The 5 Things They Didn't Tell You When You Started a Blog

By: michael gentleman

In the beginning, it always sounds like a simple idea. I want to start a blog. Anyone can. But, there are some things no one tells you. I will tell you what I learned.

The "five minute installation" at wordpress is not "five minutes" but more like a four hour torture session. It's designed to check if you are serious about this blog thing. After four hours, I found the fantistco button on my cpanel and I was up and running. No one shared that helpful hint with me. I just saved you four hours.

Your theme is more important than you imagine. It is your reader's first impression. More importantly, it's not easy to change after you have posted for awhile. Spend more time on a theme than I did.

Traffic analysis tools like google analytics are required but I will issue a warning. It is the first person in the morning to tell you that you have no friends. Don't even think about visitors. Here is how it works. You wake up hoping that someone found your site in these early stages. Maybe they will subscribe too. But the stats say three visitors. They also spend less than two minutes on your site. It's more like a drive-by stop. Google analytics should just say "good morning, you are still a loser today. Why don't you write another post for you and your mom."

How many times have you heard "write content and the readers will follow". It sounds easy. In the beginning ideas flow on the blog. But, finding good ideas to write about everyday is not easy. I let search traffic guide me. Isn't that how the Google algorithm finds the best site. Hopefully, I can do that and convince new subscribers and at least one-third of my current subscribers( my mom) to return and read because the posts are good.

Another axiom is "contests are an easy way to get traffic". Who wouldn't want a chance to win a free prize? Don't count on a thousand visitors. But, isn't that what John Chow did. Then a week later the two people who signed up for it are laughing at the fifty-fifty chance at your free prize. The funny part is that you had to tell your mom that she can't enter. Now, you have alienated one third of your subscriber base already. One thing that helped me was that I found contest blogger. It's a great site that features blogs and their contests. It's one of those great sites. After you are done visiting, you kick yourself for not thinking of it first.

Author: Mike Gentleman writes about what hot search topics with a sarcastic tone at his website Whassupjack

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Which is Easy Learning Piano Online or Through DVD

Music is natural in everyone. This is manifested in various ways. A lot of people listen to different kinds of music or sing a song. While others enjoy watching TV musical shows and vote for their bets. There are also some who want to learn playing certain musical instruments.

One of the popular musical instruments that a lot of people want to learn is the piano. There are a different ways in learning to play the piano and it can be achieved provided you have the enthusiasm and willingness to learn. You can learn it in two ways: traditional or contemporary.

Determine the following ways in learning to play the piano which can fit your needs and way of life:
• Private lessons – if you want to learn in a traditional way, you can schedule a session with a private instructor which can either come to your house or visit your office after work. You can also drop by their musical studios and arrange a schedule with them. You can choose whatever time you want. It can be after school or work depending on your availability. This approach will test your ability and determination to learn despite of certain inconveniences that it can sometimes cause like bad weather, traffic or work related issues.

• Learn how to play by ear – this is a challenging way of learning to play the piano because it requires concentration and your listening ability. You can start with a song or notes from a simple tune. Begin with listening to the song and after familiarizing yourself with the melody, you can pick out the notes and try to play them on the piano. Examine the intervals of these notes in order to distinguish the melody. Then you can start picking out the chord. Listen to these chords and try to play them in various ways to get a feel of the sound. By doing this, you can be familiar with the tune and later on you will discover that you can create certain melodies without difficulty.

• Online lessons – this a contemporary or a modern way of learning. There are a myriad of sites in the internet that provides you with different tutorials in piano playing. You can also learn through music teachers in the web. This approach is advisable for home buddies or housewives who don’t have time to go to studios or musical school. However one setback is having to deal with internet connections.

• Learning through piano software – For those who are beginners or advanced students you can purchase a piano software that are accessible in the market. This software provides easy piano lessons that you can follow. Certain modules are also presented so you don’t have to worry about the step by step process. You can learn to play the piano in the comforts of your own home.

You can choose one from the above mentioned ways. Learning to play the piano can be a challenging one. Perseverance and determination are needed. It can be difficult at first but if you really want to learn nothing is impossible.

About Author Simon West At http://learnpianoreview.com, you will be able to learn keyboard music of different categories. Visit and read about what Piano Coach Pro can offer. Learning how to play piano can be unimaginably simpler than you can think of.

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Author- Ken Lauher

During Feng Shui consultations, clients frequently ask me to evaluate the Feng Shui of their bed and share the key factors to look for when considering the purchase of a new bed.

We all know how much better we feel after a good night’s sleep. Following these tips for a proper Feng Shui bed can help you increase your energy and healing opportunities. You’ll see improvements in every aspect of your life, from your career to your health and your love life.

Let the chi circulate: An appropriate bed should have legs, ideally on each corner, elevating it above the floor. This allows the air and chi to circulate beneath it, assisting with the healing nature of rest. This simple act of enabling the chi to circulate under the bed can help with fertility and also health issues.

