Associated Content Update

I was doing pretty well on Associated Content. At one point I was averaging about $6 or $7 an article and I can write an article in less than a hour, so that’s an okay wage per hour. But I had heard that some people made in the $8 – $12 range. I wanted to make that much too so I did everything I could to improve. Sure enough I did. From August 2006 to February 2008 I brought in 700,000 page views. That period of time is 19 months. So I averaged about 36,000 page views per month.

In March of 2008 and April of 2008 (so far) I have pulled in 200,000 page views. That’s 100,000 page views per month. In that time I’ve had 21 articles featured on Associated Content, three articles on the Most Popular Content section and I had an article featured by IMDB.com. What’s my reward for this? An average offer of $3.80 per article.

I hate those people that think they are too good, “oh my articles are soooo good that I deserve sooo much more money.” But this is ridiculous. It’s bad enough that I’m making less than I should but my offers went down when my performance went up. It makes no sense.

So I’ve decided Associated Content isn’t working anymore. Clearly something has changed and clearly I’m going to make chump change on half of my articles and rejected on the other half. So from now on I’m only going to write one or two time sensitive article per week, submit it for free to try and get some money on the performance bonus. No more writing 5 – 10 articles a day. No more articles about really interesting things like chess boxing and bossaball. No more sports stories. No more writing 10 articles worthy of being featured every week. Just one or two little articles a week and that’s it.

Before I didn’t feature all my Associated Content articles on here because like I said I wrote 5 – 10 articles a day and I don’t think you want promotion for 5 – 10 articles every day. But since I will now only be writing one or two articles a week I figured it wouldn’t be a problem to promote them here when they are published. So here is the first article of the new era.

God Sends Message to Teenagers in Abbotsford; Rock is the Devil’s Music

By the way Associated Content added a picture to this article which usually means they are going to feature it. So even after I “quit” I still get featured. Go figure.

Today I will be spending the day looking for a real job. Tomorrow I’ll be playing Grand Theft Auto IV. Everybody have a nice week!

Book Appearance

A couple of days ago my mother called me on the phone to inform me that one of my articles was going to be in a book. What? How is this possible? It turns out that somebody at my church is publishing a sports book. They were online one day researching archery and just happened to come across my article on the 10 Greatest Archers. They were like, “Hey! I know that guy!” What a small world we live in that somebody could be writing a book, go on Google to do research and find an article from somebody that happens to go to the same church.

It’s a good thing my Mom told me about the book though because originally the author was going to copy the article for his book. Unfortunately Associated Content has exclusive rights, not me, and they could sue him if they found out he copied the article for his book. But since I caught this before the book was published I gladly rewrote the article so he could use it.

If you want to read the descriptions for each person you can read the article above (although they will be different in the book). I did actually change the rankings in the book too. Here are my original rankings and the new updated rankings.

Original: 1. Robin Hood 2. Link 3. Sorsha 4. Green Arrow 5. Hawkeye 6. Legolas 7. Susan Pevensie 8. Rambo 9. Gizmo 10. Chewbacca

Updated: 1. Robin Hood 2. Link 3. Green Arrow 4. Hawkeye 5. Legolas 6. Sorsha 7. Susan Pevensie 8. Rambo 9. Chewbacca 10. Gizmo

Drobnjak

I would love to write some great post on my blog but after seeing these commercials I am speechless.

Praying For a Power Outage

Lately down here in Alabama we’ve been getting a lot of storms. Normally it’s not a big deal. It rains, it thunders, it lightnings and then that’s that that. But lately the power has been going out more than usual. I think the power has gone out more times in the last month than in the last 2 years.

About a month ago when the power went out my computer was on at the time and it wreaked havoc on my computer, especially on my mouse. Whenever I clicked on something with my mouse, it automatically double clicked instead. This was very frustrating. I often closed things I didn’t want to close and clicked on things I didn’t want to click.

