Nick Jones

The Greatest Project I've Ever Worked On...LDSJournal.com

2008-06-02T04:30:04Z

It seems like I've been working in the Internet industry forever. I've been fortunate enough to work on Vegas.com before it became the sales property it is today. I've worked on a project called Elite Recruit that was designed to help high school athletes get exposure and help collegiate institutions find them. It was actually the first real business idea I ever had and I was way ahead of my time. It was the first of its kind and the concept proved to be gold when Rivals.com later launched and MaxPreps.com sold a couple of years ago to CBS.

I was also lucky enough to get my Internet-education at LA.com when the Internet was at its height. Big parties, big contacts, and I was in the heart of Los Angeles. If I could write a story about that business, it would be a best seller. There have been a number of other projects that I've been lucky enough to be involved in and I can honestly say that I'm grateful for what I've learned along the way. Heck, Load.com has been the greatest experience and learning opportunity over the past 10 years. It's amazing we've been working together that long.

But this year I launched my greatest project to date, LDSJournal.com. It's an idea I had years ago when sitting in church discussing family history and how difficult it is for people to actually do the work. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I felt an obligation to help people with the skills and knowledge that I had. So, in March 2008, I launched LDSJournal.com as a FREE private online journaling service that allows people to keep a personal record of their lives.

If you're not familiar with the LDS Church, the leaders of the church place a particular importance on journaling and family history. For years I did not place much value on this simple task and that was my loss. I can honestly say that as I keep a personal journal today, I feel the warmth and love for my family, friends, and Heavenly Father, as words flow through my fingertips and into my journal. And my favorite part is that I can go back and read my entries and add comments to events that took place months ago. I know that someday, my grandchildren and great grandchildren will know me because of this project. And tears come to my eyes when I think that someday, somewhere in this world, a child is going to know about their grandparents because of this service. It is the greatest feeling I've ever had and LDSJournal.com is a labor of love.

So, what makes LDSJournal.com so great and why have nearly 10,000 users signed up worldwide in less than 90 days? Well, here's a few reasons:

Anytime, anywhere access - the Internet allows you to keep your journal with you anywhere. With access to your journal from you mobile phone, it's very difficult to say you couldn't capture those special moments.
FREE - c'mon, who doesn't like FREE.
On Demand Publishing - all members will be able to print their LDSJournal to a hard-bound book.
Reminders - LDSJournal sends reminders via email and TXT message to help people stay on top of their journal keeping.
Multimedia - add photos, video, and audio to your journal to augment your journal entries.

There are so many small features that make this service great and we're going to continue to add features and functionality as time moves on. One of the great things is that there have been countless blogs that have been kind enough to say nice things about this project and it means so much to me and the team that helped build this service. If you go to Google and search for the term "lds journal" you will find many great posts from people that took the time to share this service with their friends and family.

I was hesitant to post information about LDSJournal.com on my Load blog, but I felt that it was important to share this service with anyone that could benefit from keeping a record of their life. So, if you're looking for a service that will help you keep a record of your life for your posterity, you won't find a better service than LDSJournal.com.

YouLoad Updates, Load.com Changes, and Sea Stone rocks my taste buds

2008-05-31T00:59:11Z

Well, it has certainly been a while since I made a post to my personal blog here at Load.net. Admittedly, things have been busy and I've found a wonderful woman who makes it very easy for me to get distracted. ;) So, let's talk about a couple of items that have come up in the past month.

YouLoad.com Growing Rapidly
For those of you that already subscribe to our large file delivery service, you won't be surprised to hear how great it is doing. We continue to land new businesses each day and the service is proving to have major growth potential into different market segments. Later this year we will release version 3.0 of the YouLoad service and we're going to be targeting the large enterprise. We've had such high growth demand in this market segment that we can no longer pretend that companies dying to give us money doesn't entice us. Yes, we're paid mercenaries and we'll do almost anything for money. You couple that with the fact that we're in Vegas and you understand why our name is Load.com. Just kidding.

Load.com Changes
While a few of our services continue to gain market share, we can no longer afford to ignore a market segment that we've been hesitant to embrace: Web design. This year will prove to be a breakout year for Load as a high-end Web design firm. We've already landed more than fifteen new brands this year and each client brings new and exciting challenges for our team. In particular, Load.com will be working with a phenomenal organization called Win 4 Charity (www.w4c.com) and will help to facilitate their online strategies and growth models. We're very thrilled to be working with Win 4 Charity and we're extremely confident that they will love the work we're putting out.

Sea Stone will make your mouth water
If there is one place in Vegas that I would recommend to all of my friends and to none of my enemies, that place would be the newly opened Sea Stone restaurant located in Las Vegas (near Summerlin) off Charleston and Rampart. I have eaten and most of the top tier restaurants in Las Vegas and I have to admit that my meal at Sea Stone was by far the best dinner I've had in Vegas. The food presentation is awesome, the sushi is prepared wonderfully and made my mouth do a flip. The appetizers were SO GOOD that I could have happily eaten that for dinner, but I would have missed out on the most tender Wok tossed beef I've ever had. Why am I raving about this restaurant? Because I need it to stay in business because it is so damn good. So, if you live in Vegas and you stumble across my blog because you were looking up Sea Stone in Las Vegas, I promise you won't be disappointed. And if you don't like it, my guess is your tastebuds have been turn to crap from too much McDonald's.

That's it for now, but I'll be making a few other posts this weekend! In the meantime, Go Celtics! (But I really want the Lakers to win it all!)

Happy New Year! YouLoad booming, Pats go 16-0, Bowl Games Galore, 'The Task Parrots', and 4OVER.com completely sucks!

2008-01-07T23:03:20Z

Wow! I can't believe it's 2008 already. Last year sure flew by in a hurry and I'm so glad it's over. I'm not saying that it was a bad year for me, in fact, it was quite an eye opener and it was good to get back on my feet and be me again. But this year is going to be a HUGE year. Load is moving forward and we have some developments happening this quarter that are sure to inspire everyone around the office. Not to mention that YouLoad, our large file delivery service continues to gain momentum and we think YouLoad 3.0 isn't too far away. We're just looking forward to the next few months as we progress on the development side of the house and continue to grow the company.

