School Funding

As most of you may know, college expenses are rising exponentially as time goes by, and some times a little assistance would be nice. There are quite a few options for those of you who want to find a way to pay some of those expenses without having to refinance your life. Student loans can have a high interest rate, some people end up paying their loans off for the rest of their lives after college, so that may not be a great option. Scholarships are nice, like the ones given through the Bill Gates foundation but they also take a lot of work on the part of the student. Grades and hard work determine who is eligible for scholarships so they may not be available if you're in the middle of your class.

Well, check out all the options out there before signing your life away to student loans.

I'm on my way home, finally

Here I am waiting at the airport at four in the morning, Vegas time and I am so ready for my flight I can taste it. Not that that's necessarily a good thing in Vegas. :) My flight was originally scheduled for twelve noon, but luckily the nice lady at the US Air check-in counter was able to bump me up to a much earlier flight. Now I can see my Noelle and Jay before they go to bed.

Oh yeah, I haven't forgotten about my Expo Sneak Peek. Once I get home and digest everything, I'll be posting about some great rugs that I found at the show. Check back soon.

iPod Protection

On my trip to Las Vegas I saw a lot of people who had their iPods in ugly leather cases with not so nice see through screens. While this may serve a purpose, there are some nice ipod cases that are a clear plastic film that protects the screen of your iPod. I know your iPod is important to you, so why not keep it protected.

The Futon Expo is one for a few more days, here's some info

For those of you who can go to the futon expo, you still have a few days left. But, in order to get it all done, you will need to have a plan of attack. So take a look at the floor plan and plan your route. I was able to see every manufacturer I wanted to, and only in one day with a proper plan of attack.

Need HelpWith An eCommerce Site?

When I setup my website I really went with what I knew in terms of setting up my site infrastructure. I went through the same ecommerce storefront idea and used the same shopping cart software. I should have looked around, because since I've gotten my business going, I've seen that there are a lot of options on the market for someone who either knows the tricks of the trade or can accept the help of someone who can help refine your business. I've since seen databased carts and flash media sites that really give the end user or customer a great experience.

So, before you jump on one cart / website plan, do your homework and make an educated choice.

The Next Time I Travel

Ok, now that I traveled to Vegas, I'm already planning my next trip. But next time I think I'd like to go to Europe. There are some really nice Spainish Motels at Cheaper Than Motels. The deals look good, and I think a laid back location would be a nice change from Vegas.

Cheaper than motels has great sections of the site dedicated to specific regions of Spain. If you know where you'd like to travel they have Mallorca Hotels, Lanzorote Hotels or Menorca Hotels are just a few of the many locations you can find while browsing through the selection on the site. If you are unsure, check out the site for ideas, there are quite a few areas to view and the selection can be narrowed if you see something in a sub category. It's definitely a great place to find some great travel ideas and deals.

It's official, I've had my fill of Las Vegas

Tomorrow I leave Las Vegas for home, and it's about time. Tonight we went to the strip and walked around. There were cops everywhere with bomb sniffing dogs, and a show at Treasure Island. I felt really bad for the performers, it was like thirty degrees out side and the performers were wearing next to nothing. So, even though there was a bomb threat the Vegas show must go on.

I'm ready for home.

The Things I saw at the futon expo

Let me start by saying that the expo center was huge, I saw so much bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, bar furniture, and convertible furniture that I may never need to look again. Well, at least for a few years anyway.

The expo was huge. There were two finished buildings, two pavilions, and one building on the way. And it was full of amazing furniture as well as people who were trying to sell you everything. They were really going all out as well, most places had an open bar or food. Quite and experience.

Health insurance

As a lot of you may know, health insurance has under gone huge changes over the last few years. In Massachusetts, everyone is now required to have health insurance, or you lose the ability to claim yourself on your taxes. I mentioned this to my grandmother, who lives in Florida and is concerned about health insurance in Florida as it is also under going changes in Florida as well. But, for those of us caught in the middle there are great resources available, like People's Health Insurance. Their site has tons of info about plans available directly to consumers as well as pricing. You can call them if you need assistance, which is nice, or complete the process online.

The whole issue seems like a tough one to solve, with a growing population and rising costs. Maybe any step is a step in the right direction. We'll see.

