In the cycling world, completing a 100 mile bike ride is similar to a runner completing a marathon.  Both require a great deal of preparation and mental fortitude.   I get asked a lot by other cyclists about  how to plan for their first century.  Preparing for your first century bike ride is much simpler than you might think.  There are 3 key areas on which to focus:

• Hydration & Nutrition
• Gear
• Training

Hydration and Nutrition

Hydration and nutrition are the fuel that keeps you going.  Screw these up in training or during the century ride and you screw yourself.  Sounds dramatic.  I know.  But it is too true.  You should be sipping H2O and/or sports drink every 15 minutes on all of your rides.  Though you won’t have food and water stations on your training rides, take advantage of them on your century ride.  But, don’t get greedy!  Save snacks and hydration for other people too.

Tips:

1. Experiment with different food and hydration on your training rides so that you can identify a combo that works for your body.
2. Keep some sports gels handy.  I like Hammer Nutrition, but you can more easily find Gu and PowerBar gel.  **Don’t go overkill on these.
3. Don’t limit yourself only to sports bars.  I like Fig Newtons a lot.  Also a good PB&J works wonders.
4. Don’t limit yourself only to sports drinks like Gatorade.  They are HIGH in high fructose corn syrup.

Gear

Any bike will work, honestly.  Granted if you plan on riding a crappy “mountain” bike from a discount retailer, your century ride will suck.  The key is to get a road or touring bike.  Narrower and non-knobby tires translates into reduced rolling resistance.  Depending on the time of year and geographic location of your century, you’ll need to be prepared for cold, rain and sun.

Tips: 

• Hot and humid conditions?  Plenty of sunblock, salt tabs, light cycling-specific base layer to help wick sweat from body.
• Windy or chilly conditions?  Cover your knees by wearing leggings, knee warmers, booties, arm warmers or long sleeve wool base layer.
• Freezing cold conditions?  Windproof layer on top, booties, warm wool leggings, thin headband or balaclava.
• Get a bike fit from a certified bike fitter.  Seriously.  DON’T skip this step.
• clipless pedals are key if you want to be comfortable and be able to engage different muscle groups at different times.
• rain jacket that is cycling specific that you can cram into the back pockets of your jersey if you think it will rain
• full saddle bag with tools and tubes, etc.

Training

You’ll have to train for a century ride.  There is no getting around it.  They key is to give yourself at least 6 weeks of consistent riding.  You need to give your neck, ass, shoulders, triceps and legs time to get used to performing on a bike for 100 miles.  It takes a bit of time.  The good news is that the body adapts quickly.

Tips:

• At the beginning focus more on frequency, not distance
• Ride at least 3 times per week
• Save long rides for Saturday
• Don’t be afraid to get an indoor cycling trainer from your local bike shop for areas with lots of rain or snow
• Do it with a friend or local group if possible.  It’s always safer to ride in groups for any number of reasons.

When most of us think of Central America, Costa Rica is the only thing that comes to mind.  With talk of exotic eco-lodges, nesting turtles and surfing, it’s easy to see why most people don’t mention their plans to hit the port city of Bluefields in Nicaragua.

Those of you that have cracked a history book in the last 2 decades recall that Nicaragua was a country filled with civil wars and US military operations.  The good news is that it’s really not all that dangerous for tourists.  Some say it’s safer than the USA.  That’s not saying much, however.  Because of this perception, it makes for a place that is not nearly as traveled as its Central American neighbors.

If you want to get your trip off to a good start, you could travel to the Caribbean side of the country (on the Mosquito Coast) and go to Corn Islands.  These islands are just over an hour off the coast of the mainland.  They consist of two islands.  For you marine enthusiasts out there, there is a coral reef.  So get your waterproof cameras ready.

Once on the island, you can rent a scooter to get around.  It typically runs cheaper than $50 per day.  If you’re like me, you’ll want to just kick your feet up and relax.  If relaxing is not your type of thing you can swim among ship wrecks, sharks and sting rays.  I prefer hammocks, however.

