Civ IV patch available

There is finally a Civ IV patch available. Below is how you update Civ IV and what the new patch offers. Hopefully this will also end the notorious Civ IV crash when playing!
1 - Go into the Multiplayer Lobby from Civ IV and a popup will prompt you to download the patch.

2 - From the main menu, click on "Advanced", and then "Check for Updates". The game will download the patch and give you the option of installing.

This is what Patch v1.09 contains:

Changes:

- increased cost of Apollo Program...
- increased SS parts cost...
- Animal Husbandry reveals Horses
- tweaked Rifling, Chemistry, Steel, and Railroad tech costs...
- increased late-game tech costs...
- can now add two specialists in size 1 city with Mercantilism...
- final score is now modified by difficulty level...
- Speed up load times
- Global performance enhancements

Added:

- Include WB map size in the description field
- Save login name
- Added password encryption
- Added regenerate Map Button to World builder Map Mode...
- checkbox for using low resolution textures
- more logging for init failure
- minspec / video memory checking
- Added ability to change to and from fullscreen while in-game
- holding "shift" during startup will clean out the cache
- improved bink playback, added ini options

Fixes:

- ATI issue Failed to Init Renderer Fixed
- Multiplayer Lobby list jump problem and lobby crash fixed
- fixed war weariness calculation bug...
- units maintain their name when upgraded
- fixed Gold-for-Gold diplo exploit...
- fixed no research choice overflow exploit...
- Fix for voice initialization crash
- Fix addressing takeover AI and retirement OOS.
- Fixed issue with diplomacy text being always used in its first form in the translator.
- Popups, screens, and diplomacy properly cleared when exiting from main menu.
- Games protected by admin passwords (only) cannot be loaded if the version is different from the one that created the save
- Fixed bug where player could not offer any deal to other human in PBEM/Hotseat
- Sorting by date on domestic advisor now works.
- fixed bug where settlers could not move if the strategy layer was selected
- fixed Ironworks...
- fixed AI units not obeying open borders rules on declaration of war...
- fixed bug that prevent placing of units in world-builder
- fixed bug that prevented gifting of units to a human player
- stack attack infinite loop fixed
- Civic screen update fix (wasn’t showing the right maintenance and anarchy values)
- ctrl-g crash fix, optimized city bar art
- fixed right-click menu crash
- Intro movie crashing problems

Halo Movie Script Guide Review

Found a link saying they have received a copy of the Halo movie script - http://www.latinoreview.com/scriptreviews/halo/review.html

Who knows if this is the real thing. I will say that from what I read it's pretty cool.

College Basketball 2005 Season

Thank god college basketball is here! Just when I thought I would have to buy a hockey blocker for my TV, I was saved. The 2005 College bball season is here and it's going to be a great one. The reigning national champions, the UNC Tar Heels, were picked cleaned by the No Ballin Assocation. It is going to be almost impossible for the Heels to repeat. Roy is a talented coach, but the youth on the team will make it an incredible challenge to remain competitive.

There are some solid teams this year and the chance to win it all has never been so even. There is dook, who has remained a favorite the past few years. They will most likely win the redefined ACC, but a championship for coach K is unlikely. UConn is another preseason favorite and with good reason. UConn Only loss was Villanueva, however off the court problems are a major concern. Marcus Williams was suspended for his involvment with a theft and won't be available till January. That's still plenty of time, however team chemistry might become an issue. A favorite of mine to win it this year is Texas. The Longhorns have, in my mind, the most complete roster in the NCAA. Sophomore Daniel Gibson looks to improve on his 14 ppg freshman year. The Achilles heel for the Longhorns is turnovers. Texas averaged 14 per game. It will be a shaky season if that number doesn't improve.

Other teams to consider in the 2005 College Basketball Season:

Gonzaga Bulldogs: This once cinderella team is now a tourney favorite. Adam Morrison is in line for National Player of the Year (2004 winner Andrew Bogut from Utah).

