Chris Pirillo » Financial

How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors?

Chris — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:59:02 +0000

How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors? is a post from Chris Pirillo

I came across an interesting link today while browsing Twitter. The author writes about how companies who are new to social media are failing miserably when it comes to writing job descriptions for their newly-created social media positions. He goes on to say he used to blame the companies themselves for writing poorly-constructed ads. Then, he realized that it isn’t the company’s fault at all. They don’t know what they’re doing, remember? They are new to this whole social media scene, and may not even know what it is they are looking FOR, exactly.

How would you suggest a company create a position for this, and market it? What should they look for? How should their ads be worded to be the most effective? I think that the social media experts in our community are the perfect place to get ideas flowing, and help these companies out!

What have you read today that sparked your imagination and interest, or made you stop and think? Make sure you share the links with the rest of us, so we don’t miss out!

Don’t miss our downloads center today! There are some excellent deals for both Windows and Mac people!

When is Your Birthday?

Chris — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:41:45 +0000

When is Your Birthday? is a post from Chris Pirillo

I noticed around the web that we have three community members celebrating birthdays today! Traci Toguchi, Frank Eliason and Drew Olanoff will all be blowing out candles today. Now, normally I’d say a simple “Happy Birthday!” and be done with it. However, realizing today is Drew’s birthday gave me pause, and made me think…

Six months ago, Drew completely sure what his future held. He was diagnosed with cancer back in May, and the fight began. He finished up his last Chemo treatment a week ago, and the doctors have given him the awesome news that his tumors are gone. He is free of that stupid disease, hopefully forever. He continues his fight against Cancer, with the support of many thousands of people… including Drew Carey. In order to help raise money for the Livestrong foundation, all you have to do is click that little “Follow” button on Drew Carey’s Twitter page. For every follower – up to one million – that Drew gets prior to midnight on New Year’s Eve, he will donate one more dollar. How cool is that?

Thinking about all of this, and Drew O’s birthday, kind of puts life into perspective a little, eh? It makes one remember to stop and be thankful for what we have… right here, right now. It makes us want to push ourselves a little harder to do the things we promised ourselves we would do. It makes us want to reach out and tell those we care about that we do, in fact, love them.

Cancer touches everyone. EVERYONE. In some way or another, your life will be affected by Cancer at some point. Even though Drew’s personal fight may have come to an end, the war has only begun. Keep doing your part in kicking Cancer’s ass, everyone. We won’t rest until we eradicate it for good.

Birthdays aren’t the only thing going on in our community today, as you know. All of you are busy posting and writing, sharing your thoughts and dreams. What have you read that was interesting or thought-provoking? If I missed something, please leave a follow-up comment and share it with the rest of us!

Today in our downloads center, we have several excellent apps for Windows. Be sure to check them out!

What Do You Like?

Chris — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:12:06 +0000

What Do You Like? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Yes, my keyboard is a moneymaker. It not only helps me make money, it helps me help others to make money! Hopefully, you will check this website out and make some dough for yourself. I received an Amazon Kindle several months ago from them. Now, they’re giving away three dollars for every valid referral!

likaholix is all about what you like. Share, discuss and discover likes with people all over the World. Recommendations from friends, whose tastes, you trust are usually much better than most reviews on the web. Most people, when they are out on social occasions with friends, find themselves exchanging notes and discussing things that they like. Likaholix serves as both a self-expression and a recommendation tool.

This is basically a social network where you can add just about anything to your account, and tell everyone why you like it. You could even say you like me – but of course, you don’t have to! You can jump past the referral link if you wish, of course. But then you might not even get accepted into the beta, and be unable to start liking things! Just use the referral, save yourself some time and hassle, and then start getting referrals of your own!

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What Do You Like About Likaholix?

How are You Carving Your Pumpkin?

Chris — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:26:32 +0000

How are You Carving Your Pumpkin? is a post from Chris Pirillo

It’s that time of year again… the time when my dogs like to play dress-up. I have to sit around looking like a normal dude, handing out candy and entertaining the masses on the live stream. Meanwhile, Wicket and Pixie get to have all the fun! How is that even right?

I love Halloween. It’s just a fun holiday, and a great way to be creative! I’ve been pondering how I’m going to carve my pumpkins. Should I go with something spooky, or something Geeky? Would I be better off trying to get super creative, or do you think I should stick with something simpler? How do you plan to decorate your pumpkins – and your house – this year?

