Blog Your Blessing Sunday XXXIX

Continuing with the story of Jesus' birth, we read about his family's escape to Egypt:

Matthew 2: 13-18
The Escape to Egypt

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
"A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more."

High Flying Hot Dog Story

A friend of mine is a helicopter salesman (hey somebody has to do it) and he recently emailed me this little tidbit with photos:

I made a business trip to Vancouver Island in British Columbia back in June, 2004. The island is mountainous and heavily forested. I had a treacherous drive through the mountains on questionable roadways full of big trucks and giant old-growth trees right up to the edge of the road. My return trip started at Port Alberni airport in the interior of the island. My destination was the ferry at Nanaimo to go back to Vancouver. Since there were no rest stops along the mountain road, I was plenty hungry and found this "Hot Dog Truck" at the ferry waiting area. Pretty slick.

My customer and his "toy" at Port Alberni.

Map of area

Mountain road driving to get to the Hot Dog Truck

Hot Dog Truck (actually, it's a trailer) and proprietor

Sign at the trailer-who can argue with that?

Thanks for the story and photos, Mike!

iPhone Accessories-Protect your 'i"

iPods and iPhones are the hottest electronic gadgets in the history of electronic gadgets. My kids all have iPods and they all want iPhones!

These little bits of electronic wizardry are terrific, but they're expensive. You don't want to go out and buy a new one every week so you need to take good care of them. My kids all got protective skins for their iPods this Christmas. They keep water off the unit and act as a shock absorber if it gets dropped.

PDOStore.com has all sorts of iPhone accessories to protect these delicate electronic marvels. Whether you want a funky colored silicon skin or a snappy leather case, their selection of iPhone accessories is sure to protect your delicate electronics in style.

So make sure you take the proper protective measures. Remember, "it's always fun until somebody loses an 'i'!"

Go Tubing

Do you like to ski? Do you want a family winter recreation option that offers the speed and thrill of skiing without the physical strain and huge expense? Then do what I did over the Christmas week-GO TUBING!

Tubing is simply sledding down a mountain on an inner tube. We went to a place called Saint Sauvier about an hour north of Montreal on the 27th and it was a blast. The whole day only cost $165.00 (that includes snacks at the base lodge). Compare that to $100 per person (with ski rentals and lift tickets-NO SNACKS) for skiing-with 7 people in the family THAT would have been an expensive day!

Many ski areas are offering tubing now and you can Google "Tubing" for places to go in your neck of the woods. Your kids will love it and so will you, the Hotdogman GUARANTEES IT!

Computer Guy to Go

Everyone needs a "computer guy." He's the friend who knows all about home networking and computer troubleshooting. Many companies employ at least one computer guy to keep their computer network running smoothly and to conduct routine computer troubleshooting.

If you have a problem and you have no computer guy friend or your business is too small to justify a full time computer guy, then where do you turn?

Fast-Teks are the computer guys who come to you. They'll come to your home or office for all your computer troubleshooting needs at a reasonable price. They can even offer preventative maintenance, call in diagnostics and computer training.

Christmas Dinner

For the first time in my adult life, I hosted Christmas Dinner in my OWN HOME. I have always gone elsewhere for Christmas and for once I didn't want to leave my house on Christmas Day. We had 17 people for a dinner of Turducken (a chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey), mashed potatoes, stuffing, carrots, green beans and gravy. For dessert there were cookies, an apple pie and my mom's DELICIOUS Ricotta Pie.

It was yummy. It was also a lot of work! I told everyone I've got Christmas Dinner covered again in 43 years!

Booted at Christmas

Christmas has come and gone. Presents have been unwrapped, cookies have been eaten, leftovers have been disbursed and the Christmas tree stands in defiance of its coming removal.

Now is the time to go and get the stuff you NEED that Santa didn't bring. I need a new belt, gloves and some Hiking Boots. I prefer to buy footwear for myself anyway, so I'm glad nobody got me Hiking Boots.

I've worn Hi-Tec Hiking Boots for years and I've found a great place to buy them online at great prices. Metboots.com has my Hi-Tec Hiking Boots plus a huge selection of Hiking Boots, Work boots and Hunting boots.

I can find exactly what I want in the size I want in a few clicks. Their customer service is friendly and efficient and if you spend more than a hundred bucks, they'll ship for free. Why go to the mall for new Hiking Boots when I can get them so easily at Metboots.com?

Blog Your Blessings Sunday XXXVIII

Matthew 2: 1-12
The Visit of the Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Holiday Lamp

This may be the final days for my crappy floor lamp that I hate so much. I have hated it since "we" got it. I can't turn the damn thing on from a seated position and it drives me out of my mind. I'm thinking of a nice "post Christmas" gift for myself.

I found some great lamps at Farreys.com. It's easy to find exactly what you want, even though they have thousands of choices. Their search feature lets you narrow your search by a variety of parameters.

I'd prefer to get one of the contemporary floor lamps instead of one of their table lamps. As long as I can turn it on and off from a seated position that is.

