Online Business Alliance Review

Welcome,

Well, I did it.  After countless trials and errors and many many hours of searching for something to suppliment my window washing and lamp making businesses, I found a great company that I believe can teach me and others how to make money on the Internet.  The company is called "Online Business Alliance".  OBA offers a flood gate of tools and resources that, if followed correctly, can take any novice Internet marketing person and teach them the tricks of making money on the World Wide Web. 

This is by no means a get rich quick scheme, an undertaking that requires no work or an opportunity that promises you thousands in just a few weeks.  OBA requires commitment, dedication and persistance but the rewards are great if one has the desire to succeed.  Online Business Alliance offers no hype but tells it like it is.  My favorite quote from one of OBA's ads that I use in my advertising is "Let's Stop the Nonsense Now!"  Internet marketing is not easy and requires hard work but the rewards are tremendous if the right tools are applied correctly.

Now, the best part...To join OBA only costs $5.00...That is right...just $5.00!

Take a look for yourself and see all the wonderful tools OBA offers and decide for yourself by clicking on the link below:
http://teprofits.com/report.php?id=mwpowers

Or go here for some more information:
http://www.onlinebusinessalliance.biz/?id=mwpowers

Thanks for looking,
Mike Powers
TEProfits
http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com/
http://cabinliving.blogspot.com/
mwpowersnet@gmail.com

My Trip To Sheep Falls

Last weekend, I took a beautiful little hike to a place in the lower Targhee National Forest called Sheep Falls. The trail is right off of Highway 20 going towards West Yellowstone National Park (from Idaho Falls, Idaho) and really is a diamond in the rough for hiking and viewing purposes. I don't believe a lot of people know about this wonderful place and I was blessed to stumble upon it. Take a look at some of the photographs I took while enjoying the scenery.

If you would like directions to this magical place, please leave me a comment and I will gladly email you the specifics of how to get there. 

These Tough Times Require Better Measures

Times are not what they used to be are they? Of course, our parents said that, our grandparents said it and now we, in our 40’s and 50’s, are saying it. There will always be those times to remember when things were better. Heaven knows, many of us live day after day with regrets hoping for the old days and what they were and they what they gave us. I must admit I am one of those people and I am making my New Years Resolution to start making this beat up, tough to make it, impossible world a good place to remember when I get old.

So how am I going to change this coming year?

Here are a few thoughts I have about making this coming year and the years to come more productive and enjoyable for myself and maybe for those of you who read this article.

Give to others. I am not going to contemplate on what is wrong with my life but start taking the focus off of myself and start caring for others. It is a proven theory that the more you care and give to others, the more blessed you will be and the more at peace you will become. I will do my best to start giving financially to the charities of my choice and lend a helping hand to my neighbors when they seem to need it. No more looking away when someone is in need as I have done in the past. Giving of myself is a big priority to my new start this coming year.

Recycle, recycle recycle! How many times have we thrown away those plastic milk jugs, newspapers, steel cans and aluminum cans? All these products are recyclable and we all should take the time to make a special place in our garage to create a recycle bin so we can take this stuff to the recycling center and not throw it away in the trash. Besides, we all know that aluminum cans bring money when returned to the proper facility. So, if nothing else, there is some money in that garbage of yours!

I will not raise my business prices! If you own your own business, keep your prices reasonable. I have a window washing business and a couple internet businesses and I have seen so many of my competitors raise their prices year after year. I refuse to be a part of this I am making a promise to keep my prices the same and in some cases lower. There is no need to continue this greedy money grabbing way of life that so many of us have chosen.

Walk more and drive less. The gas prices are finally back down to where they were several years ago…Hurray! I guarantee you they will go back up if we all choose to start driving more and start using more gas. I plan to walk to the post office, the store, the park, or where ever I need to go where I can easily walk instead of driving. Not only will this save gas, it will keep my waist line in check.

I will keep on thinking over this wonderful Christmas season of more ways to find a better life in this mixed up, turmoil of a society we live in. Keep an eye on my articles and when I think of some more ideas, I will let you know.

http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com
http://www.solidbeginnings.com (offers tools and resources to help improve your credit)

Smoking Salmon…A Quick Guide

I received so many great responses from this recipe that I decided to post it again...enjoy!