I’ve noticed a lot of people in our community are already gearing up for ALL of the upcoming holidays. People are already talking about not only Halloween, but Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well! Can you believe it’s that late in the year already? I swear it was only a few weeks ago I was happy that summer was finally here. sighhhhhhhh…..

In any case, the end of the year is coming near! Let us know what kinds of plans you’re working on, and check out what others are doing to get some more inspiration.

As always, you can check out our downloads page to see what programs and apps are hot, fresh and (in some cases) even free! We are working hard to find excellent discounts and deals for you, so you won’t want to miss out.

Simple Backups Can Save You Time and Money

Chris — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:59:23 +0000

Simple Backups Can Save You Time and Money is a post from Chris Pirillo

It should be a simple rule that every computer user should follow: back up your data. It is not a matter of “if” your computer will give you problems. It is a matter of “when.” This applies to everyone. Students, for example, should back up regularly. Your whole academic year, with notes, papers, presentation, lecture material and other necessary things are on that laptop and/or desktop. And of course, there are the music, games and other personal stuff there too. If a hard drive fails, your academic year can be put in jeopardy. This is only one example. Everyone has important material on the computer.

Disasters happen to all of us who have spent much time on the computer. Hard drives do fail – and will fail. It doesn’t matter what brand it is. And the manufacturer’s guarantee will be meaningless because you just want your data back. If you do not have a backup of your data, everything can be gone. This means all your data files, all your music, all your pictures, all your software… everything.

Imagine, for example, all the time, energy and frustration to find all the registration codes of that software that used to be working just fine. Recovering from a hard drive failure can be expensive. Salvaging data from a failed drive might cost hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of dollars. And even then, there are no guarantees that the hard drive recovery specialists can be successful.

All that aggravation can be prevented. Prepare for a hard drive failure now. No, don’t wait. Really, don’t wait. Do the backups now; do copies regularly. And if the information on your hard drive is really important, do multiple backup copies. Here is a program that will do this for you. It is the well known Acronis True Image Program. The backup can be done easily:

Acronis True Image Home 2010 meets home user needs with a simple, yet comprehensive, backup and disaster recovery solution. This is a unique consumer software, providing a full set of advanced features in an affordable and easy-to-use solution.

This is the latest version of the Acronis program. It was released just recently. We tried to secure a good discount and managed to have them knock off a few dollars. Since this is program is so new, even a few dollars off is a victory. From now until October 7, 2009, you can save a few dollars on this excellent program.

Use this program to protect your data. The backup can save you beyond a hard drive disaster. It can help if you have a bad computer infection. If you have a virus or malware problem, you will have an extra layer of protection. Restoration of a clean system can be simple. Just make sure that you are making a copy when your computer is free from malware, spyware and other infections. Otherwise, you will be replicating the problem. And you can find in our archives the security programs that we recommend. Don’t risk what you have on that hard drive. Acronis is an excellent layer of security and you want to make it a regular habit of using it.

And don’t think that doing backups is a waste of time. When you have a critical failure on your computer, you will pat yourself on the back for being smart and having a recent backup.

The Ants go Marching One by One

Chris — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:24:05 +0000

The Ants go Marching One by One is a post from Chris Pirillo

Hoorah! Hoorah! Ok, so what if that’s part of a children’s song? It goes along perfectly with what’s been running through my head tonight. So often it seems as though we’re all just a large army of ants, marching through our days. Even if we have a lot of extra-curricular activities to participate in, there are still times when we sigh in the mornings and think “same old, same old”. When’s the last time someone asked you how your job/life/romance was, and you answered exactly that way, or even with “same shit, different day”?

It happens to all of us, so don’t think there’s something wrong with you. We tend to become little ants, marching through each day at an almost automated pace. When was the last time you felt that way? What did you do to break the cycle? How did you step outside of yourself, and recharge your personal batteries? You have to do that, you know. Even if you have an awesome job/career like I do, you still have times when you just want to bang your head on the desk and run off to Tahiti. At times like that, you have to take time out to re-focus yourself and your energies. Remind yourself why you love what you do, and what led you to it in the first place.