How 'Bout them Patriots!
16-0! Unbelievable. Tom Brady breaks records. Randy Moss is resurrected and breaking records. Bill Belichick wins Coach of the Year. Man, what else can go right for Title Town? Well, don't get too excited just yet. If the weather is bad in Foxboro, things could get very interesting. I've been saying for 8 weeks now that the one team that I think could beat the Pats is the Jaguars. And now we'll see how accurate I am. I think the Pats are the best team I've ever seen (my girlfriend Amy will vouche for that) but I just think the running game of the Jags will give New England fits. So, of all the games I want to watch, it's Pats vs Jags baby!

Bowl Games, Bowl Games, Bowl Games
So much football and so many mediocre contests. I hardly watched any bowl games this year. Such a travesty! But the reality is, the college football was boring and the match ups this year were brutal. Except for the pounding that West Virgiina put on Oklahoma, nothing really surprised me. Oh, and about that Oklahoma team...are they the worst coached team in football when it comes to bowl games? Bob Stoops may be a nice guy, but he's horrible when it comes to getting his players ready. Four (4) straight BCS losses! Are you kidding me? And we're still calling him a great coach? If a salesman can't close the deal, he's not rewarded. If a guy hits on a woman at a bar and always leaves by himself, he's not a stud! So how can a guy that keeps losing be called one of the great college coaches? Quick quiz: Name the top 10 coaches in the NFL all time. My guess is you won't have Marv Levy on your list.

The Task Parrots
As the legend goes, the task parrot came out of a conversation about employees meeting timelines. We started getting a little ridiculous and sarcastic and said our employees needed something to yell at them constantly to keep them on task. We couldn't create mini versions of my ex-wife, so the next best thing was a parrot. Steve Reed, our resident Art Director drew a parrot on the board and it just stuck. So, as we thought about this year's Holiday Cartoon, we couldn't resist. Hope you enjoy 'The Task Parrots'.

4OVER.com Completely Sucks!
Recently, I placed an order for 10,000 flyers with 4OVER.com, a printing company that specializes in large print jobs. Being in Vegas, I'm certain they're used for all of the night club flyers and possibly the high-class to-your-room entertainment flyers that can be routinely found in the gutter on the strip.

Anyway, I gave 4OVER.com a job and they failed, big time. Now in all fairness, I did NOT give them a long lead time. Things were going to be tight and I knew it. So, to play it safe, I called and paid extra for overnight delivery. But it didn't matter. 4OVER.com emailed me 2 days before my event to inform me that the flyers were NOT going to be done because they had a printing problem. Well, I got on the phone with one of their managers and they emailed me a picture of the snafu. I didn't think the flyers were going to be an issue, so I said I would still pay for them at a discount. They seemed appreciative and assured me I would have the flyers in time.

So, you can imagine my surprise when the flyers didn't arrive as promised. When I called 4OVER.com to find out the status, I was put on hold and then told that the flyers were trashed and my order was cancelled. WHAT!@&$ There I sit, no flyers, and less than 24 hours before the event. Had I been given a warning or at least been told the truth, we might have been able to figure out a solution to this problem. Well, lucky me, at least their support person told me to "have a nice day" after she ripped my heart out. In the end, I got screwed and they didn't credit my card back. I'm still waiting to see the outcome of that billing problem. When I think of how much business I have personally referred to this company, I want to vomit. I DO NOT recommend doing business with this company. I'd say pay the extra $$$ and use someone like Print Runner.

The NEW SIGNARAMA.com, LoadMail, BCS Madness, and Sean Taylor

2007-12-03T20:39:49Z

As always, I try to start my personal blog with something about work so I don't get accused of turning this portion of Load.net into my own sports haven. But it's bound to happen anyway. Nevertheless, I'll take a moment to speak about an exciting development on the horizon.

The NEW SIGNARAMA.com website will be launching December 7, 2007 and it has been a LONG time coming. LOAD was hired 1 year ago to build this site. In January 2007, LOAD created more than 15 unique website designs for SIGNARAMA so they could choose one (1) for the new direction of their online presence. After long debate and a number of weeks, SIGNARAMA settled upon a layout after receiving approval from corporate and worldwide franchisors.

Now, I don't want to get into the details and the ridiculousness of this project, but I can assure you SIGNARAMA is getting a great site. If you compare this new site to their competition, I can proudly say that SIGNARAMA is the best sign franchise in the world...especially on the Internet. And, I'll be ecstatic to get all of my employees back once this is done. So check it out and let us know what you think. And if you're looking for a sign company in your area, go to www.signarama.com.

LoadMail Issues
This past week LOAD encountered an issue that has not happened for nearly five (5) years. Needless to say, we had delays in email delivery and some clients experienced email downloading errors. Fortunately, we were able to get incoming mail functioning properly and back online in a short period of time and most of our clients were patient as we resolved the issue. Luckily, most of you understood that we never would knowingly cause problems for ourselves the first day back after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Thank you for your understanding during this crazy time. Now, we'll get to deal with every random email problem that has nothing to do with LOAD being automatically blamed on us. Ah, the joys of email management at its finest.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty and talk some BCS Football
First, let me say that I was wrong about USC playing in the Las Vegas Bowl. Miraculously, USC is going to play in the Rose Bowl versus Illinois (wish it was Georgia) and I'm very happy for this turn of events. Weeks ago, I predicted that USC would not make a BCS Bowl because of the amazing effort of the Oregon football team. At that time, Dennis Dixon was the Heisman favorite and Oregon looked like the clear-cut team to beat. But, a blown knee by the Heisman favorite (I hate injuries) coupled with a few losses AND a major beatdown by USC on Arizona State and the Trojans are in the mix. Yee-haw!!! Now, if they could have just gotten a serious opponent to crush to get some love at the end of the season. Oh well, beggers can't be choosers. Of course, I want USC big in the Rose Bowl. The other games have some intriguing match-ups so I'll give you my $0.02 quickly...

