Have you ever experienced something so special that you just had to tell someone? I recently heard a story that I just had to share with someone. I must point out that I can’t remember where I heard it, but it certainly left an indelible mark on my personal outlook.

All day, I thought about how I would deliver the story for the best theatrical effect.  On my way home, I went over the important details so I wouldn’t forget anything. I wanted my girlfriend to feel the same way I did when I heard it. I wanted her to get the most out of this emotional and uplifting story of humanity at its best. I walked into the house wearing my best “had a great day” face, sat down on the couch, and launched into my narrative.

I was in all my glory laying down the progression of facts that would lead to the heart- wrenching conclusion. I saw the corners of her mouth start to turn upward as a smile formed on her face. It was at that I point I knew I had her; she was being sucked into the emotional tornado I had experienced...

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Ahh… spring is in the air. Can you smell it? No, not the exhaust of the car in front of you on your way home, I’m talking about that smell of grass and soil. It smells great, but it reminds me of all the yard work I’m going to have to do. I’m seriously considering putting in artificial turf which will alleviate the need for mowing. This got me thinking about what else I could do, and as a grin spread across my face, I laid out my plan of genius. I decided that if I was going to go to the trouble of replacing the grass, I better yank out all the trees and bushes. Faux greenery doesn’t drop its leaves in the fall or have to be pruned. Plastic flowers don’t need to be watered and won’t die.

I decided that it would be best to run these ideas past my girlfriend. As I gleefully divulged my master plan, I watched the changing expression...

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In October of 2008, we decided to start an informative newsletter/blog about marketing techniques for the web. The primary goal of any marketing tool is to favorably position your company, brand, products, services, and staff. Web Marketing 101 is no exception. By sharing my experience in web design and web marketing practices, I promote the collective knowledge and expertise of CBOSS. In this issue of Web Marketing 101, I will discuss what I have learned in my first six months of blogging and my discoveries of how blogging can be a powerful marketing tool.

I like to tell stories and I love to make people laugh. My girlfriend tells me I like to hear the sound of my own voice. She may be right, but at heart, I am the court jester, the traveling minstrel, or perhaps the bard of a new generation. What I do isn’t unique, but I’d like to...

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The other day we decided to go out to eat. My girlfriend, her daughter and I jumped into the car, excited about a meal without all the effort of preparation and clean-up. As we were driving down the road, I asked, “So what are you in the mood for?” It seemed like such an easy question but, as is often the case in my life, nothing is truly easy. Everyone said the same thing: “Doesn’t matter to me.” I suggested Mexican cuisine, but tacos had been on the menu at school today. “How about pizza?” I asked. “No” was the unanimous response.

We continued to drive down the main strip pointing out restaurants as we passed, but no one could seem to agree. Nerves began to wear thin and before long no one wanted to participate in the discussion. My girlfriend has since corrected the problem by declaring herself dictator. It’s not that her daughter and I aren’t permitted to voice our opinions,...

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I’m an animal person. I’m not implying that I’m something off of The Island of Dr. Moreau. That would just be silly. What I mean, of course, is that I am fond of animals. We have four cats, a dog and a guinea pig. My girlfriend likes to refer to it as “Wild Kingdom”. Among our menagerie is a cat named Ferman. I have never had a cat that was as sweet and lovable as Ferman. We like to say that he is needy, and quite frankly, it’s the honest truth. You see, Ferman has a handicap that leaves him very vulnerable. He has only one eye.

There isn’t a day that goes by that Ferman doesn’t put a smile on my face. He walks with an uneven gait due to his impaired vision. He lacks the depth perception that gives most cats their amazing agility, gracefulness and balance; Ferman is never quite sure of his surroundings. When he wants to jump up on the couch, he shoots up twice as high as needed and plops down gracelessly.

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I've been fighting the growing peer pressure for quite some time. Sure, it starts out all innocent; all fun and games. They say, “You should try this, its fun!” But after a while it starts to feel like harassment. “Everybody is doing it!”… “You’re not cool if you don’t try it!” Maybe you've felt pressured in a similar way. I’m reminded of the old Dr. Pepper® commercials:

“I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper, Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?” (Click Here to view the Commercial)

“No!” I said defiantly. "I don’t want to join the masses. I don't want to become one of the sheep being lulled by this craze." However, like most things in life, it was my girlfriend who finely cracked my defenses and I gave in to the insurmountable forces at work. I joined Facebook!  Even worse… I’m hooked!

A revolution has been brewing on the web for years. I remember when it was confined mainly to services like AOL with its chat rooms and instant messaging, but it has finely exploded...

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When I was growing up my mother would make a ham and egg casserole for special occasions. It was one of my favorites. Everyone who tried it fell in love with the cheesy delight and wanted the recipe. However, in a bizarre echo of “Soylent Green”, there was a deep dark secret that no one was talking about. You see, it wasn’t ham in the casserole. It was a tasty processed meat product known to the world as…Spam®! When I was young, I never understood why it had to be such a big secret, but as I got older I began to notice the look on people’s faces change when they found out that what they were eating was not ham.

A few years later while I was attending Youngstown State University, some local radio station DJs held a contest called “Toss the Spam®”. I played and I can tell you that I have never looked at my mother’s casserole the same way!

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I hope everyone is as excited about the New Year as I am. 2008 was a bit rough and while we can’t expect things to magically improve over night there are a lot of things to get excited about in 2009. Besides, I personally don’t like to spend too much time fretting over the things I have no control of. Instead, I want to focus my energy on those items I can make an impact on. 

I made this comment to my girlfriend over the weekend and she laughed at me. I asked her what was so funny and she replied, “John, I’ve never met anyone who can brood over spilt milk like you can!” At that moment I decided to make a resolution not to be overly concerned with the unavoidable, be anxious about the inevitable, or lose sleep over the unforeseeable. In other words, I resolved to not sweat the small stuff. But as soon as that earnest aspiration was voiced, I found myself worrying about my ability to make good on this resolution. Foiled again Batman… oh well, there’s always 2010.

So, it’s funny and a little ironic...

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I was at my girlfriend’s aunt’s house on Christmas Eve, and I asked for some Figgie Pudding. Everyone looked at me with blank stares… so I repeated: “bring me some Figgie Pudding”… and I then added: “I won’t go until I get some!” I was apparently very, very mistaken as I left without getting any. I’m not quite sure if I’m getting invited back next year… maybe I should send them a nice sticky fruitcake or maybe a Chia Pet!

As you can see I’m still trying to recover from last week’s holiday festivities, yet I’m going to try and give this issue of Web Marketing 101 my best shot.

That’s right, friends; it’s time for another fun-filled issue of Web Marketing 101. This week, I’ve decided to switch gears a bit and discuss a topic I hope you’ll all take to heart.