You already know that one thing I love to do to relax is to check out what other people are up to on the Web. I love gathering what I consider to be the “best” of the crop each day, and pulling them together for you here. It gives me a lot of satisfaction knowing that I may have helped make your day a little better, by pointing you towards something interesting you might not have read.

Where do you go to get information on the newest and hottest software and applications for your computer? Did you know that I post a huge roundup of what’s out there for you every day? Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the post each night. You won’t want to miss some of these deals!

What Can You Do in an Hour?

Chris — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:58:26 +0000

What Can You Do in an Hour? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Today on Geeks, there’s a forum post talking about having limited online time. The poster states that you should imagine for a moment that a law has been passed, allowing you only one hour of Internet time per day. There’s no way around this. After an hour, the Internet just shuts down. Can you even begin to process that thought? I nearly hyperventilated when I did. However, it was kind of a neat exercise. What would you do with your hour a day? Would you exchange emails with friends and family? Are you a Twitter addict, who would spend the entire hour sending out frantic tweets? Or would you maybe spend some time catching up on what everyone else is up to?

I honestly cannot say what I’d do with only one hour per day – nor what I’d find to do with the other hours I was awake. I mean, being online is my work AND my fun time. What the hell else am I supposed to do? If you even say to go outside, I’ll likely have to hurt you. While you’re trying to come up with a smart remark, make sure you click over to check out what’s new and hot on our downloads site today. You’ll find some excellent deals there!

What are your thoughts? What would you do online if you could only spend one hour per day connected to the World Wide Web?

Business Opportunity Grant

Chris — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:08:09 +0000

Business Opportunity Grant is a post from Chris Pirillo

If you are an entrepreneur, an innovator or a small business owner, you need to pay close attention. British Airways wants you to meet your business opportunities face-to-face, by giving you a year’s worth of free travel and business benefits!

With the economy still on the downturn, it’s more difficult than ever for you to make ends meet. You end up conducting important meetings via telephone, email and even instant messenger. But there are times that those mediums just won’t suffice. You really need that human contact at times – the handshake to seal the deal, the smile on your face to show you’re genuine. If you’ve ever been involved in a physical business meeting, you know that having one from two separate locations just doesn’t begin to compare.

They will be giving away one hundred – 100! – grants to businesses to help facilitate their business goals. All you need to do to apply is to tell them about your company and your goals for next year. The winners will have all of 2010 to use their grant to help their business realize its goals for the year. The winners will each receive:

British Airways airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights.
5 free British Airways World Cargo freight shipments of up to 500 kilos to worldwide destinations.
$1000.00 toward accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott hotels.
5 Regus Businessworld Gold Cards, providing access to business lounges worldwide.
Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer.

I’m a small business owner myself, and meeting people face-to-face is critical for me – just as it is for you. I know it’s not easy to manage all of the expenses involved with traveling. I had to cut out a few planned conferences and trips myself this year, too! Don’t let lack of funding keep you from making those important contacts. Take a few moments and apply for this Business Opportunity Grant. I have a feeling you could be very very happy you did.

I have to thank British Airways for sponsoring this grant opportunity, and for reaching out to our community to offer promotion of it. I know for a fact we have many small business owners amongst our group, many of whom will really benefit from a break like this! Good luck to everyone!

Is Your Business on Twitter?

Chris — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:28:39 +0000

Is Your Business on Twitter? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Earlier tonight, we posted the video of Frank Eliason speaking at Gnomedex. His presentation was humorous, and informative. He gave us his top ten reasons why businesses should have a real presence on social media sites, such as Twitter. He made some excellent points – ones I sincerely hope you will take to heart. Social Media isn’t a fad. It isn’t going to go away. It’s here, it’s real, and it’s huge! You need to be a part of it, and you need to make good use of the time there. Use it to your advantage, and let Frank’s tips be your starting point.

Even if you don’t have your business on Twitter yet, I’m sure you are there. I think nearly everyone is these days, aren’t they? Communication is key when trying to build a business or personal community of any kind, you know that already. Why not take advantage of the easy connections you can make on a place like Twitter or Facebook? Heck, for that matter, why not try out Lockergnome or Geeks? Both parts of my community will allow you to meet new people, make great connections, and learn lots of things. There are people on both sites posting excellent content on a daily basis. Are you?

