Hello, you wonderful you!

It's happy birthday to me today (June 20 if you're reading this later). I was born in 1955 and I turned 55, so do you know what that means?

You get a birthday gift from me! Several, actually. :)

You can read about it in the Bullet Points section. Ready? Let's go!

All the best to you,

Bullet Points
The Tips Jar: Get Your Daily Whatever Right Here!
Webmaster's Q & A: Table-less Designs
Life's Little Goodies: Creativity and Self-Expression
Ask Anything: New Member Site Progress
Miscellanea

Bullet Points

• Happy Birthday for me is good luck for you! I've got a few gifts for you. Right-click the links below and choose Save as or Save link as or a similiar wording, depending on your browser.

  Sociable!
  This is a resource guide to social networking sites, social bookmarking sites, and video sharing sites. There are hundreds of links inside to help you promote your online interests.

  PLR Graphics
  A collection of mostly business graphics: buy buttons, guarante badges, arrows, etc. Do what you like with them: use them, give them away, sell them, bundle them with another product, offer them as a bonus, whatever! Just don't print them out and eat them . . . that would be silly. ;)

  Earning on eBay
  I don't sell on eBay, but I bought some PLR and talked to two eBay experts in my family (my daughter and sister), and then put this together for you.

  Wordpress Themes
  I started making Wordpress themes a while back. I haven't "officially" announced it yet, I'm waiting until I have about a hundred before I open up a new site section offering them. The link above opens a new page where you can view 5 themes and download any you like.

  Enjoy! :)

• Speaking of Wordpress, all the blogging I've done in the past was anonymously and mostly to experiment with different ideas. I've opened a blog under my name now at DennisGaskill.com. I'll be posting there several times each week.

  It's mostly about online marketing but will also include a few other categories after it gets going, including web design as it relates to marketing. I'll also use it to keep you posted on any important developments between newsletter.

  Should you choose to join the mailing list, it's a completely different list than this newsletter. You can learn more about it there if you're interested. Check out DennisGaskill.com and see what you think.

  PS - You can also follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/DennisGaskill. I'll follow the first 500 or so back. After that it's iffy, I can't sit there clicking the follow button forever. First come, first served! ;)

• Wordpress is susceptible to being hacked, as is any open source software. The two most common ways blogs are hacked is through vulnerable plugins or because the user installs it through a cPanel application like Fantastico, rather than installing it manually.

  Wordpress is easy to install through Fantastico, but in doing so you have all the default settings and the default database name. A hacker is halfway home when those doors are open.

  So rather than installing Wordpress via a cPanel application, and because I don't have the time to learn what it takes to lock a blog down so it's less vulnerable, I count on my friend and Wordpress expert, Leslie Bogaerts.

  Leslie will work with you to determine which plugins best suit your needs, and she'll have the plugins and theme installed and have you ready to start blogging in a short turn around time. She'll answer all your dumb questions too. Well, maybe YOU won't ask dumb questions, but she answered all my dumb questions. ;)

  Not only that, but I accidently uploaded a file via FTP that messed my blog up and Leslie knew just how to fix it. Took her like one minute. I dorked around trying to fix it myself for about 20 minutes.

  If you installed Wordpress via cPanel and wish it were more secure, Leslie can do that for you too. It's a service she only offers her mailing list, but I asked her to make the service available to you guys and she agreed.

  To order her blog installation service: Niche Blogging Made Easy

  To talk to Leslie about securing a working blog, or if you have questions about her installation service, email her at and tell her you're a friend of mine.

  Leslie gets all my blog installation business, and I highly recommend her to you. By the way, Leslie does have an affiliate program, but I'm not using an affiliate link this time. I figure I owe her one after she rescued my blog after I messed it up. :)

• One more "birthday" item for you . . . I've put together some nice product packages for you at a HUGE discount. This is a one-time event with one-time pricing because I was born in '55 and turned 55. Don't miss this awesome opportunity to take advantage of my happy mood!

  See the one-time packages here: One Time Sale!

  PS - Sorry, sales prices can't be applied to previous purchases. That would be a nightmare of extra work for me.

The Tips Jar: Get Your Daily Whatever Right Here!

It's been a long time since I've posted anything like this, and the "this" is a JavaScript that will allow you to have a daily quote on your page. You could also use it for a daily tip, daily poem, a daily YouTube video, or many other things.

First an example, then the script, and then the things you have to know to make it work. Here's the example:

You'll see a different number if you come back here tomorrow, unless you don't have JavaScript enabled, in which case you'll see whatever is placed between the <noscript> and </noscript> tags.