Louisville Cardinals: Juan Diego Palacios is a stud and you can never count out Rick Pitino.

Kentucky Wildcats: Tubby Smith is poised to win a pretty weak SEC this year. Momentum is crucial come tourney time and the Wildcats should have a big does of it.

Oklahoma Sooneers: The Big 12 is pretty strong this year thanks to Oklahoma. Oklahoma has the oldest team with 3 Seniors and 2 Juniors starting. Taj Gray and Terrell Everett will have to perform if they want to help Coach Kelvin Sampson win the title.

Although I'll most likely be cussing and screaming at my television this year as the Heels experience probably the biggest loss of players in the history of college basketball. It will, however, not be a runaway by any team. I fully expect a ton of upsets, cinderellas, and coach k whining.

To college basketball, may you keep Hockey off ESPN!

Xbox 360 Compatible Games

Want to get a Xbox 360 but already invested too much in the old Xbox? Well, don't worry. A lot of thought and time was put into making the Xbox 360 backwards compatible with the older Xbox games.

There is however one small catch. In order to play the old games on the new Xbox 360 system, you have to have the hard drive and must install the first system update. I believe there will be more games added to the list in the future. Enjoy!

Airforce Delta Storm
Alias
Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction
All Star Baseball 2003
Amped
Army Men: Sarge's War
Atari Anthology
ATV Quad Power Racing 2
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2
Barbarian
Barbie Horse Adventure
Batman Begins
Battle Engine Aquila
Battlestar Galactica
Blinx 2
BMX XXX
Brute Force
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Chaos Bleeds
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures 06
Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005
Cabela's Deer Hunt: 2004 Season
Call of Cthulhu
Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Casino
Catwoman
Chicago Enforcer
Circus Maximus
Close Combat: First to Fight
Colin McRae 4
Combat Elite
Commandos 2
Conflict: Desert Storm
Constantine
Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity
Crash Nitro Kart
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Curse – The Eye of Isis
Dark Angel
Darkwatch
Deathrow
Digimon Rumble Arena
Dinotopia
DOA 3
Drake
Egg Mania
ESPN MLS Extra Time 2002
Euro 2004
F1 Championship Season 2001
Fable
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules
FIFA 2003
FIFA 2004
FIFA Street 2005
FIFA World Cup 2002
Fight Night 2004
Fight Night Round 2
Ford Mustang Racing
Ford vs. Chevy
Forza
Freedom Fighters
Frogger
Futurama
Fuzion Frenzy
Genma Onimusha
Goblin Commander
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: SA Sanitized
Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.
Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder
Half Life 2
Halo
Halo 2
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter: Sorcerer's Stone
He-Man: Defender of Grayskull
Hitman: Contracts
House of the Dead 3
IHRA Drag Racing 2005 Sportsman Edition
IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
Jade Empire
James Bond 007: Nightfire
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
Jurassic Park Genesis
Kabuki Warrior
Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
Kids Next Door: Operation VIDEOGAME
kill.switch
Legends of Wrestling
Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events
Loons Fight for Fame
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Manhunt
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Medal of Honor 3 Rising Sun
Medal of Honor Frontline
Medal of Honor: European Assault
Mega Man
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
MicroMachines Odyssey
Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing
Monster Garage
Mortal Kombat: Deception
MTV Music Generator 3
Murakumo
MX World Tour - featuring Jamie Little
Namco Museum X Next Generation
NBA Live 2003
NBA Live 2004
Need For Speed: Underground 2
NFL Blitz 2002
NFL Blitz 20-03
NFL Blitz 20-04
NHL 2004
NHL Hitz 20-03
Ninja Gaiden
NINJA GAIDEN BLACK
Outlaw Golf 2
Outlaw Volleyball
Pariah
Phantom Crash
Pinball Hall of Fame
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
Predator
Prince of Persia 4: The Sands of Time
Pro Evolution Soccer 5
Pro Race Driver
PUMP IT UP
Pure Pinball
Puyo Puyo Fever
Quantum Redshift
Rayman Arena
Raze's Hell
Red Dead Revolver
Red Faction II
RedCard 20-03
Robotech: Battle Cry
Rocky: Legends
Rogue Ops
Rugby 2005
Samurai Jack
Samurai Warriors
Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
Scrapland
SeaWorld: Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures
Sega GT 2002
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shellshock:Nam '67
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Simpson's Road Rage
Simpsons: Hit and Run
Sneakers
Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945
Soccer Slam
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Mega Collection
Speed Kings
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Splat Renegade Paintball
SpongeBob Square Pants:Battle for Bikini Bottom
Spy Hunter 2
Spyro: A Hero's Tail
SSX 3
Stake
Star Trek: Shattered Universe
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2
Street Racing Syndicate
Stubb's
Super Bubble Pop
Super Monkey Ball DX
SX Superstar
Tecmo Classic Arcade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Terminator : Dawn of Fate
Test Drive: Eve of Destruction
Tetris Worlds
The Great Escape
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
The Thing
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tork
Toxic Grind
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3
Urban Freestyle Soccer
Vexx
Volvo: Drive for Life
World Series Baseball 2K
Worms 4: Mayhem
Worms Forts Under Siege
WWE Raw 2
XIII (Thirteen)
Yourself!Fitness