My day off in Vegas

I finished up all my marketing at the Las Vegas world market yesterday, so today I got to check out the sights. I'll start by saying that I'm not a gambler or heavy drinker, so I went out to the Hoover Dam today and took the tour that takes you down into the depths of the dam itself. It was a bit cramped and the whole dam vibrated non-stop, which was a little disorienting, but it was a very interesting place to visit. Once! So, if you don't mind the ground you're standing on and really tight spaces visit the dam, if not just walk across the top.

Replacement windows

About five years ago Noelle and I replaced all the windows in our house, and I would recommend using a company who specializes in actually replacing window. Like Houston windows, a company in, well, Texas, that actually has some experience with said task. When deciding on a contractor to replace our windows, we decided to support our local contractor who didn't really have a whole lot of experience with replacement windows. Let's just say that it was a bad decision, things took way longer tan quoted, were quite a bit sloppier, and are quite drafty today. So remember, stick with a specialist when you replace your windows.

Modern Furniture

For those of you who have checked out my site, I carry a lot of classical, mission style furniture. So, when I saw some really interesting modern furniture at Concept furniture I thought I'd share my appreciation with you. Their collections look really nice, clean lines and curves are always nice to see in a sofa or chair. modern furniture almost always has that sleek look that sets it apart from other lines.

I was especially impressed with the television stands on the site. They were very minimalist, but provided a nice support. I also liked the blending of the various materials in the tv stands. Glass, wood, and metal combine to form a great piece of furniture. Check out the site and feel fee to leave some feed back.

The view in Vegas is stuning.

I just woke up in my hotel room in Vegas and I was amazed by the view. I had no idea there were some many peaks in the skyline, it was a pleasant surprise. Well, I'm off to the futon expo, I'll post again soon.

Genealogy

My mother-in-law, Bev, is really interested in genealogy and has asked me if I had any information about the family trees of either side of my family. Well, unfortunately I don't, but I found a cool, free service at Tribal Pages where you can create a family tree. If you already have one started, you can import it to the site and invite other members of your family to contribute. As soon as I get the info about my family for Bev I think I'm going to set up an account for my family tree.

Ok, I settled in and now I can't sleep

Ever have one of those night's where you just can't get to sleep? Well, I'm in the middle of one right now. I'm tired of tossing and turning, so I'm going to post a couple times to see if that will distract me from..., what's keeping me up anyway? Could be the convention tomorrow. Could be the loud drunk people that just got into their rooms. Could be lots of things.

Hopefully this will help.

Need a little help with web design?

From time to time I find myself wishing I had a little help with the web design of my site. It could be a bit more modern, and have some flash elements. So, I checked out Atlanta web design, a developer company that can help with tasks like content management, Web Design, E-Commerce, Custom Programming, Flash Design, and Information Architecture. Basically they do it all, and they take care of the updating and programming that guy like me can't handle. Maybe, in the future, I'll be giving them a call to get a quote on some of their services. Stay tuned for an update, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Our Vacuum Blues

Noelle and I have been thinking about getting a new vacuum for a while and now we really have to. Our dog Jay (shown above) sheds quite a bit, and our old vacuum recently died. Well, that's a big problem, and I suggested we take a look a new vacuum, a bissell vacuum being one of the brands I thought to look at.

I really like the bissell vacuums. They are very colorful and look really cool. I've also heard good things about their performance, but for me that just means picking up all the hair that my dog jay leaves all over the house. I'll give you some feedback on whatever bissell vacuum we decide on.

I'm finaly settled in, tomorrow the expo begins

Well, after some delayed flights and some terrible airline food, I'm finally settled in at my Palace Station Hotel in Vegas. Tomorrow the expo begins and you'll all get a sneak peak at this years newest futon products.

Check back soon for the latest and greatest.

Business Coaches

While I'm traveling to Vegas I intend to keep up on my schedule of posting to my blog, I know some of you depend on it. Well, I wish anyway. :) As many of you should know because of my last post, I'm on my way to Vegas, to find the newest products the futon industry has to offer. I'm traveling with my uncle, a successful man who I intended to use for business coaching. He's the type of guy who's succeeded at almost everything, and I think getting a little bit of that influence would be a positive step for my business. If I feel I need additional input, there are services where business men and women offer advise to entrepreneurs who may need to refine their direction or define their goals as well as how to achieve them.

