Where is this world going?

What are we favoring?

Who are we honoring?

Those are some of the questions I ask my self from time to time (every day). Where is this greed for MORE and MORE money going?

Where is media shifting us?

Why is Charlie Sheen 24/7 on TV  for past few weeks, yet soldier that died today who fought for his country was not even seen by local news.  Who are we favoring, Who is our hero? Who is our idol?

We all know that it’s wrong, we all have that feeling that its wrong, but we still at the end of the day do exactly what others tells us to do. By the time you go to bed, sometimes people don’t realize that a peace of their heart and soul just died, and it’s dying every single day, because we resist that feeling, we don’t want to feel guilty, we want to be happy for that moment.

But then again, who am I to say those things, right? ……..

YOU: That’s right Joe! …..who the f** are you?

Sincerely,

Your Guilt.

 

 

 

 

 

Ok so this will be my first post that I’ll attempt to write on this blog via iPhone app called WordPress. So far iPhone app for WordPress seems to be easy to use, very straight forward but that also means it’s very limited to what you can do. For an example if I would like to view post in HTML I can’t. Nor I am not able to use bullet points. So basically I am stuck with text writing only. I think that is the reason why this app is low rated on apple store. But for quick posts I think the app does well job.

Another way I usually post stuff is by installing mobile admin plugin on WordPress, that way when I login with android or any other mobile device it’s easier for me to write quick posts.

 

After being devoted Android users for 3 years now I decided to switch to iPhone 4 on Verizon network for few reasons. This morning I woke up at 1:30AM made Bosnian Coffee (Super Strong) and went to my PC and went to Verizon Website at 1:55AM with Firefox (Which by the way is best browser for Linux distro’s)

Anyway, I went through the process of ordering iPhone 4 and I got stuck at the page where I can port my phone number from previous carrier (T-Mobile) over to Verizon Network. Page was loading for 5 minutes and I did not get through, 10 minutes went by that thing at the lower end corner was still loading. At that point I gave up on Verizon website and went to Apple.com/iPhone

I saw iPhone 4 with the Verizon logo and started the process, I almost got to the end of the process and I said “Wait, I am ordering family pack plan but only got offered 1 iPhone to select, wth?” I clicked on the Apple Chat and it said that I have to wait 12 minutes and 45 seconds for somebody to chat with me. In the mean time I just went through the pre-order process twice while waiting for Apple Tech Support.

Finally after 12 minutes I got Apple support, and asked them “Yo, Yooo wasup? How come I can’t pre-order 2 iPhones with Family data plan?” Apple support said “You have to go through the pre-order twice” (Which I already did ahead).

Right after she “Elizabeth” wrote that she also asked, did you get Apple Care? I said “No, why?” and then she said “ Did you order Cases and Car Chargers for your iPhone 4?” I said “No”

Anyway , the point is that they were trying to sell me stuff that really is pointless at that time, I didn’t even get the phone and they already try to sell me accessories for it. It’s like being at the dealership pre-ordering Ferrari, and the dealer says, “Did you buy spare tire and extra warranty?”

So what’s going to happen next?

Well I already have few plans:

  • load all my music from iTunes (finally wife and I can have separate music to listen (we shared iPod Touch be4))
  • Get apps I need: Seesmic, Facebook, SSH client, URL checker, SEO Checker, RSS Reader, Angry Birds, Skype!, Pandora

I guess I’ll be one of those iPhone 4 users that just shut up and wait for the next awesome phone because iPhone 4 is getting pretty old for what’s on the upcoming market. *dual core, 8MP Cam, 1080p HD, 4G!*

Well, I stop writing now, am not 100% sure why I posted this, but then again I do have 51.000 followers and at least 1% of them do care whats next on Joe’s plate.

What’s your next thing on plate for today or this year?

 

My No.1 rule for any blog I start is to keep traffic growing, no matter how. I have been really lucky not to break the No.1 rule and that’s why I own blogs with over 50.000 visitors per month for each blog.

