Just a head's up... I'm going off topic with this one.

A while back, my wife and I enrolled into Blockbuster's online program - it's a service exactly like Netflix where users are able to create a movie queue online and then for a nominal fee Blockbuster will send rentals in the mail. Surprisingly, we've had a very good experience thus far and I would highly recommend this service.

Some of you are no doubt wondering why we opted to go with Blockbuster and not Netflix. I want to cover this as we seem to get asked this quite a bit. While both options are near identical, Blockbuster won us over with a kick-ass perk that allows subscribers to trade-in their movies at anyone of their thousand stores nationwide. This option especially comes in handy when we receive a movie that we've already seen (but forgot to remove from our list) or when a rental sucks so much that we decide to stop it mid-movie. This reminds me... never, ever, under any circumstance rent "Black Christmas". You're welcome!

Jackie and I are not big movie buffs in any way shape or form, and to be perfectly honest we have very different tastes when it comes to the movies we'd like to rent. She has her picks, I have mine, and somewhere in the middle are the movies that actually make it to our queue. I may not get to see every movie that I want due to our veto agreement, but the more important thing is that each week we get to share in this little bit of quality couch time together... and of course embark on some of my famous homemade popcorn. Yum, yum.

The other night I had an epiphany that I'd like to share with you all - and of course the fine people at Blockbuster - regarding an idea that I believe would not only improve Blockbuster's otherwise flawless system, but would also help them to further stand out from Netflix and their other online competitors while adding a social twist into the mix. And, as everyone and their mother already knows, social media, much like Hulk Hogan did in the late 80's and 90's, is running wild.

Here's my idea:

I'd like to see Blockbuster create a new social media environment that would allow users the ability to connect and share with each other (via a profile) their likes and dislikes pertaining to the movies they've either rented, watched in theaters, or have plans of seeing in the future. In addition, the kick-ass part to this whole idea is that users will then have the ability to "subscribe", "friend", or "follow" one another to the point that when a user recommends a flick (Blockbuster currently has a 5-star rating system) that movie is then automatically added to their follower's movie queue.

Subscription settings could be set for each "friend" and include such options as:

1) only add recommended "5-star" movies to my movie queue.
2) only add recommended "PG-13" rated movies to my movie queue.
3) only add recommended "horror" movies to my movie queue.
4) or any combination of desired stars, ratings, or movie categories.

I think a platform like this would not only be cool from a social stand-point - I mean what a great way to meet like minded people - but it would also be extremely helpful to those people, like my wife and I, who aren't movie buffs and have trouble deciding what to rent. As it is now, I rely mainly on my close friends and the help of @MovieTroll to guide me when it comes to my movie selections, and I think a lot of people do the same.

Labels: ideas, karl-ribas

I had a few peeps asking about my home office some time ago, and so I decided to take a few photos of my set-up here at home, and upload them to Flickr and the blog. What do you think?

It's certainly not ShoeMoney's office by any means (maybe some day), but it works for me and helps me to get the job done... and that's what matters most.

Labels: karl-ribas

See if you can spot the difference.

That's right! As I mentioned in my previous post, All Web has made a change in its management structure in which I have been personally promoted from "Project Manager" to the newly created position of "Vice President of Search Marketing". Obviously this is something I'm very excited about.

While I have been given several new responsibilities, a few of them being to grow the division's clientele, strategies, and service offerings, a lot of my day-to-day work will actually remain the same... which is something I prefer. There's no better feeling then having the knowledge and know-how to make advances in this industry, except for when you have the support of your employers and the newly appointed authority to make it happen. I already have the ball moving on a few things, and have several new ideas to explore this upcoming new year.

Things are definitely looking up.

Labels: karl-ribas

It's not a bad thing, but a good thing:

Labels: karl-ribas

Check it, wreck it, and let's begin. About a month ago I received an email from Emma Williams, the Managing Editor at Schmap Guides - a leading publisher of digital travel guides for destinations throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She had informed me that one of my photos - published on Flickr - was short listed for inclusion in their Seattle Guide, and that I needed to officially submit my photo along with my approval for its use.

I remember taking a second to review the photo that they were inquiring about, and because I had no problems with donating it, I filled out the required information online. Here is the picture that was nominated:

Nice, isn't it? This was taken at a Seattle Mariners game in which my fiancée and I attended back in June. Schmap was looking to use the photo as a way to promote Safeco Field within their online Seattle guide.

Well, it turns out that this photo, in addition to a few others that were also submitted, actually made the final cut and is now published in the fifth edition of the Schmap Seattle Guide. Go figure.

You can check out my photo within the guide here. My photo and credit is on the top right of the page, as shown here:

Labels: karl-ribas

Over the past few months I've been feeling as if time has not been on my side. At least it certainly seems that way. No matter what I do, I never have enough time to work on the things I really want to be, or even those that I should be. I've been doing my absolute best to balance my work, my side-projects and ideas, and my personal life, and yet I still struggle. In the end, something will have to give... and it has.

Earlier this week I made the difficult decision to resign as Supplemental Writer for Search Marketing Gurus - an industry related blog known for offering advice, tips, tricks, and news from an assembled group of well-rounded search marketing professionals. I have been a proud member of SMG since February of last year and while I was not able to contribute as much as I would to have liked, I still very much enjoyed the experience.

If you're interested, the following are the few posts that I was fortunate enough to have published:

• Using Analogies to Explain the Benefits of SEO
• 5 Great Resources for SEO Beginners
• Are SEM Conferences Still Worth Attending?
• SMX Advanced: Was it Advanced Enough?
• Food For Thought: What 12 Inches of Flour, Sausage, and Cheese Could Have Gotten You!

Personally, I am hoping that this will only be a temporary deal, and that once life begins to settle down for me (does it ever?) I can resume my role and continue contributing. However, until I reach that point, I feel that this is the best course of action. I certainly don't want to be responsible for holding the team up.

Best of luck Search Marketing Gurus. I appreciated the opportunity.

Labels: karl-ribas

As if I didn't already have enough things currently wasting my time, a few weeks ago I decided to start messing around with Twitter - a newer social networking website that allows you to make 140 character comments to the world about what's going on in your life at that exact moment - and since then I've become somewhat hooked. I'm not exactly "twitter-happy" or twittering every second of my day, but I do chime in every now and then with my thoughts and happenings. Aside from some serious lag-time that occurs mid-day (mostly attributed to Twitter's growing pains), Twitter is easy, fun, and some-what relevant.

Currently I've arranged it so that I'm only following individuals within the search marketing space, as well as my some of my personal friends. However, if you're one of the millions who also has a Twitter account, than hit me up. I'd love to follow those with something interesting to say... especially search related. Twitter offers more than just an interesting way to communicate with friends and colleagues... it has its education advantages too. I'm constantly receiving relevant search news as it breaks from many of the best sources in the industry.