If you are a serious diver and want to see why people are talking about Little Corn Island, then just jump on the boat taxi for the 30 min ride.  It will be worth your time and you can get some good dives in for cheap.  Once you’re done, have a snack of fresh lobster.  It is what most of the fisherman catch, after all.

Without being a buzzkill, we feel it duty to inform you that the US government highly recommends not traveling along to these sorts of remote places.  The police force in these remote island areas have little-to-no training.  Sadly, there have been a few assaults on women in the last few years. The solution is to travel with a small group or be a kung fu master.

At the end of the day, Nicaragua is like any other country.  There will always be an element of crime, but the kindness and warmth exuded by the local folks more than makes up for any sort of reputation we may have heard about.

All you have to do is grab a beer, put on some sunblock and pay attention to your surroundings.

Dear Waiters,

You work long hours, deal with lame managers and pray that all of your tables have a high per person average (PPA).  With your tips you pay rent, buy groceries, possibly support a family (and/or drug habit), cover tuition costs and any number of other things that require cash.  In light of all of that, why oh why do the majority of your brethren totally suck at being waiters?

The truth is that it is not difficult to give good service.  You just have to be present and give a damn.  It’s time that crappy waiters and their crappier managers overhaul their mindset and start anew.

My aim with this article is to provide some insight from the eyes of a consumer that has spent thousands of dollars suffering through and rejoicing in all types of service from restaurant staff.  I should tell you that I am the “Johnny Average” customer that is just as comfortable at MVPs in Long Beach, CA as I am at 5 star, white table cloth multi-course dinners.  My two cents applies to waiters of all stripes and colors:

1. Know your menu. You don’t have to know how many ounces of sea salt is in the soup.  But you better know if there are eggs in the Cobb Salad or if the potatoes are made with chicken stock or what beers you serve.
2. Don’t try and be the new best friend. Customers are in your section to spend money and get impeccable service and food, not to stroke your ego so that you feel “liked”.  Get validation on your parking pass at the Beverly Center, not at their table.
3. Don’t be a snob. Nobody should be elitist for any reason.  But if you want to be an ass and try to make a customer feel stupid because they don’t order expensive bottled water or choose not to drink alcohol that night, then they’ll be forced to play your game and remind you that you are a waiter, not Charlie Trotter or Gordon Ramsey.
4. Don’t reach across or in front of a customer. Why would you want to disturb their conversation by being too lazy to walk to the appropriate side to fill their water glass.
5. Don’t make your customers work. Don’t expect them to hand you empty plates or empty glasses for refilling.  They came to eat and have a nice dinner, not do your job for you.
6. Be proactive. If there is anything on the table that you can control, do it BEFORE your customer has to ask.  This goes for refills, salt and pepper, sweeteners, new napkins, more chips, more salsa, more bread, etc.
7. Replace silverware. If you clear the salad plate or appetizer plate, don’t ask the customer to keep their fork or to remove it from the plate you are taking away.  Get off your ass and bring them a new one.
8. 2 minutes or 2 bites rule. Check back with a table within 2 minutes or 2 bites so that you can correct any wrong or bad food before they get too irritated.
9. Serve like a pro. Serve from the right.  Remove old plates from the left.
10. Use accurate terminology. “Specials” are discounts at lunch time.  “Features” are items that the restaurant is promoting, but at regular or increased prices.
11. Don’t pitch too many. Choose a few key “features” that you can sell (NOT read from a slip of paper).  Don’t pitch your customers on 6 features and expect them to memorized them if you can’t even remember them and have to use a cheat sheet.
12. Know what you like. When a customer wants to know what your favorite dish on the menu is don’t respond with this genius question:  “Well, what do you like?”  Customers ask that because they truly want to know what you like.  They’ll then make the decision on their own whether it falls into their “foods I like” category.  Have two dishes you can suggest and tell them specifically why you like them.
13. Pick up the check quickly. A customer will wait an extra 5 minutes on an appetizer that is taking a long to time to make.  But, the same can’t be said for people ready to leave.  As soon as they put money or a card in the check presenter, run their bill.
14. Leave out the birth control cologne / perfume. If you are wearing so much cologne or perfume that it is a guarantee that it will adversely affect your ability to get laid by somebody you meet at a night club, then you should definitely not assault your customers’ noses.  Trust us.  1 squirt or zero squirts will do just fine, Beyonce.