I check blog traffic once a day, and  let’s say my average blog visits per month is 15.000 a day.

So, if today I get 12.000 visitors I’ll do my best next day to recover lost visitors by posting more articles, I target low ranked keywords and I must reach 18.000 visits that day.

If I don’t I don’t kill my self over it.

Back in July my goal was to reach 1.000.000 pageview per month on MWD blog, but unfortunately I am not going to make it. Currently MWD is at 600-650.000 pageviews and it’s really impossible to reach 400-450K pageviews in 20 days unless I do some scandal or expose iPad 2 :).

Basically what I am trying to tell you is that you should not let things slide out of your hand. The rule above can be applied almost to anything.

Let’s say that your goal was to lose 50 pound this year, and you said every month I will lose 4 pounds and you were doing great January, February, March because you lost 16 pounds already. But then in April you lost only 2 pounds, well don’t let it get to you, try in May to lose 6 pounds, work bit harder.

Whatever you do, the hard work you are performing is going to pay it self off.

I know a lot of people that start something and they do good hard work for month or two, but then later on they get bit lazy, and that laziness increases month after month, until they give up (mostly after 6 months).

Don’t get me wrong I do same thing, but I keep trying to do my best at what I am best at. So even though your website traffic might be plunging a bit at the moment,be proud because  your health and weight might be in really good condition…

Praising your self for some good stuff you did for your self, increases your level of motivation to do other things.

Sorry for my grammar above, I really had to type this fast and get it out of my chest, ill do my best to get back at this and revise it.

 

Many were opposed when government said that they could tap into your phone calls without your knowledge, many also got scared about their indentify theft, so why are they using Google?

Google is coming out with new “features” every week so to say and it’s most likely free, but living in United States for 10 years now Free word always had some catch behind it all.

Here is the quick and dirty rundown how Google knows everything about you.

Google Adsense:

  • Where you live
  • How much income you made (W-99, IRS)
  • Your Social Security and more

Google Checkout:

  • They know your bank account
  • How much you spend and what you spend on
  • Again your address
  • Birth date

Google Maps:

  • Possibly Your Network Connection and all devices behind your network
  • Picture of your house and whatever you have outside (car, pool, junk, dead bodies)

Google Search:

  • Everything you searched for past 12 years and which links you clicked on

Google Calendar:

  • Everything you set your calendar for , they know (Birthdays, Anniversaries, Doc Appt’s, Events etc…)

Google Android OS:

  • GPS
  • All phone numbers (also saved in Gmail)
  • etc…

Google Gmail:

  • Every email you read, received, sent and All contacts

I mean I could go on and on about these Google services but in reality who cares right? As long as they don’t do anything to you, you are ok with it…and even if government is behind the whole Google structure, you don’t care either right? or do you?

Does it make difference if company name that hold’s all your information is called Google or Government? I mean you or many opposed and made big fuss about government monitoring calls etc.. but in reality Google can, do that or does that already just by having you phone powered with Android OS or using Google Voice.

Anyway,

Ill just leave you at that, and have you think about how much Google knows about you as of today.

What services are you using and what those “free” services provide you…and just think about how those same services can be used against you.

Who knows, maybe in 10-20 years they will come up with Google Chip that you can inject into your body so you can read your health status online for free , but I am sure you will be fine with that sites it’s just Google :)

 

This morning I met with 20+ people at Central Iowa Bloggers which is monthly meet where people with different skills come together and talk about different topics. Mostly you will see Entrepreneurs, Bloggers, Mommy’s, Daddy’s and even book writers.

Well after about 15 minutes of saying Hi and give High-Fives I set down with group of people that talked about politics who talked about the attack ads that were running before the Election day (November 2nd) “by the way this was the first time I was able to vote in my 30 years of life”

Later on, the group spread across the Panera (coffee shop) and I was left talking to Josh a.k.a @AdMavericks. Each time I talk to him he inspires me with his potential of seeing people for who they are and even little things we say to him, he makes them sound so big and so adventuress. 