In any event, if you find yourself dying to know more about the man, the myth, and the legend that is Karl Ribas, first off you should seek psychiatric help. But, if that fails, and you still can't rid the urges, then by all means... I welcome you to follow me on Twitter. I can't promise a bunch of search talk, but if you want to know which game I'm watching, cigar I'm smoking, or what my crazy dog is up to, then this is the ticket for you.

My twitter URL is: http://twitter.com/karl_ribas/. Happy stalking!

Labels: karl-ribas, social-marketing

My new outlook on life:

Some people say the grass is always greener on the other side. I say be the gardener. Water it. Feed it. Make your own grass grow.

I make the grass greener wherever I am.

I am the gardener.

- Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals (ESPN Magazine)

Labels: karl-ribas

Wow... looks like I've got a bit of catching up to do. I've been busier than normal with work, travel, yard-work, and side-projects, but never did I think I would be 1000+ posts in the hole.

Time to put in some of the wrench work.

Labels: karl-ribas

Hey all! As the title might suggest, I have finally reached the point where I am unable to run the Klog blog all by myself, and so I have decided to take on a full-time correspondent... sort of speak. I have held multiple interviews over the past few weeks and have met with several very interesting candidates. However, none appeared to be more qualified and more of a fit that my new hire. Allow me to introduce to you once again, my Chow / Sheppard / Lab mix puppy... Bella!

Not what you were expecting? Sorry about that. The truth is that I just wanted to spend these few moments blabbing about my Bella, and how much she has changed since the first time I talked about her almost a year ago. That, and well I really do think of Bella as my work-from-home partner.

Aside from her daily doggie duties which currently include sleeping 10+ hours, barking at the neighbors and postman as they pass by, and constantly begging for attention, Bella has also taken on the role as my right-hand pooch during the few hours I work from home. Her responsibilities include keeping me company while I brainstorm and hammer out blog posts, reminding me every 25 minutes to take a break (which usually means I rub her head and belly or throw her favorite toy - currently it is a stuffed mallard named "Malley"), and taking her fair share of verbal abuse for those times I become frustrated. Thus far... she's done an excellent job with all.

So what's new with Bella? Well aside from turning 1yrs old earlier this month, and growing to a mere 2'6" tall and weighing 60lbs (she's a tank), Bella has acquired quite a personality. She farts in her sleep (deadly ones too), destroys anything paper that is left out, enjoys removing the squeaker out of her toys before decimating them, and has a wide range of "likes" and "dislikes". For instance,

Bella Likes:

• Wearing Scarfs
• Playing in Water and Snow
• Chasing Squirrels and Birds
• Riding in Cars and Going through Drive-Thrus
• Wrestling w/ me on Monday Nights
• Watching Baseball - She's a Cubs fan
• Eating Ice Cubes and Sunflower Seeds
• Watching Animal Planet

Bella Dislikes:

• Drinking Tap-Water
• Having to be Crated
• When other Dogs are Near Our House
• When we use the Vacuum or spray Febreze
• My Friend Greg H.
• When I Smoke Cigars
• Wearing Halloween Costumes

Here are some updated photos of Bella:

Thanks for reading! The Klog will now resume to its otherwise normal scheduled programming.

Labels: karl-ribas

Check it out... last month I was interviewed on the Cigar Alliance podcast by owner Chris Trotter. The interview was published just yesterday on his website, and features lots of chit-chat in regards to one of my long-time favorite hobbies - cigar smoking. The interview did slightly move into a work-related discussion towards the end of the conversation (not that it was planned or anything), and I was able to plug my design and marketing services as well as offer up a few freebies to his audience - many of which are cigar bloggers and other individuals that run cigar podcasts.

A huge "thanks" goes out to Chris for inviting me to be apart of his show. It certainly is nice to partake in things that are of interest and not necessarily work-related. I also want to thank him for sending me a 5 pack cigar sampler courtesy of his own personal humidor. I've already tried the Java by Drew Estate and am absolutely in love with it... a great cigar at a decent price.

A Gurka, 2 CAO Golds, a Java by Drew Estate, and a Padron Anniversary

For those of you whom have an interest in cigar smoking or want to catch my interview on the Cigar Alliance podcast, download podcast episode #10 (FREE). In fact... if you happen to be someone who has a somewhat serious interest in cigar smoking (n00b or veteran), I'd highly recommend subscribing to Chris' podcast and listening to each of his past episodes. The Cigar Alliance podcast is a great source for information, and Chris does an absolute superb job of presenting his thoughts in a fun, relaxing, and easy-to-understand format.

Labels: interviews, karl-ribas

If you didn't catch Sunday's post, this entire week I'll be posting off topic and about me, my interests, and fun-facts about my life. My goal with these posts is to simply provide readers with a better understanding of the kind of person I am outside of the search marketing space, and to have a little fun. Without further ado, here's my fifth and last post:

I love to play poker. I've been a poker player since I was in High School, and enjoy the game very much. My favorite game is No Limit Texas Hold'em, but I also enjoy a variety of other poker games too.

The one problem that I'm facing now is that I don't get to play as much as I'd like to these days. Having moved a few miles away from my clique, and of course some of them being away at college, pick-up games are quite difficult to arrange. I do have plans to get a neighborhood game going one day, but I need a little more time to get to know my neighbors before I can set that up. And you never know... they might already have a weekly home game going, and I may be able to jump in to that.

When my friends and I do get together, we play on a table that my dad made for my 23rd birthday. It's nothing to extravagant like you would see on the World Series of Poker TV show, but it works. It has 8 sides, green felt, and wooden side rails with built in chip and drink holders. It's actually a very nice homemade table.

We play a straight nickel and dime game where the max any one player can loose is $5 - $10. The most anyone ever wins at our games is usually about $20 - $50... this of course is dependent on the number of players we actually have playing. It's a small home game, but we like it. It's friendly, social, and fun.

I do occasionally test my skills outside of my home game. Often at times local organizations will sponsor a multi-table poker tournament for a charitable cause. The buy-in for these games range anywhere from $25 - $250. I tend to stick with the $25 and $50 buy-ins. However, depending on how well I've been playing weeks prior to the tournament, I may dabble with lady luck and participate in some of the more costly tournaments.

My favorite part of playing poker is the strategy. Poker, for those of you who don't play, is a game where you don't necessarily play the cards, but rather the person holding the cards. It's a game of calculated odds, sociology, psychology, and lady luck all rolled into one. There's so much to think about and analyze from hand-to-hand, and developing an individual strategy for playing each player at the table is where I get my kicks.

How about you? Do you play poker? I'd love to hear some of your bad-beat or lady-luck stories.