We'll see if that ever becomes necessary.

While I'm traveling to Vegas I intend to keep up on my schedule of posting to my blog, I know some of you depend on it. Well, I wish anyway. :) As many of you should know because of my last post, I'm on my way to Vegas, to find the newest products the futon industry has to offer. I'm traveling with my uncle, a successful man who I intended to use for business coaching. He's the type of guy who's succeeded at almost everything, and I think getting a little bit of that influence would be a positive step for my business. If I feel I need additional input, there are services where business men and women offer advise to entrepreneurs who may need to refine their direction or define their goals as well as how to achieve them.

We'll see if that ever becomes necessary.

Today's rthe day, I'm off to the Futon Expo in Vegas

While this trip is going to be mostly travel, within the next couple days I'll be finding some of the latest futon and bedding products and bringing them to you. So, check back in the next few days for a sneak peak at what's to come this year. Oh, by the way, if you're flying in the next while, don't bring any shaving cream in your carry on bag, security will confiscate it or make you check it. :(

My next post will either be from Las Vegas on in flight.

Custom Blinds

Are you tired of the cheap plastic, venetian blinds that you picked up from the dollar store yet? I know I am. They were great for my first apartment, but now that my Noelle and I have owned our house for six years it may be time to upgrade to some custom blinds. I was always partial to a cellular shade, especially in the winter when an extra layer of air between us and the cold can really make a difference. I also put some thought into some heavy cloth roman style shades. What ever we choose, it will definitely be an improvement over what we have now, maybe we should donate our old shades to a frat house since that's where they belong. :)

Modern Sofa - Stephan

The Stephan Sofa is modern design to the hilt. It's molded seat looks great, and I really enjoy the clean lines of the gently curved back. Minimal metal legs give the illusion of a floating sofa. Quite Nice.

Security Cameras

When I ran the warehouse for my former employer, I strongly suggested the installation of some wireless security cameras due to the location. I found a great selection of cameras at IT Planet, and the prices were great. The wireless cameras start at $399, they have dome and hidden cameras available as well. All you need is a hard drive on site and you're good to go on your wireless security system.

Anyway, back to my story. As you may have guessed already, the warehouse was not in a highly traveled area, most warehouses aren't, and there was some suspicious activity late in the night that eventually cost my form boss quite a bit of money. I'll elaborate, late one night after everyone was gone for the night, someone went to the warehouse and cut off all the catalytic converters off every vehicle behind the building to sell the platinum wiring. That's thousands of dollars in stolen property. If we'd installed cameras we may have been able to press charges on someone, or the perpetrators may have just bailed on the heist. Ah, to think about what could have been.

Coolest Pendant Light Ever? - I think Maybe

The Celebro
pendant light makes me think of a cross between ribbon candy and coral. The design would fit in many spaces, it complements and pops at the same time. But, you can be the judge, what do you think?

Logo Design

One of the hardest tasks I had to perform when designing Goodnight Moon Futon was coming up with a logo that I really liked. In the end, I really wasn't able to decide on one logo that really popped for me, so I made a very clean and simple logo which you can see on every page of my site. I wish I had searched around a bit more for a Logo Design company like Logo Yes. Their six step process makes designing your logo easy, well if you can make up your mind about what you like anyhow.

The six step process really helps you narrow down your choices. First you choose the image that you're going for (high tech, bold, or flair) and then you move on to a choice of industry. In step two there are thirty categories to select from, these categories will narrow your logo symbols in step three. Step three gives you industry specific symbols for your logo. Step four allows you to enter your company name and any additional info you may want in your logo. Various fonts allow you to personalize your logo. Step five is where you adjust the layout and font sizes. At this point the logo is done, and, if you don't like what you see you can leave and you haven't paid a thing. If you approve, you buy the logo file and you're finished.

The process is seamless, and it give the user ample options for a free process.

Crazy Lighting

The Vertigo Pendant is a something out of a psychedelic dream. Parallel hot pink screens mix with a round cut out to give the illusion of a sphere within a box. You will definitely either love or hate this light, probably with a passion.