And he said:

Hey Joe, you know what you should do? You should write a book or tell your story about American Dream which most people forgot about it.

The quote above might not be exactly what he said but that is how I received it. So here I am few hours later writing this blog post about that story.

See, when I first posted about “Live Your Life While You Can” and explained how I live life after surviving 2nd clinical death, I realized that I moved a lot of people and not to mention Daniel Pink who is best seller with his latest book called Drive and he said via email to me…

Joe, that is terrific!

and others that supported my state of mind like Josh Fleming, Katie Ketelsen, Jade Handy, Chris Garrett….

Living American Dream

As I mentioned in my previous post, I came to United States 10 years ago with $60 and now in 2010 I am making close to six figures with help of my wife who supports me every day. So is this the part where I say “I am living an American Dream”, F*** yeah!

People sometimes forgot where they come from, besides from vagina, like the rest of us. But seriously! How many of you had lived hard life and maybe still do? But yet, you still don’t think you are not living American Dream?

Dude, where is your hope?

Inspiration?

What the hell?

You have house or apartment, you have job, you have kids, you go out every now and then, your health is OK but not maybe where you want it to be…

Sorry people, but to me that is called great living whether it is called American, Cambodian or Czechoslovakian dream.

An American Dream to me represents that you have

  • Roof above your head
  • Job or steady income
  • Spouse or Not..
  • And you are happy, some days..

See, the thing is that we don’t appreciate things that we have, because we already got use to those “things” and not only that! News media and TV shows like Housewives …. make us jealous as to why can’t  we eat $500 breakfast every day, right?

You are interpreting American Dream wrong!

American Dream is not about being rich its about living a good life which in most cases means, you have roof above your head. Just for a split second think about how your life could be worse if you lost everything you have right now?

You kid dies, your wife or husband leaves you, and your house gets “Foreclosure” sign because bank took it and you couldn’t pay the bills because , again: you lost your job!

Now that my friends is not American Dream.

I can’t say that I live happy life all the time… nobody can, we all got some sort of problems, but it takes courage, skills and mental inspiration to face those problems and fix them the way we want them to be.

Anyway, I started rambling again…so I’ll just finish this post now. What I would like you to take from this post is this:

  • You are alive!
  • The world is still beautiful!
  • Appreciate what you have and not what you don’t!
  • You want something better? Work for it! Plan, make goals..execute them!

Well that’s it.

Wish you great day, and look at this world from the positive prospective because tomorrow you might die and your dream whichever you live now, will be over!

My name is Joe Hobot and I approve this Post :)

 

Last night I watched movie “The Crazies” and let me tell you by the end of the movie I was so pissed off!!!!!! Here is why…

The movie is about bunch of people getting sick from water that was poisoned by plane that crashed into river…blah blah blah…

…… and Crazy people start killing “normal people” .

But if you look at the movie from other prospective it shows how Iowan’s live and where they live.

The movie Crazies made Iowa look so bad and so backwards without showing any the good parts that Iowa has to offer.

Movie only shows:

  • Farms
  • Corn Fields
  • How people have old phones (flip phones)
  • How people dress (like rednecks)

But that’s not all folks!

At the end of the movie guy and woman moved out from Little Town in Iowa walking towards Cedar Rapids (Population: 128.056) which is quite big city if you ask me compared to the rest of the cities in Iowa. Thing is what pissed me off is what the last few minutes of the movie showed.

Small city (Cedar Rapids) surrounded only by corn field. When I saw that I was like what the fuck?

Everything that I work for in Iowa and not just me thousands of others got crushed in one simple movie by showing how people in Iowa have no knowledge of technology, have no laptops, have still 1995 flip phones and that we are just living on farm fields surrounded by corn. But some outsider from (in movie: government official) drives 2010 Suburban has awesome laptop and latest technology etc..

