Yes, it’s worth it to go to Hawaii. Start with Maui, then move out to either Oahu or Kauai. You might have noticed Maui is my favorite. There is a saying there “No Ka Oi” that means “there is nothing better” in Hawaiian. Maui is an island formed by 2 volcanos. Now days, theres a huge valley between the extinct volcanos and mountains. The island is approximately 48 miles wide and 26 miles from north to south island. If you wanted to, you could drive around the whole island in one day. Perhaps what is best for me though is the security I feel on the islands. Granted I do love the surfing, island style and spirit of Aloha, but being able to sleep at night while feeling secure is priceless. Think about it, with safety in mind: if you were walking down a dark sketchy street would you rather be walking down a sketchy street in Hawaii or Central America?

It’s probably just a matter of time before every website on the internet is using no-follow tags. Perhaps, out of fear some could do this just to stay inline with Google’s webmaster guidelines.

For now, it’s March 3rd 2008 and theres still a few select websites that allow SE spiders to follow out bound links. It’s argueable if SE’s put any weight into no-follow tags. It would seem smart to me to use those no follow tags, and give them some authority instead of marking them as don’t follow this. Most of us know that Google doesn’t cache those links, but others could like MSN. Beyond that, they all could in the future somehow as well. I certainly wouldn’t doubt that Yahoo uses some sort of data from all those links that are cached and spidered in del.icio.us even though each and every out bound link on del.icio.us has a no follow tag attached to it <-

Currently this is my most recent list of social networking / bookmarking websites:

# http://www.mister-wong.com - wish I would have met him sooner
# http://www.BibSonomy.org - Looks a lot like delicious, but more friendly
# http://www.Folkd.com - Really digging this one, you can add an avatar and the interface is super cool
# http://www.Spurl.net - Similiar to linkagogo, but better. It took me a bit to figure it out but still makes the top 10

- Hopefully these websites will stay on the do follow list for a while.

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# http://www.Furl.net - It’s ok, not my favorite it loads slow for me everytime too

# http://www.LinkaGoGo.com - Could move up to the top later but still clunky
# http://www.Connotea.org - It looks cool but I found this website to be difficult to use at first
# http://www.wirefan.com - Hmm, kind of clunky, needs a face lift > the header is way to tall

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- This is the list of sites I’d like to check out more if I had the time.

# http://www.Blogmarks.net
# http://www.ClipClip.org
# http://www.Connectedy.com
# http://www.MyLinkVault.com
# http://www.Backflip.com
# http://www.BuddyMarks.com
# http://MyJeeves.Ask.com
# http://www.mixx.com
# http://www.bumpzee.com
# http://www.searchles.com
# http://www.tagza.com
# http://www.corank.com
# http://www.squidoo.com
# http://www.syncone.net
# http://www.slashdot.org
# http://my.Xilnus.com
# http://www.A1-Webmarks.com
# http://www.Diigo.com
# http://www.OYAX.com
# http://www.MyVmarks.com
# http://www.TeDigo.net
# http://ez4u.net

——— My old favorites

# http://del.icio.us
# http://www.stumbleupon
# http://www.netvouz.com
# http://www.diigo.com
# http://www.Blinklist.com
# http://www.RawSugar.com - The user interface leaves a little to be desired

The history of snowboarding takes place from 1965. Sherman Poppen, who loved to ski, decided to make skiing much more interesting. He bound his two skiing boards together, and decided to ski down his hill in his snowy back yard as though his skies were a skate board. He soon realized that what he had created would be a huge sensation for others who also love to ski. He began to show his new snowboard around to his skiing buddies, and they, too, were soon skiing on a snowboard.

Poppen eventually gained the interests of other skiers, and found that he was skiing on a gold mine. With the assistance and encouragement of his skiing colleagues, he soon began to market his snowboard and it has evolved to what it is today. The rugged but effective snowboards of yesterday have been replaced with the small, aerodynamically unique, and effective snowboards that are seen today. Snowboards, which were once as big and bulky as a pair of skies, are now even smaller than a standard skateboard. There are also variations to the snowboards, too, as they all serve different purposes when it comes to skiing down a mountain and “cutting” the snow.