Here's the code for that script:

<script type="text/javascript">
//Courtesy of BoogieJack.com
var msg = new Array();
insert = new Date();
today = insert.getDate();
msg[0]="Tip 1 text here."
msg[1]="Tip 2 text here."
msg[2]="Tip 3 replace this text with your tip"
msg[3]="Tip 4 replace the text with your tip"
msg[4]="Tip 5 ...and so on to through Tip 31"
msg[5]="Tip 6"
msg[6]="Tip 7"
msg[7]="Tip 8"
msg[8]="Tip 9"
msg[9]="Tip 10"
msg[10]="Tip 11"
msg[11]="Tip 12"
msg[12]="Tip 13"
msg[13]="Tip 14"
msg[14]="Tip 15"
msg[15]="Tip 16"
msg[16]="Tip 17"
msg[17]="Tip 18"
msg[18]="Tip 19"
msg[19]="Tip 20"
msg[20]="Tip 21"
msg[21]="Tip 22"
msg[22]="Tip 23"
msg[23]="Tip 24"
msg[24]="Tip 25"
msg[25]="Tip 26"
msg[26]="Tip 27"
msg[27]="Tip 28"
msg[28]="Tip 29"
msg[29]="Tip 30"
msg[30]="Tip 31"
document.write(msg[today-1]);
</script>
<noscript>
Put your message for JavaScript crippled browsers here.
</noscript>

And now, the stuff you need to know...

First, you'll notice there are 30 messages (msg) and 31 Tips. That's because the message count starts at zero. That's the way it is with JavaScript arrays. Tip 1 (msg 0) will display on the first of the month. Tip 2 (msg 1 will display on the second of the month, and so forth.

Place your own tip, quotation, joke, video, song, or whatever, between the quotation marks where I have Tip 1, Tip 2, all the way through to Tip 31. Here are some rules about the messages you place:

• Each message must all be on one line of it's own. It's OK if they wrap to a second line in your text or HTML editor window, but they must not have any hard returns in them or the script is broken.
• Avoid using any special characters in your message or you risk breaking the script. If you need to use a special character, preface it with a backslash. That tells the browser to print the character rather than to interpret it.
  Example: You can \"quote me\" on that.
• You can use HTML in the message, at least the tags I tried: basic text formatting such as bold, italic, paragraph and break tags.
• You can include links, so you could also have a site of the day feature or featured page or product on your site. You have to leave off the quotation marks around the web address and target if you use it. Example:

  <a href=http://www.boogiejack.com target=_blank>Boogie Jacks</a>
  

• You can embed YouTube videos, but you'll have to remove all the double quotation marks from the embed code. You can do that in one swell foop if you paste it into Notepad, then go to Edit/Replace and type in a quotation mark into the Find what text box. Leave the Replace with text box blank, and then click the Replace All button and it's ready to use.

That's about it. You could use this script for a lot of "daily" things. Here are a few ideas:

daily quote
daily tips
daily poem
daily joke
daily video
daily image
daily site
daily horoscope
daily recipe
daily trivia
daily history note
daily feature (product or page on your site)
daily book recommendation (think Amazon affiliates!)
daily software review (think Clickbank affiliates!)
daily person (man, woman, dummy, celebrity, hero, etc.)
daily download (link to a software freebie)
daily bargain (another affiliate link idea)
daily top ten of something

...or a big thing of the day, cool thing of the day, question of the day, model of the day, word of the day—honestly, the list of daily possibilities could go on and on.

And one of the two big bonuses with this . . . no matter which day the search engines visit your site, they will almost always find at least one content change. Search engines like frequently updated sites!

The second big bonus . . . people do too. :)

I recommend putting the code in an external JavaScript file and linking to it to keep your source code cleaner. It's easy to do! Just place the code into a blank text file, minus the opening and closing script tags, and then save it as: ScriptName.js (ScriptName is whatever you want to call it; .js is the required file extension).

Then link to it like this:

<script type="text/javascript" 
 src="scripts/ScriptName.js"></script>

Place that in your page's source code where you want the feature to appear. If you keep your external scripts in a different folder than the one I indicated (scripts) be sure to change the reference in the link. Also be sure to use the actual name you give your script in place of ScriptName.js. That's it!

Webmaster's Q & A: Table-less Designs

Q: Are table-less web designs something I should be learning?

- Teddy T.

A: It's kind of hard for me to say what you should learn. After all, we all have different needs. Are you a professional web designer? If so, you probably should learn it. If not, it's an option, but not necessary.

Table-less designs are more complicated than designing with tables (if you want more than one column of content). I can create the designs, but I don't want to try to teach it at this point because I think it will become easier with HTML 5, at least I hope so. If not, I'll start teaching it with all the nesting you have to do now.

There is a lot more that can go wrong with complex table-less designs, in my opinion, than using tables. Maybe it only seems that way because I'm far more used to using tables, but either way, it's not a real intuitive process.

When I start providing Wordpress themes, I'm also going to be providing table-less HTML templates though, so a person can use the template without understanding how they work just by replacing my example content with your own content.

Life's Little Goodies: Creativity and Self-Expression

Over the years I've received many comments and questions regarding creativity. Creativity, in the context I'm referring to, could also be defined as self-expression.

When people tell me they wish they were more creative, I used to think they probably don't realize the many ways they express their creativity; or that it's more wishful thinking than a true desire, and because of that they haven't given the effort to develop their creativity in that application.