FIESTA BOWL: Oklahoma should crush West Virginia. Simply put, West Virginia crumbles when they play any team with speed and can hit. Oh, and Steve Slaton disappears in big games when his team needs him most. Or maybe it's Rich Rodriguez who forgets that his best player exists.
ORANGE BOWL: Va. Tech vs. Kansas. I'm not so sure that Kansas can't win this game. I've watched Va. Tech a lot this year and they always seem ready to crumble somehow. I'm not touching this game, but I'll be rooting for Kansas.
SUGAR BOWL: Hawaii vs. Georgia. Okay, I have to be honest, I don't know that Hawaii can play with this SEC school, but I'm rooting for them like crazy. I love Davone Bess and the entire Hawaii receiving corp and I hope they come up with a game plan to totally screw with Georgia. Sorry, I'm originally from Hawaii. What can I say?
BCS Championship: LSU vs. Ohio St. Hmmm. LSU will probably win and cover the spread. But I'm rooting for Ohio St. to win this game just because they'll be playin in LSU's backyard and they'll have 65% of the crowd cheering for them.

Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins Passes Away
Such a tragic event for a young man that seemed to have the world by the tail. Obviously, I don't know Sean Taylor, but have admired him as a football player since he played for the Hurricanes. A magnificent talent with tremendous potential, Sean Taylor seemed to get in trouble and I remember thinking that he was going to be another thug player with all the talent and no brains. But something happened. Sean Taylor became a father and he grew up in a hurry. Suddenly, he was a leader and an even more ferocious competitor. It was a site to see and I personally grew to respect him more because he embraced the responsibility he had as a father and a role model. I always like Sean Taylor for what he could do on the field, but I really loved what he was becoming off the field as a young man in a vicious game. Like so many other great black athletes, I will always wonder how great Sean Taylor could have been.

Well, that's it for this week. Keep an eye out for the new SIGNARAMA.com and put all your money on the Patriots tonight versus the Ravens.

FREE LoadStats Pro, Red Sox Sweep, A-Rod Ops Out, USC Tanks, and more...

2007-10-29T17:19:58Z

Wow, there is so much to talk about on this Monday morning. Where do I begin? Well, as usual, I'll try to keep my blog posts professionally centered before going off on my sports tangent and personal life, which seems to make our clients laugh. I'm glad I can be of service to many of you that need a nice chuckle to round out your day. :)

Recently, Load.com (LOAD) decided to make a move that it has been contemplating for quite some time. In an effort to better serve our subscribers and educate them on the importance of website optimization and search engine placement, LOAD is making LoadStats Professional available to all CompanyWebsite subscribers. This means that each website owner will now have the ability to identify where all traffic is coming from and where it is going on their site. There are hundreds of reports available to each subscriber to help them better manage their site and maximize their website traffic. We hope to have this service implemented across all CompanyWebsite sites by the end of 2007. We're extremely excited about this offering and look forward to delivering more value to our members.

Sweet, that's really great for LOAD, but there's so much going on in sports...
So true. So let's get started with the Red Sox. Earlier this year I made a number of predictions that were nearly all wrong. The Red Sox started off HOT, proceeded to sleep walk through the 2nd half of the season, then turned "it" on during the playoffs when they needed to. The manner in which the Red Sox disposed of teams and crushed their hopes was eerily reminiscent of the Yankees in the '90s. I don't know if the Red Sox will win it all next year, but with such a great nucleas of young talent I have to believe they're going to make a run. I really like Jacoby Ellsbury. That kids is flat-out awesome.

A-Rod Opts Out and leaves Yankees in the lurch...
If now is a great time to be a sports fan in New England, it is equally brutal to be a sports fan in New York. Yankees stink and are OLD. Jets are brutal. Knicks are a joke. Mets are aging and choking. And the fact that your hopes may be pinned to an NFC team that has no chance of winning the Super Bowl really is further proof that some things need to change. Luckily for YOU, A-Rod may no longer be a Yankee and that may mean the curse will be lifted and you'll start winning again. No matter where A-Rod goes, he's like the black plague. Sure he'll break records, but he also breaks hearts.

My poor Trojans...
I don't know what to say. I had high expectations for USC. I thought they'd even be good enough to overcome John David Booty at QB. Alas, it isn't meant to be. A costly fumble by USC vs. Oregon late in the 3rd quarter might have cost them their season. The sad part is that they should have won the game against Oregon and definitely had their chances for the upset on the road. But at least there is a bright spot for next season. USC has tons of young talent coming back and they should get plenty of playing time now that their bowl hopes are tied to a NON-BCS bowl. Can you say BYU vs. USC in the Las Vegas Bowl? Man...how the mighty have fallen.

Patriots vs. Colts
What else can you say? Two undefeated teams playing the best football in the NFL meeting up to probably decide who has home field advantage in the playoffs. Tom Brady is unbelievable this season. Peyton Manning looks better than ever (if that's even possible). And both teams look extremely polished. The Patriots are 4.5 point favorites and I honestly see them covering that spread with no problem. I love the Colts, but there's something to be said for a killer mentality and the Pats have that big time. My greatest fear is that this game is so overhyped and it will turn out to be a disappointing game and one team (Patriots) will win in a blowout. If you were ever going to gamble, lay money on the Pats. This Halloween, the scariest monster is Tom Brady's offense. Hide the women and kids!

Happy Halloween
Here in Vegas, Halloween (October 31st) is also the State holiday. So most kids grow up thinking Halloween is a holiday and candy is cause for celebration. NICE! Anyway, I had the pleasure of attending a Halloween party this past week and I had a blast. There's something absolutely liberating about dressing up and knowing most people won't recognize you. However, I highly recommend foregoing fake facial hair if you plan on eating food at your Halloween party. It's really rough eating junk-food with a fake beard and mustache.

That's my story for this week. I'd really love to elaborate on my sports topics, but I've got way too much work to get done. Have a great week...

Photoshop World 2007, Create Magazine, Barry Bonds' Last Hurrah, and Cubs Win!

2007-10-01T17:44:17Z

This past month was pretty crazy for everyone at Load.com. At the beginning of the month we attended the 2007 Photoshop World conference in Las Vegas as a vendor. Paul Korol, our VP of Business Development, came into town for the show and we worked the booth for two days. We had great turnout at our booth and received great feedback from attendees at the show.

We also announced the release of YouLoad 2.0 and gave everyone an opportunity to check out the "good stuff" by offering a 1-Month FREE Trial to the YouLoad Enterprise service. One of our current YouLoad Enterprise subscribers, Create Magazine, stopped by our booth and took a photo of Paul and me and hopefully we'll show up in Create Mag's VOICE: Where in the World section (no pressure Julia) ;).

Overall, we were thrilled with the response we got at the show and we've been happy to see the growth of the service and the feedback from customers over the past couple of months.

