Introducing a Good Friend

The internet is being just as spastic this morning, but I've got coffee, so take that, spazzy interweb!

We all have a good friend or two that we're proud to know.

Take, for instance, American Idol. This show features everyday people who want to make it big in the music industry. This season features two sixteen year olds as finalists. That's right. At the ripe, young age of 16, they're a step away from their dreams. I'm betting that they have more than a few friends willing to claim them.

And though we can't all have friends who could win American Idol, we do have friends that we take pride in. Because of these friends, our lives are a little easier. Because of these friends, our lives are a little less hectic. Because of these friends, life is a little more enjoyable.

You know the kind of friend I'm talking about.

Well, today I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine. This friend definitely makes my life easier. I can't imagine not knowing this friend. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that this friend is a life saver. And best of all, you can know this friend, too!

No, this isn't a cheesy "I'm going to introduce you to Jesus" ploy, though it's tempting.

The friend I want to introduce you today is...

Jesus!

Ha! Just kidding. I mean, he's an epic friend to have, but unfortunately, not the topic of discussion today.

Now for real. The friend I want to introduce you to is...

The Google "Next" button!

Okay, yeah, a little lame. I know, I know.

You can hurl tomatoes at me later. For now, hear me out.

The Google Reader "Next" button has been a life-saver for me since I began reading blogs. At first, I just had a huge folder of links that I browsed everyday. Eventually, though, I got tired of clicking through all of the links, especially for people who don't update very often, and I just stopped reading blogs altogether. However, I didn't quite feel right about that, seeing as how I had a blog of my own. And then my wife introduced me to this wonderful little button.

Basically, what the button does is it scans through the blogs you've subscribed to and finds content you haven't read. You click the button and voila! You get taken to the most recently updated blog on your list.

To use the Google Reader Next button, you need to have a Google Reader account. You can set that up here. From there, you need to subscribe to the blogs you like to read. Google Reader keeps track of your blogs through an RSS Feed, which is a really fancy term that scared me spitless for a long time. RSS Feeds are represented by a magical little orange icon that I would show you if my internet wasn't being weird. If you need an example, though, you can find one on the right side of this page where it says "Find a way to follow this blog!"

Edit: The internet stopped being a fruitcake, so here's an example of an RSS Feed button!

You can't miss it. It's orange. VERY orange.

Once you've setup your Google Reader account, you need to subscribe to the blogs you read. You do this by visiting the blog, and finding that magical orange button. You'll click that button (give it a try for Life Before the Bucket!) and then, if you're logged in, will choose to "Add This to Google Reader" or something along those lines. Do this for all of the blogs you love, including Life Before the Bucket!

After you've subscribed to your blogs (this might take a while, depending on how many you follow), go to this link. After you go there, click on "Goodies." Scroll down to the header that says "Put Reader in a bookmark." There you'll find instructions on how to add and use the Google Reader Next button!

That wasn't so painful, now was it?

So now that you know him, enjoy your new friend. You'll never want to leave home without him. And now you have no excuse to miss an update here at Life Before the Bucket!

See what I did there?

Just kidding. I really did it to help you, not me.

Okay, you got me. Maybe I did it a little for me. But only a little!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Do you have a friend you can't live without? Would they make a good candidate for the Everyday Heroes series? If so, e-mail me! And while you're at it, subscribe with that fancy orange button (or however else you want to), leave a comment, and share Life Before the Bucket with your friends! 

Thanks for being awesome!