Monetization and Paypal Mobile

I just came across this Paypal Mobile Demo and thought that this warranted a post about monetization methods on the web.



I've signed up for quite a few services in the past, but there are a lot more out there and I'm going to use this post to keep track. So here's the list:

• Google Adsense - The reigning champ


• Amazon Associates Program - You have to be dedicated to make this work.


• CafePress - Even if you don't sell anything, you can create your own one-off custom t-shirt for under $30, with shipping. A great deal.


• Paypal - 2nd only to Google for the amount I've been able to collect/generate online


• Ebay - I kicked off a campaign to generate advertising revenue at Moluv.com last year using Ebay. Although the initial winning bid wasn't that large, the subsequent ads that were sold were much bigger, and it brought a lot more attention to the fact that ad space was available.

The next few I haven't used personally as a seller, but they still present some viable options for generating income online.

• 2Checkout (2CO) - I've used their interface to purchase a couple of software agreements. They must be doing something right.


• Yahoo! Publisher Network - I haven't used them personally, but any company that's smart enough to scoop up Delicious must have their game face on.


• Microsoft adCenter - If they continue to stick to their proprietary nonsense, I imagine this may not be as successful as the offerings by other players.


• Bitpass - These guys are the AMD to Paypal's Intel. I don't know their whole story, but they've been around for awhile and don't seem to be going away.


• Virtuous.com - They focus on ticket purchasing and they say that 10% of their profits go to your community. I bought some event tickets through their interface a few weeks ago. Not the most attractive, but it works and seems to be for a good cause.


• Adbrite - Another Adsense-like program. I signed up for this one, but never used it. They seem to be refining the product, so I guess they'll be around for awhile.

The Wedding, The Photographer, The Madonna

A handful of you have been waiting for awhile for me to post these photos, but before you get started, some qualification is needed. Our wedding photographer, Liza Heider has been a friend for quite a few years. When I called her to see if she could hook us up for our wedding, she told me "I should be able to, but I'm in a rush right now, because I have to get to Paris to photograph Madonna in concert". Huhhh?

Liza has always been a super-talented photographer, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to hear ... but it was. Then it dawned on me, our wedding photographs will be completely upstaged (literally) by Madonna's. That being said, at the end of this page, I've thrown in a couple of Liza's shots of the concert. On your way down, make sure to remember that there was an important event that happened in my life too. :-)

Liza will also be helping us out with photography for the Hate the Game, Not the Player bellydance show on December 9th. So, if I haven't said it enough yet, thank you Liza. You're a sweetie.

Liza's Photos
Professional photography at its best.


The last moments of bachelorhood


My father, performing the ceremony


Me and Shab in a candid shot. I think she likes me.


Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan.


Dancing with Shab, warming up my capoeira ginga


Susu, the best middle-eastern drummer west of the Mississippi. REALLY!


I'm trying to keep up with Susu. A for effort.

Shab and I take photos
Once we took off for the honeymoon, we were on our own for photography.


The view from our room. This photo doesn't do it justice.


Shab knocking out a handstand at the park like it's nothing


Shab knocking out a backbend at the park like it's nothing


The American Flag polo shirt and matching fanny pack gave us a few giggles


We went horseback riding on a secluded beach. That was fun.


My bridging isn't so refined


My little cutie in the private courtyard of our private cottage. Oh yeah.


One of the many cool innkeepers at the Grand View Inn posed us for a photo on our last day.


Another posed photo.


The Grand View Inn was by far the best place I've ever stayed. Unfortunately, the owners were in the process of selling the property. You can see the "For Sale" sign in the photo. Since the web site no longer exists, I think the sale probably completed. Too bad. So sad. It was a great place.

Liza Shoots Madonna's Concert
Okay. Here are a handful of the Madonna photos. If you're as impressed as I was with the photo compositions, give Liza a jangle at her website, www.LizaHeider.com. Just don't ask her to do anything on December 9th.

[Edit 12/28/2006: At the request of Madonna's management the photos have been removed.]

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Madonna is ripped. Duzamn.

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A kick-ass collage. I'm digging that red accent.

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Madonna fanatics ... ahem, fans.

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In case you weren't feeling the last 3 photos, this one should do the trick.


Liza is awesome.

Hate The Game Not The Player @ ShabAndMo.com

I finally got the Shab And Mo website up and running, which means our upcoming December 9th bellydance show, "Hate the Game, Not the Player" is actually going to happen.



Even the blog is functional, but we now we have to start updating it.

I have a good feeling about this one, because we started getting web orders for the workshops the day site was launched. Although I'd be more than happy to take credit for the success out of the gate, the truth is, the workshop teachers are among the best bellydancers in the country.

If you've been to this blog enough times, you know who Shab is. Just scroll down if you don't. Amy Sigil and Una are also at the top of the game. Amy threw the Blood Moon Regale show that I wrote about last year. She runs Unmata, which has to be one of the best bellydance troupes in the land. They won the Bellydancer of the Year, Troupe Category the year before Ooh La la. I don't get impressed by troupes very often, but when I first saw Unmata, I started nudging Shab and asking who they were. Good stuff. Check out Amy's interview to find out a little more.

I've only seen video clips of Una performing her belly-bead rolling technique. All you can do is stare. Amazing. From what I understand, Una is the only bellydancer on the planet that's won more competitions than Shab. In addition to performing, she'll be teaching some belly-bead rolling techniques in her workshop. We were also lucky enough to be able to get an interview with Una also.

Also in the show we have some other award winners. Mandanah, Ahava, and Claudia S'hiri all have performing titles and I can't wait to see their routines. But, I'm really looking forward to seeing Zahara perform again. She was the winner of our Queen of the Bay competition this year, and she went on to win the Star competition in October. I'll have her interview up by tomorrow night.

So, if you're into watching beautiful and talented women dance, mark December 9th on your calendars, and make sure to get to the site early. Queen of the Bay ended up being standing room only. We have a larger venue this time, but don't bet on being able to get a seat if you get there late.