Blog Polls

Yesterday I made a post to my blog about how a contractor in my area tried to take advantage and go back on his quote, well triple it actually. I wanted my post to be interactive, so I asked people to leave their opinions via comments with little feedback. When I found a service that offers source code for polls on your blogs. I signed up and it only took a couple minutes. So, what do you think, are polls better than comments?

polls

This is a sponsored post.

Hybrid Metal / Leather Chairs

The Madrid Chair is an interesting, futuristic design on a lounger. Metal frame work combines with a leather cushion and a composite base for a unique chair. If you have a modern space, the Madrid is a great choice for decor.

Where do telephone poles come from? Now you'll know

I never really thought much about telephone poles. I don't think many people do unless there is a problem with their phone, cable, or electric. some cities, like San Francisco or even smaller ones like Woodstock Vermont have underground power and phone lines. Cities like that look very picturesque but when the time comes to maintain / upgrade your grid get ready for a tax hike. I also never thought about what goes into a telephone pole, how many wood products do we expect to last at least fifty years with constant exposure to the elements. Not very many that I can think of, and a major one allow us to light our homes, call our friends, and keep our food fresh. So remember, don't take your telephone poles for granted.

Contractor Woes

Ok everyone, get ready for a rant, I'm up on my soap box again.

I recently had some work done by several contractors at my rental property and only one of them did, in my opinion, good work in a timely manner. One of the contractors is a well known floor guy in the my area, he's been around for a long time and everyone loves his work. Well, most of the work was pretty good, there were a few issues, but the main problem was in the job quote area.

I want this post to be interactive, so feel free to leave your opinion in a comment. What would you think a contractor meant when they told you that a small repair job will cost $35 per hour at roughly 3-4 hours of work? Would you think that meant per guy? Would you also think that it meant that even if they were at the job for 30 minutes there would be a minimum service charge of one hour per guy? Even if one sat in the truck for the whole time since it was only a one man job?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, well either you're in the business or you've been ripped off by someone in the business.

I'm going off because recently our floor guy quoted us $35 per hour on a floor repair job that took his guys a total of two hours of labor. One of the guys hung out in the truck for half the job and the total bill was $275. Does that seem right to you? Me neither.

Let me know what you think.

This is a first for me, a game about global warming?

Most of the time when I think about video games, I automatically thinkgames for kids or games specifically designed for one of the major platforms like games for macs or Playstation games. Never have I ever thought about games to fight global warming The two just didn't mess for me. But, it does seem like the right time to make the fight against global warming fun to kids. Maybe if they're caught early there will be more effort from a larger base. Check it out.

This is a sponsored post.

Brief Speed Linking

Here are a few links to some of my favorite blogs.

Jakel Daily: A blog about blogs. Great tips to all things blog related, great stuff.

Vocino: Cool Technology related blog with some humorous stuff thrown in.

Lastly: Blog Rush: Cool blog post sharing widget that chills out on the side nav.

Feel free to post comments with links to some of your favorite blog related sites.

Matt

Nouveau Riche

If you're looking at trying to work from home, you definitely want to check out Nouveau Riche University. But, wait, you're probably asking what's Nouveau Riche? Nouveau Riche University is a Real Estate Investment College offering classes such as Short Sales, Wholesaling, Foreclosures, Buying and Holding, Lease Options, Tax Strategies and more. So what, was probably your response, there are tons of work at home oportunities. So what makes Nouveau Riche University different?

Well, for one thing, Nouveau Riche University was featured in the January 2008 Issue of Your Business at Home Magazine! Your Business at Home is a leading, nationally distributed magazine for results-driven entrepreneurs. Each issue of this top-notch publication highlights only one chosen company, with high quality photography and articles that deliver unmatched credibility in a 100-page, full color magazine including a DVD providing exciting video clips of student testimonials, live college classes, and company background information.

The Graduate Riche website was developed to give you access to the January 2008 issue of the magazine including short excerpts from several of the articles and profiles. Take your time to browse through the categories on this website to learn more about Nouveau Riche University and read success profiles from some of our students as well as related articles from industry experts such as Suze Orman, Tom Hopkins, Sharon Lechter and more.

Terrible looking V-Shaped Bed.