Sometimes when something breaks people have a tendency to try and fix it by beating on it. I don’t know why people think they should do this. I guess they think if it broke then you can smash it around and make in unbreak. Well, apparently that is sort of what happened with my mouse because about a week later the power went out again with my computer on and suddenly the mouse started working again.

But like I said, the power has been going out a lot. The power went out again a few days later and the mouse wasn’t working again. A few days later the power went out again and the mouse worked, later that day the power went out again and my mouse wasn’t working again.

Now here I am with a mouse that doesn’t work properly and I can think is I hope the power goes out sometime soon.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

If you’ve read my articles on Associated Content then you’ll know that I like making lists. Today I’m going to make another list, a list of my favorite things. You might be asking, “favorite what?” Favorite everything. These are just the 10 things I’m loving right now. It could be a person, it could be a game, a movie, a food, an idea, a math equation, a quote. it can be anything. So here it goes…

1. Mike Pelfrey – Like always the media has blown the New York Mets problems way out of proportion. Even though Pedro Martinez and El Duque are both injured I have no problem with that because Johan Santana, John Maine and Oliver Perez is still a great top three. But Mike Pelfrey, one of the Mets best prospects for a few years now, has made things even easier by starting the season 2 – 0 with a 1.50 ERA. Imagine at some point if Pedro and El Duque are healthy. The New York Mets will have SIX starting pitchers. As I said, their pitching “problems” have been blown way out of proportion.

2. My pink iPod – I got my pink iPod and I’m enjoying it so far. It fits about 50 songs and some of my daily audio bible readings, which is plenty for my 1 – 2 hour exercise routine. It fits in my hand and is easy to carry. I have had the battery die a couple of times but since it runs on a AAA battery and not its own battery on the inside, I can just carry an extra battery with me.

3. NHL Playoffs – My sister is always talking about the NHL so I’ve really gotten into this year and have been keeping up with what’s going on. All of this despite the fact that I haven’t seen a single playoff game yet because there are no hockey games airing in Alabama. Just imagine how much I’d like the NHL if I could actually watch the games.

4. MK vs. DC – In case you don’t keep up with the video game world it was announced today that the newest Mortal Kombat game will be a Mortal Kombat vs. DC Comics game. This is the most excited I’ve ever been about a fighting game. It better have Flash and Green Lantern, and I don’t mean John Stewart. So far the only characters announced are Scorpion and Sub Zero from Mortal Kombat and Batman and Superman from DC Comics.

5. Woot.com – I love Woot.com. If you’re not familiar with Woot.com it is a website that sells electronics and gadgets like cell phones, computers, mp3 players, etc. They only sell one item a day though, but it’s usually a very good product for a very good price. A few days ago they sold a very nice computer for $649.99. The deals are so good that If I actually had a regular well paying job that I’d probably buy their item just about every day.

6. Doctor Who – I’ve really gotten into the television show Doctor Who lately. Unfortunately I’m skeptical about Season 3 and Season 4 (I’ve only seen 1 and 2) because I like Christopher Eccleston better than David Tennant (although I do like David) and Billie Piper was way better than Freema Agyeman. It’s disconcerting that each season the cast has gotten worse.

7. YouTube Video – I love YouTube and my favorite video is constantly changing right now it has to be a movie trailer for one of those crazy Japanese movies. This movie is about a one armed boxer and his evil nemesis. This nemesis has a hat that he can throw at people and it lands on their head and goes down over their head. Suddenly spikes come out of the hat and chop the victim’s head off. This evil man is a serial killer knocking off one armed men for some reason until he comes face to face with the one armed boxer. Enjoy this trailer of The One Armed Boxer and the Master of the Flying Guillotine!

8. Bossaball – I wish I could find people to play bossaball with. Bossball is a sport invented in Belgium that combines volleyball, soccer and a trampoline. Basically there is a volleyball court but in the middle/front position of the court there is a trampoline so that the spiker can jump and get extra height. Bossball players are also allowed to kick the ball. To really get the full jist of it you must watch this video.

