sailing off-season can see you make a considerable saving over sailing during peak periods of the holiday season.

How about travelling as a group? If you can organise a larger number people together for a cruise holiday, say eight or ten plus people in your family, you will find the price can be reduced over standard fares. Alternatively, if you belong to a club or an organisation and you would like travel as a group, you could either save a percentage of the cost or you might even be able to negotiate a free cabin for yourself. If you spend the time to plan your cruise holiday, the savings could be immense.

Which Material is Right For Your Roofing Project?

A home needs not just good walls but a solid roof as well to ensure that it is protected well from what the elements can throw at it. Unfortunately as a home ages there are going to be times when the roof may need to be repaired or replaced. So in this article we offer some advice on what to do to ensure that you select the right kinds of material for your Wilmington roofing project or anywhere that you may happen to live.

The first thing one should be doing is to get a roofing contractor to come and have a look at your home and see exactly what needs to be done. It is best if you arrange for a couple of contractors to come and have a look and get each of them to give you a quotation for how much the work is going to cost.

After you have had the inspection carried out one can now decide which material is going to be used if the roof needs to be just repaired or if it needs replacing completely. Certainly for roof repairs it is best to go with the same material that currently covers yours, whilst for a replacement roof you can go for a wide variety of materials all worth considering. But what you need to know that the costs of each material used for roofing differs greatly and so do their characteristics as well.

Below we look at the kinds of materials most commonly used for roofing projects not just in Wilmington but in many other cities and towns across the US.

1. The most commonly used material for repairing or replacing roofs on properties today is asphalt and which comes in non-organic or organic forms. The other roofing materials in this article may be more natural but unfortunately they don't last as long as asphalt which you can expect to last on a property for between 25 and 50 years, it also comes in a wide range of colors as well.

2. Wood shingles is another material that people use for roofing and is made from Western Red Cedar because it contains properties that make it resistant to corroding or decaying. There are three categories of wood shingles used for repairing and replacing roofs. Category 1 is the one which will mainly be used by a contractor to repair or replace the main part of the roof whilst categories 2 and 3 are used more often to replace or repair the roof sidings.

3. Wood Shakes give a roof a more natural look and it takes quite a long time for the work to be completed as each plank that is placed on the roof has to be sawed or hand split. This type of roof also costs quite considerably more than either of the two mentioned above because of the work required to prepare it.

After you have chosen which material it is you are going to be using for y our Wilmington roofing project now you need to spend time finding a contractor to complete the work for you. It is crucial that the roofing contractor you choose for the project is one who specializes in the materials that you have chosen so you know the work carried out is going to be of the highest standard which will ensure that the roof lasts for years to come.

Closing a Front Tooth Gap

A lot of people are asking, "How do I close a gap between my front teeth without braces?" A common problem for adults and teens is a front tooth gap. If you have a gap in your teeth you'll be happy to know you don't need braces to close your gap and you can have gap free teeth for a faction of the price.

There is a product called "Teeth Effects" which are comfortable compressor bands that go around the front two teeth to move them together. You can continue enjoying your everyday activities during treatment. Metal and wires are not used. So you don't have to worry about irritating your lips or cheeks. You can play sports or do other outdoor activities while wearing a teeth effect band around your teeth. Teeth Effect bands are removable so if you get a craving to chew gum, you can simply side the band off your teeth to enjoy the gum.

Since teeth effect bands are clear you will maintain a professional appearance. In fact they are nearly invisible. Most people will not know you are closing gapped teeth unless you tell them. After completing your treatment you will have more confidence and gap free smile.

Stepping Stones For Educational Assessment And Evaluation

Every individual's ability to learn a taught subject differs from his neighbor's. As such, a range of educational assessment and evaluation techniques have to be employed to ensure all are accorded the same treatment as a whole. One may take a couple of steps to reach his target whereas another takes the scenic route. It is therefore not fair to shortchange one from the other based on mileage covered. Professionals trained in this field of expertise demonstrate their ability to gauge a student's ability by looking at the whole picture.