Nick's Sports Fix
Well, the baseball season is almost over and I see that teams are figuring out a way to choke down the stretch. I have to say that the New York Mets continue to shoot themselves in the foot and the way they're playing, it would be a shame to have them stumbling into the playoffs. It's rough because I love Jose Reyes and David Wright and I think Willie Randolph is one of the classiest coaches in baseball. That said, I'm rooting for the Phillies and I hope the Colorado Rockies knock off the Padres so there's some hitting in the NL Playoffs.

Barry Bonds a Giant No More!
I know all of you Barry-haters are probably ecstatic that his time in SF is done. In all honesty, I'm sad to see him go and I think the Giants will miss what he brought to the team. However, I don't like how he handled the media during his departure and it only adds fuel to the fire for reporters that simply can't stand the guy. Performance enhancing drugs or not, he's simply the most impressive hitter I've ever seen in baseball and I'll be hard pressed to find anyone that makes me stop to watch an at-bat the way Barry did. So, my hope is that he'll join an American League squad, hit for a couple more years and let me enjoy him in his last couple of years. Here's to hoping he ends up in Anaheim, Oakland, or at least some AL contender so I don't have to watch him disappear into obscurity as many fans rejoice in his demise. After all, most of America's baseball fans drank the Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa Kool-Aid, so I don't want to hear about Barry Bonds.

Cubs Win! Let's Hope Steve Bartman can make a great play!
Well, the off-season spending and the hiring of manager Lou Piniella (always calm and collected) helped turn this franchise around. Admittedly, I'd love to see the Cubs in the series because it would make for great ratings, great storylines, and might actually make people watch baseball this postseason. One thing is for certain, Steve Bartman won't be anywhere near Wrigley field. You remember Steve don't you? He's the guy that was blamed for the Cubs' collapse in Game 6 a few years back. Nevermind that blaming a guy in the stands for a team's failure is the biggest load of crap ever because there's no guarantee that Moises Alou would have caught that foul ball. Nevermind that the Cubs choked the rest of the game to help usher the Marlins into the World Series. Nevermind that it completed a Cubs/Red Sox double-choke in that year's playoffs. I'm hoping Chicago goes to the World Series so people stop talking about Steve Bartman and start talking about the great team that Lou Piniella has assembled. I love Alfonso Soriano, Jacque Jones (former Twin), Derrek Lee, and all of the hard-nosed Cubs that make them fun to watch. Go Cubs!

Patriots...could...go...all...the...way!
Isn't it enough that Tom Brady gets two beautiful women to illegitimately have his child out of wed-lock? I mean the guy is on his way to becoming Ben Franklin or Wilt Chamberlain. But then, he also gets to quarterback the best team in the NFL as he single-handedly resurrects Randy Moss's career. If it wasn't for the fact that Peyton Manning makes the best commercials by an athlete, I'd be willing to have Tom's kids too! The frickin' guy is amazing and I don't see anyone stopping them. So you can be sure that I'm anxious to watch the Colts vs. Patriots game later this season, because I think both squads will be undefeated going into that match-up. Yup! That means I think the Pats will crush the Bengals on MNF!

USC Trojans look weak, and it breaks my heart to say it!
If you've ever read my blog, you know I got divorced in the past two years! One of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with. But, one thing good that did come out of my marriage was my conversion to USC football. I was introduced to USC intimately because my ex-inlaws and my ex-wife's family were SC alums. So, I was baptized into the Trojan culture with SC vs Notre Dame and it's been nuts ever since. Mind you, this all took place the season before USC became good, so I feel like I'm not a complete bandwagon jumper.

Now, that said, SC is going to break my heart this season because Cal is going to whoop up on them. I don't see any defensive back that can contain DeSean Jackson and USC's receivers look too inexperienced to step up in a game of this magnitude with National Title implications. Don't get me wrong, I want USC to win. I want them to dominate and for Booty to take a step towards the Heisman. But if their play this season is any indicator, I am going to hope and pray that the week they play Cal is the week they wake up. Otherwise, this will be DeSean Jackson's Heisman campaign coming-out party.

That's all for now, let's hope I see you guys again soon!
I'll try to post something soon. I may actually post my mortal-locks of the week so we can see if my picks are better than Colin Cowherd's on ESPN Radio.

Until then...have a great week and GO ROCKIES!

SCORE with Sign-A-Rama, ReviewJournal.com, 756, and more...

2007-08-23T02:28:21Z

If you haven't been to West Palm Beach, FL I highly recommend it. The weather is great even with the humidity, and if you like good looking people it's not a bad place to be. :) Fortunately for me, I had the pleasure of spending most of last week in West Palm Beach, albeit on business, but who's complaining? United Franchise Group, the umbrella corporation for such recognizable brands as Sign-A-Rama, Embroidme, and Billboard Connection, held their 1st Annual Vendor Alliance Summit and I'd say it was a huge success. Vendors from all over the U.S. and abroad arrived at UFG's headquarters and participated in one of the most inspirational and productive meetings I've ever taken part in. As you can see in the photo to the right, the Summit was a huge success and I know that all of the vendors left feeling great about the direction that UFG and it's underlying brands, is heading.

Load.com is the primary Web-based technology provider for UFG. We deliver services ranging from corporate e-mail communication, web analytics, hosted DNS, content management systems, and domain name management. We also have been tasked with the challenge of optimizing all of UFG's online initiatives for organic search results. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a very effective method of generating leads cost effectively and UFG is very progressive with it's strategy and implementation of various Web-related services. We're looking forward to the new SignARama.com website and we're certain that all of the Sign-A-Rama franchisees will love what's coming down the pipe. We'll keep you posted!

ReviewJournal.com Planning Big Online Moves with Load
Las Vegas' #1 local newspaper continues to expand it's online initiatives and LoadStats will be in the mix. We recently met with their Online Advertising Department and figure to have a big hand in the development and optimization of their online properties. One of the many advantages associated with LoadStats Web Analytics is our Search Engine Optimization reports. LoadStats monitors the organic search results for keywords and key search phrases as defined by the client. LoadStats' ability to identify current search position and then historically compare organic search results over time makes Load's Web statistics solution invaluable for many clients, including the Review Journal.

