2008, huh? ...So this is my last 2007 post!

Man, I can't believe it's gonna be 2008. Where did the last couple of years go? I'm still kind of in a mindset of "The New Millennium" and "The 2000's are here!" ..."Y2K!" Yikes! That just shows how fast time flies. Especially now that I'm older. I can't really say 2007 was all that great. Parts of it kinda sucked, in fact. But it went by so quick, that I barely even noticed it was here.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to 2008. I think it's gonna be a great year. I'm in a new town, with a house; my wife, dogs, and cats seem to be OK... Tonight I'll drink some Champagne, and ring the new year in with an optimistic eye for the future. And I'll always keep the faith. Yay!
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The NEXT phase in social networking...

I've been on Myspace for just over three years. A friend of mine wanted to show me her modelling pictures, and I joined to just look at them. I thought it was a pain-in-the-ass to sign up, and give all that personal information, and all that just to look at some pictures, but about three weeks later i realized the potential of this phenomenon, and what I'd stumbled across. since then I've found Myspace almost invaluable-- finding long-lost buddies, meeting new people, promoting all kinds of things, etc. It led me to Friendster, Bodybuilding.com, Google's Mappr, Yahoo's 360, and Youtube's "Shoehead Channel". Now there are all kinds of programs, and they're evolving; developing their own niches and specific purposes and demographics.
It was only a matter of time before the social networking craze caught on to the concept of monetization. Now there are networks that actually pay you to belong to them!
The first one is Yuwie. This is perhaps my favorite right now, because you actually sign up for free, and get paid real money! you can't beat that!
My next favorite is JoePopular. This is a network very friendly to internet-marketers. it's easy to use, and the people are very cool. I've even chatted with the owner, and he's a super guy.
Another online community is AdLandPro. They're very purpose is for advertising and marketing. I like this site alot, and there's alot of income potential there.
Finally, there's Directmatches. Another marketing community, they are more of a business-to-business type site.
I believe, with the relative newness of the internet to human culture, and the even newer-ness(?) of social networking, we've only seen the beginning of a whole new lifestyle/economy/culture.

OK, my last post was kinda jacked...

My tribute to Laura Nyro came out pretty decent, but a lot of my links didn't work. I'm still trying to master HTML. I hope my awesome readers got a feel for her, and what she was about anyway.

OK, now I wanna give a shout-out to all my buddies in India over on Blogstreet, who are really a cool bunch of people. I'd like to visit someday; it really is a beautiful country with a fascinating culture.

Laura Nyro revisited

For the last couple of days, I've been on a real Laura Nyro kick. I'm not really sure how it started, but I think it has something to do with one of my favorite Barbra Streisand tunes, Stoney End. As I looked up the song, I noticed that it was written by Laura Nyro, whom I vaguely remembered the name from my youth, and that she'd died around 1997. Other than that, she really didn't register so much. Upon looking further at her accomplishments, I was amazed at all of her songwriting credits--Eli's Coming, Wedding Bell Blues, Save the Country, even her version of Stoney End seems to have more soul and raw emotion than Barbra's. She wrote the tune And When I Die, which is a brilliant tune. Here's a video of her performing live:


I've been watching that clip again and again for the last couple of days. I really believe that music history didn't give her her due as a performer; not just as a composer/lyricist. I hope that you enjoy her and her music as much as I do.

Trying something new...

I just set up my Technorati Profile, so we'll see what happens. I like Technorati and I think they do high-visibility content feeds.

बेनजीर भुट्टो अस्ससिनातेद...

I'm deeply saddened by the disgusting attack of Benazir Bhutto. She was always a hero of mine. as the first woman leader of a modern(?) Muslim country, Mrs. Bhutto demonstrated courage and conviction. I am deeply saddened by the news, and wish to extend my prayers and condolences to the Bhutto family and to her followers.

OK, the day AFTER Christmas...

So I survived my in-laws. It really wasn't nearly as brutal as I thought it would be. Very pleasant; niceties all around. The turkey dinner was awesome! They even sent me home with a plate of leftovers. My mother-in-law claims she uses tradition family recipes, but I think she used a cookbook! My wife, the lovely Mrs. Shoehead, was gonna stay a few more days, so I drove back alone last night, but suddenly decided to come home today. I picked her up from the Madera train station (really just a bare platform--not even a shelter or a soda machine!) It was good to have her back, even though I was looking forward to a couple of days of watching my favorite DVDs. Now we're gonna have to watch all of her DVD's! Oh well...
So I've got a few more days 'til the new year, then it's back on my fitness program! There's no gym where I live, so I'm gonna put together my home gym in the spare room. Wish me luck!

