Week 4 of the NFL

Sunday means FOOTBALL! Even though I'm going to the Red Sox today and won't get to watch the day games, I've still got a "sporting interest" in some of the contests! Don't forget to check out my Winning Football Picks and play along with me and Laz. We are winning $$$$, so if you like money, PLAY ALONG WITH US!

Dining Rooms are Out of Date

We NEVER use our dining room, unless one of the kids is doing homework at the dining room table. Our dining room is merely a pass through from the kitchen to the living room. The concept of formal dining room furniture is getting out dated as we have become more casual about eating meals together as a family. Someone is always going somewhere and we're often heating up leftovers for meals. Even when everyone is together for a meal, our dining room is too cramped and we end up eating in the kitchen since it has much bigger and more comfortable dining furniture.

If I had my way, I'd blow out the wall between the dining room and the kitchen and make the kitchen even bigger. I'd love to have counter seating for 12! That way, we'd just get a counter height dining table built right in. The only piece of dining room furniture I'd keep is a hutch my father built-it would go well in an informal setting.

I don't know who else feels this way, but if I were building a new house, I'd skip the dining room altogether and opt for a large "great room" kitchen instead.

Companies like Furniturefromhome.com ought to be aware of this growing mindset and adjust their dining room furniture offerings accordingly.

Blog Your Blessing Sunday XXV

Today I am off to the LAST RED SOX GAME of the regular season. It is a meaningless game for the Sox as they've clinched the AL East already but Fenway will be electric with the anticipation of the playoffs. They also give a car away on the last game of the season so I have a 1 in 37,000 (give or take) chance of winning it.

Before dashing off for an afternoon of baseball hysteria, I'll take a moment to reflect on the importance of spreading roots:

Job 14:7

For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail.

That Toddlin' Town

I had a cup of coffee with AT&T back in the internet boom. I was hired and flown to Chicago for a week of training. I'll never forget the trip, it was in March and it was sunny and sixty degrees all week in Chicago and Boston got 3 feet of snow! Alas, six weeks after the training was complete, AT&T killed the program my group was being hired for and I was out of work!

I had a nice time in Chicago though. A group of us went out to dinner every night and we did some carousing in the city. Every day I'd take a few walks around the State Street area where our hotel was located.

Whenever I'm in a new city, I check out the real estate for sale and apartments for rent. Since we usually had a few hours to kill, I picked up a Chicago apartment finders "freebie" magazine in the hotel lobby and looked for apartments in Chicago, IL. I even went into a Chicago Property Management Company office in a nearby high rise and got a quick tour of some swanky lake view apartments.

On another tour through the neighborhood, I stopped at a Chicago Condo Management office and posed as a would-be condo buyer. I got a tour of a few really cool condos. A few of us from the training class ended up partying with the real estate sales lady and some of her friends one night. We kept up the ruse of me wanting to buy a condo through the whole night. She called and emailed me for about six months after that with new listings!

I Don't Think So

This video of an old Bud Light Commercial might have been the origin of the term "ass clown."

Date a Biker Chick

Just say "biker chick" and all sorts of images come to mind. Most of the biker chicks I've met have been pretty cool. We hang out in a bar that gets a good biker crowd, so I've met a few. Plus I get quite a few bikers at the Hot Dog Truck (bikers like hot dogs).

But I never dated one, even though I met a few biker singles before I met my wife. I found a site called bikerplanet.com that is a biker dating site. Men and women who are into riding can hook up with other biker singles online for free.

So if you're a rider looking for a rider, hook up with one of the thousands of biker singles out there and ride on down to the Hot Dog Truck!

THE RED SOX CLINCH!!!!

My Red Sox Clinched the American League Eastern Division title Friday night with a win over the Minnesota Twins! They still needed one more win (or Yankee LOSS) to clinch it. After the game was over, they put the Yankee game on the Jumbotron at Fenway Park and thousands of fans stayed to watch the conclusion of that game.

The Yankees were leading the Orioles 9-6 with two out in the bottom of the 9th inning. The bases were loaded and former Red Sox outfielder Jay Payton hit a bases clearing triple (off Mariano Rivera) to tie the game and send it to extra innings. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th, Melvin Mora bunted home the winning run!

The thousands of fans left at Fenway went nuts and celebrated with the team as the Red Sox won their first AL East title since 1995.

IT'S PLAYOFF TIME, GO RED SOX!!!

(yankees suck!)

Heart Healthy Clothing

If you're looking into serious exercise (to work off all those yummy hot dogs you've been eating), you should always consult a Doctor first and take it slow when you first begin your new exercise program. The most important goal should be to get a good sweat going without dramatically increasing your heart rate. A good heart rate monitor is an essential component to a successful exercise program.

Now there's a functional and fashionable way to wear a heart rate monitor; you can actually purchase clothing with a heart rate monitor built right in! Whether you're a guy who wants a tee shirt or tank top or you're a gal who wants a tee shirt, tank top or sports bra, you can get one with a built in heart rate monitor.

There are five reasons you should use a heart rate training while exercising:

1. Improve your health-hey exercise improves health and a heart rate monitor helps you exercise.

2. Lose weight- A heart rate monitor can tell you if you are exercising hard enough –or too hard– to burn stored fat.

3. Make the Most of Your Limited Exercise Time- a heart rate monitor lets you know that you are getting a good workout.

4. Exercise Safely- nobody wants to drop dead while exercising, a heart rate monitor will let you know if you're overdoing it.

5. Be Your Own Coach- a heart rate monitor helps you push yourself (safely) to your limits.


6. The clothes with the built in heart rate monitor look cool! (OK, I added that last one).

If you'd like to know more about clothing with a built in heart rate monitor or if you want to buy some, check out NuMetrex.Com.

You can also watch this video to learn more:



HAPPY HEART RATE TRAINING!!!

Most asked Question this Week

The number one question asked this week was:

"How long are you staying open for the season?"

On warm and sunny autumn days, the people in New England (while reveling in the beautiful weather) openly fear and dread the oncoming winter. They want to know how much longer it will be before they are miserable. Days like the days we've had this week are a joy to the folks around here, but everyone knows their time is short. There will be a foot of snow on the ground before you can say "Gimme two, All Around."

I have kept the Hot Dog Truck open the past two winters-with varying results. Mostly bad results. It's a break even proposition in the winter time. And it's BLOODY COLD!

I have told folks I will be open until December 23 and after that I make no promises.

Of course that's what I said last year....

Early Pay Day

The cash advance industry is alive and well on the internet. These types of loans, sometimes called payday loans, require no credit check and require that the borrower has a job and earns $1000 per month or more. Folks use these loans to keep their checkbooks balanced during financial shortcomings, to fix their car or any number of minor fiscal crisis's.

Pay back terms on these loans are usually between a few days to a month. Payday loans can be a good way to bridge a short term money shortage, especially if you're expecting a nice sized paycheck shortly.

The "dark side" of a cash advance or payday loan is that interest rates can be very high. I've seen advertised rates as high as 95% on some of these loans! Even the local loanshark doesn't charge THAT MUCH! If you are considering a payday loan, make sure you read the FINE PRINT.

Hebrew National

This is an updated version of the classic Hebrew National Commercial.

They answer to a higher authority!

Free Raleigh, NC Getaway

I've written in the past about moving South someday. North Carolina is one of our favorite dream destinations. Anyone who has flown South has probably connected through Raleigh/Durham airport-I have a bunch of times- but not many have taken the time to explore the city of Raleigh. Since I come from Boston, much of the USA and many of its cities looks like homogeneous urban sprawl to me. Boston is a city with colonial charm and an "old world" feel. So is Raleigh-it has been around almost as long as Boston and it has that charm.

Raleigh is also a heck of a lot more affordable than Boston! For the money we spent on our spacious town home in the burbs of Boston, we could buy a MANSION in Raleigh! There's a lot of fun stuff to do in Raleigh too. The Durham Bulls (minor league baseball) is nearby. Minor League baseball is a great pass-time in my book. Good baseball without the whiny millionaires.