The explosion of snowboarding has taken the world by storm in the last decade or so. As the information of snowboarding became more and more readily available, people wanted to hang up the old skies and skiing poles and give snowboarding a whirl. Snowboarding is now an Olympic sport, and grosses millions of dollars every year. There are even skiing resorts that are exclusive to snowboarding only, as they have special hills to enhance the skiing experience.

Although skiing can indeed be loads of fun, it is sill imperative that snowboarding is taken very seriously and that all of the protective gear is worn at all times. This will help many people from receiving serious injuries to their bodies, and can also make them feel much safer as they snowboard down potentially dangerous hills and mountainsides. Many of the protective gear, such as the bindings, can be custom made to for a perfect fit. This is also important as there are those that will snowboard professionally, and need to invest in a great pair of bindings for their snowboards.

With the population of the snowboards growing at the rate that they do today, it comes as no surprise for many that snowboarding is not only here to stay, but it is has gone down in history as the best winter sport available. The history of the snowboarding industry continues to change from day to day and it is so great for so many to watch its popularity grow.

Narrowcasting and Digital Sign Networks operate on two different systems and for two different reasons, although they are both effective means of conveying information to the mass public. Narrowcasting typically works via television and radio. The best way that narrowcasting can be described is that it is a type of advertising media that is generated for a specific portion of the viewing demographics. For example, music channels are geared towards everyone, but the majority of viewers are teens and young adults. It is during the peak hours of broadcasting that advertising companies will have their narrowcasting programs aired for the demographics that they are trying to reach. This is method of advertisement often works, and is an effective tool for the advertising department of the said companies. Although television and radio are typically where the narrowcasting will take place, other media outlets, such as magazines, will also see advertisements for the companies, but they will not be as prevalent as the other mass media counterparts.

Digital Sign Networks operate on the same principles of the narrowcasting efforts, but they are generated on a different scale. Digital Sign Networks are often integrated networks for a company, typically thru interactive computers. The best example of this is touch screens that customers can use in a store. A grocery store may have a touch screen on a cart for the grocery list and where items as listed in a store. The touch screen can be an interactive grocery list of sorts, and items can be checked off as the patrons go thru the store. Many companies are also incorporating the digital sign networks into their restaurants. As customers come into the restaurant, they are able to fill out their own orders, print out the receipts, and then take it to the cash register to pay for their meals and have their orders placed. This type of incorporation of digital sign networking has aided many companies with not only time, but revenue, and makes for a much better shopping experience for the customers.

Although the narrowcasting and digital sign networks operate under two opposite functions, there is still the overall theme that remains with these systems: to bring the digital media to age with the aid of those the targeted market. The digital media markets have seen their bases broaden with the narrowcasting and digital sign networks, and they are only sure to see them increase more with time. With the aide of narrowcasting and digital sign networks, consumers can become much more interactive with subjects that mean a great deal to them, thus enhancing the overall shopping experience for everyone.

There are many families that own a motorhome. These families will often travel across the USA in their motorhomes during the summer months, as these are the prime months for vacationing. The weather is typically much warmer and acceptable for camping in a motorhome. This also makes for a safer time of traveling while on the road. Traveling across the USA in a motorhome was a pastime of many families, which people continue to live on today. Dedicating some time to see all of the USA’s monuments, amusement parks, in addition to national and state parks make for a fun family experience. These locations are typically the places that many people will travel to while traveling across the USA in a motorhome. Many parents want their children to see the natural wonders that the USA has to offer. Attending famous sporting events, eating at well known diners and restaurants, and overall enjoying one another’s company is what traveling across the USA in a motorhome is all about. Many people also like to travel across the USA in a motorhome as they can tow their vehicle behind the motorhome. This is beneficial for those that are camping in the motorhome so that they have a reliable source of transportation to travel around once they are set up at camp.