Barry Bonds Hits 756 and then explodes...
Okay. If you don't know that I'm a HUGE Barry Bonds fan, now you do! Here's my take and I'll get off my soap box. Barry Bonds is, quite simply, the best hitter I've ever witnessed. You can argue about Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams, etc. The fact is, I haven't seen those players in real life, so I won't comment on them. However, I DO think that those older players played during a time when pitching talent was harder to come by and teams did not use a strong bullpen system to close out games. So, my estimation is that there were a lot of home runs coming off tired pitchers late in the game.

For those of you that want to talk steroids, I'm tired of hearing it. He's still hitting the ball and you can't guarantee me that pitchers he faced were not juicing. Play the averages and I bet it all evens out.

Also, take into account that Bonds pretty much lost the better part of two (2) seasons recovering from surgery and it's pretty remarkable that he has accomplished what he has. If he plays healthy for those 2 seasons, you could possibly add another 60 home runs to his total. So, YAY for Barry, boo on you for not paying attention.

Michael Vick Pleads Guilty...
Man, I don't even know where to start. If you don't know what this topic is about, I'd like to congratulate you on waking up out of your coma. It breaks my heart that this young man blew his opportunity to change his life and the generations of Vicks coming after him. Nevermind the fact that there are a number of young men looking up to him that have been let down. You can get into the money and the team being let down, but quite frankly, I'm just sad to see such a great talent with so much potential be wasted.

Fantasy Football is set to Kick Off...
I spend most of my time talking to non-technical people and apologizing for talking over their heads when describing what Load.com is and what my functionality is within the constraints of the company. Now, I have to apologize to all of the technical people I know that know absolutely SQUAT about football and think Fantasy Sports is a waste of time. The truth is, IT IS a waste of time, but so what!!! What really matters is how much useless knowledge you can put together during the season to really make people aware of your ability to rattle off non-sense on a whim. And, if you want to pull the wool over on your significant other's friends, please see the tip sheet below:

Things you should incorporate into your pre-game and in-game rituals during the football season

If your spouse has a favorite team, know who their best players are.
Yell obscenities during the game to show your passion. Examples include, "That's a bullsh*t call!" and "We got totally screwed by that replay official."
Bet $5.00 on the game you're watching. You'd be amazed how even the chance to win $$$ to pay for your appetizer heightens your senses.
Wear a jersey during the game (Ladies this is pretty sexy.)
Call your friends after big plays and sound overly excited! Also yell obscenities to make you seem really pumped.
High-five everyone in the room after touchdowns or scores that give your team the lead.

Now, this is by no means a comprehensive list, but it's a good start. I hope you enjoy the football season and if you need help deciding on which tight end or which sleeper receiver you should pick up for your fantasy squad, just shoot me an email.

Until next time, go Trojans!

It's Been A Long Time Baby! Photoshop World 2007, Client Web Design, Yosemite, and More...

2007-08-01T01:51:30Z

Wow! After looking at my blog, I realized that it has been a long time since I've written anything, let alone anything worth reading. For those of you that have written me wondering when my next sports diatribe was going to take place, just keep reading. With Barry Bonds so close to pissing off the entire sports media world, you know I'll have to contribute my $0.02. And, I'll be sure to give my own personal take on all the mayhem taking place in sports. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I would like to touch on a few things that are happening here at Load.com.

Photoshop World 2007 in Las Vegas
The best convention for web designers, photographers, and graphics aficionados is coming back to Vegas. Photoshop World 2007, produced by NAPP, is sure to be a smash hit and Load.com will have a booth in the exhibit hall (#342 to be exact). We're pretty excited about the show because a number of our designers enjoy taking part in the sessions and learning from the best Photoshop gurus around AND we're going to be launching our highly-anticipated YouLoad 2.0 service. I'd love to tell you all about the features we're going to be including in the new version, but you'll just have to stop by our booth to check it out.

Boyd Martin Construction Goes Live...
Many of you know that Load.com has been creating content management systems (CMS) for a number of high profile clients. What many of you don't know is how we're modifying our software to be able to meet the needs of many small and medium-sized businesses. One of the companies that is really making a charge in Las Vegas is Boyd Martin Construction. We recently completed construction of their new site and we're very pleased with the look, functionality, and control that they now have at their fingertips. Please take a moment to check out their new website at http://www.bmcnv.com/.

NEW Clark County Water Reclamation District Website
In the past, Load.com has had the pleasure of helping the CCWRD create various online marketing campaigns that have garnered national attention and won numerous awards. Naturally, we were excited to help them also create a new website for The Pipeline, a new phase of sewer system upgrades in the east part of the Las Vegas valley. While simplistic in nature, we helped create a simple color scheme, logo, and managed to put the CMS system in place in less than a week. We're very happy with the quality of the site and look forward to using this site as a benchmark for future projects. Please take a moment to learn more about The LV Pipeline.

Yosemite - My Home Away from Home
I've been going to Yosemite during the summer for quite a few years. You'd think I'd be sick of this place by now, but I guess living in Vegas makes the beauty of the great outdoors magnificent every time I lay my eyes on it. Located in Northern California (for those of you thinking of Yellowstone in Wyoming), Yosemite is one of our great National Parks full of majestic waterfalls, lakes, mountains, sequoia, bear, deer, horse trails, camp grounds, and so much more. Better yet, every time I go to Yosemite I get to enjoy a handful of days where my phone doesn't ring, my laptop doesn't connect, and clients can't come nagging me for help. It always reminds me of a Master Card commercial. That said, by the 4th day, I started to get the itch for civilization and many of the amenities that I have become accustomed, such as clean laundry and private showers, started to make my eyes misty. However, I made sure to take a photo next to one of my favorite waterfalls (Vernal Falls) just to give all of the clients that I deal with directly an idea of how much I missed them. :) Okay, I'm just kidding. It is nice to be back because you can only go to the bathroom in the forest so many times before you start to wonder why so many Americans leave civilization to pretend they're poor.

Sports Rundown...
Barry Bonds hits 754 and he's playing the Dodgers tonight. All the talk has been centered around whether or not he deserves to be recognized by the Dodgers if/when he hits 756 to pass Hank Aaron. As a Barry Bonds fan, even I don't think the Dodgers really owe him anything major. The Dodgers-Giants rivalry is one of the great rivalries in baseball and I would expect no love lost between these two organizations. It's not like it will be the last home run he ever hits. However, I do think MLB should acknowledge his achievement when he gets back to SF in a special ceremony. Let's be honest, most people have formed their opinion of Barry Bonds thanks to the media scrutiny. Would anyone really care if talk radio and ESPN weren't ripping into this guy. I guess that's why I watch sports for the entertainment and try not to let athletes be my moral compass.

