Gone to Disneyworld!

Wow, it's been since September 13th that I last posted. It's not as if I've been doing nothing... somehow it seems I've been doing so much of everything that there isn't time to do anything. Yes, I know that hardly makes sense, but that's how it feels.

We took a family vacation this month to Disney World in Orlando Florida. We had a wonderful time, but a vacation like that is almost like WORK! In order to get the most for your money at the parks, you really have to get up early and get your day started.

An invaluable resource for us was the "The Unofficial Guide to Disney World." I highly recommend getting this book a full 6-8 months prior to your trip. While we didn't follow any of the touring plans available in the book, just about anything you need to know about staying in (or around) Disney World, eating, transportation, entertainment, etc. can be found in this guide.

Bzzz - The Power of Nice

I just finished reading the book The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness, (as a BzzAgent campaign), and found in it a section that really got me thinking. In one of the "Nice Cubes" (suggestions for creating more niceness in your life) the authors state:

Honor your Debts. Think you're smart? Finish the following sentences:

"I never would have made it to where I am without..."
"I owe a great debt to..."
"I take courage from..."
"My greatest teacher was..."

So here are my answers:

"I never would have made it to where I am without my Mom encouraging me to learn, learn, learn and my husband pushing me to start creating websites and create an internet marketing business."

"I owe a great debt to Carolyn Parrs who, years ago, gave me free training on the basics of publicity, press releases, and media lists when my girlfriend Lori and I were running a Holistic Center in Bethel, CT"

"I take great courage from Lori Reed. My dearest friend who has just emerged to a new life after conquering an 'incurable' disease."

"My greatest teacher was Harry Palmer, creator of the Avatar Course, who's tools and teaching brought me to the experience of being the creator of my own life."

So, what are your answers???

Makeover-o-Matic - Informative FUN!

Just found out about a site through the BzzAgent "Frogpond" that's called Makeover-o-Matic. You start by creating an iVillage account, then you can choose a profile image, or upload a portrait shot of yourself. If you upload your own photo (which I did), it leads you through a process to identify your face shape, your eye and lip shape, etc. Once that part is done, the fun begins... choose hairstyles and colors, eye color, whiter teeth, eye shadow color, lipsticks. Lot's of fun of very cool, check it out.

What's the BZZZ? Listerine Whitening Strips

Have you heard of BzzAgent.com?

It's a service through which businesses can help spread Word of Mouth about their products and services. BzzAgents are volunteers who try new products, websites, etc. and spread the word about their experiences to friends, family, associates, neighbors, etc.

I first heard about BzzAgents through one of Seth Godin's books, Small is the New Big.

I signed up to be a BzzAgent and completed several surveys to help them know what kind of consumer I am (this is how they match agents to campaigns.)

The first campaign I am participating in is for Listerine Whitening Quick Dissolving Strips. They sent me samples and coupons to use for myself and some to give to friends.

I tried them, and while I had a bit of a tough time at first getting them right on my teeth and not on my gums, once I figured out the technique, they worked great! Dissolved quickly and easily with no muss, no fuss. I even put them on one morning on my way out the door. They are invisible so I didn't feel weird having them on. Overall they're very effective and quite easy to use. Give them a try, particularly if you've ever used a whitening product and were not happy with the process or the results.

Running Toilet Runs Well Dry

Did you know that a running toilet can run your well dry? Well, we found out the hard way today when we ran out of water. Unbeknowst to us, all three of the toilets in the house had been running non-stop for who knows how long.

The first question Bill from Tim Conlan Plumbing asked me when he arrived was if any of the toilets in the house were running. Who knew that was the root of our problems?

Anyway, about Bill and Tim Conlan Plumbing - fast, efficient and economical! Once we realized what the problem was, he explained to my husband what needed to be done, shut off the valves to the toilets and then showed me how to re-fill the hot water tank.

Thank you Bill and Tim Conlan Plumbing

Secret Images of Google Earth

Found this VERY cool video on YouTube the other day and I wanted to share it...
http://www.youtube.com/v/dto3mB__0Io

Fun on YouTube!

I recently discovered Windows Movie Maker (that comes pre-installed on a Windows based computer.) While it's very rudimentary, it does allow you to take video clips and put them together to create a larger "movie" file.