Removing all items from under the bed also helps the chi to circulate. If you need that space for storage – perhaps because you live in a small apartment with few closets – you can store linens and clothing in well-organized boxes or a trundle drawer. Avoid storing weapons, sharp objects or anything metal underneath the bed.

When you place the bed in the room, it should be positioned so that the chi can flow around both sides. This article explains the command position, which is the ideal location for a bed.

Size of the bed: A Queen bed is recommended over a King or California King size bed for two reasons. A King size bed leaves no room for upgrading. Since you’ve already reached the maximum level, the only way to move is downward, so your next bed might be to move to a single bed.

Additionally, a King size mattress typically rests on two box springs, which can suggest a separation between partners who sleep in the bed together.

Proper Headboard: A headboard in Feng Shui represents protection. It not only provides the possibility of a relationship, it also affects the stability in an existing relationship. The headboard should be firmly affixed to the bed frame and made of one solid piece of material, either wood or fabric. Avoid rods or headboards that split in the middle.

Footboard: Footboards aren’t necessary. Men typically don’t like footboards; some say it feels like being in a coffin. If you do wish to have a footboard, it should be no higher than the mattress. A taller footboard can limit your travel opportunities.

Styles of Bed: Murphy beds, futons and day beds provide a temporary feeling, and therefore are recommended only for use in guest rooms.

A four-poster bed should fit within the space. I’ve seen many beds that really require a much larger space than what they have. Canopy beds are fine –again, space permitting. They may provide an added sense of protection for some. Keep the top of the canopy clean; don’t allow it to become a dust magnet.

Price: The price of the bed is not always a reflection of good Feng Shui. One client recently purchased a $20,000 bed, only to discover it provided very poor Feng Shui and could be a contributing factor in a troubled relationship.

In other words, separate the price from the Feng Shui value of a bed. Purchase a bed that is comfortable and feels right to you. Regardless of cost, your bed should help you achieve your goal of a quality, restful night’s sleep, where you awake feeling refreshed and renewed.

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THE C CHANNEL NETWORK

The C Channel is building a multi-interest website that brings together 3 distinct sites - Travel, Shopping and Weddings. Each one features articles, destination profiles, vendor profiles and a whole load of new tools to attract a global audience. This includes the still young Travel Forum, and the Wedding Agenda, a promising tool that is completely free and was out in late 2006.

The C Channel network has also recently introduced The C Directories, 5 user-friendly directories of websites, blogs, online retailers and other sites categorized under thousands of differenet subjects. Only a month old, it attracts new registrations every day of eBusinesses eager to become part of The C Channel Network. For example, in the Travel category, you can find Travel Street, a comprehensive guide to travel in Asia, Worlwide Holiday Homes with over 1,000 holiday homes in 51 countries including Spain, USA, Australia and Malaysia, Philippines plus Villa Tuscane and Tuscany Villas, the best place for holiday rentals in Tuscany.

In our Shopping Directory, we feature the likes of Teen Plus Size Clothing and Plus Size Lingerie. And if you're getting married soon, you might like to check out http://engagementrings.ws. Plus, for the best deals the Directory of Wholesalers will tell you where to look.

In the Entertainment category, you can find a great site about Mahjong, for music-lovers there's Hip Hop 100 and New York nightlife, keeps you up-to-date on the local party scene. You'll also find a site about Indie rock musician Danielle Evin, and Rakeback for poker lovers. But there's even links to Famous quotations and the Silly stuff blog. And game buffs can check out the Games Directory.

In the Health & Beauty category, we feature a myriad of sites with all sorts of information, like Cocovida Coconut Oil and Wellness News and Unique Asthma treatment secrets. In our Sports section, you'll find the best source of information about all major sports in Sports Facts. Golfers will delight over at Secret Golf training System, and motorsports fans should visit Modded Mustangs and the German im-auto.de.

In the Real Estate Category, Construction World and the Real Estate Search by City Resource Directory are 2 of the best sources for home-searchers. And if you are a new home-buyer, check out our Finance category to find the best sources to help you with your money-matters, like TSP Talk, Ledger Services, Stocks and Mutual Funds or ChexSystems & Bad Credit Solutions.In our Tools for Webmasters Directory, we feature some of the best multimedia directories for your audio, video and photo editing work, including Multimedia downloads, Audio & Video editing, converter and burning software, Audio & Video Software tools, the powerful and user-friendly MP3 Ripper, the best tool to Burn DVD Movies, Photo Editor, Digital Video Editor, Music Software, and two of the handiest directories for Multimedia and Graphics.

We also provide links to some of the best SEO sites online such as SEO and Internet Marketing, The Webmaster SEO Blog and SEO Ireland. Plus, there's links to some of the best tools for webmasters, like Cheap domain register, Cheap domain hosting, and Webhost advisor. Learn where to find Niche articles, keep track of your backlinks with Link Checker, and Buy text links. We also feature other directories like the Alive Web Directory, Free Web Index and Submit Dot Com. Plus there's other great links like Paid Survey online, which claims to tell you how you can make some extra cash.

There's plenty to see, so pay us a visit.