The great thing about Raleigh is it has the feel, sophistication and charm of a Northeast City without all the hustle bustle. The Southern, relaxed atmosphere is far less hectic and stressful. There's lots of great stuff to do in Raleigh. It's a fantastic place to plan a Fall Getaway. There are many wonderful small concert venues with international talent nearly every week of the year. You could see Trace Adkins in Concert if you wanted to. Elvis Costello is even performing with the North Carolina Symphony. (I wonder if they'll do "Pump it Up?")

There are two things I love: Travel and Free Stuff. I may have found a really cool contest and it involves Raleigh. You could win a Free Raleigh Getaway by registering with the Raleigh Convention and Visitor's Bureau Free Vacation Site. If you win, you get:

-$25 gift certificate to Bloomsbury Bistro
-Free VIP admission for two to Rum Runners
-2 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre
-2 tickets to the N.C. Museum of Art’s Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism
-2 tickets to Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

Winning a free vacation is definitely worth 5 minutes of my time!

Summer in the Fall

The Boston area has been experiencing spectacular summer weather during the first week of Fall. It's been in the 80's and gloriously sunny for the past week.

This always bodes well for the Hot Dog Truck. Sunshine and hot dogs go together like mustard, relish and onions.

It has been a record week.

Nobody in the office parks is on vacation. The school buses are rolling. The mommies don't have the school kids during lunch. The pool guys and landscapers are still working hard. The regulars still come and buy an extra soda on a hot day. All these things mean it is very busy. My "rush" has been lasting two solid hours each day this week with the largest amount of people in line being 25 (Wednesday).

Next week sees a continuation of this weather and hopefully similarly busy days at the Hot Dog Truck.

Make hay while the sun is shining, as the saying goes!

Hats off to the Yankees

I have got to hand it to the Yankees. They have played .750 baseball since July 9 going 48-24 in that time frame. I thought they were dead and buried but they slugged their way back into the race.

All the way back to Second Place.

It will be a fun playoff season.

My Red Sox still have the best pitching in the game and....

THE YANKEES SUCK!

All A Loan

Regular readers know I used to broker Mortgages. I know a little bit about the subject. I know about money too. (I know I never seem to have enough!)

Personal loans are another form of borrowing. Basically a lender loans you money if you: a. have enough in the bank to pay them back or b. have really good credit. There are a lot of Personal loan companies that have really loose terms and high rates. You need to be careful with many of these loans or you could end up paying a prohibitively expensive interest rate.

Sometimes it's better to go with a secured loan to get a lower rate. Just be sure you can afford to make the loan payments so whatever you are offering for security isn't put at risk.

Whether you are looking for a secured loan, a personal loan or a Mortgage, be sure you understand the risk, rates and payments. You should never "sign on the dotted line" unless you understand what you are paying for the money you're borrowing!

Link Love Thursday V

This week I am continuing to honor those who participated in the Hot Dog List viral link exchange from a month ago.

Share the Love with those who share the Love, I always say!

This weeks recipients of Link Love-with Mustard:


Tales of Prinzcess Prinzcy
Must Read Files
The Art of Living and Dying
My Life Starts at Forty Two
Terri Terri Quite Contrary
Munny 4 Hunny


I'll be back with more Link Love next week!

Co-Op Credit Cards

I have my money at a small, local co-operative bank. I don't like big banks, they're too impersonal. I also don't like having a big bank credit card. Too many rules and regulations and too much FINE PRINT designed to screw people over.

That's why I got excited about an online bank I found called the Co-operative Bank. They may be an online bank, but they have small bank values. They have a charitable contribution credit card that donates to your favorite charity every time you use it. They also have a 0% balance transfer credit card. There's even the old standby "travel miles" credit card.

Whatever you want in a credit card, they have it and their rates are low too!

Try Ad Gridwork

I came across a new traffic generating idea on my Bumpzee Day in the Life Community called Ad Gridwork. It's a a free advertising network and text link exchange.

Basically, all you do is add your site(s), display an ad block on your site(s) and your ad appears on thousands of other sites in the network. Pretty simple, eh?

They're still working on blending color options, but its a good concept so I'm giving it a whirl.

You can check out Ad Gridwork HERE.

Alexander Falk

As a Red Sox fan, I can identify with the many members of Red Sox Nation. One such member is Alexander Falk, founder of Altova. He is your basic computer genius and he has a blog called the XML Aficionado blog where he shares his vast knowledge.

Like me he writes about the Red Sox (as well as XML related stuff). I am sure he thinks JD Drew sucks and Eric Gagne sucks. He is probably on pins and needles (like me) as the Red Sox are 3 wins (or Yankee losses) away from their first division title in ages.

So if you want to share the joy/agony of being a Red Sox fan and you want to learn more about cool XML developer tools, check out the XML Aficionado blog. He can even reccommend a good restaurant!

Bare Naked Genius

The Real Men of Genius salute nudity. This is the commercial that coined the phrase, "Who cares, you're all naked."

I wish they'd bring these back-I find them very funny.

Trade Show Displays

I have been to many trade shows. I go to the local Home Show every spring. I used to attend the National Air Duct Cleaners Association show every year. I have even attended a vending trade show. One thing these all have in common is every exhibitor has trade show displays.

Having a good trade show display is important if you are an exhibitor. A good display draws visitors to your booth which increases leads and ultimately increases sales. There are whole companies that do nothing but make and market trade show displays.

The Godfrey Group is one such company. They have a plethora of trade show displays on their website. Everything from simple booths to complex kiosks is available there. They can design signage, lighting, even carpeting for your trade show displays. If you're looking to attend a trade show as an exhibitor, check out their trade show displays today.

Linkworth

I just signed on with Linkworth in an effort to squeeze a few more bucks out of this site. LinkWorth is one of the web's largest and most innovative marketing portals that caters to both Advertisers and Partners. They have a multitude of products and services to fill your every online marketing need. Products consist of text link ads, paid blog reviews, in-text links, in-content pay per click ads, rotating text ads, hosted content pages, article submission, directory submission and many more. If you want some variety to the advertising on your site, want to earn some extra dough from advertising or you want a good way to market your site, give Linkworth a look.

Flying

My dad is big into remote control airplanes. He has a workshop full of them. Every Saturday morning, weather permitting, he and a bunch of other retired guys meet and fly their planes. I've tagged along once or twice and it's a nifty little hobby. It isn't easy to fly these planes and crashes are common.

What I really want to try is a Remote Control Helicopter. They look like lots of fun. I tried flying one on my dad's flight simulator on his computer. The next step is to buy a real Remote Control Helicopter.

They aren't too expensive and you can get models that are able to fly right out of the box-no workshop needed. You can even fly them in the house, just watch out for the chandelier!

Another Winning Week

Winning Football Picks went 5-1-1 for a 6.4 unit profit on the day this past Sunday! If you like money, you should be taking a look at my free football picks site. Each week Laz and I pick our plays-games we'll wager on- with recommended units to play. We also do a complete schedule pick-like an office pool. It's been a good season so far with our combined plays up 7.4 units. We are up BIG $$$$ on the season-you should be too!

Le Dell

I am writing this post on a Dell Desktop Computer. I also have a Dell Laptop. There is a Dell (running Windows 98) in one of the kid's rooms. I even own Dell stock! We like Dell Computers in our house.

I don't know what a bureau pc is-something they call desktops in France I think, but if it's a Dell, it's probably OK.

I have always had good luck with Dell Computers-that's why I keep buying them. I like the way you can set them up. I have always customized my Dells to have the features I want. I even have them send the computers along with only the software I want on them. I don't WANT Corel word processing, so why would I want it pre-installed on my computer?

Dell also has decent service. I have a Dell certified repair shop near my home, so when I need a repair I just bring it over there. That's much easier than shipping everything off to some faceless repair center!

So if you're looking for a new desktop computer, try a Dell. My stock portfolio will thank you!

Rush to Blog Rush!

I added a new widget to the Hot Dog Truck-the BlogRush widget! It shows posts from other bloggers that are related to the content on my site. The Hot Dog Truck's posts are similarly displayed on other related blogs. The idea behind BlogRush is to get traffic or "eyeballs" to your blog. I've been hooked up to it for a few days now and I am getting new readers from BlogRush already.

If you haven't signed on with BlogRush yet, you can sign up HERE.

