Gregg H. Hawkins

Beyond Petroleum, also known as BP, is a proud partner of the U.S. Department of Energy and sponsor of the Solar Decathlon. The BP Solar decathlon begins today October 11, 2007 and goes through October 19, 2007. It is held at the national mall in Washington, DC. This even is held every other year and over 20 universities hand chosen from the U.S. Department of Energy from around the world are participating to design, build and operate livable, energy-efficient, and completely solar-powered houses.

“As the first major energy company to acknowledge the need for precautionary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, BP is sponsoring this special event as part of our commitment to discovering cost effective, clean energy solutions for everyday living.”

Beyond Petroleum first sponsored the Solar Decathlon in 2002 and the second time in 2005. In both the 2002 and 2005 Solar Decathlons were won by the University of Colorado. What is great about the Solar Decathlon is that it helps create greater awareness of solar energy’s potential and in advancing the science and technology of solar energy.

The 20 universities will form what’s called a “Solar Village.” Once teams have settled in they will be judged on 10 different categories. These categories include architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort zone, appliances, hot water, lighting, energy balance, and getting around. A total of 1,200 points will be allocated between the 10 categories. The Solar Village will stand for the whole week allowing over 100,000 spectators to view them.

As a fellow entrepreneur and near future business owner I know how hard it is to advertise, network, and simply get started from the ground up. To start a home business, any business for that matter, there are many processes you need to go through in order to see the end result. You should always start out by creating a business plan so that you know exactly how you want to approach the different aspects of your business. The business plan covers many topics including the plans and goals for your business through advertising and other means. A well thought out plan for marketing and advertising can be a key to the success of your business.

About DirectMatches
For those of you who are not familiar with DirectMatches, it is a website that works a lot like LinkedIn.com. “DirectMatches.com is an innovative system for meeting people. The inventive combination of person-to-person marketing along with our original concept of a social and business network produces a new kind of service. Driven by a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, the company markets a broad range of highly developed matchmaking technologies.”

Why You Should Create an Account
What separates DirectMatches from their competitors? “It is the first business and social networking service with a contact management system that operates on a “dynamic basis”, where members are able to select from dedicated networking communities.”

DirectMatches is geared towards people who have a home-based business and someone who is looking to start their own home-based business. There are over 65,000 members at DirectMatches, which provides you with a great business networking opportunity. Through DirectMatches you can grow your network and your business through a professional organization with an eight-year success record.

If you’re still not sure about why you should create an account DirectMatches is offering a free membership to anyone. The free membership package includes your own business profile, free advertising, free classifieds, free networking, and much more.

Overview about DirectMatches
Though I have yet to try DirectMatches it seems like a great concept. With over 65,000 members you can network and advertise your home-based business to a lot more people than you would be able to in the real world. The DirectMatches website looks very simple, but could use a little more work in my opinion. Any business minded person would be dumb to pass this opportunity up. You should always be looking for more ways to promote your business whether it be online or off. Check DirectMatches out for yourself!

Do you know the difference between “web design” and “graphic design”? There are many parts to web design that many people confuse as being a part of graphic design. What a To Do blog made a post titled All Your Skillsets Are Belong To Us?,which describes the differences between the aspects of web design and graphic design. The blog post also covers many other topics to define the word “web design”.

Readability and Viewability
“Presumably you want visitors to your site to be able to view the site without having an epileptic fit (or, less severely, just an urgent desire to go somewhere, anywhere, else).” The post also goes into detail about how most people don’t have big monitors and great eyesight, therefore the text on your site should be readable.

Accessibility
Accessibility is part web design and part graphic design. It also talks about other elements of accessibility such as adding anchor text and alt and title attributes, which apply do a web designer and not a graphic designer.

Security
Security is very important to a web site and web designer. It is important to keep control of your own server and to protect the information of other users at all costs. Security is a technical aspect to web design and has nothing to do with graphic design.

Content
People may have a bad first impression of your website if it has “poor grammar, spelling, sentence structure, article/page structure, bad metaphors/similes/shadowing and any number of other techniques that fill up just as many books and web sites on writing as there are on graphic design.”