If you aren’t utilizing Twitter, why aren’t you? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Will Code for Green: Make Money!

Chris — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:40:34 +0000

Will Code for Green: Make Money! is a post from Chris Pirillo

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As you know, I’ve been hosting my Gnomedex conference for the past nine years. We have just found out that this year, we will be sponsored by Microsoft Bing. I have some big news to go along with this… we’ll be giving away two grand prizes – $10,000.00!!! You have to use the Bing API to either help people save money, or be more environmentally friendly.

Enter the Will Code for Green! developer contest. If your economy or ecology-themed web application is chosen as one of the two grand prize winners at Gnomedex in August, you’ll win $10,000!! No, that isn’t a typo. I said TEN! THOUSAND! DOLLARS!.

Even if you aren’t a developer, you may have a great idea about how to make the world a greener place – or help people save money. Grab a dev friend, and share the project… and the prize! There will also be three runner-up prizes of $3000.00 each so get to creating!

Change the world. Make some money. What’s wrong with that?

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One Small Act of Kindness…

Chris — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:32:36 +0000

One Small Act of Kindness… is a post from Chris Pirillo

Reading through things today in our community, I came across yet another post that gave me pause for thought. That seems to happen daily, doesn’t it? It’s so great to have all of you posting things that makes us all stop and think about life… often in a different way than we might otherwise have.

With the economy so tough and so many thousands of people out of work, it’s easy to lose hope. The house is getting foreclosed. The bills are stacking up. Luxuries are a thing of the past, as are dinners out – even at McDonald’s. It’s hard to see your way clear to remembering that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. It’s nearly impossible at times like this to keep your hope alive, until one small, random act of kindness restores your faith.

Even though the post I mentioned above talks about a company who reached out to unemployed people, there are things all of us can do in order to help bolster the spirits of those we know and love who are having a rough time. I encourage YOU to reach out. You can do something simple, like taking a home-cooked meal to a family you know is having a hard time making ends meet. You could offer the use of your car to someone whose may have been repossessed due to job loss… they need wheels to go out and put in applications! Why not offer free babysitting time to that neighbor who is stressed out? Take her kids to your house for a few hours, and encourage her to relax and recharge herself.

All it takes is one simple little gesture to remind us that life is so much better than it may appear. Even during our worst times, there’s still hope.

Thank you to all of you who touch MY life each and every day just by being a part of this community. Even on the days when I struggle to do the things I need to do, I simply restore my own hope by reading what all of you contribute. I am so blessed to do something that I love so much – and it’s thanks to all of you.

What do You Treasure Most in Life?

Chris — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:52:54 +0000

What do You Treasure Most in Life? is a post from Chris Pirillo

I love how during my travels through our sites every day, I come across something that really makes me stop and think. Today’s post is found on Geeks, and it’s called What do You Treasure Most in Life. Not only did I have to stop and take time to think this through for myself, but I also am curious to see your answers. Reading through the thread, it’s heartening to see that many people place their family/kids/friends at the top of their lists. Too often, we let the material get in the way – or at least our quest for what’s tangible. Kat summed it up beautifully, reminding us:

Even with the economy in the toilet – we have much to be grateful for in life, and much to treasure. Don’t let a minute of life pass you by without remembering things like this.

We are seeing news articles daily about people taking their lives over losing their jobs, or falling far behind in their bills. Heck, we’re even reading about people who are taking the lives of others – including their own children. We hear of the layoffs, and many of you have been affected by them yourself. But when you take a moment to stop and really think – you are still blessed. You have family and friends who love you. You have your health (hopefully!) and mental well-being. You have your brain, and the ability to think, do and create. You have your freedom (in most countries). You have YOU.

While you’re thinking about your answer to the topic question, why not take a read through some of the other interesting things found today on Geeks and Lockergnome?

Where Do You Look for Jobs?

Chris — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:31:49 +0000

Where Do You Look for Jobs? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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What do I do for a living? Go ahead and take a guess. I do a ton of different things: writer, content producer, consultant and occasionally a speaker at functions. I have managed to turn something I love into a career. You may not be so lucky, and might be looking for something new. Where do you go to find a new job?

Web 3 Jobs can give you a headline to your new career today. What’s interesting about the navigation of this site, is that there’s no page reloads. If I click on one of the tabs, the sidebar shuffles, and refreshes the main area automatically. That makes it much simpler when I’m searching for something in particular.