Labels: karl-ribas

If you didn't catch Sunday's post, this entire week I'll be posting off topic and about me, my interests, and fun-facts about my life. My goal with these posts is to simply provide readers with a better understanding of the kind of person I am outside of the search marketing space, and to have a little fun. Without further ado, here's my forth post:

As a search engine marketer, I for one have always found it interesting to know what other SEM's did before breaking into this industry. I mean it's not like you can graduate from college with a degree in search engine marketing... at least not yet anyway. And, so one has to wonder... with so many of us search marketers out there, how did we all break into this industry and what were our jobs / careers beforehand.

The funny thing is, everyone that I've ever talked with or interviewed has always said something to the extent of: "well, I was doing this other thing, and one thing led to another and I just sort of fell into the field." Which... if you were to ask me, is exactly what I would say.

At 24 years old, I have only had 2 jobs in my life (not counting a paper route and corn detasseling duties when I was a kid). I am currently the Project Manager at All Web Promotion where I have been for the last 4 years, and before All Web, as you no doubt already figured out from the title, I worked for Wal-Mart retail.

I applied at Wal-Mart when I was 17 and worked their every bit of 3 1/2 to 4 years. As with a lot of high school kids, I wanted a little more income than what I was able squeeze out of my parents, and so I decided to get a part-time job where I could work after school and make a little cash... oh, and I do mean a little. I was hired for a floor position in the sporting goods department, but, due to a real shortage of employees I quickly found myself occupying the sporting goods, automotive, pets, hardware, toys, and furniture departments on many occasions.

In fact, as time went on I sort of became a real go-to-guy which I'm sure sounds really cool, but really just means that I was a tool... or better yet, a Wal-Mart bitch.

I was so versatile that depending on who called off and where the store was short in employees, I was often at times forced to leave the comfort of my sporting goods counter and work elsewhere in the store. Believe me when I say I've done EVERYTHING that Wal-Mart has to offer. Besides becoming fluent in every department of the entire store, some of my real bitch projects include:

• Operating a Forklift
• Unloading Semi-Trucks
• Building Bikes
• Climbing Up to the Roof to Take Pictures
• Watering Flowers
• Assisting our In-Store Security
• Driving to Iowa in a UHaul
• Working Overnights to Replace Carpets in the store
• Working Overnights to Replace Carpets in other Wal-Mart Stores
• Filling the spot of Department Managers
• Filling the spot of Support Managers
• Filling the spot of Assistant Managers
• Interviewing New Hires

Simply put, if you name it I probably did it and without any sort of pay compensation whatsoever. In fact, now that I think of it, I have to laugh a little because it wasn't until the night I put in my 2-week notice that I was offered my first raise outside of the mandatory minimum wage increases. But, that was then, and I've definitely moved on for the better.

I'd be lying if I said that working for Wal-Mart was the worst experience of my life. While at Wal-Mart I worked with a lot of great people, met a few of my good friends there (one being my now Fiancée Jackie), and learned a lot about life, work-ethic, and responsibility (if that doesn't sound corny).

To wrap up my story, I worked at Wal-Mart through the remainder of High School and then on-through College. During college, I studied in the Graphic Design & Technology field which just so happens to be what led me All Web's doorstep. And, that's that.

What about you? I'd love to hear about your past work experience even if you're not in the search marketing field. What are some of the early jobs of your life?

Labels: karl-ribas

If you didn't catch Sunday's post, this entire week I'll be posting off topic and about me, my interests, and fun-facts about my life. My goal with these posts is to simply provide readers with a better understanding of the kind of person I am outside of the search marketing space, and to have a little fun. Without further ado, here's my third post:

Simply put... I am a Grillin' Villain. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means that I very much enjoy outdoor grilling. It is one of my favorite things to do during the spring, summer, and fall months here in Illinois... in fact, so much so that I'd estimate that I grill out about 3 - 4 nights a week during those months.

My grill isn't anything too special. I own a simple Char-Broil Quickset gas grill that I purchased from my local Home Depot (thanks goes out to my friend Greg for the hook-up). It has a double rack and to give you an idea of the grill space, I'd say that it could probably grill about a dozen or so burgers at anyone time.

The picture above is currently the only photo that I have of my grill. I would have taken one tonight however I've already stored it for the winter. So instead, you get this nice picture of my brother Ken, who happens to be stepping in and grilling during mine and Jackie's house warming party this past September. In addition to special occasions such as that, Jackie and I love to host little backyard bar-b-que parties on the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and just about every other weekend during the summer.

Some of my favorite foods to grill are Johnsonville Cheddar Bratwursts and bacon and cheddar Hamburgers as well as BBQ butterfly pork chops from our local HyVee grocery store. To date I've grilled just about everything from Shish Kabobs to Chicken to Salmon steaks to vegetables... you name it and I've probably grilled it, or at least aspired to grill it.

Grilling doesn't just stop at the grill for me. Much like cigars and my other hobbies and interests, I do quite a bit to educate myself on the subject. I am subscribed to a few "Grilling" related newsletters with which provide information on the latest and greatest in grilling techniques and recipes. I also have a few magazines on hand as well as a "how-to" book on grilling.

So, how about you? Do you have an interest in grilling?

Labels: karl-ribas

If you didn't catch Sunday's post, this entire week I'll be posting off topic and about me, my interests, and fun-facts about my life. My goal with these posts is to simply provide readers with a better understanding of the kind of person I am outside of the search marketing space, and to have a little fun. Without further ado, here's my second post:

I'm sure some of you are going to find the subject of this post a little... well, there really is no other way to say it but weird, but I thought it would be a great addition to this series.

As the title insists, I have a favorite fork and use that fork in nearly every meal that I eat... certainly every home meal. There's nothing special about this fork... it's not made of gold and wasn't used by the pope or anything like that. In fact, I actually stole it from TGI Friday's a few years back so who knows how many people have used it. Anyway, the reason why it's my favorite fork is simply because it fits me perfectly. It is all that I desire in a fork, and quite frankly I prefer to use whenever possible.

As you can see from the picture above, my fork is silver and has only 3 prongs. In addition to that, it also has a great handle and stem system as well as a very good weight to it which makes it unlike any of the other forks in my silverware drawer.

Now because I have claimed this as my fork, I make it quite known to my family and friends that they aren't to use it... which in its own right has caused a few tiffs here and there. Before I moved out on my own, I was always having to remove it from other people's table settings or stop someone who was using it mid-meal and switch it out. I'm not sure why it bothers me, maybe it's me being anal retentive towards my fork, but that's the way it is.

What makes this whole ordeal a tad bit more interesting is that I actually have a second favorite fork, a back-up if you will, that I use when my primary fork is in the wash. I ended up snagging this fork from an Olive Garden a few months prior to my TGI Friday's fork. My back-up fork is silver, has 4 prongs, has a longer, thicker handle and also has a great weight to it. Oh, and it too is off limits to anyone other than myself.