Lasik Eye Surgery

I have good vision. 20-20 to be exact. So did my dad, but with age his eyesight got worse. He was always fumbling with reading glasses-until he decided to have Lasik Surgery. Lasik Surgery is a laser surgery on the eyes that changes the shape of the cornea to improve vision (in my dad's case, nearsightedness). He found a Lasik Doctor and had the procedure. It worked wonders for him and he no longer needs reading glasses!

Famous basketball star LeBron James recently had Lasik Surgery. Some people think having this kind of surgery is cheating! What a crock! Is wearing glasses in sports cheating? I don't think so. It's not like he took a performance enhancing drug to help him jump higher, run faster or shoot the ball better. Unlike Barry Bonds, whose performance was aided by performance enhancing drugs, LeBron gains no competitive advantage he wouldn't have if he just wore glasses on the court.

Like LeBron, you shouldn't go to any old eye surgeon. You should seek a Lasik doctor that has been CERTIFIED by the by the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance. That way you know you're getting a Doctor who knows his stuff. I'd think this is pretty important since the Doctor is aiming lasers at your eyeballs!

All this Lasik Surgery is going to make glasses obsolete. Lasik Doctors are going to replace optometrists someday!

Coaching Girls

As most readers know, I coach Little League baseball. I always have 3 or 4 players on my squad who also play soccer. This invariably leads to conflicts with practice and games schedules. Don't even get me started on why parents would over schedule their kids with two sports. I always make my soccer players take a few extra laps at the first few practices. I tell them if they're going to play two sports, they need to be in twice as good shape. The question will always come up at some point as to which sport a kid likes better. I always tell them their answer better be baseball! When the kids ask me why I don't like soccer, I tell them "soccer is a great game, all my girls play." This usually gets them squirming.

Which leads me to the subject of this post.

I am assistant coach for my 10 year old daughter's soccer team. This is the same age group as Little League. I thought coaching them would be the same.

I should have known better!

My coaching style is sort of the lovable hardass. I DEMAND full attention, participation and effort at my practices. I explain to the team that the coaches are taking time away from their family and busy schedule to conduct practice and I expect the kids would respect that and behave accordingly. Same speech I give the Little Leaguers. I tell them if they distract from the group, they'll run a lap.

The boys may mutter under their breath, but they do it while they're running! The girls question whether I'm serious, give me a pained look, do the lap, then CRY. It's happened twice already this season. And the girls need to take more laps. All they do is chit chat and goof off. At any given time during a practice scrimmage there will be a couple of gals talking, a couple doing cartwheels and a couple chasing each other. I actually asked the head coach for permission to read the riot act the other day!

I'm making it sound worse than it is-the girls are having a good time-just not always on soccer stuff!

I won't be helping with the soccer team in the spring as my baseball duties will take up my time, but when I tell my boys they're acting like a bunch of ten year old girls, I'll have a frame of reference!

Beach Property

I like the beach and the warm weather. The wife and I have dreams of packing up the old Hot Dog Truck and heading south some day. Living in a beach community year-round would be ideal. Florida is nice, we've been there many times.

Unfortunately, there is not much unspoiled beach front property left in Florida. We've never been to the Florida panhandle. Destin seems like a lovely beach community in that part of the state-its about midway between Tallahassee and Mobile, Alabama. This part of the Florida coast (on the Gulf of Mexico) is called the Emerald Coast and the communities of Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island are home to some of the best beaches in the world. Sounds like a place I'd like to live someday.

We were looking at Destin real estate sales & rentals the other night and came across the folks at East Pass Realty. They have tons of Destin real estate sales & rentals from modestly priced land and condos to mega million dollar waterfront palaces!

Next winter when we're in Florida, we're going to take a drive up and see them.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday XXIV

File under "what you think of me is none of my business."

Ecclesiastes 7: 21

Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.

Digital Picture Frames

The number one favorite gift this years has got to be a digital picture frame. These things are so cool. Basically, it's a frame with a digital display screen and storage for digital pictures.

With your digital picture frame you can have a picture stay on screen or have hundreds of pictures scroll continuously. You can even set up mosaic type displays on your digital picture frame.

You can insert your camera's memory card right into the digital picture frame or download pictures from your computer via USB cable. You can even set it up to accept wireless downloads.

eFrameStore.com has a huge selection of digital picture frames in all knids of shapes, sizes and colors.

I hope someone gets me one soon!

400th Post!

This is my 400th post on the Hot Dog Truck, the place with the best hot dogs! Since my 300th post, I have introduced Link Love Thursdays, gone deep sea fishing, won a Best Blog Award, re-introduced the Real Men of Genius, run out of hot dogs, discussed my theory on speeding, bet on NFL Football games, outlined clicker etiquette, warned readers about The Look, and done tons of Pay Per Posts.

It isn't always easy keeping up such a prolific writing pace, but I've made over $1,000 with Pay Per Post and written some pretty good stuff. The best part is, I've managed to stay humble through it all!

Thank you for reading the Hot Dog Truck!

Fundraising Friday

My 14 year old is doing a walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in a few weeks. She asked if she could sell cookies at the Hot Dog Truck to help her raise funds for her walking team. Since she was so busy and the irony finally sunk in, she asked if I could take a collection at the truck.

Thus Fundraising Fridays were born!

I took an empty tuna bucket and wrote this on it: "Fundraising Friday. Please help support the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation." I placed this new bucket where the Hot Dog Operator's Relief Fund normally is.

I collected $33.00 for her today and I promised she could have the spot for the bucket next week. Once her walk is completed, I plan on putting the bucket out every Friday with a different cause every two or three weeks.

I'll keep you posted.

Purple Party

A while back, I wrote about the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk. It's an event to help raise over $1 million on World Alzheimer's Day and to help bring awareness to the devastating effect this disease can have on people.

If walking is not your thing, there are plenty of other ways to help the Alzheimer's Association raise funds. A fun way is to host a Purple Party. A Purple Party can be many things. A lot of folks have a dinner party and educate their guests about Alzheimer's Disease and simply ask for a donation. You can get creative though. My favorite idea is to have a Poker Party and split the pots between the winner and the Alzheimer's Association. If you raise over $150 with your party, you'll get a free party kit!

Anyone who decides to host a party will also get their own Alzheimer's Association web page. Donations may be taken via the website too. Everyone should get their Purple Party going soon; if you don't have the time or energy you could always just make a donation. It's important to get all the funds in before the end of September. The Harrah's Foundation has generously agreed to MATCH all donations made in September! That means if the Alzheimer's Association reaches their goal of $1 million, the actual donation will be $2 million!

So get off your butts and PARTY! Purple Party that is.

It's a Salad, Isn't It?

Yet another Real Men Of Genius Ad. If I had salad at the Hot Dog Truck, I'd have something like this!

"You can eat that deep fried crunchy bowl."

Tiger Tom

I got an offer to review a site tonight, so I went to TigerTom mortgages UK tips to see what the site is all about.

Basically, TigerTom mortgages UK tips is a site that gives advice on getting a mortgage. Since I've owned a couple of homes and was in the business, there was nothing new for me here. Most of the content is common sense. Some of the info is so basic, it's laughable. Tip # 9 reads: "Keep your mortgage as small as possible. Aim for easy affordability." Keeping your mortgage small is an excellent idea, but I'm sure most people don't need a website to tell them that!

Seriously though, for a first time buyer, a site like this has some value. Most first time buyers are a bit wide eyed and overwhelmed. Simple , straight forward advice is something most of them need and they'll find it at TigerTom mortgages UK tips.

And remember tip # 13: "The deal that seems too good to be true probably is!"

I win Again! And Again! And AGAIN!

I don't ever remember buying British Lottery Tickets, but I am tearing it up in the UK! I won before and today I received this email:

Your ticket number: 023-0148-790-459 with Serial number 5368/05 drew
the lucky number: 29 We are pleased to notify you that your email
address emerged as a winner in our promotional lotto sweepstakes and
as a result you have been granted the lump sum payout of
(500.000.00(G.B.P)which is equivalent to ($917,956.00 USD).
Contact your claims officer below for your claims/winnings
Mrs. Abraham Vicki
EMAIL:lottopayout02@yahoo.co.uk
You are to forward the following details to enable us clear your file
for immediate payment.
Fullname:______________Address:___________
Age:_______Sex:_______tel:_______________
Country:_______________Amount won:________
Sincerely,
Mr:Andy Benson.
FREE LOTTO INT

I also got this one:
We are pleased to inform you of
2ND-SEPT-2007 BRITISH LOTTERY6/49
E-LOTTERY DRAW.
Your email address was picked.

