Sunny Monday Afternoon

First off, a quick thanks to Adrienne, one of my fan fic readers who caught some goofs in my story published early this morning. I've already made the corrections and updated them. I only had a couple of folks beta this story, so I really appreciate her taking the time to point out the mistakes. I love my stories to be as correct as they can. I don't know what the next story will be. My chivalry story stalled after a few paragraphs, and the muse is being silent. If anyone wants to try and spur my muse onward, please feel free to do so!

Just received another payment today from Review Stream. This is really a great way to earn some extra morning, especially for folks who like to critique things and/or are fast writers. I highly recommend it. Use this link to sign up and that way, you help me as I get a teeny percentage on referrals. Review Stream is very reputable. I've never seen anyone pay out so quick so consistently.

I'm still watching my set of MacGyver. I'm towards the end of season two. The problem is the blotches has continued, though it hasn't been as bad on subsequent DVDs as it was in the season one set. They're there, but not causing as much havoc. Had a couple of disks with no problems and a couple with just one or two shows affected. I haven't tried the toothpaste bit yet, but I plan to. I've sort of decided to watch the entire set first and then see what I can do.

Today's article of the day is located here. Please surf on over and read. Today's review of the day is right here. Remember to vote that the review has been helpful; that's what counts here. This one has 28 votes, so is over halfway to where I need it in order to pay out.

My doggies could use a doggie care package -- Frontline for dogs in that 40-50lb range, Priority or Salix rawhide bones, and Milk Bone dog biscuits. Finances are strapped right now, so they're having to go without, and that's hard on Mom here.

Back to my writing and trying to earn some of that much-needed money. Times are getting tougher and tougher.

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Earrrrrrley Monday Morning!

Didn't manage to get to the blog over the weekend, but I'll update the blog later today. Right now just wanted to make sure the fan fic folks know I did just post a new story. Happy reading!

It's Friday!

It's Friday, and I'm still here, kickin'! I survived my root canal, obviously. It's probably the smoothest root canal I've ever had, and I"m hoping it stays that way. I'm feeling okay at the moment, and I want that to continue. I have a great dentist. It's so nice to be reminded that there are caring people in this world. This guy skipped his lunch hour to make sure I was taken care of before my insurance ran out today. That's pretty cool.

I'm still stunned at the death of Natasha Richardson. It sure does impress upon folks the importance of wearing helmets on the slopes, even when just learning, like she was. It also points out how any fall should be looked at. I'm sure there are going to be many painful days of second guessing going on from the people around her on that fateful day. What if they had insisted Natasha be checked out? No one can say for sure what might have been, but it's a horrible thing to have to live with. There's no guilt to be assigned here, and from all the reports about this kind of injury since the accident, maybe some good can come from this.

The lessons to be learned here are simple. Wear a helmet and if you fall, get checked out. Natasha had that lucid period doctors talk about and after that, it was too late. Hopefully, someone will learn from that and not lose their life.

I'm very excited! When I got home from the dentist on Thursday, I had an email from Helium. One of my articles on NASCAR won a contest. That's some desperately needed cash, so I was and am thrilled. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to surf over to my articles.

For my fan fic folks, I'll try to get the next story published this weekend, Monday at the latest. I do hope everyone enjoyed the story published late Wednesday night. It was just a short ficlet. This next one is a bit longer, and it's a beyond the series fic that has a potential new revelation for some of the brood. It could be interesting for the future. Then again, maybe it's nothing at all! Only the muse knows for sure.

I do have two longer stories that are in process. I actually was in the middle of incorporating the Ori story into the universe. However, it's a major undertaking because I'm writing the real story, not what we saw in canon. :} Also, the entire two years is being condensed into less than two months, so it's a fast paced series of events that have our heroes in crisis. I was about halfway through it when my disability claim was denied and I went into a panicked downward spiral. I am still having to focus on trying to earn money, somehow, in order to pay the bills. Right now I'm okay through March, but at mid-April, I'll have big, big, big problems. Until things settle, which hopefully will mean having my disability appeal approved (I hope and pray), I just don't have the time to work on any lengthy story. I hate that because I need my universe, but it's just how it is. The stress is tremendous.