Vacation and Travel Deal Sites

I have come up with a small list of travel sites that I check on a regular basis. Since I have moved to the west coast away from my fiancee and my family, I've unfortunately had to buy several plane tickets. I could probably devote an entire blog to finding deals and exposing the tips and tricks of finding travel deals. However, I'm too lazy to do that. Instead I'll give you 3 key points to searching for a great travel deal. Feel free to come up with your own. This is not an exhaustive list of tips, nor is the list of travel deal sites. I just wanted to alert some of you about some sites you may not know about.

First, the sites:

Travelocity: The loveable gnome site. I generally look here first. They seem to have the most current travel deal prices and the fee is $5 for plane tickets.

CheapTickets: Another great site that I check. Very similiar to Travelocity as far as travel deals and I have a very high success rate in finding the lowest cost.

Sidestep: Multiple travel site search engine. I haven't purchased anything from them, but the site comes highly recommended.

Kayak: Same as Sidestep. I think the UI is a little bit better though. They also have a new "buzz" feature which will allow you to see the best deals among the 25 most popular destinations.

Site59: Great vacation travel deal site that offers incredible deals on last minute getaways. Huge selection of vacation packages available.

Sites I do not use:

Expedia: These guys are horrible. Everytime I search there, it appears I have found the best travel deal. Then it goes to the "processing" page and Wham! I get hit with a 'I'm sorry, this deal has been updated' which usually means a couple hundred bucks tacked onto the price. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Priceline: Yeah, I know they changed their model some but I don't believe in buying plane tickets blindly.

Orbitz: I've never seen a ticket on here I would consider a deal.

Now for some tips to getting great travel deals.

Start Early! If you are looking for your Thanksgiving flight today, you're screwed. Start your normal vacation searching early to find the best travel deal.

Be Flexible! Being able to leave on a Thursday instead of a friday can save you hundreds. Red eye flights are also great (especially for west coast folks) so don't let time affect your search.

Shop Around! Even though most of these travel sites get their tickets from the same place, you can still find discrepancies. Don't forget to check the airline sites as well. Most of the time you can find the ticket for the same price minus the "processing" fee which truely makes it a travel deal. Don't give the gnome money if you don't have to! you can also check out deals from your credit card companies (such as Amex) or other membership places like Sam's Club or BJ's.


So there you go. Some nice tips and sites for you to check out this holiday traveling season. Good luck booking your vacation!

Don't Sleep With The Enemy

So, my friends wife was working at a Fortune Interactive company, cruise network. Well, this past Monday she was fired... Excuse me, she was let go because the company was "restructuring." The reason I mention Fortune Interactive is that they are a competitor of Evan's employer. Now, I don't have all of the story, but I'm able to make a pretty solid educational guess about why Fortune Interactive, excuse me, Cruise Network, dismissed Jen. It's simply because she is sleeping with the enemy.