THANK YOU

I would like to thank all my customers who have made 2007 a successful year at the Hot Dog Truck. I enjoy my work and everyone (well almost everyone-you know who you are) is an absolute pleasure to serve. I appreciate the kind comments I've received from many of you over the past few weeks and I wish each and every hot dog lovin' one of you a safe and joyous Christmas season and a happy and prosperous New Year.

The Hot Dog Truck will be back in March-somewhere! I will post my new location here and will contact some of you directly.

Once again, THANK YOU for your patronage, your loyalty and your love of a good hot dog!

-Very truly yours,
The Hotdogman

Holiday Debt Consolidation

As I write this, MILLIONS of people are out Christmas shopping and racking up huge credit card bills. We have gotten those unpleasant January credit card bills in the past and now we only shop with ca$h so we don't get ourselves over our heads in debt.

There will be a lot of people who are in need of credit card counseling come the end of January. They should check out TheCreditExchange.com. They're a company, in fact the only company of its kind, that can refer folks to the appropriate credit card counseling, debt consolidation and debt management services for their particular situation.

All their affiliate companies are carefully screened to assure the person in need of credit card counseling that they won't be dealing with some flim flam operation. They also have lots of informative articles on debt consolidation and credit card counseling.

So if you go overboard with the plastic while doing your Christmas shopping, give TheCreditExchange.com a look.

The End of the Season

The Hot Dog Truck went out with a whimper. Yesterday was a strong sales day, today was not. Of course more folks came by to get their last dogs of 2007, but many more were at company Christmas parties or just not working.

Many people will be running around, making last minute preparations for the long holiday weekend. Unfortunately, hot dogs weren't in the picture. I was a little melancholy as I packed things up for the final time this year, but I'll be back soon.

Only 55 days until pitchers and catchers report!

Summer Surf Camp

Here it is 4 days until Christmas, more than a foot of snow on the ground and the hot topic in my house is Summer Camps. Kids need to do something in the summer and Summer Camp fits the bill. The reason we start talking about it now is you need to sign up for Summer Camps early so you're sure to get a spot.

At this writing, I have a kid signed up for basketball camp, boy scout camp and girl scout camp. In the coming month, we'll have a couple of kids signed up for sailing camp and another for a marine biology camp. It's a lot to think about at this busy time of year, but it has to be done NOW.

My two teens want to work for a chunk of the summer, but they'll still get a week or two at Summer Camp (if for no other reason than to get them out of the house). Teens want to go to overnight camp, not day camp, and they want something with a little adventure involved.

I found a place called Surf Camp in North Carolina. They have an overnight program, right on the beach, that teaches kids and teens how to surf. They also teach the kids about marine science and ocean safety. My kids would absolutely LOVE going to Surf Camp! They get kids from all over the world, so the social and cultural exposure they'd get would help them be more well rounded.

This sounds like an awesome Summer Camp experience. I wish they had Summer Camps like this when I was a kid. Maybe I'll tag along and attend one of the adult camps they offer (that would THRILL the kids). But if I send them to Surf Camp, I'll need to sell a LOT of hot dogs at the hot Dog Truck!

Why Blog Explosion Sucks

I joined up with Blog Explosion back in February. I wanted eyeballs looking at my blog and I have some regular readers that originated from Blog Explosion.

I LOVED the Battle of the Blogs. You basically match up with another blog and people vote on which one is best.

All that came to an end in September when I went to edit my URL on my blog in my Blog Explosion account. When I did that, my blog was deactivated. I sent a trouble ticket immediately and heard nothing.

A month went by-NOTHING. So I sent another ticket.

It's almost 2008 and I haven't even gotten a reply from the folks at Blog Explosion.

They are either completely incompetent or they just don't care. Either way, that means they suck and I'll be removing my Blog Explosion widgets from this site and forgetting about them. Because they suck.

Franchise for Success

It's an old cliche to say it's good to be "in business for yourself but not by yourself." This is the basic concept behind Franchises. If you want to be in business for yourself but still have a proven concept with education and guidance through the process of building your business, then Franchises are for you.

There are THOUSANDS of Franchises out there to choose from. There are even hot dog Franchises. The question is, which one do you choose?

RedHotFranchises.com is a great place to start looking. They have hundreds of top quality Franchises listed on their site. You can check out different industries, start up costs, expenses, royalties and a whole lot more. Everything is in one place for easy comparison.

If you've been thinking about starting a business, maybe Franchises is something you should look in to. You just might find your dream business.

TIME FOR FOOTBALL

My wife is beside herself. At this time of year, there is NFL Football on Monday Night, Thursday Night, Saturday Night, Sunday at 1PM, Sunday at 4PM and Sunday Night. When football is on, I get to watch on the "good" TV-she sometimes watches with me but often retreats to the boudoir to watch a movie.

"How many friggin nights can they have football on?!?" she is often heard saying at this time of year.

She's caught up in the Patriots run this year, but she can't understand my fascination with the other games. I try to remind her that I often have more than a sporting interest in the games and that my success is key to a happy household. She just says "Show me the money when you win, otherwise LET ME WATCH MY SHOW."

My wife will be glad when the Superbowl is over, but then it's only 2 months until baseball season!

Check out Winning Football Picks and see how we're doing!

