Guest post written by my buddy Brian Workman

My daughter and her husband were friends with a couple in college that ended up being in their wedding. They are the sweetest people. They had to fly all the way from Oklahoma to participate in all the wedding activities. The boy had taken a job with a medical equipment company and took a transfer out there so he could double his income. His wife went back to school while living there and became a kindergarten teacher. They don’t have any children yet, but from looking at them on their Facebook page, I can tell they have two cute dogs. My daughter and her husband recently went out to Oklahoma to have a reunion of sorts with their friends. She told me that they stayed at their friends’ house and that it was so nice. Apparently they are doing really well financially which is very unusual in this economy. And, she told me that they are very frugal with their money. Gone are the days when they used to go out every night. Now they stay at home mostly, cook their dinner, and watch a lot of direct tv in oklahoma city.

Here's one thing I've learned from having children -- shopping for clothes for the little darlings can be a drag.

Any parent out there knows the drill. You’ve got to con the kiddies into getting in the car, then you’ve got to can them into going in a store, then you’ve got to chase them through the store (or stores) and reject one awful article of clothing after another. After all of that, the real fun begins – forcing them to accept the clothes you do find suitable and then paying your hard-earned cash on items the kids swear they hate.

Come on parents – we’re the ones in charge, aren’t we? Why not skip part of the more harrowing aspects of buying quality clothes for kids and turn to our old friend, the Internet, for help?

That’s right – you can find great clothes for your kids from the convenience of your own home and without the inconvenience of dragging reluctant children to the store. Interested? Sure you care. Just click the aforementioned link and start shopping, ace.

In my quest to convert most of my media to a convenient digital format, I’ve had to use a video converter or two.

For my purposes, I want to convert my DVDs to videos in MP4 format that are stored on a huge hard drive and then streamed to my Xbox 360 and iPhone. Why? DVDs take up a lot of space, get scratched and are generally inconvenient. Dumping them on a hard drive is the way to go – I can simply shove the DVDs in a closet and then select the movies I want on, say, my Xbox 360. A 2 terabyte hard drive, after all, is much easier to manage than stacks of DVDs.

Converting all of that video requires a reliable DVD ripper. If you’ve got a decent computer, you’re in luck as there is a good video converter for Mac (you can call it a DVD ripper for Mac if you prefer that terminology) out there as well as a solid iPad video converter for Windows PCs, too.

Just click one of the aforementioned links and you’ll be on your way to quickly converting all sorts of videos to iPads and other devices in a variety of formats.

One of the great things about the Internet is that you can find information regardless of what time it happens to be. Yes, that privilege can be used to find nonsense in the middle of the night, but it can also be used to find information that is important to your life and career.

Let’s say its 2 a.m. and you’re looking for a medical consultant interview course. Finding information about such a critter would have been impossible in the middle of the night just a few years ago, but it’s very possible now. Sticking with the medical theme, the same can be said of doctors looking to enrich their education through a medical teaching course or how about a medical management course? Or how about a teach the teacher course for doctors looking for getting involved in training.

All of those links, by the way, will guide you to courses offered by Oxford Medical. Clearly, that group is one of the most recognized in the medical field. The point of mentioning that is to point out that you don’t get just good information from the Internet, but you can find some of the best, most relevant stuff out there from groups that are at the top of their fields.

Technology can be great, huh?

What do people do when the economy is down? They start looking for ways to save money.

It’s important to point out that tactic works well for everyone these days regardless of income. After watching so many people lose jobs, watch investments decline alarmingly in value and observing the general lack of consumer confidence, being frugal is just a good move these days. Yes, a good number of us are making out just fine, but we should all be aware that can change in a hurry.

For both people looking to save cash immediately and those who just want to reduce expenses and save money for that rainy day that could come in the future, reducing expenses on more common items is a good move. Think about it for a second. Yes, it is very possible to refinance that mortgage or perhaps even reduce car payments by refinancing those loans or trading for less expensive vehicles, but we’re talking about going through a long, involved process to reach either of those goals.

It makes a lot more sense to start small – to take simple steps to reduce how much money we spend on more common items. A few small, simple steps can result in immediate savings, after all, so why not start there? If you want to reduce those mortgage and car payments, those are great long term goals and should be treated as such. Reaching those goals can take some time, but cutting smaller expenses can be done quickly.

Want proof? Just click the following link to watch what you spend on coffee. Just head to that site and you’ll find coupons and other ways to reduce your expenses in that area. You won’t give up a thing and you’ll save a buck or two. How’s that for a deal? Once you start to take a look at the smaller items such as coffee, you can reap the benefits immediately and then make those long range plans that will get you closer to your goal of cutting your expenses.

Starting with small ways to save money can also be a good psychological trick. Think about it – cutting expenses on large, expensive items is more than a bit daunting and complicated. It would be far too easy to get involved in such a project and then give up on the whole notion of economizing completely once realizing the work involved. Human beings, see, like to see immediate progress when they start a project. Taking care of the little things provides that progress, thus encouraging people to take on larger, more complex projects and save even more money.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

The economy is a mess, but businesses are still expanding, right?