YOUR WINNING DETAILS;

REF NO: BLP/ 24-FB-426253
BATCH: 42/450002/YLP
E-NUMBER 644701836872,
SERIAL NUMBER 64483-72
WINNING NUMBER 01 07 25 31 32 39
consequently won £420,000 in the 2nd
category.Contact the underlisted for claims
procedure.

Mr. Tom Bridge
Email:claimsdesk022@hotmail.com
Tel;+44 703 590 2477

AND THIS ONE:

Dear Winner,
This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Six Hundred
Thousand Great Britain
Pound Sterlings(£600,000.00) for the month of September 2007 Lottery
promotion which is organized by
Power Ball Lottery.You are to fill and revert to Mr.Riggs
1. Full name................... 5. Sex...................
2. Contact Address........ 6. Occupation:...........
3. Age.................... 7. State.................
4. Telephone Number....... 8. Country...............
Name: Mr. Michael Riggs
E-mail: powerballclaimsagentmrriggs@yahoo.com.hk
+44 70457 41644
+44-704-573-0038
Congrats,
Kay Curlver

I just love it when I win "a prize money!" Imagine winning the British Lottery THREE TIMES in the SAME DAY! What a lucky SOB I am! Maybe I'll buy some anti new spam software with my winnings.

I just wish I was this lucky with the lottery tickets I actually purchase!

Making ends meet

At the end of every month there is a scramble to pay the mortgage, insurance, and all the other bills. I'd like to be able to get the best car insurance rates and one of those cheap mortgages so I could save a few extra bucks!

Most of us are one or two "bad months" away from fiscal crisis. When something goes wrong with a job or a business, it is easy to fall behind on bills. And you can't keep getting loans to get back on track.

It's a good idea to have at least 6 months living expenses socked away for a rainy day in case bad luck befalls you. I have found the "passive income" from my blog to be a nice little cushion each month against potential financial setbacks.

Scratch Tickets

I stop for a cup of coffee at the corner convenience store on my way to The Hot Dog Truck every morning. They have this yummy French Vanilla Cappuccino that is to die for. I simply can't start my day without one.

It should be a quick stop, but it never is. I fill my cup, get a lid and step up to the counter.

I always get behind someone who is buying and/or cashing in (Massachusetts State Lottery) scratch tickets. These people have three or four winners each day and they spend their winnings, plus another 20 bucks on additional tickets. EVERY DAY. These transactions usually take a few minutes as they peruse the fifty plus choices of scratch tickets behind the counter while boasting to the store owner that they "only lost" a few bucks yesterday. It seems ridiculous to me.

Don't they know the only one who ever wins those things is the dumb schmuck who buys one ticket every 6 months for kicks? What cheeses me off is their gambling habit is depriving me of my coffee and I NEED MY COFFEE in the morning. I think they should just set up a blackjack table in the back room of the convenience store to keep these folks from clogging up the line in the morning. I might even stay for a few hands.....

Everywhere a Sign

You see signs everywhere you go. Billboards, truck signs, real estate signs-even the Hot Dog Truck has a sign! Signs are important for businesses. There's an old saying: "A business without a sign is a sign of no business." You simply must have a sign for your business, otherwise nobody would know who, what or where you are.

Getting a sign is a lot easier in the internet age. Companies like BuildASign.com allow you to design your sign online, saving all kinds of money on banners, car magnets, real estate signs, parking, political, and plywood signs. Just like anything else, when you do the work yourself, you save money!

Link Love Thursday IV

It's hard thinking of who to spread the Link Love to every Thursday. I don't want to play favorites, but I want to spread the love to those who share the love. (Sounds like the 60's, eh)

A while back, I did a post called the Hot Dog List, a viral link experiment that doubled my Technorati Page Rank and introduced some new sites to lots of new folks.

This week's Link Love goes out to supporters of the Hot Dog List that haven't been mentioned in previous Link Love posts.

NoDirecton (not: NoDirection)
Free Cash Quest
SEO: Project Search engine friendly web directory and blog
Around Natick
Awannabe's Hangout
An American Peyote Scribble

I'll spread more Link Love on this theme next week too!

Wanna Buy in Cali?

If you want to move to Northern California, you can find tons of California Bank Owned Property & REOs for purchase. Bargains are everywhere in the depressed Real Estate market and Northern California is no exception.

All you need is a good resource for finding California Bank Owned Property & REOs like MLS-2. Just about every property for sale in Northern California is listed on this site. You can find California Bank Owned Property & REOs, motivated sellers and short sales as well as regular listings.

If you're considering buying property in this area and you're looking for a bargain,MLS-2 is a great starting point.

Greatest Hits: My Favorites

This is a list of my favorite posts on the Hot Dog Truck. I wanted to have them all in one place!

Ketchup on a Hot Dog
Spell Check
Top Ten Stupid Questions asked at the Hot Dog Truck
For Battle of Bloggers
How a Red Sox Fan Got Religion
Hot Dogs, Blogs, Snakes and Frogs
Update on the ditch on a sunny day
They haven't all been eaten!
The Office of the Jury Commissioner for the Commonwealth
Interview with the Hot Dog Man
Punny but True
Eastern Box Turtle
First Timers

BEST FISHING TRIP EVER!
Help me steal $48 Million!
The Hot Dog List
Clicker Etiquette
Review: HomeCamera.com
Clicker Wars
The Look

I Got a Brand New Pair of Rollerskates

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as rollerblades. We had metal roller skates with a key. Remember those? In the 1970's the funky roller skates with rubber wheels that folks roller discoed to became popular. Roller Derby was popular back then too (I've seen a few modern incarnations of Roller Derby and they use rollerblades).

I own a pair of a rollerblades, but I haven't used them in years. The kids all have them-so does my wife.

Nobody in our house has heelys. Our local schools prohibit them. I think heelys are kinda cool- I wouldn't wear them now, but I'd have loved them as a kid.

123Skate.com is THE PLACE for rollerblades and heelys online. They also have a cool shop called Fritz's Skate and Surf in Miami. Next time I'm down there, I'm gonna skate on over.

The Look

If you have a wife or a mother, you've been a recipient of The Look. There is no easy way to describe it, but if a woman in your life has given you The Look, you know it.

My mother is a master of The Look. I knew that expression about the same time I could walk. I'd get The Look when I didn't do my chores or homework and any time I asked something so obvious that answering the question with anything but The Look would lower mom's IQ. I still get The Look from mom. I can anticipate it coming sometimes. I'll even ask a dumb question now and again to see if she's still got it. She does. Just ask my father. He'll holler a question from another room and if he doesn't get a response in the appropriate amount of time, he'll ask "honey, are you giving me The Look?" My father spends a lot of time muttering to himself.

My wife has mastered The Look too. She gave me The Look at a family dinner once and my mother commended her on her execution. "Excellent," she said as they gave each other a look-its a special look that those who possess The Look's powers knowingly share with each other. My wife has trained the kids to respect The Look; they'll scurry to comply with her "requests" when they feel The Look burning into their flesh. I am the recipient of a different, yet equally powerful Look. It accomplishes the same thing, but has much broader connotations.

I have my own look. It works on the kids, sometimes better than my wife's Look (kids are smart, they know I'll just sic mom on them if they don't comply-plus I use EXTREME VOLUME if they don't comply with my look). If I give my wife my look, she'll either say "don't give me your look," or she'll counter with her Look. When matched against the wife's Look, my look only "wins" about 15% of the time. Even when my look "wins," I'm not sure I do.

Our military should research The Look. If it could harness its powers, our government would save BILLIONS on high tech weaponry. They could simply send in infantry who'd give The Look to the enemy and send them running out of their foxholes to surrender in inexplicable panic and shame.

Since I have four daughters, I have observed them trying their own Look. My 14 year old has the facial expression down but her Look has no power over me. She gave me her Look this summer at my parents house and after I dismissed it, my mother congratulated her on her execution. "But it will never work on your father," she said as she gave me The Look, "at least not from you." Woe be her future husband-she's been trained by masters. The younger girls are practicing their Looks. I think it'll be a few more years until they can execute it at the level of the 14 year old though.