Anywho, the other story is also beyond the series. Alex gets to work more magic in it, something required after a lot of toe-bumping in the middle of the night. It'll make sense when you read it. Of course, I have to finish writing it first. One of these days, and hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.

Today's Helium article is located here, and today's featured Review Stream review is right here. Once again, just going to the article helps me, but you need to vote for the review as being 'helpful' to make it count with the review. Feel free to pass these links on to your family and friends! :} By the way, a reminder. If you'd like to write reviews or write articles for Helium, please let me know so I can refer you; that way, we both win!

It's a NASCAR weekend. The racers are in Bristol. I sure hope my favorite, Jeff Gordon, has a good race. He didn't qualify as great as I was hoping he'd do, but qualifying isn't nearly as important as taking that checkered flag. Go Jeffy go!

MacGyver Complete Set DVD Problem

Has anyone had this problem with the complete MacGyver DVD set that I'm about to explain. A very nice person gifted me with this collection recently. The problem is that she's had it about a year and purchased it from a seller off of eBay so I can't do anything simple like return it. This set was new, though, and still had the cellophane on it. Many of the disks have these white blotches on them. The make the dvd pause. Sometimes it stops and goes back to the first scene; sometimes it stops and skips forward to the next segment; sometimes it pauses, freezes, then goes forward, or pauses, jumps forward a tad, or goes in slow motion until it resumes normally.

I've never seen anything like this before. Has anyone else with the MacGyver set had this problem, or does anyone else know what this problem is, period? I'm looking for suggestions on how to fix it and make the affected shows more watchable.

Here are four photos of the blotches, or at least, the best I could get of them.

What a Wednesday!

First of all, I was so saddened to hear that Natasha Richardson died today. What a tremendous shock. I enjoyed her work so much, and both she and her husband, Liam Neeson, worked with my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze. It's just shocking the way their day must have started, so calm and innocent, to have ended up so tragically. I don't even know what to say. It's just so very sad.

My dentist called today. He really wants me to have that root canal, so even though he's stacked up with appointments, he's going to squeeze me in tomorrow (Thursday). He's really a nice guy, and he knows my insurance runs out on Friday and I'm just extremely hesitant to go to anyone new at this point. So, think positively for me that it goes well. I've had smooth root canals and tortuous ones. I'd like this one to be smooth.

Today's Helium article is found here, and today's Review Stream review can be found here. I know this voting thing is a hassle, but 50 votes for an item is $5, and right now, I really need those $5. Please vote, folks. For the articles, just surfing there helps.

I read today that the AIG CEO is asking some of the executives to return "some" of their bonuses. That whole thing just irks me big time. We bail them out and they give each other bonuses? I really don't care about the legalities angle. Had we not saved their butts, they'd have squat because they wouldn't even exist. Where's the justice for all of us here?

American Idol had a bit of a shocker with Alexis Grace being voted off. She just didn't sing up to her potential, and that was the real problem. I loved Carrie Underwood's appearance and that she continues to acknowledge the place that Idol had in her career.

Better News for a Tuesday

This was on The View this morning, and it's definitely a much better and more reliable report on Patrick Swayze than anything you'll find in a nasty tabloid rag.

A Shocking Start to Tuesday

Just read about Natasha Richardson's skiing accident. I'm stunned. My prayers go out to her family. I've always liked Natasha. I first noticed her in Parent Trap, in which I thought she was absolutely charming, and then in Waking Up in Reno, in which she co-starred with Patrick Swayze. She played a disheartened ex-southern belle in that one, and was wonderful. I just had to post about it here. I sure hope it's not as grim as the reports sound. Read about it here.

After Midnight

I watched Dancing with the Stars tonight. The stars are dropping like flies on that show. They really don't have a stellar cast this season anyway, so it's a little dull. I do like Shawn Johnson. She's just 17, but she has a shot at winning. She's got competition, though, so it won't be an easy battle for any of them.