While those conditions could cause of a lack of creativity, I've recently discovered another cause could be the unintentional self-censoring of self-expression.

Why would someone censor their self-expression (creativity) when they wish they were more creative?

It's not intentional, it's because they were taught that self-expression was wrong when they were children, and those subconscious "mind files" are influencing what they do and say today.

A child that is punished, shamed, silenced, or made fun of for talking, or showing creativity inappropriately (such as drawing on the walls), or expressing emotions such as anger or fear inappropriately, is really learning that self-expression is wrong, bad, or even sinful. They learn these things should be avoided.

Framing these issues as "right or wrong" puts self-expression in the wrong context. It turns being emotionally honest into a moral issue (right or wrong), when it's really an issue of a particular behavior being appropriate or inappropriate for the circumstance.

If a child is punished for expressing an honest emotion, that child learns that his or her emotions are wrong, and the freedom of self-expression will be negatively affected.

If the adult that the child becomes never replaces those earlier delusive mind files, the underlying belief that his or her emotions are wrong can last a lifetime. The result is that their creativity and self-expression are inhibited because a person's conscience and subconscious will keep a person living closely in line with their beliefs.

If a person was taught to believe self-expression is wrong, they will find creativity very difficult as long as that underlying belief remains influencial.

One needn't be aware of these underlying beliefs to be affected by them. In fact, the less aware we are of them the more likely it is they will influence us. If we are aware of them we can do something about them. If we are not aware of them, doing something about them could only come from a fortuitous happenstance.

On the other hand, if we are taught that an emotion, like anger for example, is an inappropriate response rather than a bad emotion, we learn how to respond to our emotions appropriately, rather than having our behavior dictated by our emotions. This kind of mind file does not suppress our creativity and inhibit our self-expression, it teaches us how to channel our emotions and control our responses to them. Creativity and self-expression remain intact.

If we were told "not now" or to "be quiet" too often when we wanted to ask a question or simply to express ourselves when we're young, we learn it is wrong for us to want to be somebody, that being a nobody is our proper place. As an adult, we may find it extremely difficult to speak our mind or to see ourselves as successful and important.

If you were asked to take the stage tomorrow and speak to a large audience about a topic you are knowledgeable about, would that frighten you? This "stage fright" is an extremely common psychological malady, and it's a characteristic of someone who has limiting beliefs about their right to self-expression.

I think that's one of the reasons the "call to be a writer" is so strong for many people. It's their creativity and self-expression trying to find an outlet.

We were born creative. We were born to be self-expressive. Our creativity and self-expression are not moral issues. Each of us has the right to be creative and to express ourselves. It is not wrong or bad to express who we are through the appropriate channels.

Suppose we do have underlying beliefs that dampen our creativity and limit our self-expression, what do we do then?

That, my friend, will have to wait until the next issue. :)

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!
- Dr. Seuss

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
- Henry David Thoreau

When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.
- Tuli Kupferberg

They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
- Edgar Allan Poe

Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun.
- George Scialabba

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Ask Anything: New Member Site Progress

Q: Not to be pushy, but I'm curious, how is the new member site coming along? Any idea when it will be opening.

- Bobby M.

A: I got in on the pre-launch of a new software program for membership sites that's been three years in the making. This puppy will be g-r-e-a-t!

Unfortunately, because it hasn't been released yet, it doesn't have an owners manual or any help files yet.

There are almost 600 files to this software, and I managed to get it installed and working. I've started building content too, but there are some things I need to do that haven't been able to figure out yet.

I also discovered that the developer uses some coding that prevents me from being able to show code examples. Obviously that won't work. He's looking at a workaround for me, but I may ending up changing the membership software I'm using.

I've already picked out what I'm using next if the developer doesn't come up with a workaround that is acceptable soon, so there will be no delay in starting over. I may soon anyway if the help files and owners manual aren't released soon.

So that's where it's at. Everyone that is a member now, or who join before the new member site opens, have their memberships on hold right now so you're not going to lose anything. What that means is everyone that is a member when the new site opens will get a full year in the new site, and your time in the current memmber site doesn't count against your membership.

Of course, anyone that is a lifetime member will have lifetime access to the new site.

PS - Memberships are on sale for my birthday too. :)

Note: Reader questions and comments are sometimes edited for length and/or clarity.

Featured Site: Photo505

If you find yourself wondering why I'm on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, I guess you don't realize how truly famous I am.

If you are not wondering that, then perhaps you know about Photo505.

Yes, the image is a fake. That's what Photo505 does, places you into a lot of nifty scenarios. It's almost like magic. Here's how it works...

You pick the "scene" you want, then upload your photo, and your face is superimposed into the scene.

You should have seen me as a beautiful girl . . . with my beard! ROFL - that was a real treat!

» Web Site Link: Photo505

A Video Interlude: It's Your Life

Can't see the video? View it on YouTube

Reader Feedback

Reply: Thanks Dennis. I couldn't help but notice you have a great first name. ;)

Reply: Thank you! I try to make each issue worth opening. I'll bill you for the goodies later, Randall.

(just kidding)