There is no defense to The Look. You can ignore it, fight it or comply. Whatever you do, it will always be there.

Not James Bond - Performance Bond!

Thank goodness I don't need to be bonded for the Hot Dog Truck! If I needed a performance bond to conduct my business, I'd have to go into another business!

A performance bond is basically a guarantee that work-often times it is a construction project- will be done according to the contract and will be completed on time.

A bond is like an insurance policy that will never be used. Insurance policies expect you to file claims. A performance bond is a guarantee that funds will be made available (usually from the person or company obtaining the bond) should something go wrong. If you ever have to use a surety bond, you'll never be able to get one again! Performance bond rates usually don't change over time either unless the financial circumstances of the entity obtaining the bond change. Underwriting a bond is such a costly pain in the backside, most folks stick with what they have anyway. Since the companies who issue performance bonds lost a ton of dough 8-10 years ago, bond companies have become tighter and prices are higher; there's no more cheap bonds out there!

It sounds complicated, and unless you're in a business that requires bonding it is probably very foreign to the reader. But if you're in a business that requires bonding, its important to work with a company with expertise issuing performance bonds. As with any financial product, you want to work with a company that will educate you about your options and get you the most competitive rates. JW Bond Consultants will do just that for you.

I just hope I never need them!

Helen's Handbags

There's a gal in my hometown who has started her own online business selling her handcrafted handbags. I grew up down the street from her husband and our sons play football on the same team. Her husband and I were talking before the last game and he told me about her new venture, so I checked it out. Helen's Handbags is the name of her business (and her website). She makes all kinds of colorful handbags, cigar box purses and embroidered jean jackets.

I have 4 daughters, so I'm always looking for good girly gift ideas and Helen's Handbags fit the bill. I like the idea of getting a gift that isn't some mass produced crap made in a sweat shop somewhere and sold through big box retailers. Home town, homemade gifts have more personality and appeal to me and my girls. Helen's Handbags is a place where I'll be shopping in the next few months, you should too.

This post is NOT Sponsored- I'm just giving some link love to a local merchant 'cuz I'm a nice guy!

The Next New Gadget

Everyone, especially us guys, loves gadgets. We love talking about our new gadgets and showing them off to friends and family. I remember when cell phones were a novelty-they were the size of a shoebox when they first came out for mass consumption and everyone wanted one.

The VCR used to be a hot new gadget too. Now the newest form of video gadgetry is upon us. Its called the Mvix MX-760HD Hi-Def Wireless Media Center. I think it needs a shorter name-maybe just "Mvix."

This baby does it all. It connects every media device to your TV. It will store all your digital photos, home movies, music, dvd's-you name it, if it's digital media, it stores it and plays it back whenever you want it. You can even hook it up to your PC. As a guy who used to own about 500 albums, countless VCR Tapes and a couple hundred cd's, the idea of digitally storing all that and more in a box that's smaller than the original cellular phones is pretty cool. You can network it into your home entertainment center and computer network and you can unplug it and bring it with you on vacation. Read all about it at MvixUSA.com

OH MY GOD Eric Gagne SUCKS

Eric Gagne, former relief ACE, whom the Red Sox traded for at the July 31 trading deadline has BLOWN HIS FOURTH GAME since joining the team! He was supposed to be a stabilizing force in the bullpen, giving the Sox an alternative to Papelbon and Okajima down the stretch and adding another "shut down" pitcher to the squad.

The only thing he's shutting down is games the Sox should win.

For the fourth time he has entered a game with a lead in the 8th inning and given up enough runs to the opponents (tonight's beneficiary was the Blue Jays) to win the game.

HE SUCKS! He has proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he just can't do it anymore. The Sox agreed to pay this stiff a $4 million incentive bonus in his contract with Texas. He was not required to reach the incentives to get his money. That scrubs up to $1 million per blown game.

I can't imagine him being on the post season roster. Please answer my "How much does Eirc Gagne Suck?" poll in the right side bar.

Extreme Blinds

My wife loves reality TV. It drives me nuts. One of her shows is Extreme Makeover, the show where a construction crew goes in and rehabs a deserving family's home in the amount of time it takes to shoot the episode. She always cries when they unveil the new home to the family. Of course my wife cries during fabric softener commercials.

The show does the house over from the foundation right down to the Window Blinds. Select Blinds supplies the Window Blinds to Extreme Makeover. Window Blinds are one of those things people take for granted.

I've never been one for curtains, they collect dust and they fade. I like the clean lines Window Blinds give a decor. Ordering blinds online is easy too. Just take your measurements, enter them into the Window Blinds easy estimator tool and they do the rest. All you need to do is pick the style and color. I think the new bamboo blinds, they'll even send you a free sample so you can blend the colors in your room nicely.

While new Window Blinds may not be an Extreme Makeover, they can be a very easy and inexpensive way to snazz up a room.

On Your Feet

I am on my feet most of the day. There's no comfy place to sit down either, so I need to be sure I am comfortable in my shoes. Wearing uncomfortable shoes makes for a long day.

I like a shoe that cushions and supports. I usually put gel inserts into my shoes and I like a shoe with a good arch support. Most works boots I've worn have these traits, but I like to have a lighter weight shoe in the warmer months. Give me a nice pair of Doc Martens and they'll fit the bill.

For the colder weather, I prefer something a little more heavy duty, like a nice pair of Danner boots. Something to keep the feet comfy, supported and warm is key in the winter time. Danner Boots aint cheap, but you can get a good price and free shipping at MetBoots.com.

I'm almost ready for a new pair of boots and winter will be here soon....

Helpers

Last week our kids had no school Thursday and Friday due to the Jewish Holidays. Our school system figures if roughly a third of the students aren't going to be in school, then what's the point. This created an opportunity for two of the kids to come and "help" me at The Hot Dog Truck. I let them keep everything in the Hot Dog Truck Operator's Relief Fund for the day.

Thursday saw my 13 year old son as my helper. I had him carry a ton of trash to the dumpster while I got set up for the day. Once we opened, I grilled the buns and dressed the dogs while he took the money. It always scares me to have the kids take the money-I watch like a hawk out of the corner of my eye- but the responsibility and "real world" application of MATH is good for their development. It was busy Thursday and my son took home over 30 bucks for his efforts. He ate 4 hot dogs, a bag of chips and a pack of cookies. He also drank enough soda to flood a small basement.

Friday saw one of the 10 year old girls helping me. She also carried trash while I set up. She does a nice job with the money but she likes to bounce in the truck, so I end up with motion sickness by the end of the lunch rush. She put away two hot dogs and an Italian Sausage. I lost count of how many bags of chips she ate. Friday was just an average day, so she only went home with 20 bucks. Didn't her older brother let her know-repeatedly- that he made more than her.

I like having helpers, but I'm glad they're not there every day! My customers seem to tip the kids more though, so maybe I ought to bring them more often-just to get folks in the tipping habit.

After all Tipping is NOT a city in China.

Storage Bins

We keep everything in our house in storage bins. Christmas Ornaments, sporting equipment, yard tools, toys, books, clothes-you name it, we've probably got it in one of our storage bins. Without storage bins we would be incredibly UN- organized.

We have them in all different sizes and colors and they're all labeled with what's inside.

I even use them for storing potato chips at the Hot Dog Truck! Someday I'd like to get "mackin'" storage bins like the ones at CarGuyGarage.com. I like the 16 Mixed Storage Bins with Shelving option. They're storage bin heaven-different sized bins for all my different sized stuff!

Real Men of Texas

This is a "homemade" Real Men of Genius ad. The "creator" took audio from one of the radio ads and put his own pictures in. It's well done and it's one of the funnier "Real Men of Genius" ads in my opinion. I love the ones when the female back up singers chime in with a line. ("Yankee Wussies").

Enjoy.

Expanding Business with an Unsecured Business Loan

While you may not be able to use EZUnsecured.com to START a business with an Unsecured Business Loan, you could certainly expand your business with one. Getting money is tough if you don't have any, but if you have a going business concern, like the Hot Dog Truck, that has demonstrable cash flow, obtaining an Unsecured Business Loan is fairly straightforward.