The article of the day is right here, and the review of the day is right here. For the articles, just going there works. For the reviews, you need to vote.

I'm still so unsure about the dentist thing. I feel very stressed about it, and believe me, stress is something I don't need any more of. Time to stop thinking about it again. I need to go write some more reviews to try and get some money to pay these pesky bills.

And shouldn't the AIG big wigs just be drawn and quartered for their latest antics? We bail them out and they give themselves bonuses? And then they dare to say they have to legally? Without the bailout, they wouldn't be employed! I want to see Obama get some action here. Stop blaming the old administration (not that they aren't guilty) and do what you promised, Mister President.

Monday Odds and Ends

It's Monday, and that's mean the dentist has come and gone. On the good news front, the gunk from the right side of my mouth has all healed just fine. On the bad news, he thinks there is another problem on the other side. He wanted to do a root canal, but he's just jammed with appointments, and there's no room. My insurance runs out on Friday, and honestly, I don't want another dentist. I'm just so private and finicky with anything medical, including the dentist. I trust this guy. I'm probably an idiot, but I'm just gonna wait it out and pray for the best. I don't wanna go to someone new right now. It's too hard to get around, and I'm so sensitive to pain. Stress -- it's stressful just thinking about it.

Had a surprise in the mail -- a coupon for a free jar of Skippy Peanut Butter. I must have registered at their website or something. It was just a nice letter, assuring me (and I assume a bunch of others) that they aren't involved in the recall mess with peanut butter. I'm sure they've had a drop in sales.

For the fan fic group, found out yesterday that one of my stories was nominated this year for the annual fan fic words. That's always a cool honor, to know someone likes a fic enough to nominate it, so thank you, whoever you are.

I'm still aiming for Wednesday to publish one of the stories. Not sure as yet which one it will be, though.

More later this evening!

Sunday Ebbs Away

Just a few more minutes left in this Sunday day. I started my day by writing a few more reviews, which was enough to get another pay out over at Review Stream. Right now, it's the easiest way for me to get a few bucks. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a fast writer. You can use this link to start writing.

For my fan fic folks, I'm going to try and get one of the stories published in the next couple of days. I've been hoping to get a few more people to beta, but haven't had any luck. It must be a busy time of year for some of them. My betas spoil me; I really believe in what they do, but I think I need to go back to just publishing the best I can make it and just let it go at that. I'm not a perfectionist; like I said, just spoiled by what a good alpha beta can do to a story, even a ficlet.

Let's make a goal -- we'll shoot for a Wednesday story. Don't let me forget! ;}

Calm day in the news around here. The most exciting thing has been Celebrity Apprentice, and frankly, that wasn't exciting. Why Dennis Rodman is even on this show, I'll never know.

The Amazing Race was entertaining to a point. I do like Luke and his mom. I don't know that I'm rooting for anyone at this point, but I 'hope' for them. Mel and his dad are fun, too. I did like Victor and his sister, but they played a little dirty today, and I like to root for the good guys.

The Helium article of the day is right here. Remember, just surfing there to read helps me.

The Review of the day is right here. Remember, here you have to vote for it to be helpful.

It's back to the dentist tomorrow for that nasty problem I had. I'm so glad the antibiotic worked, and hopefully, I won't need any more.

Have a great day!

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.

Leap of Faith

Well, I had stopped watching Ghost Whisperer many episodes back. I was livid when they killed off Jim and had his soul do the 'Heaven Can Wait' thing and leap into another body. David Conrad, who plays Jim, did an interview this week and talked about how pivotal tonight's show would be. There was so much talk about fans not being disappointed that I decided to take my own leap of faith and watch.

Bravo! My leap of faith was rewarded with a much more satisfying end than that which came to Warren Beatty in HCW. I'm happy with it. In fact, I shall return to the Ghost Whisperer fold, as long as they don't botch it up in forthcoming episodes.

Finally, a happy ending, although there are about a thousand questions that still need to be answered!

And now it's back to watching Celtic Woman. They are magical to listen to.