Please don’t take it personally if you are guilty of all or a few of these things.  I’m writing this to help you get paid.  I know that you need to “stack that paper”.  This is how you do it.  It’s simple.  Good service = good tips.

I’d love to hear your feedback on other things waiters can do to improve their service.  Am I too nit picky?

So, you’re a badass because you’ve partied in Manhattan, San Francisco and may have even been to London.  Whoopty Doo.  What are you going to do when you get to Tokyo on a layover and realize that the airport is actually in Narita?  Curl up in the corner and cry about how you can’t read Japanese?  Get yourself together!

Does this sound familiar?:  ”We’ve got a limited amount of time (or layover) in Tokyo and we’re super excited.  But, we have no idea what to do or how to plan.”  That phrase is so common, that I decided to devote an entire article to it.  But, let’s get something straight from jump street.  You’ll be starting from Narita, not Tokyo.

The airport is in the Narita rice paddies; a city over 100 km from Tokyo. This means that if you take a cab from Narita to Tokyo you are either so flush with cash that you don’t care about spending $300 USD on a one-way cab ride or you’re dumber than most of the characters on MTV’s The Real World.  Don’t ever take a cab from the airport to Tokyo. Actually, you’ll not want to take a cab to Narita City either. Jump on the train.

You have 3 solid train options if you are skipping Narita and heading to Tokyo.

1. Narita Express: high-class looking red & white train with tinted windows on the right side of the platform. Expensive, but extremely fast.  Good to get these tickets before you go, but don’t stress if you don’t.
2. JR Keikyu: Silver and blue train in middle platform. This one is MUCH cheaper than Narita Express and still quite fast.  You can purchase a JR Rail Pass in advance if you want.  BUT, go here for JR Rail Pass to determine if it’s actually a good deal or not.
3. Keisei Skyliner: Is an express line that goes the same direction, but it’s a secondary private train line that doesn’t always take you where you want to go. Also, the JR Rail Pass doesn’t work on this.

TIP: Use the restroom at Narita Airport before you depart for Tokyo, since the restrooms at other train stations are quite sour smelling (but they are NOT dangerous).

The trains and ticket machines are located on the bottom floor of the airport.  You’ll see plenty of signs in English directing you to them after you get your bags. Don’t forget to look for the “English” button on the ticket machines.  It’s important to note that if you are opting for the Keisei or Narita Express lines listed above, you’ll need to purchase a ticket at the counter on the right side of the entrance to the escalator that goes down to the platform.  For those of you going to Narita City because you don’t have enough time to get to Tokyo and back in time for you flight departure, use the green JR ticket machine and choose “Narita”.

Cultural note: When on the trains, take off your backpack and place it between your legs (when standing or sitting).  The trains get quite crowded in Japan.

NARITA CITY

The best thing to do if you’ve got 4 or more hours of layover is to get the keikyu train from Narita Airport.  One the coolest things to experience when visiting Tokyo is sitting right there in Narita City.  Lucky you!  The Narita-san Temple Complex is a beautiful and massive temple complex flush with zen gardens, tea ceremony gazebos, calligraphy museum, huge temples, chanting monks, tree-lined walking trails and if you’re lucky…goats.

When you exit the train at Narita Station after departing from the airport, you’ll walk upstairs and walk through the ticket turn-style. Once through, take the exit on the right. Now you’ll be facing the big area where the buses and cabs wait for fares.   Don’t get a taxi, unless you have a bad leg or something.  This is where you can put your bag in a locker if you don’t want to lug it around with you.  If you need a locker, you’ll see them on the left once you’ve walked outside.  Don’t be that jackass that goes to the convenient store next door to ask them to give you change.  Buy something, and they’ll give you some coins.