Have you ever tried to smoke a fish? (I know, it is hard to get them lit!) Anyway, I have here a great recipe for smoking salmon and trout that is simple but very tasty. In a minute, I will give you the recipe but first a little story about how this recipe came about.

Years ago, my uncle Bob along with his 2 sons and his father-in-law decided they would like to start fishing for the small Kokanee salmon, (commonly called bluebacks), at a couple North Idaho lakes namely Lake Coeur d’Alene and Lake Pend Oreille. My uncle came up with this special bait he figured would catch those fish like crazy so they all decided to give it a try. Back in those days, maybe 30 or more years ago, both these lakes had commercial fishing available on them with limits from 125 to 250 fish a day per person for the small Kokanee salmon. On a good day, a group of four could really bring in the fish. My uncle and his crew all purchased commercial licenses and began fishing with his new discovered bait.

It took only a few hours on their first trip out to discover that my uncle’s bait was indeed amazing and that all of a sudden they had caught a whole slew of fish. When they returned to shore and counted their first bounty, they discovered that they had brought in a total of 650 fish! What were they going to do with all these slimy creatures? Well, they put their minds together and they decided that smoking them would be the best way to not only preserve them for a length of time but also maybe they could make some extra money selling them to the local stores.

So, to make this story readable and not bore you with all the details, they did start a little smoked fish business and began distributing their fish around the local town. Before I give you the recipe for this incredible smoked fish, there are some essentials you must have to get started.

A good quality smoker is needed to begin with. I don’t believe you have to pay $100’s of dollars for one either. I have a small little smoker I purchased from Home Depot for around $75.00 and it does very well. An electric smoker is preferred because you don’t have to tend the fire as often and it cooks much more evenly.

As far as the wood you need I would recommend apple, cherry or hickory wood chunks (not chips if possible). The wood chunks last much longer and burn slower. Slow, cool smoke is what you are after and the wood chips tend to burn too quickly. Before you start your smoking, soak the wood chunks overnight in water so they will burn slow and not catch fire so easily.

Now, here is what you have been waiting for, the recipe.

*1 Cup Non-Iodized Salt (it must be non-iodized).
*1 Cup Brown Sugar
*2 Gallons of Water
*1/8 Cup of Pepper if preferred.
*Soak your fish overnight (12 hours) in the above mixture and take out and leave at room temperature for an hour before putting the fish in the smoker.

That’s It!! I know it looks simple and it is. Many recipes ask for seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and other things but this recipe is simple and the very best.

Your fish should be filleted if possible but not completely necessary as the meat will pull away from the bone easily after smoking. It is important to leave the skin on the filets as it keeps the fish from sticking to the grill. Use good quality salmon or trout when smoking. Fish with white meats do not do well and tend to dry out, as they do not have the oil in the meat like the salmon family does.

Place your wood chips in your smoker and put your fish on the grates. Depending on the temperature outside, it could take a couple of hours to several to smoke your fish. Test the fish after an hour or so to see how the texture looks. You can taste test the salmon as it is getting done to get the required texture you desire. I like my salmon fairly moist but others may like it drier. The choice is up to you.
It may take a time or two until you get this smoking thing down but after you have perfected this recipe, you will be smoking fish on a regular basis.

Mike Powers is an internet marketer and craftsman. Mike's website, Clearwater Cabin Living, offers a variety of tools to equip you along the way in creating the cabin and outdoor lifestyle you desire. We offer articles on building and decorating your dream cabin, great trails to hike, camping tips, the best ways to hook a rainbow trout, outdoor cooking and much, much more. http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com/

A Craftsman Dilemma

For years now, I have been building furniture and home accessories by hand. Each piece I have created has been designed and put together by me alone and finished with the utmost care. In today’s highly competitive world, craftsman like myself are unfortunately getting pushed to the side by the “box furniture” we see in so many stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart.

To the normal untrained eye, this boxed furniture looks great. You can purchase a pine end table for around $50.00 to $75.00 that looks well made and has a decent finish on it. You can purchase at the same store a table and 4 chairs for $150.00 that will certainly hold up for at least a few years.