Gimmee Some Swag

When I was in sales for the phone company, we gave out promotional products like candy. We used to call it "promo swag." It's a great way to get people to remember you and your company. Everyone like free stuff, especially if it's fun and/or useful. My favorite promotional products of all time was a toy hammer that made the sound of breaking glass when you hit it against a solid object.

Gimmees.com has TONS of promotional products that any salesman or business owner can use to build good will with his customers. People will see your company name whenever they use the item, which reinforces your brand. They'll also remember YOU as the guy who gave them some cool free swag.

Now you can browse, design and purchase your promotional products online. It's an easy way to get this bit of business marketing done without a lot of stress or running around.

That's Snow Biz

It was another crappy, snowy New England day today. I ALMOST didn't open the Hot Dog Truck. Tuesday a couple of guys from BOSE said they were coming down with "a crowd" today so I felt obligated to open. BOSE is having a Christmas party tomorrow and nobody will be coming out for Hot Dogs.

The guys showed and pigged out as the snow fell. A lot of other people came out too. I was very busy, despite the snow. Everyone is coming to say goodbye to the hotdogman until spring and to get their last fix of the best hot dogs in 2007.

Tomorrow is the last day of the season. I'll be spending the next week with the family, celebrating Christmas, taking a road trip to Montreal and generally relaxing.

Let it SNOW!

LED Rope Lights

I've written about LED Christmas Lights, but LED lights aren't just for Christmas. You can use LED rope light for lots of different things. I used to have a LED rope light ringing the roof of the Hot Dog Truck. You can bend, twist and even weave LED rope light. It's a great tool for the creative type.

LED rope light is a great way to give a lighting accent to just about anything (even a Hot Dog Truck) without worrying about the lights overheating. You can get them in a wide variety of colors and LED lights are also a lot less expensive to run than regular lights and they last 10 times longer.

Grab a LED rope light for a last minute gift for someone or pick one up for yourself at the after Christmas sales.

Link Love Thursday XIV

The Holidays have left me less time for the Hot Dog Truck site so my Link Love posts have been every other week lately.

I am sending the Link Love to some folks who have sent some Link Love to the Hot Dog Truck in the past month.

Floyd has been running his Best Bloggers Awards for a few months now (I won one a while back) and he has several blogs.

Floyd's Ancient Wonders is a cool blog with photos of and stories about ancient artifacts.

Floyd's Secrets of the Earth is an interesting Blog that highlights the weird and wacky wonderments found all over our planet.

Floyd's Free Money News is, as you might guess, a blog about making money online. There are also other money tips about investing and personal finance.

Way to go, Floyd.

The folks at the Predator Press have also linked to the Hot Dog Truck. This blog is an irreverent humor blog that takes swipes at just about anything, even sharks!

Dannywakeup over at Diners, Roadhouses, Drive-Ins, Joints and Dives knows a good Hot Dog Joint when he sees one. He is on a quest to chronicle the greatest American eateries. A very interesting site.

These are a few of the folks who have shared the love in the past week or so. The hotdogman likes linking to those that link to the Hot Dog Truck.

If you want a link on a Link Love Thursday post, leave a comment and link to me. I WILL LINK BACK!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Link Love will return in 2008!

Cash Advance on Credit

As I wind down the season at the Hot Dog Truck, I am thinking of the future. I would like to expand my business-either by getting another Hot Dog Truck that is a better "runner" so I can do events or by getting an actual physical location. There are a lot of ways to expand a business and lots of options available to me.

The first (and my favorite) is to expand with cash on hand. No borrowing means no bills to pay. Unfortunately, I might not have enough cash to expand. That means borrowing. If I come across a good opportunity, I may need fast business cash.

One way to get fast business cash for expansion is to borrow against my future Visa® and MasterCard© sales. I can get cash NOW and repay when my customers pay for their hot dogs with Visa® or MasterCard©. Of course I'll need to accept credit cards first, but I have a cousin in that business and she could get me hooked up quickly.

Whatever direction I go regarding expanding the Hot Dog truck business, I am sure I'll need some fast business cash at some point.

Countdown to the End of the Season

Lots of customers are coming by to say their farewells to the hotdogman before I close up the Hot Dog Truck for the season. Yesterday, one guy drove an hour out of his way just to get his final dog for 2007! Tomorrow I am expecting several large parties from nearby offices who want to have a Holiday Hot Dog Party before I shut down for the season.

It has been very cold and snowy here, so it is an easy decision to close, even if it's bittersweet.

Health Insured

When I think about health insurance, I get pretty worked up. Health insurance is important to a father of FIVE!

The problem is finding good health insurance. When I had to get coverage for my family through my own business, I spent a lot of time shopping for a good health insurance quote. It's nice to find a company like BUPA that has a website with lots of information about the health insurance they offer.

The BUPA site offers lots of options for health insurance coverage and finding a health insurance quote is easy. They also have an extensive library of information about medical conditions.

Companies like BUPA get it. I've seen insurance sites (like the one for OUR health insurance) that are difficult to navigate and that use very confusing terminology. The BUPA site is very straightforward and easy to understand. Health insurance is hard enough to figure out without the insurance company making it harder!