NOTE: I just took an ESPN poll that asked, "Which milestone would you most look forward to seeing tonight?" Unbelievably, more people chose Tom Glavine's 300th victory over the greatest record in all of sport. That's living proof that people can be told what to think...

Kevin Garnett is a Celtic - Wow! Instant contender in the East. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG. Him, sounds like a high-scoring trio that has never won a championship, but knows how to carry a team. This will be an interesting team to watch. The big question is can Boston handle success in 3 major sports at the same time? I say, "NO." So, watch out Red Sox Nation.

Tour De France - Huh? There was a race? When? Another sport with performance enhancing drugs, but no serious coverage. Hmmm. Well that's because no American rider that mattered was competing. What really baffles me is that America completely bought Lance Armstrong's story hook, line, and sinker, but completely hates Bonds. It's why Hollywood is great. American's love impossible stories and the amazing comebacks. I mean, weren't there a bunch of you that thought OJ was innocent for a little while?

Cubbies on a Tear and on the way to the Series? - There I said it. They're doomed now!

Can Football Start Already? - Sorry, that's what everybody is saying in Vegas! If it's not fantasy sports, sports wagering, NFL, or college football, I don't know what people are looking forward to towards the end of 2007.

What's New in Nick's Life...
Well, long story short, I met an amazing woman who has done nothing but bring complete happiness to my life and it has lasted longer than 1 week. Amazingly, it has lasted a couple of months and that's saying something. I've got my fingers crossed on this one, so throw a penny in a wishing well for me if you have a chance. Seriously...she's amazing.

That's it for this post. I'll try to keep everything up to date moving forward. We've been so busy with projects that it's been tough sitting down to write my blog, but I promise to be better moving forward. Have a great week!

A few random thoughts that crossed my mind these past couple of weeks...

2007-06-25T04:24:00Z

Well, it's been a little while since I made my last post and a number of clients and friends have been accusing me of slacking on the blog. To be honest, there's been so much going on, I haven't really had a chance to coherently assemble my thoughts and lay the smack down on a number of topics. So, without wasting any time, I'll jump right into it.

Load.com Closing In on Funding - Load.com is one of the few start-up Internet companies that has survived the fiasco that was the "Dot-Bomb" economy and then managed to survive during the following economic downturn that resulted from 9-11. We've watched as the "next great things" from 1997 have been recycled and thrown up under a different name and we've seen more crazy ideas and watched businesses start and fail as we continued to plug along. But that is all about to change. Load.com is in the process of securing funding that will allow our team to fully perfect some our services and add additional staff to an already great team. If you know me, you know that I can't wait to knock the taste out of the competition's mouth. It's going to feel SO good.
Tiger Woods Keeps my Prediction in tact - Unfortunately, Tiger is making me look prophetic thus far in 2007 and I'd prefer Tiger win all the Major golf events. It's not that I'm hating on Tiger because even I was propped in front of my television on Father's Day. But the reality is that he just became a Dad (he had a girl the day after the U.S. Open) and that will take a toll on him in a good way. I believe parenthood is something that changes everyone in a wonderful way. Who knows, he'll probably close out the year with 2 Majors just for his daughter and I'll be rooting all the way for him.
Even LeBron Can't Do It Alone - With all the talk lately about superstar basketball players wanting to be traded (Kobe and KG), LeBron made me a true believer this postseason. I won't jump on the crazy-people bandwagon that annoints him as the greatest performer of all time, but the man is awesome in so many different ways. According to the television ratings, most of you didn't watch the NBA Finals, and that's a shame. I hope you'll take a moment to watch the new #23 leave his mark on the league. He's special. Who knows, maybe he'll drag his teammates to the finish line.
Bad Summer for Movies - I don't know what else to say about this. I'm usually one of those guys that likes everything and I can find something entertaining about all flicks. But this summer I've now felt complete disappointment with Spiderman 3, Pirates 3, and Fantastic 4. I'm just begging and pleading that Die Hard won't suck and Transformers is as good as the commercials. By the way, my sleeper movie for the summer is Mr. Brooks and that's saying something because a Kevin Costner fan I am not. Oh, and for the record, 1408 with John Cusack was brutal as well.
Bonds Goes Deep @ Fenway - So, I may get some backlash from some of my old friends, but I was SO HAPPY to see Bonds hit one out at Fenway (he's got 749 after taking the Yanks deep too) and not because he inched closer to Hank Aaron. I don't really care about records. But I do care that so many of the people I talk sports with are bandwagon jumpers and they only have an opinion about Bonds because they read the paper or listen to talk radio. For once, it would be nice to speak to someone that has an original opinion about sports that doesn't come from Colin Cowherd or Dan Patrick. Most of the people I know that like the Boston Red Sox are total bandwagon jumpers. So much in fact, that I'm practically rooting for a Red Sox to collapse so I can laugh at Curt Schilling.
Maroon 5's New CD - Simply put, it's great and you'll love it if you liked the last CD. I especially like tracks #5, #10, #11, and #12.
SportcoLasVegas.com Re-Design Goes Live - My buddy, Rob Campbell, has taken Sportco Sporting Goods from a smaller sporting goods retailer to the leading supplier of team sports equipment and uniforms in all of Southern Nevada. I had to brag about his new site since Load.com had a hand in it. Special thanks goes out to Joe Meeks and Steve Reed for doing such a great job on Rob's site. If you're looking for a great deal on equipment, be sure to check out Rob's eBay store because he always has new items and great deals direct from the manufacturers.
Ricky Hatton knocks out Jose Luis Castillo - I'm not a huge boxing fan, but I completely understand why people go to the fight and why they keep coming back. The star-studded event was a blast to attend and with thousands of Brits on hand to cheer on Hatton, I was completely entertained by the cheers and trash-talking taking place. Hatton showed up in a blue sombrero mocking Castillo and then promptly put a beating on him. The fight ended in the 4th with a vicious body-blow that put Castillo to the mat. It didn't quite live up to the expectations that many had for the fight, but it still beat the Mayweather vs. De La Hoya fight.
Earl Cole wins Survivor Fiji and hangs out in Vegas - I had the pleasure of meeting Earl Cole, the most recent victor in the Survivor reality TV series. Admittedly, I don't watch Survivor and my friend Warren kept asking me where the guy from My Name is Earl was. Needless to say, Earl is a cool guy and it was great chatting with him during the fight. I tell you, living in Vegas, you see everything and at some point meet all types.

