Search It! Launches

September 19, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Business, Internet, Musings, Site Build It 

We’re approaching the end of September and people who run businesses are turning their attention from summer activities to gearing up for the final quarter of marketing before the end of the year.

Webmasters, marketers, home business owners, folks who auction products on eBay, and just about anyone involved in online commerce will find Sitesell’s newest tool, Search It! to be a very valuable addition to their online research tools.

How many sites do you have bookmarked that you regularly search? Do you remember all the different formats you must use to get the information you want? Let Search It! help!

If you open Search It! and park it in a window where you can easily get to it during your work sessions, you’ll find that it will become an invaluable tool to help you improve your websites, keep a close watch on your competition, look for ways to monetize the traffic to your site, look for more — and better — keywords and phrases, and do much more, easier than ever before possible.

The good news?

It’s free! Yep, Sitesell, once again, overdelivers and underprices.

Site Build It! owners get some extra functionality, but everyone can use this new tool as much as you want at no cost to you.

It’s a bit different, so be sure to click the help link and read it. One of the great things about Search It! is that the help (between steps 1 & 2 and steps 3 & 4) changes depending upon the type of search you are doing. This makes it easy to use without having to keep notes or just feeling your way around.

I’ve been searching on the Internet since before the World Wide Web even existed and I found some great resources by using Search It! that I never knew existed.

I heartily recommend this tool to you. If you’re searching for anything on the web, see if Search It! can help you.

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More adults are online — 73%

September 15, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Internet, Musings 

Harris Interactive reports that 73% of adults are now online, up from 69% eight months earlier, 67% in late 2002, 64% in 2001 and 63% in 2000.

That translates into 156 million users, up 7% from late 2003.

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Today is September 11 – three years later

September 11, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Musings, Politics 

Here I am, again, working alone in my office in the middle of the night adding some new content to my newest website at AYearFromNow.com and I just noticed that today is September 11.

In that moment of realization, my mind’s focus switched immediately from 2004 to 2001.

I had to stop for a few minutes and think back to that morning three years ago when I was sitting right here working on a website and the hosts of the Today Show announced that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

I didn’t get any work done for the next several days as I sat glued to the TV watching the tragedy unfold. I didn’t feel like working. I didn’t want to miss any of the evolving news. We grieved for those who were lost and raged against those who were responsible.

It was a day that changed the focus of several nations and the actions we took as a result — for good or bad.

For months, and even now, we watched the stories of those who were affected and that affected us, too, although to a lesser degree.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, stop a moment and reflect. Think of those who were lost. Think of those who worked so hard to help.

We came together for a few weeks and now we’re more divided than ever.

It’s a pity.

If we came together once as a response to a threat, why can’t we cooperate and work together because we are much more similar than we are different? Why do we need a common enemy before we can be friends?

Why do we like to be divided?

Why has it become a national sport to tear apart the reputation and try to assign the most cynical intentions to anyone who steps up and tries to be a leader in our country? Why is it not enough to vote for someone with whom you agree or vote against someone with whom you disagree? Why do we, instead, choose to revere one and demonize the other?

What do we gain?

As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that working for ya?”

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Admission Is Free To September 4 Heritage Walk and Festival in Murphy, NC

September 3, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Appalachian Heritage, Arts and Crafts, Events, Holidays, Murphy North Carolina, Musings, Nonprofits 

Admission Is Free To September 4 Heritage Walk and Festival in Murphy, NC

Historic Murphy, North Carolina

What began in 2001 with fewer than 100 souls braving the pouring rain to take a “heritage walk” through historic Murphy has blossomed into a 4th annual series of events coming Saturday, September 4, 2004.

Last year over 3,000 people turned out for a day long celebration of traditional mountain music, arts and crafts, blue ribbon memories of the county fair, and the heritage walking tours with characters from times past. Produced by Heritage Partners of Cherokee County in collaboration with a host of volunteers and sponsoring organizations, this year’s Heritage Walk and Festival features:

  • The Heritage Walk — historic trade and commerce tours departing at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.; pyramid tours departing at 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. from the Old LandN Depot

  • The Cherokee County Heritage Fair — blue ribbon competitions in the traditional home survival skills, special events and community exhibits on display at the Old L and N Depot and outdoor county fair tent (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
  • The Appalachian Heritage Crafters Show — area artists and crafters on the Railroad Street festival grounds, behind the Old LandN Depot and Hackney Warehouse (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
  • Mountain Song — all day live stage performances feature traditional bluegrass, old-time and more on the Railroad Street festival grounds, behind the Old Hackney Warehouse (10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
  • Becky and the Robber of Buckhorn Ridge — one act play performances by the Murphy High drama students, based on Jean Bravick’s story of pioneer life in Cherokee County’s 1840 Valleytown (First United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 1:00 p.m.)
  • Cherokee County Historical Museum’s Heritage Day — a celebration of pioneering history and Cherokee Indian culture, on Peachtree Street
  • Farmers Market
  • Food Vendors
  • Pocket Parks Collectibles Fair
  • rides and activities for children
  • and more.

And, it’s all free.

The public is invited to come out, and all festival guests are encouraged to park in town and walk to all events. Visit heritagepartners.org for more information.

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The Scenic Circle — Introducing a new day-trip guide to Murphy, NC

September 3, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Appalachian Heritage, Heritage Tourism, Murphy North Carolina, Musings, Nonprofits 

The Scenic Circle

New Day Trip Guide Scheduled for Release September 4 at Heritage Walk & Festival in Murphy, North Carolina

Imagine a 50-mile radius circle drawn around the Cherokee County courthouse in historic Murphy, NC, and something to find your way to the outdoor wonders of that area. Heritage Partners of Cherokee County is pleased to announce its first publication of The Scenic Circle, scheduled for release at the September 4 Heritage Walk & Festival in Murphy. First in a series, the guidebook provides directions for easy day trips to mountain balds, lakes and rivers, waterfalls, trails and other outdoor attractions to be explored in the northwest quadrant of The Scenic Circle. And, as the first edition is coming off the presses, destinations for future editions are already being assembled for the northeast, southwest and southeast quadrants.

Elizabeth Carter, a part-time resident of Apalachia Lake who has a number of published trail guides to her credit, volunteered her time and energies to author The Scenic Circle. Enthusiastic about her soon to be full-time home, Carter is quick to say “the economics of heritage and ecological tourism are so important to our community, and the outdoor attractions of this beautiful mountain region are certainly something to share and celebrate.”

The OEO Small Growing Opportunities grant program agreed, having provided funding for the project’s first publication. Jonathan and Tammy Fleischer of The Computer Workshop in Murphy lined up to do the layout, photography and printing of the guidebook. Jonathan looks back with a smile about preparing for the publication, saying “we ventured out as a family and found every site on the map. It was really neat to see so many places we’d always heard of, but never knew much about or even how to find them.”

Copies of The Scenic Circle will be on sale for $3 each, or 2 for $5, at the Heritage Partners booth on September 4 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. by the Old L&N Depot. Author Elizabeth Carter will be there to sign copies of the book between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

All proceeds benefit the nonprofit works of Heritage Partners, proud sponsors of The Murphy River Walk Project, the annual Heritage Walk & Festival, the annual Holiday Taste of Cherokee County Home Tour, the historical children’s story set in 1840 Valleytown — Becky and The Robber of Buckhorn Ridge — and most recently The Scenic Circle outdoor day trip destinations guide series.

For more information about Heritage Partners, visit heritagepartners.org.

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