9. Mass Effect – I just played Mass Effect for the first time and enjoyed it. It probably doesn’t hurt that I played it on my friends HDTV, which unfortunately I don’t have. It should still be fun on my regular television though.

10. French Toast Bagels from Panera – Mmmmm.

Doctor Who?

Lately I’ve been watching the current season of Doctor Who and I got to wondering about the television show. Doctor Who is the last person of his race so he just calls himself “The Doctor”, and people always say, “Doctor Who?”, that’s how he got his name.

But what was he called before the rest of his race was killed? Were they all Doctors and he was Doctor so-and-so and there was another Doctor so-and-so and another Doctor so-and-so? Or was he the only doctor and all of his other people other professions? Was there an Engineer Who? 3D Animator Who? and Garbage Truck Driver Who?

Proverbs 3:27-28

Today I was listening to my Daily Audio Bible when a couple of verses caught my ear that I had never noticed before. Proverbs 3:27 – 28 reads “Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Don’t tell your neighbor ‘Maybe some other time’ or ‘Try me tomorrow’ when the money’s right there in your pocket.”

It’s a good thing I didn’t know this verse when I was in high school because I probably would’ve thrown it in some people’s faces. Not in a confrontational, but helpful, way. I mean in a “you’re a big jerk” way. This verse pretty much describes every friend I ever went to for help in high school. Looking back I’m sure there were one or two people I could have gone to with my problems and they would’ve helped, but for one reason or another I didn’t want to go to them. The people that I did want to go to with my problems were never very helpful. It was always “Why do you go to talk to this person or that person instead.” Or it was “I can’t stay and talk I’ve got a test to study for.”

It always bothered me in high school because here were people that claimed to be Christians but they just brushed me aside when I was going through really difficult times. I understand school is important and all of that but more people than other people’s well being? Come on.

But it’s been 10 years since high school (scary!) and now that I’ve grown both in maturity and spiritually my thoughts on this verse were coming completely from the other side. I thought to myself. Am I like this? Does my hand represent God’s hand the way that it should? Honestly I don’t think that I’ve ever just completely turned down somebody that outright asked for help like I had done to me many times in high school and I’ve even gone out of my way to do nice things for people, but is that enough? The main reason I’ve never turned down anybody is because nobody has come to me. Do people know they can come to me? Do I need to do a better job of showing them or telling them they can come to me?

Disney News

There has been a lot of Disney news lately. I guess we’ll start first with the news that I don’t really care about and that is that Disney is already working on High School Musical 4 even though High School Musical 3 hasn’t been finished yet. This can not be a good sign. The third High School Musical takes place during their senior year. Going from high school to college will doom this series. Saved by the Bell the College Years anybody? Once you go from a high school program to a college program your audience changes and that audience doen’t care about High School Musical.

The other news is that Disney has announced that they have a slew of animated movies in store between now and 2012. Here is a summary of all of them:
Bolt (starring John Travolta) – Bolt, a German Shepherd, has lived his whole life on the set of his action TV show, where he believes he has superpowers. When separated from the studio by accident, he meets Mr. Mittens (actually a female cat) and a hamster named Rhino. Along the way, he learns that he doesn’t have superpowers and that the show is not realistic.

The Bear and the Bow – The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father’s kingdom and her mother’s life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right.

The Princess and the Frog – A musical set in the legendary birthplace of jazz – New Orleans – “The Princess and the Frog” will introduce the newest Disney princess, Tiana, a young African-American girl living amid the charming elegance and grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. From the heart of Louisiana’s mystical bayous and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes an unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm at every turn. Randy Newman will write songs and the score for the film.

Toy Story 3 (Starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks) – Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college.

Wall-E – After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL•E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen.

