Make Money Blogging

I have a friend who works part-time. The rest of the time she is at home with not much to do except maybe do some cooking and housework. She doesn't drive herself any where because she is visually impaired.

I have been trying to get her to start blogging and try to make some money through blogging. She was quite incredulous when I told her that you can really make some money blogging. She wasn't aware that there is money to be made through blogging. Not that I am a good advertisement about how much you can make!

I was impressed that a fellow Malaysian and a fellow Postie is making a handsome income through writing paid posts, writing reviews and placing ads on her various blogs. Of course she can command a lot more from advertisers, than a little blogger like me can, because she has blogs that have high Google PageRanks and high enough Alexa rankings.

Anyway, the point is, once you have a created a blog and has it up and running, you can begin to start earning some money. Of course you can't expect to immediately make those big bucks but with time and effort, you can. Creative and attractive content will bring in readers and once you have established yourself in the blogosphere you will start making the money.

There are many blogs out there who offer you the tools and tips to help you get started. It is always good to learn from those who have the experience and the pocket book to show their success!

To my friend, yes you who live in Florida, get started with that blog! :-)

Two headed turtle

This conjoined turtle sure looks freakish. I guess the stronger of either will be the one forcing the direction the turtle is to go.

I supposed Jay Jacoby, manager of of Big Al's Aquarium Supercenter, is right in that the turtle is not likely to survive life in the life.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - A two-headed turtle captured by a turtle collector is a rare example of a conjoined-twin birth, its owner said.

The turtle would have likely died in the wild because it swims awkwardly and would be an easy target for predators, according to Jay Jacoby, manager of Big Al's Aquarium Supercenter in East Norriton.

The store bought the tiny turtle from the collector for an undisclosed price and will keep it on display, he said.

The 2-month-old turtle, known as a red-eared slider, fits on a silver dollar. It has two heads sticking out from opposite ends of its shell, along with a pair of front feet on each side. But there is just one set of back feet and one tail.


Read full story here.

Driving while female

Wajeha al-Huwaider of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, co-founded a group urging that women be permitted to drive. The group sent King Abdullah a petition with more than 1,100 names. (By Faiza Saleh Ambah -- The Washington Post)

In Saudi Arabia, women are not permitted to drive. One of the reasons for not allowing women to drive is that it would lead to Western-style freedoms and an erosion of traditional values. *Rolling my eyes.*

"Allowing women to drive will only bring sin. The evils it would bring, mixing between the genders, temptations, and tarnishing the reputation of devout Muslim women, outweigh the benefits," wrote one man to the al Watan newspaper in response to an article about a group of women who are petitioning King Abdullah to let women have the right to drive.

Saudi women are forced to rely on hired drivers or male relatives to drive them to places. Taxis for an unaccompanied woman is not safe either. For some, hiring a driver who is usually a foreigner, is beyond their means.

We take our ability to drive our car wherever and whenever we want for granted. It is inconceivable to think that, at this modern day and age, there are women who do not have the right to drive. Women all over the world are marching with the progress of time but in Saudi Arabia, they are still stuck in the mindset of men ruling with 7th century laws.

Read the story about Saudi women petitioning their King their right to drive here.

Paid to do surveys.

I signed up with a couple of places where you get paid for filling out surveys. After doing a few surveys, I feel that I am ready to give up! I don't mind the short surveys but there is one that seemed to go on forever! There are pages and pages of it, and I still have not seen the end of it! I just had to call it a night. :-( I don't know if a few cents or a dollar is really worth all that time!

We'll see if it is any better tomorrow. I received an email notifying me that I have been credited a dollar into my account for completing one survey. I don't even remember which one it was! :-(

Sheesshh, it seems not all the online money making schemes are worth my time!

Cool Day

The readings in this picture is in Celcius. Not Fahrenheit!

I was at the Flea market today and it was cold and windy! Well, cold by California's standard, anyway It is almost fall and elsewhere in the US the weather is much cooler but here in California fall weather comes a bit late.