To really understand the full spectrum of the situation, you would have to dive into the seedy, dark, and mysterious world of Seach Engine Optimization. Of course, this is pretty boring to 90% of the population so I'll skip over it. Fortune Interactive is an upstart "interactive" marketing firm that is composed of ex employees of Evan's employer. Can you see where this is heading? Any, Fortune Interactive decided that because Jen is married to Evan, she is automatically sleeping with the enemy and therefore she is the enemy. Simple logic from simple people. But it simply isn't true.

I've spent many of evenings at the Robert's household and do you know what they talk about? anything BUT work. You see, some people are able to separate business and pleasure (Fortune Interactive doesn't). They would rather spend time cooking dinner, playing with the mutts, and watching FoodTV or watching Lost and Survivor than engage in mind-numbing conversations involving Search Engine Optimization. Here is a hypothetical scenario that Fortune Interactive probably thinks happens:

Evan: "Hey Babe, how was your day?
Jen: "Great Babe. Say, Did you know Fortune Interactive has uncovered some super secret SEO tips?"
Evan: "Really Babe? Please tell so I can inform my employer that treats me so well that it would please me so to tell them about our competition."
Jen: "Well, they came up with the idea of using keywords in ad copy to really enforce the value of your site."
Evan: "BRILLIANT! Let me CC my entire company tonight! I love you Babe, keep them secrets coming!"
Jen: "You know I will. Now let me make you dinner."

Are they retarded? Who discusses work at home? Hell, my fiancee doesn't even know what I do, and I LOVE that. Why bore people with stuff like this. Anyway, I think Fortune Interactive made a huge mistake, but it has opened up the doors of opportunity for Jen that would have remained locked being stuck working at Cruise Networks.


PS - For a company owned by an SEO company, their site sucks. I've seen better geocities sites made in grade school.

Relaxation

How many of you are jealous of this dog right now? I'd kill to be crashed out on a couch like this guy. Check it, he's even using the pillow! No stress, no worries, no problems.

Espresso Latte And A Shank Please

You know, maybe I just don't get it. I thought our criminal justice system was set up to punish and reform criminals. I didn't know that they should be allowed privileges and opportunities that hard working citizens sometimes can't get. Apparently, this backward state I currently live in has some tree huggin, feed the koala bear lib who thinks it's a good idea to open up a latte stand in the McNeill Island Penetentiary. Are you F*ckin kidding me?!?! They can't be serious. First off all, these scum suckin bastards get 3 hot meals, a bed and shelter, and cable tv. I work my ass off so JoJo the child molester can watch Sex in the City.

This is ridiculous. A latte machine in prison. The reasoning for it? It "might" make money. It might? you know what else "might" make money? legalized inmate prostitution. Why don't the prisons pimp out their inmates to other inmates or Washintonians. That could bring in a pretty penny. Why don't we just sell day passes out of the prison? I'm sure that would be a bottom dollar booster.

Since when is it okay for CRIMINALS to have better opportunities than free citizens? I swear, these kinds of things really piss me off. Then again, when I'm dropping 8.9% tax on crap I buy in this state, I'll at least have a smile knowing this guy will be enjoying a double latte with soy milk.

Joke of the Day

So, here is the joke of the day.


A six year old boy walks up to his father and asks "Daddy, what's a transvestite?" The father replies, "Go ask your Mother - He'll know."

cue the snare and hi-hat.

Chicken Nuggets Man Style

I'm no Emeril, but since I've been living the batchelor life of a married man, I've learned a thing or two around the kitchen. Now, most of the time my meals revolve around the single best kitchen invention - The George Foreman Grill. For those of you with one, I'm preaching to the choir. For those without one, I'm sorry your life is incomplete. I've decided to post a few recipes up every now and then to show that even guys with no kitchen experience can make some good meals without burning down the house.