Tinker Bell – Enter the magical world of fairies and meet the enchanting creatures of Pixie Hollow, who “nurture nature” and bring about the change of the seasons. Changing the colors of the leaves, moving a sunbeam to melt snow, waking animals from their winter slumber, or giving a patch of sproutlings a sprinkle of water are all within the realm of these seasonal specialists. Tinker Bell thinks her fairy talent as a “tinker” isn’t as special or important as the other fairies’ talents. But when Tink tries to change who she is, she creates nothing but disaster! With encouragement from her friends Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn and Iridessa, Tink learns the key to solving her problems lies in her unique tinker abilities … and discovers that when she’s true to herself, magical things can happen.

Up – a comedic adventure taking off (and lifting spirits) in summer 2009. Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. “Up” takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures. When seeking adventure next summer — look “Up.”

Tinkerbell North of Never Land – In autumn, Tinker Bell is entrusted with crafting a great treasure that can rejuvenate the Pixie Dust Tree. But when her friend Terence offers to help, Tink’s temper and stubbornness get the better of her, shattering both her creation and her friendship with Terence. To set things right again, she must embark on a journey far North of Never Land … and along the way, she will discover an even greater treasure.

Rapunzel – In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, “Rapunzel,” audiences will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair … lots of hair, when Rapunzel unleashes her locks in theaters for the 2010 holiday.

Tinker Bell A Midsummer Storm – After being confronted by her antagonist Vidia, an irritated Tinker Bell retaliates by taking a photograph of Vidia … without considering the consequences. Now, the two must set aside their differences and cooperate to prevent evidence of the existence of fairies from falling into human hands.

Newt – What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can’t stand each other? That’s the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of “newt,”

Tinker Bell A Winter Story – The fourth, as-yet-untold story of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends will take place in winter, completing the cycle of the seasons.

Cars 2 – All the world’s a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe’s fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the “Cars” saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe.

King of the Elves – Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick’s short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life.

My Disney/Pixar Related Articles:
Top 15 Non-Animated Disney Films
The Seven Best Animated Disney Films
Ranking Pixar’s Best Animated Shorts
Ranking Pixar’s Best Feature Films

IMDB

Other than Associated Content I’ve only dabbled here and there in my freelance writing so I haven’t been published very many places. When people ask me who I write for I tell them I write for some websites and don’t name any because they have never heard of them. But finally I can say one of my articles was featured somewhere that they’ve actually heard of. Today my article called What Killed Saturday Morning Cartoons was featured on IMDB.com. I’m not sure if it will equal to a ton of page views because it’s at the very bottom of the page but I’ve already gotten about 40 comments since it was featured so it must be bringing in some page views.

The Music Post

For those of you interested I now have new glasses and contacts. Yay.

Anyway, this post I thought I would share some music with you. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of mash ups. If you aren’t familiar with mash ups they are songs that combine the music and lyrics of two different songs. I found one site, Tunes at Good Blimey, that has 2000 mashups on it. Most of them I’m not a big fan of because they are mostly hip hop, and I’m not a big fan of hip hop. But I did find a few that I like, so enjoy.

Beatles vs. Hanson – MMMy Bop Life

Dandy Warhols vs. Beatie Boys – Intergalactic Friends

Jackson 5 vs. Oasis – Stand By Your Alphabet

Jackson 5 vs. Oasis – I Want Your Wonderwall

Beastie Boys vs. Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get Triple Trouble Started

Andrew WK vs. Beastie Boys – Andrew Fights for His Right to Party

Also during Lost’s hiatus of been looking for some Lost related stuff to keep my busy until the show comes back. While searching I found several Lost bands, my favorite being a group called Barenaked Hurley. Barenaked Hurley writes songs about different episodes or storylines in Lost and puts the lyrics to popular music. Here are my two favorite songs:

Sitting On a Chair – This song is about the episode where Ben takes Locke to meet Jacob, only to find that Jacob is an empty chair. This song is sung to the tune of “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi.

Don’t Have Island Love – This song is referring to the fact that people who get pregnant on the island usually die, so you should not have sex on the island. The song is sung to the tune of “You Can’t Hurry Love” by Phil Collins.