After you’ve dropped your bag in a locker.  Walk 100 meters to the street light signal and turn left.  This is when you’ll want to soak up the cultural stuff.  You’ll be walking past all sorts of unique shops, restaurants, etc. If you want to grab a pint of beer or a cocktail, you’ll pass a British style pub a few hundred meters down on the right side called The Barge Inn.

To get to the Narita-san Temple Complex, keep walking down the road.  You’ll notice that the road will begin to descend.  Go down the hill and you’ll begin to see the huge complex on the left. You’ll enter through the rough stone gates at the bottom of the decline.  Give yourself at least 1-2 hours to walk around the temple complex once you enter.  Have your camera ready!  You are going to get so many amazing photos that you’ll want to go pro.

Keep in mind that the video above only shows about 20% of the entire temple complex.  The video above is just the tip of the iceberg, people.  Trust me!  Once you’ve finished taking your 1000 photos and begin going back to the station the same way you came, don’t forget to purchase a train ticket again.

There is so much talk about going green that it’s becomming like jazzercise in the 80’s.  Between the “green washing” of products and services, sustainability concerns, driving less and any number of other issues, talk of living greener can become overwhelming.  The good news is that there are a few simple things that we can all do in our daily lives that would make a difference.  Recycling your Smart Water bottle is not what I’m driving at.

I learned quickly that taking the tactic that some environmental enthusiasts/extremists espouse are more frequently alienating than they would like them to be, thus making their efforts counter productive.   Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  That’s easy to understand, but challenging to implement.

I have heard this phrase many times in life, but it wasn’t until I began spending more time with friends Ian Murray and Alexandra Paul that I began to fully experience what Gandhi’s quote meant.  Ian, coach to elite multi-sport athletes and celebrity A listers, and Alexandra, of Bay Watch and Who Killed the Electric Car fame, have chosen an earth friendly way of  life that few in LA would ever consider. In addition to many other green activities, they have been worm composting for a number of years.  They don’t broadcast it.  They simply do it.  They also have the beautiful flowers to show for it.

If they would have tried to “sell” me on the idea of worm composting or driving an electric car, I most likely would have resisted.  It’s human nature to resist.

I was at a party this past weekend where I ran into an ex-pro snowboarder buddy of mine.  He referred to my habit of carrying a small wooden chopstick with me to coffee shops to use as a non-disposable stirrer and how I would insist on a ceramic mug, rather than a paper cup.  We laughed and caught up then said our goodbyes.  I was so excited that he remembered and that he thought twice before utilizing a stirrer from Starbucks.  Gandhi was right!

For those of you that would like to make a difference in how you consume in today’s world, I’ve put together a quick list of 5 things you can do to make a difference that your friends and the earth will notice.

1. Carry a chopstick (buy a set, don’t use one from your Chinese takeout):  Use this instead of plastic or wood composite disposable stirrers.  The chopstick doesn’t remain wet for long at all after you use it to stir your coffee.   I keep one in my bag, with me when I cycle and 1 in my wife’s car.
2. Keep cotton bags in trunk:  Buy a few cotton bags from your local supermarket and keep them in your trunk.  I say the magic number is 3.  I personally love the expandable mesh bags that expand to hold 4x their volume.  Most stores will give you a discount if you bring your own bag.
3. Cup usage:  When in coffee shops use a ceramic mug when you are staying.  Why use a paper cup if you are going to sit down and drink the coffee there?  Bring your own travel coffee mug if you are going to take your coffee to go.  Most coffee shops will give you a 5-10 cent discount for bringing your own.
4. Ditch the produce bags:  Do you REALLY need to have 7 different plastic bags for your produce so that they can stay separated?  The excuse that it speeds up the checkout line is weak.  Let’s be honest, checkers are naturally slow at their job.   You placing produce into separate bags won’t make their job easier.
5. Run errands on bike or on foot once per week:  Try running simple errands on your bike.  Drop stuff off at the cleaners, go  to the post office, going to the supermarket, etc

There are any number of things one can do to make a difference that won’t require a lifestyle overhaul.  These are just a few that I do.  What small things do you do in your daily life to help yourself become greener?