A major difference these days is that businesses are looking for the most bang for the buck. Extravagance may have been the name of the game a few years ago, but things have changed a bit.

How, then, can a business get the space needed to expand, save a buck or two and still get pretty much everything desired in a new building? Have a look at what’s available through Future Steel Buildings. That’s right – Future Steel Buildings.

What will you find over there? Buildings that will pretty well meet your wants and needs. They’ll be attractive, cost effective and durable, too. Click one of the aforementioned links and have a look. The chances are good you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The homes sales numbers for 2011 are in for northwest Arkansas and the Jonesboro area (that’s Craighead County in northeast Arkansas).

First Arkansas News is the first media outlet in the state to have those numbers available to the public.

Click here to read the year-end housing market reports for those two areas of the state. Don’t worry – the central Arkansas numbers will be out before too much longer and First Arkansas News will also have those.

Stainless steel is one of those things that's just plain timeless.

It’s durable, attractive and decidedly utilitarian. It can be used on all manner of household items – fireplace accessories, kitchen appliances and, well, just an almost infinite number of things around your home. Of course, there’s good stainless steel and then there’s the stuff that is fair-to-middling or just plain rotten.

How can you find the good stuff? Look for a trusted name such as Blomus. Indeed, Blomus steel has a certain reputation for building quality items, ranging from Blomus kitchen appliances to Blomus fireplace accessories.

Click a link and see for yourself.

Here’s yet another example of why the Internet is such a great thing – it allows specialty stores to set up and thrive.

While some in larger cities might take specialty stores for granted, they’re somewhat few and far between in more rural areas. Those highly specialized stores often can’t get enough business to stay solvent as they have trouble finding enough people to support them.

An online presence, however, allows specialty stores to break away from regional markets and find national – and sometimes international – customers. That’s a good thing as general merchandise stores simply don’t offer the selection that specialty stores do.

Take lockers, for example. If you want steel lockers, employee lockers, school lockers, etc., where are you going to go? Even if you can find those items locally, what are the chances you’ll have a lot of items from which to choose? And what about prices? If there’s not a lot of competition, you just know those prices are going to be a bit high, right?

If you’re looking for a wide selection and competitive prices for highly specialized items such as lockers for sale, you’ll want to consider finding a store on the Internet that deals exclusively in those items. Click one of the links in this post to start your search, pilgrim.

The following was originally posted at First Arkansas News. We’re posting it here in hopes that more people will enjoy it. Why? Because old time radio (OTR) is more fan than a barrel full of monkeys and is well worth sharing.

Well, you lucky thing. It’s another weekend and that means it’s time for another fantastic show in our ongoing Weekend OTR series.

What show do we have on tap? It’s the Fabulous Mr. Tweedy, a comedy starring Frank Morgan. As usual, this week’s program is courtesy of our friends at OTRCat.com. So, listen to the show then pay The Cat a visit. Deal?

How do you listen to the show? Simply click the below link and you’re set, pilgrim.

Fabulous Mr. Tweedy – Tweedy Plays the Bassoon (1/12/1946)

My background is in journalism. To be precise, it’s on the editorial side of journalism.

What does that mean? I couldn’t sell advertising to save my life and I know it. When I worked in the newspaper business, advertising was sold by magical elves as far as I was concerned. When I started a site (not this one) that needed ad revenue, my approach was decidedly pitiful.

“Hey, uh. Like. You wanna buy an ad?”

“No.”

“OK.”

What’s the point of all this? Running an Internet site and raising revenue for it are two separate matters. One might be able to put up a great site that attracts a lot of traffic. There is a certain skill involved in doing that. However, that same person that is so brilliant in putting together a site with compelling content might not have the ability to attract advertisers. The ability to sell ads is also a skill and it’s a good idea to leave that task up to an advertising agency staffed with people who have that skill.

Go ahead and click the aforementioned link to find out about a firm with just that skill – it’s called “That! Advertising Agency” and specializes in mixed media advertising. What does that mean? It means the agency was born and bred on the Internet but realizes the importance of advertising through more traditional outlets, too. That’s right – the company seeks to reach your demographic through the channels most appropriate to it.

Sounds good, huh? Experience in various forms of media and the willingness to avoid a “one size fits all” solution in favor of a custom program sounds like a winner, doesn’t it?

Three boards of Realtors in northwest Arkansas voted down a proposal on Wednesday that would have resulted in the largest local Realtors association in Arkansas.

You can read all about the vote and such at First Arkansas News by clicking here.

Now, here’s the interesting thing – a person familiar with what went down on there said it appeared the proposal might pass until the full details of the merger weren’t released until right before the vote. Those details allegedly caused a lot of people to say “hell no” and vote against the merger.