While out on the motorcycle the other week, I took video clips with my camera while cruising through Newtown, CT. Then I put them together, with some transition effects, background music and voiceover narrating the views into a short video clip that I called "Views from the Honda 650 Nighthawk."

I posted the video up on YouTube (just for fun). It's been up a week and has been viewed 70 times! Someone even rated it Awesome! How cool is that?

Here's the video, you can also view it at www.youtube.com.

Kacie Nicole Jarvis Graduates Joel Barlow High School

Here is a short video clip of my Goddaughter, Kacie Nicole graduating from Joel Barlow High School. Unfortunately I started the clip just as they were announcing her name, so you can't quite hear it...



I'm nearly as proud as her parents!

Ask a Politician! 08 Debates on You Tube

Political debates. You Tube. A new world of involvement .... questions from YOU to the Candidates for 08!

Official Google Blog: The CNN/YouTube debates

Miniature Schnauzer Puppy - Our Buddy Boy

Google has the coolest tools! Here's a slideshow, created by Picasa Web Albums of our new miniature schnauzer puppy, Buddy.

We bought him from Playful Paws Miniature Schnauzers, a breeder in Danielson, CT.



Before "Buddy" was Buddy, he was Green ID of Hanna and Myron's litter of pups.

Astrology Transits for June 2007

I have a great program by Matrix Software called Day Watch that can calculate all kinds of day to day astrological information. For the world at large (transit to transit) and for you personally (transit to natal). It includes the phases of the moon and interpretive text for each transit.

I toyed with the idea of creating a separate blog for astrology stuff, but I think instead I will just post links to the PDF files.

Astrological Transits - June 2007

If you're interested in getting a report like this with personal information on how the planetary activity may be affecting your chart/life, please let me know.

Licensed to Pill?

Just yesterday I heard an ad on the radio for a pill to control your blood sugar levels.

Now, this would not be a big deal to me if they were talking about people who had a medical reason for needing to control blood sugar, but NO, what they were talking about was taking this pill because of the "high sugar, high carbohydrate American diet."

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't it be simpler to just NOT EAT high sugar and high carbohydrate foods rather than eat them and then take a pill to counter act them??

This reminds me of a cute, yet scary when you think of the implications, flash movie my sister Doreen, sent me some time ago called Licensed to Pill.

Infinite: Gratitude, Service and Responsibility

Just heard a remarkable quote from a man named Huston Smith, from a movie called The Way Things Are (available from the Hartley Film Foundation - producers of documentaries on World Religions)

Here's the quote:

"...have Infinite Gratitude for all things past, Infinite Service for all things present, Infinite Responsibility for all things future."

Now, there's a mind expanding thought.

What do you believe? Take a Standpoint!

Here is a cool place to take a stand... it's called Standpoint.

You can post what you believe, view, vote and comment on what others believe. I've posted a few of my own beliefs, books that have influenced my beliefs and have comments on some beliefs that others have posted.

Neat stuff...

Way to Go - Web 2.0

The first time I heard the phrase Web 2.0, I was clueless. What is it? a new browser, a new platform? a new World Wide Web??

When, in fact, what Web 2.0 refers to is a new generation of web based tools that encourage collaboration, sharing, self-publishing and more. Here's an "official" definition from Tim O'Reilly http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Here's an example of a Web 2.0 application Corkd

As I find and review more Web 2.0 sites, I'll let you know about them here.

Staying Safe on the Internet

Just received the following email from Yahoo Search Marketing:

Dear Advertiser, With "phishing" attempts and other types of fraudulent activity affecting Internet users these days, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of our policies regarding personal information. The most important thing to remember is: We will never ask you for any private information in an email, nor will we proactively contact you by phone and ask for contact, account or financial information. Report Fraudulent Emails If you ever receive an email claiming to be from Yahoo! (or suggesting a connection to your business through Yahoo!) that asks for private information like account details, a password, or credit card or other financial information, do not respond to it. Instead, please forward the email to our security department at phishing@cc.yahoo-inc.com. This type of email fraud is called "phishing," because it's designed to lure recipients into sharing private information. We invite you to learn more about phishing—like what to do if you think you've been "phished"—at http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/abuse/. Unfortunately, this is an issue affecting all Internet companies and users, and we take it very seriously. You can also find a guide to online security at http://security.yahoo.com/. How to Beat the Phishers To help you protect yourself against phishing attacks, we encourage you to follow these basic tips: Be alert for suspicious emails. Do not reply to email or pop-up messages asking for personal or financial information. Regularly log into online accounts and check credit and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate. Use personal security technologies such as anti-virus, firewalls and anti-spam software, and keep them up to date. Yahoo! is fighting phishing scams by deploying advanced technologies, collaborating across our industry, supporting public policy efforts, and increasing consumer awareness. It's that last one—consumer awareness-that we'd like to reinforce with you. Don't be fooled by official-looking emails from other parties claiming to be Yahoo! or acting on Yahoo!'s behalf! Remember, we won't ask you for confidential information in an email or a phone call, unless you initiate it to us—ever. Sincerely, Your Partners at Yahoo! Search Marketing TM and/or ® and © Yahoo! Search Marketing 2007. All rights reserved. Yahoo! Search Marketing is located at 3333 Empire Avenue, Burbank, CA 91504 USA Patents | Copyright Act | Trademark Info | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use For more information about how Yahoo! Search Marketing uses your information, please see the Privacy Policy.

This is good advice for anyone. PayPal Never asks for personal information via the internet. Banks don't either.

If something seems "wierd" to you about someone asking for information. Trust your gut. Be safe, don't give out your personal information.

Podcasting - How to do it?

I've been hearing about podcasting as a new way to distribute informational content on the internet. It sounds like a fantastic tool, and I am just learning what's involved with how to do it.

This file is my first attempt at recording something into an MP3 file and posting on a blog. Let's see how it works!

How did I come up with the company name Ask Joanne? (click below to play)

Breakthough Diet ? Not!

My Mom introduced me to this book and it's changed the way I think about eating and dieting!

Ultrametabolism is about changing the way we think about eating. It's about realizing what our bodies need and don't need - getting back to basics, whole, REAL food, not engineered vegetables and artificial sweeteners that promise no calories. It's about learning that your body needs whole, real, natural food to function properly.

I have not been doing the whole "prescription" program in the book, but rather easing my way into getting more whole foods, eating the right kinds of foods and vitamins. I've only been doing it for about 2 weeks, but already I can feel the difference! I have more energy, my mood is better, my hormones aren't going crazy - it's a much better way to be.

Visual Thesaurus and Word Maps

I recently discovered a very cool tool! Great for writers and other wordsmiths, also fun for anyone who likes to see the relationships between words.

It's called and it's a lot of fun. Especially when you are looking for that perfect word.

Give it a try!

Out of Africa in Sedona Arizona

Just returned from a short visit to Sedona Arizona. Here's a Smilebox from one of my 'ventures.'

| Click to Play Now

Helium - Writing for Fun and Profit

I've just discovered (through clicking a Google Adword on my own business blog askjoanne.blogspot.com) a site called Helium.com. Their tag line is - a directory of real-world knowledge powered by people like you.

It's a place where you can write articles on virtually any topic and get paid a commission for them - the more the articles are viewed, the more you can get paid.

I will be writing more about this as I find out more, but I just wanted to share this quick tidbit because it looks like a fun place to share your viewpoint.

It's a Lulu!

While reading a great book about business marketing called The Long Tail I found out about a book self-publishing site called www.Lulu.com. It's a way for people who want to publish books that may not necessarily have mass market appeal, but would have a very targeted niche market.

This is what the Long Tail of business marketing is all about - the internet is changing the face of business - the author's claim is that the future of business is about selling less of more.

Any Good Books Lately?

So, I've discovered that the main problem after starting a blog is keeping it up. This is my first post to this blog (aside from Judy's Book updates) since June 2006!

I'm making a new committment to try to get something posted on a more regular basis and today's post is about good books I've recently read.

I know I am a bit behind the times, but I had not, until recently read any of Maeve Binchy's books. My mother-in-law gave me a paperback of The Return Journey and I was hooked. My favorites so far are: Circle of Friends and Firefly Summer.

Have you read any good books or discovered any great authors lately?