So how do my colleagues and I compete with this? There is no way I can buy the wood, put in the time involved in cutting the pieces, assembling them and putting the finish on for $50.00 and still make a profit. My table and chairs wholesale for no less than $400.00 and that means they sell in a retail store for $800.00. In other words, a true craftsman cannot compete and this is the dilemma we are facing today.

I am a firm believer in hand made goods, doing business with a hand shake instead of a contract and giving to people excellent quality in both my products and customer service. This is disappearing in America quicker than we would like. The hands on, old style, down to earth craftsman is slowly being put to the wayside.

I remember back way back when, (much to long to admit to you), when I started making my first products to sell. I made a ton of birdhouses and a ton of twig baskets. I sold these at a very reasonable price and it was a great beginning to my future products I developed later. Now, you can buy on many Internet sites birdhouses and baskets made in China that are of good quality and are under $10.00 each. I couldn’t even walk to my shop for $10.00 let alone make a basket for that.

So what do we do? It is up to the people who still believe in the true quality of handmade products and the craftsmanship that goes into them to stay away from Wal-Mart and Kmart for furniture and go back to buying solid, well made, handcrafted goods. Not only will you find the product you purchase most likely be one of a kind, but it will also last your lifetime and more.

Visit my website: http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com

Creamy Fettuccine With Romano Cheese Sauce

After some thought about what I should add next to my blog, I decided to add some of my favorite own recipes that are not only tasty but add a bit of elegance to your cabin or camping experience.

That being said, on your next overnight camping adventure, become the hit of your campsite with my version of fettuccine with a creamy Romano cheese sauce. This is easy to prepare and the ingredients will not take up a lot of room in your camping cooler.

Here’s what you will need:

½ package fettuccine noodles.
½ cup Romano cheese (you can substitute parmesan but I wouldn’t recommend it)
½ cup sour cream
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup sautéed onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Seasoning salt and pepper to taste
Chopped tomato (optional)

Suggested additions to sauté with the onion:
Ham
Shrimp
Sausage
Chicken

Cook the noodles as per package instructions in a fairly large pot (you will be using this to mix your noodles with the other ingredients…less dishes to clean up you know). When the noodles are done, be prepared to move fast as this recipe requires to mix everything while the noodles are still hot! Drain the noodles into a colander and immediately put the butter, sour cream and Romano cheese into the pot the noodles were cooked in. Put the drained noodles right back into the pot on top of the ingredients and mix together to create a wonderful creamy sauce. Now add the sautéed onion, the tomato and the meat of your choice along with the seasonings. I believe you will find this to be a 5 star restaurant quality dish that will make you an instant success!

Enjoy,

Mike Powers
http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com/

Lamp Making With Rocks As Your Primary Material

This blog was so popular, I decided to publish it again for those who missed it!

A lamp out of rocks?…Am I crazy? Actually, I have been doing this for a few years now and when done correctly, the final product is beautiful and extremely unique. If you decide to take this venture on, be prepared for your family and friends to be in awe of your new wonderful creation. A stone lamp fits wonderfully in that cabin of yours in the woods or can be placed in that special rustic corner in your traditional home.

Let’s get started with the tools and parts you will need. These tools are essential for getting this project done correctly and may require a little bit of a financial investment to get started.

1. A drill press. The press does not have to be a large, floor model…it can be a bench top type for now. It does have to have a setting on it that will enable the drill to go fairly slowly through the rock. A setting of around 200-300 rounds per minute is best.

2. A 3/8” mortise bit. The mortise bit for this purpose only has to be around 5” long. DO NOT buy a carbide-coated bit, as these seem to not work as well. Home Depot or Lowe’s both carry a standard 3/8” mortise bit for around $5.00.

3. A lamp kit with a harp included. These lamp kits are easy to use and will come with everything you need to put your lamp together. You will want to make sure the kit comes with a harp also if you are planning on using a shade that requires a harp. These sell for around $8.00 at most hardware stores.

4. A 3/8” thread rod around 10 inches long. This rod can be bought along with your lamp kit in the hardware’s lighting section. Usually, the lengths come in 24” to 36” and cost around $4.00. After you put the lamp together, you will want to cut the rod to length and I will explain how to do that.