Christmas Phunnies

I went stumbling around to find some good Christmas humor. Kudos to Postworthy for finding these and a whole lot more!

Talk about getting a crappy present!

Rudolph's Revenge!

Sad commentary on our overly "PC" culture.

I say "Merry Christmas" to my customers!

I want ALL the Santas to display this sign.

Make Money Online with Payloadz.com

If you've ever thought of selling stuff online, you probably know that downloadable files like ebooks, music and videos are easy to sell because you don't have to stock a physical product. All you need is a good service provider to help you with your transactions. PayLoadz Downloable Goods eCommerce services will fit the bill for both the beginning AND experienced e-marketer.

Payloadz offers a FREE PREMIUM ACCOUNT for one month (try before you buy), secure file storage on their servers, digital delivery and full scale affiliate tracking. They use Google Checkout for their transactions and Payloadz will even let you demo an account for free.

The PayLoadz Downloable Goods eCommerce service is so good, they'll give you 150% of your money back if you aren't satisfied. They'll help you sell your product because if you don't succeed, they don't either.

Here's their Press Release about the new service:

New York, NY December 18, 2007 -- PayLoadz.com, a leading self-service digital content ecommerce platform, has released a new version of its content storage and fulfillment system to deliver downloadable content such as ebooks, music, videos, software, crafts, or any other file. This new platform provides unlimited file storage for sellers using its services without any increase in cost.

"I am very excited about latest version of our file delivery system," says Shannon Sofield, founder of PayLoadz. "Because of the repeat and impulse buying nature related to selling digital goods, the more products sellers have available, means more sales and revenue for our sellers. By providing them with as much storage as they need for their downloadable goods without increased cost, they can create more valuable content offerings."

The PayLoadz.com service now has a key competitive advantage with this new release as other companies attempting to enter this market niche are bound by their limited product inventory and file storage capabilities. The PayLoadz Free, Basic Service, gets a file storage increase from just 50MB to 1,000MB representing a twenty-fold increase. Higher level accounts feature Unlimited File Storage.

About PayLoadz
A New York, NY based company, PayLoadz is a long standing leader in the digital content and delivery sector. The privately-held company has over 60,000 registered users selling over 280,000 downloadable goods.

It's a Wonderful Life

This movie is a Christmas favorite of mine. We always watch it on Christmas Eve before putting the kids to bed. Call me a sentimental fool, but I find the story heartwarming.

Recently, the "lost ending" of It's a Wonderful Life was unearthed. Watch it and enjoy!

;o)

Facebook App Goofs on Co-Workers

It seems like there's a Facebook Application for EVERYTHING these days. I use Facebook to keep in touch with far away relatives and to keep an eye on my high schooler's online "friends." I can buy people a beer, throw a sheep at them, and a whole host of other silliness. These are Facebook applications, but they're pretty useless for anything other than a laugh.

Now the big recruiting site for Secretary Jobs has launched a new application called Office ASBO. It lets you send a friend or co-worker a "warning" about their anti-social office behavior.

It's designed to be fun. You can warn people who get too drunk at the office Christmas Party in a friendly and silly way with the "Beer Goggles" ASBO. There are currently 6 different "Holiday" warnings for the season and they plan on adding more "warning badges" in early 2008 so there will soon be a warning for just about every instance of anti-social office behavior. There's a ranking system set up and your rank goes higher as you warn more people. I wonder if your rank goes down if you receive too many warnings. Whatever the case, I suppose this beats reporting them to Human Resources!

The folks who want to recruit people for Secretary Jobs probably made this application to drive traffic to their website and that's OK. It sounds like a fun way to goof on your co-workers. I just hope the new application doesn't lead to a nasty lawsuit!

I can imagine someone who gets too many of these warnings getting miffed and making a stink about it. There's ALWAYS a party pooper in every crowd-they usually don't have a sense of humor. They're also usually litigious, so be careful of who you "warn." If you are on Facebook and you like this sort of nonsense, download the application the next time you log on to your account and give it a whirl.

Oh Come All Ye Faithful

I have three kids who sing in the Church Choir. My oldest is also involved in drama and the 10 year old sings in a school chorus as well. The annual Christmas Paegent at our church was last Saturday Night and the kids sounded great!

The whole congregation usually wraps the pageant up with "Oh Come All Ye Faithful." I saw Twisted Sister (of all musical groups) sing a ROCKIN' version of this song on David Letterman last year. If you can get past Dee Snyder's ugly mug, their version really rocks. It's a nice version. Give it a listen/view.

Where to Host?

I, obviously, have a website. In fact I have several. I also administer a website for my local Little League. I host this site on Blogger because it's free and I'm a cheap bastard. I may have to host this site somewhere else someday though. When you have free hosting, you get what you pay for!

The thing about finding a new web host is sorting through the thousands of available options. How do you choose? That's where the folks at http://www.webhostingchoice.com come in. This site has a HUGE directory of web hosts for people who want a small, simple site to those who want a large e-commerce site (and everything in between). All you need to do is enter the parameters for what you want your host to do and they'll spit out suggestions. Of course you can just browse their list too.

The next time I need to set up a site, I'll be sure to check out http://www.webhostingchoice.com. You should too.