Numerous senior citizens as well as those who are retired, both like to travel across the USA in a motorhome. These people are commonly referred to as “snowbirds”, since they like to travel from cooler places to warmer locations in the winter time. In many instances, “snowbirds” will live in an area that up away from the south in the spring, summer and fall, and will travel to the south for the winter. They will typically stay in the motorhome and camp out at local RV parks. There are even a few that will just travel to their destination in their motorhomes, and then stay at another location, more than likely a winter home, while they are away.

Many people love the times that they spend while traveling in a motorhome. They can stay in the comfort of their own motorhome, and not have the worries of how they are going to be getting a room to stay in, or where they will be parking their motorhome once they arrive. There are numerous motorhome parks that are available for people to stay at, which has quickly become one of the fastest means of vacationing.

The best way to sum up snowboarding is that it is similar to skateboarding down a mountain. The only difference is that the snowboard does not have any wheels, and that it can be used to travel down snow. It is important for anyone who decides to snowboard to be fully equipped to snowboard in varying conditions. This means that there needs to be full protection worn at all times while snowboarding. This protection often includes such items as a helmet, and knee pads, elbow pads, and in some instances, mouth guards. This is very important for the safety of the snowboarder so that they are not seriously injured while traveling down the side of a large hill or mountain while snowboarding.

Snowboarding has taken on a whole new extreme in the last decade. Snowboarding is now seen as a very competitive sport, as snowboarding is also a competition in the Olympics. Snowboarding camps are quite popular in the skiing resorts as people want to learn how to snowboard. Snowboarding classes are often the most effective way to learn how to snowboard safely as to avoid injuries that can possibly deadly if not paying attention. This is not to scare those that are interested in snowboarding, but to bring about awareness for the severity of the possible injuries that can occur from not snowboarding safely.

Many ski resorts welcome snowboarding as it helps to greatly boost their income. Many people will travel to ski resorts now so that they can snowboard instead of ski. This has become quite the common practice for skiers and ski resorts. There are even professional skateboarders that make a living from the extreme sport. Since it is an extreme sport, anyone and everyone who is interested in snowboarding is encouraged to take some form of a lesson or another.

The popularity of the snowboarding industry has grown so much, that there are even movies that are made around the theme of snowboarding and those that have a passion for it.  Snowboarding champs are often seen in popular television talk shows as guests, and others have received multi million dollar endorsements from being such wonderful professional snowboarders. This is just a small testament as to how popular snowboarding has become.

Conducting an online search will prove that there is relevant information that can assist those that are looking to learn how to snowboard. Safety precautions are also talked about, as are the skiing resorts that offer snowboarding. Having fun in the snow with snowboards is what it is all about – just to learn how to conduct the snowboarding sessions effectively and safely is the most important items to remember.

With the different types of winter clothing that is now available on the market, the average consumer has so many options to choose from that sometimes it can actually get a bit overwhelming. Trying to compare prices and styles of different types of winter items can be extremely time consuming, but because there are so many choices, the final purchase is usually something that the purchaser can live with.

When discussing purchasing a winter jacket, there are so many types of jackets that a person can choose to go with. They can purchase the standard winter jacket that has been around for years and is still quite popular or they can choose to purchase a specialized type of jacket. Some of these specialized types of jackets would include a Gore Tex jacket, ski jacket, snowmobile jacket or a snowboard jacket. Deciding which type of jacket to purchase, would all depend on the reason behind the purchase.

Snowboarding seems to be all the rage these days with the younger generation. And with this sport comes the need for some specialized equipment. Some of this specialized equipment would include a snowboard, snowboard boots and snowboard jackets. Finding specialized gear like this is not as hard as you would think. Because of the popularity of this sport there are many stores and online sites that specialize in selling all types of snowboarding gear for anyone who is heavily into this sport.