Getting money isn't quite as easy as getting lunch at the Hot Dog Truck, but you should look for the same things from your lender: easy processing, fast funding and great service. EZUnsecured.com offers all this and more-more money that is.

If you have good credit, getting a loan to expand your business is easy peasy lemon squeezy. You can do a no doc loan with a 700 fico score or better! While the mortgage lending industry is pulling back and making money harder to get, small business lending to prosperous businesses is thriving.

So get to EZUnsecured.com today and get things rolling with an Unsecured Business Loan for your business.

What are YOU Playing?

Sunday means Church, Blog Your Blessings Sunday and the NFL! My oldest thinks I am most likely to vote Super Bowl Sunday as a National Holiday.

I watch NFL Football every week and I have been known to make the occaisional "investment" in games I really like. I have created a whole site devoted to my "investment strategies" called Winning Football Picks.

If you like money, you should check it out. We have a winning record so far and hope to continue our winning ways this week. There are some good games on the board so compare your notes with us and visit Winning Football Picks BEFORE you make YOUR PLAY.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday XXIII

Aint this the truth!

Ecclesiastes 11: 10

So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Raising Money for Diabetic Supplies

My daughter is baking cookies for me to sell at The Hot Dog Truck so she can raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund Walk for Diabetes. She needs to raise $50 for her team. I told her I thought it was a tad ironic, but I'd put the cookies out for her. All the proceeds will be pooled with other donations from her team and sent in as one. I think it's a good thing when kids take some initiative to help out a good cause so I hope the effort is a resounding success.

The money will go, in part, to folks who need help paying for their diabetic supplies. Lots of folks with diabetes don't have insurance and they need to buy supplies like diabetic test strips on a regular basis. Finding supplies at a discount price is important since it is a regular out of pocket expense.
Companies like American Diabetes Wholesale
are invaluable as their prices are always 30%-60% of regular retail pharmacy prices.

I don't know if any of the money my daughter's cookies raise will find its way to American Diabetes Wholesale, but I know people who need these supplies will be helped.

Clicker WARS

I wrote about clicker etiquette a couple of days ago. When things get contentious, we delve into CLICKER WARS!

If there is a game on the "good TV," my wife will sometimes retreat to the boudoir to view any one of a litany of crappy reality TV shows. Once the game is over, I'll creep into the bedroom and fall asleep to whatever is on the tube. Sometimes I'll read my book, other times-if the Mrs. is asleep, I'll dial up a movie and fall asleep to it. I'll watch a movie over the course of a week or so by fast forwarding to the last thing I remember from the night before.

Sometimes the wife gets mischievous on me. It usually goes something like this: She'll be "asleep" and I'll come in and look for the clicker. Not wanting to wake her, I'll do a quick visual of the likely spots for it-in her hands, on the night stand or on the floor next to the bed. Unable to find it, I'll start checking around her pillow and under the covers-being very careful not to wake her (trust me-YOU DON'T want to wake up my wife!).

If I can't find it, my frustration will mount and I'll literally start "tossing" the room looking for the clicker and muttering to myself. As if she can sense when my frustration is at its peak, I'll hear a little giggle from her-she's been faking sleep all along and has hidden the clicker from sight. A tickle fight of some sort ensues and we begin a mock wrestling match for the clicker. She can only pull this trick every few months or I'll be too wise to her. We'll laugh and flip on a movie or something-but she knows she's won this little battle in the ongoing CLICKER WARS.

Do It Yourself

I am a Jack of All Trades when it comes to home improvement. I am not afraid to tackle any home improvement project on my own. I have put an addition on my home, remodelled several bathrooms, rewired the house including adding extra circuit breakers, installed plumbing, remodelled a kitchen, done hundreds of minor repairs, refinished two basements, dug a French drain and installed sump pumps and done TONS of painting in the two homes I have owned. If I don't know exactly what to do, I'll ask my dad or my uncle or I'll consult one of the many resource books I own or DoItYourself.com for how to go about what I need to do. "Knowledge is power" when it comes to home improvements and DoItYourself.com has great articles on just about every home improvement project you could imagine. They have great "How To" DVDs for sale too.

My most recent project involved installing a new dishwasher. I pulled the old one, cannibalized the plumbing connections and installed the dishwasher. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! My brother had to do the same thing a few months later and he paid $100 to have Sears install the thing. It only took me an hour or so, so I goofed on him mercilessly for wasting his money. Now there are projects where the time involved or difficulty of the job justify (to me) the expense of calling in a pro. I paid someone to install new windows in my old house. I also would never tackle a roofing job. Something simple, I tackle myself though. If I had to install key in knob lock, I'd do it myself.

I remember one time, I was installing a bathroom vanity and I forgot to tighten the drain. We washed our hands, brushed our teeth and noticed nothing for a day. Then one of the kids came and told me they went to get more toilet paper (stored in the vanity cabinet) and it was all wet! The toilet paper absorbed a lot of water, but everything in the cabinet was soaked! I quickly diagnosed the problem and fixed it, but now I am subjected to "did you tighten everything?" every time I do a repair.

Blogging for Business

When I started this site, I thought I'd be blogging for business; business for my Hot Dog Truck that is. While I have had some customers who've found me from my site, most of my business is repeat word of mouth business or folks "just passing by." My Hot Dog Truck has had a good year, and so has my site.

When I started this site, I read everything I could about monetizing my blog and driving traffic to it. While I'm not amazon.com quite yet, I'm doing OK considering I knew nothing about SEO 8 months ago. Considering I started with zero cash, I'd say the whole blogging endeavor has been a resounding success! I have also had a lot of fun and met a bunch of new people while doing it.

The success of this site has led me to explore some other projects which I plan to focus on in the winter months when I plan to shut down the Hot Dog Truck. I have also been exploring developing some other products which I'd like to market online. We're also looking into selling some specialty computer items online as well.

When you get into product sales online, an SEO company may be an expiditious way of getting the word out to the internet search engines so product phrases will be linked to my site. While this can be done alone, as I've done with the Hot Dog Truck, it takes a lot of time. An SEO firm can speed things up considerably and this is especially important when you are sitting on product in a crowded marketplace. Getting people who are looking for info on a specific product to convert to buyers of the product is an important step. They have to want what you have, find you, be convince your product is the one they want and then buy it! Whether you want to sell relish or specialty computer mouses, doing a good job on the SEO for your site is tantamount for success.

If all goes well, I can spend a lot of time in Florida in the winter months running my websites and keeping away from the crummy New England winters. My folks live outside of Tampa and I could stay with them and run my sites in the sunshine. A little SEO Tampa Bay and my laptop and I'll be good to go!

Ski Stuff

Ski season will be upon us soon. I am making a concerted effort to get back on the slopes this season. I'd like to get out to Utah or Colorado (most likely Utah) as my wife has never been there. The powder is intense, the runs are loooong and the scenery is spectacular. Utah has the best skiing on the planet as far as I am concerned.

I don't own skis anymore. Why bother? The technology changes every year, so I'd rather rent skis in Utah than lug outdated skis on an airplane. I'd rather spend my dough on a nice new ski clothes. I hear Spyder clothing is the hot new brand out there, but I'm not much of a fool for fashion.

Christysports.com has a great selection of everything you'd need for skiing or snowboarding, plus they carry the aforementioned Spyder clothing. They also have mountainside locations at many resorts in Utah and Colorado. You can find out what you want to buy (or rent) and either get it shipped from their website or pick it up at the mountain! How cool is that?

Ketchup on a Hot Dog

Everyone knows I like ketchup on my hamburgers. But ask to put ketchup on one of my dogs and you'll get the ketchup, you might also get a bit of "commentary" from the Hotdogman!

For an interesting take on the subject, visit the Straight Dope on ketchup.

Dancin Ketchup

I still don't like ketchup on hot dogs, but this is a catchy little video. Look how happy the hot dog is!

What to do When the Money is Gone

If you own a home, you have a mortgage. Mortgages have been very easy to come by for most people in the beginning of this millennium-if you had a pulse and a job you could get a mortgage. Money was pretty easy to get in the past 6 years or so.