Blog Your Blessing Sunday XXXVII

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Saturday was Christmas Pageant Night for the kids. This was my 10th! And so the story goes.....

Luke 2; 4-14

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hair Today

Alright, I admit it, I am "folicly challenged." That's why I always where a hat! My kids tease me sometime and say I should get a hair transplant.

I used to have hair like Dee Snyder. No more. It might be nice to have flowing locks again, but how do you choose hair transplant surgeons?

If you want the best, you should pick one who belongs to The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons. This is a professional membership organization that only accepts the best of the best. Hair transplant surgeons can't just write a check and be accepted into the organization. They need to be ethically and surgically superior to their peers.

So if you need a hair transplant, call one of these doctors and you know you'll be well taken care of.

Snow Day

The hotdogman took a snow day today. I needed to shovel out the Hot Dog Truck AND my own driveway to prepare for the weekend storm or I'd be behind the 8 ball next week.

Next week is the last week of the season for the Hot Dog Truck with Friday December 21 being the final day for business.

I feel I am prepared to open Monday as long as a decent plow job is done on Sunday after the storm passes through. I must say the plow guy at this site did a far better job than the guy at the other site!

See you Monday, enjoy the storm!

Healing Education

I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't a hotdogman. I'm working towards a Master's degree to go into teaching, but I like being a hotdogman and it pays better than teaching.

Maybe I could go to an energy healing school an be a spiritual healer. The way customers share their daily mishaps and woes with me, I'd probably be a natural at it. One customer calls me the"cheapest psychiatrist in town." I serve up his dogs and listen with a ready ear offering condiments and sage advice too.

I know there's more to spiritual healing than that, but I figure it's a start. I've always been able to connect with my inner child-probably because I've never quite grown up!

Why close for the winter?

Many people ask why I am closing for the winter. The answer is a purely economic one. In January, February and a decent chunk of March, it is a break even business. I can break even at home!

Seasonal workers (landscapers, painters, pool cleaners etc.) aren't out in the winter. Office workers won't leave their cubes to stand outside in 10 degree weather to get a hot dog. Not to mention the fact that the soda, the condiments and even the chili freezes!

I know, I've been out the past two winters. I go home most days cold and broke!

If I knew I'd sell 100 or more hot dogs a day, I'd stay out there. It simply doesn't happen. So I'll see you in the spring!

Help for Bad Credit Borrowers

With tons of Americans way over their head in debt, "bad credit borrowers" are a growing population. As a result, there are a lot more bad credit loans out there. The hard part is finding which bad credit loan is best.

BadCreditOffers.com is a one stop shop for all kinds of bad credit loans. You can compare loans and rates and even find out where to get a free credit report.

The helpful folks at BadCreditOffers.com are there to help. Don't these people look extremely helpful?

Check them out for all your bad credit loans.

Hotdogman, Shoeperstar

OK, so I do a lot of Pay Per Posts (over 200 to date). I like the extra dough. I've paid for braces, a lawyer and a bunch of other stuff with the money I've made from these paid posts.

The money's good, but I WANT MORE!! I want to go to Texas and attend the SXSW Conferences and Festivals. I want to hang out with Shoemoney, the blogger's guru and Ted Murphy of IZEA (the Pay Per Post folks) and be on the internet show RockStartup. Why do I want these things? Because it would be FUN!

Well, I may have found a way to do this. I can be a Shoeperstar and win Shoemoney's contest! I'll get plane fare to Austin, Texas, three nights hotel accommodation, and one thousand dollars spending cash if I win! Plus I get to be on the RockStartup show!

Why should I win? Because I make the best hot dogs and I actually use all the advice on blogs like Shoemoney to earn money blogging without writing about how to earn money blogging! And I do it without a single picture of cats to boot. I really am a blogging Shoeperstar!

Shoemoney is having a contest that I hope to win that will give me all this cool stuff. You can enter it HERE. But don't bother, I've got it wrapped up!

Security Blankets

There are a lot of things people take for granted in this world. Like when you have to move, you want to make sure you have those special moving blankets that protect your furniture so you don't hack it up.

Where do these moving blankets come from? They don't just magically appear in the rent-a-truck you hire for moving all your stuff. Someone has to make them, right?

I can't imagine some kid somewhere thinking to himself "when I grow up, I want to manufacture moving blankets." But some kid, somewhere had that dream and the mobile populace of the world who needs to protect that chest of drawers while in transit should shout to the heavens, "THANK YOU Mr. moving blanket maker. Because of you, my furniture will arrive at its new home unscratched!"

Coming down to the wire

There are less than two weeks left in the season for the Hot Dog Truck. I am wishing a Merry Christmas and saying my goodbyes to many customers. Some hot dog lovers are ordering an extra dog or two, hoping that will hold them over until March.

I am a bit melancholy as I have never closed for the winter since my first season. I don't know what I am going to do with myself! I'll probably get a job (UGH) for a few months to earn some spare change.

There is a big storm that may hit this Sunday, a N'Or Easter, and THAT could wreak havoc on my final week.

Stay tuned.....

