Ideal Bite and Kibbling Onward!

Good Afternoon!

As I wait for today's NASCAR race (go Jeff go!), I wanted to take a moment to tell you about two new ads you'll see on the right side of my blog. When you scroll down, you'll see a widget for Ideal Bite. This is one of those things I came across during my GPT work. It's a great source for going green. There's nothing in it for me, except maybe helping the environment a tad by spreading the word. They have a list you can subscribe to, if you want. It's just full of neat little things. Check it out.

The other new ad is for Bow Wow Trivia. Again, I get nothing out of it except spreading the word and hopefully feeding a few hungry pups! This is not an involved trivia game. Answer one little question, and you've done your part for the day. Please help the doggies! If you're a kitty fan, they have a cats version, too!

Onward until the next post!

Good Evening America!

A few ramblings and tidbits from the last few days beginning with I can't believe how idiotic some parents can be. A local news story from a nearby neighborhood yesterday when it was about 103 degrees. This was before noon when it was somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees out. A mother pulls into a supermarket and leaves her two young children, a 4 year old and a baby, in her locked car, windows rolled up. Do you know how hot a car gets inside? This, in addition to the fact that young kids can't adapt to heat like this as quickly as adults do.

Fortunately, the car next to the woman had a man with his children. His wife was inside doing her shopping. When his wife came outside, she immediately noticed the children, and they agreed they should call the police. Apparently, the woman came out before the police arrived because the man got out and stood behind her car so that she couldn't leave.

The police got there shortly thereafter. They asked the woman for her license. Oops, she didn't have one -- outstanding warrants. The woman claimed she was only in the store for 5 minutes to get water and donuts. That is what she got, but the man said it was more like 15 minutes.

The woman was arrested for the warrants and child endangerment. What the heck was she thinking? The man said he was prepared to break open the window if he had to. I just don't understand parents who don't think about what they're doing!

Then there are the intolerant people who only know black and white. I'm on several local Freecycle lists. The other day a parent sent out an email because her child was missing. She didn't provide a lot of detail, but she was very upset. The next thing we get is an ADMIN from the moderator ranting about the post being off topic and out of line. Not only that, she went on about what's next -- lost pets and such.

There was a lot of discussion on the list, arguing the merits. The majority seemed to think it wasn't that much of a sin, but there were a few supporting the ADMIN. Soon enough, the moderator came back again, criticizing the post for not having all the specifics and wondering why there wasn't an Amber Alert and why it had been so long between the child going missing and the email. More discussion.

In the end, the moderator came back with this long diatribe about the list is the list and only for the purpose of the list, that all discussion was to cease or anyone who dared to reply would be put on moderation. She then again launched what I call an attack on the nerve of the parent to send the off topic post to this particular list, adding that the parent told them privately that she just wasn't thinking clearly, etc. Apparently, this moderator has no heart because she just doesn't care. She even launched an attack on the parent for being a bad parent, listing all the things that she would have done to make sure the child wasn't missing in the first place.

I'm a fairly new member, so my post never did make it to the airwaves, deleted by the moderator. I'm going to publish it here. I'm on a lot of lists and some have little tolerance for anything off topic. I understand it, but I also ask, where's the humanity?

It amazes me that this is such an issue for folks. Yes, rules are rules, and guidelines are in place, but what's the big deal people if you get an occasional 'odd' or off topic email from someone in distress? It's not like it's spam where they are trying to sell something. Hit the delete button. May none of us ever be in that state, distressed about our child or pet, but if we are, I challenge anyone to say they wouldn't do everything in their power to help find that child/pet, including bending the rules of a freecycle list. Have a heart, folks, and thank your lucky stars you aren't the ones having to write that 'illegal' email.

Has anyone ever heard of putting Baby Powder on your dog to kill fleas? I just read that one today. It's really weird, but my youngest dog seems to have fleas, but not my oldest. They're only a year apart. There must be something in their genetics. The Frontline didn't seem to do the trick this month for Tessa; she's been scratching a lot, so today I thought I'd try it. I have no clue if it's worked or not. Of course, when Cassie saw me rubbing down Tessa, she insisted on her own rubdown. Equal doggie rights and all.