The V-Shaped Bed is definitely one of the most terrible ideas I have ever seen. It looks uncomfortable and very awkward. Luckily this 1930's idea was a short lived fad, but if I had one I'd bring it in to antiques road show. Maybe it'd be worth something.

Are you travelling to France?

In high school I traveled to France for an exchange program and I wish I had been a bit more involved. I also wish that I had internet access back then, I would have visited a site to findFrance secrets, you know, little cafes and bistros found by people like me. It also would have been nice to read up on the culture of France before I went on my trip. The only resource I had were teachers who wanted to cram as much text book knowledge into my head in as short a time as possible.

Last Star Fighter Chair

Ok, technically the Chaos Chair wasn't in the Last Star Fighter, but if the bad guys had furnishings in their rooms they would definitely choose a char like this one. You'll see what I mean 13 seconds into the video below. Those cats would definitely like the Chaos Chair.

Looking to get more out of your Ipod?

Have you tired to sync the contents of your iPod and your PC and run into trouble? Maybe you've tried to transfer movies or music and iTunes shut it down? Well, if you're having a hard time you may want to check out Podmaxx '08. Podmaxx cuts through all the red tape that Apple included with its programming, allowing you to download music from any iPod, copy any DVD movies to your iPod, and create free ring tones. Sounds good right, well you should check out the customer testimonials at Podmaxx to see what others are saying about it.

As a side note, I really don't like it when a company, like Apple, sets up programming within their products which requires a user to only use their services. I know there are other players in the market, but this type of practice really ties the hands of the consumer, and thus creates resentment from their consumer base towards the manufacturer. But, smaller companies, like Podmaxx, are giving end users the control back, to use their property as they choose.

So, definitely check it out, read their blog, and testimonials and see what you think. You may like what you see.

PS. Don't worry, I just got down off my soap box after my rant. :)

Furniture or Art?

The Wave Chair from Moore Designs of London is going through a bit of an identity crisis. It's hard to tell whether this chair is meant to be a functional piece of furniture or a piece of art. Either way the Wave chair looks great, but it would be nice to sit in it before you drop $2200 to have it shipped from the UK.

Free stuff for your loved ones.

For those of you who like free stuff (I know there's a few of us out there), I have a great contest at Overstock.com where you can win free stuff for Valentines day. For instance, Noelle and I have been talking about how it's been a very long time since either of us have played chess and that we'd like to play together , so I went do to the Game O Love website to see what I could find. Well, the contest starts tomorrow so I checked out their selection of Chess Sets and saved one that I liked in my cart. I'm definitely going to head back tomorrow to sign up for the contest to see if our dream chess set is up for grabs in the Game O Love contest.

But, the contest isn't just about chess sets, there should be a huge array of products up for grabs, Overstock has so many products on their site that the selection should be immense. I imagine that a lot of the free stuff is going to be very lovey dovey for Valentines Day, chocolates, jewelry, you know, all the commercially pushed merchandise that people think they need to get their loved ones. But hopefully for me, there will be a few, well, unconventional items up for grabs (like a chess set!). I'll see tomorrow and if you're up for some absolutely free stuff, you should definitely check it out too.

Cutting edge designs from behind the iron curtain.

Here's another interesting piece from Stanislav Katz. The Shelves have no sides and due to the color scheme they appear to float in mid air. Very interesting stuff.

Do you know how many visits your blog gets? Here's a free counter.

One of the features I've been meaning to add to my blog, but never really had the time to put into it was a visitor counter. Until I found some free web counters and decided to give it a shot. There are twenty two free variations to choose from and the site also has poll questionnaire code for your blog as well. Check it out. You can see my free counter on the bottom right of my blog.

Post Seviet Design

I really like the imagery that I'm seeing from Stanislav Katz but the pieces don't look to user friendly. Maybe there not supposed to be, who knows. Anyhow, take a look, theres some very interesting pieces on their site.

Commercial Shipping.

My buddy Rick recently moved down to Belize, and since hes their to stay he has to ship all of his belongings down once he's done building his house on the beach. What he really needs is a logistics company that can handle small or large shipments. With everything that he has in storage here, a company that offers van, flatbed, stepdeck, double drop, removable gooseneck and specialized heavy haul trucking is just what he's looking for. So, I'm definitely going to recommend some of the transport companies that I work with, maybe he'll build a guest room that I can use from time to time.