So what do you think... is that weird?

Labels: karl-ribas

If you didn't catch yesterday's post, this entire week I'll be posting off topic and about me, my interests, and fun-facts about my life. My goal with these posts is to simply provide readers with a better understanding of the kind of person I am outside of the search marketing space, and to have a little fun. Without further ado, here's my first post:

As the title above might imply, I am a cigar smoker and have been since I was 18. Well, that's not exactly true. I guess if you count those cherry flavored Swisher Sweets, than I've probably been smoking cigars since I was 17. However, even though I started fairly young, I didn't really consume that many. In the past I'd say that I smoked a cigar once every few months, and that today I am up to one a month with a few minor exceptions such as concurring birthdays, weddings, and other special gatherings.

Smoking cigars for me is a way to unwind and relax... it really is. My absolute favorite place to enjoy my smoke is on my deck especially during the fall months when our Illinois weather is perfect... that is being on the cool side and with a little breeze. I am able to sit, relax, clear my head, and enjoy the scented air.

Some of my current favorite cigars include:

1) Natural by Drew Estate
2) CAO Moontrance
3) Sancho Panza Double Maduro
4) H. Upmann No.1 Reserve
5) Cusano 18 Double Connecticut

I own my very own humidor. It's nothing to grandiose... just a simple box that holds upwards of 200 cigars. And, for the record I've never had anymore than 50 cigars in it at any one time. When I bought it, I bought it with a capacity of 200+ in the event that I found a few styles and brands that I liked and wanted to keep readily available.

As with most cigar smokers, I have a favorite beverage that I like to drink while I'm smoking. For me, there's nothing better than puffing on a corona while sipping a glass of "Jack on the Rocks" (Jack Daniels whiskey and Ice). However, after my last few outings, I'd have to say that "Captain n' Pepsis" (Captain Morgan's Private Stock Rum and Pepsi) are becoming a very close second.

Some cigars that I'd like to try, but have not gotten around to are:

1) Rocky Patel Sun Grown
2) CAO Brasilia
3) Rocky Patel Vintage 1990
4) Gurkha Special Edition
5) Makers Mark

I've tried a variety of Cuban-made cigars, but to be honest I'm not too impressed. In my opinion, they don't quite live up to the hype... although it could also be that I have haven't tried the "right" ones.

Before I wrap this post up there is one thing I really want to touch on and that is I wanted to explain the primary differences between cigarette smoking and cigar smoking... and believe me, there's a major difference between the two. For the record, I do not smoke cigarettes. Now, I don't have a problem with those who do, but cigarette smoking is not for me. In my opinion, cigarette smoking is an addiction, while cigar smoking is a hobby.

I'm sure there are a few of you readers who disagree with me (maybe some that spit on the idea), but that's my take on the two. As a cigar smoker, I invest hours of my time reading and researching the many different brands, styles, shapes, and sizes. I will almost never buy a cigar without first doing my homework on it or at least getting someone in the know to recommend it. And, I would never purchase an entire box without first sampling one. Cigars can be expensive, and I for one hate to waste money on something I'm not going to enjoy.

Once I've purchased cigars, the next step is to store them. As I mentioned above I have humidor. Cigar storing isn't just dropping them into a box and picking them out whenever you get the urge to smoke. A humidor needs to be prepped, seasoned, and then maintained so that it keeps cigars at the appropriate humidity levels. Should the humidity drop in your box, your cigars will become very dry and crack. On the flip side, if the humidity is too high, you run the risk of over-hydrating them which in turn could cause cigar beetles to hatch (not a good thing by any means). The ideal humidity level is somewhere between 65% and 75%. A 10% drop or increase in humidity could actually lead to a ruined batch of stogies... thus a waste of money.

Another element of cigar smoking is that it's actually better for cigars if they spend a few weeks, months, or even years in a humidor. Much like wine, cigars only get better with age. The oldest cigar I currently have in my box is right around 7 months old. I actually have a few of them and so by the time I get to the last one I'm guessing that it'll be somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 years old. In fact, my goal is to get to the point where every cigar I smoke is at least 5 years old... but that would take a lot of time and planning on my part.

Going back to my original statement on cigarettes vs. cigars, I've never once seen or heard of a cigarette smoker put in as much time, money, and effort into enhancing their smoking experience. A cigarette smoker will buy the very same carton of smokes every week, and light one up several times a day. I on the other hand will will buy a box of cigars today, only to prep them for an entire year just so that I can enjoy them on my deck next fall... and that my friends is why cigars are a hobby.

And that's that. If you happen to be one that enjoys cigars, please feel free to comment and recommend your favorite smoke. One of my favorite parts about the whole cigar smoking experience is trying other people's favorites.

Labels: karl-ribas

Much like a programmer who spends his days working out the bugs and kinks in his (or her) newest web 2.0 community or social networking site, I've been doing pretty much the same in the offline world with my 7+ year project dubbed "Jackie".

I first started project "Jackie" on October 27th of 2000 and have thus far found it to be a very rewarding experience. In fact, it's been so rewarding that after 7 years of extensive Beta-testing, I now believe it's time to move this project into the next phase. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you "Jackie Version 1.0" or, as the non-geeks of the world refer to it as... my fiancée.

A Photo of Jackie and I (Pre-Engagement)

A Photo of Jackie's Engagement Ring (so hard to photograph)

In all seriousness, words can not express how much I love Jackie or how much she really means to me. She is the perfect person for me... my counter-part if you will. She's a fun, loving, and very supportive person, and I am truly blessed to even have her in my life not to mention to be marring her. We've shared so many great experiences from birthdays and holidays to anniversaries and vacations, and I certainly look forward to a life-time of great times together.

I'm sure some of you are wondering how I "popped the question" or at least that seems to be the popular question these days from friends, family, and coworkers. Well, I can promise you it was anything as cool as say Barry's proposal on Ask.com or Rand's TV proposal during the Super Bowl / Veronica Mars, but it was certainly meaningful and special to Jackie and I. I proposed to her on the night of our 7th year anniversary at exactly (and I mean down to the foot prints) the same place I asked her to be my girlfriend. The extra added catch was that, unbenounced to her (however, she did realize it at the end); we reenacted our first few dates together the nights prior to our anniversary therefore making it a very special week for us.

As far as the wedding goes, we are still ironing out the traditional details as where and when... but I'm confident in saying that we'll have a good portion of our wedding plans put together by Thanksgiving - at least that is the game plan thus far.