Getting started in mountaineering for a beginner is quite a challenge.  One has to consider skills, budget, gear, fitness, possible travel and people with which to climb.  Most people come from very different angles when they begin their foray into mountaineering.  There is no right way, but this article will present how one can get started and remove a lot of the guess work.

Fitness

This will be an ongoing theme in mountaineering.  One doesn’t have to be their fittest to become a mountaineer in the early phases.  However gradually becoming fitter will enhance you and your team’s overall experience on hikes, overnight trips, 2 week expeditions, winter traverses, etc.  Keep in mind that I’m not fitness expert, but I do have solid experience.  Take what I say here at face value and not as a certified routine.  Here are the key areas on which you’ll need to focus:

1. Abdominal strengthening:  You’ll not need a 6 pack, but will need a strong core.  We like crunches, steam engines and bicycle kicks.
2. Lower back strengthening:  This will help balance the work of your abs and will help when you have a heavy pack resting on your hip bones.
3. Quads:  stairs, stairs, stairs.  By doing a large amount of stairs with no weight on your back will help tremendously.  Then graduate to adding more and more weight to your back after the first 2 weeks.  Doing 2 flights is not enough.  If you have a set of cement stairs in your neighborhood that has 100 stairs, set a goal of doing at least 10 total sets up and down each time you go.  Then after a while add more repetitions.
4. Flexibility:  Doing traditional stretching works great.  I like this fitness product from Functional Evolution.   It has helped me tremendously in flexibility, recovery and eliminating lower back and hip pain.  I highly recommend the Strap’n’Fütmit.  We also highly suggest you invest in an inexpensive foam core roller that is at least a few feet long.

Gear

This is the area that is the most fun to acquire and also the most expensive.  Begin searching and researching gear as soon as you begin your fitness routine.  Don’t buy immediately.  We suggest purchasing many things online.  Having said that, there are some thing that you absolutely should not purchase online:  pack and boots.  These two items are the most important items you’ll purchase.  Ask any serious mountaineer and they’ll tell you that their most valuable piece of gear is a proper fitting pair of boots.  Go to a proper outdoor store, not a sporting goods chain.  You will be paying for expertise and advice that you can’t get at a sporting goods chain.

Don’t worry about brands.  The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Black Diamond, Patagonia, Gregory, REI, etc…they all make great gear.  Buy for fit and budget, not for brand or color.  Overtime, you’ll develop loyalty to certain brands for certain products.  For example, I like Jansport mountaineer packs and Mountain Hardwear for wind layers and shells.

Before you begin searching or going into a store, you’ll have to identify where you ultimately want to be climbing.  Is it in California in the Sierra Mountains?  The Canadian Rockies?  The Alps?  The Andes?  Any good sales person at an outdoor shop will ask you this first before they can make good recommendations for you.

**TIP:  Go into a hardcore outdoor shop and ask a sales person who on the staff has done the most outdoor expeditions and mountaineering.  That’s the person you’ll want to deal with for every serious purchase in the future.