Usually what makes it cooler in the Sacramento valley is the ocean breeze. It was quite breezy and the wind was strong enough to blow some of the tents about at the flea market. I knew it was cool when I left the house but usually the weather warms up a little bit more once the sun comes up a bit higher. So I wasn't prepared for the cold and did not wear an outer clothing.

I had to rush the shopping a little bit because it was getting too cold for comfort. I got all the vegetables I wanted and rushed back to my car. Next time, I'll remember to leave a jacket in the car in case the weather is cooler than expected.

Never Forget

Six years on, and the horror of that day has not diminished. I remember that day very well. When I woke up that Tuesday morning in 2001, I turned on the radio and there was a live coverage about the twin towers having been hit by two planes. I quickly turned on the TV and I was so shocked that all I could do was sit on my bed and watched the horror unfold on TV. The collapse of the two towers was all there on TV and I watched it live. It was unbelievable. It was a black day indeed.

I will never ever forget that day. I will never ever forget the enemy who perpetrated that horror.

Ne Obliviscaris!

Rojak Sotong Kangkong

It is that time of the year where you can get kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica) at the Asian grocery stores and even at the produce market on Flea Market Day here in Galt.

Besides the usual belacan kangkong, I usually make rojak sotong kangkong with some fried tauhu thrown in. The rojak paste I used is Made in Penang, available at the Asian grocery store here in Sacramento. The squid is also available at the frozen section of the Asian supermarket.

When I am able to get all the ingredients for a certain dish here, I get to enjoy some of the foods I enjoy back home in Malaysia. :-)

Tagged

Here is the tag :- Ten Questions

These are the rules :-Five answers to each question and then tagged five others.

Instructions :- Remove the first Blog and add your own blog last.

A Great Pleasure; Wishing On A Falling Star; Bokjae; simply888here; cat cat; Puteri's Musings 3



Here it goes.....


Q1. What were you doing 10 Years ago?

1. I was working in Vietnam.
2. I visited places in Vietnam with a handsome young Frenchman.
3. I watched Princess Diana's funeral on TV at the Guest House at the Hanoi Agricultural University campus.
4. I went on a boat trip down the Perfume River in Hue, Vietnam.
5. I visited Ho Chi Minh City for the first time.

Q2. What were you doing 1 Year ago?

1. I was spending too much time in front of my computer.
2. I drove my kids to daycare at 9.00 a.m. from Mon-Fri.
3. I picked up my kids at 5.00 p.m. from daycare from Mon-Fri.
4. I spent too much money on items for my hobbies.
5. We celebrated Doug's 50th birthday at his parents' house.

Q3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Potato Chips
2. Cashew nuts
3. Low Sodium Wheat Thins
4. Nestle 3 in 1 Cereal
5. Dried Fruit

Q4. What are 5 songs you know the lyrics to?

1. Eternal Flame
2. Silent Night
3. Away in a Manger
4. London Bridge is Falling Down
5. Ring Around the Roses

Q5. 5 things you would do if you are a Millionaire?

1. Pay off any loans.
2. Buy myself the latest model Mercedes Benz.
3. Stay at the fanciest hotels while visiting Europe.
4. Live in a bigger and fancier house with a landscaped English garden.
5. Buy my parents a new house.

Q6. 5 Bad habits?

1. I like to pick at my teeth in front of people after a meal. Gross!
2. I don't wipe my sink faucet dry.
3. I spend too much time in front of my pc.
4. I let my laundry pile up before I put them in the washer.
5. I let Doug's clothes pile up before I iron them.

Q7. 5 things you like to do?

1. Spend time in front of my computer.
2. Eat out.
3. Sleep in.
4. Shop for shoes.
5. Go for a pedicure.

Q8. 5 Favourite Toys?

1. My laptop
2. My digital camera
3. My iPod
4. My cell phone
5. My massage chair

Q9. 5 things you would never wear?