I can read more about a job now, or mark it to read later. You can even subscribe to RSS feeds for specific job categories or key words. This is a very effective way to look for something new or different. It’s even great for employers looking to hire someone!

I have 25 coupons to give away to 25 of you community members! If you’re looking for a job, or need to post a job – a coupon to do so for free will help! So, how can you win? Go to Twitter and send the following tweet:

@chrispirillo I need a job! http://www.web3jobs.com

Of course, if you’re wanting to hire someone and want to win, just change that to say:

@chrispirillo I am looking to hire someone! http://www.web3jobs.com

We’re at a point in history where many people are losing their jobs. However, there are people out there hiring. Web 3 Jobs is looking to bring the two parties closer together.

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Five Ways to Survive the Current Financial Crisis

coupons — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:39:58 +0000

Five Ways to Survive the Current Financial Crisis is a post from Chris Pirillo

This is Matthew Long’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

1. Become a Bank

Unless you have been hibernating lately, you have no doubt read countless news stories about the Wall Street bailout by Congress. These companies had no problem playing with the mutual funds of teachers, social workers and other middle class people, but as soon as their golden parachutes were in danger, it became time to start begging for help. Not only have these institutions received billions of dollars of our tax money in an effort to save their fortunes, but other entities have declared themselves banks in order to cash in as well. That is correct, you read that right, companies are trying to become banks in order to get a piece of the nearly $1 trillion bailout. So, if you want to get by, declare yourself a commercial bank and ask the Department of Treasury for some cash. In order to remain under the radar though, I would not get greedy – $1 billion shouldn’t raise any eyebrows.

2. Do Not Manufacture Cars

There are more than 100 million households in the United States, most of which have at least one car. With these kinds of numbers, it would seem that becoming a car manufacturer would be the way to go. However, another valuable lesson we’ve learned is that manufacturing cars in the United States is a fast track to declaring bankruptcy. While you may feel a compulsion to start building 2-ton behemoths in your garage that get 3 or 4 miles to the gallon, just say no! It’s not worth the pain of hiring employees who, shockingly enough, will want to get paid and receive benefits. So while the allure may be there, you must be strong and at all costs avoid making cars at home. Bikes seem to be doing well, so why not go the way of Schwinn?

3. Get Elected to Congress

The one segment of the job sector that never seems to suffer is also one of the most exclusive, Members of Congress. While thousands of Americans are losing their jobs every month, the number of people on food stamps sky rockets, those who call the Capitol their office place are doing just fine. Usually, when an organization with 535 employees fails miserably, then that organization is no longer in business, or at least someone is fired. Not so if you are a Member of Congress! So quit your job, say goodbye to your cubicle (don’t forget the Dilbert clips) and run for Congress. Good pay, guaranteed job (for a while at least), and awesome bathrooms.

4. Eat Green – Literally

Being green seems to be all the rage today. People are switching to hybrids, installing solar panels on their homes and recycling more than ever. But how can an average person take action locally in order to save the planet? Start saving grocery dollars, and work to conserve the Earth, by eating the common weeds you find in your yard. Chickweed, amaranth and cronewort will soon replace your fancy schmancy bags of Caesar salad and the like. After a few months, you may even start enjoying them.

5. Train Pets to Start Working

We all love our pets, I know we do! Heck, I have three Siberian Huskies that I adore. However, these cute little fur balls sleep 18 hours a day, eat a lot of food, and have health care costs not covered by any insurance! In sum, they cost a fortune. So, in these most hard of times, it is important that you start putting your pets to work for you. While the easiest way to earn fast cash from your cats and dogs may be carnival work or perhaps menial, household labor, there is a much more effective way. Simply train your furry friend to stand at stoplights with little buckets around their necks. Adding a sad sign that elucidates your financial situation would be even more effective. Doing this should generate hundreds of dollars a week easily.

I offer these five ways to avoid financial meltdown in the current economic crisis as a gesture of compassion. Please heed these words and you and your family should be just fine.

What Should the Price of Fuel Be at the Pump?