Okay, so I realize this is not the typical blog format that I deliver and I'm going to provide more information in the next post about what's going on at Load, but just wanted to throw some things out there so everyone knows I'm alive and kicking.

Peter Lik Photography, UFC's Chuck Liddell, and Load.net Support

2007-05-28T00:10:36Z

As many of you know, I typically start my weekly blog post with information about Load services or new clients that are coming on board and I conclude with sports or something that took place in my life during that week that I thought was worth sharing. In a way, I'm going to do both with my first topic, the amazing Peter Lik.

For those of you who don't know Peter Lik, I'll simply say that in my humble opinion, he's the best landscape photographer in the world. His images transcend photography and seemingly leap out of the frame as a unique piece of art capturing a moment in time better than anything I've ever seen. This past year I was introduced to Pete's work at his Mandalay Bay Gallery and I was instantly amazed. Words cannot describe how Pete captures color, light, and emotion in his photos.

So, now that I sound like a teenage girl in love with Justin Timberlake, you can only imagine how pumped I was yesterday, May 26, to attend Pete's private engagement for collectors at the Venetian in Las Vegas. My family and friends that attended the event with me described it as something straight out of Sex & the City. Here we were, hob-knobbing with architects, hotel owners, and vineyard owners -- all avid collectors -- and some with more than 10 Peter Lik pieces. Not to mention, the room was filled with good looking people from top to bottom all dressed to kill. It was something straight out of an HBO series shot in Las Vegas. Yup, just another typical weekend in Vegas, and I was in the middle of it. AWESOME!

And this relates to work how... Well, on May 25, one day prior to his event, I was lucky enough to catch Pete at his Mandalay Bay gallery and get a photo with him next to my first purchase called Genesis, which is shown in the photo above. Afterwards, I had an opportunity to briefly speak with Pete about his web presence and he expressed a genuine interest in Load and the possibility of doing work together in the future. I know that we would be honored to work with Peter Lik and I can only hope we'll have an opportunity to show the world just how great Pete's work is.

If you have a moment, stop by one of Pete's galleries. You'll be amazed. And if you're in the market for a new piece of artwork that will amaze visitors coming to your home or office, please contact Paul McMahon in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay gallery. Tell him Nick Jones with Load.com referred you and he'll take great care of you.

Quite possibly the worst concert seats in the history of concert seats and I still had a blast! First, I want my mother to know that I appreciated her winning these tickets on the radio and passing them over to me. She seems to win everything (yes people actually win stuff on the radio) and it was nice of her to share her winnings so I might delight in her spoils. Now, the truth of the matter is that the radio station pulled what I affectionately refer to as a "money pit". This is when you're passing off something that, at first glance, looks and sounds great, but turns out to be a big, fat, rotten egg. So, as I sat their laughing at the seats and how I could barely see the band, I was still able to hear the music and that was well worth the price of admission, which was FREE. Oh, and Jon Bon Jovi did turn around and acknowledge the riff-raff seated in the behind-the-stage section. Man that Bon Jovi sure has a heart.

UFC 71 Pay-Per-View reminded me of Mike Tyson fights in the late 80's
Well, I missed the fight that everyone was talking about as the "real deal" since Mayweather vs. De La Hoya didn't quite live up to the hype. And it appears that I lucked out big time. Chuck Liddell got knocked out in the first round at the 1:53 mark and Rampage Jackson howled in victory after knocking out the champ. (Is it me or does Rampage Jackson look like the lead werewolf from Underworld?) Anyway, I love how the fighters thrust back their arms and howl to the sky after they've officially beaten their opponent. Pretty intimidating stuff. That said, I'm glad I didn't have to eat the Pay-Per-View cost only to watch the fight end like Tyson vs. Spinks.

By the way, this outcome was a shock to me and most people I spoke to, including my resident fight guru, Dawn Sousa, who picked Liddell to win by knockout. Actually, her exact words were, "Liddell is going to knock Jackson out." Oops! Well, if it is any consolation, I liked Liddell in the fight too. I'm just glad I didn't plan my Saturday night around this fight. Whew!

And this week, last but not least is Load Support
As many of you already know, Load.net is being converted to hold all of the support content for each of the Load services. If you have any questions you would like answered or topics you would like to see in the Load.net community, please submit all inquiries to support@load.com and our Technical Support Team will get crackin'.

Well, that's it for this week. I'm looking forward to a quiet Monday tomorrow. There's so much to be done and Load.com is making some huge moves that I'm looking forward to sharing with you in the near future. Have a great Memorial Day holiday and I'll look forward to hearing from you on Tuesday.

Entrepreneurs, LoadStats, CompanyWebsite Customization, and Sports!

2007-05-19T23:59:01Z

Well, it's Saturday and the weather is beautiful in Vegas baby! It's a great day for golf, getting a tan, or just doing something outside. But... I'm in the office to get some work done and other than Michael Bublé playing in the background appropriately singing Me and Mrs. Jones, it's quiet -- very quiet. I love it. It's been a long time since I've worked at the office on the weekend (typically I login from home). However, I must admit, it's nice to be away from all the distractions like barking dogs, crazed family members yelling at the television during the Preakness, or the battle to fight off urges for junk-food because I'm too lazy to make something healthier (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about). Which leads me into my first topic for many of our budding entrepreneurs that subscribe to Load services.

Sacrifices must be made...
I've had the pleasure of being a guest speaker for many entrepreneurial/business classes at UNLV and the Community College of Southern Nevada. It always makes me smile when I see the students because so often you can group them into categories: sleeper, know-it-all, wanna-be, and diamond in the rough. The sleeper is easy to spot because they're sleeping. The know-it-all is nodding 'Yes' to everything you're saying and NOT taking notes. The wanna-be talks to you after the session and tells you about 100 different ideas they have and how they're going to do them all at once. And finally, the diamond in the rough is taking notes, asking questions, and actually trying to understand how your business works and why. But the one thing that nearly all of these students fail to comprehend is the sacrifices that will be asked of them to make it as an entrepreneur (excluding consultants that outsource the work). While I do realize there are entrepreneurs that have it easier than others (I can't honestly say the guy who founded Girls Gone Wild on credit cards struggled too mightily at the start), most entrepreneurs learn early on that owning a successful business means never getting to take a break, staying at the office late, eating fast-food meals, and often raising your level of stress. Sounds awesome doesn't it? And that's just a typical week.