I'm Back!

It's really hard sometimes to keep a blog going when life looks gloomy. That's been my experience, anyway. As I continue to struggle to get by, it's get tougher to write about silly little things, even if they make me smile. Still, I think it's important to try. As I continue to try and figure out how to survive, now as a displaced, laid off worker, it's more important to try and keep a healthy mental attitude. As such, I'm going to try a bit of a new approach here. Maybe just share one tidbit I've learned or read about, or something that's made me laugh. Maybe then I can post more frequently and give this blog some meaning. I'm also going to highlight some of the things I do that bring in money for me in which you can help, just for surfing or voting, or whatever.

My beautiful dogs are doing great. They continue to make me smile just by being themselves and playing. They are joy, pure joy. I totally believe in the love and power of pets. They are amazing.

Helium article of the day! Just surfing over to this link helps me earn money. You don't have to vote or anything -- just go there and read! This article concerns the safety features in NASCAR. I am a big NASCAR fan, and this short piece details some of the reasons why it's a much safer sport than it used to be. Click here to read!

Review Stream item of the day! Now here, you need to go to the site and then vote that the article is helpful to you. This is a little box, currently shown below the article, over on the right hand side. It says 'has this article been helpful'. You have to click the circle with 'yes' and then hit 'submit'. Then you'll see the page refresh and the number of votes will increase. If you get a message that says to read the article, it means you need to just let the page sit for a minute or two. It is timed. Then vote. Today's review is for Wendy's Restaurant. It currently has 17 votes, and to pay off, I need to get it to 50, as I do all of my reviews. You can only vote once per ISP. Click here to read and vote!

I must admit that I was thrilled to see that California is going after Howard K. Smith and the doctor who gave Anna Nicole Smith all those pills. I don't see how he can say he loved her when he abetted her by giving drug after drug after drug to her. It'll probably plea out or something, but Smith and the doctor deserve to be held accountable for their part in keeping Anna Nicole drugged to the core.

I was reading an article over at Helium about chivalry. It was a debate on whether or not it was dead. That got me thinking about a possible story for my fan fic universe. I'm thinking of doing something with Aislinn and Jenny, and some of the boys on the block. Aislinn is a boy magnet, and Jenny doesn't really care. It might make for interesting contrast, if I can do it right. Is chivalry really dead? Maybe the girls and boys of the neighborhood will answer that question for us.

Fan fic wise, I do have two stories that are about to be published. One is beyond the series and one is from season two. The latter is just a short ficlet that takes place the day after the One False Step episode, but it popped into my head the other night, so I wrote it. The first one is a short story about a couple of the brood who have an unexpected adventure. I'm wondering if my beyond the series stories focus too much on the brood and not enough on Jack and Daniel. Shrug -- don't know, but sometimes it feels that way, but I do love those kiddies.

A final note. The tabloid trash is just that -- trash. Please do not patronize junk like the National Enquirer, publications that thrive on the bad times of others. Their latest attack on Patrick Swayze is just shameful. It's full of lies and untruths. Patrick is fighting and doing just fine, all things considered. He told People Magazine that he even has a new dog, another Rhodesian Ridgeback. People's time, energy, and money would be much better spent sending up prayers for Patrick and donating the money they'd spend on the trash to StandUP2Cancer or some other reputable organization.

Review Stream Voting Reminder

Hey all -- just a quick reminder for those who so kindly are voting for my reviews over at Review Stream. They only allow one vote per review. Apparently, someone was a little over enthusiastic on one of my reviews and voted a few times for it. That's a no-no. Your votes are definitely needed, though! Just make sure to only vote once per review. Thanks much!

Patrick Tells His Story

Photo by Ron Tom/ABC

Tonight, actually in just a few short hours from now, the interview taped a few weeks ago at Rancho Bizarro, Patrick and Lisa Swayze's Los Angeles ranch, airs on ABC. Barbara Walters conducts the interview, and for the first time, fans are going to hear the truth about Patrick's brave fight and how he's already beaten the initial odds.

