Where to Go, What to Do

US Companies - provides basic info on virtually every US public and private company. www.manta.com

Manufacturers - online version of the Thomas Registry key manufacturing directory. www.thomasnet.com

Patents and Applications - a quick and easy way to locate existing patents and patient applications.
www.google.com/advanced_patent_search

Federal Contracts - find companies that are doing business with the federal government, and even contract details.
www.fedspending.org

Site Linking Relationships - get an animated graphical representation of web site relationships. Knowing these relationships can provide a snapshot of a company's customers and business partners.
www.TouchGraph.com/TGGoogleBrowser.html (case sensitive)

Larger Companies - find very good information on publicly-held and larger private companies.
www.hoovers.com

SMILE! & Have a Safe Halloween :)

Say it all, without saying a word….

Say it all, without saying a word….

Three Popular & Valuable keyword research tools!

Test them out find which one works best for your business!

Google External Keyword Tool
(https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal)
Google recently changed its free keyword research tool so that it now resides as part of the AdWords platform. While Google is the standard and has most of the search engine business on the Internet, this toll gives no competitive data. It's best to use one of the tools below for primary keyword research and use the Google tool to verify initial findings.

Wordstream
(www.WordStream.com)
This tool conducts keyword research and will build a complete ad campaign using its database and the keywords it helps you choose. It will also perform grouping and organization of keywords to help segment your list into an effective SEO-friendly structure for your site.

KeywordSpy*
(www.KeywordSpy.com)
This tool has the most data of any keyword tool on the internet and an easy-to-use interface. The database of keywords is the largest outside of Google, and the interface allows you to plug keywords directly into the ad platforms of Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

SpyFu
(www.SpyFu.com)
SpyFu has many features, such as allowing you to compare two sites and giving a graphic representation of PPC ads and the changes that have been made to them over time. It also has an extensive history of the ads run by specific URLs that you can search by date.

Happy Keyword searching and remember to always SMILE!!! :)

9 problem solvers

1. Mini Survival Kit: some survival kits include fire starter & rope, which is fine if you're MacGyver. But in the case of a real emergency, reach for this 16-item change purse-size savior, which includes nail polish, deodorant & more.
To Buy: $12, msandmrs.com
2. Extra-Cool Champagne Carrier: we hate to burst your bubble, but that Santa-clad bag isn't doing your gift any favors. This refrigerator-inspired box, though, doubles as gift wrap & keeps the Veuve Clicquot chilled for two hours.
To Buy: $40 for bottle and case, at liquor stores.
3. DIY Photo Gift Tags: this year, grace your presents with cheerful custom gift tags. Upload an image, add your own greeting, then tie one on.
To Buy: $12 for 25, cardstore.com (enter the code SIMPLE20 at checkout)
4. Stocking Mailer: this festive box takes deliveries from ho-hum to ho-ho-ho. Perfect for a far-from-home student or a soldier overseas.(Find out what and how to send at ourmilitary.mil/help.shtml.)
To Buy: $15 for three, shipshapeusa.com - standard shipping charges apply
5. User-Friendly Apron: a heaping helping of cooking factoids are printed upside down, so the answers are(literally)at your icing-covered fingertips.
To Buy: $29.50, delight.com
6. Autumnal Crust Cutters: Humble pie? Hardly. These spring-loaded tools punch out crisp fall leaves to dapple your apple.
To Buy: $18, williams-sonoma.com

And have you heard about...?

7. TGIBLACKFRIDAY.COM: get the inside scoop on discounts from major retailers, like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, weeks before the circulars are printed in the newspapers.
8. FANCYFLOURS.COM: this vast emporium of cookie cutters(15 pages worth!), toppers (crystal rose petals), and gift packaging will inspire even nonbakers to turn on the oven.
9. WRAPITAPP: enter your gift box's measurements(or use the app's handy measurement tool)to find out how much paper and ribbon you'll really need per present. Then follow the easy step-by-step picture tutorials.
To Buy: $2 iTunes.

Happy Hump Day! SMILE the sun is out & YOU are alive today :)

Paul Zerdin Ventriloquist at Comedy Rocks With Jason .Manford - FUNNY -

HAHAHA...watch this for your morning/afternoon/evening SMILE!

Google Search Tips & Other Search Engines

Search Within Results: scroll to the bottom of a google search results page & locate 'search within results'. Click the link and enter a new term into the search form.
Instead of searching the web, you'll only search for that term within your original results.