1. Boots:  Spend a minimum of $150 and make sure you get a boot that will work with a crampon and snowshoe (the  sales person at a good outdoor shop will know what this means).  Once you have them take a few weeks to fully break them in.  We suggest walking a few miles with them a few times per week around your neighborhood.  Do this for a few weeks.  Never use new boots for the first time on the mountain.
2. Pack:  You don’t need to spend $500 on a good pack.  All packs fit differently.  Try on at least 3 to 4 different brands.  Do not try and decide by yourself.  Let an expert look at how the pack feels and let them ask you key questions.  It will make all the difference in the world.  Don’t forget that a good fitting pack will shift all the weight in the pack to rest on your hips, not on your shoulders.
3. Dri-fit Shirt:  Make sure it’s not too tight or too loose.  I like to get these at discount stores like Target because they are extremely cheap there.
4. Down Jacket:  Wait for good deals online for these.  It will be an expensive purchase, but one you’ll be so thankful for once your taking a break or relaxing at camp and your core body temperature begins to lower after working hard all day.  Don’t worry about getting a down parka w/ a hood at this point, unless you plan on attacking serious mountains that require glacier travel and braving harsh winds and below freezing temps like Mt. Rainier, Mt. Denali, Mont Blanc, etc.
5. Sleeping bag:  Get what you pay for, but don’t spend over $300.  Used sleeping bags are good.  Understand the temperature rating when you research.  A 40F bag will be way too light for camping in 20F weather.  Having said that, don’t bother with a -5F bag if you are really hot-natured and are planning to sleep in a tent or hut.
6. Wind Layer:  This is a key piece of gear.  You can pay $300 for this if you’d like.  If you can get one on sale for $150 or cheaper, then you are in good shape.
7. Gloves / Mittens:  Mittens are warmer, but they don’t allow the dexterity needed for small zippers, buckles, laces, knots, etc.
8. Glove Liners:  These are quite useful for inside the tent or cooking outside if it’s not bitter cold.
9. Soft shell / Fleece: This is great for wearing under your wind layer.  Soft shells can get expensive, but they are great if you have the budget.  Otherwise, you can do what some climbers do and go to Good Will and grab an $8 fleece.
10. Hat:  As dorky as they look sometimes, these are key for sunny or exposed days on the mountain.  Get something that will cover your ears.  Skin cancer at high altitude is no joke.
11. Beanie / Skull Cap:  You may not need this as you are climbing, unless you are in extreme conditions.  These are essential for breaks, setting-up camp and sleeping if it’s cold.
12. Sunglasses:  If you are going to purchase new sunglasses, we suggest you get what is called “glacier glasses”.  If you don’t have the need or budget to purchase glacier glasses, then keep on wearing what you have.
13. Stove:  I like JetBoil stoves because they are light, small and boil your water quickly.

Locations

Most of the activity in the USA is on the west side of the country.  The Rockies have climbing with easy and extremely challenging peaks.  The Cascade range in Washington is popular.  One of the hotbeds, however, are the Sierra Mountains.  They are the home to Yosemite National Park.

Regardless of how high or where you begin climbing, ensure that you have a map and know how to read it.  Additionally, leave your trip plan (even if it’s just a day hike) with somebody at home.  We suggest a co-worker or family member.  All you need to include is:  where, when, with who, what time and what route.  Leave a copy in your car also.

There is so much more to learn and a great deal of it will be learned by research, mistakes and tips from more experienced climbers.  There are many books you can read, but this comes highly suggested by the mountaineering community:  Freedom of the Hills.

Send me questions or stories about epic climbs you’ve done.  What’s next on your list?

If you’ve been paying attention to discussion boards, conversations in coffee shops and Craigslist you’ll know that the theft of fixed gear bikes (and other bikes, for that matter) has skyrocketed.  Jackings are on the rise.  You want to prevent bike theft; especially your ride?  Here’s how.

Let’s get this out of the way first, however.  I’m no Colombo or official authority.  If your sick-ass one-of-a-kind keirin frameset that was 1 of 30 made on  the international space station gets included on that tried and true 5 finger discount, I shall not take responsibility.

Step 1

Get a decent U-lock and 7” cable from Kryptonite (or some other company).  Recently, I’ve noticed that some companies are selling combos that include both.  I shove the U-Lock in my back pocket and wrap the uncoiled cable around my torso like Pancho Villa.

Step 2

Get a bike.  Ride it.  Place it next to a pole or bike rack so that you can lock it up.  If the pole is too fat, your small U-lock may not fit around it.  I use poles narrower than a parking meter pole.  If you have a bigger U-Lock you’ll have more pole options than a stripper.

