Anyway, just hoping I still have a few readers laying around and letting you all know that to some degree The Random Forest is back as a personal blog. I’ll likely just blog about random things here and there and everywhere but, hey that’s the fun of blogging!

Let me know how you are….

Forest.

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It’s sad that Doctor Martin Luther King is not alive today to have witnessed this amazing event.

Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African American President and it is seen by many as a huge step in the Black Civil Rights Movement and the progression of the USA away from the dark years of Bush.

Finally Bush can be put behind and the American people can get to the job of repairing the country and moving towards a brighter future.

I was very moved by the speech and the talk of basically buckling down to work and sorting out the messy situation. I also very much respected the extension of responsibility to all nations around the world.

Here is the speech given by Barack Obama to mark his Inauguration on 20th January 2009: Full Audio and Transcription.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

What did you think of the speech?
Do you really think that the kind of Change Obama talks about is going to happen?
Was it as moving as you expected?

I know I am extremely excited about the coming years in the USA and definitely will back Obama to make the changes that are needed.

Obama is definitely one of the best speakers I have heard in many years and his “A More Perfect Union” Speech moved me to tears. A video of the full speech can be watched below.

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I am really looking forward to 2009. TheRandomForest is just near the end of it’s redesign and more importantly it’s reorganization. 2009 will bring much more focus on this site and you will see a lot more tutorials and design related articles. I will also be talking a lot about my Site and Blog flipping adventures and sharing tips and tricks as I go along the way.

I have many goals for the 2009 and from September I will be moving to Cairo, Egypt as my partner is off to study at the American University of Cairo.

Here are some of my goals:

• Get 1000 page views per day for TheRandomForest.com.
• Make $15 per day in Adsense
• Make $3k per month from my Online Business
• Make FrugalZeitgeist.com profitable earning over $100 per month

I have many more personal goals including health related goals and paying off some personal debt but these are just some business focuses.

What Goals do you have for 2009?

I am also starting the year with a brand new Xbox360 and a FlipMino camera so I am hoping to merge these into my blogging life.

Are you looking forward to seeing what Barack Obama has to do in the New Year…….. I know I am.

Quotes for the New Year

Here are a few cool quotes to get you in a good mood for the New Year.

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.
Oscar Wilde

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

Song for the New Year

Enjoy this song from one of my favorite bands. Evening of the Day by Supergrass.

HAPPY NEW YEAR…..

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The Random Forest will be going through a lot of changes in the coming week or two so please bear with us while we sort everything out.

Also your comments along the way are always appreciated.

Many thanks,

Forest.

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After finding by sheer accident that our blog had reached the final seven on Thursday morning we knew we had a tough battle on our hands. A Taste of Christmas had only 1% of the vote and the winner was leading with 49% of the vote.

We had to fight top endorsements by the likes of Garry Conn and even John Chow! To top it off we were accused of cheating and had to carry on our struggle for votes whilst being investigated for something that we clearly did not do!

We finished an astonishing 90 votes ahead of 2nd place with 361 of 964 total votes. That’s 37% of the votes to save you doing the math!

I am so unbelievably grateful to everyone including Neal (who worked his backside, off whilst having a full time job too), King Pepper, ALL my brilliant friends and everyone else who helped me out. I must say that this has been the best use of social media and personal networking that i have ever participated in.

In the next few days I will be producing a detailed post letting you all know how exactly we achieved such a victory. This could be useful for any campaigns you are going to run, so please sign up here so you can read all about it.

Now I am off to the pub to get away from the computer for a while

Thanks again….

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I genuinely 110% HATE Sarah Palin. If the Republicans get in and McCain pops his clogs or gets seriously ill in the next two years this thing will be running the good old US of “F**king” A!!!!!!!!

We could all be doomed.

Matt Damon says it in the best way possible:

Sarah Palin is going to destroy many of the advancements made by the modern woman. She once claimed to be a feminist but has recently retracted that statement. I cannot see how any modern American woman can relate to this lady and her beliefs. Check out this Flip Flop! (I found this on Menstrual Poetry, thanks )

This has been making me so angry in recent days…. However there has been some relief and it comes in the form of the mighty TTT, Terrible Terry Tate….. Watch and laugh your ass off

I am going to go and hole up in a bunker and come out after the results are out. I am lucky I am English so can’t vote, although I am in Vermont, USA right now.

GO OBAMA! What do you think? I would love to know your opinion for or against what I am saying.

I’ll leave you with this……

Source: Sarah Palin Terrorist

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An Australian woman named Olive Riley has sadly died peacefully at age 108. She passed away on Saturday (12th July) and her blog http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/ has been down due to a flurry of hits.

You can visit her temporary blog here: http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com/

According to CNN ’she was amazed by the internet’ and often blogged about her childhood.

RIP OLIVE RILEY

She was born in 1899 in a small mining village, which is awesome. She is probably the only blogger EVER to be born pre 1900 and luckily for us her blog is stored in history, never changing on the internet.

