PRESTO EGO BLOG

I have now uploaded the final version of EGO banner. Read John Cox's post, STEP 3: PRESTO! for feedback on the finished product.

I am very pleased with the new template. It looks fine in different browsers and the loading of the page is quick. It could be that I play around with the colors now and then, but I will keep the default settings for now. I am thinking of getting my own "favicon" later on, but I am pretty happy with the standard "R" (as in Revolution template theme) as it is. [Editor's comment: You could say that the "R" is a symbol for the American Revolution or for a future Second Renaissance.]

It could happen that I add more stuff (called gadget boxes by Blogger) to the blog later on, but I want to keep it to a minimum so it will continue to look nice. I don't have much space for a long blog roll list, so I have kept a short list for now. You could find more blogs listed on my Blogger profile page. I have some things under the resources section, e.g., Fuel My Blog due to the fact that it belongs to Blogger and Podcaster Media Network.

At the moment, I have 10 video clips from the Ayn Rand Center in the video section. Yaron Brook answers questions during a lecture titled "Why Unregulated Laissez-Faire Capitalism Is the Only Moral Social System," delivered at the University of California, Irvine on April 14, 2008.

I will talk about the different types of ads on my blog and how you could support and sponsor my future blogging in my next post. In the meantime, read my post, RADICAL CAPITALIST, on advertising and Super Bowl and Bruce Horovitz's article, Marketers face pressure to deliver with Super Bowl ads.

FEEDBACK AND GET SATISFACTION

Please feel free to give me feedback by clicking on the black "Feedback" tab on the right side of the page. This service is powered by Get Satisfaction.

EGO BLOG IN PROGRESS

I have been working some time on updating the template and I think it is almost ready now. Right now, John Cox's second phase of the banner decorates this blog. The final version of EGO header will be uploaded in the near future.

I am waiting for an answer from Google regarding the status of my AdSense account. I need to get some revenue from contextual ads eventually. I see that my traffic is starting to catch up again. I think it has to do with the new template and the improved loading time of the page.

EGO REVOLUTION LIFESTYLE TEMPLATE

I decided to invest 20 bucks in a new EGO blog template. The original Revolution Two Lifestyle theme for WordPress was created by by Brian Gardner. The Blogger template is converted and enhanced by David Cowgill of eBlog Templates. Click here to view more details.

It was not much hassle to install this new template, but I must state for the record that this site will be under construction for some time. I have used John Cox's "banner rough" of EGO header as a temporary decoration during this under construction period. Here are some things that I have to look into:

• Fix the RSS feed for comments.
• Decide on the layout of the archives.
• Create an EGO favicon.
• Check Google's AdSense status.
• Explore opportunities with the sponsor & affiliate area.
• Play around with fonts and colors.

What's your reaction to this post? Is it "funny", "interesting" or "cool"? Any suggestions on this "check mark" feature?

I wonder if I should decrease the amount of posts on the front page? I have now 20 posts on the first page. I will keep an effort to limit the loading time of the page as much is possible. I have to investigate some external sources that could lead to trouble. [Editor's comment: Have you experienced loading problem with e.g., "ytimg.com" (Google?) and "playback.rhapsody.com" (RealNetworks?)] I will test this new template in many different browsers by using a tool called Browsershots.

Posts in the pipeline:

• How to tip and support EGO, the joy of a useful micro-donation, fuel for future blogging, etc.
• Three good things with Twitter (3 daily tweets on #goodthings).
• Getting Things Done, Action Method, Think Simple Now, et al.

Click here to visit eBlog Templates website!

EGO TEMPLATE MAINTENANCE

I need help with my EGO blog template again. It is working fine in Firefox, but not in Internet Explorer. It takes time in Chrome. What should I do? Any suggestions? [Editor's note to TradingGoddess: Thanks for the heads up.]

Related: My posts, EGO SAND DOLLAR TEMPLATE and EGO TEMPLATE.