Step 3

Run the cable around your rim AND around your frame.  Then run one end of the cable through the other end’s loop.  I always run the cable through the  “10 o’clock” position of the wheel.

Step 4

Wrap that cable around pole and through the “3 o’clock” position of your rear rim.  There are a few ways to do this.  I keep it simple and do it this way.  (NOTE:  if you don’t follow Step 5 (below) exactly how it is photographed, then doing step 4 this way may get your bike stolen…especially if you are using a parking meter pole.)

Step 5

Open the U-lock and ensure that it is wrapped around the pole, your seat tube AND through the loop of your cable.  All 3 are key.

Step 6

Come back to find that your bike is still there after you’ve sucked down 4 coffees at your local spot.

It sucks that so many people are getting their bikes stolen.  Fixed gear bikes are getting stolen by the ton.    Fixed riders are more at risk than other riders.  Think about it.  Road and triathlon riders never lock their bikes up when running errands.  They keep bikes in living room or garage and only ride to do training rides.

Protect yourselves and encourage your local police force to add a “Track Frame” or “Fixed Gear”  category to their stolen bike questionnaire when people have to file a report.

]]> http://www.brendondavid.com/2009/09/fixed-gear-and-other-bikes-at-risk-how-to-lock-your-bike-to-prevent-bike-theft/feed/ 10 http://www.brendondavid.com/2009/08/how-to-connecting-your-wordpress-blog-to-your-domain/ http://www.brendondavid.com/2009/08/how-to-connecting-your-wordpress-blog-to-your-domain/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:05:19 +0000 admin http://www.brendondavid.com/?p=46

If you are looking to create a blog and want to use your newly purchased domain name (web address) and want to learn how to connect the two, you are reading the correct article.  Before we give you the step by step, there are a few things to consider.  First, there are two “different” Wordpress locations where you can create an account:  wordpress.org and wordpress.com.

Wordpress.com

You’ll want to go here and create an account if you are an average person that has no desire to change the coding to the blogging template, pay for 3rd party hosting or actively manage and organize all of the files associated with making your blog look good to the public.

Wordpress.org

You’ll want to go here and create an account if you are interested in affiliate marketing, blog customization (via coding), have already had an active, simple blog template and want to be able to do more.  Also, you’ll want to go here to be able to feature banner ads on your blog.

It’s important to get some terminology understood at the beginning:

Content Management Software (CMS): These are the platforms that enable you to blog.  i.e., Worpress, Technorati, etc

Hosting: This is an integral service for all websites.  Hosting services “lease” you space on their computer servers so that people can see all of your files, images and videos.  It’s where the guts of your blog or website live.

Domain: This is what computer people call a “web address”.  So that your blog can have a cool name you like, you may want to purchase your own domain.

Name Server: This is the function that translates your unique domain (i.e., www.thesaiko.com) to a complex numeric address that makes sense to the computers.

Getting started is much easier than most people think.  It’s just a matter of doing things in the correct order.  Below we’re going to show you how to set up a basic blog with  your own unique domain.

1. Go to www.wordpress.com and create a free account (btw, this is where you’ll go to login each time you want to add photos later, etc)
2. You’ll have to name that blog account.  Don’t worry about how lame or cool the name is that you give to the blog.  It will be overridden by your purchased domain name once you connect them.
3. Find a template you like on Wordpress
4. To connect your new account to your purchased domain, go here to learn the links for the name servers http://support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/map-existing-domain/
5. You’ll then go login to GoDaddy (or wherever you purchased your domain) and search for your name servers.  Swap the name servers by following the directions above in #4
6. Give it a few hours or a day and then you should be able to see the blog by typing your domain into your Internet address bar (sometimes it takes affect immediately)

It’s as simple as that.  Be sure to keep your content updated to prevent it from becoming stale.  Generally speaking, the more traffic to your site, the better.  However, that may not apply to your situation.  Maybe you just need a place to post information that will make sense only to a few people.  Regardless of your situation, have fun blogging.