Search a Date or Number Range: enter the terms you're searching for, and then enter a date range 'separated by two periods(e.g. 1999..2002)
Google will deliver results featuring your terms(s) but only with pages that also include that date range. Works for number ranges too: e.g.$100..$300

Google Amnesia Assistance-let Google fill in the blanks: if you can't remember part of your search, use an 'asterisk*' and Google will fill in the blanks. Great for name searches, job titles, even email addresses(e.g. "*@acme.com"

GoogleGuy: www.googleguy.de/google-yahoo Enter a search term and compare side-by-side Google and Yahoo results. Note how one search engine typically has indexed more web sites, and the result ranking can be dramatically different.

Cuil: increase the relevance of your search results. www.cuil.com Enter a broad search term; On the results page, choose a main category to the top-level menu, or choose a category in the Explore by Category section; As you click on sub-categories notice how the Explore By Category menu changes. Continue to click through various sub-categories to help you find results relevant to the information you desire.

Viewzi: display search results in a variety of ways. www.viewzi.com Conduct a standard search; use Boolean for better results; Using the top vavigation, choose a display type; Click the image to enlarge it and/or to directly visit the site; Click the "more info" link under the search form to see the features and benefits of a specific display type.

Exalead: make searching easier with numerous search features all combined into one engine. www.exalead.com/search Conduct a standard search or use Exalead's Advanced Search link, located directly next to the main search button; In Advanced Search, follow the prompts and narrow or expand your search; Narrow your search by choosing one of the links on the right side.

HAPPY searching, Enjoy your family & the day & remember to always SMILE! :)

Interesting stuff,

24 million - the number of Americans who play basketball at least once a year

83 minutes - the time men spend preparing to go out-four minutes longer than women

National Sandwich Day - celebrate it this Nov 3 by broadening your palate. Try a mix of carmelized onions, roasted peppers, figs, Kalamata olives, and shaved Manchego cheese on ciabatta bread

Rosario Dawson - Unstoppable, her new flick with Denzel Washington sounds like a Speed rip-off...only this time the bomb's on a runaway train. Who cares, as long as this beauty is a part of the action

Splatterhouse - one of the most violent, gore-filled games ever created, and we mean that in the best way possible (PS3 & XBox; $60)

18% - how much more space the muscle in your body occupies, compared to fat

COOL Social Media info coming Saturday 10/16 everyone SMILE!

Not easy being GREEN!

Article that was published bout my Green Drinks Mason events grp you may enjoy-Thanks

Want to help the environment? Care for a drink? Being environmentally consciou involves more than just throwing cans in a recycling container-although that's a start. To truly be green, one must think green and live green. It's a lifestyle change that betters the planet, and the smallest steps go a long way.

One group, now firmly established in Mason, is reaching out to people hoping to make a difference by giving them an unusual arena to gather, to socialize amd learn how to live eco-friendly. Sometimes it's as simple as chatting over a few drinks. Every month, people who work in the environmental field set up meetings known as Green Drinks. This eco-movement has been taking place in bars acorss the country since the first meeting was held in London in 1989, when a heated discussion within a small group of environmentally friendly fashion designers in a local pub turned into a tradition. In 2001, the official website of the movement, greendrinks.org, was launched, inviting others to host there own discussion forums in local bars. Green Drinks now holds monthly events in 722 cities worldwide.

Green Drinks Mason was established in September 2008 and the first meeting was held in January 2009. The meetings, which are open to everyone, take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 6-730pm in area locations, including Cincinnati. The group's website http://bit.ly/GDMFans describes the meetings as a way to "discuss, network and learn about sustainability - and have a good time doing it." The premise of Green Drinks is simple: discuss the environment, have a drink. Anyone is invited to sit and chat, and there's no real agenda to follow. "We want to get as many people as possible together to just network and meet people," says Eric Routenberg, founder and organizer of Green Drinks Mason. Routenberg, outside sales manager for InfoTrust LLC, http://www.infotrustllc.com saw Green Drinks as an avenue for people to exchange ideas and business cards, or just sit and listen in a friendly, non-threatening environment.

Topics of conversation have been as simple as discussing the benefits of recycling and how to stop a leaking faucet, to the more complex issues like global warming and urging government officials to require more reusable sources of energy. The talking points continue to shift and grow-while the drinks keep flowing. Often times, Green Drinks will invite a guest speaker to the monthly meeting "just to spark a conversation," says Routenberg. Of course, the topic must be environmentally related. The most recent Green Drinks Mason took place at the Famous Neon's Unplugged in Over-the-Rhine in August and featured a special forum on Cincinnati's green source for salvaging usable building materials. Jerry Janszen from Building Value LLC was the guest speaker. Along with themes and guest speakers, some meetings have featured promotional perks like a limousine tour of the city, or other ways to help their fellow businessmen while remaining a non-profit. A benefit for women with fibromyalgia is scheduled for the next meeting Sept. 29 at the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club in Ludlow,Ky.