This interview will be heart-wrenching. I expect a ton of tears and a lot of Kleenex to be used up. From all indications, he's telling the truth, from the gut. We've already learned from the snippets that Patrick is actually dealing with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, meaning it spread to his liver.

The hour on TV tonight was be difficult. Patrick and Lisa are much-loved. They have a nation of two together that is so amazing. It breaks my heart to think that the time is most likely going to come when, mortally, they won't be together on this Earth.

Patrick continues to have my prayers, as does Lisa. He's beating the odds every day that he gets up and takes a breath. He can beat more odds. He has the strength and the will to do it. I'm realistic, but that does not diminish my hopes that in two years, we'll be talking about many more odds that he's beaten, and in 5 years, even more.

He's a wonderful man, and Lisa is a terrific lady. It hurts to know that one day, Patrick might not be here, but I suggest we live in today, that we cherish the man many of us have meant and care about, as a man, not just as an actor, and that we continue to send up those prayers and good vibes, that we continue to visualize Patrick, healthy and strong, riding his horses and playing with his dogs, and that we just continue to share his passion and hope.

That's what I'm going to try and do.



Patrick's new show, "The Beast", airs on A&E beginning January 15. Previews and trailers are available 'on demand' for those with Comcast service. A&E also has a terrific website for the series, complete with wallpapers, a community board, photo albums, and so much more. They are heavily promoting the series and looking forward to a second season of the new drama.

I'll be watching!

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!

Attention NASCAR Broadcasters!

Earlier this month, Jayski.com (my favorite website for NASCAR news), reported the top drivers of the year, as respects to their advertising time. In other words, this is how much these drivers were talked about.

2008 Top Television Exposure Producing Drivers:

Driver, Total Brands, Exposure Time, Verbal Mentions, Exposure Value, % of Value From Chase
1) J. Johnson, 62, 59:28:39, 316 -- $510,161,750; 39.5%
2) C. Edwards, 76, 58:50:51, 311 -- 495,908,515; 45.4%
3) D. Earnhardt Jr., 53, 44:40:48, 99 -- 416,960,760; 25.8%
4) J. Gordon, 84, 36:57:53, 125 -- 352,832,880; 28.5%

Here's what bugs me about the high number for Jimmie Johnson, who admittedly I'm not a fan of. Broadcasters spend a great deal of time telling viewers that they talk about the leaders of a race. When viewers complain that in the chase (the last 10 races of the year where the ultimate winner is crowned), their drivers don't get the time of day, the broadcasters counter that those drivers aren't doing well. They've said it over and over again. Yet, I can recall numerous times when JJ was stuck back in the pack, a non-factor, and still was being talked about, ad nauseum. It wasn't even anything new -- they repeated the same thing, over and over and over again. With all due respect, Broadcasters of NASCAR, you do not honor your words. You focus on who *you* want to focus on, and not the leaders. In numerous races, some of the top 10 finishers didn't even get a mention during the very long races. How about practicing what you preach for a change?

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!

Trying to catch up!

Every day I think about what I want to post here, but then stuff happens, and time flies by. I had a scare with my dog, Cassie. She had what appeared to be a horrible seizure last week. My sister believes she might have been choking on something. Whatever it was, it scared me to death. Fortunately, she's been her usual self since that night.

I do believe the girls dug up another mole from beneath the service. A year ago, they came to the door with one. This morning, there was one, dead, on the steps going from the patio to the pool. I noticed yesterday morning that the grass had a nice hole dug in it. I've never had a dog who sniffed moles, but I do believe that my Cassie is a mole detective. Very weird.

I've been seeing commercials on TV for Patrick Swayze's new show, "The Beast". It debuts on A&E in January. He's a fighter, and he's doing great battling pancreatic cancer. You can see the promo here. I sure hope folks are ignoring the trash that the tabloids are putting out. It's disgusting and sick the way they prey on families like the Swayzes.

The elections are over, and I'm ever so glad. Politics are draining. It just seems like it's all one great big hype now. I was glad to see Prop. 2 pass in California. Score one for the animals.

