Michael Shanks in Saving Hope

I'm super excited about the new Canadian series, Saving Hope, starring Michael Shanks of Stargate SG-1.  His co-star is Erica Durance of Smallville fame.  In fact, these two have appeared together on both of their former shows, so there is history.  NBC is airing Saving Hope starting June 7 at 10pm.


Michael plays Charlie Harris, Chief of Surgery, who ends up in a coma and then roams the hospital.  It promises to be very cool.  I don't know how long they can keep that premise up before he needs to get out of the coma, but the first 13 episodes should be great.


The show is filming in Toronto, and they're working on episode 7 now.  Michael's become a tweeter.  I don't do social media, but following his tweets is a hoot.


Watch Saving Hope -- let's get a season 2!

Michael Shanks, Richard Dean Anderson, and Weird Weather

I totally forgot to mention how awesome Michael Shanks was in the Canadian show, Endgame, which appears on that country's Showtime network. This was the third episode of the new series, and Shanks was in a good part of it. I don't want to say too much about what happens, but I thought he was awesome and consider it a 'must see' for his fans. Of course, that's harder to do for Americans, but if you can get a hold of a copy of this show, do it. He's absolutely a delight to watch.

By the same token, if you missed Richard Dean Anderson's limited but terrific appearance on USA's Fairly Legal, look for the reruns. RDA is in four of the shows. Now he's only in one scene for two of those and just in two or three in the other two, but he's a joy to watch. I really hope he gets out and does more. His daughter, Wylie, tweeted that he did a History Channel narration on what I'll all a MacGyver-ish type of show that will air on Father's Day, I believe. Gotta love Wylie. I just wonder if she's getting commission. If not, she should be.

Wrapping things up, is the weather just crazy or what? It cannot make up its mind. I heard that Colorado went from short sleeves one day to a near blizzard the next. Now that's an extreme.

Shanks, Flooring, and Setting Records

Wow, 70+ degrees for three days straight. We've been setting 'hot' records right and left, much to the chagrin of those shoveling their cars out from the snow.

Anyone watch The Commish? I just got the set on DVD and one disk is really wacky. I called the manufacturing and they sent me a replacement, and surprised me with the complete set Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas. I've only seen a few of those shows, so that will be new television. I thought it was super nice of them to do that, too.

I really need to clean my kitchen floor. It's vinyl so not all that difficult. It's showing signs of its wear, though. Laminate flooring is curious to me. I wonder how that would be. I just always want whatever is the easiest to clean. That's my #1 buying concern with most anything.

I watched a couple of Michael Shanks movies on TV over the last couple of days. Desperate Escape and Judicial Discretion were both on. He's a bum in both of them. Well, not a bum, but not pure, either.

Onward onto the next!

Custom cards and Shanks Independence

I was going through some things recently and found some old business cards I'd had printed up. You know, I love business cards, even if you don't really have a business. Years ago, a friend and I made some up just as a joke for a friend. I guess that started it. I've made up all kinds of cards in the years since to use for my collecting and groups that I was a part of it.  I've used real photographs, pre-printed designs that the printer had available, and even created a few pieces of artwork, primitive as they might be. Those were the days!

I've been watching Stargate SG-1 and having memory flashbacks. ThisTV is airing the 2-part Evolution show. I remember that it was the weekend between the filming of Part 1 and Part 2 that I first met Michael Shanks, who played Daniel Jackson on the series. There was a big deal at this convention over whether or not he was going to come clean shaven or not. He had actually been told not to shave because of the nature of the storyline, but he also knew his fans at the time preferred him clean shaven. That time, he chose us and dealt with the producers when he got back.

That's Michael -- very independent, very stubborn, very much his own person. You just never know what he'll do next. :}

Rain, Photos, and Here's Lucy

Its drizzling rain today which is better than when it pours. Still, I actually have gotten a lot done, tossing out some trash, doing some housecleaning, and making calls to people saying 'take me off the mailing lists.' Honestly, there is just too much junk mail out there. The poor trees.

While going through some things, I ended up looking at photos and remembering some fun times in the past. I really feel lucky to have had some treasured experiences -- a couple of great cruises, lots of celebrity events, meeting and sharing time with Patrick Swayze, having some fun at conventions with Michael Shanks, traveling around the USA, and so much more. Having the pictures to look back on is just awesome.

The photo world has changed a lot now, too. These days photo printing is more technological, sharp, and easier in some aspects. Remember all of those 35mm rolls of film? I still have some, but I'm not sure there is any place to get them developed anymore. Everything is digital now it seems.