Below is a recipe I stole from my favorite southern cook - Ms. Paula Dean. If you haven't seen her show, TiVo that show tomorrow. I knew she was a great cook the first time I saw her show. She had a quart sized bottle of Texas Pete (the best hot sauce in the world). Anyway, The recipe for the chicken nuggets is below, I've just made some minor changes. it takes 25 minutes including cook time to make. Enjoy.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NUGGETS MAN-STYLE

2 cups crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips (Lay's style not Ruffles)
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (Makes about 20 nuggets)
1/3 cup butter, melted
Crushed Red Pepper
Paprika
Preheated over @ 350

Crush the potato chips inot a small container. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Grab a handful of the chicken cubes and dip them in the egg mixture and then roll them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. sprinkle some red pepper to add a little kick. Dash the nuggets with paprika to help "golden" the nuggets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat the chicken nuggets!

These nuggets are awesome. I ate every single one I made and enjoyed every bite. These taste even better with a good honey mustard sauce or BBQ sauce.

As you can see, this is super easy to make. With all that butter and potato chips it's also unhealthy so you KNOW it tastes great. For other great recipes, check out Jen and her blog.

Two Months Till My Big Fat Not Greek Wedding

Wow - this year has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was spending my lunch hour hanging out with Evan and letting off some steam with Halo 2. Some crazy things have happened the past 11 months. New job, new state, new friends, but most importantly - my engagement. Getting engaged was a lot easier than people made it out to be. I didn't have some huge elaborate scheme that could have blown up in my face. I just simply asked her.

Flash forward a few months to today. Church is picked, reception is set, DJ is in the works, and the bows are being tied to the invitations. What have I contributed to this process? Well, not too much, but not by choice. You see, we've been working this wedding with a bicoastal operation. I did however make us the Thomas and Ashley wedding site which I thought was pretty cool. Anyway, I'm living out in Washington State with our cat and she's living back in NC finishing up her degree. Since I haven't been there I'm missing out on a lot of really fun things - cake tasting, visiting the photographer, cake tasting, and don't let me forget cake tasting.

Anyway, 16 days till she's out here for Thanksgiving, and 44 days till I'm back east, and 2 months till we are married. I have however done some very important things like book our plane tickets and have found a possible honeymoon location. Now all I have to do is come up with some money to pay for it all and i'm set!

I'm sure these next two months will fly by and the wedding will be here in no time. I just hope my knucklehead best man doesn't screw anything up.

BlogMad.net - Increase Blog Traffic

I know I've already mentioned BlogMad before (in another blog post), but I had to give them their own post. They haven't even gone live yet and I'm already excited to see what it's like.



Blogging has become a huge phenomenon. There are hundreds of blog hosting sites out there and thousands sign up every day. With so many choices out there, who is going to visit your site? Well, BlogMad is the answer. By signing up, you are able to instantly increase your blog's traffic through credits. You can earn more credits by surfing other member's blogs.

"It sounds similiar to other sites, such as BlogExplosion." True, however that's like saying Coke tastes like Pepsi or there is no difference between Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. You can view the BlogMad newsletter and see they have some really fresh plans and ideas for their site. Hell, even their banners are cool.

Paris Hilton vs. Parris Hilton vs. Pairs Hilton vs. Effective Birth Control

Looking for the most effective birth control? I found it. The greatest part about it is that it's free. You don't need to visit a doctor, you don't need a prescription. All you need is MTV or the latest copy of Maxim. The solution? Paris Hilton. Or Parris Hilton. Or Pairs Hilton. However you want to spell the tramp's name - she's works overtime keeping Trojan condoms in business - both horizontally and vertically.

