Building a WordPress Site

In today’s world of networks and smart phones and browsers, if you or your company is lacking a website, you’re missing out on a huge source of traffic. Thanks to engines like Drupal, Joomba and more getting a quality site up and running in minutes is easier than ever before. In fact, with the 3.0 update to WordPress, managing the site is even easier. Most of the sites I run, run on wordpress.

From its content management to ease of use and maintaining, WordPress has provided a stable platform for the sites I run that just works.

I came across this AWESOME Guide to building a wordpress site and I had to share. Inside this guide you’ll find everything you need to know to get your first, second, or tenth website successfully off the ground, ranging from finding a suitable web host and setting up your blog or website, to using an offline blogging client and even designing a simple website banner! Want to learn from the pros, and make your mark on the internet? Then you’re in the right place! It doesn’t matter if you’re an internet newbie or a nerd on steroids, this guide will get you to where you need to go.

Download the Build Your Own WordPress Site Guide now, and read it on your computer today!

You’re less than hours away from having your own place on the web.

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Border Patrol

Recently, the state of Arizona took it upon themselves to do what the federal government hasn’t. Secure their border with Mexico and stem the flow of illegal (call it what you want, they’re ARE NOT HERE LEGALLY) immigrants to their fair state by enacting some fairly bold state legislation which allows for law enforcement to as for proper proof that a person has a legal right to be in the country.

The funny thing is that most of the law is already in place under current federal laws, all the Arizona legislation does is give the power to officers of the state or local governments to act on it since the federal government is not…. say what you will, but its a pretty decent bill that should be in place across the country and not just in Arizona.

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You Gotta See This!!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

Submit entry

Contest details

So recently, Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) sponsored the iLASIK Video Contest where the winner could win $5,000 and some other cool prizes. Entry was simple, all you had to do was submit a video about the impact of improved vision on their lives. People submitted entries from raps to plays to the winning video above by Alex with his “You Gotta See this” music Video… Its a pretty entertaining look at the difference Lasik has made and it looks like the face plant the guy in the video took would have really hurt.

It’s actually a pretty cool idea for a contest and a good way for AMO to gain some fresh eyes on their offerings. In addition, some of the other winners were pretty fun to watch too like “robbo” in the “My Contacts Are Getting In The Way Of My Good Time” category who won an HD TV and Danny V with “Orbs Of Perfection” in the “You Should See Life After The iLASIK® Procedure”. If you want to see all the winners hit up http://www.gottaseethisnow.com/ or the iLASIK Video Contest for more information.

Have you or someone you know had lasik? Was it worth it?? Would you recommend it?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Mayor of what? 6 Tips to become good at FourSquare

Growing up, foursquare was a game played in PE or after school with friends. We’d get the play ground ball out and when we weren’t busy trying to hit each other in the head to get that tinny thumping noise we’d bat it back and forth between us on a crudely drawn square with four sections (unless we played in PE in which case it was taped to the floor of the gym).

Its funny that as an adult, one of the booming past times that twitter and facebook have created is the location based service of foursquare. Never before did our friends care that we were at the local Starbucks getting a Double Mocha extra cream skinny vente latte or at the barbers getting a hair cut. Until foursquare came along.

Now people every where are checking in at work, at play, at parties, in the carpool line and more. Here are a couple of tips gathered from around the web to make you the Mayor of your city, or at least make you seem a little less douchey for constantly letting your friends know you’re at Caribou Coffee.

1. Add your Friends Carefully – According to Mashable this is the number one tip for being successful at FourSquare and for good reason. As Mashable points out and the site PleaseRobMe is based on, FourSquare is a GPS based service. The people you’re friends with KNOW your location when you post it, and they know where you aren’t. If you’re friends with every tom, dick and John in your city, they’ll know when you’re not home, and if you’re not smart, they’ll even know where your home is.

   The nice thing about Foursquare is the fact that you can mark your location as private and choose whether or not you want to share it with your friends or publish it on twitter and facebook. Unlike facebook where you’re friends with anyone you’ve ever talked to in your life, save FourSquare for only your close friends who need to know when you’re at the pub.

2. Don’t check in if you’re not there – It might sound like a nobrainer, but if you missed checking in at a location earlier in the day, don’t bother with it. If you get a notice that you lost the mayor ship of your local brew house, don’t sweat it. Faking check in’s is not only bad form on FourSquare, but its a good way to appear douchey. Let your check in’s happen naturally.
3. Leave Tips! – Not the cash kind, but things to do. For instance, if your favorite bar has a really good sandwich or your favorite beer on draft, leave a tip to let it be known to the world. Not only is it good Karma, but it’s also a good way to find new places to visit and let others know why you’re the Mayor of the local DQ.
4. Add Shouts to Your Checkins – You do it in Twitter. You do it in Facebook. Why not do it in FourSquare as you check in as well? If you’re at the pub its easy to add “Hey @gruntled why don’t you pop in for a pint” to your check in as well. Let your friends know where to find you and why. Not only that but by adding comments with phrases like “at another birthday party” you could unlock cool badges like the 16 Candles badge or more!
5. Don’t Drive By – No one likes a drive by. If you’re sitting at the red light near the BK lounge, resist that urge to check in unless you duck in for a Whopper. Its along the same lines as “don’t check in if you’re not there”, if its meant to be a check in, it will happen. Let it.
6. Have Fun, Explore New Places! – Perhaps the coolest feature of foursquare is discovering new places, or old places you forgot about. It’s fun to see where your friends are checking in and who knows, maybe you didn’t know there was a junkyard around the corner. FourSquare is all about exploring and becoming an adventurer. See where you can check in!