Chris — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 01:09:03 +0000

What Should the Price of Fuel Be at the Pump? is a post from Chris Pirillo

This is Tim Whitney’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

Appears everyone is screaming about Big Oil and their record multi-billion dollar profits. In America, everyone has a god-given (or natural) right to work hard, deliver a quality product, and make money – commonly understood as Capitalism.

Based on my web research, information from the EIA, and my own calculations, we Americans consume approximately 190,858,000,000 (billion) gallons of gasoline & diesel fuel per year. My research also indicates that Big Oil makes about $0.10/gallon or about $19,000,000,000 (billion) dollars in profit on fuel sales.

Big Oil could certainly make more profits – if they choose to – as we are still a free county. As one loyal American Capitalist, I could not fault them if they did make more money on “their” products. This would certainly open the door for more competition (bio-fuels?) – if we truly have an open/free market.

Does this mean I like paying $3.00 per gallon for fuel – NO WAY! I’m mad as hell and I think we should all stand up and tell the “real profiteers” we are not going to take it anymore. Just who are the real profiteers?

Sure the Middle East is a big profit player and I would even pay more per gallon — if we could stop using imported oil. Yet again, they are businessmen and it’s their oil, coming out of their ground and they have every right to charge what they want to. If you don’t like what someone charges – buy it from someone else, this is also your right.

By now you must be wondering who I think is raking us over the coals – if it’s not Big Oil and not the Middle East. The answer may surprise you, but the real profiteers are the local, state, and federal bureaucrats. Say what? You heard me loud and clear. Did a bureaucrat dig a well, build a pipeline, a refinery, or even drive a delivery truck? When was the last time you saw a bureaucrat-owned and operated gas station? Yet, our bureaucrats make more than four times the money per gallon of fuel than Big Oil does. The average “tax” is $.046/gallon, filling the government coffers to the tune of approximately $87,795,000,000 (billion) per year. Where is the yelling & screaming about this unbelievable tax (profit) the government Bureaucrats take – for not delivering a product?

What should the price of fuel be at the pump?

$25.55/gallon – I hope you are wondering why I suggest this. Simple math is the answer. Total projected government Depredations in 2007 is expected to be approximately $4,400,000,000,000 (trillion). Big Oil gets $2.50/gallon and local, state, and federal Bureaucrats get $23.05 per gallon. I’m sure you think I’m crazy – as people are already going broke at $3.00 per gallon.
$14.29/gallon – this would pay Big Oil about $2.50/gallon and the Federal bureaucrats would get the rest – $11.79/gallon. Why? The Federal budget for 2007 is $2,251,000,000,000 (trillion), and simple math tells the rest of the story.
$2.58/gallon – with crude oil costs at ~$76/barrel, no calculator is needed here. With a Presidential Executive Order, “all” fuel taxes could be suspended, until the price of crude oil drops below $50/barrel. See Executive Order 11051. This would also demand a restraint in total government /bureaucratic spending by $87,795,000,000 (billion) or a two percent reduction in spending for 2007. Of course, this restrain may also spur Congressional bureaucrats into real action with regards to an energy policy – one that keeps their fuel tax gravy-train rolling (by making sure oil stays under $50/barrel).

Please give all the above suggestions a little more thought before dismissing them as nonsense or frivolous. Think of all the various taxes and non-productive time we could eliminate – especially the income tax – by simply putting “one sales tax” on our energy-based economy. At either of the “depredation prices” suggested in 1 or 2 above – there will be ample incentive / demand for competition, conservation, new more efficient fuel technologies, and an end to our imported oil addiction.

“European governmentshave long used gasoline taxes not only as an important source of revenue, but also as a policy tool to drive down oil consumption and reduce pollution. Williams said taxes account for about 66 percent of the pump price in Britain – so, of this month’s average price per gallon of $6.40, about $4.22 goes to the government.” – The Boston Globe, 04/30/06

Competition (and only true competition) will create extremely economical transportation, less vehicles on the roads, a surge in telecommuting, and alternative energy breakthroughs. Competition, not bureaucrats, will generate real energy results on an annual basis – instead of decades or centuries, if left in the hands of Bureaucrats. However, paying $511 or $286 for a 20 gallon fill-up at the gas station will bring a lot of things into perspective for each and every driving American – real fast. Maybe it’s this “perspective” the bureaucrats should be investigating – their own windfall profits on every gallon of highway fuel sold in the USA.

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.