Off I go to watch more of Here's Lucy, a show I haven't seen in years now. I'm really enjoying it, though.

Stargate Universe Dies; Is there hope for an SG-1 Movie?

The Stargate Universe was dealt a blow when SyFy confirmed cancellation today of Stargate Universe. Personally, I'm thrilled. I didn't like that show at all, and I do blame it for keeping the Stargate SG-1 movie from getting done.

Is the Stargate legacy finally over? Or will fans, maybe, just maybe, now get the long awaited SG-1 movie? This was to be the swan song in a way, a team movie that would heavily weigh on Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill. It was to be one final romp, the way fans want it, through the universe.

The only thing I fear about such a movie is what the unpredictable producers might do with the 'ship' element, that being the relationship between Jack and Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping). I would hate to see anything devoted to that. Even 30 seconds or a mere mention would be too much.

What I want to see is the team, exploring. I want to see Jack and Daniel (Michael Shanks) with their caring friendship that had them sometimes butting heads, but being best friends. I wish Jonathan Glassner would produce the movie.

It may be time has marched on, but with the end of SGU, it gives fans just a hint of a prayer that maybe this promised movie could get made.

Shanks: Pro at Dying

I just had to write a short post on this because I thought it was sensational. If you haven't yet watched Smallville's show from last night called Icarus, it's an absolute must. It's not just that Lois and Clark finally became engaged, but it was Michael Shanks' final portrayal as Hawkman, known as Carter Hall in day to day life.

Shanks best known role is that of Daniel Jackson, archaeologist on Stargate SG-1. Daniel died, didn't die, died, oops, not dead, died, ascended, nope, he's back, died ... well, you get the idea. His 'death' happened so often it became a joke to many.

Well, last night Carter Hall in full Hawkman attire moved on, so to speak, and in doing so he uttered the absolute best line: "I'm a pro at dying." Now come on, any SG-1 fan had to do what I did -- laugh, and laugh hard. It made what happened to Carter so much easier to deal with. This is science fiction: Hawkman will be back.

I just really want to know if Shanks or any member of the Smallville cast didn't have some fun with that line. The beneath the surface meaning of it was just a hoot.

Fess up -- didn't you laugh?

Shanks on Smallville, and more

It's Friday! Everyone loves a Friday because it's the beginning of the weekend. I certainly can't argue with that. What's fun about this particular Friday is that tonight is Michael Shanks' last appearance on Smallville. He plays Carter Hall aka: Hawkman. The episode is entitled Icarus, and it should be a good one.

My latest neat gadget that I'm growing to love a lot -- the personal heater. It cuts back on the central heat bills, is safer than a space heater, and it keeps me warm. It won't heat up a room, but it keeps me toasty, and that is what counts.

Have you heard that Kelsey Grammer is engaged already, before his divorce is even final? I can't even say I was surprised. These days, people don't even bother to be separated first (think LeAnn Rimes). This creates a lot of business for lawyers.

I really wish folks would put more efforts into their relationships. We just give up too easily. Part of it is the mobile aspect of our modern living. That's why I tend to be more traditional. Maybe things are just too easy.

Lighting the Shanks Way

It's Monday and it was an incredibly pleasant day -- mid to high seventies in this part of the world and not far away, it was even low 80's. Unreal weather!

The result was a nice, bright house, which is always good. I wish I could figure out a way to light my living room. The place has never had any overhead lighting, and lamps just aren't feasible. Track lighting would be ugly, but I've always wanted something better.

Right now, I have a floor lamp by one chair that does some good, but that still leaves the rest of the room with deplorable lighting conditions.

Maybe one of these days I'll get to a store somewhere and be able to find some decent lighting. Any suggestions out there? Of course, my budget is just about zilch, so that puts a damper on doing much of anything.

By the way, for Michael Shanks fans, he has several things popping up on TV in the next few weeks. Take a look at my post over at DTV about it. I'm quite excited.

Be back with more later!

April Sunshine

The sunshine has returned, at least for a few days. We've had great weather here in Northern California. I've been enjoying it, especially since my email issues were resolved. It was a scary thing not to be able to reply, forward, or compose email. I'm thankful someone new their stuff and solved the problem for me.

April 8th is the latest episode of Supernatural. I don't watch this series but I will be then because Michael Shanks is guest starring, and he's a big favorite of mine. There's a chance his Hawkman character could recur on Smallville next season, and I'm thrilled about that. Michael's wife, Lexa Doig, is on the new V and while I love to watch Lexa, I just can't convince myself to watch the new updated V.