Unfortunately, remortgages are becoming less common as banks and mortgage lenders have tightened lending guidelines do to increasing defaults. Homeowners are being foreclosed on at records rates to to the free and easy lending practices of the past 6 years. In the U.S. dozens of mortgage lenders have gone belly up, but they have only their greed and poor judgement to blame. Borrowers who took mortgage payment protection plans with their mortgages are glad they did. These plans pay your mortgage when you can't.

More banks should have pitched mortgage payment protection plans when they were playing fast and loose with their lending guidelines-maybe there would be fewer defaults if they had. Unfortuneateley for most borrowers, high interest adjustable loans obtained 3-7 years ago are adjusting NOW and payments are through the roof. The lenders are partly to blame for this mess and borrowers who KNEW they were overstating things are to blame too.

Link Love Thursday III

This week's Link Love is going out to folks who have left comments on the Hot Dog Truck. Comments are a great way to spread link love, so I am recognizing folks who have commented by spreading a little more!

Laura Lohr She's teaching her kids naughty words.
Andy Mr. Boombox Carrying Rollerskater.
Dawn Gets "the munchies" when she visits.
Rudi He wants to help me steal $48 million.
Danny Likes Led Zeppelin and Diners.
Rhea A Boston blogger who lurks here.
Rich STILL the only blogger to eat at my truck!

Cruisin'

I want to go on another cruise soon. Cruising is my favorite kind of vacation. Everything you need is right at your feet yet you're in a different place every other day. I've cruised to Bermuda a few times and I really want to try some other destinations.

The best way to cruise on short money is to try to book a last minute deal. If you can book a last minute cruise, you get much more bang for the buck; you can save 50-60% or more on the total package price.

Unfortunately, with five kids, such last minute planning is often impossible. This is why it is important to find the best deals on cruises by doing your homework. Oftentimes if you book "off peak" times of the year for your destination, you can save money. You can also save on a cruise by taking a lesser stateroom. I've found that other than sleeping and showering, I've spent very little time in my stateroom, so why drop the extra bucks for a fancy one?

We really want to cruise Hawaii someday. I am hoping we can get a good deal so we can go sooner than later! We'll probably look at booking a cruise through Holiday Hypermarket since they have last minute deals AND great discount pricing on every cruise in their itinerary! Their flight and hotel prices are a good value too.

FOOTBALL!!!!

My Patriots looked scary good last Sunday. They rolled over the Jets and made it look easy. Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Dante Stalworth and Randy Moss are going to be fun to watch this season. I don't see them having a tough time until they face Indy and they might smoke them too! The Pats are going to beat San Diego by a couple of touchdowns (or more) Sunday. Too bad Jared is flying all the way in to watch his team get croaked!

Football season also provides the opportunity to line my pockets with the profits from "educated sporting investments." I have always done well wagering on football and I hope this season is no exception. I have, as you may know, started a new site with LAZ called Winning Football Picks where we'll share our picks, predictions and "investment strategies" all season long. Week One's games (Thursday, Sunday & Monday Night) saw a record of 8 wins, 3 losses and 2 pushes for a total of plus 4.6 "units" (thats $4600 for a "dime player"). Not a bad start to the season, eh?

If you like money, check out Winning Football Picks and "play along."

Jared, do yourself a favor and take the Pats, you can pay for your trip!

Soggy Basement Help

About 12 years ago I was in Florida watching the news about a huge N'or Easter pounding Massachusetts. We returned home to find our house under a foot of wet, melting snow. The power was out and we had small kids so we went to a hotel. I went back home after everyone was settled to check things out and, since there was no power, our sump pump had failed and there was almost two feet of water in our basement! I spent the better part of the next two days running a generator and pumping out the basement.

We had quite a mess on our hands and we needed a mold remediation service to help clean up the mess. I also got a hard lesson in basement waterproofing. We eventually added a second sump pump and a permanent back up generator. We also dug a French drain around the foundation and sealed the concrete foundation with waterproofing sealer.

My wife runs a rental property for her parents and we dread phone calls when it's wet out because they have basement waterproofing issues at that house. They've had to have two separate mold remediation treatments to the home due to the fact that the basement is so wet.

When we bought our current house, I did a complete basement waterproofing treatment BEFORE we moved all of our stuff in so we wouldn't ever be bugged by a wet basement! My friend in the Bronx has had wet basement and mold remediation issues in his home. He didn't deal with it himself, like me. He called American Waterproofing and they got the job done right!

Clicker Etiquette

We have four TVs in our house. One in the kitchen, one in the playroom for the kids, one in our bedroom and one in the living room. The living room TV is the "good" TV. My wife and I are in a constant struggle for control of the almighty CLICKER.

If we're going to settle down to a night of TV, there are certain unwritten rules we follow. I'm not much of a TV fan. I like a good movie. I watch baseball, football and the news. The only shows I watch are Two and a Half Men and Survivor (I PROMISE I'll never blog about Survivor).

My wife is a clicking fool. She will flip around until she finds the most inane reality show she can find. She watches Survivor. She watches anything to do with reality programming and remodelling while commenting "Oh, that looks like a good project." I cringe when these shows are on. She watches Dog the Bounty Hunter, Flavor of Love, Super Nanny, Biggest Loser, The Bachelor, The Apprentice and the list goes on (and on). If its a reality show, she'll find it.

Now during baseball and football season, there is a struggle for CLICKER CONTROL. I, naturally, want to watch the games on the "good" TV. Here is where the unwritten rules come in. For Red Sox- Yankee games there is no discussion. The ball game is on. If its a game against Kansas City, she'll make some noise, but if I can invent some drama ("hey, Manny's going for Home Run number 500"), I can get the CLICKER without much fuss.

She's getting savvy though. She checks to see who's pitching and for the opponent's record and if it's a "dog" game, she'll protest. Depending on my mood, I may relent if it really is a dog game.

Sunday Football takes precedence, she even watches sometimes (although my brother just got a humongous Plasma-I'll be going over there a lot on Sundays this year). For the Sunday Night and Monday Night Football games, I'll relinquish the clicker if the game is one sided or has no "sporting" significance. Needless to say, the Patriots games are always on.

I got her good once. Last year NFL Network began the NFL Replay on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. They replay two games from the previous weekend each night. I was watching a game on a Tuesday night and she asked what the heck football was doing on TV on a Tuesday night. I told her they were experimenting with new nights. Rolling her eyes and letting out an exasperated sigh, she trotted upstairs to watch some reality drivel. It took her three weeks to figure out the Tuesday and Wednesday games were replays and boy was she pissed when she found out! She actually hid the clicker on me!

Most of the time we reach a happy equilibrium with the clicker, but it's a never ending struggle for CLICKER CONTROL.

Nothin' Would be Finer

Every once in a while the wife and I talk/dream of leaving the hustle bustle of the Northeast for a warmer climate and a more relaxed lifestyle. North Carolina is a destination that comes up quite often. We both love the mountains and the Appalacian Trail begins down South and snakes through the Smoky Mountains near the idyllic community of Asheville, North Carolina.

This small city is surrounded by the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains and offers a wide variety of outdoor recreational and cultural activities. There is a plethora of places for hiking, white water rafting and tubing. Asheville has a symphony, theatre, art galleries and fine dining. It is a popular vacation spot and features many Bed and Breakfast Inns for weekend getaway. There are also opportunities for skiers in the winter months.

This is the type of place we'd love to move to someday and settle into one of the many North Carolina mountain homes in the area. Asheville is the perfect combination of a small town with big city amenities (without the big city hassles) and is a littered with North Carolina mountain homes.

Once our kids get out of high school, we'd love to sell our house and retire to the scenic beauty of North Carolina and find our very own North Carolina mountain home to call our own.

9-11

Take a moment to remember those who lost their lives on 9-11-01.



I was working that day. My group was calling New York City and we had sales reps on the street in the city. Once the planes struck the Twin Towers, our prospects were hysterical. We stopped calling, flipped on the radio and listened to what was happening. Everyone went home around 10:30 that and I spent the rest of the day watching CNN.

Where were you on that day?

Yeah, Its a Wedding Dress

Theo Epstein, the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox got married last year. He tricked the Boston media by having his father release that he and his bride were to be married in New York with the reception at the original Nathan's Hot Dog Stand in Coney Island. They bought it!
I am sure Theo's bride wore some sort of wedding dress. All women want to wear new wedding dresses and save it for their daughters. Of course when presented with the idea of wearing mom's dress, most daughters scoff and say "THAT old thing?!"