MEGO PORTABLE PROFILE

I read about mEgo on Twitter and wanted to test it out. Here is my portable profile / avatar.



Click on the silhouette if you want to get more information.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY STARTUP

I have a new piece published on Open Forum by American Express. Please feel free to vote ("yes") and write a comment if you think it was useful to read my post, Five Lessons Learned from my Startup — And why I’d Do It Again.

INAUGURATION POST

Please post your thoughts and comments on the inauguration day. Here are two cartoons by John Cox in order to incite the discussion.


Obama's World.


Here we go....

In the news:

• Guide to US inauguration day - BBC.
• Just in time for the Obama inauguration, Ustream’s iPhone app launches - VentureBeat.

MIDWEEK 3 POST

As you have seen, my blogging has been light this week. I want to try to follow my weekly schedule because it is a pretty good routine to keep up with my blogging. I am planning to write a post on "getting things done" tools there I will discuss how this could help my blogging and other areas of my work-life. If you find that you want to read more stuff by yours truly, check out my stream of Twitter messages (tweets). Scroll down on the right column, you will find a "Twitter updates" section.

• Let the Sun Shine! - Cordair Fine Art. [Editor's note: I am looking forward to the spring! Maybe I have to pay a visit to Napa?]
• Celebrating Cats - MGTutoring.com. [Editor's comment: You know that I am a cat fan!]
• Victor Borge - Heroes of Capitalism. [Editor's note to Ann: Music to my ears! Thanks!]
• Of Piracy and Politics - The Rule of Reason. [Editor's comment: Attacks by parasites...]
• Illustration Gig: Automotive Report Cover (finish) - John Cox Art. [Editor's comment: I have been working in the Swedish and American welding industry for many years, so I like this cartoon.]

RED STOCKINGS ON EBAY

Here is an excerpt from a real sunshine story (Fresno collectors uncover rare 1869 baseball card):

The card is actually 139 years old. It, and a handful of others like it, are considered the first baseball cards.

Sports card collectors call the find "extremely rare" and estimate the card could fetch five, or perhaps, six figures at auction. (The Fresno Bee, December 31, 2008.)

Do you collect something?

Related: My post, EBAY AND THE FUTURE OF ONLINE AUCTIONS.

IS HUNGARY CAUGHT OFF GUARD?

What is going on in Hungary? I want to visit the country again, but you wonder about the violence and the scary and unstable political trend.

Related: POLITICAL TROUBLE IN HUNGARY.

MIDWEEK WRAP

Here is a collection of interesting links for week 2. Please keep 'em coming!

• A Wright Brothers Anecdote…and Its Lessons for Education. - MGTutoring.com. [Editor's comment: I saw the Wright 1909 Military Flyer at the Wright-Patterson air force base / museum in Dayton, Ohio.]
• Steve Ells. - Heroes of Capitalism. [Editor's comment: I have to test a Chipotle burrito shop next time I visit America.]
• Happy New Year! Good Times and Good Food! - Quent Cordair Fine Art. [Editor's comment: Linda's Braised Lamb Shanks sounds yummy.]
• Quick Roundup 390. - Gus Van Horn. [Editor's comment: Gus Van Horn's has a great track record of interesting roundup posts.]
• An Interview with Gus Van Horn. - Live Oaks. [Editor's comment: Brian Phillips has done a interesting interview.]
• Best Small Business Books. - Small Business Trends. [Editor's comment: Great inspiration for new reading material.]

HEROES OF CAPITALISM

I have added Heroes of Capitalism to my blog list (left column). [Hat tip to: Gus Van Horn.]

I want to add Victor Borge as a hero of show business.

In 1953, his one-man show, Comedy in Music began a run of 849 performances, the Broadway record for a solo show. Borge became the highest-paid television entertainer of his day. For two shows in America in 1956 - he limited himself to two a year - he was paid £100,000. (Telegraph.co.uk, August 23, 2001.)