There is so much more to write, but no time. I just wanted to update the blog so readers would know I'm still around. There are some new reviews to be added under the yellow smiley, and I'll try to get those added soon.

Have a great week!

Accountability

Does anyone watch "The View?" It's not a regular viewing for me, and I watch it very rarely these days. I bring it up only because I was just reading a news story about Barbara Walters and Star Jones. Jones just panned Barbara and "The View" in a magazine article, and Barbara's response was a somewhat polite, "... And I think 'The View' made Star a star."

There's no question about that. No one would know or care about Star Jones were it not for the morning talkie. Let me state up front. I'm not a Star Jones fan. I do believe she abused her place on a talk show to her benefit for that far-too-extravagant wedding that cost her virtually nothing, thanks to the free advertising on the TV show. I also believe her silence about her weight-loss surgery was just ridiculous. She's got ego and way too much of it.

However, here's my question. While Star was boring us and making us upset about her wedding plans, where was Barbara in controlling the content of her show? It *is* her show, but she let Star do whatever she wanted for that entire year-long advertisement. Yes, she fired Star in the end (call it what you want, Star was dismissed, and frankly, who cares?), but why did Barbara, a strong-willed, independent, clearly in-charge person let it happen in the first place?

Why hasn't Barbara ever been held accountable for letting "The View" become a commercial?

From Winnie the Pooh to More Reviews

It's almost race time at Lowe's, and I'm thinking positive thoughts for Jeff Gordon. He's due for a win. They've had a couple of great stories on Jeff on the racing shows this week, and it's been nice to see them. I really love hearing him talk about his daughter, Ella.

With a few minutes to spare, thought I'd tell everyone about my favorite recreational site on the web right now. It's Winster, and you can play all kinds of games there. It's a new site, and it does have some server issues, but I'm sure that will improve with time. My favorite game is the slots (think slot machine). You get 200 free spins a day, and that's good enough for a couple of hours of fun. If you want more, you can buy them. You also win prizes as you accumulate points. I've already won one and am working on my second one now.

Anywho, if you like some online fun that isn't as complicated as some of those fancy videogames are, try out Winster.Com (using this link will help me, too, as I get bonus spins for everyone who signs up).

I feel like Winnie the Pooh these days. It's been very blustery, the wind blowing pretty dramatically for the last few days. Otherwise, it's been nice, albeit a bit chillier. I've put on my sweatshirt for the first time this fall. It may be time to put on the winter bedding!

I have a few children's books that are new that I'm offering for sale, plus a couple of used videos that I no longer need. The books are from Disney's 'Wonderful World of Reading' and are:

1) Bambi
2) Cinderella
3) Peter Pan
4) Lady and the Tramp
5) A Bug's Life
6) Cars

The used videos are:

1) How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2) White Christmas

I'm asking $2.25 each plus shipping for the books and $1.50 each for the videos. Payment through paypal (if you're linked to a credit card, you'd have to add the fee they charge, too). If you're interested, please contact me.

There are a lot of new reviews listed on the right side of this blog, under the Review Stream smiling face. Also, if you haven't read my articles on Helium, please do. I'm trying to reach the payout there, and it's based on traffic. If you can, send the folks over to my Helium page and spend a couple of minutes to read the articles or stay landed on the page. I'm very close, but I need traffic! Thanks!

The race is about to start! Everyone have a great weekend!

Burning Knife

As everyone knows, I love to surf the web. These days, much of my web surfing is involved in ways to earn money at home. As a result, Im always looking for websites that will help me, either in actually providing a way for me to make money directly or in teaching me ways to make my quest more successful. One of my new favorite sites does the latter. It's called Burning Knife.

Burning Knife describes itself as "A Community Helping Each Other to Earn Money Online" and that's exactly what it does. For example, there are a number of articles that help readers to learn the ins and outs of making money on their websites or acting as affiliates. The articles are basic enough to give newcomers the lessons they need to become successful, while also having more advanced information to enhance already-savvy internet moneymakers. You can learn about markets like Craigslist and Clickbank, and what scripts are essential to have on your webpage.