I just read an interview with Lisa Niemi, the widow of Patrick Swayze. She's hanging in there, but still going through a lot of pain in dealing with the blow in life that Patrick's early death has caused her. She's strong; she'll get through, but right now, those are just words for her. She has a lot of people praying for her, though. She's very much loved, as Patrick still is, too.

My dogs are loving their Kongs. In fact, Kong Classic just came out with a new X-tra large size, and I'm so glad because that's exactly what they need.

Onward to the next post!

This and That

I've been watching the news and seeing all the devastation in Southern California. Man, that's frightening. All those homes being lost and being having to flee for safety. It's growing, too. The pictures have been incredible, showing the blaze. Some of our news reporters covering it had to flee even in the middle of a report because the wind had changed the direction of the fire last night. Too close!

I watched Michael Shanks' movie, Living Out Loud, again tonight. He really did a great job in it. It was different to see him as a husband and father. Of course, this was a Hallmark movie which meant that they glossed over so much of the 'meat' of the story. I wanted to see the things we didn't see and wanted more depth to the transitions that were made in the character. Sadly, a two-hour movie is only 90-minutes and with five people to focus on, they can only do so much. Still, a very nice movie. I wish I could have taped it, but taping doesn't work for me anymore. Pooh! I'm hoping Hallmark shows it a lot, assuming I'm still able to get the Hallmark Channel in the foreseeable future.

The dogs are such a hoot. They've been bone-deprived for a while now, and when I saw these decent size ones on sale this week, I just felt like I had to get them each one. When I got home, though, I decided to just open one and put it on the floor and let them decide who got it first. You see, when I give them each big bones like this, they just never both eat them. One of them will start chewing on theirs, and the other one ends up watching or sitting by me. They seem to have fun doing that. The second bone gets ignored for the most part until the first one is gone.

And, since I can't stand to decide who should get the bone first, by just putting it on the floor and then letting them in the house, they decide the issue, and that's what they did. They had me in stitches. They took turns with all day long. They seem to have a code or something. It's just adorable to watch.

Sci Fi's been showing the first season Stargate SG-1's lately, and that's been fun to watch, even if they are chopped up. I'm so sick and tired of those crappy last couple of seasons that this feels refreshing to see the old shows again. I keep hearing that the new SG-1 movie will be more like the days of old and that Richard Dean Anderson definitely is the center of the attraction. I'm so hopeful of some good Jack and Daniel moments.

I'm also hoping for a good Jack and Daniel cameo together in the premier of Stargate Universe, a show I don't plan on watching except for the premier because Rick and Michael are both in it. It's probably going to be just like the Stargate Atlantis pilot where they are just in a few minutes towards the beginning, ie, the big send off. As long as it's Jack and Daniel, together, I'll be happy.

I read today that the dingbat responsible for the Air Force One fly-over the Statue of Liberty resigned. Maybe he's a scapegoat, and maybe not, but that was just the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a long time, so someone had to go. He admits to not reading emails and such. Time for a new job.

Did y'all get the Oprah Kentucky Fried Chicken coupon for the grilled chicken? Now talk about Oprah's popularity, this thing almost caused a riot. On the second day of the offer, my KFC was taking names and addresses and telling everyone they would be sending out coupons in the near future that would include a beverage, so that's even a better deal. The grilled chicken is good, by the way. I took advantage of getting the free piece on April 27 and thought it was very tasty.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm doing a lot of surfing these days and also doing some sponsored posts here and there. So, whether it's stuff I'm finding on my own or places I've been directed to, I hope you'll continue to drop by and keep up with the latest, which hopefully will be more positive things than my lonely rant of a few days ago.

Saturday night is the Southern 500, and I'm hoping Jeff Gordon can get another win there, or at least have a top 5. He's starting in the front row and has a good history there, so I'm thinking positively. Jeff's still having a lot of back problems, though, and that's kind of scary. I guess they've pinpointed the problem finally, but he hasn't told the world what it is as yet. I'm thinking those two big crashes he's had in the last three years may have taken a toll, not to mention lifting his little girl all the time. I just hope that whatever it is, they can take care of it. I'd hate to see his career end early.

As for the fan fic, those two stories are still there. I've had so many ideas pop into my fron lately, too, but I just have to spend the majority of my time earning money. I hate it; I really do, but I have to stay focused. I'm just down to scratching through the days. Soon, I hope!

Have a great weekend all!