When deciding on purchasing your snowboard jacket, there are several factors that you should take into consideration. Lightweight, Heavy Weight, Down, a Shell, or Goretex or all of the above. Most snowboarders know that a North Face Jacket, Burton, Volcom, Bonfire and Patagonia are awesome down jackets for snowboarding. But did you know that Arcteryx makes a great Goretex down jacket too? If you’re purchasing a down jacket for a gift you should find out if the person that you are making this purchase for is an avid snowboarder or if this is just a hobby. The durability of the product should be a lot higher if the person you are purchasing the snowboard jacket for will be using it quite frequently. If this is just a hobby for them, then the less durable snowboard jacket just might serve their needs as well.

Because of the popularity of the sport, there are a lot of websites and snowboarding stores available to all consumers. A specialized store may charge a little extra for their snowboarding jackets, but because this is their speciality you know the product you are purchasing is of the highest quality. You may be able to get a cheaper snowboard jacket online, but you also have to keep in mind that you cannot try it on to make sure it’s a perfect fit and you may be charged extra for shipping and handling. Depending on the urgency of this purchase could also play a big role in where you make this purchase. If your running out of time for the purchase, you may want to go into a snowboarding shop and make your purchase, but if you have quite a bit of time ahead of you, you may then choose to shop online and have the article shipped to you.

The Patagonia Down Sweater is water resistant and windproof with high tear fabric so lightweight you barely notice it. An average weight of 12.4oz this extremely lightweight Down Sweater allows you to move freely throughout your active excursions. With 800 fill European goose down at the helm keeping you warm, and DWR coated shell keeping you dry the Patagonia Down Sweater offers free reign over the mountain. Click Here for more DOWN JACKETS by Patagonia <<<

There are several types of down jackets that a person could choose from. These would include the full-length kind. Although these jackets would seem to be the best type to keep in the warm body heat, they can also be the most inconvenient as they do restrict movement a little more than one that is not full length. Another type of down jacket would be the bomber jacket. These types of down jackets seem to be the most popular type among kids as they are less restrictive and are easier to play in.

My favorites are:

Gotham Jacket by The North Face

Sub Zero Down Jacket - by Mountain Hardwear

1080 Jacket by Salomon

Ronin Down Jacket by Burton Snowboards

Nuptse Jacket by The North Face

— More…

Down jackets come in many sizes, colors and styles. It is really up to the individual on which type they prefer. Although typically these jackets have been targeted toward women and children, the male market for these types of jackets are rapidly increasing. Purchasing a down jacket for your husband has become a very popular gift for him during the Christmas season when it is the coldest time of year. Taking into consideration the area, in which you live, would also be a determination in what type of down jacket you would need to purchase. If the winters are not that harsh where you reside, then a jacket that isn’t filled with a lot of materials would probably suit your purposes quite nicely. But, if you find that your winter weather is more on the frigid side, and then it would probably be in your best interest to purchase one of the more sturdier and heavier down jackets.

When considering any type of down jacket you must keep in mind of the prices. The quality and the make of these jackets will directly determine the price that you will pay. If you require quite a heavy jacket that it generously filled for warmth, then you will probably pay a little bit extra than if you require one that is not so filled up with materials. Of course, you need to keep in mind who you are purchasing the jacket for. A man or women down filled jacket will cost a bit more than if the purchase is for a child. If you’re shopping for Brand Name jackets like Mountain Hardware, Patagonia, The North Face, Marmot or Burton; be ready to pay top dollar compared to what you might find at stores like WalMart and Target.

Finding the best prices for a down jacket can also be a bit time consuming. But, if you do a little bit of research, you will be able to find a down jacket that will match your budget. You should compare different prices from off the Internet as well as compare prices in different department stores. The Internet sites could be cheaper for the actual purchase itself, but when you had shipping charges, you may in fact be able to make this purchase cheaper at the department store.