5. A hack saw for cutting the 3/8” rod to length.6. A good strong epoxy glue that sets within 30 minutes.7. An angle grinder with a wheel suitable to grind rock.

Your Rock

The best place to get your rock for your lamp is to find a dried up riverbed. Rocks from dried riverbeds tend to be easier to drill and lend themselves more easily to making a lamp. Please note: We don’t want to disturb riverbeds that are in use by our natural rivers and streams but picking up rock from dried up sources poses no harm to the environment. You will need a base to start with. Look around for a fairly flat base that when set down on a table, it won’t rock back and forth but will sit stable. For this project, your base should be about 8 inches square and about 1 inch to 2 inches thick or thereabouts (any variation is ok as long it is fairly flat). After you have found your base, look for smaller rocks of different shapes and sizes and choose ones that are fairly flat on both sides too. This will make it easier to drill and fit together on your lamp. These should be around ½ “ thick or so. You will need about 6 of these smaller rocks.

Drilling The Rock

Now that you have gathered your choice rock for your lamp, it is time to drill. Place the base of the rock on your drill press and roughly find the center of the rock. (You do not have to be exactly perfect in finding the center as this is a rustic lamp and if you are a little off, it only makes it more rustic and interesting). You should make sure that where you are going to drill is relatively flat so the drill bit does not dance around on you. (Before you drill, make sure you have a little water on hand to either spray the drill bit or splash some on to it as the drill bit can get very hot and could break if not kept cool). Begin drilling slowly, around 200 to 300 rounds per minute, and continue until you are completely through. Yeah….you did it! Now, repeat these steps with your remaining smaller rock until all are drilled and ready to put together.

Pre-Assembly

Take your length of 3/8” rod and cut it down to about 10” or so. Place the rod into the larger base and start stacking the smaller rock on top. Since none of these rocks are exactly flat, you may have to move them around a little to make sure they fit together snuggly so that the inner rod does not show. After you have completed this process you will most likely have extra rod on top that needs to be cut off. Taking your lamp parts into consideration, you will have to leave enough rod to hold your coupler, your piece that holds your harp, and your actual lamp fixture base. Usually, this means leaving about 1 inch or so above the last stacked rock. You can test this by getting all your lamp parts out, putting them one by one on the top of the extra rod, and then making a mark just under the first piece (coupler) to see how extra rod you need to leave protruding out. Mark your rod where you need to cut it, pull off the rock one by one keeping them in order and cut your rod to length.

Final Assembly

Put your pre-cut rod back into the base and put some of your epoxy glue around the hole where the rod fits into and around a small area where your first small rock is going to sit. Take your first small rock and slide it down over the rod and put it on top of the glued area on your base. (It is important to keep your glue area small so it is not seen after the rocks are placed together). Continue this process until all the rocks are places tightly together on the rod. Make sure the inside of your rod is clear all the way through the center without any obstructions so you can slide your lamp cord through it in the next step. You have now completed the most difficult part of making this lamp. Let your lamp sit for a couple of hours or so to let the glue set up.

Using the directions on your lamp kit box, assemble the rest of the lamp parts as shown. You will have to push your cord all the way through from the bottom of the base. (Sometimes, depending on the rock base, your cord will not sit correctly under the base and may cause the base to rock a little. This is where you will need your angle grinder with a wheel suitable to grind rock. Turn your lamp upside down and take your angle grinder and dig a small indentation from the middle of the rock where the rod is towards the back of the lamp. Just make sure the groove is deep enough to hold the lamp cord).

Finally, spray the lamp with a satin or semi-gloss clear lacquer to seal the rock and to bring out the natural colors of the stone. Apply two or three coats of the lacquer. After the lacquer is dry, you may want to put a piece of felt on the bottom of your lamp so it will not scratch the table it sits on.

Congratulations, you have now made a beautiful rustic stone lamp!

Mike Powers is an internet marketer and craftsman. Mike's website, Clearwater Cabin Living, offers a variety of tools to equip you along the way in creating the cabin and outdoor lifestyle you desire. We offer articles on building and decorating your dream cabin, great trails to hike, camping tips, the best ways to hook a rainbow trout, outdoor cooking and much, much more. http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com/