News and Notes

Not a lot going on today. I've been sorting through magazines and going through papers, getting rid of a lot of stuff that is just taking up space. However, I've had fun while I've been doing it. A very nice person just gifted me with copies of the Legend TV series with Richard Dean Anderson, so I've had gorgeous RDA during the afternoon to help me with my projects.

Friends and I have also been debating the big scene at the end of the Burn Notice finale when Victor (Michael Shanks) was killed. Who pulled the trigger -- Michael or Victor? It's a huge debate, and there's evidence on both sides.

Today's featured article on Helium is right here. Remember, just surfing there helps me out. This is my thoughts on the whole Paul McCartney and Heather Mills divorce thing. In a nutshell, I think Mills is nuts.

Today's featured review is right here. Remember, in order to help me, you have to vote on that page that the review was 'helpful' to you. The page is timed; it's usually best to let the page stay open a couple of minutes before voting. This was my take on The Ark of Truth, which is scheduled to finally air on TV later this month. There are 27 votes so far. 50 is the magic number for all reviews.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I watched Patrick Swayze's "Christmas in Wonderland" over the weekend. He was fabulous, as always. There was a commercial shown towards the end advertising his interview with Barbara Walters in January. It's going to be awesome!

I also saw Michael Shank's "Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon". He was great; it was a very different character, even though he was playing yet another archaeologist.

Times are super tough financially. I'm still having some success over at GPTCashcow.com and continue to recommend it as a way to bring in extra cash. The admin has done daily contests all through the month of December, and I've managed to win two of them. I'm doing a lot of reviews still at Review Stream, and I've done more articles over at Helium. Every penny helps in this day and age.

May your Christmas be all you wish it to be, and here's hoping 2009 is worlds better than 2008!

Review Stream, TV to watch, Happy Holidays

Hi Everyone ...

I've written a ton of new reviews over at Review Stream and have included the links for you on the right hand side of this blog, under the big yellow smiley face. I'm doing a lot of Adam-12 reviews right now because I managed to get the DVDs for the first two seasons so am watching the shows anyway.

Also, on the reviews, if you ask a question or comment on the review, that gives me a chance to respond to it, and every time I do so, that ups the number of votes. So, please, ask questions on the reviews or make a comment that would require me to respond. That's another easy way of helping me out.

I'm in a financial crisis so am asking everyone who can to please, please, please vote for these reviews. I know it takes a little time, but I don't get to reap the rewards of the votes until there is '50' of them (vote payments are done in groups of 50). There are a few, like Bayer Aspirin, Michael Shanks, and some others that are getting close. If you want, start with the oldest reviews (Wendy's was the first), and work your way up to the present. Some of the older ones are the closest.

Thanks for your support.

Upcoming shows to watch -- All My Children's salute to Eileen Herlie is on December 19th, and creator Agnes Nixon returns as "Aggie"; Michael Shanks is in the "The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon" beginning December 20th; and on the same night, December 20th, Patrick Swayze is on ABC Family in "Christmas in Wonderland". On January 7th, Patrick's interview with Barbara Walters airs as part of "20/20".

If I don't get back to blog before the 25th, Merry Christmas, Everyone!

A little update ...

Sorry for not updating the blog in a while; just trying to fend off the economy and depression monsters while getting things done. Don't really have time to update now, but did want to make a post.

Be looking for Patrick Swayze's The Beast on A&E in January. The ads are playing now on A&E all the time. Michael Shank's The Lost Treasure is coming up this month, too, on the Sci Fi Channel.

More later!

Starting Anew

It's the start of a new week and the end of a month. Most of my time on the internet these days is spent doing whatever I can to earn money for my survival. I missed my time on the web doing my passion, though - writing my fan fic. So, I took a lot of September off. I still did a lot, but I let the pressure go of "I've got to do this or I won't be able to pay the bills" go. I had to, I needed my passion.

I've been giving a lot of thought to time management and scheduling. I don't really have a set schedule anymore, so it's a little difficult to really plan, but I'm struggling to find a happy medium between that urgency of needing money and still enjoying the internet and being able to fulfill my passion. I still don't have it figured it out, but I hope to find a way because spending every waking moment 'working' makes it a hardship and takes the fun out of being online. Yet, I have to earn money, or I'm stuck. My financial situation isn't pretty. I have to do all the little things I do to stay afloat.

This is why I have the ads here and why I plug the sites I believe in and the links that appear all along the right hand side of this blog. Please support me by using these links whenever possible for your purchases. This week, I received my first affiliate check from Amazon, thanks to those of you have used the link. I realize the list is long on the right, but again, I'm trying to stay afloat. Remember, there's a link to DeepDiscountDVD here, too, and that's a great place to get the best prices on DVDs.