Thats a tough question for a marketer trying to promote something within an online network of people that could be percieved by an individual as social peers, users, contributors or dollar signs. Are you spamming or contributing to the community? Are you adding another page of crap to the world wide web or helping out? If your mother wouldn’t approve then it’s probably not a good thing right? Oh but it’s your job? Look at you, you spammer…

I’m only kidding there but I think it rings a bells for a lot of people involved in online communities. Theres a lot of talk of social networking AND social bookmarking over the last couple years and it seems to be picking up steam as we head into 2008. More and more social networks are popping up every day and driving search engine strategist batty with so many options what do you do: tag, digg, reddit or bookmark it first? Black hat spammers and search engine manipulators are keeping the Spam Teams at sites like Digg, Facebook, Del.icio.us, NetScape and MySpace working over time with ways to keep the perpetrators away. Its not uncommon to hear about people getting banned by Digg or Reddit. Below is an example of how social networking could work…

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Over the last year or so I’ve stubmled upon {no pun intended} quite a few of these new networks and in attempt to keep track of some of them I’ve started a list here…

Technorati
http://technorati.com/people/technorati/Webfu/

Delicious
http://del.icio.us/gregbeddor

BlueDot.us
http://bluedot.us/users/clockwork

MyBlogLog.com
http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/webfu/

Last.fm
http://www.last.fm/user/webfu

LinkedIn.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/beddor

MySpace.com
http://www.myspace.com/beddor

My Blog on MySpace
http://blog.myspace.com/beddor

Propeller.com
http://www.propeller.com/member/clockwork/

Netscape.com
http://www.netscape.com/member/clockwork/

StumleUpon.com
http://webfu.stumbleupon.com/about/

Squidoo.com
http://www.squidoo.com/webfu

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What is a social networking website?

A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software.

Most social network services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on.

The main types of social networking services are those which contain directories of some categories (such as former classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and recommender systems linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with MySpace, Digg and Facebook being the mostly widely used in 2007.

Browsing through the webmaster forums at v7n I found another fella’s list of social networking websites, according to him these are the top 10 for August 2007 -

1. digg.com
2. Netscape.com
3. Technorati.com
4. del.icio.us
5. StumbleUpon.com
6. reddit.com
7. Fark.com
8. MyBlogLog.com
9. Slashdot.org
10. kaboodle.com

— This list looks very similiar to mine. Although lately I’ve been enjoying Last.fm and My Blog Log more than my usual haunts at myspace, v7n and digital point. Bluedot has been a favorite recently as well. Thing is theres hundreds of these websites online now and more coming everyday. Frankly I don’t care about joining anymore. Although I always love to hear about current trends and new ways to network online… please feel free to add to my list if you know of anymore leave me a comment.

G

Ankeny Alley, infamous backdoor exit for Portland’s oldest strip joint, is known primarily for its urban camping ambiance, constant road construction and sketchy public bathroom antics.

Saturday 20, 2007 Salomon Snowboards and The US Outdoor Store infiltrate the alley with scaffolding, snow, music, Cobra Dogs, spectators, a beer garden, locals and the world’s best riders. Riders will compete for $10,000 in prizes.

The Bang format is unlike any other contest. With riders going head to head in elimination rounds until two finalists duke it out for first place. An open qualifier will pitch local riders into the street with the heavy hitting pros. To be a part of the open qualifier lottery contact the snowboard shop at US Outdoor.

Invitees include: Justin Bennee, Scotty Arnold, Jamie Anderson, Chad Otterstrom, Leanne Pelosi, Josh Sherman, Bryan Fox, Austin Smith, Ryan Thompson, Erin Comstock, Keegan Valaika, Scotty Lago, Nick Dirks, Eddie Wall, Laura Hadar, Erik Christensen, Lane Knaack, Louie Vito, Danny Kass, Sketchy D, Darryl Mathes, Trevor Jacob and Marie-France Roy.

What: Backyard Bang

Where: Ankeny Alley next to The U.S. Outdoor Store 219 SW Broadway, Portland, OR.