I also read about spreading salt, of all things, on your carpet, or Borax, which I don't have, so can't use. Salt on the carpet? According to everything I read, it kills the fleas dead, dead, dead. That's a cheap way to rid yourself of the flea problem, if it truly does work.

Finally, Amazon has a new shoe division, and they're having a sale to celebrate! Remember, if you use this link to go to Amazon, I will get a percentage, and that's for anything purchased from clicking on this link.

Carl Edwards - That's What I'm Talkin' About!

Very early this morning, I added the latest reviews of mine to be published at Review Stream. One of these was on Carl Edwards, who is my #2 favorite NASCAR driver. In my review, I mentioned that one of the neat things about Carl is that he gives away the majority of his racing trophies, keeping just a few very special ones in his personal collection. Today, I just read this over at Jayski.com and had to share it in support of how wonderful I think Carl is to keep passing on his trophies in ways that are good for the world.

Edwards gives MIS trophy to wheelchair-bound teen: A wheelchair-bound Michigan teen got a special gift from one of his heroes over the weekend. Pat and Teresa Byrnes took their son Cody to the Michigan International Speedway so he could see his favorite driver, #99-Carl Edwards, race. "Carl happened to be walking by and we gave him a thumbs up and Cody gave him a thumbs up and he saw his flag waiving on the back of Cody's chair. And so he stopped, turned around and came back and he came over and he signed his wheelchair and he signed his shirt," said Teresa Byrnes. The Byrnes were already excited that Cody got to meet his hero, but they weren't prepared for what Carl Edwards told Cody next. "He looked at him and he said, 'Hey buddy, I'll tell you, if I win that trophy today, now that's if I win, I'll give you that trophy'," Teresa recalled. The Byrnes say they began to realize Edwards could win the race when he moved from the 27th spot to first place in about 60 laps. Pat Byrnes says that's the most nervous he's ever been during a race. Edwards did win that race. Carl Edwards signed the trophy for Cody with the initials NGU, which means never give up. "Cody, everyday he wakes up and sees it. It's like he's realizing it's really his and he'll get excited and squeal, for someone to work so hard to get that trophy and then to say, 'Here, you can have it'. That is the kindest gesture anybody has ever done," said Teresa.

Just touching bases ...

Should I say Good Morning or Good Evening? It's just after midnight here, and I figured I'd say a few things since I just added to my list of Review Stream articles (see the long list on the right hand side of this column).

I had a great time watching the Olympics, though I still believe there was some big time fudging with the ages of the China gymnastics team. That aside, I had a blast with beach volleyball and several other sports. I still hate all the tape delay business, but I'm apparently in the minority on that.

Now it's back to regular TV. Saw the newest reality show on NBC -- America's Most Dangerous Jobs, or something like that. As an animal lover, I had a hard time watching the poor crabs being suffocated, but the premise of the show is interesting. However, I see bullfighting is coming up, and if they show the murder of a bull on TV, they're going to hear about it from me, that's for sure. That's one of the cruelest and most disgusting so-called sports out there.

As for real sports, loved Carl Edwards giving it back to Kyle Bush during the big NASCAR race Saturday night. Kyle is such an immature, cocky baby. He can't take what he dishes out, and Saturday night, Carl dished out some of Kyle's own stuff. It was terrific! The best part? Carl didn't apologize. He was straight forward and honest about his 'bump and run'. Go Carl!

My #1 fave, Jeff Gordon, finished fifth. Hang in there, Jeffy! Three more races to the Chase. What's frustrating is that without this dang chase format, Jeff would have won two titles in the past four years. He'd be a 6-time champion. Well, he is to me, anyway.

We're gearing up for another heat spell. Our mid to high 90's are going to reach 103 by Wednesday, so goes the forecast. I'm not happy about that. I'm not a sun person, if you know what I mean.

Onward I go. Have a terrific week, Folks!

Review Stream verified

Hey all ---

Just a quick note to let anyone looking to make extra cash that I can now verify that Review Stream is a winner. You can write reviews about anything -- people, websites, food, pets, TV shows, phones, clothes -- you name it, you can review it. They pay out at $50 for the reviews (this is separate from the vote earnings). Just a half hour ago, I wrote the review that took me to $50. I emailed them, asking for payment, and it's here! I received payment through PayPal almost immediately. I highly recommend them. If you've read my reviews, you know they are easy to do. Go here and write your first review today!

