Anyway, it is fixed now. So if you sent me something and never got a response, resend please! Let all that “contact me” mail start flowing again!

Have a safe 4th of July for all you U.S. readers.

My advice (if it mattered): Microsoft and Yahoo, do not bitch out on shareholders again, get the job done!

There is a lot of business going on around me, most of which directly involves me. The majority of it is positive and some of it consists of negative business from the past, which I am still trying to rectify. The latter consisting of money that was stolen from me by a customer. I would love to talk details about the “positive business” but I cannot until it either happens or does not. I know that has been the case every time I have news to post about, but that is the way the cookie crumbles I guess.

At least things are positive now, as a month or two ago business and life was rough. With the halfway point of the year long passed, things need to change even more for this year to be considered successful. If the changes do not occur shortly, I will be looking for a “stable” job to help me pay off my bills, namely car, insurance, school, and rent at the moment.

Let us see what July has to offer!

What is “massively single-player”? From the Spore website itself:

While Spore is a single player game, your creations and other players’ creations are automatically shared between your galaxy and theirs, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play within.

The game itself is set to be release in September, but two days ago they released the Creature Creator. This utility allows you to create your own unique creatures to be used and shared throughout Spore. It is simple to use, and I have just having way too much fun with it! You can view My Spore Page to see some of the creatures and the stories behind each of them.

Take care!

On the other side of the spectrum, I was able to get my first interview today for work on oDesk, and complete my first job only two hours afterward. This is a big step forward, as it seems there are quite a few new Providers whom have a hard time getting work on the oDesk system.

Do you want to know how I did it?

Well, first off, I had applied to quite a few jobs posted on oDesk to no avail, but I kept trying. I applied to jobs that I was confident I would be able to finish and get stellar reviews for completing quickly, and professionally. I took a pay cut, a decently sized one, but it helped me to get customer facing, some extra cash, and ultimately a “gold star” for completed work.

It is highly important to make sure you are working within your area of expertise, if you have hesitation whether or not you can complete the task, it may be best to pass it for the time being. It does not make sense trying to get your first job doing a project you are not 100% familiar with; you would just be setting yourself up for failure, right?

Be flexible. If possible, make yourself available as quickly as possible when you are invited to do an interview. If you are hired to work for the Buyer, let them know they are your priority and do whatever you can to please them throughout the entire process.

The buyer I worked with left this comment:

Vendor provided a quick and excellent service. He provided detailed documentation of the task that was completed, and ensured that I was satisfied. More vendors should be like this on oDesk — getting the job done, ensuring quality, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

If you do land your first oDesk job, ensure customer satisfaction and complete the job correctly. This will help you stand out from the thousands of Providers on oDesk, and eventually your profile will speak for itself when you apply for new jobs.

P.S. I just wanted to let you know, just because I got my first oDesk job, I am not proclaiming to know all the secrets of getting work on their system. Most of what I have written is from my years of experience working with my own business in the actual customer-facing world and I have merely adapted information to an oDesk scenario. Customer service is key, you will learn that if you do not know it already.

Tumbleweed Communications, the Redwood City, Calif., provider of secure content-delivery solutions, plans to be acquired by Sopra Group for $2.70 a share cash, the companies said in a statement on Friday. Based on Tumbleweed’s 52.2 million fully diluted shares outstanding at March 31, the deal is valued at about $141 million. Sopra is the Paris consulting- and information-technology-services provider…

more…

I guess that means my dad and I loose out on ~$0.50 per share. Oh well right? I will approve it with my vote, its better than being down over $1.50 per share, with no reason to go back up.

I will make due with what I have for a price I can afford, i.e. its already included in my pay or rent. I will just have to force myself to work harder so I can increase business and one day own an office building. I took a few pictures for the memories and I am posting them below… Oh, and please ignore the mess, I am currently moving out!

P.S. If anyone is in Orange County, and is looking for a reception desk (cherry wood, right return, 2 attached drawer / filing drawer), an executive desk (cherry wood, right return, 1 double filing drawer, 1 double drawer / filing drawer) I am probably going to end up selling mine. They are in perfect condition, still brand new. I paid just over $2000 for both of them, collectively. I will put up a CraigList link once I create it later tonight.

Thank you for reading!

Exciting news if you ask me! As for an update on the oDesk service, I am still trying to get my first job but I am having no luck at the moment. I am sure it is due to the competition and other providers prices compared to mine. I know I have the experience and knowledge to work on each of the jobs I have applied to, so I am assuming the pricing competition is just too great. I will probably have to work on a more concise cover letter to let the potential buyers know they are safe working with me.

Once I get my first job, I will post about it… Take care!