"I just got tired of looking around the city and seeing these cigarette butts and trash on the ground," says Routenberg about founding the group. His concern for the area sparked a movement, and as a result, the Mason chapter of Green Drinks became reality. Most of the early meetings took place at the Fox & Hound Pub on Bowen Drive Routenberg says he's seen the group increase with every meeting. "We nearly doubled our very first meeting to our second," he says. Steps to create a new Green Drinks for your city are relatively easy. Among them: a reasonable distance from other Green Drinks chapters, maintaining politically neutral, and a desire to help others and the environment. Routenberg became aware of Green Drinls while reading an article in Men's Journal. Soon after, he made the call to Edwin Datschefski, founder of greendrinks.org, seeking to organize the Mason chapter. Datschefski serves as the international coordinator of Green Drinks and was one of the founding members in London.

While Green Drinks has become large in terms of worldwide participants, the philosophy of a small get-together remains the same. Each city strives to host the events in a local bar setting whenever possible, and most new groups start with only a dozen or so participants. It;s not uncommon for a larger city to attract 100 or more people per month to their meetings. Ten to 60 people have attended recent Green Drinks Mason meetings, and the number grows each time. "People have been turning out more for many different reasons," says Routenberg. Some chapters have noticed that as the group sizes increase, so do the possibilities. It's not uncommon for events like these to create lasting friendships, partnerships or even romance. Green Drinks also serves as a venue for prospective employment, something that is on the minds of many. As people gather with similar interests, certain opportunities may present themselves. This is something Routenberg has seen as a rewarding byproduct of Green Drinks.

"No matter what field it may be in, we all know someone who may fit a job opening," he says. "It's always satisfying seeing people come together for others in need and it's always great when you can relax and toss back a cold Blue Moon with an orange slice, too". In additiion to his responsibilities at his day job, InfoTrust, Routenberg works tirelessly on his promotion of Green Drinks Mason. He maintains social networking sites like Facebook and blog http://bit.ly/GDMason and gives updates and news blurbs on the latest Green Drinks news. "We aren't asking you to do a complete 180 in your lifestyle in one day," says Routenberg. Habitual changes can be difficult, but Green Drinks aims to make the transition a little easier-and more fun. Of course, you could always come for the drinks.

THANK YOU for reading this article on my Green Drinks Mason -- SMILE!

You Know What Time It Is Right?

Baseball Fever & The Cincinnati Reds -vs- The Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night! Now let's ALL get behind those REDS....LOL & cheer on the Hometeam! :) GO REDS!

More GDMason coming soon...FROST in the AM brrrr it is gonna be 34* tonite! CHILLLLL

MONEY TALKS!

"Get it for a Song" - If all we had to do to buy something was croon a ditty, that would be the bargain of the century. For the familiarity of this saying, credit William Shakespeare, who popularized it in 'All's Well That Ends Well'. In the play, a jester tells the tale of a melancholy rich fellow so in need of a little joy that he sells his mansion "for a song". But the next time you're about to pay, don't expect sellers to be so generous. You'll need to lay down some cash-in lieu of tracks

Either..Or Use airline miles for airline tickets? Or for some other item? If you're close to scoring a Free ticket to Rome, we have one word for you: Arrivederci. "The smartest way to spend your miles is on high-cost travel, like an intn'l flight, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, a consumer-travel website. In fact, you should always avoid trading in your miles for goodies like an espresso maker & a DVD player. Why? In comparison with a free plane ticket, the retail items eat up a disproportionate number of miles, says Galia Gichon, founder of Downtoearthfinance.com, an independent financial-education website. Case in point: A recent $516 Delta flight from New York City to London would require 60,000 Delta Sky Miles, whereas a 120-gigabyte Sony PlayStation that retails for less($390)would cost 79,400 miles. Of course, if you have miles that are about to expire or you plan to travel on popular travel dates, such as the winter holidays, the equation changes. In those cases, go ahead and order that juicer or video-game console, guilt free.

Thumbs-Up To...The New Gift Card Rules: As you may have heard, gift cards now cannot lose value or expire until 'five' years after the date of purchase, thanks to Federal Reserve regulations. (Previously, cards could become invalid one year after purchase) And there's more good news: Starting August 22, service fees, including those tacked on for balance inquiries and adding money to the card, are now limited to one fee per month. Plus, a full year has to pass before an inactivity fee (around $2 a month) can be charged, and as of January 31, 2011, the fee amount must be fully disclosed on the back of the card.

HAPPY OCTOBER & HAVE A FALL FILLED WITH COLORS & SMILES!