Now, I know the world is full of stupid people. But you must have an IQ just short of zero to really like Paris Hilton. She has one decent quality - her bank account. Other than that, she's pretty much worthless. Are there really people out there that care about this skank? Oh, that's right, I forgot she had another quality - sex tapes. What classy celebrity doesn't have one? There's Pam Anderson, Gena Lee Nolin, and who can forget the Survivor chick (actually I wish I could). I watched some of the Parris video and I actually gained respect for the guy in it. How did he put up with her? Bitch, piss, whine and moan is all she did. I'm also extremely disappointed in her bedroom techniques, but then again I'm not. She's been such a pampered and spoiled brat her whole life nobody told her she sucks in the sack. Want to propel yourself to internet celebrity skank? Make a sex tape. Want to make the cover of The Enquirer? Make a sex tape. Have a successful and/or famous family and want to embarass them forever? Make a sex tape.

Anyway, back to Pairs Hilton. Pairs refers to the brain cells she currently has, which she most likely purchased. How embarrassed must her Dad be? Son of a famous hotel chain developer, doomed to have a daughter who is the role model for teenage sluts and poster child for abstinence. Paris has got to be the most effective birth control available. I challenge any of you to say "I'd be proud to have a whore tramp daughter."

Look, I'm sure plenty of people out there think Paris is hot and would "do anything" to be with her, and I call those people idiots. She has no chest, a flat ass, fake nose, fake cheeks, and she carries her spoiled mutt dog around with her everywhere. I'm so glad I'm not a parent right now. I'd probably go and do something crazy like Evan.

Recipe Blog

Just wanted to publically thank my buddy and his wife Jen for the chocolate treats that were brought up here for Sports Weekend. I just finished off the last piece today (for breakfast) and now must search for a new chocolate source.

Jen has a great cooking blog called Fallen Souffle. She has some great recipes, stories, and anything else a newlywed could post. She has a fondness (or is it her husband?) for breads and all things Italian.

I haven't had a chance to make any of her recipes since my diet these days consist of George Foreman Burgers and dogs. I do however mix the hamburger with worschester sauce, garlic and onion powder, and of course, Texas Pete.

Anyway, I highly reccomend checking out the site and letting her know how the recipes go.

Cool Blog Skin Of The Day

Cool Blog Skin of the day goes to http://www.mikedup.net/. At work I do the dual monitor thing. My main monitor is for work, email, etc. The other monitor is for Itunes, chat, and blog surfing. Well I had my tunes playing and the surfing on top and the setup I had made it overlap perfectly. I had to do a double take to make sure nothing was busted. Nice one.

Win Plane Tickets For Life

Free plane tickets for life brought to you by Delta. Be sure to enter. I bet you can cash in on at least two trips before they claim bankruptcy and don't have to pay out anymore. If you win because of me, throw me a ticket to Vegas.

Liberal Celebrity Myths Debunked

There is a new book out contradicting famous liberal celebrity statements. Among the most popular are Michael Moore, Barbara Streisand, and Nancy Pelosi. This book reveils the hypocricy that these liberals are accused of. You can purchase the book on the liberal hypocrites here.

Increase Blog Traffic

Now, I'm no expert to the blogging community nor do I claim to be. I do however know that it is the fastest growing industry on the net right now. I've found a few sites that promote increased traffic through what I call "community viewing." Basically, all these people surf the different blogs of the community and you get free traffic.

The one site I have been using is Blog Explosion. I know it works (considering 95% of my audience is coming from here!). You simply open up a browser and surf blogs. There is a banner across the top that has a countdown timer. You have to stay on a site for 30 seconds (I usually end up staying longer and reading). then you click a random number and off to the next blog. Each click you receive points that can be used for increasing your traffic or creating banners. Blog Explosion also gives out mystery points that help increase your total blog views. You can have multiple blogs and apply a percentage of traffic to each.

The other site I know of is BlogMad. They are new so I haven't been able to check them out. I believe they are still in Beta. You can click the link or banner (to the right) and get in on it before they go live. Might be a nice way to increase your traffic.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to increase blog traffic. You can submit to blog engines, create your own link community, etc, etc. The best part of the increased traffic is the random comments from random people. Till the next post.....