The site that has helped me the most to survive in recent months has been GPTCashcow.com. If you are in need of extra cash, please consider signing up and earning money there by doing various offers. It's a proven site -- they've been paying a lot of my bills since I joined earlier this year.

GPTCashcow has just opened a sister site, today, too. You can advertise your own sites or businesses there, and create/build your own downline. The site is called Blazing Referrals. Again, please sign up and participate. It really helps me.

There are a bunch of new reviews listed on the right, items and such that I've written about at Review Stream. Remember to vote, saying that the review was 'helpful' to you. Also, it's a great way to make money. Reviews are quick and easy to write. They have to be roughly 250 words or thereabouts, which isn't really much, and they are more interested in your opinion and not the 'how to', which is what really lures me to the site. When you're ready to write your first review, just click here.

Thanks for all the support!

I was so very sad to hear about the passing of Paul Newman. He is one of my all time favorite performers. I think I saw "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" about 100 times in the theater (seriously) when it was first issued. He was a class act, using his Newman's Own to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to charity, and he did it quietly. He was never part of the Hollywood scene and really didn't understand the fuss surrounding the moniker of 'celebrity'.

I'll never forget his appearance on "The Mike Douglas Show" many years ago. Mike was talking about the lure of Newman's blue eyes. The women were swooning, and Paul was just blank. To him, eyes were eyes. What was the big deal?

Paul Newman was one of the last real genius actors, with performances that will be remembered for decades upon decades, instead of just this year, if that. He'll be missed, that's for sure!

Jeff Gordon had a good finish in today's NASCAR race, finishing fourth, in spite of the fact that he was really sick. I'm still hoping he can pull through and win the Chase. He's within striking distance, but you just never know. Carl Edwards almost won today, and I was sure hoping he would. He pulled a miracle pass on the leader on the last corner, but slid into the wall harder than he thought he would (yes, he planned on the wall and his car coming together), and it slowed him down more than anticipated. Darn, that was fun to watch, but I really wanted him to be successful (I'm not a fan of the person who ultimately won).

The craziness continues. A mother tried to drown her little girl last night. She calmly called the police and waited for them outside. The husband wasn't home; he's stated his wife is mentally ill. Okay, no arguments there. The little girl is fighting for her life.

I do not understand this world. If you can't handle being a parent, take your child to a shelter and walk away there. What is the point in trying to kill them? This aspect of our human existence is beyond my understanding. I don't get it.

Michael Shanks' first episode of "Stargate Atlantis" aired on Friday, and it was pretty fun to see. I hated his hair, though, and I don't understand why he went to Atlantis in his civvies instead of his SG-1 uniform. He was on duty, so that is very confusing. Part 2 of this episode will air in a week or two weeks, depending upon whether you believe Sci Fi's website or the TV promo.

I adored the scene where Daniel was standing in front of the three bell lights and trying to figure out the correct sequence that would open up the door to the secret lab. It was like a kid playing. Very cute.

Transcribers of these episodes have my sympathies. Michael Shanks and David Hewlett of SGA are two of the fastest talkers in show biz. I recall the producer or director commenting that the show was about 5 pages over time, but because Shanks and Hewlett naturally talk fast, the shows actually came in on time.

That's it for this post. Thanks for stopping by!

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!

Latest Review

Howdy, everyone!

My latest review is up at Review Stream, and it's for Michael's movie, "Under the Mistletoe". Sure wish I had that on DVD. I'd be watching it over and over again, if I did. It was on again last week. Last night, "Judicial Indescretion" was on, but I didn't realize it and missed it. Wish that would come out on DVD, too.

Under the Mistletoe review

Remember to look for the box below which is always after the reviews and the series of google ads -- click the circle and press the 'yes' button and then you'll see the number by 'votes' go up after the page refreshes. I get paid 10 cents per 'yes' vote. It may not seem like a lot, but it adds up quick! You do have to be on the page long enough for them to think you've read it :}

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I also was approved to join up with Pay Per Post, which sounds like a neat way to earn some money by blogging for various sponsors. I didn't really see any good opportunities for a newbie there last night, but I'm remaining hopeful and will chart my progress here, as I do all of my attempts at working at home to earn money to pay those pesky bills and buy the groceries.

I'm also excited because I'm just 39 cents away from my very first affiliate check from Amazon! Thanks to all my supporters who are using my link here on this blog to shop from Amazon. One more order should give me that first pay out. I'm very grateful!

Have a great Sunday!