One of my great passions these days is around helping people find ways to put more money in their pockets without risking what are today very precious resources. (They've always been precious, but many people took debt as free money, making our cash that much more precious now.)

Oh ... and helping them do so without sacrificing lifestyle when possible.

That's one of the reasons I really like PeopleString, and why I'm surprised that some people take a while to "get" PeopleString -- the social networking features have gotten pretty strong here, even if we don't have all the built-in apps of Facebook yet. But it's free to join and puts cash in people's pockets. Not a very tough bottom line to figure out. 

One of the recent big deals for me is an online grocery shopping program that lets you save big, big bucks on non-perishable grocery items: everything from soup, cereal, pasta, snacks, etc. right on to all the baby items, personal care items, pet food, and everything else that isn't fresh produce, cold food, or meat.

While there is a monthly membership fee, the savings are so steep that you literally end up trading $30/month for $100 or more, as long as you actually use the shopping program. And since FedEx shipping is free, there are no hidden costs.

What about Walmart? Well, I compared a random selection of 26 items and saved a grand total of $20.75 at this new program -- an average of 22% off Walmart prices. I've heard other people do the same thing and come up with similar results.

Of course there is also the opportunity to share the program and earn. I'm wary of any networking program that requires people to recruit others before they see a benefit, because then the theoretical bottom of the line loses. That's not a 21st century network. Today, we should see more and more programs like this one and PeopleString where everyone wins the moment they sign up, regardless of sharing with others.

Since this grocery program can easily put $100 profit (in savings) into a family's pocketbook, I'm a strong supporter, and even more so when people can share the savings and earn. For more details, check it out on my website:

Save Money on Groceries

Hey, I'll put it out there.

I'm looking for musical celebrities -- professional singers -- who could help me with a music project connected with Darwood and Smitty and promoting unity / harmony among all people on Earth. If you know somone, or know someone who knows someone, please see if you can help facilitate this connection.

All profits from the project will go toward a global charity. Thanks!

Well here it is, friends -- the official announcement (trumpet fanfare, please) of Darwood & Smitty's release.

Darwood & Smitty is my newly finished sci-fi novel -- what I call "The action-packed, humor-filled, philosophical, politician-kicking novel of global government, galactic law, and aliens gone wild." It's a mouthful, but I think a good summary.

This novel will be released in its entirety for FREE online. The first chapter will be posted as early as January 1, 2010, pending potential partnership arrangements. And a new chapter should be posted each week, pending additional features that need to be developed online -- ancillary websites, for example. I want this novel to be much more than a story. I want it to be a platform for serious discussion, and the platform for fun interactivity online.

IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST OR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER and you would like exposure through this online adventure, please contact me through my website. I'm looking for images to include with the story that can point to your website; and I'm looking for games and other online means of creating a unique experience for readers.

Of course you'll also be able to buy a printed copy at Amazon, or a digital version for the Kindle. That's the current plan.

At this point, this will be my official blog and will include announcements around the book. So if you have any interest in hearing about my latest writing posted online, any promotional events, and just my thoughts in general, I'd love to have you subscribe to this blog. You have to be a member of PeopleString (free) to subscribe. You can also choose to receive an e-mail any time there's a new post to any of the blogs you've subscribed to.

Well, with PeopleString in town and -- just imagine -- paying people to use it, I can't really ignore this as my new way of blogging online. Because after all, this just seems the trend of things:

1) For years, we blindly watched commercials and obediently followed their orders.

2) We eventually became blind to commercials and stopped following orders. Commercial time became a welcome opportunity to grab a snack or hit the can.

3) We started recording our shows and skipping commercials.

4) Now, we're starting to get paid to watch them again.

That's called evolution, baby. They want us back at step one, so now they're giving us money to go buy their stuff. Great! May the best and most generous advertisers win!

So if you just ran across my blog accidentally, I welcome you to stop by my personal site and learn a bit more about me. As a budding (and dashing) young author, I'm working on getting my first novel, Darwood and Smitty, published. And I'll be posting news about that SOON on this blog. I would LOVE to have you subscribe to my blog and stay up on the news. If you're at all interested in sci-fi or politics or adventures, you should have fun with this.

Big plans, I tells ya. Big plans.