Overview of What a To Do
It seems as though that the What a To Do blog is fairly new considering the only post was made on the 18^th of September. The blog could use a definite theme change since it still have the default WordPress theme active. It seems as though the webmaster behind What a To Do knows what they are talking about, however, I believe the blog could use a lot more work. Once the blog is finalized with finishing touches I am sure it will provide a wealth of information to webmasters, web designers, and graphic designers on the internet.

Note: This was a sponsored review for Website To Dos through PayPerPost.

Pagefetti is a website that offers you a free download for the Webfetti toolbar. With the toolbar you can easily customize your MySpace page, Hi5 page, Blogger page, and Zwinky page. What is great about Webfetti is that you can customize your pages without knowing any html (hypertext markup language).

Now you don’t have to learn the basics of html and spend hours customizing your page. With Webfetti you can change the look of your page in an instant and reveal your true personality to your friends.

What Pagefetti Offers
The toolbar offers you a lot of different options such as the ability to:

• Change your whole layout
• Change your background image(s)
• Add graphics
• Add glitter (animated) text
• Create picture slideshows
• Change your browser cursor
• Add smileys
• Change the look of your text

Test Out Webfetti
If you don’t want to download the toolbar you can first test out the toolbar by going to Pagefetti’s preview page. The options menu is as basic as it gets. All you need to do is open up the drop down menus and select what you want to change on your page. If the toolbar makes it that easy, then I bet this toolbar will become a hit.

Thoughts About Pagefetti’s Webfetti Toolbar
Personally, I have endured many hours trying to customize my MySpace page. I remember the day when I first registered for a MySpace in August of 2003. I wanted to customize my page to make it the best looking page, but didn’t know what I needed to do. Although it took me a while to learn the basics of html – how to add a background image or color and change the look of the text, I enjoyed every minute of it. I am the kind of person that likes to know how to do something, but I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would like the simplicity of this toolbar.

Note: This is a sponsored review for Pagefetti through PayPerPost.

Morpheus is a software program that allows you to morph photos with other photos. You can render the finished product into many file formats including flash, .avi, .gif, and much more. What’s great about Morpheus is that it’s easy to use for people who don’t know the first thing about editing photos. It’s also a great alternative for people who don’t know how to create animated photos or morph photos in Photoshop.

About Morpheus Software
Morpheus was founded in 1999 when the co-founder Ryan Rubley created the first version while studying computer science at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. “Morpheus Software produces and markets the world’s leading digital photo animation software titles. The company’s flagship product, Morpheus Photo-Morpher, has been downloaded over 6 million times by digital photo users worldwide.” Today, Morpheus is a commercial success enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, and has been recognized by PC World, Popular Photography, CNET, PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, and various other industry sources.

Morpheus Photo Morpher Prices
Morpheus Software is offering 3 packages for the MOrpheus Photo Morpher. You can choose from the standard package which is $29.95, the professional package which is $59.95, or the industrial package which is $99.95.

Depending on the Morpheus Software you choose it comes with an easy to use wizard, transparency support, customizable interface, skinnable windows, and you can even control the timing of the morph. Morpheus could come in handy for quite a few things such as morphing pictures of you and your friends, creating movie files, and much more. You can share your morphed files on your blog, Myspace profile, Facebook profile, and any other website imaginable.<img src=”http://tinyurl.com/28nhxs” />
Note: This was a sponsored review for Morpheus Software through PayPerPost.

For some time now I’ve been contemplating whether or not I should have a logo designed for my blog. Why? Because a logo would help me brand my blog as well as my name. It would help people distinguish my blog from everybody else’s and establish my online identity. However, I don’t want to pay $100+ dollars to get a logo created for this blog. Don’t get me wrong, a $100+ dollar logo is well worth it if you go to the right person or design firm, but I just don’t have that kind of extra cash lying around.

About Logo Care Design Experts
LogoCare.com has a well developed portfolio of previously designed logos for clients developed by experienced designers. Logo Care doesn’t require you to pay hundreds of dollars for a finished product you haven’t seen. All it takes is a $1 dollar deposit and your logo will be on its way to being designed.

