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"Murphy was an optimist!"

US Currency Designer Inside Joke September 26, 2011 8:30 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Interest
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Someone’s keen eye has noticed something about the coloring on the US currency. Check it out!

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Double Your Money March 25, 2009 9:57 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Economy, Touchy Subjects
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Instead of buying a lottery ticket tonight, Make 2 for 1 on your money.

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Save electricity without spending a dime, right now! September 29, 2008 7:52 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Environment, Touchy Subjects
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Fall is upon us and the weather is beautiful! Are you stilling running your air conditioner? Why? For the past 2 weeks or more, we have kept our windows open most nights and through most of the day. Some afternoons get too warm and the air has to be run briefly. At night, the bedroom windows may be closed so the children don’t catch a chill but the rest of the windows are left open to enjoy the sound of nature, feel the breeze, and on those wet days listen to the pitter patter of rain drops.

We forget the sounds blocked by the windows. The melodious birds are relaxing. The crickets and cicadas are disturbing to some and calming white noise to others. The sound of the rain is a special treat. The open windows air out the house with fresh smells. Best of all, open windows mean less electricity which is good for the environment and pleasing to the pocketbook. Try keeping your air conditioner off for 3 weeks and see if your next utility bill is not surprisingly pleasing.

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Tommy goes to college in 3 weeks – maybe July 17, 2008 12:28 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Education, Family, Health, Tommy, Touchy Subjects
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Tommy’s financial aid is in jeopardy because the paperwork says Buttle not Tuttle.

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Dear Government April 14, 2008 10:57 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Touchy Subjects
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I feel like for the past month I have given you more time on paperwork than I have given my family and clients. I have dotted Ts and crossed Is, typo’d and corrected, photocopied and triplicated, unearthed ancient hidden documents and proven and proven and proven. Taxes are done and filed. Eldest child’s grants and financial aid applications submitted. Other more personal documents having to do with a long gone past that refuses to fade into obscurity and history have been notarized, witnessed, and mailed. Please. My ink well is dry, my wrists hurt, and my finger tips are numb. I know there is more to come. But please. Allow me to rest. Let Lowry handle it for a bit!

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Seeking Referrals February 27, 2008 10:03 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Economy
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For the Knoxvillians: I am looking for some referrals for one to three qualified people for bookkeeping, accounting, and financial advising. Please comment below or email juggler@gmail.com if you can recommend anyone.

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Is $1000 for someone else not worth YOUR time? October 7, 2007 10:15 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Blog, Love, Philanthropy, Philosophy, Publishing, Touchy Subjects
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I am really enjoying participating in The Problogger Birthday Bash Darren Rowse and Lara Kulpa have put together. I do find it a little troubling that when they offered a prize of $1000 to your favorite charity it only generated 24 qualifying entries! Now turn it around. Instead of offering a decent sum of money for someone else, offer a $20 gift certificate for yourself and they got 724 comments! (not all of those would have been qualifying but I’m not going to count). Granted, there was a prize in that post which could have gotten you $500 for yourself but winning any other prize did not disqualify you from entering the charity giveaway. Every single Problogger reader should have entered the charity giveaway!

Ok. Let me get off my soap box and add in a little rationality.

  1. The money for self contest required no effort, just a comment under the post itself with as little as one word in it, so it makes sense that the number participants would be far greater.
  2. We assume that every reader of Problogger, due to its subject matter, has a blog BUT that could be a false assumption; ergo, the participation in the money for self would be higher.
  3. Not everyone is into charities. And that’s ok. So the participation in the money for self would be higher.
  4. The charity post required a little substance and effort. Unfortunately, effort and substance do knock a lot of people out of the game. Therefore, the money for self would be naturally higher.

All that said, it does make sense that some of the other contest posts would generate more comments. But only 24 valid entries for giving $1000 away to a meaningful cause?! Surely we should have done better than that! Karthik shares my sentiment.

Life is a participation sport. Get up! Participate! Be active in your community. Vote! Go to school board meetings. Pick up trash. Bring a shopping cart into the grocery with you instead of leaving it in the parking lot. Say hi to your neighbor. Hug someone daily! Volunteer your time. Leave a legacy. Make a difference!

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Get a piece of $54,000 this week! October 2, 2007 9:57 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Contest, Of Interest
, 3comments

Darren Rowse of Prologger fame is giving away USD$54,000 in celebration of Prologger’s birthday. Subscribe to the feed to be informed. The first giveaway was posted an hour ago. It is 12 copies (to 12 people) of Aaron Wall’s SEO Book ($79 value). Simply comment "I love SEO!""I LOVE SEO!" on Lara Kulpa‘s post The First Giveaway Begins within the next 6 hours.

UPDATE: Laura points out that case is important. Pay attention to the details and follow instructions to a T bloggers!

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