Germany Redux

I traveled in Germany a little over 20 years ago. My family went to Cologne to see the Cathedral. We also stopped in Frankfurt and we spent a week driving down the Rhine Valley. The Rhine was gorgeous! There were medieval castles on nearly every hillside and we visited quite a few of them. For the longest time, I wanted to live in a castle! The small villages along the way reminded me of fairy tales. We stayed in a different hotel every night and every day was full of adventure and surprises.

We traveled through the Bavarian Alps and the Black Forest. We stayed in Bed and Breakfast Inns during this part of our journey and didn't look for a hotel in Deutschland during that leg of the trip.

We did not visit Berlin. When we were in Germany, just traveling to Berlin was a dicey proposition, never mind finding a hotel in Berlin. I'd like to go there now and see the united city and the Brandenburge Gates.

Munich is another city I'd like to see in Germany. I'd need a hotel in Munich if I went during Oktoberfest, because I don't think I'd be driving! I'd also like to see the Olympic Village in between pints of beer.

I hope to get back to Germany soon!

Blog Your Blessings Sunday XXXVI

I've been compiling Bible passages on the true meaning of Christmas. The continuing Christmas BYBS offers this passage for today. Best wishes in the season of Advent and a Happy BYB Sunday to all.

Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus Christ

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

An Abt Title

If you can't stand schlepping from store to store to find the best deal on computers, electronics and appliances, you need to do your shopping online! Why drive all over town looking to save a few bucks on an air purifier ionizer when you can get a great deal in a few clicks at Abt Electronics.

Abt has just about anything you need for your home from dishwashers to cell phones, HDTV's to espresso machines and everything in between. Their prices are good and when you consider you won't be wasting a lot of time or gas running around looking for appliances or electronics, you'll save money. Did I mention they offer FREE SHIPPING?

I swear, the internet was invented for the male shopper. Guys hate shopping for shopping's sake. Being able to point, click and buy has got to be the best thing for the male psyche since sex was invented!

I have been on a continuing quest to not shop in a store ever again and companies like Abt Electronics are making it easier for me every day!

Advertising vs. Reality

You've all seen ads for various fast food joints where the food looks SOOOO GOOD it makes your mouth water. Reality doesn't always live up to the advertising however. Here are a few comparisons.

Subway Sub: Ad vs Real Thing
KFC Famous bowl Ad vs Real Thing
Taco Bell Nachos Ad vs. Real Thing
McDonald's Big Mac Ad vs Real Thing

The Hot Dog Truck Two All Around Ad vs. Real Thing

BE HUNGRY, BE AUTHENTIC, GET REAL, HAVE A HOT DOG!!

Insurance Assurance

Insurance is the one thing you pay for and hope you never use it. Since you don't want to use it, finding cheap insurance is the best route.

Like most people, I have car insurance and house insurance. I couldn't get a car loan or mortgage without insurance! Having insurance does provide some peace of mind. When you need to make a claim, it's nice to know it's there.

Cheap insurance is good when you pay the monthly bill, but you don't want to find out the company's claims group is inept when you make a claim. Do your homework so you know your peace of mind won't become a nightmare when disaster strikes and you actually need your insurance!

Winter Wonderblah

Seeing as I am sick of snow on the ground and it's not even Christmas yet, I thought I'd offer up some winter scenes to vent my frustrations.

These snow men are having fun.

Now this has to be a bit hard on the backside.

I was thinking the same thing!

I have a TON of these CHEAP!!!

Loan Blight

Finding money to borrow is getting harder and harder. For the past few years, people took out mortgages on their homes like crazy to finance construction of home additions, second home purchases, vehicles, and debt consolidation. Now that the mortgage market is drying up, folks are either turning to unsecured loans or forgetting about borrowing at all.

Many of the construction guys who frequent the Hot Dog Truck are seeing a big slowdown in their business since nobody is spending money like they were a few years ago and they're unwilling to take out loans.

If this continues, the economy is going to go into the crapper until more money is made available to lend. Borrowing money is good when it's inexpensive to do so, but if interest rates are high or there is poor liquidity in the market, it becomes counterproductive.

People who take out mortgages to finance consumer debt are being shut out too. They have no recourse to pay down ridiculously high interest rates on credit cards and tighten their belts or go into default.

Borrowing what you can't pay back leads to trouble and the mortgage industry's loose standards over the past few years have created a situation where defaults are common and loans are scarce.

If people don't spend, we could all be in trouble.

Not Sunglasses, Shades!

That's me, the hotdogman, to the left. You almost never find me without my shades on. I just don't like getting the sun in my eyes.

Sunglasses (shades) are my favorite gift. I've got a bunch of different kinds. Fossil Minesweepers, Gucci, Revos, Maui Jims, Carrera and a bunch of cheapo "costume" sunglasses. Shades make a great gift!

What says "I love you" more than quality shades? You show you care about your loved ones eyes. My wife likes to buy me new shades for Christmas and Father's Day-that's how my collection is expanding!

If you have someone in your life who needs an upgrade to their shades, it's not too late to get them a nice pair for Christmas. They'll be glad you did!