Labels: karl-ribas

Just a quick FYI to anyone into Social Networking / Marketing... I finally got around to creating a "LinkedIn" profile this past week and am looking to build up my network. I know, I know... I'm like a million years behind the rest of the SEM world when it comes to social mediums, but that's just how I am I guess... a late adapter.

If you're interested, hit up my profile and link up with me.

Labels: karl-ribas, social-marketing

Check it out... last week I was interviewed by my man Paul Boisvert (the infamous Paul B.), Sr. Technical Content Producer from the Small Business division at Yahoo!. The interview was published just yesterday on the official Yahoo! Store blog, and features lots of search marketing goodness... in terms of my personal SEM insights, tips, and strategies. Paul tailored this interview specifically to the Yahoo! Store audience, but after reading it myself, I believe most of it can also be applied to most small businesses and DIY search marketers.

My favorite question from the interview was when Paul asked:

My response:

All in all, I thought Paul did a great job with this interview. His questions were certainly on-point, and they provided some really worthwhile and "meaty" information for his readers. If you're interested... feel free to mosey on over to the Yahoo! Store blog and have yourself a read.

Labels: interviews, karl-ribas

Let me start by saying that I'm not a Rush super-fan in any way. I don't own any of their albums or tees nor do I follow them from venue to venue. I don't dislike them or their music... I just don't know it.

This past Saturday some buds and I caught a Rush concert at the "First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre" (formerly the Tweeter Center) in Chicago. We actually ordered tickets several months ago, and got some decent seating. Not as good as WrestleMania 23 back in April, but they were good nonetheless.

The concert itself was a blast, and it turns out that I even recognized a few of their songs... one of which was "YYZ" as featured in the Guitar Hero 2 video game. Here are a few shots from the concert:

The only downer of the night (for me anyway - but I'm sure the guys would agree) was having to fork up 10 bucks a beer. It was like being robbed, but asking for it. Oh well, that didn't stop us from downing a dozen or more, but it sure put a hurting on our wallets. Well, except for my friend Dubz who just happens to be rich as hell.

Labels: karl-ribas

Check it out... a couple of weeks back I was interviewed by Ryan Welton, a staff writer for Practical eCommerce Magazine, for an article he was writing titled "Maintaining Sanity Amid Multiple PPC Campaigns". Ryan emailed me a few questions and I did my best to address them in a way that would be most useful for his article. Looks like I succeeded!

I'm happy to mention that Ryan's Article was featured in the latest edition of Practical eCommerce Magazine, and that I was one of a few quoted in the piece.

Here are a few of my blurbs that made the final cut:

Ryan did a great job outlining some useful tips and suggestions that I know many of you readers would benefit from. If you're interested in checking out the online version, you can do so here: Maintaining Sanity Amid Multiple PPC Campaigns.

Labels: interviews, karl-ribas

Bella is my (and my girlfriend Jackie's) 11 week old puppy that we decided to adopt a couple weeks back. Her original owners are farmers and therefore decided that they had way too many animals on board when Bella's litter was born.

Bella is half Chow Chow, a quarter German Sheppard, and a quarter Black Lab. She is mostly a golden brown color, but does have a few distinctive black and white spots.

For the most part, she has been a great puppy with very few "accidents". She's just now getting to the point where she knows her name, knows when she's in trouble, and knows to hide when I raise my voice. It's been quite the experience so far.

Here are a few pictures of my Bella... pay special attention to the last one where she kind of resembles the fox on the FireFox icon:

Just thought I'd share.

Labels: karl-ribas

Did you know that Google has offices here in the Windy City? I sure as hell didn't. This past Thursday, Jessica and I were invited to Google's Chicago offices to meet up with our Adwords reps, whom just so happen to be based in California but were in town on business this whole week.

Google's Chicago office is nothing like the Googleplex that resides in Mountain View. It's a small, 1 floor office in the middle of downtown Chicago, and it houses a small Adwords sales team as well as a few Chicago based engineers. It did, however, seem to maintain the very same fun and colorful atmosphere that you've come to expect from Google.

Here's a shot of the front-desk / lobby area:

Here's a shot of the late, but great Harry Carry's Restaurant... which just happen to be right next to the Google office building:

The meeting itself wasn't anything too formal, as the agenda was pretty much a review of our accounts, discussion on account management and optimization strategies, and a brief introduction to the many new tools and products recently released by the Adwords division... as well as a few to come a little later.

Labels: karl-ribas

It's news and reports on S-E-Ooooohhhhhh... it's Mr. S-E-O, Joe Balestrinooooo... yeah! Man, I love that intro.

If you didn't happen to catch it, yesterday I was interviewed by Joe Balestrino on his "Mr. SEO podcast". We had a great conversation on Pay Per Click advertising and management, and we even went into specifics on how to set-up a campaign, improve click-throughs, and increase conversions.

Download our interview (FREE) on Joe's podcast page.

Overall it was great interview, and one I believe PPC advertisers will get a lot out of. As I've mentioned so many times before, the Mr. SEO podcast is one of, if not the, best search marketing podcast available today. Joe and company do an excellent job with providing step-by-step instructions to many basic and moderate level SEO techniques. If you haven't yet tuned into one of Joe's podcasts, now is certainly the time to do so.

Labels: interviews, karl-ribas

Looks like yet another meme is quickly making its way around the SEM blogosphere. Yesterday I was tagged by Li Evans of Search Marketing Gurus and was asked to share 5 reasons of why I blog. As I've mentioned before, I'm not at all fond of these kinds of things, mostly because of the "chain letter" feeling that they carry with them. However, this particular one has caught my attention. I've been following the paths created by this meme and have thus far been intrigued by what draws people to blog... especially in this particular industry.

So what draws me to Blog? Well, I can certainly attest to more than five reasons of why I feel the need to write about search engine marketing and Yahoo! Store Development, but in the interest of this meme, I'll just limit it to following:

1) To be recognized. I'd be lying (or kidding myself) if I didn't say recognition. Writing "how-to" posts and fresh commentary on the latest SEM happenings has put me in a position where I'm noticed, and noticed often. It's a great feeling to have people within the industry reading and linking to my stuff and it's especially nice to be recognized when attending conferences and such.

2) To pay it forward. I'm a big supporter of the find and share program that surrounds our industry. As a kid, my mother taught me the benefits of sharing... and many of those same principles still apply today. I've learned tons from the many SEM bloggers that go out of their way to contribute, and I certainly feel the need to return the favor. With the use of my Blog, I'm able to share industry changes, such as algorithm updates or new techniques and strategies, with those who need it most.

3) To rank organically. It's no secret that a Blog, when used correctly, can be a great tool for building quality backlinks, as well as managing unique and relevant content. As most already know, attaining fresh content and quality backlinks is often times the key to attaining high search engine rankings.