She would have been 109 on October 20 and originally started blogging after Mike Rubbo, who filmed a documentary on her life four years ago, suggested the idea.

I can’t even imagine reaching that age, let alone, still be blogging. However we have to stand up and give this lovely lady all our respect.

I only wish I had known about her, and interacted, sooner.

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Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/LosAngeles_7th%26Alameda.jpg

I’m sitting here on a Greyhound bus waiting to go back home to Montreal. My three weeks in Vermont has come to an immediate end and so has the the pondering and relaxing that I have been partaking in. My first full month as a full time online-trepeneur is over and I need to reflect, build on my experience and move forward at full steam.

This past month has seen me make around $800 but I have spent around $150 on various things. My best buy was Micro Niche Finder, which is definitely beginning to improve my search engine rankings. Read more about Micro Niche Finder here.

I have also been working in dribs and drabs on various other projects including CondomMonlogues.com and NewandReviewed.com.

CondomMonlogues.com isn’t really heading for full monetization as it’s a social responsibility to keep the subject respectable but it is going great and after a few weeks of working on it we are getting around 40-60 visitors a day.

NewandReviewed.com is a different kind of site for me. It’s an experiment to see just how far Micro Niche Finder can take a website. So no promotion as such and also I have decided to try and earn solely through affiliates, so no Adsense either. Like I said it’s an experiment and may not last all of April without an overhaul.

And then of course, this site has been a little quiet. Garry Conn is convincing me more and more that daily posting isn’t necessarily great at this point in my sites growth so I am looking to improve quality of my popular posts and play towards my strengths. I need to offer you guys more back so will hopefully be bringing tutorials on a regular basis. My animal posts also seem most popular with regulars and search engines so expect more animal antics.

Adwords is also on my hit list of things to learn about this month and you will also hear news of a few more niche sites.

My main aim is to strengthen my chances of earning from various projects. My eggs need to be incubating in various nests and hopefully they will start hatching soon and bring me some income. I had a scare last weekend when it seemed that my main earner had lost it’s PR, which meant I could no longer get enough Izea posts to support myself. It was an important lesson and reminds me that I need to keep me on my toes at all times to succeed.

I’m looking forward to visiting your blogs and having you here in the coming month.

How would you like my Random Forest to grow?

Thanks, Forest.

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The time has been great for brainstorming though, and I think I am shaping a better idea as to my directions.

Affiliate marketing looks like the only way to go forward and I don’t want to fill this site with unrelated posts so I have reignited an old idea, www.newandreviewed.com. Obviously it’s in it’s early design and building but hopefully i can get writing soon and get it ranked in Google. The idea is that each post will be linked into an affiliate, probably ebay in many cases and I am considering leaving it Adsense free.  It’s an experiment and I am excited by the prospect.

I am also working on a niche site www.condommonologues.com. It’s more specific niche and hopefully can become a community driven site. At present there is no advertising but again I think I will look at driving this with affiliates which hopefully will not be too hard to find. It also ranks pretty well in Google.

After my purchase of Micro Niche finder I am finding great luck in getting some posts from my Wordpress blogs into the first page of Google. Strangely it does not seem to work with my Blogger blog too well but Blogger is not going to really be used by me for any new sites anyway.

Anyway, i’ll see you around.

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As regular readers know I now have a schedule for this blog. Today should be a continuation of a book review and tomorrow is animals and so on.

Sadly I have to go to Vermont this week for a wedding and I may not have much internet access whilst I am there so may not be able to fully fulfill my schedule.

I am also going to use the time to evaluate my schedule. I am not enjoying writing about the book at the moment and am not enjoying reading it either. Feedback has been low on that ongoing post too.

I write much shorter less thought out posts on my other blog and have noticed that people are coming to that blog when I talk about language, such as Irish phrases, or American vs English words, so I am considering turning the post on Monday into a post about various sayings, pronunciations and related subjects. What do you think of that idea?

I have also just purchased a fantastic program called Micro Niche Finder. Micro Niche finder allows you to find niche markets and improve your SEO by allowing you to check out the competition for certain keywords and suggest related words. I have been using it a little bit and by targeting specific keywords I have noticed a slight increase in search engine traffic. This is allowing me to jump into the world of affiliate marketing and I will start making targeted posts on other websites to try and earn a little more money. I want to give update posts on my learning experience and projects so will look at how to incorporate these.

My online earning going ok, I should be aiming for around $700 this month, that is about enough to pay rent and eat with a few visits to the bars. Hopefully with Micro Niche Finder and my delving into SEO I can find new avenues to compliment blogging.

Also you may have noticed a few Izea posts on here. I am trying to be reserved with them and only post around 3-7 a week but please let me know if they get intrusive.

Hopefully I will be able to bring you the animal post tomorrow and I definitely will bring you a recipe on Thursday but any other posts are unsure right now.

Catch you soon,

Forest.

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