Cooling Up

It was still pretty cold out today, but the sun was out and there was no wind so it didn't feel so desolate at the Hot Dog Truck. It was a lot busier too. Verizon had crews pulling fiber in the area and I had some hungry Verizon guys munching on dogs at 10:30 in the morning. There were also some guys cutting trees along the power lines in the area who were hungry too.

A host of regulars made their appearance as well. The Monday and Tuesday crowd who didn't show earlier this week were out in force too. Many regulars are saying their goodbyes for the season and pondering where they'll get their hot dog fix in the next two and a half to three months.

You just never know in this business!

Tech Bargains

Are you a tech or gadget person? Do you want the latest and greatest technology gadgets? If you do, you need tech bargains. They'll update you with email deal alerts, RSS feed info on the latest deals and even mobile RSS feeds. You'll never have to miss out on the best deal on the hottest new tech gadget with tech bargains.

Not a techie, but you need some info on the latest gadget for someone special in your life? Just go to tech bargains and read reviews on different products. Before long, you'll be an expert too!

Want to save LOTS OF MONEY on the latest tech gadgets and gear? Tech bargains can help you there too. Whether you need a cheap laptop computer or some other tech item, tech bargains can help you there too. They scour the web for the best deals on all sorts of products. They even provide you with coupon codes for extra savings on selected items.

With tech bargains, you can search on every page and you can find your way around the site easily so you'll be able to find exactly what you're looking for. And don't worry about missing out on a hot deal. The site is continuously searching the web for the best bargains and it's updated 24/7.

So why wouldn't you check out tech bargains?

Makes me wanna buy em...NOT

There are many clever ads for hot dogs (and lots of other things) out there. There are ads that make you think. There are ads that make you laugh. There are ads that have fantastic special effects. Creative people spend countless hours making good advertisements.

What were they thinking when they made this one?

How friggin stupid is this guy?

Desktop Themes

I got tagged by Jay over at Munny4Hunny. He wants me to show the world my desktop. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. It's pretty messy most of the time and I don't want to portray myself as a complete slob to the entire world!

So I'm including a photo of my current computer screen background instead. I'd take a snap shot of the screen with the icons on it and everything, but I don't know how to do that. I change my computer screen background every week or two. If I see a cool picture online, I'll put it up until I see another cool picture. Here's my computer screen background this week:

Just another picture I stumbled on that I thought was cool!

So I'm tagging these folks and hope they too will share their computer screen background-er-desktop:

Paulie
Matt
Dave
Revka
Joel

Data Back Up

You have important stuff on your computer. You want it kept safe and secure should your computer crash. You can get a bunch of zip drives, but what if they crash (or worse, you spill a beer on them)? Then what? Build your own server farm?

Now you can get online backup for your computer, even if you're just a regular guy with a Hot Dog Truck. You don't need to be a big company to get an online backup solution anymore.

In fact a company called IDrive-E offers 2GB of online backup for free. For a few bucks a month you can get unlimited storage of your data too. They back up your computer in real time and you can access your account through any browser.

These days, lots of folks have thousands of photos, homework, financial records and God knows what else on their computers. If that sucker crashes without a "backup" plan, you are screwed. You can't put a price on the things on your computer (I know, I found out the hard way) so a reliable online backup service is cheap insurance.

Funny Foto Friday (on a Tuesday)

Since discovering Stumble Upon, my TV viewing has gone WAY DOWN. There is so much funny stuff on the internet.

I thought the bridges in Massachusetts were in tough shape!

The definition of LAZY PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE:

That's one huge woodpecker!

The guy from the Fantastic Four is playing soccer now I see.

The original "temporary spare tire."

Simple but effective.

Do they have one for snow?

Canadian Drugs

Prescription Drugs are bloody expensive. People on fixed incomes who need to regularly purchase prescription drugs face serious financial burdens. Senior citizens need to find ways to get their medications regularly at affordable prices and Medicare doesn't cut the mustard.

Big Drug Companies have carte blanche to charge whatever they want for drugs in the US, even though their profits are obscene and their customers are in need. Who do you call on when you need prescription drugs at affordable prices?

The Canadians!

Not THOSE Canadians, the folks who bring you the Online Canadian Pharmacy!

The Online Canadian Pharmacy is a pharmaceutical escrow service. They take your order and money, hold the money in escrow and order your medications on your behalf from pharmacies all over the world-wherever you can get the best price. You can save 40-90% on just about any prescription medication and on many "over the counter" medicines as well.

The folks at the Online Canadian Pharmacy used to be an actual pharmacy, but some of the big drug companies shut them down in the US to preserve their obscene profits. The same pills you pay $10 a piece for in the US may very well cost HALF that or less in another country! Why pay more when you don't have to?

If you take prescription drugs regularly and you want to save some dough, give the Online Canadian Pharmacy a shot, your wallet will thank you, even if Pfizer doesn't.

Winter Dog Blues

Today was like February. Cold, lonely and not profitable.

How cold was it? It was so cold the chili dogs were actually chilly!

Seriously, it was about 10 below zero with the wind chill and customers were few and far between. It was the second worst sales day in the Hot Dog Truck's history. Luckily a friend with nothing better to do came by and hung out for an hour or so shooting the s___ . I also got a new high score in Tetris (322,459)!