4) To learn. Believe it or not, I probably get more out of writing a blog post, in terms of learning and fully understanding a topic or theory, than most of my readers do. As a blogger, I'm subject to a great deal of research and analysis. I'm responsible for ensuring the accuracy of my facts, sources, and statements... which in turn forces me to really know my stuff. It's quite common for me to start a blog post with knowing only the basic facts on a given topic, and end it with a complete understanding as well as well-formulated opinion on it.

5) To write. Simply put... I enjoy writing. I've been a writer and story-teller since grade-school, and very much enjoy putting my thoughts into writing. It's actually quite relaxing in a lot of ways.

And that's that! Now... who to tag? I tag: Michael Roebuck, Joe Balestrino, Lisa Barone, Joe Williams, and... Paul Boisvert. Tag... you're all it!

Labels: karl-ribas

This past weekend in Detroit was without a doubt the single greatest weekend of my entire life. Ford Field opened its doors to over 80,000 plus wrestling fans on Sunday for the WWE's yearly WrestleMania event, and I was proud to be among them.

If you didn't catch my previous post, then I should probably inform you that I've been a wrestling fan for most of my life, and that attending WrestleMania has been a life-long dream of mine. Every year, WrestleMania travels to a different city (usually cities near the coasts) and after missing our chance to attend last year's event in Chicago, my friends and I were dead set on making it to Detroit. And we did!

Here are some highlights from the trip:

• Sharing a hotel room with 5 other gassy men
• Sitting 10 rows from the floor at WrestleMania
• Watching Donald Trump shave McMahan's head
• Watching the Undertaker go 15 - 0 at WrestleMania
• Listening to 80,000 fans "boo" John Cena
• Watching a fan get beaten for getting in the ring.
• Owning up to a massive $200 bar bill
• Running around the Hotel with Lucha Libre Masks
• Doing wrestling moves in the hotel room
• Sleeping like 8-hours over the 3-night weekend

Here are some of the photos from the trip:

All in all, it was superb trip and I'll certainly take away many fond memories from it. In fact, there's already been talk of taking a repeat road-trip down to Florida next year when WrestleMania 24 invades Orlando. As of now, I doubt it will happen, but then again, a year ago I doubted that I would have attended this past event in Detroit. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Labels: karl-ribas

This coming weekend could very well be the very best weekend of my entire life, and let me tell you why. The Klog and I will be joining my brother and four of our good friends in what will soon be known as the greatest road trip ever taken. Where are we going? Detroit, Michigan. And why are we going to Detroit? To see the biggest wrestling extravaganza in sports-entertainment history... WrestleMania! That's right... I will be among the 70,000 plus in attendance to watch the happenings of WrestleMania 23 unfold as it comes live from Ford Field.

I've been a die-hard wrestling fan for a very long, long time. I was first introduced to professional wrestling around the age of 5 and 19 years later I still manage to fit it into my weekly schedule (that makes me 24 for those of you doing the math at home). Saying that professional wrestling is a passion of mine would be a huge understatement. To date, I've attended several live wrestling events in and around the Chicago land area, but none will even come close to matching the event that will take place this Sunday.

To put things into perspective for you non-wrestling fans... sitting live at Wrestlemania is the equivalent to sitting live at the World Series, World Cup, or even the Super Bowl. In professional wrestling... WrestleMania is the end all event. It is where wrestlers become legends and legends become immortals.

When I was the kid, I grew up idolizing wrestling greats like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Steve Austin, and The Rock. I fondly remember jumping off of my parent's deck delivering elbow drops to imaginary wrestlers, and having friends over (some of which who are onboard for this trip) and hosting wrestling matches in my back yard (some even consisted of ladders and plywood tables). To put it lightly... I'm obsessed, and there is no better place for obsessed wrestling fans than where I'll be this weekend.

Here's a quick glimpse at the 3 main events... I'm sure by now most of you have heard about the Donald Trump storyline where he has agreed to shave his head should his wrestler lose:

For more information on who else is scheduled to be on the card, check out the official Wrestlemania website. I'll be sure to write an after-post and include photos.

Labels: karl-ribas

Michael recently returned from Mexico (from a quote / unquote business trip) and brought back some really cool souvenirs. In addition to countless bottles of Tequila, most of which were for my cube-mate Kelly (shhh... she's has a bit of a drinking problem... just kidding Kel), was a really cool authentic Lucha Libre mask (it's a signature mask used by several notable Mexican and Japanese professional wrestlers). A quick shout-out goes out to the little boys and girls who work in the Mexican Sweat Shops... the stitching is a little off, but it's a finely made product nonetheless.

Here's my good friend Greg "The Hammer" (nicknamed "The Hammer" for inappropriate reasons in which I can't share with you on this Blog) showcasing the mask:

Michael's planning a return quote / unquote business trip back to Mexico later this March in which I have asked him to grab 5 others just like this. I, my brother Ken, and some of my really close friends have scored tickets to this year's WrestleMania in Detroit, and now plan on wearing them during the event. It promises to be a great time.

Labels: karl-ribas

In case you didn't catch the announcement from Li's post earlier this week, I've accepted a position as a supplemental writer for her "Search Marketing Gurus" Blog, and will be authoring an occasional search and design related post every now and again. I'm a big fan of her Blog, as I think it is a great resource for both n00b and seasoned search marketers. I'm really excited to be joining their team and look forward to participating. Hopefully, I'll be able to write up to the standards that Li and her co-authors have set.

Earlier today, I published my very first post titled "Using Analogies to Explain the Benefits of SEO", in which I explained the difficulties that sometimes exist when speaking with potential clients. SEO is indeed a complicated subject to those outside of our industry, and finding and using analogies to help explain the importance of SEO and its role in a successful web presence has been very helpful to me. Maybe it can be helpful to you as well.

Here's a little excerpt from my post:

"Creating a website, essentially an online store, is obviously the first component of a successful online presence. It is not the only component, but an important one to say the least. Another component, which is equally important, is the marketing of a website. Seeing how millions of internet users use search engines as their tool for navigating the web, it's extremely important for websites to not only appear among those listed in the results, but to appear high enough to attract this targeted traffic."

Be sure to check it out. Oh, and if you're not currently subscribed to the "Search Marketing Gurus" Blog, you may want to consider doing so. There's lots of great search-related news, updates, and commentary being published daily!

Labels: karl-ribas

My colleague Jessica and I were scheduled to be in Chicago today for a 1-day Yahoo! Search Marketing seminar, but half way into our trip we experienced some horrendous winter-weather driving conditions (aka snow-fall, wind, and a million semi-trucks kicking up snow and blinding us) and we were forced to turn around and return to the office.

The seminar was to be about Yahoo's new ad platform (project Panama) and their new ad-ranking system... both are topics that I really wanted to dive into. I'm really bummed that we missed it. Oh well!