Whoa! Did y'all see Michael Phelps win his 7th gold medal just now? I was sure he was second behind Cavic. His mom looks like she was gonna pass out. Unreal. He was behind the whole way. Phenomenal! One-hundreth of a second -- just wow!

Hunkilicious!

Hot! Hot! Hot! Michael Shanks' appearance on "Burn Notice" last night was just that -- steaming hot! He was great as the crazy bad guy, "Victor". This is a recurring role, and boy am I looking forward to the next episode!
There was the New York accent for a moment, the little Danny Dance, the evil cackle, the snark, and just lots of zany, wonderful moments! I love this bad guy!

I'd never watched "Burn Notice" before. It's a little MacGyver-like, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because I love "MacGyver".

If you missed it, catch one of the reruns! It's a must see! To see more photos of Michael on "Burn Notice", go here.

Happy Birthday to NASCAR's Carl Edwards, driver of the 99 car in Sprint Cup and the number 60 car in the Nationwide series. Carl's a great guy and just loves to race. This year, he's racing for the Sprint Cup championship, too! Today, Carl is a whopping 29 years old. "I've never been this old before," he told a reporter earlier today. That's Carl -- full of humor!

Wow, what's with these new extra innings rules for baseball in the Olympics? You start each half inning with two men on base. Well, I guess that's one way to avoid multiple extra innings.

Congrats to the ladies of the US gymnastics team. Nascia and Shawn did a great job last night as they won gold and silver in the all around competition. Super floor routines wrapped up their evening, and it a lot of fun to watch!

By the way, I had some clarification this week on how I get paid for your votes at Review Stream. The payment qualifies when each review reaches minimum payout, which is essentially 50 votes. So, when an individual review reaches 50, then I can get payout for it. I had thought it was the cumulative total of all reviews, but that's incorrect. Thus, I really could use your help to vote for each of the reviews when you can. The most votes as of yesterday was for the Bayer Aspirin, at 31. My Michael Shanks review had 21 votes. Under the Mistletoe has 18, Crystal Geyser and The Ark of Truth both have 14. Every thing else is less than that.

I'm really needing this income, so please, when you can, vote for reviews. It does have a timer to it, so if you get the 'please take time to read the review' line, just wait another minute and resubmit.

To vote, go to the review page (all my reviews are listed on the right hand column of this blog) and about 2/3rd of the the way down, in the center, you'll see the 'was this review helpful' question. Click the round circle and then hit the 'submit' button. The page will refresh, and you'll see the number of votes increase by one.

Thank you to everyone who helps with this!

From Trial Offers to the Olympics to Taunting Cats

Good Afternoon!

First up today, a look at doing trial offers for products on the internet. This comes up every now and then so just thought I'd pass on a very basic couple of do's anytime you decide to participate in a trial offer on any website.

The first rule -- read the TOS (terms of service). This is VITAL. You need to find out whether or not you are required to return something, if you'll need a RMA (authorization number to return), and when they will charge you (some trials may last 30 days, but the charge comes in 14). Do not just accept what is printed at the 'order now'. Sometimes it's complete, but if you haven't read the TOS, you're making a mistake. That's why you have to check that box all the time signifying that you've read it. Also, you want the phone number to cancel and any email addresses. What is on the order page isn't always what is in the TOS.

The second rule -- which I do sometimes, but not all the time -- do a google search for the company. Sometimes you'll see 'rip off' reports or complaints. Don't assume because you see a complaint that it's valid. It may just be someone who didn't read the TOS and are angry. Well, read the TOS. However, if you see a large number of complaints, with varying issues, you may then want to avoid that trial. Even if you decide to go ahead with the trial, you'll know to be on guard for potential problems.

The third rule, and this is vitally important once you sign up for a trial, check your credit card daily. Actually, I check mine three times a day to stay on top of it. Verify the name of the company and the trial charge. Keep checking and be aware. Just this week, I had a charge pop up for something I'd canceled on July 23rd. I had to call and have them remove it. If I see a fraudulent charge, the first thing I do is notify my bank. Then I deal with the company. That way, my bank knows up front there could be a problem. Companies don't really want banks going after them, either.