I will miss the Hot Dog Truck over the winter, but I won't miss days like today.

Projecter Rentals

LCD projectors are the new, cool thing. You can watch DVD's on them or plug them into a computer and view your digital photos and videos. They're great for wedding videos-I recently saw our "digitally remastered" senior class slide show on an LCD projector at my 25th High School reunion. The thing is, they're a pricey item.

Now there's a place where you can rent them! You can get hooked up with movie night projector rentals at projector123.com. As long as FedEx delivers to where you are, you can get your movie night projector rentals overnight! When you're finished with it, just send it back in their "projector SASE" and you're good to go. What could be easier?

Check it out today.

Stumblin and Bumblin for Funny Stuff

The poor wizard! Nobody told the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion it wasn't "self service."
I always pictured God as more of a PC type...
Need I say more?
While this photo is interesting, someone somewhere has WAY too much time on their hands!

Picot at Park West

This is a painting by Jean-Claude Picot. He paints landscapes and still lifes in bright, almost gaudy colors. We have two pieces of his work in our home and I love them. They truly liven up the rooms they're in!

We got our Picot paintings from Park West Gallery. They are the world's largest art dealer and they run auctions 3 or 4 times a year in our area. Park West Gallery also runs art auctions on cruise ships, which is where we bought our first Picot.

Going to a Park West Gallery art auction is fun and it's free. They have them regularly in most major US cities. Usually, a Park West Gallery auction is at some fancy hotel-they always give out free champagne too. I guess they figure tipsy people will bid higher!

My favorite thing about a Park West Gallery auction is the auction guide book. It's a glossy book of all the pieces of art offered for sale at the auction and it's a work of art in itself. If you're looking for something fun to do, try to find a Park West Gallery auction in your area.

That's Snow Biz

Today was the day that makes me want to go home for the season. It SNOWED for the first time this season today!

Snow (or anything falling from the sky in abundance) is BAD for business. People just don't like standing around in the snow eating hot dogs-go figure. Don't get me wrong, I had customers and I made a few bucks, but nothing like a non snowy day of sales. It's supposed to melt tonight and tomorrow, so I'm not too worried, but it still sucks.

I just need to stay open until Christmas time so I'll have some extra cash for some presents.

GO AWAY SNOW!!!!

Swing It

Mark Twain described Golf as "a great way to ruin a nice walk." For most golfers out there, this is not far from the truth. Golf is a very difficult game to play well on a consistent basis and even good golfers have many frustrating moments. In my never ending quest to find how to do just about anything online, I have come across a new one: how to Have a perfect golf swing. And I thought I'd seen it all.

I can't play golf much anymore due to my bad back, but I try to get out once or twice a year just for kicks. Needless to say, breaking 100 is a good day for me.

The key to golf is good body mechanics consistently applied AND LOTS OF PRACTICE. The author of the Perfect golf swing website has come up with a method to allow people to know how to use their body to strike a golf ball with consistent power and accuracy.

"Consistent" is a recurring theme here. The only thing I seem to do consistently is slice the crud out of my drives. The Perfect golf swing guy would say my hands are out of position and his methods would help me cure that problem. I'd be willing to try just about anything!

The Perfect golf swing course is a video instruction course that has a 90 day money back guarantee. If you implement the instructions, practice your swing and STILL stink, you can get your money back.

If golf is important to you, this sounds like a good deal.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday XXXV

The Christmas Season is in full swing. While I get presents for my family and have a Christmas Tree, I try not to get caught up in the Christmas hype.

This month's BYB Sunday posts will strive to help folks remember what Christmas is about.

Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Where's the Beach?

The guy who started Mad Gringo, the company that sells Hawaiian Shirts and
beach wear has a lot in common with me.

We both got fed up with the high stress, high energy level of the corporate world to create a "lifestyle business" that allowed us to "Go Slow." My change of heart drove me to selling hot dogs at the Hot Dog Truck, his to selling beach wear online.
Every day I see people who are rushing around and miserable and they stop at my Hot Dog Truck for a quick lunch and hopefully a smile. Most folks would really be better off if they took the Mad Gringo's advice to "go slow." Life's too short to rush through it all and stressing out over stuff that doesn't really make you happy is just not worth the aggravation.

Hawaiian shirts and casual beach wear exemplify this attitude. It should be no surprise that I own about a dozen Hawaiian Shirts and that I wear them regularly, even in the winter time! It's more about attitude than fashion with me. I'm a "go slow" kind of guy. Of course I spend every weekend at the beach during the summer and I usually find some time for a warm weather getaway in February (this year I'm headed to Florida with the kids). Going slow and chillin' out is just so much cooler on a beach than in Massachusetts in the wintertime.

Someday, I will be rolling my Hot Dog Truck to a warm weather climate and slinging dogs beach side. The MadGringo guy lists his company HQ as "Going slow on beach."

That sounds like my kind of neighborhood!

No Way!

Two seconds left and the Trinity team needs a miracle. Will they get it? View the most UNBELIEVABLE play in football history.

Can you imagine the losing team's locker room after this game?

UNBELIEVABLE.

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