I want to visit the exhibition, Victor Borge: A Centennial Celebration at Scandinavia House in New York City.

Who would you pick as a hero of capitalism?

Related: My post, THE PHILOSOPHY OF PUNCTUATION.

BOOK REVIEW DUCT TAPE MARKETING

I have reviewed John Jantsch's book, Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide, on Small Business Trends.

CHEWING VIRTUAL STUFF

At the moment, I am a little overwhelmed by the the flow of information and it feels like the crow epistemology will kick in soon...

I would like to see that this post shall continue as a thread in the blogosphere and elsewhere, for example as microblogging tweets and messages at FriendFeeds accounts.

I will begin to use Twitter and FriendFeed regularly during this year. But at the moment it feels a bit chaotic. I had a similar feeling when I first started to use ICQ and other instant message programmes and when I visited IRC (InterRelayChat) channels. How much time should you spend on it? What will it give you? How to use filters, in order to reduce the noise level?

My basic position is clear and I believe that these tools can be used for both social and business. It appears to be a natural flow back and forth between the social and the commercial. Could this be the work-life mix that it talks about in GTD (Getting Things Done) circles?

I see that these tools will enable the exchange of tangible and spiritual things between individuals. Perhaps we can draw parallels to ancient Greece and Aristotle's school, Lyceum, where there was a continuous flow of lectures, discussions and conversations of various kinds.

Reading material:

• Power Twitter: Inline Media, Integrated Search And A Lot More by Michael Arrington.
• The Last Temptation of Twitter by Ben McConnell.
• About My Twitter Hiatus by Jeremiah Owyang.

Things that I will do in the near future:

Clean out some stuff at the "boxes" section on my Facebook profile. I am sorry to say, but I can't keep up with all the games, applications, etc. [Editor's note: That said, I am interested in getting in touch with someone who is creating third-party applications for Facebook and other social networking sites. It is for an idea I have chewed for a long time.] I like the new layout of Facebook with tabs. I think I will add a section for notes and a RSS feed. Please feel free to join my EGO blog network on Facebook. Thanks in advance for showing that you are a loyal reader of EGO!

I will try to aggregate as much of my stuff as possible into one place. I think that Scrapplet will be the right tool for this task. Stay tuned for my new start & homepage in the near future...

As a end note, I want to quote John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing: "Social media is a tool, it's not a religion."

MY TAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

My first post in 2009 will include several things, e.g., reflections on 2008 and plans for this year, my future blogging schedule and other social media activities.

We had to restructure our company and close down the physical meeting place in Gothenburg due to the economical situation. We will continue with the business idea and during these two years we have established plenty of good relationships for the future. We are looking into the possibility to set up a virtual community online so we could keep in touch with our old customers and business contacts and create a new type of network.

I have been exposed to a potential big business opportunity in the field of renewable energy. More about this later on...

I have received the opportunity to write pieces for Open Forum. My latest one has the title, Will Social Media Tools Be Monetized In 2009? I look forward to your comments and feedback.

Reading material:

• The Meaning Of Friendship by Michael Arrington of TechCrunch.
• Virtual Water Cooler by Barbarella.

I have about 350 followers at Twitter at the moment. I probably follow 400 individuals in the near future. I have started to use Facebook again and I have more than 200 friends there. I will start to use FriendFeed on a regular basis. You could find my feed on the Facebook wall.

I am thinking of creating a special room at FriendFeed in connection to my future podcast interviews at Solid Vox. The following individuals will soon be scheduled for an interview:

• Jonathan Hoenig.
• John Cox.
• Scott Holleran.

In order to get my work-life more in balance, I have to get back on track with my studies of Getting Things Done and the practical implementation of the system. The GTD-IQ quiz told me that I belong to The Crazymaker/ Visionary quadrant. [Via Lifehacker.] Check out Robert Scoble's interview with David Allen.

Related: My post, WRITING DOWN NEW RESOLVING THOUGHTS.