Some of the highlights of the trip included:

• Being scared from seeing the multiple car's that were in the ditches
  
  
• An emergency stop at a rest-stop to clear my windshield and wiper blades (To which Karl kept repeating "I can't see! I can't see!" - Jessica)
  
  
• Jamming out to Mexican music (we don't speak or understand Spanish) (Ciento Siete punto Nueve! - Jessica)
  
  
• Jessica grabbing the "Oh Shit Bar" every time we couldn't see the vehicle in front of us
  

And proof that the trip wasn't a complete loss... a White Castle "Crave Case":

Party on Jessica! (Party on Karl - Jessica) (Air Guitar Solos)

Labels: karl-ribas

Secret Santa strikes again... this time, leaving behind a stylish, porcelain Klog ashtray. Check it out:

As was the case with the last gift, I'm completely clueless on whom it is... but I'm totally digging the gifts anyway. Thanks to whomever you are!

Labels: karl-ribas

Look at what Santa left for me this year:

Pretty sweet, huh?

Now, I'm still not quite sure on who my secret Santa is just yet, but I'm hot on the case. I've narrowed it down to a few key suspects: Michael, Denise, Brandi, Alan, Kelly, Jessica, Megan, Peter, Hal, and Michelle. Ok... ok... I guess I haven't really narrowed it down all that much, but I'm trying. It's so hard, and I'm totally clueless!

In any case, who ever it was... it rocks! Thanks!

Labels: karl-ribas

As most of you probably already know... there is some serious blog tag (very similar to that of an email chain-letter) going on throughout the SEM community. Blogger's are being asked to share 5 details about their life in which most people wouldn't already know about. Last Friday I was tagged by Lisa Barone, who was actually tagged by Graywolf, and now it's my turn to play.

First of all, I'm not one that typically participates in these kinds of things, simply because I hate the entire concept of a chain letter, but this little meme has been some good reading. I've been shocked at many of the responses. I guess it's because I've only had the privilege of knowing most of you through your Blog or from meetings at conferences, that I forgot that you all have a life outside of search. I mean who would have thought that Stuntdubl was a defensive tackle for his High School Football team or that Jim Boykin collects famous people's hair (dude... seriously, that's sort of creepy). I surely wouldn't have.

And with that, here are 5 things you probably did't know about me:

1) I've only had 2 jobs thus far in my life... granted I'm only 23, but I thought it was still worth mentioning. In addition to my current position at All Web Promotion, I also worked for Wal-Mart retail. I worked in the Sporting Goods department for over 4 years and learned lots in that period of time... and not just about guns and fishing poles, but about life as well.

2) My girlfriend Jackie, who I actually met while working at Wal-Mart, has been in Beta for a little of 6 years now (dating... for you non-techies out there). I imagine that it won't be too long before she moves out of Beta and up to a 1.0 status.

3) I have two pet leopard geckos named Kale and Klohe who live in a fish tank / terrarium. They eat live crickets, which I must admit, is pretty fun to watch. I also have a little white Maltese named "Baby" who has to be the most pampered dog ever.

4) My head was once engulfed in flames. True story! It was late, and a couple of my friends and I decided to throw burgers out on my parent's gas grill. After a few attempts at starting the grill with the built in igniter, I switched to using a grill-lighter. Well, as it turns out, the gas had quickly made its way to the top of the grill and sure enough when I went to light it, a giant ball of flames came over me. It literally left me rolling around on the ground.

5) During my senior year of High School I was suspended 5 days for telling a pre-school teacher to F-off (well, actually I told her multiple times to do so... thanks to some encouraging peer pressure from my good friend Greg. Thanks Greg!). I know... I know... I am a terrible, terrible person. To make such a long story very short, I was retaliating from a comment she made about me looking "retarded" (her words, not mine) in an old year book. Just my opinion: I don't think she, being an educator, should be calling any student retarded.

Now who am I going to tag? Let see... Ummm... I tag: Kid Disco, Michael Roebuck, Mr. SEO, Rob Snell, and Jill Whalen.

For you other readers out there, what is something that most people don't know about you? Feel free to comment, I'd love to read your thoughts.

Labels: karl-ribas

If you would have asked me last week at SES what I felt my chances were for winning the HatBait contest put on by Li Evans and Search Marketing Gurus, I would have said "slim-to-none". Come on... these sorts of contests are always popularity driven and seem to only be between "A-List" SEOs. However, all of that seemed to have changed once I walked into the office on Monday morning, and found that several of my colleagues, and even a few clients, had placed votes for me (thank you to those of you that did by the way).

Well, as it turns out, in addition to my "I've Been... HatBaited?" post last week, Michael Roebuck, who was also a participant (#86 on the list), had sent out a company wide email asking for votes on my behalf. I'm pretty sure that he did this as a joke and as a way to draw attention to how ridiculous I looked wearing both a "Joker" hat with my infamous FireFox baseball cap, (we do play a lot of pranks and so forth here in the office), but looks like the joke is on him. His email gave me the few extra votes needed to beat out a very funny "Pretty Princess" Neil Patel. Sorry Neil. Some how I get the feeling that you've already come to terms with loosing and have moved on.

Putting aside all of the recent controversy, I had a blast with the contest! It certainly helped liven up my work week, which usually consists of being knee deep in website code. Thanks Li.

Labels: karl-ribas

So there I am, walking through the bar scene (on my way out) when I'm stopped and asked to be a part of HatBait. My first response was obviously "what the hell is hatbait", followed by "sure, that sounds fun".

According to Li, of Search Marketing Gurus, Hatbait is a little project she (they) put together for fun, and to help them meet people at SES.

Judging from the above picture... I'd say it worked really well. Apparently this is also going to be a contest as to who's got the best "HatBait Photo". The winner will be chosen by an audience vote, and the winner will receive a $25 gift card (to what I do not know).

Interested in knowing who else was baited? Check out these very funny HatBait Photos.

Labels: karl-ribas

I just want to take a quick second and announce that Mr. SEO has published my newest article, "How to Attain Repeat Business", over on his Inside SEO Blog. This is an article that I've been working hard on for quite some time, and I truly feel that many online merchants, as well as marketers, will benefit from it.

In the article, I explain what repeat business is and why it's important that web companies and online marketers integrate "repeat business" strategies into their marketing efforts. I also go on to highlight 7 of my own personal favorite "repeat business" strategies to get you started.

Here is an excerpt:

"There are many obvious benefits to soliciting past customers, but two should clearly stand out: repeat business is typically easier to attain and is less costly than attracting new customers, and a company can directly contact and reach out to those people that are interested in buying their products. In doing so, online merchants can advertise directly to a large group of very targeted people, and not have to spend an extra marketing dollar to do so."