For investors and entrepreneurs when they see movies like The Crazies they will question them self, if they should invest in some startup made by farmer or someone that is still on Windows 98.

Movie as you can tell, really hurt my feelings because I am US Citizen *from Europe* who lives in Iowa (West Des Moines).

I am trying to bring the community to the standards that East and West coast are perpetrated as in technology industry. I promote our best startups such as Dwolla for example. I help people to code, blog better and reach out for other Investors and Entrepreneurs (I owned 1.2 Million page-views blog, currently owning 450.000 page-views blog).

Some people ask me if Midwest could someday be Silicon Valley, well my answer going forward will be: Stop producers to make movies like The Crazies and we might become Midwest Valley some day.

Thoughts?

 

How do you deal with unexpected things that happen in your life? Are you prepared?

When you are prepared for unexpected its always easier to deal with it emotionally and physically. Unexpected things in life can be negative and positive yet we deal with it differently right?

Two weeks ago co-worker of mine sent email to group (including me) that University in town has open position for Networking Administration Professor.

I immediately replied and said I am IN! Following day I was contacted by HR department and landed interview the day after. Interview was great and I already sensed that I will be the final candidate just by observing their body language and talk.

Now that’s a positive unexpected thing because 3 weeks ago I didn’t even think about getting new job, non of the less to be Professor! Whole family and friends were proud of me and I was happy.

But how would I deal with unexpected thing? Lets say my father could die (God Forbid) any day due to his age and illness. I already thought about it, about the day that I get phone call with message that my father died. Just by thinking about it makes me sad but I rather be prepared emotionally because there are many other things that life needs to be moved on.

What about you?

Have you thought about how would it be if your identity would be stolen and all your savings is gone? Or you get in fight with some idiot and you both land in jail and day after your boss says “Sorry but you are fired” How would you deal with that?

Point is, that life is full of unexpected things, but it is good to think about those “things” from time to time whether is positive or negative.

Once a week think of unexpected thing that can happen to you. First think about one that is negative and then one that is positive.

In one year you will be prepared for at least 104 unexpected things 52 weeks x2= 104 (Just in case you ask your self why 104)

 

I just thought it would be nice to share and make your day at least to some of you with this funny picture of girl who thought she shall fart.

Image Credit: Thanks to chan4chan for sharing

 

Today  I am going to be quick on this topic of building image not because I don’t have much to write but because the less sometimes is good , am I right?

Few times a month I would hear somebody say “What did he/she think about me?” or “He is an Egocentric Idiot” or “Wow, she is smart and sexy”

The feedback is always good when somebody tells us that we are an idiot, smart, outstanding, ugly etc.. but the question is why do you let people categorize you and build image that you might not like?

I get to be called Professional Blogger, sometimes people call me IT Guy, or Phone Guy but is it ok for somebody else to go around and start conversation like this…

Alisa: Hey Jerod do you know somebody who knows a lot about blogging?

Jerod: Yeah his name is Joe he is Professional Blogger

Alisa: Awesome, he must be smart huh?

I don’t say that I hate that, but I dislike when people categorize me for some image that I don’t want to be known by. Its like imaging Elton John being piano repair man. Makes no sense right? But in reality he is one of the greatest music artist.

Do you see where I am going?

So, if you dislike somebody giving you name or placing you in some image that you might not hate but dislike or being labeled, confront them :) tell them nicely to fuck off. This last part was just a joke and rude….

But seriously, tell them that you are rather be labeled as Musician than Guitar Repair man.

Once you build that image, go onto next one you want to build.

Girls, tell me how many other girls called you a bitch?  or maybe labeled you as shy, not confident, and just stuck-up?

Do you want to be labeled as stuck-up bitch  when you die?

Probably not, so start changing your  perception and image now, you will feel more happy.

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