One last tip, don’t check in from home, we know you’re the Mayor there (or, if you’re like me, your wife lets you think you are). We don’t need proof.

You can Follow me on twitter @mcangeli if you really want too, but don’t worry, I won’t add you on 4sq unless we’re good friends (or I like your picture… )

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ASMW – Have an Irish tune why don’t ya!

Yes, its St. patricks Day once again, and in honor of that, todays, Amie Street Music Wednesday is an irish tune.

Today’s selection is a A Treasury Of Irish Song and it can be yours for the awesome low price of $3.11.

With tunes like Colm Cille Na Feile and A Chumaraigh Aoibhinn O you’ll be feeling the luck of the Irish in no time. In fact, this album has one of Gruntled’s favorites When I Was A Fair Maid on it. Its a wonder you haven’t heard of it yet…

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You can have it all in Branson!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve talked about it before and now is as good a time as any to talk about it again as spring rolls in with some hopefully nicer weather this year…. but Branson, MO. is one of the best family destinations to get to on a budget. Whether you want to enjoy the great out doors, take in a show (or two or three) or hit the outlet malls for some amazing shopping, Branson seems to have something for everyone in your family.

For instance you can stay at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and be only a stones throw away from Lake Taneycomo, award winning golf courses or the Theatre district. Not to mention that you’re a mile from City Center where you can catch shows from the Acrobats of China, Amazing Pets or the Osmonds (or even the Oak Ridge Boys!).

In addition, the Promenade is having some awesome deals on packages at the moment in case you and your love need to get away for some R&R (before school lets out for the summer).

Or maybe you need a place for your company retreat or conference. The Hilton Branson Convention Center. Not only are you in the middle of the action, but the executives can ink out deals on the course while their spouses soak in the luxury at the spa. Its a win win for everyone isn’t it?

If you’ve never been to Branson before, now seems like the perfect time to fit in a trip, doesn’t it? What show’s are you going to take in?

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HCR is nothing but sausage Making at its worst.

In college one of my professors likened government to sausage making. No body likes watching the sausage being made, but they like the end out come (most of the time). I’m not sure its going to be the case with the current round of Health Care Reform being pushed on the people. I’m not arguing that nothing needs to be done. The opposite is true. We do need to do something about health insurance and the rising costs. But it needs to be done right.

Using the method of reconciliation to pass reform or laws of this nature can only have a bad outcome. Can you imagine if the founding fathers voted to approve the Constitution of the United States and signed it before it was written? What if your professor gave you a grade before you took the test based on past performances?

In either of those cases, you’d be unhappy. We wouldn’t have the country we have today and you probably wouldn’t get that B you needed to keep your passing grade would you?

According to Jamie Dupree the bill they’re trying to pass in the house this week is little more then a place holder. Text that says, we’re going to do something about Health Care, but we need to make it look like we’re taking action on this now.

That doesn’t fly to me. Its amazing that MORE THEN HALF of the people polled this past weekend oppose the current form of Health Care Reform thats being attempted in the House and Senate, yet the people WE CHOSE TO REPRESENT US don’t seem to care and are plowing ahead with their plans.

Let your Representatives know that they NEED TO REPRESENT YOU! and not pass a bill simply because its what they (or the President) want to do. Let them know that what you think matters and that they are acting on your behalf, not whats best for them.

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The world’s ever changing mistress…

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LeapFish Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

When the internet first started making its rounds, websites were horrible things. Bright colors, bad lo-res images and static content made up the bulk of what we could view online. I’m a guilty as the next guy as some of my first websites were terrible.

As is the natural progression of technology though, things changed. Sites became more fluid. Database driven. Code progressed to the point where a website will tell you the weather in your location with out you having to do anything other then open the web page. News is streamed from media sites and iReporters like you and I every second of every minute. Often times, thanks to facebook and twitter, news of a tragedy (or a triumph) hits the web and is widely known before traditional media can get it out there.

The net has gone from being a static, immovable object to a fluid work of art (some times a train wreck) that we’re constantly plugged in to. Search engines like google and leapfish have a harder and harder time coming up with ways to track and catalog twitter updates, facebook streams, youtube videos. Things that are constantly changing and in a lot of ways the challenges of the new web presented in the video are harder to over come as the web becomes more real time and less, this is what was.

How are you going to adapt? How are you going to become realtime?

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Worm Composting QuickUpdate #2

Just a quick update, there are a bunch of discarded worm eggs in the bin as well as a bunch of new eggs. The yellow ball in the center of the photo is a worm egg.

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ASMW – Chicken Fried!

Zac Brown Band has been making a name for itself on the music scene the past year burning it up with hits like Chicken Fried that helped the band garner “Best New Artist” at the 2010 Grammys.

According to the Bands Website they’ve been around since at least 2008 when they released their first album “The Foundation”. Chicken Fried was the first single off that album and spent some time at number one on the Billboard country chart.

What I like about this song is simply everything. If you haven’t heard it you need to give a listen to the song that helped set this simple Georgia band running. You can download it today for $0.27 at Amie Street, so what are you waiting for?!?

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