What details was our source talking about? We’re investigating and will have more details in the near future. So, stay tuned to First Arkansas News and we’ll post that information when we get it.

Here we go again -- taking another look at how the Internet allows specialty stores to thrive. That's a topic one can never beat to death because specialization is one of those things that makes the Internet so great.

Yes, it's one thing to have a lot of common items available, but what does your local retailer have in stock when it comes to portable bleachers or aluminum bleachers? If you can find a local store that even carries such items, how large is the selection? The chances are good that any store in your town that carries such items will have an extremely limited selection. And let's not even talk about prices -- a severe lack of competition means prices are pushed as high as possible. Click on one of the two aforementioned links and you'll find plenty of items at great prices -- competition from Internet retailers means selection and attractive prices are mandatory for those companies that want to survive.

The same dynamic works when it comes to other products. How about dog exercise equipment or pet waste stations? Yep -- plenty of products and competitive prices at the Internet retailer behind the aforementioned links.

Choice is a good thing, indeed, and the Internet facilitates that very well.

I had the "pleasure" of going on my first Black Friday sale in November. Why? Because my wife wanted two items for sale in a store and couldn't grab them both by herself. So, I was recruited.

Anyone who has been through one of those things knows the drill. You've got a limited number of products and people are lined up to grab them as soon as the merchant makes them available. The crowd surges, items are grabbed and the very lucky come away with items at ridiculously low prices.

Of course, there are problems with Black Friday sales. For one thing, those are only held once a year. For another, there's all that nasty fighting and grabbing that takes place. Finally, the truly zealous Black Friday warriors tend to sacrifice spending Thanksgiving with their families as they either camp out in parking lots or go to bed early so they can be at the stores as soon as they open to the public.

Ah, but what if there was a way to get those Black Friday deals without having to go to stores, stand in lines and fight with crowds? What if you could get those deals all year long so as to avoid waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to take advantage of the best prices available? Why, you could start take care of Christmas shopping throughout the year instead of saving up your cash to blow in one, financially-inconvenient wad on Black Friday. Heck, you might even pick up some things for yourself at discount prices.

And, folks, you'll find just a place when you point your browser to Nomorerack.com, grab a free membership and start shopping. What is Nomorerack? Simply put, it's a clearinghouse for a slew of great deals. The "deals" available change regularly, so the wise shopper will check in regularly to see what's available. And you will want to check in often -- there are items over there for as much as 90 percent off, the products range from electronics such as Android tablets to tee shirts and we're talking about new products. In short, the chances are good you'll find plenty of products you'll like at prices that are hard to beat.

Want another incentive to get involved with the site? Refer friends and you'll win awards. That's right -- if you can convince some friends it would be a good idea to join up and save money, you'll be able to leverage those introductions into points that can be redeemed for free products. How's that for a heck of a deal?

Click one of the aforementioned links and give the site a look. In this economy, everyone likes a good deal, right? Nomorerack is serving them up daily, so don't miss out on some sales.

Need a vacation? Sure you do! Who couldn't use a vacation after a stressful 2011 and the "blahs" that naturally follow the holidays.

Ah, but vacations take a lot of planning, don't they? Why, it would be ridiculous to plan something at the last moment and have any hope for success, right?

That may have been the case in the past, but one of the great things of the Internet is that the tools are always at hand to make plans and carry them through efficiently and quickly. Let's say you're in Australia and you want to book last minute flights to, well, somewhere else. The Internet's got you covered. The same goes for booking last minute hotels or cheap flights.

Convenient? You'd better believe it. Now, get packing.

Sick of sifting through an inbox full of junk to get those few emails you want?

I was at a point where I was getting close to 200 spam emails a day and was starting to view my email account are largely a nuisance. If I had to dig through all that garbage to get the emails I wanted, what was the point of running an account at all?

Sure, I tried using new email addresses but the spammers always found me. I filtered spams out in Thunderbird on my laptop, but that did nothing for the mail I checked on my iPhone and Nook Tablet.

What was the cure for all of this? It's simpler than you might think -- take advantage of Google's free and very good spam filters by using Gmail to filter my mail before it hits my inbox. Want to learn how to set that up easily? Click here and read all about. And, seriously, the service is completely free. Give it a shot!

Here's another example of why the Internet is so great for consumers who want to choose from a wide variety of products rather than the one or two typically featured at local retailers -- a store dedicated to Enclume pot racks.

What is an Enclume pot rack? Simply put, it's a way to efficiently store your pots (and maybe even a pan or two) in your kitchen without taking up space in your cabinets. Just hang one of the rascals up and you're set.

Why shop for them online? Simply put, if you can find a store in your area that carries Enclume potracks, the chances are good your selection will be slim at best. Isn't it better to have several options available. Perhaps there's a price point you want to stick with or need a particular configuration to fit your individual needs. Your choices may be limited locally, but one of the reason the Internet exists is to give shoppers a full array of options.

Click one of the links in this post and get started shopping.