I've been reading the Mr. SEO Blog, and listening to his SEO Podcast for sometime now and find them both to be very informative. I would definitely recommend them to anybody in the Search Engine Marketing industry, as well as those individuals just looking to improve their own website's search engine visability.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Mr. SEO just last Friday, and now I am very pleased to have this rare opportunity to cross-brand with him again. I hope that his readers, as well as mine, can take away something of value from this piece.

To read my new article, "How to Attain Repeat Business", please visit Mr. SEO's post here.

Labels: karl-ribas

Todd Malicoat (aka Stuntdubl) publishes some pretty cool articles over on his SEO Consulting Blog to which they are either his own personal commentary, or those of some very notable people in the Search Engine Marketing space. Today, I'm very pleased to announce that I am now one of the few to grace the pages of the Stuntdubl Blog with my latest article "How to Choose an SEO".

In the article, I went ahead and outlined 5 somewhat basic tips that I believe every company should consider before hiring on an SEO company or consultant. I tried my best to write something short (just under 2 pages) and straight to the point, and I think it paid off well.

Here is a small excerpt from my article:

I have been reading Todd's Blog for a very long time now and would definitely recommend it to anybody in the Search Marketing industry, as well as those individuals looking for ways to improve-on their own marketing efforts. Todd's a very intelligent guy and he certainly has a lot of knowledge when it comes to marketing websites.

I am very pleased to have this rare opportunity to cross-brand with Stuntdubl, and hope that his readers, as well as mine, can take away something of value from the piece.

To read my new article, please visit Todd's post here.

Enjoy!

Labels: karl-ribas

A few people in my office have wanted to know the kinds of music that I listen to here at work and I figured I'd share a little bit about that in today's post.

For the longest time, our office enforced a "no head-phones" rule, which, just as it sounds, banned the listening to portable music devices such as CD and MP3 players. That was up until a few months ago when the ban was lifted.

Today, I find myself juggling between 2 MP3 players every week. One is an office 2Gig iPod Nano which helps me (and the rest of the SEO team) to keep updated on industry news via podcasts. The player is set to automatically download about 6 or 7 shows each week and remove those from the previous week. We have a very sweet system in place.

The second MP3 player is my personal 20Gig Dell DJ, which currently has just over 3Gigs of music. I have created several play-lists to satisfy my music needs for just about any occasion, and yes I have one specially created for when I'm optimizing websites. I call it "SEO Mix", however, I also listen to it when I'm working on my site or working on graphic projects. I guess you can say it's one of the many ingredients in my SEO secret sauce... because as we all know, behind every good SEO is good play-list of music.

So what does my "SEO Mix" consist of? Well, before I get into that I want share with you a little bit of information regarding my taste in music. I was raised in a very diverse town and have learned to enjoy many genres of music. My favorite genres are Rock and Rap (what can I say I'm a sucker for guitar solos and great beats), however I listen to JUST about everything.

The following is my "SEO Mix":

1. ACDC - Hells Bells
2. ACDC - Highway to Hell
3. ACDC - T.N.T
4. ACDC - Thunderstruck
5. Aerosmith - Back In the Saddle
6. Aerosmith - Dream On
7. Aerosmith - Dude Looks Like a Lady
8. Aerosmith - Janie's Got a Gun
9. Aerosmith - Walk This Way
10. Alter Bridge - Open Your Eyes
11. Blink 182 - Dammit
12. Blink 182 - I Miss You
13. Blink 182 - What's My Age Again
14. Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
15. Bush - Glycerine
16. Bush - Machinehead
17. Creed - One
18. Creed - What If
19. Dr. Dre - Forgot About Dre
20. Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers
21. Eminem - Mosh
22. Eminem - When I'm Gone
23. Foghat - Slow Ride
24. Foreigner - Juke Box Hero
25. Green Day - American Idiot
26. Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams
27. Green Day - Holiday
28. Guns and Roses - November Rain
29. Guns and Roses - Sweet Child of Mine
30. Guns and Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
31. Incubus - Megalomaniac
32. Jay Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulders
33. Jay Z - Encore
34. Jay Z - Moment Of Clarity
35. Kiss - Detroit Rock City
36. Limp Bizkit - M.I.
37. Limp Bizkit - My Generation
38. Limp Bizkit - Rollin'
39. Linkin Park - In The End
40. Linkin Park - Numb
41. Linkin Park - One Step Closer
42. Lynard Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama
43. Marilyn Manson - Beautiful People
44. Marilyn Manson - Rock is Dead
45. Metallica - Enter Sandman
46. Metallica - St. Anger
47. Metallica - The Unforgiven II
48. Michael Jackson - Beat It
49. Motorhead - Ace of Spades
50. Motorhead - King of Kings
51. Nelly - #1
52. Nelly - Country Grammar
53. Nelly - E.I.
54. Nelly - Ride with Me
55. Nelly - Shake Ya Tail Feather
56. Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
57. Papa Roach - Broken Home
58. Papa Roach - Last Resort
59. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
60. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow
61. Rob Zombie - Superbeast
62. Saliva - Always
63. Seether- Because of Me
64. Seether- Broken
65. Seether- Gasoline
66. Seether- Out of my Way
67. Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
68. The Brownsville Station - Smoking In The Boy's Room
69. The Rolling Stones - Jumpin Jack Flash
70. The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
61. Tom Petty - Free Falling
62. Tom Petty - Last Dance with Mary Jane
63. Tom Petty - Running Down A Dream
74. Trapt - Headstrong
75. U2 - Beautiful Day

I have the list set to play at random, so there's absolutely no telling what order the songs will be cranked out in... which leaves for an interesting day.

Do you have a special album or play-list that you jam out to at work or one that helps you to remain focused and motivated when optimizing or designing sites (or maybe one that decreases the level of annoying background conversations and noises)? If so, I'd love to hear it.

Labels: karl-ribas

When I arrived at the office yesterday, I sat down at my desk and found that someone had left me a gift... these really cool looking little wooden clogs with "Klog" engraved on it. It didn't take but a second to come to the conclusion that my colleague and SEO partner Jessica was involved.

Jessica for the longest time has referred to my Blog as the "Klog" simply because it was easier to say and reference than spouting its full name... the Karl Ribas.com Blog. Makes sense, right? Typically we use the term "Klog" internally, but occasionally I'll throw it out here and there within a post. We also use these terms:

Apparently Jessica's brother Chris (aka Guadie), who also happens to work in our office building, went on a weekend trip to Holland, Michigan where he came across the clogs. Upon his sister's request, he picked up a pair and had them engraved.

Check them out:

Their "FREAKIN SWEET"... aren't they? Maybe I should really consider changing my Blog's name to the Klog. Maybe even add a new header graphic with a big wooden shoe. Anybody have an opinion on that? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Labels: karl-ribas