Once Logo Care has received your $1 dollar deposit 5 in-house designers will develop a logo from your concept. “Artistic diversity means greater choice. That’s why we assign 5 talented designers to every logo design project.” Logo Care charges a simple flat rate of $259 for a completed logo design. For $259 you will receive unlimited logo revisions and unlimited logo concepts.

What Makes Logo Care Unique
Logo Care is unique in many aspects. After a $1 dollar deposit you’ll receive:

• Unlimited Logo Concepts
• Unlimited Logo Revisions
• 5 In-House Logo Designs
• Logo Concepts in 1-3 Business Days
• Project Manager For Every Project
• Multiple File Formats
• Full Copyright Ownership

Overview of Logo Care
Logo Care looks like a great online service for anyone looking to get a professional logo design. The $1 dollar deposit creates a unique aspect and sets them apart from their competitors. Logo Care’s website looks great – very professional looking. The information regarding their service(s) is right in front of your eyes at the entrance of their website. This is great so you don’t have to look around for the information. Less confusion and easy navigation will mean more business.

I haven’t used Logo Care’s services, but I might have to check them out if I’m ever looking for a professional logo design. There’s nothing shady about their business and they have the portfolio to prove their experience. Take a look for yourself!

Note: This was a sponsored review for Logo Care through PayPerPost.

I’ll be honest with you guys. I’m not one of those people who is concerned about global warming or climate change. However, I do believe and support the fact that we should find more efficient ways to use our energy sources. Growing up I’ve always said that I’ll have a solar panel roof for my gigantic mansion when I’m older. Not because I was concerned about how our environment was being effected, but because I wanted to save money on my utility bills. I’ve always avoided the fact that our environment is suffering everyday from the decisions we make as a society.

About Energy Policy TV
Energy Policy TV is a website that is supported by BP (Beyond Petroleum). It has videos supporting change for our current energy policies to better our environment. “America is now at a tipping point regarding energy and the environment. Energy Policy TV is the website that takes you there.” Energy Policy TV covers topics ranging from oil, natural gas, biofuels, infrastructure, solar, green economies, efficiency, climate change, Congress, and much more.

“We provide a service that is unique: information of record in the form of on-demand video. We use original sources only and do not interpret or alter comments. You will find video of leaders in energy and the environment as they make policy and take business action.”

Overview of Energy Policy TV
Energy Policy isn’t the best looking website, which may repel visitors looking for a more up-to-date look. However, the information Energy Policy TV provides is exactly what we, as a society, need to educate our young minds with. Energy Policy TV is backed by credible sources, which makes it a great resource for information.

Note: This is a sponsored review for Energy Policy TV through PayPerPost.

Since I’ve become an online guru and blogger I haven’t spent the time that I should to backup important files. Now that I’ve become more serious about my online ventures I’ve begun to backup files on my computer just in case something happens. I save a lot of things ranging from revenue data, my written blog posts, plugins, and much more. I think it’s important to backup your data because if something happens then you won’t have to waste valuable time repairing and searching for lost data.

About Online Backup IDrive-E
IDrive-E is a free online backup service that allows you to continuously backup important files. IDrive-E Online Backup is an intuitive backup application; you have to download and install it on your computer and follow some simple steps to setup automated backup of your critical data. Features of IDrive-E include:

• Remote backup - Hands-free automated and Continuous backup. No complicated scheduling procedures
• Easy drag and drop restores using Windows Explorer like interface
• Fast and efficient backups by compressing data during transmission
• Directly add your files / folders from Windows Explorer to your IDrive-E backup set
• Enhanced security with 128-bit SSL encryption on transfers, 256-bit AES encryption on storage with a user defined key that is not stored anywhere on IDrive-E servers
• Web based view of summary and detailed status of backup logs
• Create and manage multiple user accounts from a single administrative login and a central console
• Web based view, search and restore of data backed up into your account

IDrive-E Packages and Costs
IDrive-E offers plenty of packages for a person to choose from. They offer an IDrive-E Basic plan which is absolutely free. You can store up to 2 gigabytes (2GB) worth of photos, media files, and much more. IDrive-E’s Pro package has 2 options you can choose from. You can choose from the IDrive-E Pro personal use package which is only $4.95 per month for unlimited storage. However, if you’re a business looking for more storage you can purchase a 50GB package for $9.95 a month, 100GB package for $19.95 a month, and a 500GB package for $49.95 a month.