My favorite part, though, is the forum. It's pretty new, and many of the contributors are both knowledgeable and friendly, and everyone is sharing their ideas and experiences, both good and bad. It addresses both everyday ventures that people can dabble in just for a few extra bucks and long-term, steady-stream incomes for those devoting all of their energies to the online marketplace. I've already learned about a couple of new sites that are going to help me with my 'odd jobs' on the internet, so for me, it's a proven site that is already honoring its goal.

There are a couple of things that could be better in the way the forum is laid out, primarily in identifying new posts, but they are minor. As time passes, I suspect the format will spruce up a tad, as is natural with a growing site. For the time being, though, I'm fairly happy with it.

The admin has a lot of plans for this community. He really wants it to grow and to become a helping hand. I love the look of the site. It's simple, with basic, easy-to-read colors and fonts. It's not cluttered with ads and so much techno stuff that you can't get to the point of your visit -- learning about ways to make income.

As part of my goals for this blog, I wanted to point my readers towards the Burning Knife. I believe you'll be able to learn from it, and hopefully, you'll decide to share your own stories, there, too. It's been working for me, so I'm sure it can work for you, too!

I can't believe I'm tuning in!

I'm not a big fan of "Saturday Night Live". Yes, I've certainly seen it off and on during its long and successful history, and I've had some genuine laughs, but for the most part, SNL just isn't my kind of humor. However, I caught Tina Fey as Sarah Palin in the season opener and thought she was hysterical. It's a prized bit, and SNL is going to milk Fey's resemblance for all its worth. Fey might as well resign herself to the fact that she's doing double duty for a while. She's just too good as Palin to pass up. Should McCain/Palin actually win, I almost feel sorry for Fey. SNL will want her every week.

What amazes me, though, is that this Saturday, I actually used my TV reminder to ensure that I didn't forget SNL was on. I figured the debate was natural fodder: Fey had to be on, and it would certainly be the opener. I was right. Still, it's a little weird for me to do a reminder for SNL. I actually shook my head when the reminder popped up on the TV screen.

I've read that the ratings are up. I'm not surprised. Of course, I turned it off after the opening skit. I saw what I came for and then it was on to other things!

I'm trying to figure out the best way to offer my celebrity clippings for sale. I've done this on eBay for years, but with their new rules, it's just making it impossible. They've abandoned the little guys who made them a success and are now concentrating on businesses. I'm not a business, and now I'm in a bind. Other auction sites just don't have the traffic. What a quandry to be in.

My poor Jeffy! Jeff Gordon was running fairly well during the Taladega race today when his car became the victim of another racer's blown tire. This just isn't Jeff's year. The only good thing about today is that he was on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, and that was a hoot. Jeff always makes for a good guest. He's not out of the Chase yet, but he'll need a lot of help to win.

Back to the VP debate, I have to say this. It was my strongest reaction of the entire sparring round. When Sarah Palin called her family middle class, I about had a cow. Excuse me? I don't know of a governor who is middle class. The Palins' tax returns would verify I'm right. I just couldn't believe it when I heard it. I wish I were her kind of middle class!

Have a great week, Everyone! Don't forget to vote for my reviews on Review Stream!

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!

Catching up!

I've intended to post just about every day, but something always comes up, but now is the time!


Last Friday, "Stand Up To Cancer" aired on the three major networks plus E! TV. It raised over $100 million to help fight cancer. I'm very proud to say that my favorite, Patrick Swayze, opened the show and received a standing ovation. I was practically in tears. I know how much that meant to him, and I'm so proud of him for participating in the event. He's still fighting pancreatic cancer and is a bit thin, but he looks healthy and is continuing to film his new A&E TV series, "The Beast", in Chicago.

There was no announcement that Patrick was going to participate. I'd known about the event for quite a while and though I hadn't said anything to anyone, I really wanted him to go. Patrick fights his battles in his own way, but he needed to put his face on this battle. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him, but he did it. He stayed for the entire show and was clapping and swaying to the music at the end of the hour-long broadcast.


