One PC to rule them all...

Sorry for the lack of content lately, but I'm happy to announce that the new computer has arrived and I've brought over as much data as I could from the old one that I torched inadvertently.

X-Blade 3 Gaming Tower from CyberPowerPC

At 42 feet tall, the new Forechecker Data Center towers over the neighborhood...

I configured it online via the good folks at CyberPowerPC.com (using the coupon code MYSPACE I got $30 off the order), and went with an Intel 2.66Ghz dual-core setup, 2GB RAM and an NVidia 8600GT video card, good enough for my purposes. I was able to harvest the hard drives and DVD drive off my old box, but some things were lost, so I've got a lot of data to rebuild.

On the downside, it looks like the Fab Forecheckers are going down in the Fantasy Hockey playoffs to Mirtle's Merry Men. So much for that regular season dominance...

Celebrating a milestone month

I've been remiss in providing regular updates on my quest to turn this whole sports-blogging hobby into at least something of a significant side income, if not a career, but good news has a way of prompting action. That, and I've been heads-down busy working on a few different fronts to push things forward...

Social Media, Internet Marketing, and Real, Paying Customers - it really works!

Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.

New directions for OTF

While my writings about the Nashville Predators are being posted over at OnTheForecheck.com, rather than this old site, I thought it might be worth touching base here every now and again to touch on "meta" issues, related to blogging in general. In particular, these days I'm very much interested in how I can turn this time-consuming hobby into a bit of a revenue generator. Since I receive a small stipend from SB Nation to run OTF, I declared that income on my taxes last year, and realized that I should also be recording my expenses (for example, parking fees downtown when I go to cover a practice or press conference, mileage, etc.). It was a bit of a reality slap to see exactly how much I was spending on this endeavor, and with 3 kids heading off to college in 9-10 years, there's a bit of a financial imperative to turn the tables there. So here's a few ideas I'm considering/pursuing: A website devoted to hockey gear and accessories, HockeyGearHQ.com . The idea...

OTF Classic

Search This Blog