The fourth rule, keep records. Just like you do for all offers completed, it is very, very important to document your information. I *always* cut and paste the appropriate part of the TOS and the copy of the final sales page. Even though they may send you that page in email, you won't have the TOS. You want to always have reference to what *you* signed up for. I had to invoke this last week with a company. I read them what was on their website and in their TOS. I was right, they were wrong.

If you decide not to keep a trial, you want to always write down the name of the person you talked to when you call to cancel, their associate or ID number, the date and time you talked to them, the confirmation number for the transaction if there is one, and you want to ask them if you need to return something or not. Even if the TOS says you have to return, if you ask the operator and they say 'no', you don't, but you have to be able to back that up if an issue arises.

I've had to use each of these rules with trials, so just read and make lots of notes!

Next on the agenda, the Olympics. I don't know about anyone else, but I was absolutely stunned when the news came out that the little girl singing the national song for China was lip synching. Actually, it's not that, but it's that it wasn't her voice. The real singer was deemed not cute enough for the camera. I'm really angry about this. It is not what the Olympics are about. China lost the admiration I had for their opening ceremonies when I learned about this. In addition, it turns out that some of the fireworks were 'enhanced' for broadcast. This begs the question, what else was fake that we don't know about?

Not only that, but I do not believe those gymnasts are 16 years old this year. There has been huge speculation that at least one member of the male team and two of the girls are under 15. In fact, even the English official paper of China earlier in the year listed their ages as 13 and 14.

China is lying in their quest to be the biggest medal winner. You know what? Let them, but they will pay a price. I believe in karma, and it will come back and haunt them. They'd better have those kids' true ages buried and burned -- someone will find the proof. Besides, a passport is so easily faked. Why don't these kids have birth certificates to back up their claims?

So, we've got a little girl who was given the shaft for not being cute enough, images that weren't what we thought, and kids illegally adding to China's medal count. China has marred its own Olympics, and that's too bad. They didn't need to do it. Totally ridiculous and stupid.

The other day a cat was taunting my dogs. I swear, it was so funny to watch. My girls were in the house, looking out the screen door, and here sauntered up this cat. Honestly, the cat moved one paw forward, then another, and then another, staring right at my barking dogs. This cat wasn't the least bit scared; it was taunting my dogs. That cat knew the girls couldn't get out. The cat kept moving forward a step at a time, until it got bored and turned around, walking away casually. My poor babies. They're used to squirrels teasing them, but not cagey felines!

On the financial front, I received my latest payment for forum posting and content writing. This is decent pay for extra income, so if you like to chat online, please use the link to sign up and apply to be a forum poster, and if you have a forum in need of help, use this link to find out more information on how ForumBoosters can help you.

Please continue to check out my writing at Helium and my reviews on Review Stream (links on the right side of the blog). There are a couple of new reviews since the last blog update.

Tonight is Michael Shanks' first appearance on "Burn Notice" on the USA channel. I'm really looking forward to that. He'll be a bad guy, but a cute one! More after I see it!

Olympic Fever!

It's Olympics time! I've always loved the Olympics. My family watched both the summer and winter games religiously, and it's something I still do and enjoy. Last night, NBC aired the Opening Ceremonies in China, and wow, what a show! It was pretty incredible. All the news folks are saying it may never be matched; it was just that grand.

However, the most poignant moment for me was when China's basketball star Yao Ming entered the stadium with a 9-year-old boy who had survived the earthquake there a few months back. This little boy managed to free himself and pull out another of his classmates to safety. Then he went back and saved another of his peers. They were just 3 of a few who survived. Twenty of their fellow students weren't so lucky.

When asked why he went back, this youngster explained that he had to, because he was a hall monitor and it was his job to help his friends. He was a leader.

Wow. Even typing it, I'm tearing up. I watched that giant of a man, Yao Ming, take excellent care of that little boy throughout the ceremonies. That impressed me, too, but that little boy is really what life is about. How brave of him. He's a leader all right!

By the way, if you love the Olympics and enjoy talking about it, you might want to check out the forum for it.

On another subject, I was happy to see Marcos Ambrose of Australia win his first Nationwide race today. He's such a nice, affable guy, and he's come so close a few times before. I'm especially happy that he beat out Kyle Busch (the bratty whiner) and Jimmie Johnson (the cocky non-team player) in doing so. Go Marcos!