Thank you, Patrick, for standing up and in doing so, helping others to stand up, too.

It's been a long weekend for the victims of Hurricane Ike. It was so sad to see the how wide spread the damage has been thus far. It's regrettable that more didn't heed the warnings to evacuate. Human nature kicked in for too many, I fear. We always think it won't happen to us. On the flip side, for others, all they have are their homes, so why leave? I wish there was an answer, but it's a question this world isn't prepared to answer as yet. Maybe some day, though.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the passing of 9/11. I spent much of the day watching special programming on the History Channel and MSNBC that were aired without commentary and mostly without commercial interruption. MSNBC began with the remark that many say we must never forget, and I agree. That's why I watched. We can't forget the horror of that day, when America was attacked on *our* land. It's painful, seeing people jumping to their certain deaths, watching the twin towers crumble into a murderous debris field, seeing the faces of firemen as they headed in to rescue the people in the World Trade Center, faces of men who wouldn't ever be seen alive again. Painful - hard - difficult. Tears were shed and my heart ached, but it is necessary not to forget and to pay tribute to those people.

This is why I watched "United 93" and various documentaries during this past week for those of the fourth hijacked aircraft. Those passengers were heroes. Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, Jeremy Glick, and so many others. Names I've never forgotten. They were people I never knew, but they did what we hope we could do in similar situations. They died, but they did so bravely and heroically.

I believe each of these people deserve declarations. There was talk about something for a while, but I've never heard any follow up to it. I just paused my writing and did some research, and it looks like while many bills have been brought up in the Houses in the past several years, they've never passed one. Shame on political men and women who can't come together to award an honor that is now long overdue for these brave people of Flight 93. They banded together and prevented more deaths, not to mention physical destruction, at the Capitol or the White House. Get your acts together, Congress Persons. This is exactly the reason why I'm not fond of any of you right now. This one should be simple.

With all due respect and in the spirit of unity for our nation and those who belief as we die, as we move forward to a new week, I say, let's roll and let's make it count!

It's a crazy and sometimes sad, world!

Yesterday, Matt Garcia, a city councilman for the nearby community of Fairfield was shot in the head. Today, he was taken off of life support and died fairly quickly. What is particularly tragic about this loss is that the councilman was just 22 years old. I remember hearing about him last year during the elections, the young man who had always wanted to give back to his community, particularly dealing with crime. He was so young, too young, to have his life snuffed away in a split second. Some pretender of being a human being got out of his car last night, though, and fired multiple shots at Garcia. Our governor has already put in place a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer. They really don't know much and believe it could be a gang member. After all, Garcia's platform for election was crime prevention. I don't know much about Matt Garcia, but this news stunned me. I remember that young, determined face clearly from the election news. It's just so sad, and it's such a crazy world that we live in.

For the first time in many years, I watched the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon on Sunday night/Monday. I grew up watching the telethons religiously, but when my finances became such that I couldn't give, I sort of felt guilty for watching. Plus, local channels weren't carrying the entire thing for a while. I'm not sure what got me to turn it on this year, but I'm glad I did.

Billy Gilman was on, and I remember him from when he was a kid with a hit country song ("One Voice" about a kid with a gun; it got a tremendous amount of airplay and attention). I haven't seen him in years, but there he was, the national youth ambassador for MDA this year apparently. Wow, what a showman. No wonder Jerry likes him. Billy knows how to put on a show. Each number he did reminded me of the old days, when the real performers took center stage. I checked his website; he's 20 now. Well done, Billy ... and don't be ashamed of those tears you shed and tried to cover up. You're a good kid, er man!

I've created a new yahoo group called SwayStar. If's for anyone who wants to be notified when I have a new review on Review Stream, new article on Helium, or whatever other ventures I have in the future that helps me get by financially. Some folks like the email delivery option instead of having to come to the blog or having it sent to lists that have another focus. The link for SwayStar is on the right hand side of this blog, towards the top.

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.