When: October 20, 2007 11am-5pm After Party from 6pm ‘till late.

Who: Salomon Snowboards and US Outdoor Store.

Why: Because it’s too early to go to the hill and we can’t wait to shred.

Prize Purse:

1st Place $3,000

2nd Place 1250

3rd Place $750 for both guys and gals.

Sponsors: Salomon Snowboards, USOUTDOOR.com, Bonfire Snowboarding, Oakley, Dakine and Future Snowboarding Magazine.

There is a whole myriad of fish that people can own, the most common being aquarium fish. Owning aquarium fish is well loved, and many people find fish serene. The type of aquarium that people purchase will often determine the type of fish that can be placed in the aquarium. The most popular fish for an aquarium is a goldfish. Goldfish are generally small in nature, and take very little maintenance, other than cleaning the aquarium and feeding the fish. The size of the aquarium for a goldfish can make a matter of a difference in how they will grow up. This means that goldfish can grow to be quite large should there be ample room in the aquarium to grow. Although goldfish do not grow to be as large as many other fish, they can be quite large by goldfish standards if they are taken care of properly.

Beta fish is another type of fish that many fish lovers like to own. Many beta fish are quite exquisite in color, as they are deep, rich colors, such as blue and purple, while others may have an iridescence to them that is simply beautiful. It is important to know that beta fish can not be in an aquarium with other beta fish, as they will indeed attack one another, and possibly kill each other. Therefore, most people that own a beta fish have them in an aquarium by themselves. The same instance for the beta fish holds true for the goldfish; the more that a beta fish is nurtured and taken care of, as well as room to grow, the bigger and healthier a beta fish can be.

For much larger aquariums, fish such as Koi are often seen swimming around. Many eating establishments, especially Chinese restaurants, will have Koi fish swimming in their aquariums. Koi fish are regarded as beautiful and good luck fish, which is why it is one of the most common types of aquarium fish. Although Koi fish can be quite large in nature, they are some of the most majestic fish that can be seen in an aquarium. It is important to keep Koi fish in very large aquariums that can be equipped to hold the large beauties. This is because the Koi fish need to be able to swim around and eat the food that it has been given, as well as to have a place to hide and sleep.

Although there are numerous fish that can fill an aquarium, the goldfish, beta fish and the Koi fish are the top three fish that are the most common aquarium fish. Fish are, for the most part, low maintenance, and do not cost much money to take care of. All that they need is light, food, a clean place to stay, and love, and they will thrive quite well.

For the last couple years I’ve had a vested interest with a couple online stores to sell Reef Sandals. The job has come with many benefits including over a half a dozen pair of reef flip flops that I’ve grown to love. I’ve tested several styles of sandles now and I’ve become sort of a sandal slut. I can’t live without them now. Through the last couple years I’ve been putting many miles on footwear with moldable eva footbeds that form to your feet. Although not all Reef Sandals mold to your feet, some of them are actually kind of rigid. Which has pros and cons to wearing flip flops all day.

Sandals mostly come in 4 flavors… Rubber, Leather, Canvas & EVA Soft Rubber that forms to your feet.

Rubber - Better for long walks.

Leather - More stylish, you can get away with wearing nice leather sandals to many restaurants.

Canvas - These are the best for travel.

Before this summer I’ve never worn a pair of sandals lined with canvas. I’ve always worn the rubber soled models. But my newest discovery in footwear is how canvas soaks up the sweat off your feet. When you’re wearing rubber sandals, { like chaco sandals } your feet just sweat to the bottom. With the canvas, the flip flops wick the wetness off your feet keeping you dry and comfy. The only downfall of the canvas reef sandals versus the rubber reef sandles is the canvas gets dirty faster because of all that sweat its soaking up. Gross? Maybe, but comfort is key when traveling and I’d take a canvas lined pair of sandals anyday over any other pair of flip flops.

- G