1. Thick make up
2. Thongs
3. See through underwear
4. Red lipstick
5. My bra to bed

Q10. 5 things you hate to do?

1. House work
2. Cook dinner
3. Go out on a really hot day
4. Wash my car
5. Exercise

I now tag:

Cokelatrawkz
Chantique79
Feli
Nightwing
Macyln

Too much TV may cause attention problems

I better cut down on the TV time my kids enjoy right now! I know it is bad, but the TV has been used to keep them occupied. :-( However, I am glad to notice that if either I or Doug is outside the kids love to be outside too ... riding their tricycles or driving around in their motorized vehicle and chasing the geese!

Watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The roughly 40 percent increase in attention problems among heavy TV viewers was observed in both boys and girls, and was independent of whether a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder was made prior to adolescence.

The link was established by a long-term study of the habits and behaviors of more than 1,000 children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1972 and March 1973.

The children aged 5 to 11 watched an average of 2.05 hours of weekday television. From age 13 to 15, time spent in front of the tube rose to an average of 3.1 hours a day.

"Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours, of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence," Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote in his report, published in the journal Pediatrics.

Read the rest of this article here.

Me Not Like You, Mommy

My kids are 4 years old and already one knows how to say, "Me not like you, Mommy!" Ok, at least he hasn't learned how to say, "I hate you, Mommy!"

He tells me that when he doesn't get what he wants. He's always asking for a toy, or for the TV to be turned on to a certain channel and when he doesn't get what he wants, he goes off in a huff and tells me or his daddy, "Me not like you!"

I know he doesn't mean it, so I tell him, "I still love you, Duncan, even if you don't like me". :-)
Later in the day, he will tell me, "Me love you, Mommy'. These are words that a parent treasures because a child says those words often without encouragement and means them.

The following is a parenting tip that I find useful.

When Kids say, "I hate you!"

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of Perfect Parenting and Kid Cooperation

Question:
When my son gets angry with me he yells, "I hate you! I wish you weren't my mother!" and other hurtful things. It really disturbs me, but I don't know how to respond.

Think about it:
When children feel angry and powerless, they sometimes resort to hateful words to express their feelings. These outbursts should not be taken at face value. In other words, your child doesn't really mean he hates you - he means he's extremely angry that he can't have his way, and you're the one imposing the rules! These reasons don't mean you should tolerate the behavior. But, when you look at it this way, you can temper your own emotions so that you can take control of the situation.

Teach:
Children need to be taught that it is okay to have angry feelings, but that there are acceptable and unacceptable ways to express their anger. It's usually best to walk away from a child who uses such strong language after making a short parting comment, "I won't stay and listen to you talk like that." Allow some time to pass so that both you and the child can calm down. Then, tell your child that his outburst was unacceptable. Instead of simply telling your child what you don't want, teach what alternatives you will allow, such as, "I'm really mad at you for saying no."

Respond calmly:
If this is an unusual behavior for your normally respectful child, you might want to respond in a calm manner, "That language is unacceptable. I know you're smart enough to come up with an acceptable alternative."

Find the source:
Determine if your child is hearing someone else talk this way, perhaps a friend. Talk about this person's behavior and ask your child what he thinks of it. This is a good time to have a chat about the power and meaning of words, what you feel is acceptable, and what you will accept as alternatives to hurtful comments.

Be firm:
Let your child know in advance that if he uses those kinds of expressions with you he'll be restricted to his room. The length of time would be determined by the intensity of the words, for example, "I hate you!" might warrant a one-hour solitary confinement. Swearing at you in a verbally aggressive way would warrant spending the remaining day in his room. Should he not follow orders and go to his room when asked he'll lose a specific privilege (such as watching TV, talking on the phone, or going outside after school). Once you've set the limits, be calm and consistent when enforcing them.

Excerpted with permission by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group Inc. from Perfect Parenting, The Dictionary of 1,000 Parenting Tips by Elizabeth Pantley, © 1999