I just received 107 Google Adsense Points

I just received my first every payment from Google AdSense. I have been informed, back channel, that according to the contract that I clicked on rapidly without ever reading when I signed up in the first place that I am not supposed to publicly disclose the exact amount of money I receive from this service.

I've been signed up for well over six months and today received my first deposit. I cannot actually tell you what the exchange rate is between Google AdSense points and any other currency but, let me assure you, that it is indeed enough money to purchase a number of six packs of beer. As previously promised, I will provide a detailed list and commentary about these delicious beers in a future post.

It's an interesting co-incidence that just a day after I cancelled my Google AdWords advertising campaign I received these funds. My Gooogle Adwords campaign ran for about a month and cost me around $500. I received many clicks (not coincidentally around 500) and about 5 very low quality leads. By 'leads' I mean someone sent me an email asking if the property was still for sale and then never followed up again. I'm not entirely certain this was the best way I could have spent $500 in advertising for my Lake Property but, nevertheless, I am certainly done.

I did post the property on Craigs List and got about five times the hits I ever received from Google Adsense. The property will eventually sell, if not this year then next, if not next year, than the one after. Last I checked they aren't making more property in Lake of the Ozarks with 1,000 foot of shoreline, five acres, and a nice building lot. Eventually it will sell and when I sell it I will make some form of a profit; even if that is only $1. It helps to be able to wait, if I have to. Then again, if I were to sell it right now I might do something silly (stupid?) (fun!) like buying a new sports car. Afterall, it seems like we have a limited amount of time left to drive absurd sports cars on this planet and I'm ready for at least one more go-around. I'm toying with ideas like an Acura NSX or maybe a Lotus Elise.

My OCD remains intact from yesterday and I am compounding my concern with vacation preparation with making sure that I have everything neatly wrapped up at work so I don't leave a bunch of stuff hanging.

So that I have something vaguely Masonic themed to include in this blog post I am going to carbon copy a comment I made on another Masonic weblog out there. This blogger was slightly annoyed that someone recommended 'Freemasons for Dummies' since, after all, it has the word 'dummy' in the title. As we should all know by now Right Worshipful Brother Christopher Hodapp had no great control over the title of his book. However, given the opportunity to write on this topic he did an incredible job regardless of the title and format he was stuck with. His most recent book, titled 'Solomon's Builders', is an incredible effort that is as entertaining as it is informative.

What struck me when I read the blog post was that the author was also reading 'The Meaning of Masonry' by Wilmhurst. He claimed he was saving 'Freemasons for Dummies' until he was finished with the Wilmhurst book.

Now, comparing Wilmhurst to Hodapp is kind of like comparing apple flavored bacon to duck ala orange. Wilmhurst is mighty entertaining to read but trying to understand what he's talking about does sort of assume that you have certain paranormal or psychic capabilities. Reading Hodapp sort of assumes you are a rational thinking human being who lives in the United States of America and are capable of responding to balanced, factual, and coherent information about fraternal organizations.

I will include a copy of my comment here so that I can spread my mind-meme further than a buried comment normally allows:

Hmmmm...comparing 'The Meaning of Masonry' to 'Freemasons for Dummies' is definitely an apples and oranges kind of thing.

Brother Hodapp does provide an excellent introduction to Masonry in American Society today. It is a great resource; not only to the new Mason but also to his family members and friends.

Brother Hodapp takes a fairly conservative approach in his presentation and generally sticks to the facts of the matter.

There is not even the slightest whiff of anything esoteric in his book and, to be frank, it's probably for the best.

On the other hand Wilmhurst is almost entirely esoteric in his interpretation of the ritual. His insight and commentary makes for fascinating reading and infuses the mind with ideas about the deeper nature of our symbolism.

At a certain point he makes it quite clear that he views the 3rd degree ritual as a straightforward allegory for the crucifixion of Christ and he places most of the Freemason ritual in a Christian framework. He merely points out that the specifics are intentionally muddied so as to make it generic enough for all men to participate in.

I love Wilmhurst, and I love reading his views on Masonic ritual. However, he was not considered mainstream even during his day and is most certainly not considered mainstream now.

As other Freemason bloggers will tell you, you will find little, if any, esoteric views within a Masonic loge in the United States.

For my own part I have come to terms with this. We are not supposed to discuss religion in a Freemason lodge and, just as I would not be comfortable being prostelyzed about a particular Christian faith, I don't feel any particular esoteric interpretations need be part of our official ceremony.

That said, in the privacy of intimate conversation or at the festive board, I would welcome such discussions.

What I have personally come to learn about esoteric interpretations of Freemason ritual is that they are speaking to a very specific subset of human beings. Not everyone can 'feel energies', 'see auras', 'pierce the veil', 'communicate with entities', or have other seemingly paranormal experiences.

Don't get me wrong. I quite envy those who do; it just doesn't work for me. The energies and symbolism invoked in commentary by the likes of Wilmhurst are for a select few who are gifted with certain psychic abilities that escape the vast majority of the population.

For my own part, I am quite satisfied with the surface benefits of our institution. The shared experience, bonds, fellowship, and trust engendered by our rituals serve as adequate reward for our active participation in the ceremonies we share.

Brother John