I do wanna highlight two very cool social networking sites I've been spending alot of time on. Instead of Myspace and Friendster, which are just a little, well-- juvenile (but fun!)-- I'm trying to spend more time in a business environment. And the two communities I really like for their ease, functionality, and friendly people are AdLandPro, and Directmatches. take a look at both of these. I love both of them, and recommend them to any web entrepreneur.

So this is Christmas...

Well, it's now Christmas. It seems like this year just flew by. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers. My Christmas wish list is six-pack abs, solid muscle, and a no-nonsense workout I can stick to. I don't think that's too much to ask... Oh, yeah--peace on earth, goodwill toward man and all that, too.
OK, Merry Christmas everybody! Ho, ho,ho!

Christmas eve...

Today is Christmas eve, and it's not just an ordinary day. It's my sister's birthday, as well as my good friend Jenna's. I think for my sister, I'm going to get her this awesome cookbook. It's called the Copycat Cookbook, and it's basically a way to duplicate all of you favorite restaurant recipe's from T.G.I.Friday's, Applebee's, Chili's, and more! I know she's gonna love that!
Now, what to get for Jenna... she loves her dogs, so maybe I'll get her this book on how to keep her dog healthy, Dog Food Secrets. Or I know she's a huge Beatles fan, so maybe anything by The Beatles.
Anyway, off I go. Almost time to go to my in-laws. (I should get liquored up first!)
Merry Christmas, everybody! Happy Holidays all around!

Another year older...

OK, so I'm hitting the big 4-2 today. I really don't feel it. (Well, maybe a little!)

The Wellness Revolution!

I just began reading this book, and it's truly amazing. I'll add to my review later, but suffice it to say that I believe in the whole concept of wellness and preventive medicine. The New Wellness Revolution: How to Make a Fortune in the Next Trillion Dollar Industry

My wedding anniversary...

Today, September 10th 2007 is my 2-year wedding anniversary! Yay! Two full years of wedded bliss with the lovely Mrs. Shoehead!

My first run in over a month...

I had a great run today... I ran down to the beach (Port Hueneme) with my Italian Greyhound, Bocce. It was my first time back in a month due to injuries and a tough work schedule. Now I'm going back into the gym for the first time in 10 days...

I had a great run today... I ran down to the beach (Port Hueneme) with my Italian Greyhound, Bocce. It was my first time back in a month due to injuries and a tough work schedule. Now I'm going back into the gym for the first time in 10 days...

Kentucky Luau!

Today is my buddy Hawkeye's third annual Kentucky Luau up in Big Bear. It should be alot of laughs, riots, and laugh riots. I'll post an update upon my return. Cheers!

I Knew it All Along…

Not since reading Robert Kiyosaki’s pivotal Rich Dad, Poor Dad has a book had such an impact on my life and personal philosophy as Barbara J. Winter’s Making a Living Without a Job (Bantam, 1993). Like Rich Dad, this book not only gave me new insights and information, but helped codify concepts and outlooks I’d already had. Ms. Winter is the founder of Winning Ways, an education and publishing firm dealing with entrepreneurship and personal growth, which are two of my favorite subjects.

The book starts out, and devotes a good portion of the first section to developing the mindset to transition from employee to entrepreneur. This is very important, because living without a conventional job is not simply a matter of quitting the 9 to 5 and starting a business. There’s a huge difference in mindset and psychology. Confidence, self-esteem, and steely resolve have to take over. The book is full of exercises to help the reader develop the creativity and passion found within. Ms. Winters illustrates very well the importance of the connection between mindset and entreprenuerism. She also outlines her journey from employee to self-employment. The latter part of the book provides resources to help the reader get started. One thing that particularly strikes me about this book is that it was published before the advent of the internet, so that a lot new resources would conceivably be available.

Making a Living Without a Job fits right in with my philosophy of life, and is another open door in my own personal journey. The writing style is light and easy, and I finished the book in two days. I plan on using this tome as a handbook as I negotiate my own ‘Joyfully Jobless’ career. I’d recommend this book to anyone who feels they don’t have the perfect “fit” in their career.

My Personal Independence Day

As we pepare for Independence Day, I've made my own "Declaration of Independence". From now on, I'm going to devote my time to free myself of working for 'The Man'. I'll be working on my creative projects, my screenplays and other endeavors in my own personal quest for growth and fulfillment. I'm gonna run a couple of 10K's, cuz I love that, and keep on my fitness program. I believe in the concept of "Mens sana in corpore sano" from Juvenalis. That translates into "a sound mind in a sound body", and that will be my new mantra for the next couple of months. I'm declaring my independence from negative nay-sayers, scoffers, and dream-stealers. It's a whole new day dawning. Viva Shoehead!
Now, I'll have a turkey burger from the grill. Happy and safe 4th, my loyal readers!

Quick (real quick) intro...

Here's a quick introduction. I was born in NYC and currently live in southern California. I work in the entertainment industry, and I'm married, with no kids, two dogs, and two cats.