Many a time, students are taught that the process in deriving a correct answer is as important as the answer itself. By studying the various routes taken through careful research, it gives a new dimension into how the mind breaks down taught facts and applies them to problem solving techniques. Those in the area of designing courses and curriculum are recommended to train themselves in the field of educational assessment and evaluation in order to spearhead a better quality of teaching and learning contents and methods. In addition to these lauded qualities, gathering of statistics to measure implemented methodologies and techniques are part and parcel of this specialty. To ascertain how effective a change is, one monitors and measures its effects upon implementation. As education is a process, extensive research and testing is required to see positive results. The pool of test subjects, so to speak, also needs to stretch across various states for the sake of fair observation and measurement. Otherwise, a problem-solving venture may end up a problem-generating counterpart.

Trained professionals are also acquainted with the legal aspects of imparting education to the community. In the event existing policies are not in tune with current times, proper change has to be effected. As such, those in the capacity of leadership such as school principals, college heads and university deans as well as those in the educational sector within the government will do well to include this to their string of academic achievements.

How to Choose the Best Cheap Land for Sale

Investing in real estate is one of the ways to increase your money, but for that to occur, you have to find the best cheap land for sale. Land is not an investment that depreciates, so investing in some will not leave you disappointed. But there's more to it than simply purchasing the first cheap land for sale by owner you find. There are some things that you need to know first, before you decide that said piece of land is worth the money.

The first rule is always location. It is hard to find cheap land in an urban area that has already grown tremendously. But this does not mean that you go for a land that has is located in an area without so much as good road access. It's all about taking your time and finding the right listing with cheap land for sale that is conveniently located. At the very least, make sure the land you are interested in is in a location that is likely to grow. Also consider the geography of the area, and the climate. If it gets too hot or too cold in some seasons, it might not be a worthy purchase, more so if you plan on building in the land.

Second factor to take into consideration is the profitability of any cheap farm or hunting land for sale. While land is hardly known to depreciate, it can take time before it amounts to any profit. You have to find land in an area that is likely to grow, because growth will be associated with a land price increase. Even if you don't intend to sell immediately, it is comforting to know that you can get good profit from selling the cheap land for sale that you invest in.

Stick with proven markets, instead of buying some cheap farm land for sale in an area that is hardly known. It does not make much sense when you buy a piece of land out in the country, where you know decades will pass before the area ever grows. Instead, buy land in an area that already has a spark for growth, before other people seize the opportunity.

When buying cheap land for sale, keep in mind that the seller will have a sales pitch ready, and will try to get you to buy the piece of land. But take some time and think about the buying decision. If you have any doubts, don't ignore them. In any case, you can always look somewhere else.

A Tale of Two Castles, Visiting Old San Juan Puerto Rico

Towering over the city, the ancient battlements stand guard. Construction of these immense forts and walls began in the 1500's by the Spaniards to protect their treasure ships. They finished over 250 years later. San Juan, Puerto Rico is one of many old fort cities that once dotted the Caribbean. Remnants of the massive walls that once surrounded the city remain visible in many parts of old San Juan. The jewels of the city, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal still loom large. Enter the city by boat and El Morro dominates the horizon. Once docked, a short walk brings guests to San Cristobal. El Morro guarded the bay. Larger and 200 years newer, San Cristobal once guarded the land east of the old city. In the late 1800's, about a third of San Cristobal was razed to improve traffic flow through the city. The United States added bunkers and artillery during World War 2. Now both castles invite tourists to defend the city with dollars to help keep the economy viable rather than soldiers with weapons repelling the many enemies who threatened the city throughout the centuries.

Both castles are World Heritage Sites, under the protection of the National Park Service. El Morro, as it is referred to, also has a cathedral and an old cemetery with the remains of Ponce de Leon. To the delight of many visitors, iguanas mow the grass at San Cristobal. Quite used to human intrusion, they almost seem to pose for the numerous pictures people take of them.

A stroll through the blue brick cobblestone streets of town reveals colonial architecture, brightly colored buildings, and cats sleeping in fanciful doorways. The blue bricks are a remnant of Spain of the 1800's. Furnace slag brought over from Spain as ship's ballast, they make for unique and beautiful streets. Modern cars have some difficulty maneuvering on streets intended for horse and buggy use. They often ride over the curb while turning corners.

Transportation: Your own two feet can get you around Old San Juan if you have the time and the energy. Other options include the hop on, hop off bus, the free Forest Service shuttle, and bike rentals.