Totally cool coat rack

This has got to be the coolest coat rack I have ever seen. The hooks are hidden behind a printed aluminum modesty panel. No more ugly hooks with this cool rack.

Looking for a career change? Try some online training.

If you're looking for a career change you may want to check out the online EMT training courses offered at the National Paramedic Institute. National Paramedic Institute is dedicated to providing cutting edge continuing education for First Responders, EMTs and Paramedics.

Here's how it works:

Each episode of Medic Monthly involves a case re-enactment with testimonials from real firefighters, real paramedics, real EMTs, and real emergency physicians. Each installment includes a pretest, 20-minute video, post-test explanation and review, and a quiz. Each episode of the Medic Monthly is case-based and addresses a challenging, confusing, or unusual EMS issue.

So you get to see what real EMT's see and then you get tested and graded based on your evaluation of the video. Pretty Cool.

Nutcracker Dish Cloth

I really liked what I saw at Jonas Samson Product Design, and the Nutcracker Dish Cloth was no exception. The retro feel is great, and the step by step pattern was very nice. Check out this site!

Small Business Web Hosting

Just yesterday my little sister, Zoie, decided that she wanted to start a blog as a precursor to starting her own eCommerce business. Her blog is currently on a blogger account, which is ok to start, but eventually she'll want to look into small business web hosting. She'll be able to set up an email account in to her own domain name, she won't have that pesky .blogspot in her domain, and she'll be taken much more seriously as a blogger. Luckily, she'll be able to move all her posts over to her private server and still use her blogger settings.

Wallpaper Lighting - Part Two

Here you can see the process, step by step. This wallpaper is so cool! Enjoy. Check out Jonas Sampson Product Design for additional details.

Travel Sites

With my travels to Las Vegas rapidly approaching I've been searching high and low on the subject. I wish I had done a little more shopping around before I settled on my non-refundable trip to the futon expo. I leave on Monday so it's a bit too late to make any changes now, but I would have definitely checked out Hotel Reservations before I made any decision. When I recently found Hotel Reservations I didn't think anything of it, but then I checked out some of their Hotel Deals and I was impressed by the prices I found. For example, I found a forty dollars a night room at the Tropicana hotel for two people! Or forty one dollars a night room at the Sahara Hotel for two people! Those prices are way less than what I was able to find a month and a half back. And those are only two great deals out of many that I found on the first page of results.

So, you might not be too impressed yet, but they also have a great section on airfare. You can find everything you're looking for at Hotel Reservations, they had an almost identical flight to the one I booked two months ago for the same price. Well, I might not know everything, but I thought that the closer you get to your departure date the higher the price on the airfare goes. Another pleasant surprise.

Well, ok, you've seen site like Hotel Reservations before, but they also have deals on Cruises. If you are looking to get away to a tropical location / maybe an international one, they can help. You're also able to book your trip online or give their staff a call toll free. Imagine that, you can speak with a real person to book your flight instead of a machine. Well, check it out, you may like what you see.

Planned Communities

I've heard a bit about planned communities in the past six months, like the one started by Disney or the one planned by Texas hill country real estate. For those of you who are not familiar with planned communities, here's the deal. Planned communities are generally structured communities, that give the appearance of small town USA, even though a lot of planned communities have a larger population than a small town. Planned communities are usually within a reasonable distance to metropolitan centers as well, which is nice because you can still live in small town America without giving up the amenities you've come to depend on and enjoy.

Take Eagle Mountain Reserve, a 118-acre master planned community located on the northeastern foothills of Lake Buchanan, Texas. The site itself is situated on a mountain overlooking picturesque Lake Buchanan -- a 23,000 acre lake in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. It's only 13 miles from the city of Burnet, 27 miles from Georgetown, and just 70 miles northwest of Austin.

Use Wallpaper To Light Your Room

The wallpaper in the picture is actually used as a light source for your space. The wallpaper has two settings: off, the paper will look like ordinary wallpaper and on, the wallpaper will light up your space. A very innovative and extremely cool option for your hip space.

Moving to Boston? Better get a real estate agent!

My sister in law, Bailey, just moved to her new apartment in Boston a couple weeks ago. And finding desirable Boston apartments for rent can be almost impossible without a real estate agent