Well, back to my work. Gotta go earn those pennies so I can pay the bills! Have a great weekend!

Just rambling ...

Good evening, almost morning! It's been a long day because it's so hot. It's only the low to mid nineties, but my house is just burning up. I really need a tree in the backyard to block some of the heat. Even though it's nice outside right now, my house is just hot. 83 degrees where I'm sitting, with two fans on. Outside, it's 67. I know it's bad when the dogs' tongues are hanging out all the time. It's just very stuffy. Part of it is just that this computer creates so much heat. It's horrible, but I have no solution, unfortunately.

I read a little bit more about Patrick and Lisa Swayze going out on the town over the weekend in Chicago. Reportedly, they danced quite a bit. Now that's a good sign!

Just heard that Beijing is worried about terrorist attacks for the Olympics which start tomorrow. I love the Olympics and watch most all of the coverage. It should be a great event, as always, but there are the concerns about the air there and now this terrorist issue. The news said China had missiles ready to go at any unauthorized aircraft. My first thought upon hearing this -- "And they'll use them, too."

Spent the day doing some of the brand new offers over at GPTCashcow. I do love this site, and it's really helped me a lot to pay the bills. Oh, and thanks to the person who joined Vindale Research, per my request a couple of days ago. I appreciate it. I still need 3 people to join so I can cash out by the 15th, which is my goal. Please consider it!

For my fan fic readers, I'm trying to make some progress on the next story, which will pick up with those nasty leftover morsels from "The Wicked Witch of Bloadmoor Bluffs". This one might take a while, though, or not. I just never know!

Also, for those looking for extra money, I've been paid again by Forum Boosters. They pay once a week so that's really nice. This is a great way to make some cash, just chatting on various forums. I've actually learned quite a bit too in the process. It's fun to get paid for posting. Check out the link on the right side of the block if you want to try it!

I'm still trying to sell my office desk set. The eBay buyer flaked out on it, and I've no luck. I actually put it on Craig's List today, and that scares me, simply because you never know who will respond. Still, I'd rather someone bought it than just watching the thing rot. It's such a nice set, in super condition. I keep worrying that it's gonna rain one day out of the blue (which isn't unheard of) and damage the set.

Okie dokie, gonna stretch and play with the dogs for a while. Have a good one!

Just a quick stop by the blog to pass on this bit of humor. Isn't it just the truth, though?

Dog Rules

1. The dog is not allowed in the house.

2. Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.

3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.

4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.

5. Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep with the humans on the bed.

6. Okay, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.

7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not under the covers.

8. The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only

9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.

10. Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the dog.

It's August and it's hot!

Good morning! It's August, and it's hot, though not as hot as it normally is in August. Still, mid-nineties isn't my idea of fun.

For GPT folks, I am happy to say I received my check for the month of June from GPTCashcow. That's gonna help me pay the bills thankfully, especially since the A/C bill was $125. Ugh. I wasn't happy about that, but we had some really hot days in July, and I just couldn't keep it off as much as I have been trying to.

If you've been looking for a way to make some extra cash, please try it out. It's great fun, and there are several contests going on in August, too.

Also, I'm hoping to get four more folks to sign up at Vindale Research so I can reach cashout by the 15th. Four newcomers will do it! If you've been thinking about it, now would be a good time.

I heard on the news that Jet Blue is going to charge $1 for those little pillows. What's next? A charge for the seatbelt? This is getting out of hand. If the airlines can't afford to fly, they need to cut back their flights. Maybe it's time people used telecommuting and videoconferencing devices, rather than fly back and forth. Do we really need all these flights?

Considering I've never seen High School Musical 1 or 2, I'm surprised that I've been watching this show on ABC for the next High School Musical star. It's been nice to see this process unfold and see some of the young people growing as the audition(s) continues. I haven't heard about the ratings, but it's a winner in my book.

Tuesday is a busy day so have to scoot, but wanted to touch bases with anyone who might be reading this. There's a new review over at Review Stream to read (on the "Viva Las Vegas" DVD), for anyone who'd like to. Please vote for it as being helpful, too!

Have a great day!