IDrive-E System Requirements
It is recommended that you have either Microsoft Windows 2000 (Service pack 4), Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP Home/Professional, Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 6 and above, Administrator privileges to use the application, and 512 MB RAM, 10 MB Free Hard Disk space for installed program, and 20MB or more recommended for local caching.

Overview About IDrive-E
Although I have never used IDrive-E’s service it seems like a great idea. As more and more people are accessing the internet everyday we need to be careful and save valuable data. Something could happen in an instant and cause havoc, but if you’ve invested your money into a service to protect your assets you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Note: This is a sponsored review for IDrive-E through PayPerPost.

In our society technology is advancing at an exponential rate. We use a variety of different means to communicate with our friends, family, co-workers, clients, and more. I usually use my cell phone, instant messaging programs, and email to communicate with my contacts. I’ve found that these 3 sources have worked great for me, but as we progress into the future there are many more options available to communicate with others. A newer service that I haven’t tried yet has popped up and you communicate to others through voice messages.

About Vontoo Voice Messaging
Vontoo voice messaging is an online service that allows you to create voice messages to send along to others “ voice marketing. Vontoo doesn’t require you to download any kind of program, which also makes it that much better. With Vontoo, you can create a contact list of who you wish to receive your voice messages. You can also set the time of which your contacts will receive your messages. Vontoo also allows you to track your sent messages to see who of your contacts received it live and who received it through their voicemail.

Features of Vontoo Voice Messaging
Vontoo is combining a user-friendly interface with Voice over IP technology. You can do many things such as:

Tailored Voice Messaging

• Record messages by telephone
• Provide prompt to accept call or be called back later
• Specify different messages for answering machines or voicemail
• Create unique intro and exit messages

Tracking Reports

• Identify which calls reached an actual person
• Find out how long recipients listened to voice messages
• Determine ideal call times
• Verify number of calls sent and received
• Discover who made call-to-action transfers

Vontoo Success Story
A small business, The Great Frame Up, wanted to turn first time customers into repeat customers. They had customers who handed over large checks and wanted to contact them again. The Great Frame Up had a list of 90 customers and had a return on investment of 300% after using Vontoo’s service. Jerry Leath, who’s the owner of The Great Frame Up, realized many of his customers had unused store credits and wanted to get them back into the store to convert those credits into more sales. He used Vontoo and dozens of customers came back for repeat sales.

Note: This is a sponsored review for Vontoo through PayPerPost.

More and more people are going to college and more and more people need money to pay for their education. With the cost of living increasing every year and the costs of education also rising, it’s hard for students and their parents to pay for everything. I’m in the same boat just as thousands of other students are. I can’t afford to pay for my university’s tuition costs, books, and cost of living. My third year of college is approaching and it will also mark the third year I’ve received Stafford loans and my father has taken out a parent plus student loan. There are other options such taking out a direct plus loan, but parent plus student loans have cheaper interest rates and aren’t income sensitive.

About Financial Aid
FinancialAid.com helps students and parents get the financial aid they need for college. Financial Aid was founded in March of 2000 and acquired by Student Loan Xpress, who is a member company of CIT Group Inc. They offer competitive rates for Student Loan Consolidation, PLUS Loans, and Stafford Loans.

“Beyond offering the most competitive rates for these financial services, financialaid.com provides the best customer service in the business.” With Financial Aid’s service, college graduates can also trade in their multiple loan payments for a single loan with competitive student loan consolidation rates.

I’ve personally never used FinancialAid.com, but I’ve never had a problem with taking out Stafford or parent loans. It’s quite simple once you’ve been approved. I usually just accept them through my accounts and I’ve always received the money in a timely manner. I haven’t had one bad experience taking out loans.