So, what makes being a business owner worth the sacrifice?
While I'd love to say that it's helping people and feeling a huge sense of worth at the end of the day, I almost gag just thinking it. For me it's truly about doing something you love because work doesn't feel like WORK. It's about creating the environment you want to work in and doing the best you can every day knowing that some days are absolutely better than others. I get asked all the time what are the 3 most important things I've learned as a business owner and I'd like to share them with you:

Attitude is Everything - as a business owner you have the highest highs and the lowest lows. The key is to stay even keeled, especially if everyone in the company is looking to you as the leader and inspiration. Just remember when talking to employees, coffee is for closers.
"Experience is Expensive" - one of my favorite sayings that I like to think I made up. Learn from others at all times. As a business owner there's no time to waste if you're operating in a market niche that is time sensitive. And you know the cliché... time is money.
Make Time for YOU - this is usually the first thing to go when you start a business. I suggest you hold onto this with all your mite, otherwise you'll end up bitter or fat, or worse... bitter AND fat.

There are so many things to be learned in business and I personally feel as a business owner you learn things you'd never encounter as an employee in a corporation. That said, as an employee your day usually ends at 5PM. :)

LoadStats integration into CompanyWebsite
There's not much to say on this other than FINALLY! We'll be making an announcement in the next couple of weeks that will allow CompanyWebsite subscribers to automatically activate LoadStats in their account.

Quote of the week from LoadStats subscriber TV4U.com: "Get this Google stats crap off my site!"

TV4u.com previously used Google Analytics, but was so disappointed with the accuracy that they searched for an alternate provider. After setting up LoadStats, you could immediately see the discrepancy in reporting. I thought this was so funny because it is rare that you hear anything negative about Google. Usually people just blindly walk towards the light. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

CompanyWebsite Customization
We've had a number of CompanyWebsite subscribers request help in customizing their franchisee sites. While the service allows all subscribers to make changes to the site in real-time and includes HTML content items, images, and plug-n-play applications, our Technical Support team has finally convinced us that we need to offer a custom design service. Load will help franchisees customize their sites within the framework of their franchisor's corporate mandate as it relates to websites. Be on the lookout for this announcement. If you're a CW subscriber, we'll be knocking on your door soon. If you want to beat all of the other franchisees to the punch, give us a call at 702.898.1234.

And Last but Not Least, Sports!
Normally I give a rundown of the major sporting events that took place during the week (minus soccer and hockey....I mean c'mon). But this week, I'm going to touch on a few topics that I've had fun arguing about with friends. Enjoy!

This week saw the elimination of the Golden State Warriors AND the Phoenix Suns, easily the two most explosive offenses in the playoffs this year. Unfortunately for the NBA, the best teams are in their respective conference finals and nobody is going to care. No offense to the Jazz-Spurs-Pistons-Cavs fan base, but there's only going to be 5 cities watching basketball this week. Each of the four team's home town and Vegas because of betting. The NBA doesn't have compelling games and quite frankly, half the reason I'll watch at all now is because I like Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley from TNT who provide hilarious commentary on the games.
Boston Red Sox have the best record in baseball. I must admit, they look like the best team right now. They have the best pitching, they have pretty good hitting across the board and the only team that I would take over the Sox right now is the Indians because they're hitting the crap out of the ball. So, we'll see if the Red Sox can keep it up or if they'll break the hearts of all their fans come fall. I can't say that I'm not expecting a collapse of monumental proportions, but we'll just have to wait and see.
If I had to put money on it, I'd bet that Roger Clemens took performance enhancing drugs. If you look at his stats while he was in Boston, his numbers continued to get worse and worse, particularly from ages 30-33. But, then miraculously, at ages 34, 35, 38, 41, AND 42, he won the Cy Young and was lights out. What amazes me is that Roger Clemens got better during the years in his life he was supposed to be getting worse AND he did this all during the Steriod Era. Hmmm...well, for those of you that continue to only point at Barry Bonds and say he doesn't look look the same as when he came into the league, here's a photo of Clemens.
I love Dodgers fans because most of them live in fantasy land. I don't know if it is because of the proximity to Disneyland, but every Dodger fan I talk to (except maybe my cousins and my uncle) swears to me that the Dodgers are going to the Series. While I think they're playing great and could contend, they always seem to come out of the gate quick and then tank after the All-Star break and let an aging crappy team like the Giants back in it. While this sounds good to me because I like the Giants, the Dodgers are clearly the better squad and should contend for the NL Pennant. One can only hope because my cousins deserve a break and don't need me and my brother giving them crap for another season. Especially my cousin Luke who was nice enough to take me to a Dodger game last weekend. You da man Luke!
The NFL does a much better job of creating an environment where fans will happily condone players taking performance enhancing drugs. IMPRESSIVE indeed! Shawn Merriman was suspended in 2006 for use of a banned substance, yet he came back and was named to the Pro Bowl. Amazingly, no matter how hard ESPN tried to make this a topic, fans wouldn't bite and the story died. I personally think steroids is all over the place in the NFL. Heck, when a former Pittsburgh Steelers player from the mid- to late-70s admitted to taking steroids when they were winning championships, it really makes you wonder who else was juiced. Not to mention, the Carolina Panthers' recent steroid scandal where even a Punter was taking steroids. That said, only 110 days till the seaon starts. YAY!
If a puck dropped in the forest, would anyone hear it? I wonder if we'll ever see a day when ESPN simply doesn't show a hockey highlight. I don't mean to sound as if I hate the sport. Actually, I think it is a great game and some of the best athletes I knew in college were hockey players. That said, it just amazes me how little people talk about the sport. Granted, I am on the West Coast and Vegas doesn't have a team. However, I was in LA last weekend and I didn't hear anyone talking about the Anaheim Ducks, but I could still hear people talking about Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Not a good sign for the NHL in general.

Well, that's it for this week. I'm sure I'll be hearing from you during the work week! Have a great weekend and Get Loaded!