Which leaves dad holding the tab for a new wedding dress.

As for the dress in the picture, my wife likes this one. It's made by Bonny and it has shirred bodice down the front, trimmed with embroidered beaded lace. Spaghetti straps crisscross down the back into the shirred bodice trimmed with buttons. The trumpet skirt is plain with a chapel train. This dress costs 400 bucks. Not bad considering I've heard of wedding dresses that cost THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! As a father of four daughters, the $400 option seems like a bargain.

Looks good to me, I guess. I never got why women felt the need to drag an expensive piece of material that will cost a hundred bucks to clean and store until their daughter wants to scoff at it across the floor for 8-10 hours of wedding hoopla. Wouldn't a simple skirt type deal like this one suffice? I'm into simple.

And cheap! This one, also by Bonny is only $286!
I like it even more now! This style is probably a little easier for the groom to deal with on the wedding night too, if you get my drift! While shopping for wedding dresses is a woman's domain, dad usually writes the check so its best to present a daughter with value pricing for their selection of wedding dresses!

London Calling

I'd like to live abroad someday. I'd want to live somewhere they speak English though. I'm not into learning another language and my French is good enough to order dinner and find the train station but it is far from conversational.

Australia would be cool, but it is so far away from everything and everyone I know, I might feel too isolated. England would be a fun place to live. London is a great city! I could get a flat and start looking for jobs in London. The language barrier would not be there and most of the Brits I know get a kick out of my thick Boston accent.

There are plenty of sales jobs in London and I could probably eke out a living somehow. Maybe I could open a chain of "All American Hot Dog Trucks" and create some jobs in London! The cuisine would be an improvement!

Business VOIP

It used to be if you wanted aPBX Phone System for your business, you needed to get a couple of T-1s and invest tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment. Larger companies have staff in place just to deal with the phone system.

Now with the enhancements and advances in VOIP (Voice over Internet protocol) services, businesses don't necessarily need to spend huge amounts of dollars on a PBX Phone System. Packet8 offers a hosted "virtual" PBX Phone System with all the functionality of the old school phone systems at a fraction of the cost. Whether you need a PBX Phone System for a small business or a large call center (or anything in between), Packet8 can supply your business with a feature rich PBX Phone System that will be easy to install and get running, will grow with your business, will support multiple locations and won't require a separate room in your office for equipment.

The service plans include monthly or yearly fixed rates with unlimited calling and the ability to add extensions nearly instantly. All the services offered by Packet8 are video phone compatible as well.

If I had Hot Dog Trucks all over the world, I could communicate between locations without incurring additional costs and I could use the video phones to make sure my locations were putting their dogs together correctly!

The scalability of their plans, the virtual PBX Phone System, and the advantages that come with fixed costs make Packet8's offerings an excellent voice solution for businesses of any size. Check out Packet8 today

Review: HomeCamera.com

***THIS IS A PAID REVIEW***
Most readers know I do PayPerPosts. While this post is a PayPerPost opportunity, it is, at the advertiser's request, a fair and impartial review. In other words, it won't be the usual "link ho" fluff! So I've been paid to look at a website called HomeCamera.com. They've asked me to read up on their service and talk to my readers about what I honestly think about it.

What home camera does is take any ordinary webcam and, with a software download, enable the webcam owner to view their home from any internet PC or even a phone with picture and video capabilities. In short, it turns your webcam into a home security camera without any fancy schmancy wiring or security service contracts. There are other services that do this, but the applications are clunky and complicated. Home Camera claims their software is easy to use and you don't need to be an uber computer geek to set it up.

The best part is they are in beta right now and they are offering the home camera service for free. Beta users will be able to maintain their free usage status for life once they go live and start charging for the service. Free home camera security service sounds like a good deal to me. That's one point for the HomeCamera.com folks!

The way they describe the service, it sounds easy to use. I like easy. We tried to set up a webcam feed for our baby a few years ago and I got so frustrated trying to figure it out we just used the "old fashioned" baby monitor! I would probably use this service for some sort of fun application, like setting a webcam up at the Hot Dog Truck for internet podcasting on this site-that would be taking "a day in the life of the Hotdogman" to the ultimate extreme. Our home security system is old fashioned: lock the doors and have a BIG dog. Our dog keeps more people off our property than any camera would and I'd rather keep someone who is up to no good off the property than view them rifling through our stuff via the internet!

If I had people in my home doing construction, repairs or perhaps cleaning the house, I might think differently. A home camera would allow me to keep my eye on them while not at home. I have seen "bad nannies" busted on TV by concerned parents who installed a hidden home camera to discover and document child abuse. We don't have a nanny, but if we did a home camera would certainly be something I'd consider. Once again "free" would be a nice enticement to try it (I am such a cheap bastard my wallet squeaks when I open it). Anyone who had these types of concerns would probably benefit from the home camera service, even if there were a nominal monthly fee.

The other thing you can't put a price on is peace of mind. If having a home camera took some worry out of your day on a regular basis, it would be worth whatever they charge.

The one thing that bugs me about the service is the whole "big brother" thing. We live in a world where personal information is easily compromised. Identity theft is rampant and is unlikely to go away anytime soon. (I had my identity stolen-IT GOT RETURNED!) Having my home broadcast over the internet gives me the creeps. I'd be worried savvy crook could hack my home camera feed and know when I'm not home. If they're smart enough to do that, they could disable it altogether. A simple snip of my cable wire would disable the feed as well. This type of thinking brings me back to the dog. Crooks who do breaking and entering will stay away from a house with dogs-there are plenty of targets without dogs (and they probably have nicer stuff than us).

So lets review the review. Home Camera is easy to use and free-both good things. You can view your camera from virtually any internet device-also good. I probably wouldn't use it-I'll keep my big dog thanks. If I had people in my home that I wanted to keep an eye on, I'd hook it up; at least until I teach the dog to give me written reports! If you are the type of person who would gain some added peace of mind from a home camera, then I'd say give it a whirl-the price is right after all and you can lock in the free pricing for life if you get hooked up now. The "big brother thing" bugs me, but if my concerns for home security outweighed my conspiratorial paranoia I'd probably hook it up.

All in all, it seems like a good application that I'll probably never use.

Big Winning Sunday!

My Winning Football Picks site had a GREAT DAY SUNDAY! Our Sunday plays went 8-2-1! We'll be posting Monday Night Plays too, so if you like money, you need to check out Winning Football Picks!

My Card

When I was in high school I took a production printing class as an elective. We'd do print jobs for local businesses and we got experience in printing and running a business. We also got to print stuff for ourselves. I made up a thousand business cards that simply said "My Card" along with my name and home phone number. I handed them out at college and I'd give them to girls in clubs. It was a cute ice breaker and I got many a phone call from those little cards.

Once I got out into the wonderful word of sales, I always had business cards. When I owned my duct cleaning business, I had a $20.00 off coupon on the back of my business cards. My wife, who works in a Real Estate Office is always bringing home broker business cards with football and baseball schedules on the back. These always grab my attention. I even had magnetic business cards when I was in the mortgage business; they are like mini billboards on my customer's refrigerators.

One of the coolest business cards I ever saw was one of those picture cards that looks like it's in 3D when you wiggle it back and forth. It was from a guy in the printing business who printed all my business cards! His cards grabbed my attention so much I order all my cards from his company to this day; I can even order my business cards online from his company now!

I remember reading a book by the self professed "World's Greatest Salesman," Joe Girard, and he used to go to football games with a couple thousand business cards. Whenever the crowd would rise to its feet and cheer, he'd throw a few hundred business cards into the air! I wonder if the printing lobby paid him to write that?!

When I was in the mortgage business, I was going through about 500 business cards per month. They went into every envelope I sent-marketing mailers, customer correspondence, even my bills! I even put the old "My Card" gag on the back of my "official" business cards to help make folks remember me. Most customers found it amusing and it definitely set me apart from other mortgage brokers.

I have business cards for the Hot Dog Truck, but I don't hand out many. They have the "My Card" gag on the back too. I still send them in with my bills as a goof and I hand them out to customers who want to call ahead for an order. These business cards have my cell phone number on them, so they come in handy for all sorts of situations.